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A St. Paul Park refinery spilled 20K gallons of asphalt. Could legislation avert such incidents?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

Nearly 500 barrels of liquid asphalt spilled at Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery at the end of March and left two contractors injured.The incident happened on the afternoon of March 20 during maintenance repairs when approximately 20,000 gallons of hot asphalt leaked from a tank, according to a report received by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.Two men at the refinery were taken to the hospital for asphalt burns, according to officials at the Washington County sheriff’s office. At the time alarms at the refinery went off, said Sandi Dingle, mayor of St. Paul Park, in an email, but there was no evacuation of the public.The asphalt was contained and did not leak into the surrounding environment, according to a statement by the MPCA. Once it hardened, the material was disposed of and no further action was required, the agency said.A statement from Marathon said the two injured — who were contractors — were taken to the hospital and released the same day.Ma...

Seth Masket: Americans say they’re sick of the major parties, but they don’t vote that way

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

It’s the year before a presidential election, which means it’s once again time for a group to call for a unity ticket of a Democratic and a Republican for president and vice president or for an independent candidate to avoid the dysfunction of the parties entirely.This happens just about every four years. There are lessons to learn from past seasons, especially in these extremely polarized times.The current effort by the “No Labels” group to get a presidential ballot line in all 50 states for 2024 is being treated as something of a novelty, but we’ve seen something like this in most modern presidential elections. Just four years ago Unite America was proposing a bipartisan unity ticket for 2020, pushing the major parties to commit to having a vice presidential candidate of a party different from their own. (They even floated the idea of a John Kasich/John Hickenlooper ticket.)In 2012, there was Americans Elect, which wanted to use a “nonpartisan, ...

Other voices: The U.S. again reels from classified leaks. This time, Ukraine’s at stake

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

The gaping holes that Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden poked into what America assumed were secure, firewalled troves of classified data taught Washington a sobering lesson about the importance of keeping secrets leakproof.It seems Washington needs a refresher course.The Pentagon is scrambling to find the source responsible for a tranche of leaked documents, the release of which reveals timely information that could severely compromise Ukraine’s bid to defeat Russian forces. The task of tracking down the culprit or culprits is now in the hands of the Justice Department.In the short term, there’s a good deal at stake. The leaked data includes maps revealing the potential location of Ukrainian air defenses as Kyiv braces for what is expected to be a bloody, challenging escalation in fighting this spring in the country’s eastern Donbas region.The leaked data also exposes the level of concern felt by both Kyiv and Washington over Ukraine’s dwindling stockpile o...

Ashish Thakrar: Why are we denying people with opioid addiction the most effective treatment?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

When you receive a scary diagnosis — for cancer, heart disease or other serious illness — one of your first calls is probably to a doctor who can offer the full range of evidence-based care. But if your diagnosis were for opioid addiction and you came to see me, an addiction specialist, federal regulations written half a century ago would bar me from prescribing the most effective treatment: methadone.The U.S. lost more than 100,000 people to overdoses in 2021 in a crisis now dominated by fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. That’s more than twice the number of deaths at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1995. When officially tallied, overdose deaths in 2022 will also exceed 2020 levels.Last month, the FDA made naloxone — the safe and effective drug that can reverse an overdose as it’s happening, of which Narcan is the best-known brand — available over the counter. If manufacturers set an affordable price, expanded access to naloxone could sav...

Resident: Cars ticketed, towed with 30 minute warning

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Bettina Giallanza, 33, of Lansingburgh, recently moved to the Capital Region from Florida. She said she was in for a rude welcome when she was ticketed by the city—and her neighbors towed—with almost no warning. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Giallanza lives near Jimmy's Pizza and Hot dog Charlie's, a couple streets east of the bridge to Van Schaick Island. Her Ring security camera footage, taken at around 8:10 a.m. and 8:46 a.m., paints a mysterious picture. Check out the earlier video: Several cars towed in Albany after no parking sign altered At 8:09 a.m. there is no sign, but at 8:46 a.m.—with towing and ticketing already underway—a sign is there. Take a look: The white vehicle in the footage was reportedly towed; Giallanza's was not. Though she was ticketed for $50, she was able to move her car in time. She has contested the ticket ...

Drag storytime turns controversial in Lake Luzerne

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

LAKE LUZERNE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A planned drag queen story hour is set to come to Rockwell Falls Public Library this Saturday, featuring an Albany-based drag performer. While the library has promoted the event as part of its mission for cultural growth, some Lake Luzerne residents have disagreed - and made their feelings known. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Tuesday night, residents came to a meeting of the library board to voice concerns about having a drag performer host an event for their children. The meeting was held to accept the resignation of library board President Stephanie Lansburg - unrelated to the drag topic. Once official business concluded, the conversation took a turn toward the group of citizens waiting in the wings.As first reported by the Albany Times-Union newspaper, around 40 people showed up at the meeting to speak out against what they considered a threat to their children. Attendees were quoted as...

Illinois police investigate at least 21 school threats Wednesday

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

MT. VERNON, Ill. - Many schools around Illinois, including some in the Metro East, were disrupted by threats Wednesday. A spokesperson from Illinois State Police tells FOX 2 that at least 19 Illinois counties and 21 schools across the state have received threats directed toward their campus. None of the reports have been deemed credible as of 3 p.m. Wednesday. "Responders have not located any actual threats as a result of these calls. The Illinois State Police Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center currently has no information concerning credible threats related to school safety. Law enforcement, public safety, and private sector security officials are encouraged to remain vigilant and report all suspicious behavior to local police agencies," said Illinois State Police in a statement to FOX 2. Trending: Minnesota man steals semi-truck, leads to police chase in St. Louis County Several reports of threats and swatting are also being investigated at Illinois schools around...

Rockies lose 7-4, drop series to Cardinals as Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman hit key homers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

In a game of inches, C.J. Cron’s foot was just off first base as he received the throw in the eighth inning, after he initially broke toward the second base hole on a chopped grounder before sprinting back to cover the bag.Willson Contreras, hustling down the line, was ruled safe on the play that could’ve ended the inning. The next batter, Nolan Gorman, launched a two-run, opposite-field homer with two outs off Rockies sidearmer Justin Lawrence.Gorman’s swing following Cron’s error was the final turning point in Wednesday’s matinee, and the three-game series against St. Louis, as the Cardinals beat Colorado 7-4 to win both in the Rockies’ opening homestand finale at Coors Field.Jurickson Profar teed off on Jack Flaherty’s first pitch of the game, a dead-red fastball that Profar sent 400 feet into the right-field seats to give Colorado an early 1-0 lead. But St. Louis took advantage of its own meatball the next inning. Tyler O’Neill cra...

Evacuations ordered as fire spreads across 40 acres, threatening structures near Hartsel

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

A wildfire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in South Park has burned more than 40 acres, threatening three structures, and county emergency managers ordered evacuations of people and animals.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Rampart fire west of Colorado Springs smoldering but mostly under control Crime and Public Safety | Rampart fire burns 20 acres in El Paso County Crime and Public Safety | Aurora, Denver firefighters extinguish two brush fires near I-70 and Peña Boulevard Crime and Public Safety | Cause of Sunday’s fire in Cimarron Hills deemed suspicious Crime and Public Safety | 403 fire still burning on 1,518 acres in Park, Teller counties; containment delayed by limited crew The fire began on private land and was smoldering on dry terrain in the town of Hartsel near Latigo Loop and McMurray Road, Park County authorities said.“We’re very concerned about the wind, the conditio...

Teen shot to death during possible attempted robbery in Koreatown

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:28:32 GMT

A teen who was a passenger in a vehicle was shot to death during a possible attempted robbery in Koreatown Tuesday night, police said.The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of 7th and Berendo streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.A man approached the vehicle in what is believed to be an attempted robbery and shot at the vehicle as the driver quickly drove away, police said.The teen passenger was struck by the gunfire and the driver tried to drive him to the hospital.The driver spotted LAPD officers at Olympic Boulevard and Burlington Avenue and asked for help. That's when officers attempted life-saving measures before Los Angeles firefighters arrived, but the teen was pronounced dead, police said.The suspected shooter was last seen running away on 7th Street. He is believed to be in his early 20s.No further details about the incident have been released.Anyone with additional information about the shooting is asked to call the LAPD’s west bure...