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Judge rejects calls to halt winter construction work on Willow oil project in Alaska during appeal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge in Alaska on Friday rejected requests from environmental groups to halt winter construction work for the massive Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope while the groups’ legal fight over the drilling project wages on.U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason just last month upheld the Biden administration’s approval in March of the ConocoPhillips Alaska project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and dismissed lawsuits brought by environmentalists and a grassroots Iñupiat group challenging Willow’s approval. Those groups appealed that decision and asked Gleason to block winter construction work planned by ConocoPhillips Alaska while the appeal is pending. She denied those requests Friday.Gleason said that while environmental impacts related to winter activities are of “legitimate concern” to the groups, “only a small area of the Reserve will be impacted.”She wrote that the “strong legislative support at both the state and federal levels ...

Republicans urge Biden to suspend China travel amid uptick in respiratory illness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

(The Hill) — Senate Republicans called on President Biden to restrict travel between the U.S. and China in response to a rise in respiratory infections among children in China.Since mid-October, China has reported an increase in respiratory diseases, which officials attributed to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Chinese authorities have said these infections are being fueled by known pathogens like the flu, RSV, COVID-19 and a common bacterial infection caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae.In their letter to Biden, however, Senate Republicans repeatedly made references to a "mystery" and "unknown" illness affecting children in China. "As you know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a long history of lying about public health crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCP’s obfuscation of the truth, and lack of transparency, robbed the United States of vital knowledge about the disease and its origin," the letter stated.The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring the situatio...

Men’s hockey: Gophers weather early storm, then storm back to tame Nittany Lions in series opener

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — If you have experienced a winter blizzard or a summer downpour in Minnesota, you know about the need to batten down and weather a storm from time to time. The same applies, sometimes, when you’re indoors, in the middle of Pennsylvania.The Minnesota Gophers found themselves pelted by a hailstorm of pucks early in their game at Penn State on Friday. They survived the onslaught, only down by a goal, then turned the tables, scoring four consecutive goals en route to a 4-1 win in their Big Ten series opener.Rhett Pitlick had a highlight-reel power-play goal and a pair of assists, as Minnesota improved to 8-4-3 overall and 4-3-2 in the Big Ten. The Gophers got 33 saves from goalie Justen Close — a dozen of them during an opening period in which the offense-happy Nittany Lions outshot their guests 13-3, only to see Minnesota emerge from the period with a lead it never relinquished.Penn State (8-5-3, 1-3-3) saw its three-game winning streak snapped despite an early goal...

New Woodbury-Oakdale bridge over I-94 opens early Friday night

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

The new Bielenberg Drive bridge over Interstate 94 is now open, according to the city of Oakdale.The bridge opened early Friday evening, connecting Helmo Avenue in Oakdale to Bielenberg Drive in Woodbury.The new bridge has dedicated lanes for the Metro Transit Gold Line bus rapid transit project that will connect downtown St. Paul and Woodbury, with bus rapid transit service in 2025.The 10-mile rapid transit line will run largely along the I-94 corridor and will make 16 stops between St. Paul and Woodbury, including in Maplewood, Landfall and Oakdale.Related ArticlesLocal News | Woodbury day care owner’s husband gets 18 years for child sex abuse Local News | Stillwater school district weighs later start for high-schoolers Local News | MSP Customs seize syringes of unapproved ‘vaginal tightening gel’ Local News | Stillwater: Community Thread’s Holiday Hope program expects high demand Local News | ...

Three men charged in St. Charles County trafficking case plead not guilty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - Three men arrested in a St. Charles County trafficking case, all accused of beating a victim and forcing him into labor for several months, have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.Venkatesh R. Sattaru, Sravanvarma Penumetcha, and Nikhil V. Penmatsa all pleaded not guilty to felony charges on Friday. Their cases include abuse through forced labor, trafficking, kidnapping and armed criminal action, among other offenses.Authorities arrested Sattaru, Penumetcha, and Penmatsa after helping a victim who the three allegedly trapped for several months. Police say the victim is a 20-year-old Indian national who came to the United States on a student visa with intentions to attend college at Missouri S&T. Court documents state the victim is a cousin of Sattaru and a brother-in-law of one of the other suspects.Authorities learned of the trafficking allegations during a wellness check Wednesday in Defiance, Missouri. Investigators say the victim came out the fr...

Grading The Week: Why Nikola Jokic, Rudy Carey, Jamal Murray deserved Sports Illustrated honors more than Coach Prime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

LeBron’s on the fade. Steph Curry’s supporting cast is slipping. Do you hand it to Patrick Mahomes again? Kirby Smart? Ick.In Sports Illustrated’s defense, while 2023 proved to be a solid year for storylines, it was a down one as far as North American sports icons. The guys who sell magazines.Enter Deion Sanders.The Grading The Week team loves them some Coach Prime. But Sanders being named SI’s Sportsperson of the Year earlier this week? That was the magazine equivalent of Harold Baines getting strong-armed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Tony La Russa into Cooperstown.With a 4-8 record? Last in the Pac-12? Come on. That lowers the bar a bit. For everybody.Now before you accuse the crack GTW staff of being pro-CSU and a bunch of FoCo homers — they’re not, and Jay Norvell and his staff have some explaining to do after a squad with Tory Horton and Mo Kamara failed to reach a bowl — we do respect SI’s argument. However flimsy.Sanders opened doors for Black un...

Judge rejects Donald Trump’s claim of immunity in his federal 2020 election prosecution

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is not immune from prosecution in his election interference case in Washington, a federal judge ruled Friday, knocking down the Republican’s bid to derail the case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision amounts to a sharp rejection to challenges the Trump defense team had raised to the four-count indictment in advance of a trial expected to center on the Republican’s multi-pronged efforts to undo the election won by Democrat Joe Biden.Though the judge turned aside Trump’s expansive view of presidential power, the order might not be the final say in the legal fight. Lawyers for Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, are expected to quickly appeal to fight what they say an unsettled legal question.In her ruling, Chutkan said the office of the president “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.” “Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal crimina...

U.S. proposes plan to help the snow-dependent Canada lynx before warming shrinks its habitat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. officials proposed a $31 million recovery plan for Canada lynx on Friday in a bid to help the snow-dependent wildcat species that scientists say could be wiped out in parts of the contiguous U.S. by the end of the century.The proposal marks a sharp turnaround from five years ago, when officials in Donald Trump’s presidency said lynx had recovered and no longer needed protection after their numbers had rebounded in some areas. President Joseph Biden’s administration in 2021 reached a legal settlement with environmental groups to retain threatened species protections for lynx that were first imposed in 2000.Populations of the medium-sized wildcats in New Hampshire, Maine and Washington state are most at risk as warmer temperatures reduce habitat for lynx and their primary food, snowshoe hares, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documents indicate.But declines for lynx would be seen in boreal forests across the contiguous U.S. under even the most optimistic war...

Clutch performances help San Jose Sharks finally end misery on road

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

The San Jose Sharks made the most of their limited opportunities — and survived some hairy moments – to earn their first road win of the season on Friday.Jacob MacDonald and Anthony Duclair each scored twice and goalie Kaapo Kahkonen made 45 saves as the Sharks beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3 at the Prudential Center to improve to 1-10-0 away from home this year.Duclair’s second goal, at the 5:07 mark of the third period, proved to be the winner as the Sharks took a 4-2 lead. After Ondrej Palat scored with 7:02 left in the third period, Mikael Granlund scored his second of the season, helping the Sharks seal their first win on the road since April 1 when they beat the Arizona Coyotes in Tempe.William Eklund added an empty-net goal with 18 seconds left in regulation time as the Sharks (6-16-2) started December on a positive note, despite having just 18 shots on net.San Jose had been outscored 42-6 in its 10 previous road games this season — and matched that offensive outpu...

Target in Albany reopens after hazmat situation, 'unusual odor' shut store down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:59 GMT

ALBANY, Calif. (KRON) -- A Target in Albany was closed Friday evening due to a hazmat incident, city officials confirmed. The store was evacuated after fire crews reported an "unusual odor" inside the store.As of 6:20 p.m., the Albany Fire Department has cleared the scene, and there is no longer a hazmat situation. City officials say the Target has reopened. No injuries have been reported. No one has asked for medical attention. The chemical causing the odor is unknown at this time. A snapshot of a video from the Citizen App shows employees and guests exiting the Target (below).The Target in Albany was evacuated due to a hazmat incident on Dec. 1, 2023 (Citizen App). Shake Shack to open new location in South Bay The Target is located at 1057 Eastshore Highway. It is located near Golden Gate Fields.This story will be updated. KRON4 has sent a crew to the scene.