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☆ This California startup says it can predict where wildfires might start—it's using that power in a surprising way
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Nobody can predict the future, but a San Francisco-based startup called Kettle seems able to predict where wildfires could start in California. That means Kettle provides insurance for insurance companies. But Kettle's focus on reinsurance, rather than selling its software directly to insurance companies, is unique, Manning says. Most reinsurers predict wildfire risk through a decades-old technique that relies on historical data, Manning adds. In other words, reinsurance companies do benefit large insurers — but they also make sure you're able to get the money you're owed if disaster strikes.

☆ Proposition 30: Californians will vote to tax high-earners to fund electric vehicle rebates and other climate change initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Proposition 30 would raise the personal income tax to create a Clean Cars and Clean Air Fund. Opponents say it's a scheme by rideshare companies to avoid paying for their electric vehicle transition. The state legislative analyst's office estimates an increase of $3.5 billion to $5 billion annually in funding for climate change initiatives. Gavin Newsom, the California Republican Party, the California Teacher's Association, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the California Hawaii State Conference NAACP. The largest financial contributors for or against the proposition include Lyft, a coalition of rideshare companies, and labor and environmental groups, according to OpenSecrets.

☆ At least 38 injured in blaze at NYC apartment high rise caused by lithium ion battery
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | Mirna Alsharif Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

At least 38 people have been injured in a fire at a New York City high-rise apartment building in Midtown, according to the FDNY. Of the 38 injured, two people are in critical condition and five, who are EMS members, have serious injuries. The cause of the fire was determined to be a lithium ion battery connected to a micromobility device. "The lithium ion battery adds a different degree, when we talk about the fire dynamics of it," FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb said at the briefing. Chief Fire Marshall Daniel Flynn says this is almost the 200th fire caused by a lithium ion battery from a micromobility device just this year in the city.

☆ At least 13 killed in Russian nightclub fire, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a cafe in Kostroma, Russia November 5, 2022. Russian Emergencies Ministry in Kostroma region/Handout via REUTERSNov 5 (Reuters) - At least thirteen people have died in a fire at a nightclub in the Russian city of Kostroma, the region's governor said on Saturday. "According to preliminary information, 13 people were killed in the fire. The information is being updated," governor Sergey Sitnikov said. Reporting by Caleb Davis Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least 13 killed in Russian nightclub fire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian Emergencies Ministry in Kostroma region/Handout via REUTERSNov 5 (Reuters) - At least 13 people died after a fire broke out in a busy nightclub in the Russian city of Kostroma, officials said on Saturday. Kostroma is a city of around 270,000 people, 300 km (190 miles) north-east of Moscow on the banks of the river Volga. The fire took place in the early hours of the morning at Polygon, a multi-purpose recreation venue used as a cafe, nightclub and bar. Most of those killed in the fire had been found in the smoking room, utility room and near the toilets, TASS reported, citing emergency services. "As a result of the fire, 13 people died; the number of dead and injured is being clarified," the Investigating Committee said in a statement.

☆ 2 Denver firefighters declared a living woman dead without assessing her
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Two Denver firefighters were suspended without pay after they declared a woman dead when she was actually alive, officials said. One of the firefighters, Lt. Patrick Lopez, was also demoted over the June 24 incident, the city's Department of Public Safety said in an order of disciplinary action. The order says that an officer went into the home, came out and said the woman had bluish-purple discoloration on the skin, fluid leaking from her body and smelled like she was decomposing. Lopez, according to the order, said the officer told firefighters they did not need to go inside the home because the woman was "obviously dead." An investigation determined that Lopez likely lied about the officer telling firefighters not to go into the home.

☆ Mom of 5 died after ketamine injection by a paramedic, family alleges in wrongful death suit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

DENVER — The family of a woman who died four years ago shortly after a paramedic injected her with the powerful sedative ketamine have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the health care worker and the ambulance company. LaCour's family alleges in the lawsuit that Jason Poulson, a paramedic for American Medical Response Ambulance Service, administered 400 milligrams of ketamine to LaCour despite objections from a firefighter who was also an emergency medical technician. Shortly afterward, LaCour stopped breathing, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of her and her husband's five preteen children. LaCour died from acute alcohol and ketamine intoxication, the El Paso County Coroner's Office said in its report. Poulson and American Medical Response Ambulance Service Inc. are named as defendants in the wrongful death lawsuit.

☆ Zelenskyy mocked Russia after attacks left 4.5 million without power, saying it shows it can't defeat Ukraine on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's president said 4.5 million people lost power on Thursday night from Russian attacks. Zelenskyy said Russia was targeting energy because "they cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield". Russia has increasingly hit Ukraine's power infrastructure since Ukraine began retaking territory. Zelenskyy said on Thursday night that damage from Russian attacks had left 4.5 million people temporarily disconnected from power supplies. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichRussia has been hitting Ukraine's power and water infrastructure since the start of its invasion in February.

[1/2] A woman pays tribute near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The initial shock from a deadly crush among Halloween party-goers in South Korea is turning into public outrage over the government's planning missteps, as business owners say police were more focused on crime and COVID than crowd safety. The crush on Saturday night killed 156 and injured 152 as revellers flooded narrow alleyways. Many South Koreans said they were in shock over how a casual night out had turned deadly. I am so sad that I can't even express my sorrow," Kim Keun-nyeo, 54, said an altar near Seoul city hall.

An apparent carbon dioxide leak sickened four people, one critically, and led to a partial evacuation of Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, authorities said. Los Angeles Fire Department crews were sent to one of the nation's busiest hubs to investigate "the cause of an apparent gas leak in Terminal 8," according to an LAX statement. Evacuated passengers were sent to Terminal 7 where United Airlines operates at LAX. "Terminal 8 and United Airlines is the only facility impacted by the hazmat investigation," LAX said in a statement posted at 8:56 a.m. PDT. Airport workers, three men and a woman, were sickened by their exposure to fumes coming from a utility closet, firefighters said.

SEOUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Young people flocking to Seoul's popular Itaewon district on Saturday for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festivities in three years instead found themselves caught up in a deadly crush that killed at least 151 people. On Friday night, a Reuters witness saw crowds in the area packed toe-to-toe at a Halloween street fair with booths for face-painting and selling candy and costumes. But social media posts showed nightclubs and bars advertising Halloween events and promotions, including collaborations at some of the hottest clubs for special performances. Just before 10:20 p.m. (1320 GMT), chaos erupted, with police at times struggling to control the crowds, witnesses said. Social media footage showed some people trying to scale the sides of the buildings to escape the increasing pressure, as others shouted, cried, or cursed.

CNN —The tourists who had become stuck about 200 feet underground at the Grand Canyon Caverns in Peach Springs, Arizona, on Sunday when an elevator malfunctioned have all been brought back to the surface with the help of local fire departments. Officials originally said that five people were stranded in the caverns. “Yesterday five folks were exiting the caverns when the elevator stopped working. CNN reached out to The Grand Canyon Caverns for additional details. The Grand Canyon Caverns is a tourist attraction that allows visitors to tour inside an ancient underground cave, dine and stay in a motel, according to its website.

In 10 years of ruling China, Xi Jinping has expunged political rivals, replacing them with allies. With Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” Unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. Take practical actions to welcome the victory of the Party's 20th National Congress” With Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” With Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” Unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. Take practical actions to welcome the victory of the Party's 20th National Congress” With Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” With Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” Unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. Earlier this year, local officials in the southern region of Guangxi printed and distributed small red booklets about Xi Jinping Thought.

☆ Russian fighter jet crashes into Siberian home, two pilots killed
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - A Russian military jet crashed into a residential building in the Siberian city of Irkutsk on Sunday and the two pilots were killed, officials said, the second such fatal incident in six days involving a Sukhoi fighter plane. In a post on Telegram, Irkutsk governor Igor Kobzev said the plane crashed into a two-storey house in the city. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterOfficials said the plane was a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter on a test flight. Last Monday, a Sukhoi Su-34 crashed into an apartment block in the southern city of Yeysk, near Ukraine, and at least 15 people were killed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jake Cordell and Mark Trevelyan, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian-installed authorities order evacuation of Kherson in face of Ukrainian counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Russian-installed authorities in the occupied city of Kherson on Saturday urged residents to leave immediately in the face of a looming counteroffensive by Ukraine’s armed forces that aimed to recapture the southern city. Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions and targeted supply routes across the province on Friday, inching closer to a full assault on the only provincial capital that has remained in Russian hands throughout the war. The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. Infrastructure in the southern city of Odesa had also been hit, he said. Iran sent trainers and technical support to enable Russian forces to use Iranian-made drones “with better lethality,” John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesperson, told reporters.

☆ Forest Service 'burn boss' arrested after prescribed fire torches private land in Oregon
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A U.S. Forest Service employee was arrested after the prescribed fire he was managing torched 18 acres of private land in Oregon, authorities confirmed Friday. The U.S. Forest Service did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In notifying residents about the fire this week, the Forest Service said in a statement that atmospheric parameters existed for a relatively safe prescribed burn, which had been planned at 300 acres. Christopher Adlam, regional fire specialist and assistant professor at Oregon State University Extension Service's fire program, said a prescribed burn hadn't torched private land in Oregon in 20 years until Wednesday. The arrest might not lead to more burn bosses in custody, but it could affect how officials work with prescribed burns, the scholar said.

☆ EXCLUSIVE At least half Ukraine's thermal power capacity hit by Russian attacks - minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Firefighters work to put out a fire in a thermal power plant, damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 18, 2022. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERSKYIV, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Russia has hit at least half of Ukraine's thermal generation capacity and caused billions of dollars of damage in attacks since Oct. 10, but not all stricken power units have stopped working completely, Ukraine's energy minister said on Friday. Herman Halushchenko told Reuters in an interview that 30-40% of overall national power infrastructure had been hit in attacks that he depicted as intended to destroy Ukraine's energy system -- a goal that he said had not been achieved. I can tell you that it's... at least half of thermal generation capacity, even more," he said, when asked about the scale of the damage. Russia stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine last week using missiles and drones to target Kyiv, other major cities and energy infrastructure.

☆ EXCLUSIVE At least half of Ukraine's thermal power capacity hit by Russian strikes - minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Firefighters work to put out a fire in a thermal power plant, damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 18, 2022. I can tell you that it's... at least half of thermal generation capacity, even more," Galushchenko said, when asked about the scale of the damage. Earlier this week towns and cities restricted power supplies and limited electricity use this week so energy companies could repair power facilities hit by a wave of Russian air strikes. He said he saw no signs of progress towards a deal involving Russia, Ukraine and the U.N. nuclear watchdog on resolving the situation at the plant, Europe's biggest nuclear power station. Russian forces have occupied the plant in southern Ukraine since shortly after Moscow's invasion but it is still operated by its Ukrainian staff.

☆ EXCLUSIVE At least half of Ukraine's thermal power capacity hit by Russian strikes -minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Firefighters work to put out a fire in a thermal power plant, damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 18, 2022. I can tell you that it's... at least half of thermal (power) generation capacity, even more," Galushchenko said, when asked about the scale of the damage. Earlier this week towns and cities restricted power supplies and limited electricity use this week so energy companies could repair power facilities hit by a wave of Russian air strikes. He said he saw no signs of progress towards a deal involving Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations nuclear watchdog on resolving the situation at the plant, Europe's biggest nuclear power station. Russian forces have occupied the plant in southern Ukraine since shortly after Moscow's invasion but it is still operated by its Ukrainian staff.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine faced widespread power outages Thursday as the country’s energy system struggled to cope with the damage from a wave of Russian attacks. Ukraine’s energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, said Thursday the government was seeking a 20% reduction in energy use and that Ukrainians had responded to the appeal to ease pressure on the country’s grid. She also has a sleeping bag designed for below freezing temperatures, a thermal blanket and even skiing clothes in case temperatures continue dropping and the strikes on energy targets continue. Current restrictions are worth it.”For months, the Kremlin said it was only after military targets — not civilian or critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The British Defense Ministry also said in an assessment this week that causing widespread damage to Ukraine’s energy network is likely the “key objective” of the Kremlin’s strike campaign.

☆ A flight attendant broke his ankle in 2 places after being thrown to the ground by severe turbulence as his plane flew through a storm
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Stephen Jones | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A flight attendant was badly hurt when his plane was hit with turbulence during its descent. The attendant broke his ankle in two places during the July 2021 incident on a Norwegian flight. Turbulence began when the plane was forced to fly through a storm previously missed by air traffic radar. His colleague — cabin crew member three — also injured her ankle in the incident, but provided assistance, and informed the rest of the flight crew of her colleague's more severe injury. Cabin crew member two suffered two fractures and a dislocated ankle, while crew member three suffered bruising.

☆ Russian strikes wiped out 30% of Ukraine's power stations, part of a playbook to fight its infrastructure instead of its military
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's new tactics in Ukraine involve an intensified effort to cut off Ukraine's power. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia had destroyed 30% of Ukraine's power stations in eight days. Russia's defense ministry explicitly said on Monday that it was gunning for Ukraine's power supply, even though attacking civilian infrastructure is broadly viewed as a war crime. A Russian drone is seen during a Russian drone strike, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 17, 2022. And Ukraine's Western allies are now rushing to send more air-defense systems to Ukraine in a direct response to Russia's drone and missile barrages.

Firefighters help a local woman evacuate from a residential building destroyed by a Russian drone strike, which local authorities consider to be Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Shahed-136, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 17, 2022. 'SUICIDE DRONES'Ukraine said the attacks were carried out by Iran-made "suicide drones", which fly to their target and detonate. The White House accused Iran of lying when it says Iranian drones were not being used by Russia in Ukraine. Ukraine's military said it had destroyed 37 Russian drones since Sunday evening, or around 85% of those used in attacks. Yeysk is separated from occupied Russian territory in southern Ukraine by a narrow stretch of the Sea of Azov.

☆ Washington Wildfire Burns More Than 1,500 Acres in a Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Nakia Creek Fire in Clark County, Wash., has burned more than 1,500 acres as of Monday. A fast-moving wildfire in Washington has charred more than 1,500 acres and forced thousands of evacuations, officials said Monday. Additional firefighters from Oregon will travel to Clark County, Wash., to help get the Nakia Creek Fire under control, said Trina Contreras, a spokeswoman for Washington’s Department of Natural Resources. The fire was about 5% contained on Monday, she said.

☆ Hearing aids: Americans can now buy them over the counter
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He saw an audiologist who said he needed hearing aids, but they would have cost him more than $6,000. On Monday, for the first time, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in the US will be able to buy over-the-counter hearing aids. Now, instead of getting a prescription and having a custom fitting with a hearing health professional, adults can buy hearing aids directly from a store or online. Why hearing aids matterHearing aids aren’t just nice to have; they are essential for physical and mental health. Hearing aids are different than glasses; it can take your brain up to four weeks to adjust to hearing in a new way.

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