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Broadband subsidies for millions could expire next year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

LOS ANGELES — One of the features that President Joe Biden cited in his plan to bring internet to every home and business in the United States by 2030 was affordability. But an important federal program established to keep broadband costs down for low-income households is set to expire next year.The Affordable Connectivity Program has not reached everyone who is eligible. According to an analysis of enrollment and census data, less than than 40% of eligible households have utilized the program, which provides monthly subsidies of $30, and in some cases, up to $75, to help pay for internet connections.Still, the program has been a lifeline for Kimberlyn Barton-Reyes, who is paraplegic and visually impaired. Barton-Reyes did not have to wait for an in-person appointment when a seizure-alert system disconnected from her electric wheelchair in November. The company that services her chair assessed the problem remotely, ordered the parts she needed and got the chair fixed quickly.“...

Commuters in these San Diego areas spend 10% of their annual wages on the drive: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Although working from home has become a common practice for many, others are still faced with the daily commute to and from their jobs.With construction zone, accidents and periodic traffic jams impacting commuter flow weekly, Chamber of Commerce weighed the question -- what is the actual cost of commuting annually?To find the answer to that question, the research company looked deeper into factors that attribute to average daily and yearly costs of commuting in 170 of the most populated cities across the country. Find out if San Diego County owes you money Their analysis compared the average round-trip commute time in each city with the median income for full-time, year-round workers.To determine the average commute cost per day, Chamber of Commerce first multiplied the mean wage per minute by the average round-trip commute duration. Then, the research company multiplied that value by the total working days per year to determine the annual commute cost.According to t...

DeSantis leaves campaign trail and returns to Florida facing tropical storm and shooting aftermath

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

Crises at home pose a new test for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose presidential campaign travels are now up in the air as his state mourns a racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville and prepares for a tropical storm.A day after appearing in Iowa, DeSantis was back in the state capital of Tallahassee on Sunday for a news conference on Tropical Storm Idalia. He urged Floridians to heed the advice of emergency managers. He also offered condolences and condemned the killing of three Black people by a white man who authorities say left behind a suicide note, a will, and writings with racist material.DeSantis’ campaign schedule had called for him to be in South Carolina Monday for a town hall in Kershaw and a barbecue with Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., in Anderson. It was not immediately clear where he would go forward with those appearances.Asked whether he would be in Florida this week, DeSantis responded, “I’m here. I’m here.”“We’re locked in on this; we’re going to get the job done. T...

Many support staff positions unfilled in Quebec schools, union warns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

MONTREAL — As Quebec struggles to recruit enough teachers to fill its classrooms ahead of the new school year, a major union is warning that it’s proving equally hard to find enough support staff.The Fédération des employées et employés de services publics says there is a worrying number of vacancies for positions such as secretaries, special education technicians and educators who provide childcare outside of school hours.The latter shortage is the most acute, with about 230 vacant positions at the Montreal service centre and 405 at the Mille-Îles service centre in the Laurentians.The union says this means some workers will be left supervising 30 or 40 children at a time, and some schools may have to limit or roll back their services.Union vice-president Frédéric Brun says the problem is exacerbated by the ongoing teacher shortage, as many special education technicians have been asked to fill in at the head of the classroom.The union says hundreds of support staff have also q...

Less sleep, less exercise and less relaxation – here’s the data on just how much parents sacrifice during the school year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.(The Coversation) - Moms of school-age children get significantly less sleep during the school year than during the summer.We are economists who specialize in education and health research. We combined extensive data on school district schedules with information derived from the American Time Use Survey to explore the ways families use their time differently depending on whether school is in session or out for summer.We observed mothers on average tend to sleep 25 minutes less, have 28 minutes less free time and allocate seven minutes less for exercise on weekdays during the school year than during the summer. For comparison, fathers reduce sleep by 11 minutes during the school year relative to the summer, have 21 minutes less free time and five fewer exercise minutes.Conversely, mothers spend about half an hour more per day during the school year ...

Arborists continue fight to save Lahaina's iconic banyan tree

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON) -- Arborists continue their efforts to restore the historic banyan tree in Lahaina, one of the few landmarks left standing after the devastating Maui fires. Experts told Nexstar's KHON that crews were able to brew up a batch of compost that will help the soil and generate new roots. Arborists said when the crew applied the compost, they saw some live roots, which appeared to be in good condition. Now, it's just a waiting game to see when the banyan tree will soak up the nutrients. It could take a few weeks, months or even years, but arborists are closely monitoring the banyan tree."So we're monitoring moisture, we're monitoring all the 'vital signs' on a tree," said arborist Steve Nimz. "We have instruments that we can test the movement." Can Lahaina’s famed banyan tree really survive? The team said they're keeping everything on record and continuing to review the banyan tree's improvements in meetings.A man sits on the Lahaina historic banyan tree damaged by a wil...

Sheriff gives first details of how a white man killed 3 Black people at a Florida store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 21-year-old white man fatally shot three Black people in Florida with guns bought legally despite his once being involuntarily committed for a mental health exam, the local sheriff said Sunday.Ryan Palmeter shot one of his victims as she sat in her car outside a Jacksonville story; shot another just after Palmeter entered the store; and shot the third minutes later, Jacksonville’s sheriff said.Palmeter used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and a Glock handgun in the shooting, Sheriff T.K. Waters said during a press conference.Palmeter had legally purchased his guns in recent months even though he had been involuntarily committed for a mental health examination in 2017. Palmeter killed himself after killing the three victims.Waters identified those shot in Saturday's attack at a Dollar General as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, who was shot in her car; store employee A.J. Laguerre, 19, who was shot as he tried to flee; and customer Jerrald Gallion, 29, who was shot...

Scattered storms moving through Central Texas now

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Keep an eye to the sky if planning to be outdoors today. Scattered storms are developing and slowly pushing south ahead of a cold front. INTERACTIVE RADAR Before the storms arrive the heat will be excessive. Today will be one of the hottest day of the year for many with highs up near 110º in Austin. Heat alerts in effect 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. SundayScattered storms started developing near 2 p.m. and are slowly expanding in coverage in the Hill Country and northern I-35 corridor.Storm movement is south-southwest, so plan on rain chances increasing over the next few hours.HRRR future radar for 5 p.m. SundayRain coverage won't get everyone wet today, but 50-60% of Central Texas should receive measurable rainfall by midnight tonight.There's a low risk one or two storms could be strong or severe with damaging winds through mid-evening, but mostly the rain will be beneficial.Low risk of strong to severe storms Sunday afternoon/evening. Threat: gusty windsRainfall amounts wi...

Central Texas' triple-digit heat wave slams restaurants, food trailers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Central Texas continues its stretch of triple-digit days and excessive heat warnings, area restaurants and food trailers are feeling the heat — both inside their kitchens and within their wallets.The Texas Restaurant Association said the state's monthslong stretch of triple-digit temperatures has led to reduced foot traffic of customers frequenting restaurants, food trucks and trailers. It also comes as inflation has continued to impact the costs of food, in turn raising prices, said Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association."[The heat] impacts everything from consumers not wanting to go out, it reduces capacity in those dining rooms, and it also reduces patio space," she said. "You can't sit outside right now, no matter how hard you try to make it comfortable."How Texas' extended heat wave is hitting local businessesHeightened food production costs along the heat wave have served as a "perfect storm" for restaurants, she said. L...

Shots fired at police in Bevo, 20-year-old arrested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:49 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A 20-year-old is in custody for allegedly opening fire at three police officers overnight in south St. Louis.According to a spokesperson for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting took place around 12:25 a.m. in the 4900 block of Christy Boulevard, in the Bevo neighborhood.Police claim three officers were driving across a parking lot when they heard gunshots. As they rounded the corner of a building, a man in a tan pickup truck pointed a gun at them and opened fire. Fast and furious; Bommarito five hundred revs up following rain-delayed qualifying The police vehicle was not struck, and the man in the pickup truck fled. The officers sped after the suspected shooter.The man in the truck pulled over near Itaska Street and Alfred Avenue and was arrested without further incident.Police claim to have found a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine in the truck.