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Hawaii announces first recipients of student loan payment program for health care workers

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — The state has announced the first recipients of a program aimed at helping medical professionals pay off student loans in exchange for a two-year commitment to provide care in Hawaii.Gov. Josh Green on Friday thanked state lawmakers for providing $30 million to fund the program. An additional $5 million contribution came from Lynn and Marc Benioff to pay student loans for health care workers specifically on Hawaii island, where the Benioffs have a home, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Marc Benioff is co-founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce and owns Time magazine.Green, who is also a doctor, plans to solicit similar contributions from potential benefactors to help pay off more student loans. He wants the Hawaii Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program to become a national model. The state said each of 492 health care workers will have up to $100,000 in loans paid as part of the first round of the program. Health care workers who get their loans paid off a...

Woman wanted in violent assault in Danforth neighbourhood

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

Toronto police are looking to identify a woman wanted in connection with a violent assault in the city’s Danforth neighbourhood.Investigators say a man in his 20s was inside a Circle K store at a gas station in the area of Greenwood and Danforth Avenues when a woman he did not know assaulted him with a sharp object just after midnight on Dec. 23.He managed to flee the scene and call police before he was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.The woman is described as being approximately 30 years of age, five-foot-nine, 165 pounds with short black hair. She was last seen wearing a dark hoodie with a white Reebok logo, blue jeans and brown boots.Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

University researchers confirm fire-generated tornado over B.C. lake in viral video

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

LONDON, Ont. — Researchers at Western University say they’ve confirmed that a fire-generated tornado occurred in British Columbia this summer after a video of the “rarely observed” event went viral back in August. In a blog post, researchers from the university’s Northern Tornadoes Project say they began an extensive investigation after the video was posted showing an “intense vortex” over Gun Lake in southwest B.C. during a “raging nighttime wildfire.” They say the investigation was very careful because it’s the first case of a fire-generated tornado recorded by the research team at the Northern Tornadoes Project. The post says the investigation involved the help of witnesses, and they were able to pinpoint the time and location of the fire tornado on Gun Lake’s north shore around 4:45 a.m. on Aug. 18. Researchers say terminology around the phenomenon is “still developing,” but clarified that the Gun Lake occur...

Moneris reports ‘intermittent network slowness’ day after network outage

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

TORONTO — Payments processing company Moneris is reporting “intermittent network slowness” this afternoon, one day after experiencing a network outage that it says affected customers’ ability to process transactions.Moneris issued a social media post today saying all systems are operational despite the current issue, but the network slowness “may affect transactions.”The post does not specify how payments may be affected.Service disruption tracker Downdetector shows Interac and Visa users began reporting issues after 2 p.m. and reports began to subside about an hour later.The number of reports Downdetector recorded today is just a fraction of the high volume that apparently poured in during Friday’s network outage, which the company reported resolved that afternoon.Moneris is a joint venture between Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:RY, TS...

Alabama woman with rare double uterus gives birth to two children

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

DORA, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama woman with two uteri and two cervixes has given birth to two babies after carrying one of them in each uterus.Kelsey Hatcher of Dora, about 28 miles (45.06 kilometers) northwest of Birmingham, gave birth to two girls on Wednesday and Thursday after a combined 20 hours of labor. Hatcher was diagnosed with a double uterus, also called uterus didelphys, when she was 17. The rare congenital condition occurs in 0.3% of women, according to a report published by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. There is an “estimated one-in-a-million chance” of carrying a baby in both uteri, also known as a dicavitary pregnancy, the report says. The older child, Roxi, was born on Tuesday, and Rebel arrived on Wednesday. Hatcher told WVTM-TV that both she and the newborns are healthy. Her husband, Caleb, was with her in the hospital, she said. “That was our first moment of just us four together,” Hatcher said. “And really getting to breathe that in and be in the moment a...

New York governor vetoes bill that would ban noncompete agreements

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s governor vetoed a bill days before Christmas that would have banned noncompete agreements, which restrict workers’ ability to leave their job for a role with a rival business. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said she tried to work with the Legislature on a “reasonable compromise” this year, called the bill “a one-size-fits-all-approach” for New York companies legitimately trying to retain top talent.“I continue to recognize the urgent need to restrict non-compete agreements for middle-class and low-wage workers, and am open to future legislation that achieves the right balance,” she wrote in a veto letter released Saturday.The veto is a blow to labor groups, who have long argued that the agreements hurt workers and stifle economic growth. The Federal Trade Commission had also sent a letter to Hochul in November, urging her to sign the bill and saying that the agreements can harm innovation and prevent new businesses from forming in the s...

Multiple people injured in shooting at Florida shopping mall

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

Multiple people were injured Saturday during what authorities described as “an active shooting” situation at a shopping mall in central Florida.The Ocala Police Department said they were responding to “an active shooting” situation at the Paddock Mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.The police department later said on social media that the suspect had fled and that the mall was being evacuated.UPDATE: There is no longer an active shooting situation. There are multiple people injured. The suspect is believed to have fled. The mall is being evacuated at this time. Please avoid the area as police investigate. https://t.co/j8Uk5iYjob— Ocala Police (@ocalapd) December 23, 2023An email inquiry was sent to the mall’s owner, WPG. The mall has dozens of stores, including J.C. Penney and Foot Locker.Calvin and Diana Amos, who were shopping in the J.C. Penney store, told the Ocala Star Banner that they evacuated the store quickly once they figured out what was...

Increasingly wet now before more storms Sunday morning

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Periods of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms will continue to push in from south to north, mainly impacting the Austin Metro and our Eastern Counties through mid-evening. CENTRAL TEXAS RADAR Anticipated rainfall coverage through mid evening SaturdayBriefly the rain fades during the late evening before a line of widespread storms and downpours develops after midnight in the Hill Country before spreading eastward through Sunday morning.While severe weather isn't anticipated, a strong storm remains possible Sunday morning with the potential for localized flash flooding. Parts of the Hill Country are at a 2 out of 4 risk for excessive rain overnight into Sunday morning.Flash flooding risk Saturday night through Sunday morning (WPC)Generally speaking most of us should get 0.5"-1.5" of rain through Sunday, but localized amounts over 2" are possible in spots.Potential rainfall through SundayMost of the rain ends by midday Sunday with quickly increasing afternoon suns...

Reports: Woman killed in crash outside El Paso was founding member of Dixie Chicks

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- A 65-year-old woman from Fort Worth who is being identified as a founding member of The Dixie Chicks was killed and another person was hurt in a head-on collision Friday night, Dec. 22 along U.S. Highway 62 in Hudspeth County. The woman was identified as Laura Caroline Lynch by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The New York Post and CBS Network are both reporting that Lynch was a founding member of The Dixie Chicks musical group and was the woman who was killed in the crash outside of El Paso on Friday night. TMZ is also reporting Lynch, a founding member of the band, was killed in the crash.The band has since been renamed The Chicks.The crash happened at about 5:45 p.m. about 25 miles west of Dell City and about 8 miles west of Cornudas, according to DPS. DPS: 1 dead, 1 hurt in head-on collision on US 62/180 According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a pickup truck was traveling westbound on U.S. 62 when the driver tried to pass another vehi...

Texas Longhorns' 2024 recruiting class jumps to No. 3 after early signing period

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:55:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Big additions late in the early signing period sent the Texas Longhorns up the recruiting rankings to No. 3 in the country with 26 signed recruits.Head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff signed 24 of their 26 recruits in the early period on Dec. 20 when it opened, and by Dec. 22 when the window closed, they added another big-time wide receiver to help replenish the cupboard at that position as well as a transfer on the defensive line. PREVIOUS SIGNING DAY COVERAGE: Texas adds 24 on 1st day of early signing period, No. 5 class in country so far Aaron Butler, the No. 21 receiver recruit in the country according to 247Sports' composite ratings, joins No. 4 wideout Ryan Wingo as two of the top recruits at their position to sign with Texas. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said restocking the wide receiver corps was a priority with this class, and along with Houston transfer Matthew Golden and Lucas Lovejoy's Parker Livingstone, it's clear the Longhorns mean busine...