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Experts commemorate 31st anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, reflect on storm trends at FIU

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

It was a day that forever altered the course of South Florida’s history. Thursday marks the 31st anniversary of Hurricane Andrew’s devastating impact, a catastrophic event etched into the memory of every resident who experienced its wrath. In remembrance of the tragic storm, experts from Florida International University (FIU) are convening to delve into hurricane trends, reflecting on the lessons learned from that fateful day.In 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida with a ferocity that few could have imagined. Classified as a Category 5 storm, Andrew’s sheer power left a trail of destruction in its wake. The storm’s approach was marked by frantic preparations as communities braced for the worst. On August 24, 1992, those fears became a harsh reality as the hurricane made landfall, leaving a devastating mark that would be felt for years to come.The impact was devastating, with 65 lives tragically lost in the storm’s wake. The aftermath was equally...

Zelenskyy on Prigozhin’s death: ‘Everyone understands who is involved’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted Thursday to the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, denying Kyiv had any involvement and pointing the finger at Russian authorities.“We have nothing to do with it. Everyone understands who is involved,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv, reported Interfax-Ukraine.The warlord-turned-mutineer died Wednesday evening, after his private jet crashed in flames on an internal flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Russia’s aviation regulator named Prigozhin as one of 10 people killed in the crash, along with Dmitry Utkin, a central Wagner figure and the group’s alleged founder.Prigozhin’s death comes exactly two months after he led an aborted uprising against the Kremlin in June, which prompted speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated the crash.The crash sparked apoplexy from Prigozhin’s allies — who expressed their grief with candlelit vigils and distraught messages; and jubilation...

MBTA to shut down Red Line service on Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line for two weeks in October

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

Shuttle buses will replace rail service on the Red Line’s Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line for two weeks in October so crews can “expedite critical track work,” according to the MBTA.In an announcement on Thursday, the transportation authority said that for 16 days, between Oct. 14 and Oct. 29, the Ashmont Branch between JFK/UMass and Ashmont stations and the Mattapan Line between Ashmont and Mattapan Stations will experience “full-access closures” to allow for critical track work to be performed.“During this closure, the MBTA will provide free, accessible shuttle bus service for riders on the Ashmont Branch and the Mattapan Line,” the MBTA said in a news release.Over the course of the two week shutdown, crews are slated to perform work that includes the replacement of rails, ties, and ballasts, which officials say will improve reliability and reduce maintenance needs. The MBTA said that the work will allow for 28 speed restrictions in the a...

New gas pipeline rules floated following 2018 blasts in Massachusetts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Federal regulators are proposing a series of rules changes aimed at toughening safety requirements for millions of miles of gas distribution pipelines nationwide following a string of gas explosions in Massachusetts in 2018.These proposed changes are designed to improve safety and ease risk through the improvement of emergency response plans, integrity management plans, operation manuals and other steps, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.This proposal was prompted by the series of blasts that ripped though parts of the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts.The explosions and fires in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover in September 2018 left a teenager dead, about two dozen injured and destroyed or damaged more than 130 properties. Thousands of residents and businesses were also left without natural gas service for heat and hot water for months in some cases.Leonel Rondon, ...

Sandwich chain Subway will be sold to Dunkin’, Arby’s owner Roark Capital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

Sandwich chain Subway said Thursday it will be sold to the private equity firm Roark Capital.Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Roark was offering around $9.6 billion for Subway, which is privately owned.Subway CEO John Chidsey said the deal reflects Subway’s long-term growth potential and the value of the brand. Subway plans to continue to modernize restaurants and expand internationally under Roark’s ownership.Roark is a private equity firm with $37 billion in assets under management. It specializes in franchised businesses, and owns multiple restaurant chains, including Arby’s, Dunkin’ and Buffalo Wild Wings.Subway, which has dual headquarters in Miami and Connecticut, was founded in 1965 and is still owned by its founding families. It’s now one of the world’s largest restaurant chains, with 37,000 outlets in more than 100 countries.But in the U.S., it has been losing market share in recent years to fast-growing rivals li...

Trump replaces top Georgia lawyer ahead of surrender

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump has replaced his top Georgia lawyer ahead of his surrender Thursday evening, sources tell CNN.Drew Findling, the lawyer who has led Trump’s defense in Georgia, is being replaced by Steven Sadow, an Atlanta-based attorney whose website profile describes him as a “special counsel for white collar and high-profile defense.”A Trump source indicated that this was not about Findling’s performance, while another familiar with Sadow called him the “best criminal defense attorney in Georgia.” Trump’s other Georgia attorney, Jennifer Little, is expected to stay on the legal team and work with Sadow.“I have been retained to represent President Trump in the Fulton County, Georgia case. The president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him,” Sadow said in a statement. “We look forward to the case being dismissed or, if necessary, an unbiased, open minded jury finding the president not guilty. Prosecuti...

Gunfire at a California biker bar kills 3 people, plus shooter, and wounds several others

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — Gunfire at a popular Southern California biker bar killed three people and wounded several others, and the gunman — believed to be a retired law enforcement officer — was fatally shot by deputies, authorities said.Hours after the shooting Wednesday evening at Cook’s Corner, in Orange County’s rural Trabuco Canyon, authorities said at a news conference that they were still gathering information and interviewing witnesses. Authorities arrived within two minutes of the first report of a shooting, and the gunman was also soon dead, Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said. Dozens of patrol cars and ambulances swarmed the bar. Three other people and the gunman were pronounced dead at the scene. Six others were taken to the hospital, five of them with gunshot wounds, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department posted on social media. Two were in critical condition, according to a statement from Providence Mission H...

New gas pipeline rules floated following 2018 blasts in Lawrence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

By STEVE LeBLANC (Associated Press)BOSTON (AP) — Federal regulators are proposing a series of rules changes aimed at toughening safety requirements for millions of miles of gas distribution pipelines nationwide following a string of gas explosions in Massachusetts in 2018.These proposed changes are designed to improve safety and ease risk through the improvement of emergency response plans, integrity management plans, operation manuals and other steps, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.This proposal was prompted by the series of blasts that ripped though parts of the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts.The explosions and fires in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover in September 2018 left a teenager dead, about two dozen injured and destroyed or damaged more than 130 properties. Thousands of residents and businesses were also left without natural gas service for heat and hot water for months in some cases....

Subway chain will be sold to Arby’s owner Roark Capital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

Sandwich chain Subway said Thursday it will be sold to the private equity firm Roark Capital.Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Roark was offering around $9.6 billion for Subway, which is privately owned.Subway CEO John Chidsey said the deal reflects Subway’s long-term growth potential and the value of the brand. Subway plans to continue to modernize restaurants and expand internationally under Roark’s ownership.Roark is a private equity firm with $37 billion in assets under management. It specializes in franchised businesses, and owns multiple restaurant chains, including Arby’s, Dunkin’ and Buffalo Wild Wings.Subway, which has dual headquarters in Miami and Connecticut, was founded in 1965 and is still owned by its founding families. It’s now one of the world’s largest restaurant chains, with 37,000 outlets in more than 100 countries.But in the U.S., it has been losing market share...

Police investigate stabbing in Old Town

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man was injured after being stabbed by a suspect in the Old Town neighborhood Wednesday evening, authorities said.According to the San Diego Police Department, a 72 year-old man was stabbed by an unknown suspect on the 4000 block of Taylor Street shortly before 6:30 p.m. Police searching for suspect in College Area rabbi attack; $3,500 reward offered The victim was reportedly stabbed in the stomach and was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.There is no description of any suspect at this time.The circumstances surrounded the stabbing are still being investigated with San Diego Police Western Division leading the charge.Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.