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Water whiplash: See how California’s drought disappeared in a few months

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

California has been on an amazing roller coaster of drought and floods recently.The three years from 2020 to 2022 were the driest three-year period in the state’s recorded history, breaking the old record set during the previous drought from 2013 to 2015, according to the state Department of Water Resources.But after a deluge this winter, reservoirs are full. Wildfire risk has dropped. Groundwater tables in many areas have risen. The Sierra snowpack, the source of 30% of California’s water supply, was at 324% of normal on Thursday, the highest level in 40 years.The extreme swings have been documented each week in color-coded maps issued by the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly report by the NOAA, the USDA and the University of Nebraska.Here’s how it unfolded: The drought began with below-average rain and snow in the winter of 2019-2020. It worsened the following winter as high-pressure ridges off the West Coast relentlessly blocked storms. By the summer of 2021, 95% of California...

What is 'revenge travel' and how could it impact your summer travel plans?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

(KRON) -- Memorial Weekend unofficially kicks off the summer travel season, but if you've been gearing up to enjoy summer travel, be prepared for crowds. Park officials list best ‘super bloom’ hot spots in South Bay Revenge travel could still impact travel costs this year, according to travel website The Vacationer. "Revenge travel" is a term coined in 2021 to describe the desire to travel after years of pandemic lockdowns, according to Alan Fyall, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Fyall says the desire is a normal one. Though most pandemic-era restrictions have since ended, many people have still had limited ability to travel over the past several years. However, that is quickly changing. Almost 85% of respondents said they intend to travel at least once this summer, according to a survey of 1,017 American adults conducted by travel company The Vacationer. (Photo by Matthew Hatc...

Man dead after ride-share vehicle strikes deer in Fairfax County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

The driver of a ride-share vehicle is dead after colliding with a deer along the Dulles Airport Access Highway in Fairfax County, Virginia, on Wednesday night.The deadly collision happened in the westbound lanes of the Dulles Airport Access Highway, a mile after Interstate 495 at around 8:30 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department.The man who was driving the car died at the scene. A passenger was transported to a hospital for treatment by the Fairfax County Fire Department, police said.Dulles Airport-bound traffic was redirected to the Dulles Toll Road for about four hours, as police conducted an accident investigation.Source

Stephanie Beatriz of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ to serve as Indy 500 grand marshal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Stephanie Beatriz, who starred as Detective Rosa Diaz on the TV show “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and voiced Madrigal on the Academy Award-winning film “Encanto,” will serve as the grand marshal for the Indianapolis 500 later this month.The track announced Tuesday the award-winning actress, who will star in the upcoming show “Twisted Metal,” will walk the Indy 500 red carpet on May 28 before giving the command for drivers to report to their cars.“Stephanie brings a fresh energy and excitement to pre-race ceremonies that both spectators at the track and everyone watching on NBC and Peacock will appreciate,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said.Practice for the race began Tuesday and continues throughout the week, with qualifying on Saturday and Sunday. The annual Carb Day festivities include a final practice and concerts by Bryan Adams and Soul Asylum before the race-day events culminate with the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”C...

Youngkin endorses 6 candidates in contested Republican primaries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin is set to issue a third round of endorsements Thursday in Virginia legislative races, backing 19 more Republican candidates, including six who are in contested primaries. Among those set to receive the governor’s nod are Emily Brewer and Tara Durant, both members of the House of Delegates facing spirited challenges for the GOP nomination in state Senate races. Youngkin is also backing Senate candidate Bill Woolf and House of Delegates candidates John Stirrup, Lee Peters and Buddy Fowler, an incumbent, over other GOP opponents, according to details provided to The Associated Press ahead of a formal announcement.“I know this group of candidates – which includes experienced legislators, law enforcement officials, small business leaders and business executives – are committed to making Virginia the best place in America to live, work, and raise a family. Together, we will strengthen the spirit of Virginia and deliver results,” Youngki...

‘Drag is something to celebrate’: San Francisco to name 1st-in-nation drag laureate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Anti-trans legislation is roiling the nation. Bills prohibiting drag performances are cropping up in statehouses. Violence and vitriol are turning children’s drag story hour events into headline-news protests.San Francisco is fighting back Thursday by naming the nation’s first drag laureate, an ambassador-style position designed to represent the city’s famous LGBTQ+ community at a time when rights are under attack.In a city known for its support of LGBTQ+ rights, San Francisco Mayor London Breed says it was a natural step to create a position that not only embraces drag culture but puts government resources toward it. D’Arcy Drollinger, a well-known drag performer and nightclub owner, will receive a $55,000 stipend in her 18-month role as the city’s inaugural drag laureate.“My goals are to make San Francisco sparkle. I think drag performers bring a lot of sparkle and humor and glamor and silliness to the world. I think that is part of why drag is so ...

PGA Live Updates | PGA Championship underway after frost delay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The PGA Championship is officially underway at Oak Hill.Shaun Micheel, the 2003 PGA champion, kicked off golf’s second major of the year with the opening tee shot following a frost delay of nearly two hours.The delay likely means the groups in the 156-player field teeing off later in the day may have trouble finishing their rounds on the East Course before darkness.Defending champion Justin Thomas begins his bid for a third PGA championship a little after 10 a.m. EDT. Thomas is playing with two-time PGA champion Rory McIlroy and 2020 PGA champion Collin Morikawa.Masters champion and No. 1 Jon Rahm is playing with British Open champion Cameron Smith and U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. Scottie Scheffler, the world’s second-ranked player, is in a group that includes two-time PGA champion Brooks Koepka.Thick rough and chilly temps in the morning will make the par-70 layout even more difficult for the early starters. Temperatures are expected to ri...

Latino history largely ignored in U.S. textbooks, study finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

Though the percentage of Latino students is on the rise in the U.S., high school textbooks used across the country largely ignore Latino history, a new study has found.Researchers with Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and UnidosUS, a national Latino advocacy and research organization, developed a list of 222 important Latino history topics, but found only 12% of those were covered well.The study, released Tuesday, comes amid a rise in the number of Hispanic students in U.S. public schools. Between the fall of 2009 and fall of 2020, the percentage of Hispanic public school students increased from 22% to 28%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.Recent growth in the U.S. Hispanic population has been largely driven by births rather than by immigration, the Pew Research Center said in 2022.Hispanic students are currently projected to become 30% of the U.S. student population by 2030, according to federal education data.More inclusion in textbooks wonR...

New study shows Colorado does not have the worst drivers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- While Colorado drivers rank in the bottom half of drivers in other states, they aren't the worst in the United States.A new study by Forbes shows that Colorado actually ranks number 19 when it comes to worst drivers across the country. Deputy in El Paso County catches driver going 113 mph The study compared all states on six metrics:Number of drunk drivers involved in fatal car accidents per 100,000 licensed driversNumber of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver per 100,000 licensed driversNumber of fatal car accidents involving a drowsy driver per 100,000 licensed driversNumber of fatal car accidents involving a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street or on the wrong side of the road per 100,000 licensed driversNumber of fatal car accidents involving a driver who failed to obey traffic signs, traffic signals or a traffic officer per 100,000 licensed driversNumber of drivers who looked at a phone per mileWhich states have the worst dri...

Denver cracks into top 10 for wettest May on record

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:11:28 GMT

 DENVER (KDVR) — It has been a wet start to spring and now Denver is officially on the list for the top 10 wettest Mays on record.As of May 17, 4.70 inches of rainfall has been recorded at Denver International Airport for the month. This amount is enough to put May 2023 on the list as the tenth wettest May on record for Denver. How dandelions benefit lawns, gardens and critters This beats the 4.67 inches of rainfall in May of 1995 and is still behind the ninth-place spot, which is 4.77 inches in May of 1967. All it will take is another quarter of an inch of rainfall to tie the number five spot of wettest Mays in Denver, set in 1935. The wettest May on record was 8.57 inches back in 1876, which is still the wettest month ever recorded for Denver. There is still another two weeks left in May, and more showers are in the forecast. The Denver area is on track for another 0.4 inches of rainfall. Climate outlook shows rain in forecast through end of May If that amount of rainfall i...