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Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

WENDEN, Ariz. (AP) — A blanket of bright green alfalfa spreads across western Arizona’s McMullen Valley, ringed by rolling mountains and warmed by the hot desert sun. Matthew Hancock’s family has used groundwater to grow forage crops here for more than six decades. They’re long accustomed to caprices of Mother Nature that can spoil an entire alfalfa cutting with a downpour or generate an especially big yield with a string of blistering days.But concerns about future water supplies from the valley’s ancient aquifers, which hold groundwater supplies, are bubbling up in Wenden, a town of around 700 people where the Hancock family farms. Some neighbors complain their backyard wells have dried up since the Emirati agribusiness Al Dahra began farming alfalfa here on about 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) several years ago. It is unknown how much water the Al Dahra operation uses, but Hancock estimates it needs 15,000 to 16,000 acre feet a year based on what his own alf...

Germany is having a budget crisis. With the economy struggling, it’s not the best time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — With its economy struggling, Germany now is wrestling to find a way out of a budget crisis after a court struck down billions in funding for clean energy projects and help for companies and consumers facing high utility bills because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to lay out how he and his quarrelsome governing coalition aim to fix things in a speech to parliament Tuesday. The government must hastily find cuts in the almost-finished spending plan for next year, analysts say, which could further slow what is already the world’s worst-performing major economy. A long-term solution, however, could take years, possibly until after the next national elections scheduled for 2025. That’s because the strict legal limits on borrowing cited in the Nov. 15 court decision are enshrined in the country’s constitution, and a two-thirds majority in parliament is required to soften them.Economists say spending cuts will only ...

Alex Murdaugh, already convicted of murder, will be sentenced for stealing from 18 clients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

For years, South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh looked his anguished clients in the eyes and promised to help them with their medical bills, their suffering or simply to survive. Then he stole most, if not all, of what he won for many of them.On Tuesday, those folks get to look right back at Murdaugh, in a prison jumpsuit, and tell him whatever they want as the disgraced lawyer, also convicted of murder, is sentenced for a decade worth of thefts from clients and his law firm.The courtroom drama will mark yet another step in the fall of a powerful and respected attorney whose family name dominated the legal scene in a small Hampton County for generations, and whose alleged crimes have been a perennial favorite of podcasts, books and online discussions. State prosecutors and Murdaugh’s lawyers negotiated a 27-year prison sentence for the man who is already serving a life term without parole after a jury found him guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, with a rifle, and younger son...

‘Past Lives,’ Lily Gladstone win at Gotham Awards, while Robert De Niro says his speech was edited

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Celine Song’s wistful romance “Past Lives” earned top honors at the Gotham Awards on Monday evening at an award-season kickoff where the night’s biggest drama came in a political speech by Robert De Niro that the actor claimed had been edited without his permission. “Past Lives,” a breakout at the Sundance Film Festival in January and an arthouse hit in June for A24, may be poised to be an Oscar sleeper this year after winning best feature film at the Gothams. Affection is strong for Song’s directorial debut, starring Greta Lee as a woman born in Seoul who, after marrying an American (John Magaro), reconnects with a childhood friend from South Korea (Teo Yoo).“This is the first film I’ve ever made and a very personal film about an extraordinary feeling I had in an ordinary bar in the East Village, not too many blocks away from here,” said Song, accepting the award. “As this film has been shared with the world, it has taught me — and taught us — that...

Investigation underway after shooting reports on Northwestern University Chicago campus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

CHICAGO — Authorities responded after reports of shots fired on Northwestern's Chicago campus on Monday evening. In a message shared on Northwestern University's website at 9:07 p.m., the university confirmed that Chicago and Northwestern police were responding to reports of shots fired outside of Wieboldt Hall near East Chicago Avenue and North Lake Shore Drive in Streeterville.In an update shared at 9:32 p.m., the university provided an "all clear" and confirmed that the campus has been secured. In the update, university officials said "assailants are in custody," however Chicago police say no arrests were made. Man dead, child hurt after shooting, crash on SW Side Chicago police say a witness later told officers that a large fight involving several people broke out in the street. The witness told police that they had seen a woman pull out a handgun and fire a single shot and that is when the crowd fled the scene.Officers say no injuries were reported and an investiga...

St. Cloud State University president will step aside next summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Robbyn Wacker, the president of St. Cloud State University since 2018, will leave the institution when her contract is completed in June.“When I arrived, the task that I had in front of me was pretty clear: Improve the enrollment, re-engage with alumni and donors, and add a little bit of Husky pride to the place,” Wacker said Monday.Enrollment at St. Cloud State ticked upward this year for the first time since 2015. Fall 2023 enrollment was 10,134.A SCSU collaboration with a for-profit online instruction company called Academic Partnerships has generated controversy on campus: The Save St. Cloud State group and some faculty believe it will replace faculty members.Robbyn Wacker was named president of St. Cloud State University on May 16, 2018. (Courtesy of Minnesota State)Wacker, 66, is SCSU’s 24th president and its first female permanent president. She also is the first openly LGBT president in the university’s 154 years. She took over in 2018 for Ashish Vai...

Cash-strapped Rochester district to close 3 schools, restructure attendance options

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

ROCHESTER, Minn. — In the wake of mounting financial pressures, Rochester Public Schools has announced its intent to close multiple schools in addition to a slew of other changes as part of a larger overhaul of its attendance options.RPS announced the intent Monday morning in a press release. The district’s school board is set to discuss the situation further on Tuesday.“The Attendance Options Redesign proposal is the result of two years of planning and analysis,” Superintendent Kent Pekel said in Monday’s statement. “While the narrow failure of the technology referendum that Rochester Public Schools placed on the ballot on November 7, 2023, increases the urgency of finding savings in the school district’s transportation budget and in every other area of the district’s work, this proposal is not a kneejerk reaction to the defeat of the referendum earlier this month.”RPS intends to close both Pinewood and Riverside elementary schools, as well as Mighty Oaks Early Learning...

Woman spits at pro-Palestine protesters in San Jose, says 'F***ing Black people' after confrontation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

(KRON) -- Video from the scene of a pro-Palestine protest Friday in San Jose showed a woman spitting at protesters. After she was confronted by a Black man about the spitting, she said, "F***ing Black people." The whole incident was caught on video, which you can see using the player above. The swear word in the video was edited out. Protests calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war broke out across the Bay Area on Black Friday. The incident in the video happened at San Jose's Westfield Valley Fair mall. San Jose parents appear in court after fentanyl kills baby The protesters were walking across the mall's lobby while the woman in question was overlooking them from an upper level. After sticking middle fingers at the protesters, she spat at them. A man standing nearby then confronted her, and she responded, "Don't tell me what to do." The man, who was holding a young girl's hand, told the woman she was spitting near his daughter. The woman denies it, appearing to clarify ...

Reinhart and Bobrovsky lead Florida Panthers past Ottawa Senators 5-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Sam Reinhart scored two goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves, helping the Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 5-0 on Monday night.Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for Florida, which had dropped two in a row. Carter Verhaeghe and Eetu Luostarinen also scored, and Aleksander Barkov had three assists.Bobrovsky’s second shutout of the season and No. 40 for his career helped Matthew Tkachuk get the better of his brother, Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk.Ottawa struggled early and never managed to get on equal footing with the Panthers. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 shots after missing the last two games with a minor injury.Trailing 3-0 in the third period, the Senators started to pick up their play, but also let their emotions get the best of them.“You know, I just thought at 3-0 we came up with some really good shifts. We were aggressive. We were, you know, in the game, lots of game left and then we take a five-minute major and that takes you right o...

Johansen scores twice, Avalanche beat Lightning 4-1 for 4th straight win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:38 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Ryan Johansen scored twice, Alexandar Georgiev made 37 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.Cale Makar added a goal and an assist, while Valeri Nichushkin sealed the win with an empty-net score. Makar now has 20 assists in November, moving the Avalanche defenseman one away from matching the most in a month in franchise history. Peter Stastny holds the mark with 21 assists in October 1983.Nathan MacKinnon suited up despite being under the weather and missing the morning skate. He recorded two assists to become the third player in Colorado/Quebec history to notch at least a point in each of the opening 10 home games to start the season. Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning. They had a goal from Michael Eyssimont negated in the second period when the Avalanche challenged the play for offside.Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots in his second game back. He missed the start of the season after und...