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Iceland volcano erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a town on Reykjanes Peninsula

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A volcanic eruption started Monday night on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, turning the sky orange and prompting the civil defense to be put on high alert.The eruption appears to have occurred about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the town of Grindavík, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. Webcam video from the scene appears to show magma, or semi-molten rock, spewing along the ridge of a hill.In November, police evacuated the town or Grindavik after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.A coast guard helicopter will attempt to confirm the exact location — and size — of the eruption.Grindavik, a fishing town of 3,400, sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik and not far from Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s main facility for international flights. The nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal resort, one of Iceland’s top tourist a...

Earthquake in northwestern China kills at least 111 people in Gansu and Qinghai provinces

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — At least 111 people were killed in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in a mountainous region in northwestern China, the country’s state media reported on Tuesday. The official Xinhua News Agency said that 100 people died in the province of Gansu and another 11 in the neighboring province of Qinghai in the quake, which occurred just before midnight on Monday. More than 200 people were injured, Xinhua said, 96 in Gansu and 124 in Qinghai. The quake struck in Gansu’s Jishishan county, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the provincial boundary with Qinghai. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 5.9.State broadcaster CCTV reported that there was damage to water and electricity lines, as well as transportation and communications infrastructure.The earthquake was felt in Lanzhou, the Gansu provincial capital, about 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) southwest of the capital of Beijing. University students in Lanzhou rushed out of their dorms, acco...

Earthquake in northwestern China kills at least 111 people in Gansu, Qinghai provinces

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — At least 111 people were killed in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in a mountainous region in northwestern China, the country's state media reported on Tuesday. The official Xinhua News Agency said that 100 people died in the province of Gansu and another 11 in the neighboring province of Qinghai in the quake, which occurred just before midnight on Monday. More than 200 people were injured, Xinhua said, 96 in Gansu and 124 in Qinghai. The quake struck in Gansu's Jishishan county, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the provincial boundary with Qinghai. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 5.9.State broadcaster CCTV reported that there was damage to water and electricity lines, as well as transportation and communications infrastructure.The earthquake was felt in Lanzhou, the Gansu provincial capital, about 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) southwest of the capital of Beijing. University students in Lanzhou rushed out of their dorms, according to a social media ...

It's lobster season: San Diego Bay ranked second best place in CA to catch lobsters

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) -- Lobster season is underway, and San Diego Bay is ranked as the second best location in California to catch the crustaceans.The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) lists San Diego Bay as the second top location to catch California spiny lobster, based on the percent of reported catch for the 2022/2023 season. The No. 1 location for last year's season was Catalina Island, with Carlsbad to Oceanside coming in at No. 10. CDFW 2022/2023 Top 10 Locations (by percent of reported catch):Catalina Island (13.3%)San Diego Bay (12.9%)Point Vicente to King Harbor (6.2%)Santa Cruz Island (5.5%)Long Beach/Middle Breakwater (5.4%)Zuniga Jetty (3.6%)King Harbor to Santa Monica (3.1%)Santa Monica to Malibu Point (3.1%)Laguna Beach to Newport Beach (3.0%)Carlsbad to Oceanside (2.4%)Recreational lobster season opens the first Wednesday in October and runs through the first Wednesday after March 15 each year. SeaWorld San Diego takes in cold-stunned sea turtle found ...

NASA streams first-ever high-definition video from deep space

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) -- NASA has made history once again as they successfully streamed a video from 19 million miles away.The ultra-high definition streaming video experiment was conducted on Dec. 11 by NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) team, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in southern California reported Monday. JPL says the technology is the first step to improving communications for future human missions beyond Earth's orbit. DSOC's experiment on the recently launched Psyche spacecraft -- NASA’s first mission to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche -- sent the 15-second video back to Earth, which features Taters the cat chasing a red laser. The video featuring Taters, a JPL employee's cat, was uploaded before Psyche's launch and sent back from 19 million miles away. Tater’s heart rate, color and breed were also on display in the video. NASA scientists find evidence of ‘key ingredient for life’ on one of Saturn’s moons “This accomplishment underscores our commitment t...

Jonathan Majors’ Marvel ouster after assault conviction throws years of Disney’s plans into disarray

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Marvel had more riding on Jonathan Majors than perhaps any other actor. Now it’s parting ways with him, and throwing years of plans for its cinematic universe in disarray.Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped Majors from all future projects following the actor’s conviction for assault and harassment on Monday, according to a person close to the studio who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.The swift move by Disney marked a stunning about-face for an actor who had been one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars. A Manhattan jury on Monday found the 34-year-old Majors guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation for a March altercation with his then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.Majors, who was acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment, will be sentenced on Feb. 6. He declined to comment as he left the courthouse. Majors’ attorney, Priy...

Leaders seek to expand crime-fighting net of cameras and sensors beyond New Mexico’s largest city

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s largest city is blanketed with 10,000 cameras, license plate readers along some of the busiest roadways and special listening devices that hone in on the sound of gunfire — all part of a technological net of sorts that Albuquerque authorities say has been an integral part of addressing high crime rates and record homicides. With the push of a button, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller revealed the city’s Real Time Crime Center behind what had been a wall of opaque glass just moments earlier. Video feeds from city intersections and bus stops played out simultaneously on a massive screen that covered one wall as individual stations were outfitted with numerous smaller monitors. There were feeds from local news stations and social media streaming as well as access to databases that included criminal records and facial recognition.It’s meant to be one-stop shopping for Albuquerque police officers, providing real-time information as they ...

Hawaii governor’s first budget after Maui wildfire includes funds for recovery and fire prevention

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green on Monday said he was requesting $425 million from lawmakers during the next fiscal year to help Maui recover from August’s wildfires — and millions more to reduce the risk of wildfires statewide. The proposed budget is Green’s first since a fast-moving wildfire killed at least 100 people and destroyed Maui’s historic town of Lahaina on Aug. 8. “We took to heart our need to care for those who lost everything on Maui. We’re going to make them whole. We’re going to help them survive,” Green said at a news conference. The blaze displaced about 12,000 people, half of whom are still living in hotels due to a severe housing shortage on the island. Wildfires have long been relatively rare in Hawaii, which is better known for a lush landscape of rainforests and waterfalls. But climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, raising the risk of wildfires on the islands.The federal government is covering the expens...

Kentucky lieutenant governor undergoes ‘successful’ double mastectomy, expects to make full recovery

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman underwent a double mastectomy on Monday after concerns were raised during a routine medical examination, her office announced. The Democrat said she expects to make a full recovery.The surgery occurred less than a week after Coleman and Gov. Andy Beshear were sworn in for second terms, having run successfully as a ticket again in the Bluegrass State.In a statement Monday, Coleman thanked her family for its loving support and said she would see Kentuckians again soon.The surgery followed a routine physical exam recently, she said.“With a significant family history of cancer, I made the decision to have a double mastectomy,” Coleman said. “I am happy to report that a successful surgery was performed today, and I expect to make a full recovery.”Beshear said in a separate statement that Coleman is a friend and “critical part” of his administration.“My family and Kentucky families are standing with her during this time,” the Demo...

Colorado releases first 5 wolves in reintroduction plan approved by voters to chagrin of ranchers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:59:48 GMT

GRAND COUNTY, Colorado (AP) — Wildlife officials released five gray wolves into a remote forest in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains on Monday to kick off a voter-approved reintroduction program that was embraced in the state’s mostly Democratic urban corridor but staunchly opposed in conservative rural areas where ranchers worry about attacks on livestock. The wolves were set free from crates in a Grand County location that state officials kept undisclosed to protect the predators. It marked the start of the most ambitious wolf reintroduction effort in the U.S. in almost three decades and a sharp departure from aggressive efforts by Republican-led states to cull wolf packs. A judge on Friday night had denied a request from the state’s cattle industry for a temporary delay to the release.About 45 people watched as the first two wolves — 1-year-old male and female siblings with gray fur mixed with black and brown patches — were set free. The male bolted up the golden grass, runn...