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52 years after capture, orca Lolita may return to Pacific

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — More than 50 years after the orca known as Lolita was captured for public display, plans are in place to return her from the Miami Seaquarium to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest, where a nearly century-old, endangered killer whale believed to be her mother still swims.An unlikely coalition involving the theme park’s owner, an animal rights group and an NFL owner-philanthropist announded the agreement during a news conference Thursday.“I’m excited to be a part of Lolita’s journey to freedom,” Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said. “I know Lolita wants to get to free waters.”Lolita, also known as Tokitae, was about 4 years old when she was captured in Puget Sound in summer 1970, during a time of deadly orca roundups. She spent decades performing for paying crowds before falling ill. Last year the Miami Seaquarium announced it would no longer stage shows with her, under an agreement with federal regulators. Lolita — now 57 years old and 5,000 po...

San Diego County supervisor to resign after assault lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The chair of San Diego County’s board of supervisors said he will resign amid accusations that he sexually assaulted a government employee, completing a swift and shocking fall for a decorated Marine combat veteran whose star rose with his Democratic Party’s ascendancy in the nation’s eighth-largest city. Nathan Fletcher, who defected from the Republican Party in 2013, was elected to a second term with 65% of the vote in November, two years after Democrats won a board majority that eluded their grasp for decades. Fletcher, 46, was the face of the San Diego region’s muscular response to COVID-19 at daily news conferences. He became half of San Diego’s most powerful political couple after his 2017 marriage to Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, a well-known liberal Democratic state assemblywoman who became a top California labor leader last year. Fletcher’s progressive positions and telegenic presence made him a solid favorite to succeed another prominent California politician,...

Jury decides Gwyneth Paltrow is not at fault for 2016 Utah ski collision that left man who sued with broken ribs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Jury decides Gwyneth Paltrow is not at fault for 2016 Utah ski collision that left man who sued with broken ribs.Source

Small town northeast of Colorado Springs evacuated due to wildfire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

SIMLA, Colo. (KDVR) -- A wildfire burning northeast of Colorado Springs has prompted mandatory evacuations of the entire town of Simla. Elbert County said the fire is burning south of Simla threatening approximately 500-700 acres. There is a shelter located at the Elbert County Fairgrounds at 95 Ute Ave. in Kiowa.Elizabeth Fire said that Elbert County Road and Bridge cleared 25 feet of vegetation to help stop the fire from getting into Simla.Red flag warnings are in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday night as winds have been high with low humidity. This is a breaking story and updates will be added as received.

Wildfire forces evacuations in Park, Teller counties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

PARK COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Evacuations have been ordered for a wildfire in Park and Teller counties.The grass fire was burning more than 70 acres around 4:45 p.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service. Structures were threatened.High winds meant air resources could not fly to help with the fire response.Evacuations in Park CountyIn Park County, evacuation orders were issued for:the 1-mile area of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow LaneAn emergency shelter was opened at the Lake George Community Center located at 39141 U.S. 24, Lake George.For large animals and livestock, a shelter was opened at the Lake George Fairgrounds located at 37371 U.S. 24 in Lake George.Residents were advised to call the evacuation line at 719-836-4200 for updates.Evacuations in Teller CountyThe Teller County Sheriff's Office said evacuation orders were issued for: Wilson Lakes Forest Glenn County Road 46 to Wilson Drive.The closest major intersection is County Road 46 and Blue Mountain Drive, the Sheriff's ...

Jurors: Gwyneth Paltrow not responsible for 2016 ski crash, awarded $1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

PARK CITY, Utah (ABC4) -- Jurors in Park City, Utah, ruled in favor of Gwyneth Paltrow in the eight-day trial over a 2016 ski crash at Deer Valley Ski Resort, awarding her $1 this afternoon, March 30.The jurors ruled that plaintiff Terry Sanderson, 76, was 100% responsible for the crash, despite his claims that Paltrow crashed into him on the slopes, resulting in his four broken ribs and a possible concussion. Paltrow's $1 award for damages came from her countersuit to Sanderson's. Paltrow's defense team argued that Sanderson actually crashed into Paltrow and that any injuries he sustained were his own fault.The verdict came only three hours after closing arguments wrapped.Jurors had to rely on the testimony of expert witnesses who were not on the scene and conflicting eyewitnesses who were. Either way, very scant evidence exists from the actual crash. While there was a lot of discussion about possible GoPro camera footage floating around, possibly on the internet, it never surfaced...

Orioles outlast Red Sox 10-9 on Opening Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Adley Rutschman became the first catcher in major league history with five hits on opening day, and the Baltimore Orioles survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-9 on Thursday.Playing in his first season opener after starring for the Orioles as a rookie last year, Rutschman homered in his first at-bat and finished 5-for-5 with a career-best four RBIs and a walk on a chilly day at Fenway Park, with temperature of 38 degrees at first pitch.Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for Baltimore, which finished with 15 hits, nine walks and five stolen bases.Kyle Gibson (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings to earn his first opening-day victory since his 2021 All-Star season with Texas. Gibson gave up an RBI groundout in the first inning before retiring nine straight Red Sox hitters.The Orioles nearly gave away the game in the ninth.With Baltimore leading 10-7, closer Félix Bautista walked pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia. Alex Verdugo followed with...

Curbing violence through community partnerships works, but takes money roundtable discussion in Dorchester shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

Around a long table at a youth center in Dorchester’s Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood, a group of district attorneys, police officials, state legislators and various community organizers and at-risk youth service providers shared stories about their memories of violence and trauma and how those events change whole families and communities, but they also surveyed various ways out of the cycle.“I think we all can agree there’s no place for youth violence in Massachusetts,” said state Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy at the start of the roundtable discussion at the Catholic Charities Teen Center in Dorchester. The discussion would last more than two hours.“How do we get to a point where we can curb it and make an impact and prevent kids from defaulting into a position of going to gangs or hanging out with the wrong crowds or putting themselves in bad positions,” Reidy continued. “One of the key ways is communication, collaboration, but you can’t do that if you don&...

Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, hush money, and a historic indictment: Complete timeline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

By The New York Daily NewsTwelve days before Donald Trump won one of the most astonishing upsets in the history of the American presidency, his fixer wired $130,000 to a porn star’s lawyer.The furtive Oct. 27, 2016, payment came at the height of the election cycle — one day before the FBI director told Congress he was reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton — and concerned an alleged tryst a decade earlier.Stormy Daniels, an adult film star from Louisiana whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had privately described having sex with Trump at a charity golf tournament event in 2006, months after the birth of the future president’s youngest son.Stormy Daniels attends the Los Angeles Premiere Of Neon’s “Pleasure” at Linwood Dunn Theater on May 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)Trump wanted to shut Daniels up, the fixer, Michael Cohen, would later testify.The payment seemed to work. Trump beat Clinton and became the 45t...

DA’s indictment of Trump may add fuel to 2024 fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:14 GMT

The Manhattan DA just fired up the base.That’s the opinion of a veteran Democratic political analysis and supporters of former President Donald Trump who is being indicted in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.“This just sucked the oxygen out of everything on his side,” James Carville told the Herald Thursday night soon after Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed the indictment in New York City.“It could strengthen him,” Carville, a longtime straight-talking Democratic strategist, added. “It sure strengthens him in the Republican party.”Trump and Nikki Haley are the two declared candidates for president in the 2024 GOP race with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis close to announcing. Carville said both Haley and DeSantis will be snowed under as many rush to Trump’s side.Just the historical quake caused by a criminal indictment of a former president is enough to fire up some indignant Republicans, Carville said, calling it “a short-term rall...