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How to snag a spot at California's most popular campgrounds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The simple phrase that makes all California campers cringe: "There are 0 facilities available based on your search."That's the message seen when there are no campsites available on the date selected when trying to snag an overnight spot at one of California's state parks.According to booking platform Reserve California, there are 15,000 campsites scattered across the Golden State. With so many options, most would think it would be easy to book a site. As it turns out, going camping in California can be challenging due to high demand. This San Diego County campground is among the ‘best in America’ So, what's the secret to securing a spot at one of California's state parks? Planning ahead. The trick to landing a campsite is mapping out your adventure early -- six months in advance to be exact. Reservations for campsites and lodging can be made exactly six months before the arrival date with the reservation window opening at 8 a.m. In order to increase your chan...

I-96 reopens in Michigan after 150-vehicle pileup; 16 hurt

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

PORTLAND, Mich. (AP) — An interstate highway stretch in central Michigan has reopened following a massive pileup involving 150 vehicles in whiteout conditions that left 16 people hospitalized.Interstate 96 in Ionia County reopened about 10 p.m. Saturday, about five hours after authorities reported the pileup in the eastbound lanes near Portland, a city more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Detroit and roughly halfway between Lansing and Grand Rapids.Michigan State Police officials said they closed both eastbound and westbound lanes just after 5 p.m. on Saturday following the pileup.“Thankfully it appears that there are no serious injuries,” the MSP Sixth District in Grand Rapids tweeted. It tweeted Sunday afternoon that 16 people were taken to a hospital. A total of 150 vehicles were involved while 84 were damaged and 66 were not damaged after slideoffs, the later tweet said.Officials posted photos of traffic backed up along the frigid roads after the crash. The Associat...

Swiss to hold news conference amid Credit Suisse troubles

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

Swiss leaders are holding a news conference Sunday night following several media reports that banking giant UBS is believed to be in talks to acquire its smaller rival Credit Suisse in an effort to avoid further market-shaking turmoil in global banking. The Federal Council, the seven-member governing body that includes Swiss President Alain Berset, is expected to announce that UBS is acquiring Credit Suisse in a potential deal brokered by the Swiss government.Credit Suisse is designated by the Financial Stability Board, an international body that monitors the global financial system, as one of the world’s globally systemic important banks. This means regulators believe its uncontrolled failure would lead to ripples throughout the financial system not unlike the collapse of Lehman Brothers 15 years ago.Sunday’s news conference follows the collapse of two large U.S. banks last week that spurred a frantic, broad response from the U.S. government to prevent any further bank panics...

Los Angeles TV meteorologist says she’s OK after fainting

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A TV meteorologist in Los Angeles was recovering Sunday after fainting on the air during a weekend newscast. Alissa Carlson was starting her forecast Saturday on CBS Los Angeles when she suddenly slumped onto the desk and then collapsed to the floor. News co-anchor Rachel Kim exclaimed “Oh!” and the broadcast cut to a commercial break. “Our team jumped in to help and comfort her while waiting for medical help to arrive,” CBS LA said in a statement. “Alissa is now recovering and posting on social media.”In a post on Facebook, Carlson thanked viewers for “all the texts, calls, and well wishes.”“I am going to be ok!” she wrote.The news station and Carlson did not disclose any details about why she fainted.The meteorologist will be back on the air “as soon as she’s well enough to return,” CBS LA said. The Associated Press

Israel, Palestinians aim to curb violence as holiday nears

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Israel and the Palestinians pledged Sunday at a meeting in Egypt to take steps to lower tensions ahead of a sensitive holiday season — including a partial freeze on Israeli settlement activity and an agreement to work together to “curb and counter violence.” But a Palestinian shooting attack that wounded two Israelis in the occupied West Bank underscored the tough work that lies ahead as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches this week. The Israeli and Palestinian delegations met for the second time in less than a month, shepherded by regional allies Egypt and Jordan, as well as the United States, to end a year-long spasm of violence. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and more than 40 Israelis or foreigners have been killed in Palestinian attacks during that time. Following Sunday’s summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the sides had reaffirm...

Nations approve key UN science report on climate change

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Governments gave their blessing on Sunday to a major new U.N. report on climate change, after approval was held up by a battle between rich and developing countries over emissions targets and financial aid to vulnerable nations.The report by hundreds of the world’s top scientists was supposed to be approved by government delegations on Friday at the end of a weeklong meeting in the Swiss town of Interlaken.The closing gavel was repeatedly pushed back as officials from big nations such as China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the European Union haggled through the weekend over the wording of key phrases in the text. The report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change caps a series that digests vast amounts of research on global warming compiled since the Paris climate accord was agreed in 2015.A summary of the report was approved early Sunday but agreement on the main text dragged on for several more hours, with some observers fearing it might ...

Search on for Florida boaters missing in lake near Legoland

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) — Authorities searched Sunday for two boaters who were missing and believed drowned in an accident on a central Florida lake near the Legoland theme park.Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference that the two men had jumped into Lake Eloise to save a third person from their group, a woman, who was struggling in the water. They became separated from the boat and have not been seen since Saturday evening.The third person, 38-year-old Velcky Velazques, was rescued by sheriff’s deputies who had been summoned when a 10-year-old girl on the boat dialed 911 on a cellphone. That child and an 8-year-old girl remained on the boat as it drifted and were rescued safely by the deputies, who had commandeered a fishing boat whose owner cooperated in the effort, Judd said.The lake, adjacent to the Legoland theme park in Winter Haven, was rough on Saturday with 20 mph (32 kph) winds and some whitecaps, Judd said. He added that the weather issues were comp...

California to ask voters to approve new mental health beds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — California voters would decide whether to fund a major expansion of housing and treatment for residents suffering from mental illness and addiction, under the latest proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom to address the state’s homelessness crisis. Newsom announced Sunday that he will ask allies in the Democratic-controlled Legislature for a measure on the 2024 ballot to authorize funding to build residential facilities where over 10,000 people a year could live and be treated. The plan is the latest by the governor who took office in 2019 vowing to own the issue of homelessness in a state where an estimated 171,000 were unhoused last year. “This is the next step in our transformation of how California addresses mental illness, substance use disorder and homelessness — creating thousands of new beds, building more housing, expanding services and more,” Newsom said in a statement.California, home to nearly 40 million people, has nearly one-third of the nation’s homeless...

Poilievre calls for testing that would allow doctors, nurses to work across Canada

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for a countrywide standardized testing process that would speed up licence approvals for doctors and nurses.Poilievre says his proposed “blue seal” testing standard would allow qualified health-care professionals to work in any province or territory that volunteers to be part of the program.He described his plan at a press conference today, saying a model that allowed professionals to take a test and get an answer within 60 days would address Canada’s ongoing shortage of health-care professionals, such as family doctors and emergency-room nurses.Under the existing licensing system, each province and territory has its own processes to be licensed as a doctor or nurse.Poilievre says that means professionals from one province can’t necessarily work in another region, while new immigrants also struggle to obtain the necessary approvals.He says the “blue seal” model draws on the “red seal” standard for skilled workers in regulated ...

The Masked Rookie: Raptors’ Koloko adjusting to new game gear

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:30:51 GMT

The Toronto Raptors are taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee Sunday night following their 122-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Toronto on Saturday night.On the court, there was a player rocking a new look. Raptors rookie Christian Koloko wore and will continue to wear a face mask as a small fracture heals on his nose.The 22-year-old was listed as questionable going into the game on Saturday after he took an elbow to the face-off of OKC Thunder guard Jalen Williams in the fourth quarter.“I just went to contest the shot and he elbowed me in the face,” Koloko told CityNews after playing with the mask on for the first time Saturday night in the Raptors’ win over Minnesota. “I didn’t even see what happened because I closed my eyes because I saw his elbow. So I kind of closed my eyes, and I checked my nose because after every shot I check my nose,” Koloko said laughing. “I saw some blood and then we went back and did some x-rays and we did a scan of my face a...