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Union Pacific drops push for one-person crews

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has become the second major freight railroad in the past week to back away from the industry’s longstanding push to cut train crews down to a single person as lawmakers and regulators increasingly focus on rail safety following last month’s fiery derailment in Ohio.The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad said in a statement that it had reached an agreement with the union that represents conductors to drop its proposal to take those workers out of the cabs of locomotives just months after it was pressing to test out the idea of stationing conductors in trucks in parts of its 23-state network. Norfolk Southern made a similar announcement several days earlier.The Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that forced the evacuation of roughly half the town of East Palestine near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border after officials released and burned toxic chemicals is what sparked the renewed interest in railroad safety.A bipartisan bill that’s gain...

Widespread rain & mountain snow expected in San Diego, again

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

SAN DEGO -- Though the week is expected to start with slightly warmer weather, the National Weather Service forecasts another wave of widespread rain and mountain snow come mid-week.Sunday presented a fair weather day with a drier airmass overspreading the region, bringing stability, weather officials said. Nonetheless, temperatures were cooler with scattered cloud cover. Emergency closures expected on I-8 in El Cajon In fact, NWS says Sunday temperatures were expected to be around 10 degrees below average inland and two to 5 degrees below average near the coastal areas of the county.Overnight Sunday, weather officials predict patchy frost in the sheltered valleys and some gusty westerly winds over the mountains and deserts.The NWS forecasts Monday to be the warmest day of the week. Tuesday is still expected to be mild, but weather officials say a deep cyclone off the Northern California coast is expected to move south, eventually covering the state.With this movement, NWS says an...

Is the David porn? See for yourself, Italy ask Fla. parents

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

ROME (AP) — The Florence museum housing Michelangelo’s Renaissance masterpiece the David on Sunday invited parents and students from a Florida charter school to visit after complaints about a lesson featuring the statue forced the principal to resign.Florence Mayor Dario Nardella also tweeted an invitation for the principal to visit so he can personally honor her. Confusing art with pornography was “ridiculous,” Nardella said. The board of the Tallahassee Classical School pressured Principal Hope Carrasquilla to resign last week after an image of the David was show to a sixth-grade art class. The school has a policy requiring parents to be notified in advance about “controversial” topics being taught. The incredulous Italian response highlighted how the U.S. culture wars are often perceived in Europe, where despite a rise in right-wing sentiment and governance, the Renaissance and its masterpieces, even its naked ones, are generally free of controversy. Sunday’s front page of ...

Netanyahu fires defense minister, sparking mass protests

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country on Sunday night in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister for challenging the Israeli leader’s judicial overhaul plan.Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked a main highway and lit a large bonfire, while police scuffled with protesters who gathered outside Netanyahu’s private home in Jerusalem.The unrest deepened a monthslong crisis over Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary, which has sparked mass protests, alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs and drawn concern from the United States and other close allies.Netanyahu’s dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signaled that the prime minister and his allies will barrel ahead this week with the overhaul plan. Gallant had been the first senior member of the ruling Likud party to speak out against it, saying the deep divisions were th...

Residents protest zipline on Rio’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

Some 200 protesters gathered beneath Rio de Janeiro’s world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain to protest the ongoing construction of ziplines aimed at boosting tourism, alleging it will cause unacceptable impacts.The four steel lines will run 755 meters (almost 2,500 feet) over the forest between Sugarloaf and Urca Hill, and riders will reach speeds of 100 km/h (62mph). Inauguration is schedule for the second half of this year, and an online petition to halt works has been signed by almost 11,000 people.Sugarloaf — known in Portuguese as Pao de Açucar— juts out of the earth at the entrance to Rio’s bay. The U.N.’s heritage center named it a World Heritage Site in 2012 along with Rio’s other marquis mountains and, years earlier, Brazil’s heritage institute designated it a national monument. The cable cars to its summit draw hundreds of thousands of Brazilian and international tourists each year, all eager to take in the panoramic views of the sprawling city’s be...

Fire damages complex housing Wright Brothers plane factory

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An early morning fire damaged a commercial building complex housing an historic airplane factory founded by the Wright Brothers in Ohio on Sunday, authorities said.Dayton fire crews were sent to the site just before 2:30 a.m. and found heavy fire throughout the complex. Fire crews used hoses to spray water on the flames and used aerial ladders to get water into openings in the roof. The Dayton Daily News reports that crews were still on the scene nearly 12 hours after the fire was reported. Black smoke continued to stream from a collection of multiple hangar buildings, including historic Wright Brothers airplane factory hangars, and flames could be seen on the backside of the hangars, the paper reported.Capt. Brad French said in a news release that the structure involved is listed on the National Historic Register as the first aircraft manufacturing facility founded by the Wright Brothers. Mackensie Wittmer, executive director of the National Aviation Heritage Ar...

McCarthy says House will press ahead with TikTok bill after CEO's testimony

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

(The Hill) Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that the House will move forward with a proposed TikTok ban bill after the social media platform's CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress on Thursday. “It's very concerning that the CEO of TikTok can't be honest and admit what we already know to be true—China has access to TikTok user data,” McCarthy wrote in a tweet on Sunday. “The House will be moving forward with legislation to protect Americans from the technological tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party.” Utah governor: New social media legislation not expected to be ‘foolproof’ Several lawmakers in recent months have introduced legislation that would prohibit the downloading and use of TikTok nationally in the U.S. McCarthy said that he would support a nationwide ban on TikTok, noting there’s already a “bipartisan concern” with lawmakers on security risks the social media platform brings. “I think you see a bipartisan concern here with what's happening o...

TxDOT requests feedback on statewide 2050 transportation plan

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Texas Department of Transportation works toward finalizing its long-ranging transportation plan, it's hosting virtual and in-person forums this spring to collect community feedback.Connecting Texas 2050 is the state agency's update to its long-range transportation plan. TxDOT is collecting feedback "to help establish the vision, objectives, performance measures and strategic recommendations for the state's transportation system through 2050 for all modes," per a news release.A statewide virtual public meeting will be hosted online and in-person through May 31.To submit a comment, Texans can share it online, via email at [email protected] or by mailing it to the following address:TxDOT TPP Connecting Texas 2050, Statewide Planning Branch ManagerP.O. Box 149217Austin, TX 78714-9217Commenters can also share their thoughts in person at the physical open houses. Any comments postmarked by May 31 will be incorporated into the community engagement summary...

Wild are finally alone in first place. Can they actually win the Central Division?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

The last time the Wild sat alone atop the Central Division, the pandemic was still roaring worldwide, Kirill Kaprizov hadn’t fully established himself as an NHL superstar, and Matt Boldy was still in the minors. Needless to say, a lot has changed since Dec. 28, 2021.No longer are the Wild operating on that timeline, however, after finally chasing down the Dallas Stars for first place. Though they have been jockeying for position seemingly on a nightly basis over the past couple of weeks, the Wild woke up on Sunday morning alone in first place.Can they actually win the Central Division? This week will go a long way in determining that as the Wild play the Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. All are near-locks to be playoff teams.“It’s a good time just coming down the stretch here,” Ryan Reaves said of the tough games ahead. “We’re going to jump right into the playoffs three days after the regular season ends. You want to be...

Commercial vehicles catch fire at St. Charles Coca-Coca plant

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:02:52 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Thick smoke could be seen billowing from the Coca-Cola plant in St. Charles, after several commercial vehicles caught fire at the bottling factory.It's unclear when the fire started, and if any part of the plant itself has been damaged. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW According to Deputy Chief Steve Brown, St. Charles Fire Department, about 10 trucks caught fire, seven of which were destroyed. The fire was put out just before 4 p.m.This is a developing news story. FOX 2 will have more information here as it becomes available, and on our news broadcasts this evening.