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Why environmentalists are suing the National Park Service to prevent it from planting trees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

By Jonathan Park and Janna Van Vranken | CNNThe National Park Service wants to replant sequoia groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where wildfires in 2020 and 2021 inflicted lasting damage on the iconic sequoia forests. Environmentalists in California say it’s a huge mistake.Four groups filed suit against the NPS on November 17, saying the agency’s effort violates the law as it includes planting in designated wilderness areas, where human involvement in the ecosystem is explicitly prohibited.The NPS announced the seedling-planting project earlier this fall, saying it was “concerned that natural regeneration may not be sufficient to support self-sustaining groves into the future, particularly as the fires killed an unprecedented number of reproductive sequoia trees in the groves themselves.”Chad Hanson, the director of the John Muir Project, one of the groups that filed suit, disputes that conclusion. Sequoias are among the species of trees that actually “depend on hig...

Police identify Oakland rapper killed during early morning confrontation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

OAKLAND — Police here have identified a 34-year-old man who was killed in an early morning Oct. 29 shooting.Marquis Baxter was shot and killed around 3:20 a.m., during a fight with another person on the 400 block of 19th Street in downtown Oakland, police said. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later at a nearby hospital.Baxter was shot a short time after leaving a local nightclub, but it was unclear whether the shooting stemmed from something that happened there, police said. No suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been announced.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Walnut Creek man gets two years for ‘eavesdropping’ with hidden camera in Starbucks bathroom Crime and Public Safety | One killed, another wounded in Oakland shooting Crime and Public Safety | Police arrest individual with pistol, marijuana and cash on Interstate 80 Crime and Public Safety | ‘He shot my dad̵...

Tea Time: Boston prepares for 250th anniversary of pivotal harbor dumping

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Tea bags are coming in from all over the U.S. for a semiquincentennial bash in  Boston.Dec. 16 marks the Boston Tea Party’s 250th Anniversary, with reenactments, retrospectives, and, of course, the dumping of British tea into the Boston Harbor.Spearheading these efforts is Revolution 250, a consortium of more than 70 Massachusetts organizations working to make all of the day’s events.The Old South Meeting House, Downtown Crossing, Harborwalk and Faneuil Hall will be flooded with Bostonians and those visiting to commemorate the occasion, according to Revolution 250 Executive Director Jonathan Lane.Lane told the Herald that the reenactments and celebrating a pivotal point of our nation’s history should not solely be focused on Boston, with other communities within the state playing a vital role in gaining independence.“When we talk about the revolution, we want to talk about not just about the Boston Tea Party, and Lexington and Concord, we want to talk about the people of Great Barri...

A Big-Money Operation Purged Critics of Israel From the Democratic Party

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

The following article is adapted from the new book, “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution,” out December 5, 2023.In May 2021, the Israeli government began pushing ahead with evictions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. It was one more creeping step forward in an occupation and annexation process that had been under way for decades, but what was new this time was the reaction of Hamas, the government in Gaza. If Israel didn’t back off its plan to evict the families and the Palestinian Authority wouldn’t stand up for the homeowners in Sheikh Jarrah, Hamas announced, they would do it themselves.The Israeli government did not back off, as was to be expected, and Hamas responded by launching rocket attacks into Israel, attacks that were intercepted by the U.S.-built Iron Dome air-defense system or that otherwise crashed to the earth. Israel launched an assault on Gaza, and what became known as the Gaza War of 2021 broke out.In Gaza wars ...

NYPD Paid Out $30 Million in Misconduct Cases Before Litigation in First Nine Months of 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

The New York Police Department has been making headlines for the huge settlements paid out by the city in misconduct cases. In the first half of 2023, New York City paid more than $50 million in lawsuits alleging misconduct by members of the NYPD. That figure is on track to exceed $100 million by the end of the year — but even that total doesn’t capture how much the city has to spend in cases where its cops are accused of everything from causing car accidents to beating innocent people.The $100 million figure does not include lawsuits settled by the city prior to litigation, which reached $30 million in the first nine months of this year, according to data obtained from the office of the New York City Comptroller through a public records request. Pre-litigation settlements from July 2022 through September of this year totaled $50 million — meaning the city’s payouts in such suits since July 2022, including those settled after litigation, rose to a total of around $280 million.“...

EVs don’t hold their value — but hybrids do

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Hybrid vehicles are emerging as the choice for buyers looking for an alternative to a traditional vehicle, and used hybrids are holding their value better than most other vehicles. All-electric vehicles have the worst depreciation rate by vehicle type.iSeeCars reports the average five-year depreciation rate for electric vehicles is almost 50%, meaning the typical EV loses half its value in just five years.One reason is technology.“There is absolutely an element of the rapid evolution of EVs that we are seeing right now that also makes EVs that are not particularly old start to look more obsolete more quickly than a traditional vehicle,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.EV depreciation rates are also exaggerated by incentives that pull the price down immediately. A $7,500 government incentive for purchasing an EV makes a $50,000 EV instantly a $42,500 EV, and depreciation rates are based on original MSRP price, not the price after any incentives or rebates.Hybrids on t...

Eagles stand tall behind QB Jalen Hurts as the only 10-1 team in NFL

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts did it again. It? The pronoun could stand for about anything when it comes to Hurts and what he does for the Eagles.Trail 17-7 at the half in consecutive weeks and rally the Eagles to wins?Yup, he did it again.How about trailing at halftime in four straight games overall and guiding the Eagles to wins?He did it again, too.Go 10-1 a year after the Eagles also started 10-1 on their way to a Super Bowl appearance?Yes, he did it with the same flair as he continues to build a strong case for AP NFL MVP. How about this one: Beat San Francisco at home in consecutive seasons?The answer to that question is officially TBD, but will be settled soon enough. Ten months after Hurts and the Eagles thumped the 49ers 31-7 in the NFC championship game at the Linc, the rematch is set for Sunday between two of the top teams in the NFL. The Eagles have the best record in the NFL — strengthened after a 37-34 overtime win against Buffalo — and San Francisco is 8-3.Take a lo...

Georgetown sees solid year despite retail, restaurant shuttering in DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

(Courtesy Georgetown BID)The Georgetown Business Improvement District has decided to do an inventory of its own backyard, amid reports of retail and restaurant closings in D.C. this year.But 2023 has been a solid year for one of the District’s oldest and most established dining and shopping destinations.While 27 restaurants and retail stores in Georgetown have closed this year, including Banana Republic, Bangkok Joe’s and two bank branches, openings have far outpaced closings.“Our vacancy rates on the restaurant and retail side are back down to where they were pre-pandemic,” said Faith Broderick, economic development director for the Georgetown BID. “This year alone, we have had over 55 retail and restaurants open; and we expect around 30 to 40 more to open next year.”According to the Georgetown BID, the “appear vacant” rate is 12%, including buildings not currently leased and those that are currently vacant but leased by incoming tenants. The ...

Artificial intelligence can polish up a resume, but only so much

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

An estimated 35% of employed American adults say they are likely to look for another job next year, according to a survey conducted by ResumeTemplates, and many are interested in harnessing artificial intelligence to better sell themselves to potential new employers.ResumeTemplates provides free, downloadable resume templates for a broad range of jobs, along with guides and resources for preparing resumes.ResumeTemplates received responses from more than 800 employed Americans across all age groups and income levels, and 27% said they are very likely to apply for a job using a resume created by AI, and 39% said they were likely.Available AI resume-writing tools can analyze a job posting and the position’s description, and tweak information provided by the job seeker, including work history and skills, to align better with the requirements, experience and skills specific to that job posting. It can also clean up grammar and wording, and eliminate information that is not relevant to t...

9 horses killed in large Franktown barn fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Several horses were killed and one person was injured in a large fire that engulfed a barn in Franktown.Around 3:56 a.m. Monday, Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies along with the Franktown Fire Department, South Metro Fire Rescue, Castle Rock Fire Department, Elizabeth Fire Department, West Douglas Fire Department and Elizabeth Fire Department responded to the scene. Driver says she’s ‘very lucky’ after pole smashes her windshield on I-25 In total, 30 firefighters were at the scene.Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)The building was burning near North Russellville Road and North State Highway 83. The large flames and smoke could be seen for miles.FOX31's Vicente ...