DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Couple dies while snorkeling during Hawaii babymoon
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Samantha Kubota | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Family and friends are mourning the deaths of a Washington state couple who died while snorkeling on vacation in Hawaii. Family members identified the couple on their verified GoFundMe page as 25-year-old Ilya Tsaruk and 26-year-old Sophia Tsaruk. Local NBC affiliate KING reports the couple lived in Snohomish, Washington, according to public records. In an interview with local news outlet KITV, family members said the Tsaruks traveled to Hawaii for a babymoon with two other couples, including Ilya Tsaruk’s brother and his wife. “We don’t think that she suffocated in the mask,” Ilya Tsaruk’s brother Anatoliy Tsaruk told KITV.

Persons: Ilya Tsaruk, Sophia Tsaruk, Ilya Tsaruk’s, Anatoliy Tsaruk, KITV, ”, Melody, “, ” Taisiya Tsaruk Organizations: Local NBC, KING Locations: Washington, Hawaii, Maui, Maui County, Snohomish , Washington

☆ SEC says Elon Musk should be sanctioned if he keeps dodging Twitter depositions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In May, the court ordered Musk to appear for a deposition by the financial regulators regarding the Twitter deal. Musk's deposition in the probe has been rescheduled for a date in early October at an SEC office, the filing said. Additionally, Musk and his companies have "cooperated and are cooperating with the SEC in multiple other ongoing investigations," Spiro wrote. In the messages, the Morgan Stanley contact wrote in February 2022 that Musk's Twitter stock-buying strategy was closely held. "No one knows what is going on and why but you and me," the person at Morgan Stanley wrote.

Persons: Elon Musk, The Beverly Hilton, Robin Andrews, Andrews, Alex Spiro, Quinn Emanuel, Musk, Spiro, Morgan Stanley, Jared Birchall Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, The Beverly, The Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Twitter, Oklahoma Firefighters Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Wireless device explosions latest in suspected Israeli ‘black ops’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Almost exactly 24 hours later, walkie-talkies detonated in a fresh wave of explosions Wednesday across Lebanon, a security source told CNN. In response, Israel launched “Operation Wrath of God” and spent years tracking down those involved in the Munich Massacre. Mahmoud Zayat/AFP/Getty ImagesIranian nuclear scientistsSince 2010, five Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in foreign-linked assassinations, as Israel tries to prevent its greatest adversary from developing nuclear weapons. Iranian officials said the weapon had used artificial intelligence and facial recognition to detect Fakhrizadeh and open fire, before the car, reportedly packed with explosives, self-destructed. Top Iranian officials blamed Israel for the assassination.

Persons: Israel, God ”, Mahmoud Hamshari, –, ’, Yahya Ayyash, ”, Ayyash, Mahmoud Zayat, Moshe Ya’alon, Der Spiegel, “, Stuxnet, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's, David Kennedy, ” Kennedy, Ismail Haniyeh Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, Munich, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Firefighters, Getty, Israeli, ”, Military, Iranian Defense Ministry, US National Security Agency, The New York Times Locations: Lebanon, Iran, Munich, Palestinian, Palestine, Paris, Italian, Gaza, Saida, AFP, United States, Iranian, Bushehr, Israel, Tehran, Nissan

☆ House may force vote on bill to eliminate rules that reduce pensioners' Social Security benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

House lawmakers in Washington have the signatures they need to force a vote on a bill to eliminate rules that reduce Social Security benefits for certain retirees who also receive pension income. On Thursday morning, Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garret Graves, R-La., marked the 206 signatures a discharge petition had thus far collected with a press conference outside the Capitol building alongside organizations representing police, firefighters, postal workers, teachers and other government employees often affected by those rules. By Thursday afternoon, the number of signatures had climbed to 218, enough to force a vote on the bill. The bipartisan bill — the Social Security Fairness Act — would repeal rules known as the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, and the Government Pension Offset, or GPO, that currently reduce Social Security benefits for almost 3 million Americans. "This is a situation where you have some of the most important occupations, some of the most important contributors to our community, that are being discriminated against," he said.

Persons: Abigail Spanberger, Garret Graves, Graves Organizations: Social, Finance Locations: Washington

☆ Lebanon attacks: What we know about the pager and walkie-talkie explosions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Lebanon is reeling after facing deadly back-to-back attacks targeting Hezbollah members – with pagers simultaneously exploding across the country on Tuesday, then walkie-talkies detonating in a similar fashion on Wednesday. At least 22 people, including children, have died so far from the two attacks, which Lebanese officials have blamed on Israel. Firefighters put out flames and a crowd gathers after a reported explosion in Saida, Lebanon, on September 18, 2024. How have Hezbollah, Israel and the world responded? It appears US officials were largely in the dark until reports emerged of the explosions, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Persons: pagers, Mahmoud Zayat, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Mohamed Azakir, ICOM, “, Abdallah Bou Habib, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, ” Organizations: CNN, pagers, Firefighters, Getty, Hamas, American University of, American University of Beirut Medical Center, The New York Times, NBC News, Lebanon’s, United Nations Security Council, Israeli, UN, ”, Human Rights Watch Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Beirut, Iran, Saida, AFP, Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Israeli, American University of Beirut, Asia, Europe, Hungarian, Budapest, United States

A Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian missile facility early Wednesday threw up towering fireballs visible from space and thundering detonations that triggered earthquake monitors. Officials on both sides said it was the result of a large Ukrainian drone attack on Toropets, a town in the Tver region around 230 miles from the Russian capital. Russian state media has previously reported that the military was building an arsenal for storing missiles and other explosives there. Russia’s air defense systems destroyed some 54 drones launched overnight against five western Russian regions, Russian state news agencies said, citing a report from Moscow’s defense ministry. Kyiv has increasingly been hitting back with drone attacks on what it says are military targets on Russian soil.

Persons: Igor Rudenya, Rudenya, George William Herbert, Volodymyr Zelenksyy Organizations: NASA, Security Service, NBC News, Reuters, Middlebury Institute of International Studies Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Moscow, Tver, Norwegian, Ukraine, Monterey, California, Russia, Kyiv, United States, Washington, Kremlin

☆ In Venezuela, AI news anchors aren’t replacing journalists. They’re protecting them
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It was against this backdrop that the idea for “Venezuela Retweets” formed, explained “Roberto,” the managing editor of a digital publication in Caracus that is part of the collective behind it. An AI generated presenter known as "The Girl" is one of Venezuela's latest news anchors. This is where the format of Venezuela Retweets comes into its own, as it is designed specifically to be shared on social media. That does not mean Roberto, Huerta and the many journalists whose work goes into the reports of The Girl and The Dude are blind to the risks. “We still live in Venezuela and at the end of the day we’re at risk despite all the measures we can take,” Roberto said.

Persons: ”, –, Pana, Nicolas Maduro’s, Carlos Eduardo Huertas, Nicolas Maduro, Fausto Torrealba, Espacio, Maduro, “, “ Roberto, Roberto, Consultores21, Venezuela Retweets, Elon Musk, Shelly Palmer, Huerta, ” Roberto, It’s Organizations: CNN, Venezuela –, Reuters, Espacio Publico, United Nations, Venezuela, Government, Facebook, Foro Penal, Caracas NGO, Advanced Media, Syracuse University, The Locations: Venezuela, Colombian, Caracas, Venezuelan, Cuba, Nicaragua

☆ Extreme Heat Means More Wildfires. It’s Taking a Toll on Firefighters.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Arijeta Lajka | Sarah Kerr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

One of the major risks of firefighting is smoke exposure. When wildfire smoke is inhaled, tiny particles can get lodged deep into the lungs.Some studies have revealed potential links between smoke exposure and higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and some cancers.But wildland firefighters generally don’t wear much respiratory protection. There currently aren’t respirators that are light and comfortable enough for long-term wear in wildfire conditions — and that are certified for use. Instead, many use cloth face coverings over their nose and mouth.

Lisbon, Portugal CNN —Swaths of Europe have been battered by deadly extreme weather, as rivers threaten to burst their banks in central Europe following torrential rainfall, and wildfires tear through Portugal. Seven people have now died in fires in Portugal since Sunday, including three firefighters, whose vehicle burst into flames on Tuesday. At least 17 have been killed in what authorities have called the worst floods to hit central and eastern Europe in decades. The mayor of Nysa in Poland ordered the evacuation of all 44,000 residents as water levels in the city’s river rose and threatened to send more floods through its neighborhoods. Local residents transport sandbags as they attempt to protect the embankment of the Nysa Klodzka river on Monday.

Persons: Grzegorz Grochowski, Nysa, ” Grochowski, “, Mateusz Slodkowski, Daniel Mihailescu, downpours, Octavio Passos, Pedro Nunes, Robert Shackelford Organizations: Portugal CNN, Reuters, Getty, Interior Ministry, Portuguese Civil Protection Agency, CNN, European Organisation, Firefighters Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Europe, Nysa, Poland, AFP, Romanian, Slobozia, Italy, Czech Republic, Ladek, Jesenik, Czech, Polish, Ostrava, Porto, Almofrela, Canas de Senhorim, Portuguese, CNN Portugal

☆ Houston-area pipeline fire prompts evacuations, shelter-in-place orders for thousands
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly 1,000 homes and businesses were covered by evacuation orders in La Porte, according to the city's statement. Additionally, the La Porte Independent School District said shelter-in-place orders were in place at multiple campuses in the district. A pipeline carrying natural gas liquids burns near La Porte, Texas, on Sept. 16, 2024. Deer Park said in its own statement that a Walmart location and an H-E-B grocery store were also covered by shelter-in-place orders. Multiple reunification sites in Deer Park and La Porte, including an activity center and a church, have been made available to evacuees.

Persons: La Porte, Lekan, I’ll, Jerry Mouton Jr, Mouton Organizations: La Porte Independent School District, Energy, San Jacinto, Facebook, Emergency, Control, Deer Park Locations: Houston, Deer Park, Pasadena, La, La Porte, La Porte , Texas, Deer, Porte, Harris

☆ Storm Boris: 10 killed as a month’s worth of rain pounds central Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —At least 10 people have been killed in some of the worst floods to hit central Europe in decades as Storm Boris sweeps through the region, dumping well over a month’s worth of rain. Across the border in the Czech Republic, thousands of residents have been left without hot water and electricity after authorities shuttered heating plants. Authorities are also alarmed by the situation in the Czech town of Litovlje, where 80% of buildings are submerged. The town’s mayor, Viktor Kohout, told CNN Prima that the Morava river is expected to crest at 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. Police have extensively “warned the public about the danger” of walking along the river, a Bratislava Police spokesperson told CNN on Monday.

Persons: Boris, “, Johanna Mikl, Leitner, Jaroslav Ozana, Kacper Pempel, Wladyslaw Kosiniak, Kamysz, Viktor Kohout, Sergei Gapon, Zdenek Kuzilek, Viktor Orban, Orban, ” Orban Organizations: CNN, Veolia, CNN Prima, ” Firefighters, Moravska Ostrava, Reuters, TVN24, Polish, PAP, Authorities, Getty, Danube . Police, Bratislava Police Locations: Europe, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ostrava, Polish, Lower Austria, ” Lower Austria, Privoz, Nysa Klodzka, Nysa, Reuters Europe, Klodzko, Czech, Litovlje, Jesenik, Rudawa, AFP, Budapest, Slovakian, Bratislava

☆ Pictures show floods ravaging Central and Eastern Europe as death toll rises
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Floods brought on by days of heavy rainfalls have been ravaging countries including Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Austria, with thousands of people being evacuated as the death toll rises. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday said in a post on social media platform X, that was translated by CNBC, that two more people had died following floods in the country. Over the weekend, Reuters also reported several deaths in Poland and Romania, while Czech media agency CTK reported one death and several missing people. Elsewhere, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Sunday announced that he had declared a "state of natural disaster" in response to the flooding, according to a translated social media post. Pictures show the floods and their aftermath across Europe.

Persons: Karl Nehammer, CTK, Petr Fiala, Fiala, Donald Tusk Organizations: CNBC, Reuters, Sunday Locations: Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Austria, Austrian, Czech, Polish, Europe

☆ Floods claim two more casualties as torrential rain batters central Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

One person drowned in southwest Poland and thousands were evacuated across the border in the Czech Republic after heavy rain continued to batter central Europe on Sunday, causing flooding in several parts of the region. Rivers overflowed from Poland to Romania, where four people were found dead on Saturday, after days of torrential rain in a low-pressure system named Boris. Some parts of the Czech Republic and Poland faced the worst flooding in almost three decades as towns evacuated thousands. That surpassed a record seen in heavy flooding in 1997, which partly damaged the town and claimed 56 lives in Poland. In Romania, authorities said the rain was less intense than on Saturday, when flooding killed four and damaged 5,000 homes.

Persons: Werner Kogler, ”, Mirek Burianek, Donald Tusk, ” Tusk, Pavel Bily, “, Gergely Karacsony Organizations: Austrian, ” Police, Firefighters, Local Locations: Poland, Czech Republic, Europe, Lower Austria, Vienna, Glucholazy, Czech, Stronie Slaskie, Rivers, Romania, Lipova, Prague, Jesenik, Klodzko county, Klodzko, Poland’s Nysa, Nysa, Budapest, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Towns

☆ Sirens sound as Yemeni missile lands in central Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-15 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Nine people were injured as they ran to shelters, after air raid sirens sounded in central Israel Sunday morning. A ballistic missile launched from Yemen crossed into Israel, landing in an open field outside Tel Aviv, the Israel Defense Forces said. The sirens were the first in months, and included Israel's Ben Gurion international airport in Tel Aviv, where local media showed footage of people racing to shelters. Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel. The IDF originally said that a "surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the East and fell in an open area."

Persons: Israel's Ben, MENAHEM KAHANA, Nasr Al, Din Amer, Al, Israel Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, NBC News, Reuters, Getty, IDF, Arabi, Israel, U.S . Embassy Locations: Israel, Yemen, Tel Aviv, Israel's Ben Gurion, Lod, AFP, Modiin, Yemen’s Iran, Gaza, U.S

☆ Woman survives falling and tumbling 150-feet at Washington state waterfall site
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A woman sustained serious injuries this week after falling and tumbling more than 150 feet down an embankment at a Washington state waterfall popular with hikers, authorities said. The fall at Racehorse Falls near Deming, Washington, on Tuesday afternoon was the fifth one at the attraction this year, Whatcom County Fire District 14 said in a statement Wednesday. A woman tumbled and fell more than 150 feet down an embankment at Racehorse Falls, Wash., on Tuesday. Though the lush waterfall near the U.S.-Canada border and about 100 miles north of Seattle is a draw for hikers, its rainy climate and rocky environment can make for a perilous trek. The waterfall itself plunges 169 feet, the department says.

Persons: David Moe Organizations: Whatcom County Fire, Firefighters, Bellingham Fire Department, U.S ., Department of National Resources Locations: Washington, Deming , Washington, Whatcom County, Tuesday, Bellingham, Seattle, U.S, Canada

☆ Russian strike hits apartment block in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, injuring more than 40
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-15 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Russian strike on an apartment block in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has injured at least 41 people, with fears others are trapped under the rubble, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. Three of those who were injured when a guided aerial bomb hit the 12-story building were children, the head of the Kharkiv city military administration Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 14 people have been hospitalized as a result of the strike and one person has been reported missing. The reaction must be here and now.”An elderly woman is assisted after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024. Andrii Marienko/APFirefighters tackle a blaze after a Russian aerial bomb struck a multi-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 15, 2024.

Persons: Oleh Syniehubov, Syniehubov, Ihor Klymenko, ” Syniehubov, Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, Andrii, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, ”, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Human Rights, AP Firefighters, AP, Russian Locations: Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Russia, Ukraine, AP Kharkiv, Odesa

☆ Floods in Romania kill at least four people as rain batters central Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

VISNOVA, Czech Republic — At least four people died and thousands of homes were damaged by flooding in eastern Romania on Saturday, officials said, as surging river levels put authorities on alert in much of central and eastern Europe following days of torrential rain. Tens of thousands of households were left without power in Romania and the Czech Republic, where more rainfall is forecast in the coming days. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany and parts of Austria are also expected to see more heavy rain. Television images from the area showed streets flooded with muddy water, silt and debris as rescuers led residents to safety. Evacuations and blackoutsIn the Czech Republic, northern and northeastern areas bore the brunt of the deluge and 51,000 households had their electricity supply cut off, the CTK news agency said.

Persons: Marcel Ciolacu, ” Ciolacu, Petr Hladik, Roman Christof, ”, Charles, Tomasz Siemoniak, Donald Tusk, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, “, ” Nehammer Organizations: Czech Republic —, Prague Zoo, Czech Railways, ” Locations: Czech Republic, Romania, Europe, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Czech, Prague, Galati, Visnova, Brno, Bratislava, Lower Austria

Crews battling three major California fires could get some relief from record heat and help from the weather as a cooldown preceded minor containment for the blazes. Hot, flame-fanning winds from the desert are dissipating, and the cooler temps may help firefighters give the blaze their best. Firefighters cut and extinguish a fire in a tree as the Bridge Fire burns in the Big Pines hills near Wrightwood, Calif., on Thursday. He also said mutual aid from Washington, Utah, and North Dakota, including firefighters, were sent to Southern California. The weather outlook should give firefighters the weekend and beyond to battle the three fires without unforgiving temperatures.

Persons: Crews, Craig Covey, ” Covey, Etienne Laurent, Anthony Marrone, Kristian Litz, Litz, Jeremy Pierce, Pierce, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, San Bernardino, Fabian Herrera, Gavin Newsom Organizations: California Department of Forestry, Rancho Santa Margarita, Orange County Sheriff's Department . Authorities, AFP, Getty, Angeles County Fire, The California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Firefighters, National Guard, National Weather Service Locations: California, Trabuco, Los Angeles, Rancho Santa, Orange, Riverside County, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Nowhere, Big Pines, Wrightwood, Calif, Angeles, Mount Baldy, Big, San Bernardino County, Highland, San, Washington , Utah, North Dakota, Southern California, San Diego, Los Angeles County

☆ Report finds ‘no evidence’ Hawaii officials prepared for Maui wildfire that killed 102 despite warnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Honolulu (AP) — Investigators reviewing the emergency response to last year’s wildfire that killed 102 people on Maui said in a report released Friday they found “no evidence” Hawaii officials made preparations for it, despite days of warnings that critical fire weather was coming. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency didn’t immediately respond with comment. Maui fire commanders discussed the forecast, but “no evidence of pre-event preparedness plans by the MFD were produced,” the report said. Maui County and the state use private contractors to help fight fires with water tankers and heavy equipment. And despite the warnings, the heads of the county emergency management agency and the Maui Fire Department were off-island that day, attending conferences in Honolulu.

Persons: —, Anne Lopez, Maui’s, Richard Bissen, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency didn’t, weren’t, Firefighters, ” Derek Alkonis Organizations: — Investigators, National Weather Service, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Maui Fire Department, Maui Police, Hawaiian Electric Co, Firefighters, Fire Safety Research Institute, Maui Police Department Locations: Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, Lahaina, State, Maui County, West Maui

☆ Fact check: Harris campaign social media account has repeatedly deceived with misleading edits and captions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Washington CNN —A social media account run by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has been repeatedly deceptive. But the account, which the Harris campaign calls its “official rapid response page,” has itself made inaccurate comments on multiple occasions. The Harris campaign declined to comment on this @KamalaHQ post. The Harris campaign defended this @KamalaHQ post by arguing that “Trump’s entire platform is about embracing ‘tough’ policy of the past” on various subjects. The very next day, the Harris campaign used the @KamalaHQ account to tout her own popularity among chief executives.

Persons: Kamala Harris ’, Donald Trump, Harris, Trump, ”, “ Trump, “ Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, “, —, Charlottesville counterprotester Heather Heyer, David Muir, Muir, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Jesse, Watters, Greg Gutfeld —, Vance, Sen, JD Vance, Trump’s, Barack Obama, it’s, doesn’t, you’ll, “ Vance, William Martin, Martin, Vance “, JD Vance ”, Sally Smith, “ Smith, ’, Jack Posobiec, Posobiec Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, ABC News, Fox News, ”, Department of Veterans Affairs, Marine Corps, of Veterans Affairs, Heritage Foundation, Republican, Social Security, of New, International Association of Fire Fighters, “ Trump, Trump loyalists Locations: Wilkes, Barre , Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, ‘ Pennsylvania, Arizona, Tucson, Charlottesville, California, Your, of New York, America, ”

CNN —At least seven people have died after some of the heaviest rain in years hit central and eastern Europe, causing flooding and widespread disruption. The heavy rainfall continued to pummel the region into Sunday. Rescuers have been working hard to rescue hundreds of people left stranded by heavy rainfall there. In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers and rescue services have been called out to parts of the country. Red alerts, the highest level of warning, have been issued for portions of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia.

Persons: Boris, Cătălin Predoiu, Predoiu, Manfred Fesl, Donald Tusk, Sergei Gapon, Gabriel Kuchta Organizations: CNN, Romanian Emergency, AP, AFP, Getty, Poland’s, Rescue Service Locations: Europe, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Klodzko county, Poland, Austria, Romania, Galati, Pechea, Braunau, Czech Republic, Klodzko, Klodzko County, Czech, Černou, Glucholazy, AFP, Mikulovice, Germany, Saxony, Lower Austria, Slovakia

Rescue services have been launched in hard-hit counties as authorities warn that they have recorded the heaviest rainfall in 100 years over the past 24 hours. Sadly four people have been found dead in their houses or yards.”Rivers burst their banks in Poland and the Czech Republic. Firefighters fill sand bags in Glucholazy, southern Poland. Gabriel Kuchta/Getty ImagesThe swollen Biala River in Glucholazy, southern Poland. Red alerts, the highest level of warning, have been issued for portions of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia.

Persons: Boris, Manfred Fesl, Cătălin Predoiu, Rivers, Tomasz Siemoniak, TVN24, Sergei Gapon, Gabriel Kuchta Organizations: CNN, Romanian Emergency, AP, AFP, Getty, Rescue Service Locations: Europe, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Romania, Pechea, Galati, Braunau, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Glucholazy, Czech, Černou, AFP, Mikulovice, Germany, Saxony, Slovakia

☆ Los Angeles wildfires slow, still threaten suburbs
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

Wildfires that have burned dozens of mountain homes near Los Angeles slowed on Thursday with cooler temperatures but authorities warned the blazes still threatened suburbs. Driven by triple-digit heat, gusting winds and tinder-dry vegetation, the three fires burned at speeds firefighters have never witnessed, scorching over 110,000 acres — an area twice the size of Seattle. The Bridge Fire, California’s largest current wildfire, swept through communities in the San Gabriel Mountains less than 40 miles (65 km) northeast of central Los Angeles, where people priced out of the city have built homes. The 51,000-acre blaze destroyed over 40 houses and cabins in Mount Baldy and Wrightwood as well as damaging lifts at the Mountain High ski area, authorities said. Fire growth eased as the high for Los Angeles fell to 81F, a cooling trend expected to last through the weekend.

Persons: Wrightwood Organizations: Los Locations: Los Angeles, Seattle, San Gabriel, Mount Baldy

☆ Bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to eliminate Social Security rules affecting public employees. What could happen next.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The bill — the Social Security Fairness Act — would repeal two rules that reduce Social Security benefits for workers and spouses, widows and widowers who also receive pension income. If brought to the House floor, the Social Security Fairness Act may pass, based on the 327 co-sponsors who are currently behind the proposal. The government pension offset reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows and widowers who also have pension income. But if she retirees and begins collecting the pension benefits she earned, that Social Security income may disappear. Eliminating the rules through the Social Security Fairness Act would also cost the program at a time when Social Security faces looming trust fund depletion dates, he said.

Persons: Abigail Spanberger, Garret Graves, There’s, ”, Emerson Sprick, —, Sprick, Roger Boudreau, Boudreau, ” Boudreau, Paul Van de Water, Van, ” Van, Water, ” Sprick, it’s, ” Sen, Mike Braun, “ Organizations: Security, Social, Senate, Center, GPO, Social Security, Rhode Island American Federation of Teachers, Budget, Congressional, Republican

☆ Arson suspect in California's Line Fire sparked 2 other fires same day, may be linked to more blazes
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Doha Madani | Doha Madani Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. Pronouns | She Her. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, is alleged to have set off three different fires last week, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Thursday. One of those fires evolved into the Line Fire, that has continued to burn after eight days, while the other two were contained. According to Dicus, investigators were able to tie Halstenberg to the scene of all three fires. The investigation was indicative of “significant arson behavior” and it is possible Halstenberg could be tied to other fires, Dicus said. If convicted on the aggravated arson charge, Halstenberg could be sentenced between 10 years to life in prison.

Persons: Justin Wayne Halstenberg, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus, Halstenberg, Dicus, Jason Anderson, Anderson, Gavin Newsom Organizations: San Bernardino County Sheriff, Detention, Authorities, Records, CalFire ., CalFire . California Gov, state's National Guard Locations: California, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Highland, CalFire, CalFire . California, Southern California

Search resuls for: "Firefighters"

25 mentions found