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UN chief urges ‘game-changing’ commitments on clean water

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

UNITED NATION (AP) — The United Nations chief urged the first world conference on water in over 45 years on Wednesday to address the “21st century emergency” that is wasting the world’s most important resource and has left billions of people without clean water and basic sanitation.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the opening session that water is “humanity’s lifeblood” and a human right, but the world is draining it “through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use and evaporating it through global heating.”In a challenge to all nations and the broader international community, he said the three-day conference must represent “a quantum leap” in recognition of the vital importance of water and the need for action to ensure its sustainable use.Guterres called for “game-changing commitments” toward U.N. goals, including ensuring that all people have access to drinking water and sanitation by 2030. The U.N. World Water Development Report, issued on the eve of the conference...

Stylist Law Roach working on his health post-retirement

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Celebrity stylist Law Roach, who helped reinvent Zendaya and turned Celine Dion into a fashion icon, shocked the industry last week when he announced his retirement from dressing the rich and famous.“My Cup is empty,” he wrote in part March 14 on Instagram, explaining: “If this business was just about the clothes I would do it for the rest of my life but unfortunately it’s not! The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win … I’m out.”Without further clarification on the since-deleted post, the 44-year-old Roach followed up his huge red “RETIRED” graphic with a round of interviews, telling The Associated Press on Tuesday night: “I was just going through something and I just needed to, to release everything I was going through.”The retirement part, from celebrity styling at least, is real, he said on the red carpet at the Fashion Trust US Awards.“I felt like that was the best way for me to walk away from the industry for a while to ...

Firefighters battling ‘significant’ brush fire in DC’s Rock Creek Park

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

Firefighters are working to put out a large brush fire in Northwest D.C.’s Rock Creek Park.D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said the “significant” fire began just before 1 p.m. in the area of Beach Drive and Piney Branch Parkway. The blaze was affecting between 3 and 4 acres of forest.More DC NewsMore Local NewsThe department shared images on social media of crews working to prevent flames from spreading uphill and threatening nearby homes on Quincy Street NW.Update large brush fire Rock Creek Park vicinity Piney Branch Pkwy NW. Several additional units requested. Continue efforts to surround fire & protect structures where necessary. #DCsBravest pic.twitter.com/bHZP9qtQc7— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) March 22, 2023Maggiolo said recent dry weather coupled with Wednesday’s breezy weather caused the fire to spread faster than usual.Drivers may encounter delays or stoppages between Arkansas Avenue NW and Beach Drive NW due to fire department activi...

Elected leaders react to Denver East High School shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Two adult faculty members were shot by a student Wednesday morning during a daily check for weapons. They were both taken to the hospital with serious injuries and expected to survive, but this has reignited a debate about school resource officers and gun laws overall. What we know about the Denver East High School shooting suspect After the shooting, elected leaders from the City of Denver and across the State of Colorado shared their compassion for the students and thoughts about what can be done to prevent more gun violence at schools moving forward.Denver Mayor Michael Hancock:"Another act of senseless gun violence rocked the East High School community this morning and my heart is with each and every student, staff member and parent. Our schools should be free from violence. Period. Parents are angry and frustrated, and they have a right to be. Easy access to guns must be addressed in our country – Denver cannot do this alone. There are common sense proposals ...

Ingérence à BFM : Rachid M’Barki nie et accuse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

Il ne s’était plus exprimé depuis l’explosion de “l’affaire BMFTV” et son licenciement pour faute grave : l’ex-présentateur Rachid M’Barki choisit de démentir ce qui lui est reproché et charge ses accusateurs.Soupçonné d’avoir diffusé des contenus liés à des opérations de désinformation, comme l’avait révélé POLITICO, M’Barki a nié devant l’Assemblée nationale mercredi avoir commis une faute, avoir été manipulé ou rémunéré pour diffuser de fausses informations dans son “Journal de la nuit”.“Chacune des informations que j’ai données (…) était vraie, vérifiable et vérifiée”, a affirmé le journaliste auprès des députés, qui l’auditionnaient dans le cadre d’une commission d’enquête qui investigue “les réseaux d’influence étrangers” sur les élites françaises.Sur la défensive, le journaliste a démenti à plusieurs reprises avoir été rémunéré par un quelconque informateur ou par un État : “Le Maroc ne m’a jamais donné un seul centime pour dire quoi que ce soit”, a affirmé...

Legal drama surrounding Trump reaches a fever pitch but NY grand jury won’t meet Wednesday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

(CNN) — The extraordinary legal peril surrounding Donald Trump is reaching a fever pitch at the same time the former president is forging ahead in a 2024 Republican primary that is increasingly dominated by criminal investigations in New York, Washington and Atlanta.But there’s no public information as to when or whether an indictment could be filed, leaving the former president and the public in suspense.The Manhattan grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the Trump case will not meet Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the case.New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has suggested to an attorney for at least one witness in the past 24 hours that they might need to provide more testimony to the grand jury in its hush money probe, according to one source familiar with the probe.Expectations are high that Bragg, a Democrat, is getting ready to make a decision on a potential indictment against Trump any day now over a...

Carver High’s Cam Allain leaps onto the national scene in the high jump

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

Without a doubt, Cam Allain’s indoor season could be broken down into two very distinct parts.There was the dual meet portion of schedule where the 6-foot-6 Carver High jumper consistently leaped 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet and picked up valuable points for the Crusaders in his specialty as well as the 300, 55 hurdles and long jump.The second part, the championship part of the winter, is where Allain shined the brightest and brought his high jumping to the next level. Allain closed out his indoor campaign in dramatic fashion as he sailed over 6-8 on his first attempt in the Adidas Nationals at the Virginia Beach Sports Center for the win and the top position on the podium.Everything came together for Allain, a South Shore League All-Star and cornerback on the football team, and he never let the big stage atmosphere that comes with competing in a national meet distract him in any way. If he missed a jumped he immediately put it behind him and focused on his next attempt. ItR...

Ben Rortvedt recovering and progressing after aneurysm

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

TAMPA — Ben Rortvedt has seen the jokes.The Yankees catcher is not big on social media these days, but he’s aware that a portion of fans playfully question his existence online. They do so because injuries have prevented the 25-year-old from seeing too much action since the Yankees acquired him, Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa last March in the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins.“It is pretty funny,” Rortvedt, in the flesh, said Wednesday at the Yankees’ spring training complex. “I haven’t been in front of people for spring training and stuff. So it’s kind of funny, but at the same time, I would love to get out there and show everyone.”Rortvedt chuckled at the notion that he’s not real, but his most recent injury was no laughing matter.Early on in camp, a glove-side finger injury sidelined him. Rortvedt expressed little concern at first, but then the finger took on a shade of blue.“Catchin...

Mark Lee retires as boys hockey coach at St. Mary’s

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

Longtime St. Mary’s boys hockey coach Mark Lee announced his retirement this week. He spent the past 37 years as head coach at his high school alma mater.“It’s never really the right time,” Lee said in a release provided by the school. “But I wanted to make sure I left the program in good shape. St. Mary’s hockey has been my baby my whole adult life. I wanted to make sure the program was thriving.”That box can be checked, as the Spartans went 13-7-3 this year and advanced to the MIAA Div. 1 Round of 16, before losing to powerhouse Catholic Memorial. With only four seniors on the roster, the future is bright.“Everything is in line for a smooth transition,” said Lee, a member of the St. Mary’s Hall of Fame and Varsity Club (Athletic Hall of Fame). “There’s a lot of promise. I didn’t want to be that coach, who left when the well had run dry.”Lee retires with a career record of 497-248-88 (.649 winning percentage), 10 league championships, six MIAA North sectional titles and...

Confidence in cruising: Travel picking up despite lingering COVID concerns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:49 GMT

Cindy Krischer Goodman and Spencer Norris | South Florida Sun-SentinelAfter earning a reputation in the early days of the pandemic as floating disease carriers, cruise ships are back in favor with American travelers.With COVID in the general population easing, so too, are cases aboard ships.The number of COVID-19 cases reported on cruise ships leaving U.S. Ports has declined each month since last summer, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.Fewer than 4,400 cases were reported on ships leaving from U.S. ports during January, compared with 13,238 in July 2022. Nationally, people stepped onto cruise ships to sail 13 million times in January, versus last summer when cruise ships were sailing at limited capacity.So is it safe to go on a cruise now?“The risk is less, but there is not zero risk,” says Dr. Preeti Malani, an infectious disease specialist with University of Michigan.Gauge risk, take precautionsThree ...