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What will it take to stop Jersey Shore town from bulldozing its beach? $12M in fines hasn’t done it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — Not even $12 million worth of fines is enough to stop a Jersey Shore town from bulldozing sand on its beach to bolster eroded spots in defiance of state environmental officials.The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says North Wildwood once again carried out unauthorized repairs to its eroding dunes, most recently on June 5 without state approval and in violation of a February court order imposed by a judge trying to sort out the decade-long sand storm between the two parties.On Thursday, DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette wrote to North Wildwood officials offering one final attempt to resolve the matter without imposing additional penalties, and warning that the city’s conduct jeopardizes funding for future beach protection projects.Describing himself as “perplexed” by North Wildwood’s actions, LaTourette wrote that the city “has repeatedly engaged in destructive and illegal conduct in the name of tourism and, supposedly, public...

‘Missed opportunity’ for Canada at summit on climate reform of developing world loans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

OTTAWA — Foreign-aid and climate advocates say Ottawa needs to do much more to help developing countries brace for climate chaos without going broke, after Canada’s uninspiring contribution to a summit last month that aimed at reforming global finance.French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the summit in Paris, convening leaders from Africa and small island states, along with rich countries and financial institutions.The New Global Financing Pact was intended to start transforming the systems developing countries use to take on debt, seek bailouts and pay off loans, such as through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.The meeting came as countries across the developing world face devastating natural disasters, pandemics and inflation that have made them unable to pay back loans, with little funding left to fulfil their pledges to protect biodiversity.Caroline Brouillette, the head of Climate Action Network Canada, said the multilateral development banks aren̵...

U.S. trade envoy presses Canada on digital services tax, home shopping obligations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

WASHINGTON — America’s trade envoy is urging her Canadian counterpart to abandon plans for a digital services tax and to allow U.S. home shopping north of the border. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and International Trade Minister Mary Ng met one-on-one in Mexico during two days of meetings in Cancun, which wrap up today. The annual gathering is a chance for all three countries to take stock of their progress under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.A U.S. readout of Thursday’s meeting says Tai pressed Ng on Canada’s obligation under the deal to allow American home shopping television channels like QVC.She also repeated long-standing U.S. concerns about the digital tax, which targets foreign companies that earn revenue from the engagement, content or data of Canadian users. The three per cent levy would go into effect in January unless an ongoing international effort to establish a multilateral tax regime takes hold before then. This report by The Canadian P...

DeSantis blames media for sagging poll numbers: 'They're going after me’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

(The Hill) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blamed members of media outlets for his sagging poll numbers, which have him far behind former President Donald Trump for the lead for the 2024 Republican nomination. DeSantis said during an interview on Fox News on Thursday that “corporate media” are focusing on him because they do not want him to win the nomination. “Well, I think if you look at the people like the corporate media, who are they going after?” he said. “Who do they not want to be the nominee? They’re going after me.” DeSantis also noted that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has called on U.S. citizens to not vote for him, with the governor arguing that it was because “he knows who’ll be strong on the border and hold him accountable and the cartels.” “So, I think if you look at all these people that are responsible for a lot of the ills in our society, they’re targeting me as the person they don’t want to see as the candidate,” he said. Th...

Tourist who carved into Colosseum wall offers apology, curious excuse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The English tourist who was filmed carving his name into a wall at the Colosseum in Rome has offered something of an excuse for his actions, suggesting he had no idea the site was so ancient.“I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument,” said the tourist, in a letter to Rome’s mayor and other Italian authorities that was obtained by the BBC and Italy’s Il Messaggero news outlet. Tourist filmed vandalizing Rome’s Colosseum The tourist, identified as Ivan Danailov Dimitrov by USA Today and The Washington Post, was originally caught scratching his name — and the name of an apparent girlfriend — into the wall of the Colosseum on June 23.The American tourist who filmed Dimitrov’s actions told Nexstar’s KTLA he was “pretty upset” over the incident, especially after recording the vandal grinning as he continued to carve “Ivan+Hayley 23” into the wall with what appeared to be a set of keys.“You alwa...

Drake hit by phone thrown during Chicago show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

(KTLA) – "Hotline Bling"? More like hotline fling. Drake is the latest artist to be struck by an object thrown by a fan while performing on stage. This happened Wednesday night during the rapper's first show of his It's All a Blur tour, which opened at the United Center in Chicago. Drake fans upset at Ticketmaster over ticket prices for the rapper’s It’s All A Blur Tour As the former "Degrassi" star sang a slowed-down version of Ginuwine's "So Anxious," a phone came flying from the crowd. It looked like Drake almost caught it, but it ended up hitting his hand and flying off the stage.Video of the incident was captured on social media. This dangerous practice by fans has been making headlines recently. Bebe Rexha had to get stitches after a fan chucked a phone at her face during a concert in New York City. Kelsea Ballerini was also hit by what was believed to be a bracelet during a performance in Idaho. While she wasn't hurt, Pink was also performing when a fan tossed their dead m...

Registered sex offender accused of finding 10-year-old victim on Snapchat, arrested in Hays County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for July 7, 2023HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A registered sex offender was arrested in Hays County Sunday in connection with child sex trafficking, according to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.HCSO said 24-year-old Diego Alejandro Cortez was taken into custody in Kyle and charged with harboring a runaway child, a Class A misdemeanor. An additional charge of child trafficking to engage in sexual conduct, a first-degree felony, was later added, according to officials.Cortez does not have an attorney listed online.HCSO said Cortez was accused of enticing a 10-year-old victim to leave her home, and on more than one occasion, having sex with the missing child as well as other children in and around San Antonio.“Based on information provided, investigators know Cortez met his potential victims online, through the social media platform Snapchat, and would portray himself as a young teen in attempt to gain their trust,” HC...

Lawmakers to hear from public on property tax relief

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A special committee of Texas House lawmakers on Friday will hear public testimony regarding a slate of new legislation aimed at cutting property taxes.The House Select Study Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief convenes at the Capitol at 11:00 Friday morning to hear testimony "only on methods to reduce the tax burden of appraisal increases on all real property."Speaker Dade Phelan created that committee amid a months-long standoff on a deal to lower property taxes. He was a primary supporter of legislation to cap the amount that a property's appraisal value can increase each year, but that idea fell flat in the Texas Senate.The two chambers are now at odds over the strategies the state should employ to lower property taxes, primarily whether the raise the homestead exemption to $100,000. That is the Texas Senate's top priority, but Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas House have supported legislation without it.The House select committee consists of eight Repub...

U.S. hiring slows: 209,000 jobs added in June, unemployment at 3.6%

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

America’s employers pulled back on hiring but still delivered another month of solid gains in June, adding 209,000 jobs, a sign that the economy’s resilience is confounding the Federal Reserve’s drive to slow growth and inflation.The latest evidence of economic strength makes it all but certain that the Fed will resume its interest rate hikes later this month after having ended a streak of 10 rate increases that have been intended to curb high inflation.The June hiring figure reported by the government Friday is the smallest in 2 1/2 years. But it still points to a durable labor market that has produced a historically high number of advertised openings. The unemployment rate fell from 3.7% to 3.6%, near a five-decade low.Most of the details in the report underscored the job market’s durability. The length of the average work week edged up, a sign that customer demand is strong enough to keep employees busy. And wage growth accelerated: Hourly pay is up 4.4% from a year ago. Wa...

Swimming closed at Brown's Beach on Saratoga Lake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:08 GMT

STILLWATER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Town of Stillwater, along with the New York State Department of Health (DOH), has closed swimming at Brown's Beach on Saratoga Lake until further notice. This is due to potential harmful blue-green algae blooms in the water. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "This has never happened at Brown's Beach ever," said Town Supervisor Ed Kinowski.On June 21, a potential harmful algae bloom was spotted in the water at Brown's Beach. Swimming at the beach was shut down until the bloom could be tested by DOH. After the test results came back negative, swimming resumed on June 27.However, that only lasted a few days. Kinowski had to close swimming at the beach again on July 6 after another potential harmful algae bloom was spotted. Dick’s House of Sport in Latham sets grand opening Kinowski has contacted DOH, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the New York State Department of Environmental Co...