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When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

Hours before devastating fires scorched the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, Kyle Ellison labored to save his rental house in Kula, a rural mountain town 24 miles away, from a different blaze.As high winds whipped burning trees and grass, Ellison and his landlord struggled with plummeting water pressure. Ellison had to wait for pots to slowly fill in the sink before running them to the fire; his landlord wielded a garden hose with little more than a trickle. Firefighters had to rush away for half-hour stretches to find a working fire hydrant to refill their tanker, and every time they did, the fire gained.“It’s a very disconcerting feeling when the fire department shows up and they don’t have water,” Ellison said.The lack of backup power for critical pumps seriously hindered firefighting in Kula, county water director John Stufflebean told The Associated Press. Once the winds knocked out electricity, pumps were unable to push water up into tanks and reservoirs that were key t...

6 miners killed, 15 trapped underground in collapse of a gold mine in Zimbabwe, state media reports

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Six people have died in the collapse of a gold mine in Zimbabwe, and 15 others are still trapped underground, according to state media reports.State-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation quoted deputy mines minister Polite Kambamura as saying 34 miners had been caught in Friday’s collapse. Thirteen managed to escape.The broadcaster on Saturday said rescue operations were underway at Beyhose mine in the gold rich town of Chegutu, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of the capital, Harare.The police and the mines ministry could not be reached for comment Saturday.Incidents of mine collapses, often involving artisanal miners, are rampant in the southern African country that is rich in gold, coal and diamonds. The country of 15 million people also has Africa’s largest reserves of lithium, a mineral in global demand due to its use in electric car batteries.Zimbabwe’s mineral-rich national parks, abandoned mines, rivers and even towns are often swarmed with ...

President Biden says the looming shutdown isn’t his fault. Will Americans agree with him?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down a likely government shutdown, the White House wants to make sure any blame falls at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue — specifically on House Republicans. After all, it’s House Republicans who have been paralyzed by their inability to pass a funding package, and Republicans who don’t want to uphold a bipartisan spending agreement from earlier this year. President Joe Biden is hoping the rest of the country will see things the same way. It’s a murky proposition at a time of extreme political polarization, with many Americans dug into their partisan corners regardless of the facts of the matter.A shutdown would arrive at a tenuous moment for Biden, who already faces low poll numbers and concerns about the economy as he seeks a second term in office, partially on the pitch that he offers steady stewardship in Washington.If no spending bill passes Congress by the end of Saturday, federal workers stop getting paid, air travel could be e...

Saturday Forecast: Low 80s and sunny

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

Saturday: Sunny & warmer -- except lakeside. SE 0-10 mph. Air quality is in the Good category for Chicagoland.  High 82, upper 70s by the lake. Saturday night: Mostly clear & mild for the season. Patchy fog after midnight. SE 0-5 mph. Near: 60Sunday: Sunny & warm. Cooler by the lake.  SSE 0-5 mph. Highs low 80s, cooler lakeside. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for sunshine and temps in the mid to low 80s for Mon/Tue and possibly Wednesday too as we see increasing clouds. Showers and possible thunderstorms look likely for Thursday with temps in the mid 70s and wind developing. Some rain at times and highs near 70 for Friday. 

Weekend Break: America's First Responders Fest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

Check out Weekend Break with Christine Flores where she visit's Americas First Responders Fest in South Elgin. Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Tip screen fatigue? Here's how much Americans are actually tipping: survey

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Whether it's an airport self-checkout machine or a $14 beer at a concert, the controversial tipping option is often the last step — but how many people actually tip at the suggested percentages, usually 20% and up?A recent Forbes Advisor survey of 2,000 Americans suggests that while most people tip more when they leave a digital tip, they don't often surpass 20%.While the vast majority of respondents said they tip always or often (76%), the average gratuity amount was 16%.When did tipping become so divisive?Several factors have ratcheted up consumers' emotions around the practice in recent years. After the pandemic crushed foot traffic to a number of service-oriented businesses, many Americans started tipping more to support their servers, bartenders, hair stylists and gig workers. Nearly a third (32%) of those surveyed said they still tip more now than before the pandemic.Digital transactions and the seemingly ubiquitous tipping screen have only pressurized the decision...

Toby Keith speaks out about cancer battle: 'I lean on my faith'

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJW) – Country star Toby Keith says he's been leaning on his faith after being diagnosed with stomach cancer in the fall of 2021.The "Should've Been a Cowboy" singer spoke with reporters on Thursday before the inaugural People's Choice Country Awards in Nashville, where he told Fox News that he's doing "all right" amid his cancer battle."I lean on my faith and I just pray and lean into it," Keith told the outlet. "It was my rock." Singer Maren Morris leaving country music, blames the ‘Trump years’ Keith went on to tell E! News that the journey has been "a roller coaster.""You get good days and, you know, you're up and down. … It's always zero to 60 and 60 to zero, but I feel good today," he said.Toby Keith attends the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards at The Grand Ole Opry on September 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)The 62-year-old country singer went on to win the Country Icon Award during the ceremony. ‘I’ll go to jail....

What to do if you're caught in hail while driving

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

(KXAN) — A storm with hail moved through Central Texas late Sunday, damaging cars and homes. If you’re driving through a hail storm like this, here’s a few tips for drivers to keep themselves, their passengers and others safe.If you do need to drive during hail, drivers should slow down, pull over and stay clear of other vehicles, according to AAA Texas.The average hail claim for AAA Texas was nearly $6,000 in 2021, according to spokesperson Daniel Armbruster, and hail can be more damaging to your car if you’re driving at a higher speed. Large, damaging hail pummels parts of Central Texas If you pull over, drivers should avoid overpasses because they can become congested with other drivers seeking relief, leading to a traffic jam or accident. Wind also becomes more dangerous underneath a bridge, Armbruster said.“When it comes to other drivers, it’s hard to see outside if the rain is coming down, so it can be hard to see other drivers,” Armbruster said. “If you’re all trying to pul...

Embattled Congress lurches toward midnight shutdown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

Congress is lurching toward a shutdown that would begin early Sunday morning, with House Republicans battling one another and the Senate moving forward with a bipartisan plan that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has not committed to bringing to a vote in the House. Senators are poised to vote Saturday afternoon on a bill to fund the government until Nov. 17. The legislation includes $6.15 billion for Ukraine and $6 billion for disaster relief. McCarthy has drawn a line in the sand on Ukraine funding, and floated the idea Friday night of a "clean" measure that would not include funding for Ukraine.A number of conservatives in McCarthy's conference would oppose such a measure, and it would need Democratic support to pass. The Senate bill, if approved by the upper chamber, would likely pass the House if it were given a vote on the floor. But a majority of the House GOP conference voted against a measure Thursday on Ukraine aid, and bringing the bill to the floor could come with polit...

APD makes progress in recruiting 911 dispatchers, call-takers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:21:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  The Austin Police Department is making progress in hiring enough staff for its Emergency Communication (ECOMMS) center, according to a memo. Staffing shortages in the department have led to slower-than-normal pick-ups for emergencies in the last couple of years. APD said it has been “hyper-focused” in addressing the large number of vacancies, which has led to the implementation of some effective programs, per the memo. MORE: APD: Latest average 911 hold time was roughly 3 minutes There are 75 dispatchers and 104 call-taker positions available in the department. From October 2022, APD has been successful in filling 91% of the dispatcher roles and 69% of the call takers, per a city memo. Further, APD said it has hired new leadership, expanded its recruiting team, brought on new IT support members to bolster the division’s technology infrastructure and recently launched a comprehensive citywide and national recruiting campaign to fill the remaining vac...