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As Idalia churns toward Florida, residents urged to wrap up storm preparations

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Idalia intensified Monday and forecasters predicted it would hit in days as a major hurricane with potentially life-threatening storm surges.“You should be wrapping up your preparation for #TropicalStormIdalia tonight and Tues morning at the latest,” the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay said Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter. As the state prepared, Idalia thrashed Cuba with heavy rain, especially in the westernmost part of the island, where the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian almost a year ago. Authorities in the province issued a state of alert, and residents were evacuated to friends’ and relatives’ homes as authorities monitored the Cuyaguateje river for possible flooding. As much as 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in Cuba on Sunday, meteorological...

Recruiting is underway for Trump-like ‘wrecking ball’ to shrink government and fire federal workers

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With more than a year to go before the 2024 election, a constellation of conservative organizations is preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump, recruiting thousands of Americans to come to Washington on a mission to dismantle the federal government and replace it with a vision closer to his own.Led by the long-established Heritage Foundation think tank and fueled by former Trump administration officials, the far-reaching effort is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former president’s second term — or any candidate who aligns with their ideals and can defeat President Joe Biden in 2024.With a nearly 1,000-page “Project 2025” handbook and an “army” of Americans, the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day One to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the “deep state” bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers.“We need to flood the zone with conservatives,” said Paul Dan...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faces Black leaders’ anger after racist killings in Jacksonville

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Ron DeSantis scoffed when the NAACP issued a travel advisory this spring warning Black people to use “extreme care” if traveling to Florida. The leading civil rights group argued that the state’s loose gun laws and the Republican governor’s “anti-woke” campaign to deny the existence of systemic racism created a culture of “open hostility towards African Americans and people of color.” Just three months later, DeSantis is leading his state through the aftermath of a racist attack that left three African Americans dead. Black leaders in Florida — and across the nation — say they’re outraged by his actions and rhetoric ahead of the shooting.“Gov. DeSantis has created and pushed a narrative of division and hate that is anti-Black,” said Rev. Jeffrey Rumlin, pastor of The Dayspring Church in Jacksonville, where three Black people were gunned down at a Dollar General store over the weekend by a white man with a swastika emblazoned on his assault ...

Gusty late Tuesday cold frontal passage may spark showers—gusty post-frontal “NNE” winds to follow with temp drop Tuesday night/Wednesday, but 90s return this weekend

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

PLUS Monday marked 33rd anniversary of 1990 Plainfield twister while Floridians prepare for Gulf Coast storm surge and Tuesday night landfall"IDALIA" IS SLATED TO BECOME A HURRICANE“IDALIA,” currently northbound at 8mph of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, is slated to INTENSITY TO A HURRICANE by nightfall Monday and to become a MAJOR HURRICANE Tuesday night as it sweeps over the Gulf of Mexico toward a west coast Florida landfall, currently predicted to take place well north of the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. A “MAJOR HURRICANE” is one which has sustained winds at CAT 3 strength or greater—in other words, 111 mph or stronger winds.As a result of the anticipated rapid intensification of IDALIA and its predicted strength, the National Hurricane Center is out with storm surge forecasts. Those are forecasts in the projected rise of the ocean waters as winds pile the water against and over the coastline. The Hurricane Center always stresses NOT to look at the projected center track of the stor...

Transient accused of sneaking into Riverside home, touching 12-year-old girl

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

A convicted felon was being held without bond Monday after sneaking into a home in Riverside in the middle of the night and touching a 12-year-old girl, according to police.Around 12:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to a home along Finly Court and Fairmount Boulevard on a report of a possible burglary.Police say the suspect, Daveon Alvarez, 28, entered the home through an unlocked door and encountered the 12-year-old girl who was sleeping on the couch.“He touched the girl’s face, which startled her and she ran off to alert her family,” police said.Daveon Alvarez is seen on dash camera footage from Riverside Police. Aug. 28, 2023. (Riverside PD)As officers canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses, they learned that Alvarez had been going through cars and fled the home with a set of car keys.He was arrested nearby.Police say Alvarez is a transient from the desert area who was on parole for auto theft. He was booked into jail for annoying or molesting a child, burglary, attempted auto...

California's first openly gay state Senate leader stepping down

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

The leader of the California Senate said Monday she will step down from her leadership post, ending an historic run as the first woman and first openly gay person to lead the upper legislative chamber of the nation's most populous state.Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego, said she will step down next year. Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from the state's North Coast region, will replace Atkins as the Senate's president pro tempore.Atkins made the announcement at a news conference with McGuire and most of the Senate Democratic Caucus standing behind her. The display of unity was in stark contrast to the leadership battle that embroiled the state Assembly last year, when new speaker Robert Rivas replaced former speaker Anthony Rendon.Atkins cannot seek re-election because of term limits and must leave the Senate at the end of next year. She said the caucus chose to announce the transition now because “a long, drawn-out successor campaign would not be in the best interest of the Sena...

Giants rookie Kyle Harrison strikes out 11 in electric home debut

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Kyle Harrison brought Giants fans to their feet Monday night as he looked to finish the top of the fifth inning. Many fans cheered and clapped, while others pulled out their phones to document what happened next.Harrison launched a 95 mph four-seam fastball down the middle; Cincinnati Reds rookie TJ Hopkins swung but to no avail.The crowd erupted with joy as the two runners left on base dropped their heads. Harrison celebrated his 10th strikeout of the night with an emphatic fist pump and roar as he headed to the Giants dugout.“It was really, really awesome to get out of that and get the guys back in the dugout and keep us ahead,” Harrison said. “That was the biggest motivation on that scream, I was hyped up for the team.”The inning might’ve been over, but Harrison’s night was not. He stayed in for a total of 6 1/3 scoreless innings, surrendering only three hits and two walks while striking out an eye-popping 11 batters in th...

Dodgers hit 4 home runs, including go-ahead drive by Heyward, in 7-4 victory over Diamondbacks

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jason Heyward hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning that sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and James Outman also went deep for the Dodgers — the 11th time this season they’ve hit at least four home runs. They are second in the majors with 204 homers.Los Angeles, which leads the NL West by 13 games over Arizona, won for the 22nd time in 26 games this month.Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen (14-6) allowed a career-high four homers. The right-hander gave up six runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.Outman followed Heyward’s go-ahead drive by lining a fastball over the short wall in the right-field corner to make it 6-4. It was the ninth time this season the Dodgers hit back-to-back homers.Outman also had an RBI single in the seventh.The Dodgers struck early with a three-run first on Freeman’s solo shot and Muncy’s two-run drive to right-center for his 31st homer ...

Acuña fends off fans, ties career highs with 4 hits and 5 RBIs in Braves’ 14-4 rout of Rockies

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. fended off two fans, including one who made contact with him in right field, while sparking the Atlanta Braves to a 14-4 rout of the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.Acuña tied career highs with four hits and five RBIs, hitting his 29th home run and stealing two bases to increase his major league-leading total to 61. He is one homer shy of becoming the first 30/60 player.One fan got his arms against Acuña during the middle of the seventh inning, just after Atlanta scored four runs to open a 9-4 lead. Two security people quickly grabbed the fan and, as they tried to drag him away, a third security person approached.A second fan then sprinted toward the group, knocking down Acuña, and that fan was tackled as one of the security people chased him down.Acuña wasn’t injured and remained in the game.“I was a little scared at first,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “I think the fans were out there and asking for pictures. I really couldn’t say anythi...

Giants roll past Reds 4-1 behind gem from top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:02:16 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison struck out 11 for his first career victory in his home debut with San Francisco, and the Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Monday night for their third consecutive win.Six days after making his long-awaited major league debut in Philadelphia, the 22-year-old left-hander who went to high school in Northern California was welcomed with multiple standing ovations at Oracle Park, where every strikeout was cheered loudly.Harrison, a third-round draft pick in 2020, allowed three hits and walked two in 6 1/3 shutout innings. He was pulled after Christian Encarnacion-Strand doubled and TJ Friedl walked.Before exiting, Harrison (1-0) was as dominant as billed following an uneven debut against the Phillies that lasted only 3 1/3 innings. He became the first Giants pitcher to retire the first five batters of a game by strikeout since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson did it against Colorado on May 1, 2009. Harrison also worked out of a tw...