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The water has turned a shocking shade of magenta in this Hawaii refuge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

(CNN) — A pond in Hawaii looks like something right out of a fairy tale. Water at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few coastal salt marshes on the island of Maui, has been bright pink since at least October 30, officials say, after its salt content surged amid an extreme drought.Water samples sent to the University of Hawaii suggest that halobacteria is behind the pond’s new magenta hue, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.Halobacteria are single-celled organisms that thrive in very salty water, like the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea. The bacterium is considered a so-called extremophile because of its ability to live in such an extreme environment – in this case, one where the water salinity is twice that of seawater, Fish and Wildlife noted.While Kealia literally means “salt encrustation,” the pond’s salinity has skyrocketed well beyond normal because of Maui’s extreme drought. The entire island is in severe or worse drought, according to the&n...

Massachusetts transportation secretary vows change to state’s most dangerous intersection

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

In her first visit to the state’s most dangerous intersection, Acting Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt vowed to Milton residents she will listen to their concerns regarding a proposed roundabout that officials say would make the roadway safer.Tibbits-Nutt and colleagues from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently met with residents at the intersection of Route 28, or Randolph Avenue, and Chickatawbut Road, a gateway into Blue Hills Reservation.“We take this very seriously. That’s why I’m down here,” Tibbits-Nutt said. “We want to try to find solutions and not just a long-term solution but figure out how we can partner to see what we can do more immediately.”Residents have battled the state for years over safety at the intersection characterized by high vehicle speeds, congestion and a lack of safe access for pedestrians and cyclists. They have demanded MassDOT to implement what they say are “short-term improvements,” such as adjusting signal timing or in...

Chinese ships chase Philippine vessels as US renews warning it will defend its ally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

ABOARD THE BRP CABRA (AP) — As a U.S. Navy surveillance plane flew in circles, keeping a close watch, dozens of Chinese coast guard and accompanying ships chased and encircled Philippine vessels in the latest confrontation in one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the South China Sea.At the height of Friday’s four-hour faceoff in the high seas, a Chinese coast guard ship blasted a water cannon toward a Philippine motorboat delivering food and other supplies to Filipino forces on a marooned, rusting warship that serves as the country’s fragile territorial outpost at Second Thomas Shoal.China has steadfastly stood by its claim to virtually the entire strategic waterway, clashing with its smaller neighbors and drawing in the United States, Manila’s treaty ally and China’s main rival in the Asia-Pacific region. Washington and its allies have deployed navy ships and fighter aircraft to promote freedom of navigation and overflight, build up deterrence and reassure alli...

Prefer small towns? This is the least populated city in San Diego County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The hustling, bustling city life isn't for everyone. Even on the West Coast, some prefer small town vibes over the buzzing streets of ultra urban areas.When it comes to incorporated cities in San Diego County, there are some that have a population much lower than others. Can you guess which city has the least amount of people living in it?Here's a breakdown of the region's incorporated cities by population from most to least, based on the U.S. Census Bureau's data as of January 4, 2020, as well as estimates come January 2022. These San Diego-area cities among fastest-growing wealthy suburbs in US: study *Note: A town or city that's incorporated has received a charter from the state, meaning it's legally allowed to have its own elected officials, and, with some exceptions, make it owns rules.CityPopulation Census 2020Population Estimate 2022San Diego1,386,9601,381,162Chula Vista275,500279,170Oceanside174,048172,199Escondido151,074150,270Carlsbad114,735114,160El Cajon10...

House Republicans look to pass two-step package to avoid partial government shutdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled his proposal on Saturday to avoid a partial government shutdown by extending government funding for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19 and continuing funding for others until Feb. 2.The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Usually, lawmakers extend funding until a certain date for all programs. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers seeking to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays.“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Johnson said in a statement after speaking with GOP lawmakers in an afternoon conference call. “The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess.”The bill excludes funding requested by President Joe ...

‘Modern day bank robbery’: Still no answers 2 weeks after Toronto Public Library cyber attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

It’s been two weeks since the Toronto Public Library (TPL) revealed it was the victim of a ransomware attack yet the largest public library system in Canada is no closer to resuming full service.The library’s network of 100 branches remains open to the public but many of the services that residents rely on are still unavailable, such as the library’s website, “your account” service, tpl:map passes and digital collections. The library says customers can continue to borrow and return items “until further notice.”“I think the City of Toronto needs to be concerned about the extent of this hack,” Daniel Tsai, professor of business law and technology at the University of Toronto tells CityNews.“One thing that’s troubling is the lack of transparency and disclosure to the public of what the nature of the hack is and how private data, personal information might be impacted by this.”TPL acknowledged on Friday that sensitive data may have been “exposed...

West Side shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 critically injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

CHICAGO — Police say one person is dead and another is in critical condition after they were shot while inside a vehicle on the city's West Side.According to Chicago police, the shooting happened in the 1400 block of North Avers Avenue in Humboldt Park at around 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. 2 dead, 1 injured after shots fired into car on South Side Police say a 31-year-old man and a 32-year-old man were in a vehicle in the area when a blue SUV pulled up and someone inside fired shots into the victim's vehicle. Officers say the 31-year-old man suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his body and was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later succumbed to his injuries. The 32-year-old man was shot in his left leg and his torso and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say no arrests have been made. Area Five Detectives are now investigating. Man charged in connection with shooting outsid...

'We heard more gunfire': Neighbors discuss scary moments of hostage situation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is mourning one of its officers; during a hostage situation Saturday morning, two officers were shot. One of them is in stable condition, according to APD. Unfortunately, the other officer passed away. 'We heard more gunfire'It's a morning Montana Jones will never forget. "We heard more gunfire," Montana said. "Like 30 officers just all down there. I don't know. It was all red and blue lights."Montana lives behind the home on Bernoulli Drive where APD responded in South Austin. TIMELINE: APD describes events leading to officer line-of-duty death in south Austin "We get a knock on the door," Montana said. "A police officer saying, 'We're gonna have SWAT coming through shortly. Can we use your backyard?' "APD in south Austin following police shooting that killed 1 officer, injured another (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)APD in south Austin following police shooting that killed 1 officer, injured another (KXAN photo/Todd Bynum)APD in south Austin ...

Umbrella weather through Monday as chill continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On this Veteran's Day, temperatures barely reached 60º under thick cloudcover. Rain chances will rise slightly this evening, but any wet weather tonight should continue to be light.Gradually turning wetterAs an approaching storm system moves toward Central Texas we'll notice rain slowly become more widespread through the day on Sunday with rain coverage peaking late Sunday night through Monday morning. Sunday looks increasingly wetRain should get most areas wet, but rainfall amounts generally should range from 0.25"-1.0" when you add up the rain through Monday. There may be some locally higher totals, but generally this is a beneficial rain without many negatives. The Monday morning drive could be a slow and damp one, but an umbrella and patience should work wonders.Rainfall by Monday nightChilly air for a few more daysSunday's temperatures should barely crack 60º before falling back into the 50s as the rain picks up. Highs on Monday likely don't get out of the 50s ...

State football: Mahtomedi puts scare in No. 1 Chanhassen but falls late  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:09 GMT

Chanhassen has been widely considered the cream of the crop in Class 5A football this season.But Mahtomedi put a sizable scare into the Storm’s quest for a championship.Charlie Brandt ran for two scores and threw for another, but the Zephyrs came up 80 seconds short of an upset in Saturday’s state quarterfinal.Defensive lineman Dominic Castagnetto capped a 12-play, 76-yard, nearly five-minute drive with a 2-yard run out of the power package with 1:20 left as the Storm rallied for a 28-22 win.It’s the second straight week Castagnetto scored late to let Chanhassen advance. His short run with 34 seconds left gave the Storm a 37-36 win over perennial-power Mankato West last week.“Two in a row is nice, but it’s better that we won,” he said.Mahtomedi, which got a 25-yard field goal by Charlie Thein for a 22-20 lead with 7:14 to play, got the ball on its own 38 after Castagnetto’s score, but a sack and three incompletions allowed Chanhassen to celebrate.Finishing 4-4 in the regular season,...