Off-duty corrections officer killed in ‘targeted’ attack: Police
Thinkstock Images/Getty Images
(PALM BEACH, Fla.) — An off-duty corrections officer in Florida was shot and killed in a “targeted attack,” according to police.
The incident occurred at 7:32 p.m. when deputies from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office in Florida were dispatched to reports of gunfire in the 1400 block of NW Avenue D, in Belle Glade, according to a statement from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday
“The victim is an off-duty PBSO Corrections Deputy, who was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, but unfortunately was pronounced dead shortly after arriving,” authorities said. “Further investigation determined that this incident was targeted.”
Officials have not yet named the deputy but did confirm that the officer killed was 39-years-old and had been with the agency for three years, police said.
Authorities also did not release any information on their investigation or why they were able to conclude that the attack was targeted at the officer involved.
A ceremonial escort took place on Tuesday evening in honor of the slain offifer from St. Mary’s Hospital to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
“We are distraught to say the least,” said the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said that additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
(LOS ANGELES) — A perfect storm of weather and climate conditions made the California wildfires nearly impossible to contain once they ignited, according to experts.
In a typical fire management scenario, containing the fire by setting up a perimeter and trying to keep it from spreading further is often the first line of defense for firefighters to get the blaze under control, according to Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’ team of experts on fire research in California.
But a confluence of events — hurricane-force winds, low humidity levels and dry conditions — allowed the fires to explode after the initial spark, Rachel Cleetus, policy director for the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told ABC News.
Trying to contain the fire under the wind scenario was “untenable,” Quinn-Davidson said.
“Keeping people safe was the No. 1 objective — evacuating people, keeping firefighters safe,” Quinn-Davidson said.
The fires have prompted mandatory evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people and ripped through entire neighborhoods in a matter of hours. At least five people have died and several others were injured as a result of the fires, according to officials.
What we know about the containment of the wildfires so far
Five separate wildfires in the same region is proving difficult for firefighters to contain as they battle the flames amid high Santa Ana winds.
The Palisades Fire, which had burned through at least 300 structures and more than 17,000 acres in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles County, was 0% contained as of Thursday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL Fire.
Also in Los Angeles County, the Eaton Fire has burned more than 10,000 acres near the Altadena and Pasadena neighborhoods and is 0% contained, according to the state fire agency.
The Hurst Fire, burning near Diamond Road and Sylmar in Los Angeles County, was about 10% contained on Thursday as it neared 1,000 acres burned, according to Cal Fire.
On North Woodley Avenue and Sepuleveda Basin in Los Angeles County, the Woodley Fire was 0% contained after sparking on Wednesday,
The Lidia Fire, on Canyon Road in Los Angeles County, was 40% contained on Thursday, according to Cal Fire.
“Right now, it is still a very, very dangerous situation, and anybody in that zone needs to evacuate,” Cleetus said.
Why firefighters weren’t able to contain the fires immediately
Several meteorological impacts contributed to the inability to contain the fires quickly, including humidity as low as 10% and a windstorm with gusts up to 100 mph that carried embers far and wide to ignite a tinderbox landscape Just 0.16 inches of rain has fallen in the region since May, according to meteorology and fire experts, leaving the landscape parched.
Containing the fire as winds gusted at those speeds in some spots would have been virtually impossible, the experts said.
“This is just a catastrophic influence of factors that has made it really, really difficult to contain these fires,” Cleetus said.
In addition, the urban setting makes managing these types of fires much more difficult, the experts said.
In Northern California, where fires tend to be fueled by large amounts of brush in forests and wildlands, firefighters can better manage them through fire-suppression activity, Quinn-Davidson said.
But in a populated region like Los Angeles County, the spread is moving quickly from house to house as people try to evacuate — in this case even ditching cars that block roads in an attempt to outrun the flames, Quinn-Davidson said.
“There’s nothing more dangerous and difficult than fighting in close and urban settings,” Cleetus said.
In addition, the firefighters have been using residential water supplies and have seen some instances where hydrants ran dry, Quinn-Davidson said.
Climate change also played a role in the severity of the fires
Wildfires are a natural and necessary part of Earth’s cycle, but climate change and other more direct human influences have increased their likelihood, research shows.
Wildfires in the western U.S. have become larger, more intense and more destructive in recent decades due to a combination of factors, including rapid urbanization and human-amplified climate change, according to the federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment, a breakdown of the latest in climate science, published in November 2023.
Warming temperatures, drier conditions and shifts in precipitation are contributing to an increase in the frequency of large wildfires and acres of land burned in the U.S. each year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(NEW YORK) — Stargazers can ring in the beginning of 2025 by witnessing the first meteor shower of the year.
The Quadrantids, one of the “strongest” displays of the year, are expected to peak Thursday night through early Friday morning, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).
Peak activity is predicted to occur from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. EST, during which the Quadrantids can produce about 120 meteors per hour, according to the AMS.
However, the peak is typically a much shorter timeframe than other meteor showers, according to NASA. Most meteor showers have a two-day peak, but the Quadrantids only peak for a few hours due to the shower’s thin stream of particles — and because Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle.
Therefore, Earth passes through the densest portion of the stream quickly, according to the AMS.
Where do the Quadrantids come from?
The Quadrantids originate from asteroid 2003 EH1, unlike most meteor showers, which originate from comets, according to NASA. Asteroid 2003 EH1 takes about 5.52 years to orbit the Sun and could be a “dead comet” or “rock comet,” a rare celestial body that exhibits characteristics of both an asteroid and a comet.
The “small” asteroid, with a diameter measuring only about two miles, was discovered in March 2003. Quadrantid meteors were first seen in 1825, according to NASA.
The Quadrantids are considered among astronomers as one of the “best” annual meteor showers, according to NASA. They peak every year in early January and can produce 60 to as many as 200 meteors per hour under perfect conditions.
They are also known for their bright fireballs, according to NASA. The Quadrantids originate from larger particles of material, which result in larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.
How to view the Quadrantids
The radiant for Quadrantids — the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate — is an obsolete constellation called “Quadrans Muralis,” located between the constellations of Bootes and Draco.
The best way to view the Quadrantids is from the Northern Hemisphere during the predawn hours, as this area of the sky lies very low in the northwest in the evening. But as night progresses, the sky swings 40 degrees beneath the northern celestial pole before beginning a slow rise into the northeastern sky, according to the AMS.
“It is between this time and dawn that you will have your best chance to view these meteors,” according to the AMS.
A waning crescent moon will allow skies to remain dark for good viewing conditions as long as clouds do not hamper visibility.
Viewers can lie flat on their back with feet facing northeast to take in as much of the night sky as possible, NASA said.
“By facing this direction you be able to see meteors shoot out of the radiant in all directions,” the AMS said.
With peak activity expected between 15:00 and 18:00 Universal Time, viewers in the Pacific area, including the Hawaiian Islands and Alaska, are favored to have the best viewing conditions, according to the AMS.
It is important to allow eyes to adjust to the dark for at least 30 minutes to allow for be viewing conditions, according to NASA. “Serious observers” should watch for at least an hour, as numerous peaks and valleys will occur, according to the AMS.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing a rule that will eliminate the certificates that allow employers to pay some workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, which stands at $7.25 an hour.
The department announced the change on Tuesday, which also marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
“One of the guiding principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay, and this proposal ensures that principle includes workers with disabilities,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman in a statement on the proposed rule.
She continued, “Since the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, opportunities and training have dramatically expanded to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain employment at or above the full federal minimum wage. Similarly, employers today have more resources and training available to recruit, hire and retain workers with disabilities in employment at or above the full minimum wage, and this proposed rule aligns with that reality.”
The rule, if passed, would no longer allow employers to apply for certificates under Section 14(c) of Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows for the subminimum wage. It would set a three-year phase-out period for employers who currently have existing certificates.
A 2020 report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that some workers were being paid less than a dollar an hour for their work.
The disability community faces higher rates of poverty and lower rates of employment in the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Council on Disability. Disabled advocates have long criticized Section 14(c) for perpetuating what they call discrimination and stigma.
