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Airbnb limits some new reservations in New York City as short-term rental regulations go into effect

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Home-sharing giant Airbnb said it has had to stop accepting some reservations in New York City as new regulations on short-term rentals went into effect Tuesday that will mean big changes for travelers hoping to avoid the high cost of a Big Apple hotel.The new rules are intended to effectively end a free-for-all in which city landlords and residents have been renting out their apartments by the week or the night to tourists or others in town for short stays.Under the new system, rentals shorter than 30 days are only allowed if hosts register with the city. Hosts must commit to being physically present in the home for the duration of the rental, sharing living quarters with their guest. More than two guests at a time are not allowed, either, meaning families are effectively barred.Platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO and others are not allowed to process rentals for unregistered hosts — and as of early this week, few had successfully registered. The city says it has approve...

Alaska couple reunited with cat 26 days after home collapsed into river

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A pair of Alaska teachers needed good news after they lost nearly all their possessions when their house collapsed into a river swollen by a glacial outburst flood and their cat went missing.Elizabeth Wilkins was holding onto hope that if any animal would survive the house falling into the Mendenhall River on Aug. 5, it would be Leo, the couple’s resilient big-eyed, black-and-white cat who shows no fear of bears.“I knew that he’s pretty smart, and so I felt pretty confident that he would escape and be OK somewhere,” she said.That faith paid off 26 days after the flood when Tonya Mead posted a photo of Leo to the Juneau Community Collective Facebook page. Wilkins immediately knew it was Leo, the “COVID kitten” they rescued in 2020. She rushed to meet Mead. Delta flight returns to Atlanta after alleged diarrhea incident “I just started walking down the street calling for him, and he just ran out and was like, ‘Oh hey, here I am, you know, like, where have yo...

Missing 30-year-old woman last seen in New City

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are searching for a missing woman who suffers from intellectual disabilities.According to Chicago Police, 30-year-old Jennifer Reed has been missing since around 4 p.m. on Monday.  Search underway for missing man last seen in Grand Crossing Police say Reed was last seen in the 1000 block of West 48th Street in Chicago's New City neighborhood.Reed, who police say suffers from intellectual disabilities and requires medical attention, was last seen wearing blue jean shorts, a light purple t-shirt, a leopard sweater, a black and white scarf and maroon gym shoes.Police say Reed stands 5-foot-11, weighing 165 pounds, with brown eyes, and blonde and brown hair.  Man attempts to lure kids into car in Bridgeport Chicago Police notified the public about Reed's disappearance just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday.Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jennifer Reed is asked to call the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8380. Tips for police can also be file...

'Find the booger face,' Austin woman tracks stolen Kia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Danielle Paez wanted to sleep in on Saturday morning. "We were woken up very early by neighbor, and we thought who wakes someone up at this hour," she said. "And it was our very kind neighbor waking us up to tell us my boyfriend's car had been broken into, and mine just vanished. Just glass, that's it, that's all that was left of my car."After Paez reported her stolen 2019 Kia Soul to police, she said she realized she had a tool of her own to figure out where her car was: a mile tracker she uses as part of her insurance, which gave her a play-by-play of the car's whereabouts right on her phone. "I created a timeline, I managed to track down every second he turned off and on my car, every visit he made, she said. "Find the booger face. Find him."The Austin Police Department said information like this could help, but there's no guarantee it can lead to an arrest. Officers also do not recommend trying to recover your stolen vehicle on your own, because whoever stole i...

Take a look at the Vikings’ unofficial depth chart ahead of Sunday’s season opener

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

With the regular season finally coming up, the Vikings released their unofficial depth chart ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium.Not much has changed since the Vikings released their unofficial depth chart early in training camp.Here’s a look at the starters and backups as the Vikings prepare to start their quest toward a Super Bowl.OFFENSEQuarterbacksStarter: Kirk CousinsBackups: Nick Mullens, Jaren HallRunning BacksStarter: Alexander MattisonBackups: Ty Chandler, Myles GaskinFullbackStarter: C.J. HamBackup: N/AReceiversStarters: Justin Jefferson, K.J. OsbornBackups: Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon PowellTight EndsStarter: T.J. HockensonBackups: Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick MuseOffensive LineStarters: Christian Darrisaw (LT), Ezra Cleveland (LG), Garrett Bradbury (C), Ed Ingram (RG), Brian O’Neill (RT)Backups: David Quessenberry (LT), Austin Schlottmann (C), Blake Brandel (RG), Oli Udoh (RT)DEFENSEDefensiv...

Report: Nearly 85% maternal deaths in Missouri were preventable

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The state is making a historic investment in a maternal mortality prevention plan after learning Missouri has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-related deaths in the country.In a new report, an average of 70 Missouri women died while pregnant or within one year after giving birth between 2018 and 2020. The Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) said Tuesday the most sobering piece of the report is nearly 85% of those deaths were preventable."Maternal mortality rates in Missouri are not great," MHA spokesperson Renee Wilde said. "We are well below the national average, and we know that's something we need to improve on."Missouri is looking at new ways to help save new moms. According to a recent report from the state's Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (PAMR) Board, the number one cause of pregnancy-related deaths was mental health conditions, including substance use disorders."One thing that this report shows is that the highest occurrence of these deaths ...

Rockies prospect Michael Toglia sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

Michael Toglia’s up-and-down MLB career took another dip Tuesday, as the Rockies optioned the 2019 first-round pick to Triple-A Albuquerque.Related ArticlesColorado Rockies | AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain shutting down, leaving Rockies broadcasts in limbo for 2024, sources say Colorado Rockies | Rockies strike out 14 times in opening game loss at Arizona Colorado Rockies | Blue Jays’ All-Star Kevin Gausman returns home to face the beast of Coors Field Colorado Rockies | Rockies lose 7-5 as Blue Jays score twice in ninth off Justin Lawrence Colorado Rockies | Brenton Doyle’s three-run triple leads Rockies over Blue Jays In a corresponding move, the Rockies selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Cole Tucker from Albuquerque. Tucker signed with the Rockies as a free agent this offseason after spending parts of four seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks org...

Colorado House reaches deal to settle open-meetings lawsuit filed by two Democratic lawmakers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

The Colorado House of Representatives has moved to settle an open-meetings lawsuit filed by two of its members, agreeing to provide more transparency into legislative strategy meetings and private messages between legislators.The settlement, filed in court Thursday, awaits the approval of the Denver judge overseeing the litigation. But its terms have been agreed upon by the two Democratic lawmakers who filed the suit — Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Bob Marshall — and the institutions they sued: the House, their own House Democratic caucus, its Republican counterpart and the chamber’s three leaders.Under the terms of the deal, the House’s leaders — Speaker Julie McCluskie, Democratic Majority Leader Monica Duran and Republican Minority Leader Mike Lynch — agreed not to hold meetings involving a majority of legislators or meetings at which formal action may occur unless the public receives advance notice. It’s been common practice for members of on...

Victim of Fontana ‘bank jugging’ speaks out

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

As authorities warn of a rise in an alarming crime trend called “bank jugging,” a recent victim of the follow-robbery style incident spoke out about the ordeal.The term is used to describe culprits targeting and following people who withdraw large amounts of cash from a bank or an ATM.The Fontana Police Department described such an incident that occurred on July 22. Authorities in Fontana warning residents of increased incidents of ‘bank jugging’ The victim, who only wanted to be identified as Joe, said he remains shaken up by the incident.He had withdrawn just over $1,000 from a Chase branch and walked to his truck with an envelope filled with cash.He then drove to a nearby Walgreens to run an errand.“While in there, unfortunately, they broke my driver door glass window, went into the truck, they took the envelope of cash that I had put in the center console, and that’s how I found my car,” Joe told KTLA.Though his sense of security being out in public now feels compromised, J...

Panera Bread testing smaller menu selection at select locations nationwide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

Panera Bread is testing a smaller menu selection at select café locations nationwide as the company continues to improve its guest experience. The smaller menu is being tested at less than 3% of all Panera Bread locations nationwide. This is America’s favorite fast food place, according to a new study About 50 items, including all kids’ menu items and flatbread pizzas, along with select sandwiches, salads, and dessert options, have been cut from the menus, according to a Reddit post.The company declined to comment on which items have been removed or where they are testing the smaller menus but did tell KTLA that the drastic change is all a part of a test.“As part of our effort to continually improve our guest experience, we routinely test different menu options in a small number of Panera bakery cafes with the goal of providing a faster and more convenient guest experience while also simplifying operations for our associates,” a Panera Bread spokesperson said in a statement to KTL...