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Matthew McConaughey is sponsoring a flight with supplies for Maui fire survivors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

(CNN) — Matthew McConaughey and his family are working to help survivors of the deadly wildfires that devastated the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui and scorched the community of Lahaina.Partnering with Baby2Baby, McConaughey and his son, Levi, announced in a video shared on social media Tuesday that their family would be sponsoring a flight of emergency supplies requested by Hawaiian relief organizations.“McConaughey’s are funding an emergency aid plane with @Baby2Baby that is filled with hundreds of thousands more emergency supplies that will have an immediate impact on children and families on Maui,” McConaughey captioned his post.The father and son shared their concern for the impacted communities.“The fires over there have put so many people out of home and have taken so many lives. These people need to stabilize to survive,” McConaughey said.At least 99 people have been confirmed dead from the fires, making it the most deadly US wildfire in more than a century. Th...

‘Traumatic’ event for passengers stuck on plane at Savannah airport without food, water or bathrooms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — 3 Atlanta bound planes were diverted to Savannah Hilton Head International Airport over the weekend due to weather conditions.Passengers from those planes contacted WJCL 22 News for help. Lizzy Phillips says her family sat inside the plane for 6 hours without bathrooms, water, or food.“It was just supposed to be a quick hour and a half flight so you don’t bring a lot of food and extra provisions,” said PhillipsThey were stuck for 4 hours in Savannah Hilton Head, 6 hours overall on the plane.While customs says they were there, and ready to process passengers.In a statement to WJCL 22 News Delta said this;“Flight 5062 from Eleuthera, Bahamas to Atlanta diverted to Savannah due to inclement weather. Limited accessibility of airport customs agents resulted in the flight crew not being authorized to allow customers to exit the aircraft for an extended period of time. Delta apologizes for the inconvenience to our customers, and we are reviewing...

FAA investigating close call at Logan Airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

An investigation got underway Monday after a close call involving two planes at Logan Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration in a statement said the incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. At the time, the FAA said, an air traffic controller told an American Airlines pilot to cancel a takeoff because a Spirit Airlines flight was close to a line on the runway where planes are supposed to stop. The FAA said the controller made the decision “out of an abundance of caution” and said an investigation was ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon. American Airlines in a separate statement said its flight was scheduled to travel from Boston to Chicago and returned to its gate after its takeoff clearance was canceled.American Airlines said the flight later took off around 2:30 p.m.  “The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority and we apologize for the delay in our customer’s travel plans,” American Airlines said. 

Flooding destroys thousands of bridal gowns at North Andover charity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

Thousands of donated wedding dresses were destroyed at a charity in North Andover as severe weather hit the area last week. The storm caused severe flooding on Tuesday, Aug. 8, inundating the warehouse where nonprofit Brides Across America had been storing dresses, shoes and accessories for years. “The water was so high,” said Brides Across America Founder and CEO Heidi Janson. Janson said all the gowns were meant to be donated to brides in the military as well as first responders and frontline healthcare workers. Brides Across America in a statement said it has donated more than 28,000 gowns since its inception in 2008. After flooding, damaged items now sit in large piles on the ground. Janson said she felt feelings of disbelief and shock. “I was just probably numb pretty much the whole week,” she said.  Officials said Brides Across America is looking at nearly $7 million worth of product and property damage and has to shut down its oper...

Allston man pleads guilty to cruelty to animals following rape of horse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

An Allston man has been found guilty of cruelty to animals after prosecutors said he had sex with a horse in the summer of 2021.Jackson Z. Kelley, 21, whose address at the time of his arrest in July 2021 was Linden Street in Allston, pleaded guilty Friday in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham to a charge of cruelty to animals.Superior Court Judge Beverly J. Cannone sentenced Kelley to four years of probation and to a litany of conditions, including an order to stay away from animals and to receive counseling for sexually paraphilic behaviors.Prosecutors say that Kelley, 19 at the time, was at a party near his parents’ home in Norfolk the evening of July 14, 2021, which lasted into the early morning hours of the next day.Surveillance video from Turner Hill Equestrian Center in Norfolk captured the following scene at around 4:13 a.m. July 15, 2021, as described in the prosecution’s statement of the case: “an approximately 5’8” man with light brown skin enters the stable, turns on the li...

Risk company says Hawaii fires caused $3.2 billion in insured property losses. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

By The Associated PressFollow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina. The wildfires are the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. The cause was under investigation. Even where the fires have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes.The Lahaina fire caused about $3.2 billion in insured property losses, calculated Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company. That doesn’t count damage to property not insured.The risk firm said more than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by fire with a total of more than 3,000 buildings damaged by fire or smoke or both. Because so many of the buildings were wood frame and older, the damage rates were higher than other fires, the firm said.— What spurred the fires? Right now, it’s unclear; au...

Ticker: Retail sales top forecasts; Buffett adds homebuilders, cuts GM

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

U.S. retail sales rose in July by more than forecast, suggesting consumers still have the wherewithal to sustain the economic expansion.The value of retail purchases increased 0.7% in July after upward revisions in the prior two months, Commerce Department data showed Tuesday. The upbeat figure reflected increases in a variety of sales categories, including sporting goods stores, clothing outlets and restaurants and bars.The latest data illustrate how American households — supported by a strong labor market and rising wages — are so far buttressing the economy against recession in the face of high interest rates.“This will boost optimism that because of the resilience of the consumer we can achieve that soft landing,” Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Stifel Financial Corp., said on Bloomberg Television. At the same time, “this simply means the Fed will have to be more aggressive raising rates higher and keeping rates higher for longer,” she said.Buffett adds homebuilders, cuts GMW...

Rudy Giuliani, under RICO indictment in Georgia election case, once lobbied NY to strengthen the law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

Molly Crane-Newman | New York Daily NewsNEW YORK — Almost 40 years ago, one of the most effective crusaders against organized crime in New York City urged state legislators to arm local prosecutors with laws to take down double-dealing politicians and the mob.“New York State is not a bad place to be, if you want to break the law,” then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Rudy Giuliani told attendees at an April 1986 luncheon, the Daily News reported.Calling for a package of reforms in the Empire State targeting corrupt power brokers in the criminal underworld and elected office, Giuliani lauded the possibilities of little-used RICO laws — Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — available to federal prosecutors and enacted in states like California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.Now, in a steep fall from grace, Giuliani is on the other side of the coin, charged in a sweeping RICO case involving alleged efforts by former President Trump to overturn the 2020 e...

Boston families should get vaccinated ahead of school year amid COVID uptick, health officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

With the school year quickly approaching, Boston families are being urged to get up-to-date on vaccinations amid a nationwide uptick in COVID-19 cases.After COVID cases had plummeted, the local virus wastewater data is showing a bit of a jump. The average level of COVID particles in Boston’s wastewater has climbed over the past few weeks — 557 RNA copies per milliliter, a 60% jump in the past two weeks.The Boston Public Health Commission noted that the recent increases in COVID cases and wastewater are not alarming. However, it’s important for families to get protected with back-to-school season, cooler temperatures, and cold and flu season all approaching, BPHC added.“Preparation is key when planning for a new school year and the changing of the seasons,” said Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “Cold and flu season always poses a risk, but there are several steps we can all take to protect ourselves and oth...

With 10 of Boston’s 18 city-run public pools closed, Michelle Wu addresses high rate of closures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:26 GMT

Mayor Michelle Wu emphasized city efforts to make swimming safe and accessible Tuesday, speaking to the high rate of pool closures frustrating residents and announcing funding to expand the Swim Safe initiative into the school year.“This has been a big area of focus for the city,” Wu said on WGBH Tuesday afternoon. “We want every young person growing up in Boston to know how to swim, to have access to swim lessons and that means we need our pools to be open.”Due to renovations and deferred maintenance, 10 of Boston’s 18 city-run public pools have been closed this summer, including all six pools in Mattapan and Dorchester.The closures come as the city has redoubled water safety and accessibility efforts around the city. These include the Swim Safe initiative announced in July — which includes investments in free swimming lessons, free life jackets at open water locations and lifeguarding staffing efforts — and $34.3 million budgeted over the ...