Новости за 23.04.2023

A legal dispute in Montana could drastically curb the government’s use of aerial fire retardant to combat wildfires. Environmentalists have sued the U.S. Forest Service over waterways being polluted with the potentially toxic red slurry that’s dropped from aircraft. Forest Service officials have acknowledged more than 200 cases of retardant landing in water. But they say it's an important fire fighting tool and that the environmental damage from fires can exceed the pollution from retardant. A coalition... Читать дальше...

Authorities say six cows were found dead and mutilated on different properties along a Texas highway spanning three counties. Madison County Sheriff’s Office officials said Wednesday in a Facebook post that they received reports on five mutilations in Madison, Brazos and Robertson counties while investigating the death of a 6-year-old cow. The cow had a “straight, clean cut, with apparent precision” removing the hide around the animal’s mouth on one side. The tongue was completely removed. Madison... Читать дальше...

Bed Bath & Beyond _ one of the original big box retailers _ has filed for bankruptcy protection, following years of dismal sales and losses and numerous failed turnaround plans. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey and said it will start an orderly wind down of its operations including eventually closing its stores, while seeking a buyer for all or some of its businesses. For now, its 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and its 120 Buy Buy... Читать дальше...

Fox Corp.’s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower. Fox has several levers it can pull to help defray the cost of the settlement. It can deduct the settlement from its income taxes as a cost of doing business, something Fox has indicated it plans to do. Also, insurance is likely to cover some of the settlement. Fox has also said it doesn’t expect the settlement to affect its operations.

Thousands of Alaskans who depend on government assistance have waited months for food stamp benefits, exacerbating a hunger crisis laid bare by the pandemic, inflation and the remnants of a typhoon. The backlog began last August and is especially concerning for residents in far-flung areas not connected by roads. Food is shipped in by barge or airplane and costs of basic goods are often exorbitant. Around 13% of the state’s roughly 735,000 residents received food stamp benefits in July, before the troubles began. Читать дальше...

Republican lawmakers in Missouri are pushing for a state takeover of the St. Louis police department. Supporters cite high violent crime rates as a reason for such action. But data suggest neither state nor local control may make much difference in stemming homicides. Criminologist Richard Rosenfeld has compared the rise in homicide rates in St. Louis to that in Kansas City, which already has state control of its police. Though St. Louis has a slightly larger increase, he found no statistically significant difference. Читать дальше...

A proposed Drug Enforcement Agency rule aimed at cracking down on prescriptions for dangerous drugs has spurred a backlash from dying patients and those who care for them. The new rules would reinstate most of the online prescribing rules for controlled drugs that were relaxed three years ago to ensure critical medications remained available during the COVID-19 pandemic. But exceptions should be made for people enrolled in hospice care or those who qualify for medically assisted suicide, critics say... Читать дальше...

German government officials and labor unions have reached a pay deal for more than 2.5 million public-sector workers, ending a lengthy dispute and heading off the possibility of disruptive all-out strikes. The ver.di union had pressed for hefty raises as Germany, like many other countries, grapples with high inflation. Germany's interior minister said that officials “accommodated the unions as far as we could responsibly do in a difficult budget situation.” The deal entails one-time payments totaling 3,000 euros ($3,300) per employee... Читать дальше...

The front door in America is one of the landscape's most intimate and personal of borders. It's the place where the public sphere encounters private space. And that occasionally has disastrous results. Sixteen-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot April 13 at Andrew Lester's front door in Kansas City by the 84-year-old man. It was one of several recent shootings that took place near that threshold. One was in a driveway, the other on a front lawn. Those who study such things say that a place like a front... Читать дальше...

Tobias Harris had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-88. It gave them a sweep and made them the first team to reach the second round of the playoffs. James Harden added 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the third-seeded 76ers. Philadelphia will play the winner of the series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics have a 2-1 lead. The 76ers hope Embiid... Читать дальше...

North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has formally entered next year's race for governor. He unveiled his plans at a rally Saturday. Robinson is a favorite of the GOP's conservative base in the closely divided state. He's known for being sharp-spoken on social issues, but comments on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights have angered critics and even led some Republicans to question whether he's the best candidate to win a general election. Democrats have lost the governorship only once in the state since 1992. Читать дальше...

TV personalities Gayle King and Charles Barkley will headline a new prime-time weekly CNN show. The network made the announcement Saturday. A statement from CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht says the show titled “King Charles” will exemplify an exciting new way to deliver “culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives to our audience, from two incredibly dynamic personalities.” The show will debut in the fall. Licht said King will continue to anchor ”CBS Mornings." Former NBA star Barkley will continue his current role at Warner Bros. Читать дальше...

Reports say a Bud Light marketing executive is taking a leave of absence after overseeing a partnership between the company and a transgender influencer, drawing cries for boycotts. Beer Business Daily and Ad Age report that Alissa Heinerscheid will be replaced by Todd Allen, most recently global vice president of Budweiser.Critics have been angry at Bud Light since an April 1 video posted by widely followed influencer Dylan Mulvaney showed her cracking open a can. The brand works with influencers to reach various customers... Читать дальше...

One of the last two remaining survivors of the USS Arizona battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. Ken Potts was 102. Randy Stratton, whose late father, Donald Stratton, was Potts’ Arizona shipmate and close friend, said Potts died Friday in Provo, Utah, at the home he shared with his wife of 66 years. Stratton said Potts “had all his marbles,” but his body was shutting down and lately he had a hard time getting out of bed. The sole survivor from the Arizona is now Lou Conter... Читать дальше...