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An Arizona woman died after her power was cut over a $51 debt. That forced utilities to change

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Stephanie Pullman died on a sweltering Arizona day after her electricity was cut off because of a $51 debt.Five years later, the 72-year-old’s story remains at the heart of efforts to prevent others in Arizona from having their power cut off, leaving them without life-saving air conditioning in temperatures that have topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) on every day this month.“Stephanie Pullman was the face of the fight that helped put the disconnect rules in place for the big, regulated utilities in Arizona,” said Stacey Champion, an advocate who pushed for new regulations. “But we need more.”Arizona Public Service, known as APS, disconnected Pullman’s power in September 2018 at a time when outside temperatures in her retirement community west of Phoenix reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.6 Celsius). Just days before, a $125 payment was made toward Pullman’s past-due bill of $176.Her body was found inside her home during a subsequent ...

Boat slams into house at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, injuring 8 who were on board

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

LAKE OZARK, Mo. (AP) — Eight people were hospitalized after a boat left the water and slammed into a house at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.The 47-year-old driver of the boat was arrested on suspicion of boating under the influence but had not been charged as of Monday morning.The accident happened just before midnight Saturday in the main channel of the sprawling central Missouri lake, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The boat ran aground and struck a large house that sits near the water, badly smashing an exterior wall. The boat flipped over, ejecting everyone.Six of the eight people on the boat were seriously injured and two were moderately injured. It wasn’t immediately clear if the home was occupied, but no injuries were reported from the home.The accident remains under investigation.The Associated Press

UN chief urges Russia to revive grain deal with Ukraine, warning ‘the most vulnerable’ will suffer

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

ROME (AP) — The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Russia to resume the internationally-brokered deal so grain can be shipped from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, saying otherwise the world’s most vulnerable among the hungry will suffer the worst consequences.The U.N. chief made the call during a speech in Rome at the opening of a three-day food systems summit. With the recent collapse of the Ukraine-Russia grain deal, “the most vulnerable will pay the highest price,” Guterres said. He lamented that there are already negative effects on global wheat and corn prices, although he cited no figures.Both Russia and Ukraine are “essential to global food security,” the U.N. leader said. He noted that they have historically accounted for 30% of global wheat and barley exports, a fifth of all maize and more than half of all sunflower oil.“For my part, I remain committed to facilitating unimpeded access to global markets for food products and ...

Morocco shifts focus to next game after a big loss in its Women’s World Cup debut

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Morocco’s debut game at the Women’s World Cup ended in a 6-0 loss to two-time champion Germany in what head coach Reynald Pedros described as a “David versus Goliath” contest.Germany is ranked No. 2 and the Atlas Lionesses are No. 72 and the first Arab or North African team to qualify. The margin of defeat on Monday was the biggest so far at the tournament where Morocco is one of eight teams on debut. Pedros has made it clear the opening game is now history, and Morocco’s focus must shift swiftly to the next game against South Korea.“Our objective is obviously to as quickly as possible get back to work,” he said. “We’re still going to stay positive, that’s extremely important.”A large contingent of Morocco fans, many gathered in the southwest corner of the stadium in Melbourne, cheered vocally for the recent Africa Cup of Nations finalists.“We were coming up against a team that’s extremely high level,” Pedros said. “We could have a...

First lawsuit filed on behalf of female Northwestern University athlete as hazing scandal widens

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The hazing scandal at Northwestern University has widened to include a volleyball player who on Monday became the first female athlete to sue the university over allegations she was retaliated against by the coach for reporting her mistreatment.The player, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, says she was physically harmed to the point of requiring medical attention during a hazing incident in early 2021.According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe contracted COVID-19 in February of that year, despite following the team’s COVID guidelines. Despite this, she says, Northwestern volleyball coach Shane Davis and an assistant coach informed her she would need to undergo a “punishment” for violating the guidelines. A day later, on March 2, 2021, the coaches permitted the volleyball team’s captains to pick the punishment: She was forced to run “suicides” in the gym while diving to the floor each time she reached a line on the court. As she did this, the suit says, volleyball coachin...

At least 17 bodies have been recovered after a migrant boat capsized off Senegal’s capital city

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — At least 17 people were found dead after a boat capsized in Senegal’s capital, said local officials on Monday. The bodies were discovered by the navy early in the morning and are believed to be migrants because of the type of boat they were in, said Ndeye Top Gueye, the mayor of the Ouakam neighborhood of Dakar where the bodies were found.“Because of the size and shape, we know that it’s a pirogue (a long wooden boat),” she said. While this is the first time bodies have washed up in the neighborhood migrant deaths at sea are becoming more common in Senegal, she said. “It’s not the first time, it’s the umpteenth time. The government needs to take countermeasures.” It was unclear where the people were coming from, what nationalities they were or where they were going. But the Atlantic migration route is one of the deadliest in the world, with nearly 800 people dying or going missing in the first half of 2023, according to Walking Borders a Spanish aid...

Suburban fire department warns of sofa recall after blaze

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

ROUND LAKE, Ill. — A suburban fire department is warning residents of a sofa recall following a fire last week.Ashley Furniture is recalling its "Party Time" loveseat, recliner and sofa. They were manufactured between Nov. 2018 and March 2023.On July 18, the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded to a fire involving the sofa, prompting them to warn residents on social media.The company said the recliners' cupholder can overheat due to LED lighting. Ashley said users need to unplug the electrical cord immediately.Model numbers for the affected products are below.Sofa — 3700315 (black), 3700315C (black), 3700415 (white), 3700415C (white)Loveseat — 3700318 (black), 3700318C (black), 3700418 (white), 3700418C (white)Recliner — 3700313 (black), 3700313C (black), 3700413 (white), 3700413C (whiteThe recall hotline is 866-482-2893

Woman found dead after 'apparent bear encounter' near Yellowstone

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

(The Hill) -- A woman was found dead after an “apparent bear encounter” near Yellowstone National Park in Montana on Saturday.The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) said investigators confirmed grizzly bear tracks at the scene and said the investigation was ongoing. The woman was discovered on the Buttermilk Trail, an area about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone. U.S. Forest rangers of the Custer Gallatin National Forest issued an emergency closure of the area “for human safety.” “Bears can be found throughout Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded. People venturing into the outdoors should ‘Be Bear Aware,’” the department said in an update on the investigation before listing precautionary steps, including carrying bear spray, traveling in groups in daylight hours, avoiding carcass sites and making noises to alert bears to their presence.  Watch: Rattlesnake coils, rattles as hiker nearly steps on it Last week, the FWP issu...

Video: Rattlesnake coils, rattles as hiker nearly steps on it

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Some Colorado hikers were traversing through Castlewood Canyon State Park when one of them almost stepped on a rattlesnake, they said.Chelsea Chamberland told FOX31 in an email that her husband, Darren, almost stepped on the snake last Saturday around 9 a.m. on the Rim Rock trail."He definitely upset the snake because it immediately coiled up and started rattling," she said.The snake was in disguise, blending in well with its sandy surroundings on the path of the trail. Remember these rattlesnake precautions for your kids, pets Darren Chamberland, of Parker, was hiking with his neighbor, Chris Armstrong, who told him to "be careful, he's ready to strike."Chelsea Chamberland said her husband, who had never seen a rattlesnake in person before, was luckily paying close attention."My husband recalls stating, 'Whoa! Rattlesnake!' as he skipped and jumped to the right and past the snake," she said.Armstrong was not yet past the snake on the trail when it coiled and rat...

Weekend Break: Firehouse boat tours

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:25:04 GMT

Check out today's Weekend Break with Chicago Fireboat Tours.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.