Новости за 15.08.2023

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The lady in the red T-shirt behind the starting gate? She’s the veterinarian. She’s watching the horses warm up.

Videos showing downed power lines apparently sparking some of the early blazes in the Maui wildfires have become key evidence in the search for a cause. Hawaiian Electric Co. faces criticism for not shutting off the power amid high wind warnings. A class-action lawsuit has already been filed seeking to hold the company responsible for the deaths of at least 99 people. The lawsuit cites the utility’s own documents from last year showing it was aware that preemptive power shutoffs such as those used... Читать дальше...

Accounts of contestants being forced to strip to their underwear for "body checks” during the Miss Universe Indonesia pageant earlier this month have shocked the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. Contestants are now speaking out and charges of sexual harassment have been filed against the local organizers. A lawyer representing seven of the contestants says the “body checks” took place in a hotel ballroom, with about two dozen people present, including men. The lawyer says five of the... Читать дальше...

About 146,000 members of the United Auto Workers union will vote next week on authorizing their leaders to call strikes against the Detroit automakers. Union President Shawn Fain said in a statement Tuesday that talks are moving slowly and have yet to address wages and other economic issues. The union’s contracts with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis expire in about a month, at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14. The UAW did not identify a target company for a strike in its statement. Fain is scheduled to hold... Читать дальше...

If you’re heading to college or starting to think about where you’d like to apply, you’re probably considering options for funding your education. If you need to borrow money to pursue your dreams, you are far from alone. According to the Federal Reserve, 30% of all U.S. adults said they incurred at least some debt for their education. Additionally, borrowers owe a collective $1.77 trillion in student loan debt, including federal and private loans. If you’re a high school senior or a college student... Читать дальше...

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Virginia pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of felony child neglect, seven months after her son used her handgun to critically wound the educator in a classroom full of students. Prosecutors agreed to drop the misdemeanor charge of reckless storage of a firearm against Deja Taylor. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors say they won't seek seek a sentence that's longer than state sentencing guidelines, which call for six months in jail or prison. Читать дальше...

The presidents of 13 universities are elevating free speech on their campuses this academic year, as part of a new nonprofit initiative announced Tuesday. The Institute for Citizens & Scholars launched the initiative with funding from the Knight Foundation in response to what organizers see as threats to U.S. democracy. Jonathan Alger is the president of James Madison University, which is participating in the Campus Call for Free Expression. He said colleges need to be at the forefront of showing students how to speak across differences... Читать дальше...

Americans increased their purchases at retailers last month – for clothing, dining out, sporting goods and other areas-- in a sign that solid consumer spending is still powering a resilient U.S. economy. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.7% in July from June, according to the Commerce Department’s report Tuesday. The gain followed a revised 0.3% gain the previous month. Excluding autos and gas, sales rose a solid 1%. Sales at a number of different outlets increased. Department stores posted a 0.9% increase... Читать дальше...

The fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump may be the most sweeping yet.

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gabon will use a controversial financial move to ease its debt burden and restore its oceans at the same time, a leading conservation group said Tuesday.

Professional sports are a difficult career for athletes or coaches with a fear of flying. Hall of Fame football coach John Madden famously insisted on traveling across the United States by bus. Soccer star Dennis Bergkamp from the Netherlands was nicknamed “The Non-Flying Dutchman" for his refusal to travel by air. There's no getting around air travel in big-time sports, but at least some athletes are being more proactive, like Giants star Joc Pederson. He's worked with San Francisco's staff to overcome his anxiety with meditation... Читать дальше...

A 45-year-old man has been charged with threatening to blow up a plane during a flight from Australia to Malaysia that returned to Sydney. Police arrested Canberra resident Muhammad Arif and took him from the Airbus A330 on Monday, almost three hours after Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 returned to Sydney Airport. Police say the man became disruptive and claimed to have explosives on board. Arif repeatedly refused to leave his police cell to appear before a Sydney court by video link. He is now listed to appear on Wednesday. Читать дальше...

Waiting lists for gender-affirming health care are growing in states that declared themselves refuges for transgender people as bans for such care for minors take effect around the country. One of the largest states, Texas, has a ban that's supposed to take effect Sept. 1. That's contingent on a court hearing this week. It's not clear how much more lawmakers and government officials in refuge states can do to help build a network to serve more trans patients. The quest for gender-affirming care parallels abortion access in many ways. Читать дальше...

Asian stock markets are mixed after China reported weak July consumer and business activity and its central bank cut a key interest rate to shore up the struggling economy. Tokyo and Sydney advanced. Shanghai and Hong retreated after growth in Chinese consumer spending, factory output and investment slowed more than expected. The People’s Bank of China cut its interest rate on one-week loans to banks. Chinese leaders are trying to shore up flagging economic growth without resorting to an across-the-board... Читать дальше...

Donald Trump and 18 allies have been indicted in Georgia over efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The criminal case announced Monday is the fourth brought against the ex-president and the second this month to allege that he tried to subvert the results of the vote. The indictment details dozens of acts by Trump and his allies to undo his defeat in the battleground state. Other defendants include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani... Читать дальше...

Hawaii’s governor is warning that scores more people could be found dead following the wildfires on Maui even as the number of death approached 100. His statement comes as search crews go street by street through neighborhoods where the flames galloped as fast as a mile a minute across the island. The blazes consumed most of the historic town of Lahaina and are already the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. The death toll stands at 99, but Gov. Josh Green said 10 to 20 people might be found dead each day for the next several days.

China’s government has skipped giving an update on a politically sensitive spike in unemployment among young people as official data showed an economic slump deepened in July. The central bank unexpectedly cut a key interest rate in a sign of growing official urgency about shoring up economic growth that fell sharply in the three months ending in June. Youth unemployment is sensitive after a survey in June found a record 21.3% of potential urban workers aged 16 to 24 couldn’t find work. The statistics... Читать дальше...

Outdoor dining was a rare part of the pandemic that many people actually liked. Streetside dining sheds and other structures have popped up on New York City streets. As New York City has moved out from under its pandemic-era regulations, how to handle the new landscape of outdoor dining structures has been a growing question. While many residents and tourists enjoy the option, others say the need for the structures is over. The New York City Council earlier this month passed legislation that would... Читать дальше...

The wildfire that swept across Maui nearly a week ago turned one of the nation’s most celebrated island vistas into an ashen moonscape and killed at least 99 people, a number that officials warn could rise by scores as the search continues.

California’s only native sunfish, Sacramento perch, was once so abundant it was a regular staple in San Francisco’s markets, but its numbers declined with the introduction of non-native fish in the early 20th century and today it exists in little more than a couple dozen isolated lakes. But as the planet heats up and threatens many cold-water game fish species like trout, the Sacramento perch may be on the cusp of a comeback, thanks to its warm-water adaptability. California Fish and Wildlife biologists... Читать дальше...

President Joe Biden is stopping in the battleground state of Wisconsin to discuss how policies he calls “Bidenomics” are boosting the economy. It’s a trip on Tuesday timed one day before the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, a major economic bill Biden signed into law. Biden's visit to a state he narrowly won in 2020 also comes a week before Republicans descend on Milwaukee for the party’s first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. Biden's visit, his first since February, showcases the importance of Wisconsin in 2024. Читать дальше...