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Tornadoes kill 4 in Texas town as heat wave scorches state

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

By KEN MILLER and SARAH BRUMFIELD | Associated PressA line of severe storms produced what a meteorologist calls a rare combination of multiple tornadoes, hurricane-force winds and softball-sized hail in west Texas, killing at least four people, injuring nine and causing significant damage around the town of Matador, a meteorologist said Thursday.The storms produced strong winds that swept across Texas, from the Panhandle to Houston, causing damage north of the city, according to weather officials.RELATED: 7 hospitalized, 80 to 90 fans injured by hail while attending Louis Tomlinson concert at Red Rocks AmphitheatreGov. Greg Abbott on Thursday added six counties in the region to a disaster declaration first issued June 16 and amended three times in response to severe weather His statement said the declaration will help state authorities respond swiftly to devastated communities.There was a slight chance storms could form again Thursday afternoon and night, with the possibility of mor...

Grumpy dwarves and 20-sided dice: Therapist uses Dungeons & Dragons to model self-acceptance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

Angela Roberts | The Baltimore Sun (TNS)Charlene MacPherson remembers the precise moment she fell in love with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.She was a freshman at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with only a vague idea of what she wanted to do after college. It was her first time playing. Her friend from the school’s nerd-dominated fencing team was the dungeon master, a role somewhere between a narrator, an omniscient team captain and a god.Someone rolled a 1, traditionally the worst possible score on the game’s iconic 20-sided die, and everyone groaned. But instead of saying the player dropped their sword when they meant to cut a magical tablet in half, the dungeon master said they accidentally stabbed a goblin and would have to spend the entirety of their next turn trying to shake the goblin’s body off their sword.“I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s so funny!’” MacPherson said.MacPherson’s love of the geeky adventure game has only ...

Disneyland to begin rolling opening of San Fransokyo Square in July

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

The twin towers of San Fransokyo’s Shinto shrine-inspired Golden Gate bridge will be installed starting next week as Disneyland continues the transformation of the Pacific Wharf dining area into a tribute to the “Big Hero 6” film.The bridge spanning the waterway bordering the outdoor dining area at Disney California Adventure will close on Monday, June 26 to add the distinctive Torii Gate Bridge towers depicted in the 2014 Disney animated film. The bridge is expected to reopen in the next few weeks after work is completed.Work is expected to continue through mid-August on the overall transformation of Pacific Wharf into San Fransokyo Square.Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Subscribe here.Concept art of Aunt Cass Cafe coming to San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure. (Disney) Big Hero 6-themed menu items will begin rolling out in the transformed Pacific Wharf eateries starti...

Bay Area man gets over 100 years in prison for killing woman with car

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

A Santa Rosa man was sentenced to 14 years plus 100 years to life in prison Tuesday for driving his car over two people after a fight in 2021, killing one, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office said.Clifford Adams, 56, was convicted of murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving causing injury. Adams had three prior “strike” convictions, prosecutors said, which affected his sentencing.On March 23, 2021, Adams got into a physical fight with a man on a small side street off Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa.After the fight, both men left but soon returned to Roberts Avenue. Adams drove up the street, turned his car around, and was stopped with his car facing the man he had been fighting with, who was seated. Adams accelerated his car and drove directly at the man, hitting him and causing a leg fracture and “major” laceration to his leg, prosecutors said.Adams also drove into Kellie Jones, who was sitting nearby on a matt...

BART proposes 20% pay increase for officers to boost BART PD presence on trains

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- In an effort to increase the number of officers patrolling on trains, Bay Area Rapid Transit is ready to spend over $8 million to increase pay for BART Police Department officers. The BART Board of Directors unanimously approved a new agreement to increase BART PD salaries to be more in line with other Bay Area law enforcement agencies, the transit agency announced Thursday.BART PD salaries are 19% below the market average for 10 local comparable jurisdictions, according to BART. The increased salaries are part of a broader effort by BART to attract back ridership by increasing safety on trains. San Francisco’s hiring practices to blame for vacant job crisis, jury finds BART hopes that the pay increase will help BART PD recruit additional staff and retain current officers.“This represents an important investment in safety and security on BART,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “It’s essential that the BART Police Department is competitive in recruiting...

Modi meets the press at the White House — and takes rare questions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Narendra Modi did something very unusual on Thursday at the White House — he took questions from journalists.It’s a rare occurrence for the Indian prime minister who avoids unscripted moments and has presided over a steady decline in press freedom in his country. The news conference was more limited than the kind that U.S. presidents usually hold with foreign leaders, but even that wasn’t easy to arrange with Modi. Indian officials agreed to the event only the day before, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations. Administration officials told Modi’s advisers that taking questions from the media was a standard part of how White House state visits are conducted, the person said.An Indian reporter asked about addressing climate change, and an American reporter pressed Modi on human rights concerns— a particularly delicate topic as the United States seeks closer ties with India as a b...

Los restos hallados pertenecen al submarino Titán, revela documento oficial revisado por CNN

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

(CNN) –– Se ha concluido que los escombros descubiertos dentro del área de búsqueda del submarino desaparecido Titán corresponden al cuerpo externo de la nave, según un memorándum revisado por CNN. La búsqueda de la cápsula de la tripulación del submarino continúa, dice el documento.Los escombros se ubicaron en el fondo del océano, aproximadamente a 500 metros de la proa del Titanic, y se ubicaron aproximadamente a las 8:55 a.m. ET.Noticia en desarrollo…The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Source

Film academy welcomes new members to Board of Governors, now 53% female

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, film executive Hannah Minghella, “The Woman King” screenwriter Dana Stevens and “Summer of Soul” producer David I. Dinerstein have been elected to serve on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors.The Academy, the organization behind the Oscars, announced newcomers and incumbent members, like director Ava DuVernay and “A Star is Born” producer Lynette Howell Taylor, on Thursday.They join returning governors like Marlee Matlin, Warner Bros. co-chair and CEO Pam Abdy, Jason Reitman, Jason Blum and Rita Wilson. As of this election, women make up a majority (53%) of the board. A quarter of the board also belongs to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.The Board of Governors is comprised of members representing each branch of the academy, including directors, actors, executives and below the line craftspeople working in sound, production design, costuming and more, and work to set the organization’s strategy, finances and...

Bonaventure to face American teenager Montgomery in Veneto Open quarterfinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

GAIBA, Italy (AP) — Third-seeded Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium advanced to the quarterfinals of the Veneto Open with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Nuria Brancaccio on Thursday.Bonaventure, who was beaten by eventual winner Alison Van Uytvanck in the second round last year, took just 45 minutes to secure the win.“I’m very happy with my performance, I served well and my tennis worked,” Bonaventure said. “With the high temperatures it wasn’t easy at all.“I’m happy to be in the quarterfinals. My aim for this week is to play as many matches as possible in order to arrive ready at Wimbledon. I have already won a couple, guaranteeing myself a third, but I hope I can do even better.”Bonaventure will face American teenager Robin Montgomery in the last eight.The 18-year-old Montgomery, who won the girls’ singles and doubles titles at the 2021 U.S. Open, continued her impressive form this week with a 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-0 victory over Laura Pigossi of Brazil.Montgomery was one of two Americans through ...

Google backs creation of cybersecurity clinics with $20 million donation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:00 GMT

File - Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Pichai pledged $20 million in grants on Thursday to support and expand the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to introduce thousands of students to potential careers in cybersecurity, while also helping defend small government offices, rural hospitals and nonprofits from low-level hacking. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)(AP/Jeff Chiu) File - Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Pichai pledged $20 million in grants on Thursday to support and expand the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to introduce thousands of students to potential careers in cybersecurity, while also helping defend small ...