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Tourist sub customer calls his 2021 dive to the Titanic a 'kamikaze operation'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — As an international search continued for a vessel that disappeared after setting out for the underwater wreckage of the Titanic, a man who was one of the submersible company’s first customers characterized a dive he made to the site two years ago as a “kamikaze operation.”“You have to be a little bit crazy to do this sort of thing,” said Arthur Loibl, a 61-year-old retired businessman and adventurer from Germany.Loibl told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he first had the idea of seeing the Titanic wreckage while on a trip to the South Pole in 2016. At the time, a Russian company was offering dives for half a million dollars.After Washington state-based OceanGate announced its own operation a year later, he jumped at the chance, paying $110,000 for a dive in 2019 that fell through when the first submersible didn’t survive testing. Cardi B criticizes stepson of billionaire on missing submersible for attending concert Two years later he went on a voyage that was ...

Musk says 'cis,' 'cisgender' considered slurs on Twitter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

(The Hill) - Elon Musk said the words “cis” and “cisgender” are now considered slurs on Twitter and suggested that “repeated, targeted” use of those words could be subject to suspensions.“Repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions,” Musk wrote on Twitter just after midnight Wednesday morning. “The words ‘cis’ or ‘cisgender’ are considered slurs on this platform.”Musk was responding to a tweet by James Esses, a self-described “advocate on gender ideology” who has repeatedly expressed views that widely would be considered anti-trans. In his tweet, Esses said he received “a slew of messages from trans activists” that were critical of a previous post, in which he rejected the term “cis” and said he no longer wants to be described that way. The word cisgender is commonly used to refer to people who are not transgender or gender-fluid. Merriam-Webster defines the word as “of, re...

Search for missing Titanic submersible nears the critical mark for oxygen supply

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic neared the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air is expected to run out, reaching a vital moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard.The Titan submersible was estimated to have a 96-hour supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic. That means the deadline to find and rescue the sub is roughly between 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT) and 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), based on information the U.S. Coast Guard and company behind the expedition have provided.Experts emphasized that is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived since the sub disappeared Sunday morning.Frank Owen, a submarine search-and-rescue expert, said the oxygen supply figure is a useful “target” for searchers, but is only based on a “nominal amount of consumption.” Owen sa...

Tornadoes tear through northern Texas town, killing 4 people and causing widespread damage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

MATADOR, Texas (AP) — A line of severe storms produced multiple tornadoes Wednesday evening on the Rolling Plains in Texas, killing at least four people and causing significant damage around the northern town of Matador.Lubbock Fire Rescue said on Twitter Thursday morning there were at least four confirmed fatalities and ten injured. Seven of those injured were transported for treatment by EMS and three by personal vehicles, the tweet said. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported that the storms also produced softball-size hail and wind gusts topping 100 mph (161 kph) in other communities including Jayton, which also was under a tornado warning as the line moved southeast Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Lubbock.Matador Mayor Pat Smith said initially at least three people had been killed, that others may be injured and that there was “a whole lot of damage,” The New York Times reported.There were widespread power outages across the Rolling Plains, includi...

'Feels like' temps topping 100+ degrees next 7 days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Recent rain and a slight nudge in our weather pattern well help bring relatively cooler temperatures to the forecast today... but extra emphasis on relatively. (We don't want to get your hopes up -- it's still going to be hot.)Morning storms will continue to clear with mainly to party sunny skies filling in shortly after daybreak. A few isolated storms may return late day but coverage looks limited and our severe threat will be lower than what was in place yesterday.Low risk of severe storms returns late day ThursdayAfternoon highs will return to the upper 90s today, but due to a bump in soil moisture and a slight westerly shift in the high pressure system that's been baking the state the last week, temperatures won't be quite as hot. Keep in mind, despite a "slight" decrease in air temperatures, heat index values are still likely to exceed 105° in most areas.Forecast heat index values Thursday afternoonA Heat Advisory is in effect 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. today.Heat Adviso...

Round Rock ISD staff to get discounted rent at 4 apartment complexes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) – Round Rock ISD said Wednesday the Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Texas Workforce Housing Foundation to help provide staff with affordable rent prices at four apartment complexes in the Round Rock and Austin area starting in August. RRISD says budget concerns could lead to staff reassignments The foundation will establish an Affordability Fund of an initial minimum of $1 million at Legends Lakeline, Legends Lake Creek, Enclave at La Frontera  and Lakeside at La Frontera to be used exclusively to provide rent discounts to RRISD personnel that live at these apartment complexes, according to the announcement. The level of discounted rent will depend on income level.RRISD said the Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, would not cost the district anything.The district gave the following examples of the discount:Income1-bedroom apartment current price1-bedroom discounted price2-bedroom current price2-bedroom discounted price$36...

Other voices: College isn’t the only path to success

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

Spurred by a robust job market, a growing number of young Americans are choosing to forgo college for the workforce. Politicians of both parties should welcome this trend and build on it — not least, by shifting resources from traditional college pathways and toward work-based alternatives that provide students with real-world skills.Last year, 62% of recent high school graduates were enrolled in college, the smallest share in two decades and eight points lower than in 2009, when enrollment peaked. Some of that drop can be attributed to pandemic-era school closures, during which many college-age students abandoned their studies and never returned. Rising wages have also made entry-level work more appealing.Yet there’s evidence that many students are not so much rejecting higher education as seeking a better return on their investment. While overall enrollment in community colleges has plunged nearly 20% since the start of the pandemic, demand has risen for two-year progr...

Five notable Twin Cities brunches to kick off summer weekend days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

Restaurants really are bouncing back!The truest sign of that has to be that brunch is popping up at some of our favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. Brunch is usually the last priority for a restaurant — mostly because chefs and servers are notoriously lukewarm about working it.But we’ve been impressed with the quality and popularity of places we’ve visited recently. Here are five notable brunches if you’re looking for a fun way to kick off a weekend morning.BaldamarN.Y.F. (not your father's) steak and eggs at Baldamar in Roseville It's part of the restaurant's Saturday Champagner brunch. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)Aglio e Olio at Baldamar in Roseville It's part of the restaurant's Saturday Champagner brunch. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)King Crab Bennie at Baldamar in Roseville It's part of the restaurant's Saturday Champagner brunch. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)Nueske's Old Fashioned at Baldamar in Roseville. (Jess Fleming / ...

‘Frantically started calling’: J. Selby’s, other businesses forced to pivot due to missed construction communication

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

Tameka Jones was getting ready to hire two new employees to work at Lip Esteem, her plant-based beauty supply store, when a notice in her mailbox derailed those plans.Just six days before construction began on a new bus rapid transit line, Jones was notified that Selby Avenue, where her 1-year-old store sits, would be closed for some 30 days during her busiest season of the year.Business owners in the historic Rondo neighborhood at the intersection of Selby Avenue and Victoria Street have dealt with a closed road, inaccessible sidewalks and a slew of other problems over the last month for the upcoming Metro Transit B Line with little to no support from local officials, Jones said.“If I would have known about the construction, I wouldn’t have invested so much into this season,” she said. Late spring is usually prime time for Lip Esteem with prom and graduation, Jones said, but this year, she worries that the product she has already invested in won’t sell due to the decreased foot tra...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Would You Lie in Court To Get Out of a Speeding Ticket?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:22 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Marty and it's about going to court for a speeding ticket. Here's the email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I have a dilemma I don't think is a big deal, but I'm catching some flack from my family and my friends for it. Recently I was coming home from work and I got a speeding ticket. I got written up for going 82 in a 55mph zone. I'm not happy about it and I don't want any points on my license. So I basically have decided that I'm going to go to court and lie about it. I'm going to tell the judge that my car can't go that fast due to an engine problem and that the most I could have been going was 62 or 63. I'm sure people do this all the time, but for some reason my husband, and my friends are telling me it's not a good idea. My husband thinks I'm setting a bad example for the kids (they'll never know), and my friends think you should never lie i...