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Restoring nature is possible — but we must work together

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

This week marks yet another busy week on the sustainability circuit here in Brussels. At Politico’s Sustainable Future Week, businesses and lawmakers exchange views and ideas for a sustainable future.This year, as a main sponsor of the event, Coca-Cola in Europe will highlight the importance of multistakeholder partnerships that can scale up solutions. Collective action is needed to deliver long-term positive impacts for nature restoration and the protection of essential ecosystems — and across the wider, interconnected sustainability agenda. Together with longstanding Coca-Cola Europe partner, global conservation organization WWF-Central Eastern Europe (WWF CEE), we’ll share the outcomes and learnings of our eight-year partnership to conserve and restore vital wetlands, floodplains and ecosystems along the Danube River. We want to demonstrate that reversing the effects of species and ecosystem loss and re-enriching the tapestry of nature through conservation and restoration is poss...

Los Angeles braces for transportation ‘crisis’ as part of Interstate 10 indefinitely closes due to fire damage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

(CNN) — Los Angeles drivers have been warned of significant travel headaches after a major fire over the weekend forced the indefinite closure of a downtown portion of Interstate 10, one of the city’s major traffic arteries.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the closure as a “crisis” for a city already notorious for its traffic woes. She urged travelers to brace for delays and plan alternative routes as the interstate remains shut down in both directions in downtown Los Angeles near Alameda Street.Ahead of the Monday morning commute, a citywide alert was sent to residents’ cell phones warning that the freeway “will be closed indefinitely” and to “expect significant traffic.”More than 300,000 vehicles travel through the freeway corridor every day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.“It’s of significant consequence to the economy, to the health and safety of Angelenos,” Newsom said. “The impact to our schools, to vulnerable communities – all of that we take...

Secret Service agents protecting President Biden’s granddaughter fire weapons after seeing 3 people trying to break into government vehicle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in the nation’s capital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.The agents, assigned to protect Naomi Biden, were out with her in the Georgetown neighborhood late Sunday night when they saw the three people breaking a window of the parked and unoccupied SUV, the official said. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on Monday on the condition of anonymity.One of the agents opened fire, but no one was struck by the gunfire, the Secret Service said in a statement. The three people were seen fleeing in a red car, and the Secret Service said it put out a regional bulletin to Metropolitan Police to be on the lookout for it.Washington has seen a significant rise in the number of carjackings and car thefts this year. Police have reported more ...

Tim Scott suspends presidential run

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

The only sitting U.S. Senator to throw his hat into the presidential race has suspended his campaign for the White House.U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, the two-term junior senator from South Carolina, announced late Sunday that he would no longer actively seek the Republican party nomination.“Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president. Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. God Bless the United States of America,” he said via the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president.Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life.From the bottom of my heart, thank you.God Bless the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/yniJWQMW1N— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) November 13, 2023 The end of Scott’s long-shot bid for the nomination comes a couple of weeks after former...

San Diego police investigating deadly crash into Cricket Wireless store

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego police are investigating after a car crashed into a Cricket Wireless store in Otay Mesa early Monday, leaving one person dead.Around 4:11 a.m., authorities were alerted to the collision involving a structure at the corner of Coronado Avenue and Beyer Boulevard, just east of the Interstate 5.For reasons unknown, a Toyota sedan veered off the road and up over the sidewalk, coming to a rest after going through the side of the Cricket store.One person who was inside the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene, San Diego police confirmed. It is unknown if any other individuals were in the car at the time of the crash.The store suffered significant damage as a result of the crash, but an estimate has not been determined.As of 6:30 a.m., road closures along eastbound Coronado Avenue and Beyer Boulevard had been implemented near the site of the crash for SDPD's on-scene investigation.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Military youth group's equipment lost after thefts at Camp Pendleton

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A military youth group had thousands of dollars worth of equipment stolen from Camp Pendleton in at least two incidents between September and October, officials with the base confirmed.Several items belonging to the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps were stolen from the base between Sept. 29 and Oct. 29. The Sea Cadet Corps is a non-profit youth development program that trains children ages 10 to 18 in basic military skills, such as sailing, aviation and robotics.The items that were stolen from the base were not disclosed by Camp Pendleton officials. 5 US service members killed in military helicopter crash over the Mediterranean However, parents said in a GoFundMe set up to help replace the stolen items that the unit lost about $3,000 worth of "training equipment and uniforms" that were funded by annual enrollment fees. Without the items, parents say the cadets in the program are unable to "train (on base or) attend nationwide training."In a statement to FOX 5, Camp Pendleto...

Nepal bans TikTok and says it disrupts social harmony

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting “social harmony” in the country. The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately. “The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials,” Saud said.He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country’s laws and regulations. It wasn’t clear what triggered the ban or if TikTok had refused to comply with Nepal’s requests. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in a number of countries because of concerns that Beijing ...

What should donors learn from Ibram X. Kendi’s problems at Boston University?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

The award-winning author and academic Ibram X. Kendi has been a lightning rod for public discourse since publishing his book “How to Be an Antiracist” in 2019. But in September, the praise and criticism reached new intensity when Boston University acknowledged layoffs at the center he runs there along with a change to its operating model. The news prompted former colleagues and current collaborators to publicly question the BU Center for Antiracist Research’s ability to deliver on the promises it had made to funders. In news reports and op-eds, some former colleagues said too much power was concentrated in Kendi’s hands. People and organizations that oppose racial equity piled on. Earlier this month, the university said an initial inquiry found no issues with how the center managed its finances. Acknowledging the layoffs in September, the university and Kendi said it was not financially sustainable to conduct research and develop programs with its own employees, despite having...

Police fatally shoot 17-year-old during traffic stop in North Dakota’s Bismarck

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Police shot and killed a 17-year-old early Sunday during a traffic stop in a mall parking lot in Bismarck, North Dakota, while investigating the teen for a reported shooting.Police responded about 12:15 a.m. Sunday to gunfire in the area, according to a news release. Officers determined a shooting occurred near a hotel. Police subsequently began investigating 17-year-old Nicholas Bruington, of Bismarck.About 1:50 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle in which Bruington was a passenger, near the Scheels sporting goods store in the Kirkwood Mall parking lot. Police said Bruington “had a firearm and did not follow commands.”It wasn’t immediately clear whether Bruington pointed the gun at police. None of the officers were injured.Three officers shot at Bruington. Officers performed life-saving procedures until Bruington was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting, per the pol...

Amtrak service north of NYC disrupted by structural issues with parking garage over tracks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak service north of New York City was disrupted Monday because of structural issues with a parking garage that’s over the tracks on Manhattan’s west side, officials said.Service between the city and the Croton-Harmon station in Westchester County was halted Sunday after structural problems were discovered at the parking garage on West 51st Street.Amtrak said passengers traveling between New York City and Croton-Harmon could take Metro-North, which is honoring Amtrak tickets.Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said railroad officials don’t know when full service will be restored.New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday that city engineers were dispatched to the parking garage to assess the situation.“We are working closely with Amtrak and other transit partners to protect public safety and maintain regular communication with riders,” Adams said on X, formerly Twitter.New York City officials stepped up the inspection of parking garages after a thre...