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WATCH: 33 swimmers were harassing dolphins, Hawaii authorities say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii authorities on Tuesday say they have referred 33 people to U.S. law enforcement after the group allegedly harassed a pod of wild dolphins in waters off the Big Island.It's against federal law to swim within 50 yards (45 meters) of spinner dolphins in Hawaii’s nearshore waters. The prohibition went into effect in 2021 amid concerns that so many tourists were swimming with dolphins that the nocturnal animals weren’t getting the rest they need during the day to be able to forage for food at night.In this photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, department enforcement officers speak to swimmers in Honaunau, Hawaii, March 26, 2023, after the swimmers allegedly harassed a pod of wild spinner dolphins. (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources via AP)In this photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, department enforcement officers speak to swimmers in Honaunau, Hawaii, March 26, 2023, after t...

Low rain chances continue as temperatures warm late week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Today will be the coolest day of the next 7 as temperatures struggle to get out of the 60s in most areas.A few of us could see a few pockets of light rain and drizzle this morning, but drier conditions and mostly cloudy skies are expected for the vast majority of us through the day today.Through the overnight hours, low clouds, fog and light rain will filter in from the south. This will leave us with another day of gray skies tomorrow, but will also bring warmer and more humid afternoon conditions.We are tracking another storm system moving out of the Rockies late-week, set to produce a large severe weather outbreak in the Plains. The latest severe storm outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center do not show a severe storm threat for central Texas.Severe weather outbreak expected Friday in the Mississippi ValleySaturday is the annual ABC Kite Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Zilker Park. The forecast is for mainly dry weather under a partly cloudy sky with comforta...

Marble Falls woman provides free journey to recovery for those dealing with drug addictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

We asked you to tell us about inspiring women in your life. We went through hundreds of nominations in our Remarkable Women contest. Now, we’re sharing our finalists’ stories.MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — In a quiet Marble Falls neighborhood just a few streets away from downtown, sits a small, nondescript home that has become an epicenter of change. Paula Mays smiles with friend at event. (Courtesy: Paula Mays)As wind chimes sway softly in the breeze, visitors immediately feel a sense of calm outside the home surrounded by signs about love, patience and kindness. Similar messages of hope and reassurance are posted inside the house, laying the foundation for the story of Open Door Recovery House and its founder, Paula Mays. “If we would love and encourage each other, walk beside each other, and not judge or throw stones — this world would be such a better place,” Mays said. That’s part of the mission at Open Door, a faith-based, sober-living hom...

Round Rock changing public transit with mobility-on-demand service

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The city of Round Rock approved a contract with an on-demand taxi service -- zTrip -- to provide people with a more flexible form of public transit than the traditional bus line. The five-year contract, worth $6,258,565.60, will be paid from the city's general fund and from federal funding. Previous coverage: Changes to paratransit service coming to Round Rock in June How it works The zTrip service acts very similarly to how other rideshare apps, like Uber and Lyft, work. Riders can hail a ride by using either an app, online, or via phone. The taxi service will give someone a nearby "virtual bus stop" to meet their ride, which they could share with other people. The taxi service will then drop you off within blocks of your final destination. The service will add to the already existing fixed-bus line that runs through the city. Fares will cost anywhere between $3-$5 and the rides are ADA compliant, meaning they will provide curb-to-curb rides for those with a dis...

Crash on I-787 southbound near exit 7E cleared

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The crash has since been cleared, the original details of the crash are below-- Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! According to 511 NY, there is a crash on I-787 southbound near exit 7E, NY 378 eastbound in Colonie, which has resulted in two of the three left lanes closing. The crash was first reported just after 5 a.m. this morning.

Ask Amy: Newlywed struggles learning to say “no”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

Dear Amy: I am in my first year of marriage, trying to navigate a tricky in-law situation.My mother-in-law does a lot of taking and not a lot of giving. This dynamic is increasing at a fast pace.Not only does she ask for my help constantly, but she also makes everything extremely complicated and frustrating for everyone involved. She will not tolerate being told no. She becomes passive-aggressive and at times has been mean enough to make me cry.In the last month I have (involuntarily) assisted her in planning a surprise birthday party for a woman I have never met.My husband and our toddler son even traveled four hours away to attend the party because she would not take no for an answer.Now she has asked that I help her make a scrapbook for this same stranger, using my wedding photos, which would involve hours of work.I have also helped her move furniture out of a storage unit.She never offers to help with our son, even though she lives five minutes away, is retired and in excellent ...

Zelenskiy accuses Russia of holding Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

Ukraine’s president stated that Russian troops held the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant "hostage" while his forces closed the frontline town of Avdiivka to plan their next move.Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops have held the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and show no desire to surrender control.In his nightly video address, President Volodymyr Zilenskiy stated that "Holding a nuclear station hostage for over a year is certainly the worst thing ever done in the history of European and world-wide nuclear power."He called the Russian presence "radiation blackmail"He made these comments after meeting Rafael Grossi (director general of IAEA) at the Dnipro hydroelectric plant - northeastern of the Zaporizhzhia power plant.In comments posted to the presidential website, Zelenskiy stated that initiatives to restore safety and security are "destined for failure" without a withdrawal of Russian troops.Russia and Ukraine regularly accuse each others of attacking ...

Fentanyl admonition blocked again in what father calls California Senate’s ‘disgusting display’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

The Orange County D.A. does it. The Riverside D.A. does it. Heck, even the San Francisco D.A. does it. And if Sen. Tom Umberg and Co. had their way, every court in every California would do it, too.In an attempt to rein in the devastation wrought by fentanyl-laced street drugs, the stunningly bipartisan Senate Bill 44 would have required courts to issue warnings to convicted fentanyl dealers that their fake Oxycontin or Xanax pills can kill — and that if they keep selling the drugs, and someone dies from a fentanyl overdose, they could be prosecuted for homicide.A parade of anguished parents, carrying portraits of their dead children, implored the Senate public safety committee to approve the bill at a hearing on Tuesday, March 28, in Sacramento.People who’ve lost loved ones to fentanyl joined Matt Capelouto in his walk for justice in February. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Dubbed “Alexandra’s Law,” it was named after Alexandra Capelouto, who thought she was takin...

Some California ‘sweatshop’ garment workers paid as little as $1.58 an hour, says report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

Southern California workers who make garments for many of the nation’s leading fashion retailers remain victims of wage theft and illegal pay practices, with some earning as little as $1.58 per hour, according to a new U.S. Department of Labor report.From July 31, 2021, to June 30, 2022, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division conducted 50 investigations of randomly selected garment contractors in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties to estimate the prevalence of violations within the industry.Violations were found for 80% of the contractors surveyed, resulting in more than $892,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 296 workers.Half of workers paid off booksIn more than half of the cases investigated by the Wage and Hour Division, employers illegally paid garment workers part or all of their wages off the books, with payroll records either deliberately forged or not provided, according to the Department of Labor report released last week.“Despite our effor...

California man gets 27-year sentence for sexually abusing vulnerable girls he targeted online, encouraging acts of self harm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:28:20 GMT

A former Redondo Beach man who targeted girls online and had them engage in masochism for his sexual gratification was sentenced Tuesday, March 28, to 27 years in federal prison, federal prosecutors announced.Matthew Locher, 32, was arrested in January 2022 in Indiana after relocating following a search warrant at his Redondo Beach residence in the summer of 2021. He has remained in federal custody in California.Locher pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction in August 2022.From November 2020 to May 2021, Locher targeted girls suffering from mental health issues, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release.He sent thousands of messages to children during this time looking for young girls who he could groom, prosecutors said.Locher convinced one of these girls to starve herself and film herself cutting her body if she disobeyed him, according to a news relea...