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Oil boom transforms Guyana, prompting a scramble for spoils

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

ANN’S GROVE, Guyana (AP) — Villagers in this tiny coastal community lined up on the soggy grass, leaned into the microphone and shared their grievances as someone in the crowd yelled, “Speak the truth!” And so they did. One by one, speakers listed what they wanted: a library, streetlights, school buses, homes, a grocery store, reliable electricity, wider roads and better bridges. “Please help us,” said Evadne Pellew-Fomundam — a 70-year-old who lives in Ann’s Grove, one of Guyana’s poorest communities — to the country’s prime minister and other officials who organized the meeting to hear people’s concerns and boost their party’s image ahead of municipal elections.The list of needs is long in this South American country of 791,000 people that is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest offshore oil producer, placing it ahead of Qatar, the United States, Mexico and Norway. The oil boom will generate billions of dollars for this largely impoverished nation. It̵...

Ex-Uber security chief sentenced for data-breach cover-up

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The former chief security officer for Uber was sentenced to probation Thursday for trying to cover up a 2016 data breach in which hackers accessed tens of millions of customer records from the ride-hailing service.Joseph Sullivan was sentenced to a three-year term of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $50,000, the U.S. attorney’s office announced.Sullivan, 54, of Palo Alto was convicted by a federal jury in San Francisco last October of obstructing justice and concealing knowledge that a federal felony had been committed.It was believed to be the first criminal prosecution of a company executive over a data breach.Sullivan was hired as Uber’s chief security officer in 2015. In November 2016, Sullivan was emailed by hackers, and employees quickly confirmed that they had stolen records on about 57 million users and also 600,000 driver’s license numbers, prosecutors said.After learning of the breach, Sullivan began a scheme to hide it from the public and ...

New tech helps chemo target hard-to-reach brain tumors

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

There is a new hope for patients with the deadliest form of brain cancer.It’s a breakthrough and that’s exactly what this latest technology does – it breaks through the brain’s natural shield so the most powerful chemotherapy drugs can finally reach a tumor.Dr Adam Sonabend is a neurosurgeon with Northwestern Medicine.“These tumors universally recur,” he said.It’s been the greatest challenge for doctors like Sonabend and Roger Stupp, who treat patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive and lethal brain cancer.“Most drugs that we can use for treating cancer do not reach into these tumor cells that are hidden in the brain,” Sonabend said. “That’s because of this structure called the blood brain barrier.”That’s because the naturally protective structure has been impermeable – until now.Using an implantable device, equipped with nine ultrasound emmitters, the Northwestern Medicine team is able to deliver the most potent chemotherapy drugs across the barrier. Does your wearable tech act...

Warm Pattern Becoming Firmly Established—Chicago Headed For Its Warmest Weekend Of The Year!

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

Warm Pattern Becoming Firmly Established And Has Chicago Headed For Its Warmest Weekend Of The Year—it's To Average 21° Warmer Than Last Weekend & Beat The Previous Warmest Weekend Of 2023 By Nearly 17°FINALLY!! Dramatically warmer weather is sweeping over the area--and modeling has even backed off on the intensity and degree of inland penetration of cooling lake breezes in coming days! Talk about a WIN-WIN!! To be sure, there WILL be some lakeside cooling in coming days-—it just won't reach as far inland as predicted earlier.Warmest Weekend of the Year YetThis weekend is to be the warmest of the year to date—likely to come in 21-degrees warmer than last weekend. I'm expecting this weekend to average 69-degrees up from last weekend's chilly 48° average. If the 69° average verifies, it will come in nearly 17 degrees warmer than our previous warmest weekend of 2023 which averaged 52° April 8-9.ONE WORD OF CAUTION—There are some indications a front could oscillate north and south a...

Drying overnight with higher storm chances Friday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Thursday marked 'day 1' of an active weather pattern settling in over Central Texas.One severe storm moved through Lampasas County overnight bringing the threat for large hail, but the rest of Central Texas stayed dry.A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect for Lampasas and Milam Counties until midnight. The watch has been cancelled earlier for the rest of the Hill Country.As drier weather settles in low clouds and areas of fog will develop to start your Friday. Clouds will give way to sunshine more quickly on Friday pushing temperatures up near 90, while the humidity stays high.Friday's forecastSevere weather is possible again Friday after 4 p.m. through late evening and again during the second half of the day on Saturday. Neither day looks to be a washout, but of the two, we're a little more concerned about storm potential during the Friday evening commute for parts of the Austin Metro.SEVERE: Slight risk (2 out of 5) west of I-35 with a marginal risk (1 out...

Blanton Museum of Art to hold grand opening celebration for new Moody Patio

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Blanton Museum of Art’s Moody Patio is now open to everyone, and the grand opening celebration of the newly reimagined outdoor space is on May 13.Access to the grounds and outdoor celebration is free, according to the museum; however, entry to Austin by Ellsworth Kelly and the museum’s galleries requires an admission ticket or Blanton Member card.The museum said the celebration will begin at 2 p.m. with a performance by Gina Chavez, followed by remarks by Blanton Director Simone Wicha and special guests and an announcement of a participatory art experience by the Haas Brothers.Starting at 4 p.m. there will be a performance by the Peterson Brothers, and at 6 p.m. a DJ set by Adrian Quesada.During the celebration, visitors were encouraged to explore the new landscape and architectural features throughout the grounds, as well as four new large-scale art installations. The museum said self-guided family activities would also be available...

Nashville ruins Brent Headrick’s strong start as Saints fall in 10

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

The final score of the St. Paul Saints’ 10-8, 10-inning loss to the Nashville Sounds on Thursday night at CHS Field suggests otherwise, but a top Twins pitching prospect put together an impressive outing for the second straight game.A day after right-hander Jordan Balazovic looked very much like one of the best arms in the organization after a rough 2022 season, left-hander Brent Headrick got the start and added to what has been a meteoric rise through the organization.Two weeks removed from his major league debut, the 25-year-old Headrick struck out nine in 3 2/3 innings while also pitching into some bad luck, leaving with the score tied 4-4.Headrick struck out the first four batters he faced before giving up an opposite-field home run. All three outs in the second inning were via the strikeout.Seemingly cruising with a 4-1 lead after the Saints (16-12) scored four runs in the first inning, Headrick ran into trouble in the fourth, surrendering three runs and the lead. The Sounds (1...

St. Charles family warns of floating lantern danger  

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - St. Charles resident Chris Howle believes a floating lantern with a lit candle is to blame for damage to her backyard pool.She said she believed the lantern landed at her pool after being released from a nearby remembrance ceremony in April. The pool cover caught fire and left behind extensive damage.Howle’s husband used a hose to extinguish the fire and found the remains of the floating lantern by the pool. Neighbors reported witnessing several floating lanterns sail by homes in the Covington neighborhood the day the fire was reported. Prosecutor from Kim Gardner’s office dies on I-270 “I’m sure the people lighting it off did not do it intentionally to burn up my pool,” Howle said.She’s warning others about what happened in hopes of preventing future damage, injury, or even death.Some families use floating lanterns with candles to pay tribute to loved ones. They are released and travel toward the sky the same way a hot air balloon rises.St. Charles City Deputy ...

Kim Garner supporters upset; some not surprised by her resignation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Many of Kim Gardner's longtime supporters were disappointed at the news of her resignation on Thursday, although some say they are not surprised.Reverand Darryl Gray, with the Baptist Ministers Union and Community Justice Coalition, has been in the fight to defend Gardner from the beginning of her battles."It's disheartening. I wish that I could say that I'm surprised, but with the barrage that was levied against her from day one," he said. "The exodus of prosecutors with the exclusion lists with the Greitens trial—everything else—she had to deal with it, the reality became how much more can you stand."Gray said the full court press by the legislature to give the governor the power to appoint a special prosecutor was really the beginning of the end for Gardner. Prosecutor from Kim Gardner’s office dies on I-270 "The attorney general suing you, and then you've got the legislature creating legislation to get rid of you. How much more is expected," he said. "I think today...

Cinco de Mayo: Local restaurants hope for return of pre-pandemic crowds

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Rain or shine, Cinco de Mayo traditions at Hacienda Mexican Restaurant are a go. But bar manager Joe Schad says it’ll be a lot simpler if the weather cooperates.“We’ll put up more tents than we normally would, hoping that it’ll come and go. Last year, we had the same situation and it worked out fine,” Schad said. “We’re hoping for the best and we’ll accommodate as we go.”Friday’s chance of rain looks highest in the morning, with just hit or miss showers later in the day.And with this forecast, preparations are well underway for Hacienda’s biggest day of the year. They’re anticipating larger crowds since it’s falling on a Friday.“I’m hoping for tomorrow and, this is just me, I’m hoping that maybe you know anywhere from 4,000 people on-and-off throughout the day, kind of coming and going situation, would be nice,” Schad said. As legal battles mount, Kim Gardner takes nursing classes The staff here is looking forward to the party in the wake of the pandemic.“It’s a first ...