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Crews battle brush fire in Plymouth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

Crews in Plymouth battled a brush fire Friday as experts shared ongoing warnings about dangerous fire conditions across much of the state. In a statement, Fire Chief Neil Foley said the fire burned through approximately two acres near Route 3. Foley said crews were initially notified about the fire around 2 p.m. Crews were able to knock the flames down after roughly 45 minutes, Foley said. The fire prompted temporary road closures on Route 3. Foley said off-duty firefighters were also among those called in to assist the emergency response. The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Wednesday afternoon.The National Weather Service has declared a red flag warning indicating high fire danger across multiple days this week as a result of factors including wind and dry conditions. Crews have, indeed, been kept busy across Massachusetts in recent days battling flames in numerous communities. Officials have warned against any outdoor burning in the coming days,...

Chicago White Sox have yet to win a series after defense costs them again in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

Gavin Sheets turned one way and then the other before losing his footing and falling while trying to catch Ryan Jeffers’ fly to right field in the fourth inning.Jeffers reached on a triple and scored when Andrew Vaughn bobbled Michael A. Taylor’s check-swing grounder to first, eliminating any opportunity for a double play or a throw to the plate.The Chicago White Sox didn’t have the sharpest series defensively. While they weren’t charged with an error Wednesday, those moments were costly in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins in front of 17,658 at Target Field.“It was unfortunate,” Sheets said. “(Sox starter Lucas Giolito) had been jamming guys all day. Threw the ball extremely well. I thought (Jeffers) got jammed a little better, (I) took a hard step in and kind of got turned around with the ball fading into the wind. I feel terrible in that situation, especially with the way Gio is throwing the ball.“It’s frustrating. It’s ...

Watch live: CHP pursuing reckless driving suspect in Los Angeles County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

California Highway Patrol officers are chasing a vehicle with a driver accused of driving recklessly. The chase began around 3:15 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the 101 Freeway in Hollywood where CHP says the driver refused to pull over for a traffic stop. As of 3:30 p.m., the chase had reached the Santa Clarita area on the northbound 5 Freeway.Sky5 is overhead.

Charged debate on Oregon gun bills reflects national divide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An emotionally charged debate over Oregon’s gun-related legislation recently brought lawmakers on different sides of the issue near tears, reflecting a passionate divide over gun rights that is also playing out nationwide.One of the most sweeping bills being proposed in the politically diverse state — the one that led to highly personal speeches from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers at a committee hearing last week — would increase the purchasing age to 21 for AR-15s and similar types of guns, impose penalties for possessing undetectable firearms and allow for more limited concealed-carry rights.Republican lawmakers in Oregon said community safety depends on access to firearms, while Democrats conversely called for greater restrictions in the name of safety.The debate in the Oregon State Capitol comes as Democrats and Republicans across the country spar over gun rights, and as the number of gun violence deaths nationwide has risen to 11,767 so far th...

Transit patrols boosted after teenager dies in Surrey, B.C., bus stabbing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

SURREY, B.C. — Police patrols at transit hubs will be increased after a stabbing on a Surrey, B.C., bus left a teenager dead, the latest in a rash of knife attacks in public transport settings in Metro Vancouver and Toronto.Surrey RCMP said the stabbing happened just before 9:30 Tuesday night, when the 17-year-old male victim and his attacker got into some sort of altercation while on the bus, not far from the King George SkyTrain station.Police are still seeking witnesses but said it appears the stabbing was “targeted.” No arrests have been made, and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, or IHIT, has been called in to investigate.“At this time, investigators believe this to be an isolated incident with no connection to the Lower Mainland gang conflict,” IHIT said in a written statement.Cpl. Vanessa Munn, media relations officer for the Surrey RCMP, said at a news conference on Wednesday that while overall crime in Surrey is down 14 per cent this year, ...

ChatGPT could return to Italy if OpenAI complies with rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

ROME (AP) — ChatGPT could return to Italy soon if its maker, OpenAI, complies with measures to satisfy regulators who had imposed a temporary ban on the artificial intelligence software over privacy worries. The Italian data protection authority on Wednesday outlined a raft of requirements that OpenAI will have to satisfy by April 30 for the the ban on AI chatbot to be lifted.The watchdog known as Garante last month ordered the company to temporarily stop processing Italian users’ personal information while it investigated a possible data breach. The authority said it didn’t want to hamper AI’s development but emphasized the importance of following the European Union’s strict data privacy rules. OpenAI, which had responded by proposing remedies to ease the concerns, on Wednesday welcomed the Italian regulators’ move.“We are happy that the Italian Garante is reconsidering their decision and we look forward to working with them to make ChatGPT available to our ...

Florida executes ‘ninja killer’ for couple’s 1989 death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — Florida executed a man known as the “ninja killer” on Wednesday for the 1989 slayings of a couple visiting the state from New Jersey.Louis Bernard Gaskin, 56, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. after receiving a lethal injection, the governor’s office said. He was convicted of killing Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on Dec. 20, 1989, in their Flagler County winter home on Florida’s northeastern coast.Gaskin woke up at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday and had his last meal at 9:45 a.m., Department of Corrections spokesperson Kayla McLaughlin Smith said during a news conference. The meal included BBQ pork ribs, pork and turkey neck, Buffalo wings, shrimp fried rice, french fries and water.Gaskin was visited by his sister Wednesday, but he did not meet with a spiritual adviser, McLaughlin Smith said. No relatives of the victims had arranged to be in the witness room during the execution.Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has been signing death warrants at a rapid pace...

Maryland sheriff charged in illegal gun rental scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

A Maryland sheriff repeatedly lied to federal authorities to help a local firearms dealer illegally obtain machine guns and rent them out to his customers, forming a partnership that was profitable and politically beneficial, according to a federal grand jury indictment filed last week.Frederick County Sheriff Charles “Chuck” Jenkins pleaded not guilty Wednesday to several charges, including conspiracy and making false statements to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.After initially pledging to remain in office while the case proceeds, Jenkins said Wednesday he is taking a leave of absence.“I have full confidence in the system, and I know that my innocence will prevail at the end of all of this,” Jenkins said in a statement released by the agency.He was released pending trial on several conditions, including that he refrains from possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapons.Federal law generally prohibits firearm dealers from importing machine guns un...

OAS rights court rules against Mexico on no-bail policy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Inter American Human Rights Court ruled Wednesday that Mexico violated the rights of two men who were held in pre-trial detention for 17 years before being convicted of homicide. The court, which is a branch of the Organization of American States, said such extended detention violates the right to personal freedom and the presumption of innocence, among others. It ordered the Mexican government to make amends to Daniel García Rodríguez and Reyes Alpízar Ortiz, who were arrested in 2002. It also said Mexico should review the practice of pre-trial detention for a long list of crimes.Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said the government would review the ruling. It has a year to comply.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has sparked debate in Mexico by expanding the number of crimes considered ineligible for bail, and he has publicly called on the Supreme Court not to release more people pending trial. Mexico does not have cash or property bail like th...

University of Toronto study finds banned chemicals in several consumer products

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:45 GMT

It’s been a decade since chlorinated paraffins were banned in Canada, but scientists involved in a newly released University of Toronto study say they found the chemicals in a large majority of the products they tested.Chlorinated paraffins are used in plastics as additives to soften the materials and make the materials easier to move. Those behind the study said a lot still needs to be learned about the chemicals, but the concerns have been lingering for some time.“It’s generally considered under the class of possible carcinogens. There haven’t been much in the way of human studies on them or they’ve been inconclusive, but there have been some studies on rats showing that they are carcinogenic and possibly neurodevelopmentally toxic,” Dr. Steven Kutarna at the University of Toronto told CityNews.“It’s similar enough to compounds that we know are toxic that we’re concerned.”Kutarna said the team bought 96 lower-cost, everyd...