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☆ Great Lakes Storm Dumps 2 Feet of Snow on Northeast and Midwest, With More to Come
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-30 | by ( Isabelle Taft | Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than two feet of snow blanketed parts of western New York and Pennsylvania on Saturday, as a lake-effect snowstorm disrupted post-Thanksgiving travel and threatened to bring up to five feet of snow to some areas by Tuesday morning. The snowfall was heaviest along Interstate 90, the National Weather Service said, which hugs Lake Erie from Buffalo through Pennsylvania and on to Cleveland. In some areas, white-out conditions could be life-threatening, the service said. Jerry Byrne, director of the county roads commission, said that while traveling just a mile during the storm, drivers could go from clear pavement to white-out conditions. Interstates in Pennsylvania across the New York State line were impassable, the New York State Thruway Authority said on Saturday morning, and some areas remained closed to commercial trucks.

Persons: Jerry Byrne, ” Organizations: National Weather Service, National Guard, Northern Michigan, New, New York State, Thruway Authority Locations: New York, Pennsylvania, Erie, Buffalo, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Mich

☆ Lake-Effect Storm Bringing Heavy Snow to Great Lakes Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A lake-effect storm in the Great Lakes region that was bringing heavy snow to parts of northern New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania on Friday prompted the closure of highways, disrupting travel after the Thanksgiving holiday, as forecasters warned the storm would “bury” some areas east of Lakes Erie and Ontario. The lake-effect snow closed a section of westbound Interstate 90 from Hamburg, N.Y., to the Pennsylvania line, the Departments of Transportation for Pennsylvania and New York said. The storm, which began earlier in the week, had already brought more than eight inches of snow to portions of Marquette County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Portions of Western New York, such as Mayville on the northern end of Chautauqua Lake about 22 miles north of Jamestown, had recorded 17 inches of snow by midafternoon on Friday, according to forecasters.

Organizations: Transportation, National Weather Service Locations: Great, New York , Ohio, Pennsylvania, Lakes Erie, Ontario, Hamburg, N.Y, New York, Marquette County, Upper, Western New York, Chautauqua Lake, Jamestown, midafternoon

☆ Chuck Woolery, Host of ‘Love Connection,’ Dies at 83
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-24 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Chuck Woolery, the affable host of “Love Connection,” “Wheel of Fortune” and other television game shows, who later criticized liberal values and the Democratic Party as the co-host of a popular right-wing podcast, died on Saturday at his home in Texas. His death was confirmed by Mark Young, the co-host of his podcast, “Blunt Force Truth.” He did not specify the cause. In the late 1970s, Mr. Woolery was the inaugural host of “Wheel of Fortune,” now one of the longest-running game shows on television. And in the early 1980s, he was tapped to host “Love Connection,” a dating show that helped to make him a household name. On a stage flush with red and pink cutout hearts, he maneuvered with an easy charm through interactions that could be both endearing and irreverent.

Persons: Chuck Woolery, ”, Mark Young, “ Blunt, Woolery Organizations: Democratic Party Locations: Texas

☆ Ina Jaffe, Dogged and Award-Winning NPR Reporter, Dies at 75
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Ina Jaffe, an NPR correspondent for roughly 40 years who was known for her unflinching approach to journalism and was the first editor of the network’s initial iteration of the weekly national news show “Weekend Edition Saturday,” died on Thursday. NPR confirmed her death in an article, which did not say where she died. Ms. Jaffe had been living with metastatic breast cancer for several years. Often described by colleagues as a “reporter’s reporter,” Ms. Jaffe had a keen sense of the line separating the equitable and the unjust. In addition to “Weekend Edition,” she contributed stories for the daily afternoon news program “All Things Considered.”

Persons: Ina Jaffe, ”, Ms, Jaffe, ” Ms Organizations: NPR Locations: America

☆ Three Members of the Nelons Gospel Group Are Killed in a Plane Crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Emmett Lindner | More About Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Three members of the award-winning gospel band the Nelons and four other people on board were killed in a plane crash in rural Wyoming on Friday, according to the authorities and representatives for the band. The plane, an 11-seat Pilatus, crashed at approximately 1 p.m. local time in a remote area north of Gillette in Campbell County, Wyo., the county government said on Facebook. The three band members, Jason Clark; his wife, Kelly Nelon Clark; and their daughter Amber Kistler were traveling to perform on a cruise that was set to depart on Saturday from Seattle and sail to Alaska, according to a statement from Gaither Management Group, which the band recorded for. Ms. Kistler’s husband, Nathan, was also killed, as well as the band’s assistant, Melodi Hodges; the pilot, Larry Haynie; and his wife, Melissa.

Persons: Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber Kistler, Kistler’s, Nathan, Melodi Hodges, Larry Haynie, Melissa Organizations: Pilatus, Facebook, Gaither Management Group Locations: Wyoming, Gillette, Campbell County, Seattle, Alaska

☆ How to Guard Against Scams Tied to the CrowdStrike Crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Hank Sanders | Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the hours after the American cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike deployed a flawed software update that crippled critical businesses and services around the world, scammers pounced. Government agencies and businesses have warned that the panic caused by the CrowdStrike crash on Friday has given criminals an opening to take advantage of customers who are looking to reschedule flights, access banking information or fix their technology. CrowdStrike provides cybersecurity for some 70 percent of Fortune 100 companies, so the crash led to widespread failures that grounded planes, crippled businesses, disrupted 911 emergency systems and delayed banking transactions. Thieves online are using the confusion to carry out a variety of scams, including phishing attempts, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said. The National Cyber Security Center in the United Kingdom issued a similar statement noting that an “increase in phishing referencing this outage has already been observed.”

Persons: CrowdStrike, pounced, ” Organizations: Government, Fortune, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Cyber Security Locations: U.S, United Kingdom

☆ Delta Changes Uniform Policy After Employees Seen With Palestinian Flag Pins
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Emmett Lindner | More About Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two Delta Air Lines flight attendants seen in a social media post wearing pins depicting the Palestinian flag caused an online uproar, a rogue response from a Delta employee and a change to the company’s uniform policy. The image, reposted on Wednesday, showed the flight attendants in a plane aisle with small Palestinian flag pins affixed to their uniforms. The post characterized the pins as “Hamas badges.”The post prompted a wave of criticism on social media aimed at the airline. Soon after the images were published, the official Delta account on X responded in solidarity. “On Wednesday, we removed a reply that was not in line with our values,” Delta said on social media.

Persons: “, ”, Delta Organizations: Delta Air Lines, Delta Locations: “

☆ Some of Dr. Ruth’s Most Memorable Moments
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the sex counselor better known as Dr. Ruth, died on Friday at 96, she was remembered largely for her intelligent, candid and humorous views on taboo subjects. Her radio show, “Sexually Speaking,” premiered on WYNY in 1980 and provided a springboard for decades of call-in shows, a column in Playgirl magazine, guidebooks on sexuality and even a board game.

Persons: Ruth Westheimer, Ruth, ”

Richard Simmons, who for years was the face of home fitness through his wildly popular videos and energetic personality, died on Saturday morning in Los Angeles. A representative for Mr. Simmons, Tom Estey, confirmed Mr. Simmons’s death. The Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles Police Department responded to an address linked to Mr. Simmons at 10 a.m. on Saturday. At his Beverly Hills exercise studio, Slimmons, and in his videos and DVDs, Mr. Simmons exuded an enthusiastic can-do spirit to inspire people of all ages and fitness levels to get moving. Mr. Simmons stretched and jumped in contrast to other fitness gurus of the 1980s, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, who exuded movie-star looks and charm.

Persons: Richard Simmons, Simmons, Tom Estey, Arnold Schwarzenegger Organizations: Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Fire Department, Beverly Locations: Los Angeles

☆ $235,000 Settlement Is Reached After Police Raid a Kansas Newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Almost one year after the authorities raided The Marion County Record, a Kansas weekly newspaper, a former reporter has reached a $235,000 settlement as part of a lawsuit she filed over the search, which set off a national discussion about press freedoms. The settlement, dated June 25, brought an end to a lawsuit filed by the former reporter, Deb Gruver, against Gideon Cody, who resigned as the Marion city police chief in October in the face of mounting pressure. Ms. Gruver’s lawsuit claimed that Mr. Cody had caused injury to her hand while forcibly obtaining her personal cellphone during the raid. Body-camera footage corroborated Ms. Gruver’s account, according to Eric Meyer, the newspaper’s publisher. Mr. Meyer said on Saturday that body-camera audio recorded Mr. Cody “saying that it just made his day.”

Persons: Deb Gruver, Gideon Cody, Gruver’s, Cody, Eric Meyer, Meyer, Cody “, ” Organizations: Marion County Locations: Marion, Kansas

☆ A Man Missing for 10 Days in a California Forest Is Found Alive
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Emmett Lindner | John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. McClish, 34, of Boulder Creek, Calif., would not be seen or heard from for nine nights and 10 days. Mr. McClish, a hiker who does landscaping in forests that have been razed by wildfires, appeared to have been swallowed by the woods. “I was just so astounded by being lost,” he said in a telephone interview. The area where Mr. McClish was lost had been hard-hit by the C.Z.U. Lightning Complex fire in 2020 and “looks completely different from all of the other terrain,” he said.

Persons: Lukas McClish, McClish, ” Organizations: Basin Redwoods Locations: Boulder Creek, Calif

☆ Taylor Wily, ‘Hawaii Five-0’ and ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ Actor, Dies at 56
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor Wily, who played a shrimp truck vendor and police informant on the television reboot of “Hawaii Five-0,” and who in his earlier years was an acclaimed professional sumo wrestler, died on Thursday. Paul Almond, a legal representative for Mr. Wily, confirmed his death. Mr. Wily starred as Kamekona in more than 170 episodes of “Hawaii Five-0,” a reimagining of the 1970s crime drama that followed the escapades of state police officers on the island. His character became a fan favorite, gradually morphing into the show’s resident entrepreneur, running a shaved ice business and a helicopter tour company alongside his shrimp venture. “‘Hawaii Five-0’ could become ‘Kamekona Five-0,’” Masi Oka, who played Dr. Max Bergman on the series, said in a 2012 interview with CBS.

Persons: Taylor Wily, Paul Almond, Wily, ’ ” Masi Oka, Max Bergman Organizations: “, “ ‘, CBS Locations: “

☆ A fast-paced spell-off capped the night: Takeaways from the spelling bee.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Emmett Lindner | More About Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday came down to its second-ever spell-off, a fast-and-furious tiebreaking round that rewards speed as much as accuracy. When the results were tallied, Bruhat — a 12-year-old from Tampa, Fla. — came out on top with a superhuman total of 29 correct words, seven more words than the previous spell-off winner in 2022. If you weren’t able to watch the finals on Thursday night, here are three takeaways. The difficulty of the finals was immediately apparent: The first speller onstage, Rishabh Saha, misspelled “desmotrope,” a chemistry term. As an eighth-grader, Rishabh will not be eligible to compete in the 2025 Scripps Bee.

Persons: Soma, Faizan Zaki, Bruhat, Rishabh Saha, “, Rishabh Organizations: Scripps, Spelling, Scripps Bee Locations: Tampa, Fla, —

☆ Live Updates: Scripps National Spelling Bee Will Crown a New Champion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Tarini Nandakumar of Austin, Texas, competing Tuesday in a preliminary round of this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Scripps National Spelling Bee brings together more than 200 of the top elementary school spellers in the United States in a rigorous, three-day competition. Credit... Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersIn a recent regional spelling bee where he secured a place at Scripps, he was asked to spell brume. Bee week is quite the bash. Tarini, who also studies classical Indian dance and singing, advised Scripps newcomers not to stress.

Persons: Tarini, Logan Edwards, Logan, Pranav Nandakumar, Vanathi Senthurkani, ” Logan, Evelyn Hockstein, brume, “, ”, Sasha Kenlon, Scripps Organizations: Scripps, Spelling, Merriam, Webster, Texas, M University, ., Reuters, Washington, 173rd, 192nd Locations: Austin , Texas, United States, Rock , Texas, Greer, S.C, South Carolina, North Africa, Park City , Utah

☆ A 7th Grader’s Electric Tiebreaking Performance Earns Spelling Bee Championship
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Alexandra E. Petri | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I was pretty disappointed by my performance, and I knew I had to work harder,” he said in a recorded interview that aired during the show. After his win, Bruhat was joined onstage by his parents and two siblings, who expressed pride and elation at his achievement. In a recorded interview aired during the show, Bruhat — who is tall for his age — said that he also enjoys basketball. His favorite player is LeBron James, according to his bio on the Scripps National Spelling Bee website. His parents said that Bruhat memorized about 80 percent of the sacred Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita.

Persons: Bruhat, “, Bruhat’s, elation, —, LeBron James, Emily Schmall, Maggie Astor, Emmett Lindner Organizations: Scripps, 163rd, Spelling

☆ Sam Rubin, TV Anchor Known for His Hollywood Reporting, Dies at 64
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Sam Rubin, a journalist for the television station KTLA 5 in Los Angeles whose morning interviews with celebrities became requisite viewing for much of the entertainment industry and who endeared himself to Hollywood insiders with his geniality and knowledge of their work, died on Friday. Mr. Rubin’s death was announced by a KTLA anchor, Frank Buckley. A tribute segment that aired on the station said the cause was a heart attack. In an industry known for its changing names and evolving trends, Mr. Rubin was for decades a mainstay for viewers across the city and an interview with him was considered a rite of passage for many stars. His ability to make celebrities feel comfortable as he asked them about their craft spanned generations.

Persons: Sam Rubin, Rubin’s, Frank Buckley, Rubin Organizations: KTLA, Hollywood Locations: Los Angeles

Night skies in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere are expected to bloom again on Saturday night with the vivid colors of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, as a powerful geomagnetic storm caused by a hyperactive sun persists through the weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, said in an update on Saturday that it continued to observe solar activity that could lead to periods of “severe-extreme” geomagnetic storms. Major power utilities had largely prepared their electrical grids for the solar storm, and their customers were unaffected. For most people, the solar storm was a gift: It caused ribbons of pink, purple and green light across night skies of much of the United States, Canada and Europe. Where evening skies are clear on Saturday, the lights can be expected again.

Organizations: Northern, Atmospheric Administration Locations: United States, Canada, Europe

Severe thunderstorms and high winds in the Great Plains region on Saturday night injured residents, damaged homes and left more than 50,000 electricity customers in Oklahoma and Texas without power, the local authorities said, as more than two dozen tornadoes were reported overnight. More than 13 million people from Texas to Illinois were under tornado watches as of 2 a.m. local time, meaning that tornadoes could occur over the next few hours. The severe weather followed a day in which tornadoes tore through parts of Nebraska and Iowa and leveled dozens of homes on Friday. Thunderstorms were expected to move east into the Mississippi Valley on Sunday, and heavy rains were forecast in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, the National Weather Service said.

Organizations: National Weather Service Locations: Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi, Texas , Arkansas, Louisiana

Multiple people were reported injured on Friday after a person driving a semitrailer truck crashed into a Department of Public Safety office in Brenham, Texas, in what officials said may have been an intentional act. It was unclear exactly how many people were injured, and details about the injuries were unknown. The Texas Department of Public Safety said on social media that there were “reports of multiple serious injuries.”A suspect was taken into custody, according to the Department of Public Safety, and Texas Rangers were investigating the crash. Judge Mark Keough of Montgomery County said in a social media post that the driver had been denied a commercial driver’s license on Thursday. Dade Phelan, the Texas House speaker, also said in a post on social media that the driver “intentionally caused injury to innocent Texans.” Mr. Phelan also said the truck was stolen.

Persons: ”, Mark Keough, “, ” Judge Keough, KHOU, Otto Hanak, Dade Phelan, ” Mr, Phelan Organizations: of Public Safety, The Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, CBS, Texas House, Texans Locations: Brenham , Texas, Montgomery County, Washington County, Texas

☆ How to Claim Your Part of a $45 Million Walmart Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Some Walmart customers may be entitled to claim up to $500 as part of a $45 million settlement that the retail giant is paying to resolve a class-action lawsuit, according to a settlement administrator’s website. The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 19, 2022, claimed that Walmart overcharged shoppers for in-store purchases of certain weighted grocery items, including poultry and pork, and for bagged citrus. The lawsuit alleges that Walmart falsely inflated product weight, mislabeled products and overcharged for clearance products sold by weight. The retail giant has denied the allegations, but it agreed to the settlement. “We believe a settlement is in the best interest of both parties,” a Walmart spokeswoman said in a statement.

Organizations: Walmart

☆ ‘I Quit,’ Says Lizzo, Citing Online Criticism and Ridicule
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lizzo, the Grammy Award-winning singer and fashion entrepreneur, on Friday declared “I QUIT” on Instagram after citing online criticism she’s faced. “I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she wrote. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”The post went on to say how she has faced ridicule, and ended with her declaration about quitting. “I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views,” she added. Messages of support flooded the comments section of her Instagram post, including from the hip-hop pioneer Queen Latifah, the comic Eric André and the fashion illustrator and designer Hayden Williams.

Persons: “, she’s, “ I’m, ”, Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Eric André, Hayden Williams

☆ Peter G. Angelos, Owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Dies at 94
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Peter G. Angelos, the longtime owner of the Baltimore Orioles who built a fortune as a class-action lawyer, died on Saturday. His death was confirmed in a statement from his family that was posted on the team’s social media account, which said that Mr. Angelos had “passed away quietly.” No cause was given, though the statement acknowledged that he had been ill for several years. Mr. Angelos’s death came as his family awaited approval by Major League Baseball owners to sell the team — valued, along with its assets, at $1.725 billion, according to The Baltimore Sun — to David Rubenstein, the president of Inner Harbor Sports. The sale was approved on March 20 by the Maryland Stadium Authority board, which was required under the terms of the team’s lease for ownership to be transferred.

Persons: Peter G, Angelos, Mr, “, Angelos’s, Baltimore Sun —, David Rubenstein Organizations: Baltimore Orioles, Major League Baseball, Baltimore Sun, Inner Harbor Sports, Maryland Stadium Authority

☆ Jasmin Paris Becomes First Woman to Complete Extreme Barkley Race
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The runner Jasmin Paris became on Friday the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons, an extreme footrace that requires participants in rural Tennessee to navigate 100 miles of rugged terrain in no more than 60 hours. Paris, 40, of Midlothian, Scotland, finished the race with one minute and 39 seconds to spare, making her one of only 20 people to complete the Barkley since it was extended to 100 miles in 1989. She was one of five to finish this year, out of 40 entrants. At the end of the run, Paris sank to the ground in front of a yellow gate that marks the start and finish of the event, which consists of five roughly 20-mile laps. “The final minutes were so intense, after all that effort it came down to a sprint uphill, with every fiber of my body screaming at me to stop,” Paris said in an email.

Persons: Jasmin Paris, Barkley, “, ” Paris Locations: Tennessee, Paris, Midlothian, Scotland

☆ Larry H. Parker, an Injury Lawyer Who Promised to ‘Fight for You,’ Dies at 75
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Larry H. Parker, an accident and personal injury lawyer whose television commercials promised he’d “fight for you” and became staples in living rooms across Los Angeles, died on March 6 in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. His death was confirmed by his son, Justin Parker, who did not cite the cause. Over the years, Angelenos became familiar with Mr. Parker’s personal brand of braggadocio and promise, as his face could be seen on billboards across the city and on television ads. “People sometimes ask me why I seem so angry in my television commercials,” Mr. Parker said in another ad. I’m angry when big insurance companies take advantage of little people.”

Persons: Larry H, Parker, he’d “, Justin Parker, Angelenos, Mr, I’m, ” Locations: Los Angeles, San Juan Capistrano, Calif

☆ 35 Hours for a 10-Second Clip: The Art of the TikTok Trick Shot
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There are nights when Michael Shields lies awake next to his wife and thinks about Ping-Pong balls. He muses on their arcs and speeds, the ways they bounce off a wooden plank or roll down a Hot Wheels track. In the mornings he often turns his visions into reality, and millions tune in to watch. If, as in Mr. Shields’s case, the trick shots garner enough views on social media, talent agents begin to call, and money and corporate partnerships help to keep new content coming. His brother-in-law, Trent Golz, tosses an orange Ping-Pong ball and Mr. Shields releases the hanger, which slides toward the ground while the ball ricochets among five meticulously placed tiles.

Persons: Michael Shields, Shields, Trent Golz

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