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Hurricane Hilary grows rapidly off Mexico. Rare tropical storm watch issued for California

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

By MARK STEVENSON and JULIE WATSON (Associated Press)MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Hilary grew rapidly into Category 4 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Friday and could reach Southern California as the first tropical storm there in 84 years, which forecasters warned could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornados. Hilary had sustained winds near 145 mph (230 kph) early Friday, and was expected to strengthen a bit more before starting to weaken. Nevertheless, it was forecast to still be a hurricane when approaching Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night, and a tropical storm when approaching Southern California on Sunday.The National Hurricane Center on Friday issued its first ever tropical storm watch for much of Southern California, covering a wide swath of the region from the coast to the interior mountains and deserts. No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather S...

Is 700 a good enough credit score to buy a house?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

Erik J. Martin | Bankrate.com (TNS)When you’re financing the purchase of a home, it’s important to understand what mortgage lenders look for when evaluating potential borrowers. One factor they strongly value is your credit score, a measure of how creditworthy you are: The higher your score, the more attractive you will appear to lenders.FICO and VantageScore, two of the most prominent players, score in a range from a low of 300 to a high of 850. Ideally, your credit score is closer to that high end. But what if your credit score is a bit lower than ideal? For example, is 700 a good credit score to buy a house? Here we’ll break down recommended scores for different types of mortgage loans, and whether you can buy a house with a 700 credit score.What credit score do I need to buy a house?“There are four major factors mortgage companies typically use to make decisions when lending money: credit score, income, assets and payment history,” says Ralph DiBugnara, a senior vice president a...

The NIH ices a research project. Is it self-censorship?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

Darius Tahir | (TNS) KFF Health NewsMany Americans don’t understand a lot about their health. Whether due to people believing conspiracy theories or simply walking out of their doctor’s offices without a good idea of what was said, communicating what scientists know has been a long-standing challenge.The problem has gotten particularly acute with a recent wave of misinformation. And when Francis Collins led the National Institutes of Health, the world’s premier medical research agency, he thought he had a solution: to study health communications broadly. “We basically have seen the accurate medical information overtaken, all too often, by the inaccurate conspiracies and false information on social media. It’s a whole other world out there,” he said in 2021 as part of a farewell media tour.“I do think we need to understand better how — in the current climate — people make decisions,” he concluded.But Collins’ hopes appear dashed. In a sudden reversal, the NIH’s acting director, Larry...

Marine dies during training at Camp Pendleton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A Marine died during training Thursday night at Camp Pendleton, according to U.S. Marine Corps.The Marine, who was a student in the School of Infantry-West, was participating in night live-fire training, Maj. Joshua J. Pena with USMC said in an emailed statement.The circumstances of the death are being investigated, and the command is "fully cooperating," officials said. Pendleton Marine accused of sex assault identified, claims girl lied about her age No other information was immediately available.

Postponed: Kearny Mesa 'Dump Day' rescheduled due to Hilary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- For those planning to dump unwanted items for free this weekend in Kearny Mesa, Caltrans has postponed "dump day" due to Hilary.The decision was made after a Tropical Storm Watch was issued for parts of San Diego County Friday morning. Hilary intensified to a Category 4 hurricane Thursday night and is expected to bring excessive rainfall and possible flooding to the region over the weekend.Out of precaution, the Kearny Mesa "dump day" will be rescheduled to a later date. Caltrans says maintenance crews will also be busy clearing culverts and prepping maintenance equipment in the wake of the storm.Finishing up those summertime cleaning and clearing projects may now take you a little longer as the new date has not yet been determined. When the event is rescheduled, Caltrans says the public is welcome to bring non-hazardous, unwanted household items to dispose of for free.Officials say staff will be on-site at the Caltrans Kearny Mesa Maintenance Yard to accept approved w...

High school teacher from B.C. wins Season 10 of survivalist reality show ‘Alone’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

A Canadian high school teacher is the winner of the latest season of the History Channel’s survival reality show “Alone.” Alan Tenta, from Columbia Valley, B.C., outlasted nine other competitors in the northern Saskatchewan wilderness to win the US$500,000 prize. Tenta says in a news release that it was an “honour” to be selected to compete in Season 10 of the show and he is grateful for the support he’s received from his family, friends and students. Tenta says he was prepared for the competition because he spends a lot of time outdoors and was already familiar with the plants and animals in the region. In this season of “Alone,” 10 survivalists competed for the big prize by fighting off black bears, wolves and other animals while dealing with “bone-chilling” temperatures of a remote area in Saskatchewan. Another Canadian, business owner Wyatt Black of Bracebridge, Ont., finished second in the season finale, which aired on Thursday. Other competitors included an “off-grid” organic ...

Man charged after harassing woman with knife in Vaughan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

A man is facing charges after he allegedly followed and harassed a woman with a knife in Vaughan.York Regional Police said they received a call around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday from a distressed woman claiming a man was threatening her while brandishing a knife.It’s alleged the woman had been walking in the area of Highway 7 West and Martin Grove Road with another woman when the male suspect approached on foot, tried to engage in conversation and offered them a ride home, which was declined.The man followed the two women as they approached a bus shelter. Police said after one woman got on a bus,the suspect approached the other victim, displayed a knife and tried to force her to come with him.It was then the woman ran away and phoned the police, who located the suspect on foot. Investigators said he tried to flee but was apprehended a short time later.The suspect was driving a red 2010 Ford F150 pickup truck, found parked at a nearby gas station at the time of his arrest.The man w...

Hydro-Québec workers, vulnerable Cree community members evacuated due to wildfires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

MONTREAL — Much-needed rain fell in parts of northwestern Quebec on Friday, where high-intensity forest fires have forced the partial evacuation of a Cree community and employees of the province’s hydroelectric utility. Audrey Marcoux, a spokeswoman for the province’s forest fire prevention agency, said parts of the James Bay region had received about 20 millimetres of rain as of Friday morning. Firefighters in northern Quebec had been struggling to slow down intense fires fuelled by high winds and dry conditions after weeks without rain. Marcoux said the rain would help fire efforts, but smoky conditions were making it difficult to get a full portrait of the situation. The Cree Board of Health said seven planes were deployed to Wemindji on Wednesday and Thursday to evacuate more than 200 medically vulnerable people. Three more planes remained on standby, the board wrote in a Friday update on its website.“As conditions can change quickly people are asked to exercis...

Nearly 4,000 pages show new detail of Ken Paxton’s alleged misdeeds ahead of Texas impeachment trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Investigators leading the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have released nearly 4,000 pages of documents that lay out in new detail how the embattled Republican allegedly used multiple cellphones and an alias on a ride-sharing app to conceal an affair, and pressured top aides to help a donor who is now facing criminal charges.The reams of exhibits, most of which were publicly filed late Thursday and include emails and text messages, are the foundation of House Republicans’ case that Paxton abused his office and should be ousted at the end of a historic impeachment trial that begins Sept. 5 in the Texas Capitol. “It’s a complicated story,” Mark Penley, one of Paxton’s former deputies, told investigators during a deposition in March. “But if you understand what was going on, this was outrageous conduct by an Attorney General that’s supposed to be the chief law enforcement officer for the State of Texas, not the chief lawbreaking officer...

New York governor blocks discharge of radioactive water into Hudson River from closed nuclear plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:44 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A measure to block discharges of radioactive water into the Hudson River as part of the Indian Point nuclear plant’s decommissioning was signed into law Friday by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.The bill was introduced to thwart the planned release of 1.3 million gallons of water with traces of radioactive tritium from the retired riverside plant 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City.The plan sparked a groundswell of opposition in the suburban communities along the river. Many feared the discharges would depress real estate values and drive away sailors, kayakers and swimmers after decades of progress in cleaning up the Hudson River.Supporters of the planned releases say that they would be similar to those made when the Indian Point Energy Center was making electricity and that the concentration of tritium had been far below federal standards. Such releases are made by other plants, hospitals and other institutions, they said.The bill to ban radioactiv...