Latest news with #JenZoratti
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
No one killed in the Lake Tahoe boat capsizing wore a life vest, investigators say
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — None of the eight people killed when a boat capsized during a sudden and fierce storm last month on Lake Tahoe in California were wearing life vests, federal investigators said in an initial report released Wednesday. Four members of a family who were celebrating a birthday were among those who died when the 28-foot (8.5-meter) gold Chris-Craft vessel was inundated and flipped over amid 10-foot (3-meter) waves June 21 on the lake's western edge. Weather was mostly calm when the party of 10 left the marina around noon, but within about two hours winds were strong enough to create whitecaps, according to the preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. By 2:30 p.m., as the boat was returning to shore, it began to hail and the vessel ended up sideways to the growing waves. 'The boat took on water and some of the passengers attempted to bail the water out of the boat,' the report states. 'At one point, a particularly large wave overtook the boat.' Two people were rescued immediately after it flipped over. One of the survivors was found clinging to a life vest and the other was wearing one, according to the report. Six people were found dead that afternoon and evening and two more bodies were discovered the next day. None of the people found dead had been wearing life vests, the report said. Four life vests and one life preserver ring from the boat were recovered from the accident site. Hikers on shore called 911 after witnessing the vessel capsize. No distress calls were made from the boat, the report said. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Toxicology tests for alcohol and other drugs for the deceased were conducted, and results are pending, officials said. Snow was reported on the shore and a nearby weather station recorded a top wind gust of 39 mph (62 kph) at around the time of the accident shortly after 3 p.m. By 4 p.m., the weather began to clear, and the skies were cloudless again shortly before 5:30 p.m., the report said. The intensity of the thunderstorm surprised even forecasters, who had predicted rain but nothing like the squall that lashed the southern part of the lake. Drowning and other accidental deaths occur each year on the lake, but boating accidents with numerous fatalities are rare, South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Scott Crivelli said last month. There are an average of six deaths on the lake each summer, though there were a record 15 fatalities in 2021, he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Iran's public sector shuts down in 8 provinces due to heat wave
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A government-ordered public shutdown in some areas of Iran took place on Wednesday due to a scorching heatwave that has seen temperatures soar past 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), straining the power grid Tehran's public offices and banks closed, but for many private shopkeepers it was another day of work despite the punishing temperatures. The official holiday for public sector employees in eight of Iran's 31 provinces, including the capital, Tehran, was declared to save electricity. The move, however, split the city into two realities — one of silent, shuttered government buildings, and another where the hum of air conditioners in private shops and shopping centers signaled business as usual. For many other residents, the unexpected holiday provided a welcome escape. With Thursday already part of the traditional weekend in Iran, the closure prompted an exodus from the capital. Iranian media reported that roads leading north to the Caspian Sea coast were choked with traffic as people fled for the milder climates of Mazandaran and Gilan provinces. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Dealing with extreme summer heat through government shutdowns is becoming a familiar strategy for Iran, which implemented a two-day closure in 2023 and a similar one-day holiday in July 2024 to cope with the impact of heat on its infrastructure. Even as authorities advised people to remain indoors, the heat has been more gruelling in other regions. The southern city of Borazjan recorded a staggering 50 C (122 F) last Sunday.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about Parkinson's disease after Ozzy Osbourne's death
Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne died this week at 76, just weeks after his farewell show and about five years after announcing he had Parkinson's disease. Here's what to know about the disease: What is Parkinson's? Parkinson's is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements. It typically starts with tremors and is characterized by slow movement, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs, balance problems and slurred speech. Who gets it? About 1 million Americans are living with Parkinson's, and 10 million people worldwide, the Parkinson's Foundation. estimates. It usually appears after age 60, although sometimes it can develop before age 50. What causes Parkinson's? The exact cause isn't known, but Parkinson's develops when cells that produce one of the brain's chemical messengers, called dopamine, begin to deteriorate and die. Dopamine transports signals to parts of the brain that control movement. Parkinson's symptoms appear after enough dopamine-producing cells die that there's too little of this neurotransmitter in the brain. According to the foundation, most experts believe genetic and environmental factors are behind the disease. Dozens of gene mutations linked to Parkinson's have been discovered and genetics account for 10% to 15% of all cases. Other factors suspected of increasing the risk include head injuries, exposure to pesticides and herbicides and where you live. Is there a cure? There is no cure but there are treatments, including medications that affect dopamine levels and a surgically implanted tremor-blocking device. Patients also can benefit from physical and occupational therapy. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. What's the prognosis? Symptoms worsen over time, usually slowly. The severity of symptoms and how quickly they progress varies widely between patients. In advanced cases, people may be unable to walk or care for themselves. They also can suffer from depression as well as memory and thinking problems. While Parkinson's itself isn't considered fatal, people can die from complications of the disease, including lung problems as muscle weakness impedes the ability to cough and to swallow. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indonesian police arrest 44 people suspected of starting forest fires
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities arrested 44 people suspected of starting some of the forest and peatland fires that are spreading health-damaging haze in the region, officials said Wednesday. Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strain relations with neighboring countries. In recent years, smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand. The fires are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting, said Suharyanto, who heads the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB, in a statement on Wednesday. 'The forest fires are not caused only by drought, but also by humans,' said Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians uses only a single name. 'Hopefully these arrests will serve as a deterrent to the public to stop setting fires to clear land.' Police on Tuesday presented the suspects, including a woman, at the news conference in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province. They were handcuffed and wearing orange prison uniforms. Those arrested could be prosecuted under an environmental protection law that provides for a maximum 10-year prison sentence for setting fires to clear land, Suharyanto said. He urged people to be pro-active in the government campaign to stop human-caused blazes and report anyone setting fires to clear land. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. A number of areas in Riau province were still covered by thick haze, where Rokan Hilir and Rokan Hulu districts were the worst hit areas by fires that burned about 500 hectares (1,235 acres), resulting in heavy haze that reduced visibility to less than one kilometer (less than half a mile). The government has stepped up its fire responses by spreading tons of salt on clouds to induce artificial rain in Riau since Tuesday, which will continue until July 25, Suharyanto said. Tuesday's arrests were not the first. In 2019 Indonesian police arrested 230 people linked to forest fires. Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out during dry spells, smothering parts of nearby Singapore and Malaysia in haze. In 2023, Indonesia which often sends apologies to its neighbors over the haze, denied that its fires were blanketing Malaysia with pollution.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Texas lawmakers begin review of catastrophic floods that killed at least 135
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers on Wednesday were set to begin reviewing the July 4 floods that killed at least 135 people, a disaster that put local officials under scrutiny over why residents along the Guadalupe River did not receive more warnings. The catastrophic floods in the Texas Hill Country and a partisan redrawing of U.S. House maps, aimed at giving Republicans more winnable seats in the 2026 elections, are two major issues in a 30-day special session that is already off to a combative start. Democrats want to address flood relief and new flood warning systems before taking votes on new congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump. They have not ruled out a walkout in a bid to derail the redistricting, which they have slammed as a partisan power grab. State and county emergency response officials are scheduled to testify on Wednesday, but no officials from Kerr County, the area most hard-hit by the floods, are expected to appear. Lawmakers have filed bills to improve early warning systems and emergency communications and to provide relief funding. Kerr County, where 27 campers and counselors, most of them children, were killed at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, does not have a warning system along the river after several missed opportunities by state and local agencies to finance one. Three people remain missing. At one point, county officials said more than 170 people were unaccounted for. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Lawmakers are scheduled to visit Kerrville on July 31 to hear from residents. Democrats have left open the possibility of filibusters or walking out in the coming weeks to block the proposed congressional map redraw. On Monday, most of the party's members in the House signed a letter to the speaker stating that they would not engage in any work before addressing flood relief. But Democrats have few paths to resistance as the minority party in both chambers. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to arrest those who attempt to walk out on top of the $500 a day fines lawmakers face for breaking a quorum. ___ Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
