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☆ Audit Questions Purchase of $19,000 Lectern by Arkansas Governor’s Office
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Legislative auditors in Arkansas found that the purchase last year of a $19,000 lectern by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s office potentially violated state laws, according to a report released on Monday. But the findings may be moot after the state attorney general, Tim Griffin, said last week that state purchasing laws do not apply to the governor or other executive branch officials. Ms. Sanders, a Republican, faced sharp scrutiny for the purchase, even from members of her own party. The legislative auditors said that their report would be forwarded to the Sixth Judicial District prosecuting attorney and to Mr. Griffin’s office.

Persons: Sarah Huckabee, Tim Griffin, Sanders Organizations: Republican, Sixth Judicial Locations: Arkansas

The body of a third construction worker who died in the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore was found on Friday morning, officials said. The man, identified as 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, was discovered by divers, according to a release from local authorities. “The collapse of the Key Bridge is undoubtedly one of the most challenging tragedies we have faced as a law enforcement agency,” Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of the Maryland state police, said in a statement announcing the recovery. “Along with our local, state and federal public safety partners, we will not give up.”Mr. Suazo Sandoval’s body was found around 10:30 a.m., officials said, just hours before President Biden visited the site of the disaster and met with victims’ families. The bodies of three more victims have yet to be recovered more than a week after the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Yasir Suazo Sandoval, ” Col, Roland L, Butler Jr, Mr, Suazo, Biden Locations: Baltimore, Maryland, Patapsco

☆ Tangled in Steel With No Way Out: How the Crew Stuck in Baltimore Is Faring
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even from miles away, the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is a jarring visual: Chunks of steel jut above the water like metallic icebergs. Twisted gray beams protrude in crooked positions. From a park near Fort McHenry, visitors can see the giant cargo ship that struck the bridge and remains lodged in the wreckage. Less visible, however, are the 22 crew members from India who have remained on the ship, named the Dali, since the disaster on Tuesday. Since the accident, which killed six construction workers, the crew members have found themselves in an unexpected spotlight.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Dali, Little Locations: Baltimore, Fort McHenry, India, Sri Lanka

☆ A Close-Up View of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Maroon containers larger than a car sat twisted and crushed. Massive beams of steel warped into crooked arches. Pillars of jagged concrete poked out from the water — a tomb of wreckage that dimly reflected on the gray-toned river. From roughly 100 yards away, deep into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, the site of one of the worst bridge collapses in the country’s history is a haunting scene. As the 45-foot-long Coast Guard vessel neared the scene of the disaster, a service member who had made several trips to the site braced passengers for the view to come.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Dali Organizations: U.S . Coast Guard, New York Times, Guard Locations: Patapsco, Baltimore, U.S

“The tankers and cargo ships of 1950 aren’t the tankers and cargo ships of today,” said James Salmon, a spokesman for the Delaware River and Bay Authority. “It’s going to do a number on them,” he said of a modern ship and the hazard it poses to a bridge like the one in Baltimore. Image The new bridge ship collision protection system project on the Delaware Memorial Bridge will install eight stone-filled “dolphin” cylinders, each measuring 80 feet in diameter. Credit... Delaware River and Bay AuthorityThe situation with the Key Bridge is “unique,” said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which represents state transportation departments. A protection system was subsequently built around the new pier.

Persons: ”, James Salmon, Francis Scott Key, Michael Rubino, don’t, Joseph Ahlstrom, It’s, “ It’s, Dali, hurtled, Jim Tymon, ” John Snyder, Pete Buttigieg, “, Paul, Gerald Desmond Bridge, Matt Gresham, Joong Kim, Michael Forsythe Organizations: Bay Authority, Port, SUNY Maritime College, New York State, American Association of State, Transportation, National Transportation Safety, Sunshine Skyway, Administration, Baltimore Sun, Union, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Liberty University Locations: Delaware, Bay, Baltimore, Port of Los Angeles, . Delaware, Maryland, Tampa Bay, Tampa, U.S, Minnesota, Union Pacific, St, New York, Bayonne, New Jersey, Staten Island, Long Beach, Calif, New Orleans, Mississippi, Port of New Orleans

☆ ‘They Never Came Home’: Bridge Collapse Casts a Pall Over Baltimore’s Hispanic Community
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Jose López was one of the first in his family to leave Guatemala for a new life in the United States. So in the early 2000s he found his way to Baltimore, a city where strivers have long found a home and where Mr. López made one for himself and his family. The couple had two children, and Jose López often picked them up from school. About two years ago, he took a new job, working late nights for a contractor repairing roads on Maryland bridges. He didn’t mind the arduous hours because he viewed his purpose in life as providing food and shelter for his family, Mr. López’s older brother said.

Persons: Jose López, López, Jovani Locations: Guatemala, United States, Baltimore, Maryland

☆ ‘He Was My Baby Brother’: Relatives Mourn a Victim of the Bridge Collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Jose López, a father of two, had worked in road and bridge repairs for two years and didn’t mind the difficult overnight shifts, his brother Jovani López said. They helped with what Jovani López said his little brother saw as his purpose in life: providing food and shelter for his family. Jovani López said his brother was one of six construction workers who died after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was struck by a ship and collapsed, plunging Mr. López and several other workers into the Patapsco River. “He was a great father,” Jovani López, 53, said of his younger sibling, who was in his 30s. He paused, wiped tears from his eyes, and said: “He was my baby brother.”

Persons: Jose López, Jovani López, Francis Scott Key, López, ” Jovani, ” Locations: Baltimore, Patapsco

On Wednesday, divers worked through dangerous conditions searching for the bodies of the six missing men. Two were recovered from a submerged vehicle, and the other four are presumed dead, officials said. Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, in his 30s, of Honduras, immigrated to the United States more than 17 years ago, according to Mr. Torres, and is married with two children. All but one of the eight men worked for Brawner Builders, a contractor based in Baltimore County, the company said. The men who went missing after the collapse were all immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to consular authorities and the nonprofit.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Gustavo Torres, Luna, Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, Torres, Suazo’s, Carlos, ” Carlos Suazo, Kirsten Noyes Organizations: CASA, The Times, Mr, Brawner Builders Locations: Baltimore, Dundalk, Md, El Salvador, Maryland, Honduras, United States, Baltimore County, Guatemala, Mexico

Jesus Campos said he worked at Brawner Builders alongside the men missing after a bridge collapse in Baltimore. “We’re low-income families,” said Jesus Campos, who has worked at the construction company, Brawner Builders, for about eight months. The executive, Jeffrey Pritzker, and the Coast Guard said that all of the missing workers were presumed dead, given how long it had been since the collapse. Embassies for the other two countries mentioned by Mr. Campos did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Officials said that in addition to the six missing workers, two people had been rescued from the water.

Persons: Jesus Campos, “, ”, Jeffrey Pritzker, Mr, Pritzker, “ It’s, Campos, Francis Scott Key, Miguel Luna, Luna, Gustavo Torres, Jacey Fortin, Miriam Jordan, Patricia Mazzei, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, Kirsten Noyes Organizations: Brawner Builders, Brawner, Coast Guard, Baltimore Banner Locations: Baltimore, Baltimore County, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Maryland, Petén, Mexican, Washington, Brawner

☆ Who Is Mark Robinson, the Republican Nominee for North Carolina Governor?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Robinson of North Carolina secured the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, continuing his rapid political rise in a key battleground state. Mr. Robinson, 55, is now poised to face his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein of North Carolina, in the general election in November. Both men would break ground if elected: Mr. Robinson would be the first Black governor, while Mr. Stein, 57, would be the first Jewish governor. Mr. Robinson has built a reputation as a political firebrand, and forged a path to the executive mansion in Raleigh partly through incendiary comments on social issues, which have mobilized his Trump-aligned base and repulsed Democrats. Here are five things to know about Mr. Robinson.

Persons: Mark Robinson of, Robinson, Josh Stein of, Stein Organizations: Gov, Republican, Democratic, Trump, City Council Locations: Mark Robinson of North Carolina, Josh Stein of North Carolina, Raleigh, Greensboro, N.C, Parkland, Fla

☆ Alabama Lawmakers Move to Protect I.V.F. Treatments
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Eduardo Medina | Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alabama lawmakers are considering legislation that would protect in vitro fertilization, after a State Supreme Court ruling last week led some clinics to halt I.V.F. But its wording — paired with a fiery opinion from the chief justice encouraging lawmakers to push its scope further — has left many wondering about the possible wider implications for people seeking I.V.F. At least three major fertility clinics in Alabama have halted I.V.F. treatments this week as doctors and lawyers assess the possible consequences of the ruling. On Friday, a major embryo shipping company said that it also was “pausing” its business in Alabama.

Locations: Alabama

☆ For Women Undergoing I.V.F. In Alabama, What Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Natalie Brumfield, 41, cried as she read about the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that embryos in test tubes should be considered children. But on Wednesday, she learned that her clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system was halting I.V.F. “I don’t know what this means now,” Ms. Capilouto said on Wednesday, minutes after learning that her dream of having a child would be indefinitely suspended. Questions like hers are echoing across the country after the court’s ruling, which was handed down Feb. 16. The potential national implications remain unclear, but many women in Alabama are wondering how this new classification for embryos — one rooted in a religious belief — will affect their own journeys toward motherhood, a process that for many who seek I.V.F.

Persons: Natalie Brumfield, Brumfield, Emily Capilouto, Ms, Capilouto Organizations: Alabama, University of Alabama Locations: Birmingham, Alabama

☆ Missing in Alabama: A Radio Tower, and ‘The Sound of Walker County’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The radio tower peeking out over dense woods and poultry farms had an AM signal just strong enough to serve WJLX’s intended audience: the people in and around Jasper, Ala., who wanted to hear the Jasper Vikings’ Friday night high school football broadcasts and news of the burger specials at Alabama Stackers on 19th Street. Then, “The Sound of Walker County,” as the station has long billed itself, went silent. The tower, all 190 feet of it, had vanished — its 3,500 pounds of spindly steel beams possibly sliced into pieces and dragged away earlier this month by thieves, the police said. “Who in the world steals a radio tower?” said Brett Elmore, the station manager, recalling his bewildered reaction when a maintenance worker explained to him why the station he often calls “my life” had been knocked off the air.

Persons: WJLX’s, “, ”, Brett Elmore Organizations: Jasper Vikings, Alabama Stackers Locations: Jasper , Ala, Walker County, ”

☆ 4 Students Shot Outside Atlanta High School
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Four students were shot in the parking lot of an Atlanta high school on Wednesday afternoon, the police said, in the latest burst of gun violence on an American school campus. The students were fired at from an “unknown vehicle” shortly after classes had been let out at the end of the day at Benjamin E. Mays High School, Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement. The wounded male students — three 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old — were taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, officials said. Chief Ronald Applin of the Atlanta Public Schools Police Department said at a news conference that a fight had preceded the shooting. They were taken to police headquarters to be interviewed in connection with the shooting.

Persons: Benjamin E, Ronald Applin, “ We’re, Applin Organizations: Atlanta, Mays High School, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools Police Department

☆ Rand Paul Uses Heimlich on Joni Ernst at Senate Lunch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa thanked her Republican colleague Rand Paul of Kentucky on Thursday for performing the Heimlich maneuver on her as she choked during a Senate lunch. A reporter for Politico reported the news on X, formerly Twitter, wrote that senators had told him that Ms. Ernst was OK after the incident. Ms. Ernst quickly used the experience to take a swing at Democrats, writing on social media: “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats. Thanks, Dr. @RandPaul!”Her office did not provide more information about the episode, saying in an email, “Thanks for checking in.”

Persons: Joni Ernst of Iowa, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ernst, @RandPaul, ” Organizations: Politico, Twitter

☆ Britain Says Bye-Bye to Its Only Pandas as They’ll Soon Depart for China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday, crowds gathered to say goodbye and catch one final look at Yang Guang and Tian Tian, who for 12 years have enraptured millions of visitors and residents of Edinburgh. “We’ve flown up for the day; we must be mad,” Lauren Darling, who recently visited the zoo, told The Telegraph. But American zoo officials and scientists said that it came down to biology, or “panda time,” since the three pandas should be going back to China because they are at an advanced age. A similar reason was cited by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The pandas, the zoo said, arrived in Edinburgh in December 2011 as part of a 10-year arrangement between the organization’s charity and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which allowed them to keep the pandas an extra two years because of the pandemic.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tian Tian, “ We’ve, ” Lauren Darling, It’s, Rebecca Plant Organizations: Telegraph, National Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: Edinburgh, Britain, Washington, China

☆ Ohio Man Who Attacked Officers on Jan. 6 Gets Nearly 5 Years in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An Ohio man who assaulted law enforcement officers during the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and who the Justice Department said became a “one-man misinformation machine” as he spread lies online about what occurred that day, was sentenced on Thursday to four years and 10 months in prison. The man, Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas, 41, of East Liverpool, Ohio, had said online that his conviction in June on four counts related to his assaults on officers was a “huge win,” doubling down on his attacks that day, prosecutors said in court documents. They emphasized his apparent lack of regret in their sentencing memo, stating that Mr. Thomas had “expressed no remorse for his crimes,” and instead “sought fame and notoriety” after being part of the mob on Jan. 6. Judge Dabney Friedrich of U.S. District Court in Washington also ordered Mr. Thomas to pay a $20,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution.

Persons: Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas, Mr, Thomas, “, Dabney Friedrich of Organizations: Capitol, Justice Department, Dabney Friedrich of U.S Locations: An Ohio, East Liverpool , Ohio, Washington

☆ Mother of 6-Year-Old Who Shot Teacher in Virginia Is Sentenced to 21 Months
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his first-grade teacher in a Virginia classroom was sentenced on Wednesday to one year and nine months in prison after pleading guilty in June to using marijuana while owning a firearm and making false statements about drug use. The sentencing of the 26-year-old mother, Deja Taylor, was the latest development in a shooting that shocked the country in January when the authorities detailed how a child had retrieved a gun from his home, put it in his backpack and brought it to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va. There, the authorities said, the boy pulled out the gun in a classroom, aimed it at his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, and fired. The bullet passed through her hand and struck her chest, causing serious injuries. Although recreational marijuana is allowed in Virginia, federal laws prohibit addicted or “unlawful” drug users from owning a gun.

Persons: Deja Taylor, Abigail Zwerner Organizations: Richneck Elementary School Locations: Virginia, Newport News, Va

Six people were killed and at least 20 others were injured after a charter bus carrying students from a high school was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer on a central Ohio highway on Tuesday morning, according to county and state highway officials. The chain-reaction crash, which involved five vehicles, took place just before 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 near State Route 310 in Etna Township, outside Columbus, Lt. Nathan Dennis of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said at a news conference on Tuesday. Three of the victims were students at the Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools: John W. Mosely, 18; Jeffery D. Worrell, 18; and Katelyn N. Owens, 15. The others who died were a high school teacher, Dave Kennat, 56, and two parents who had been chaperoning: Kristy Gaynor, 39; and Shannon Wigfield, 45. On Tuesday night, a crowd gathered for a vigil on a grassy field as Derek Varansky, the superintendent of Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools, read aloud the names of the victims.

Persons: Nathan Dennis, John W, Jeffery D, Worrell, Owens, Dave Kennat, Kristy Gaynor, Shannon Wigfield, Derek Varansky Organizations: Highway Patrol, Local, Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools Locations: Ohio, Etna Township, Columbus, Tuscarawas, Tuscarawas Valley

The son of a once prominent Hollywood agent and executive has been charged in the murder of a woman investigators believe to be his wife and whose remains were found bagged inside a dumpster in Los Angeles this week, the police said. A Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said on Saturday that investigators believed the woman whose torso was found on Wednesday to be Mei Li Haskell, 37, the wife of the suspect, Samuel Haskell, 35, though confirmation of identity was still pending. As of Saturday, officials also were still searching for Mr. Haskell’s in-laws, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and Gaoshan Li, 71, who remained missing. Detective Efren Gutierrez of the Los Angeles police said in a news conference this week that officers had been sent to a residence on Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana, Calif., on Tuesday night because construction workers had reported seeing a dead body inside a plastic bag.

Persons: Mei Li Haskell, Samuel Haskell, Haskell’s, Yanxiang Wang, Gaoshan Li, Detective Efren Gutierrez Organizations: Hollywood, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Locations: Los Angeles, Coldstream, Tarzana, Calif

☆ Florida-Bound Plane Had Missing and Damaged Windowpanes After Takeoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A plane flying from London to Orlando, Fla., last month was forced to turn around because some windowpanes were missing or damaged, startling passengers who had reported hearing roaring sounds inside the cabin, the authorities said. The plane, an Airbus A321, had four damaged windowpanes, including two that were completely missing, as it took off from London Stansted Airport on Oct. 4, according to a report published last week by the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch. There were no injuries aboard the flight, which had 11 crew members and nine passengers who sat in the middle of the aircraft and who were all employees of a “tour company or the aircraft’s operating company,” the authorities said.

Organizations: Airbus, London Stansted Airport, Air, Investigation Locations: London, Orlando, Fla

☆ Omegle Shuts Down as Founder Acknowledges Crime on Video Chat Site
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. K-Brooks, who founded the website at 18 years old, did not explicitly mention problems with pedophilia on the website in the letter. The end of Omegle comes as lawmakers and law enforcement agencies continue to examine the role of technology and social media in the explosion of online child sex abuse in recent years. While the problem predates the internet, smartphones, social media and cloud storage have worsened the issue, and several lawsuits and criminal cases have argued that Omegle enabled abusers to meet children for anonymous messaging and coercion. Such businesses face the problem of addressing rampant criminal activity on their platforms, sometimes with limited resources to stop it. They also face threats of criminal charges if they do not comply with requests from the authorities for data that could prove such activity.

Persons: Brooks, Omegle, Michele Bush Organizations: Loehrs Forensics

☆ Fire Destroys World War II-Era Blimp Hangar in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A fire was consuming a wooden blimp hangar on Tuesday in Tustin, Calif., that played a pivotal role during World War II, the authorities said, causing the landmark to crumble in flames throughout the day. Chief Brian Fennessy of the Orange County Fire Authority said at a news conference on Tuesday morning that more than 70 firefighters had responded at about 1 a.m. to try to contain the fire in one of two colossal hangars at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. After their initial efforts failed to extinguish the fire in the north hangar, Chief Fennessy said, the fire authority deployed three helicopters to douse the large domed building from above, a method more typically used to fight large-scale wildfires. But that strategy also failed, prompting officials to settle on allowing the structure to burn rather than put more firefighters at risk, Chief Fennessy said.

Persons: Brian Fennessy, Fennessy Organizations: Orange County Fire Authority, Marine Corps Air Station Tustin Locations: Tustin, Calif, Orange County

What began as a seemingly ordinary Wednesday evening in Lewiston, Maine, turned horrific after a gunman entered a bowling alley and a local bar and began shooting, killing 18 people and injuring at least 13 others. On Friday afternoon the authorities in Maine released the names of the dead from Wednesday’s mass shooting incidents. Seven victims died at the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley, and eight at Schemengees Bar & Grille about four miles away. The youngest victim in the Lewiston mass shooting was 14 years old, and the oldest was 76. Joseph Walker, who went by Joey, was tending bar at Schemengees when the shooting began.

Persons: Joseph Walker, Joey, Leroy Walker Sr, “, Mr, Walker Organizations: Schemengees, Maine Medical Center Locations: Lewiston , Maine, Maine, Lewiston, Schemengees, Auburn

On Tuesday morning, few meteorologists were talking about Tropical Storm Otis. At that time, forecast computer models didn’t show much to be concerned about. By Sunday evening, the computer forecast models were still not showing much. This is why meteorologists often preach that a computer model isn’t a forecast — forecasters create forecasts, they like to say. On Monday evening, with Otis still a tropical storm, satellite images revealed a little feature that could mean that the storm was about to intensify very quickly.

Persons: Tropical Storm Otis, Otis, Zach Levitt, Tomer, we’re, Eric Blake, Hurricane Otis Organizations: Tropical Storm, National, U.S, National Hurricane Center, Otis, Hurricane Locations: Mexico, Tomer Burg, Florida, @burgwx, Acapulco

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