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Downed A/C unit halts elective surgeries at Miami VA Healthcare System amid excessive heat warnings

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

According to The Miami Herald, elective surgeries have been temporarily suspended at the Miami VA Healthcare System due to a malfunctioning air conditioning (A/C) unit. The disruption comes at a time when Miami-Dade County is grappling with persistent excessive heat warnings.The Miami VA Healthcare System informed the Miami Herald on Tuesday that a malfunctioning A/C unit forced the hospital to halt all elective surgeries. Hospital officials stated that efforts are underway to fix the issue, with maintenance crews working diligently to restore normal operations. In the meantime, patients who had scheduled elective surgeries will have their procedures rescheduled based on their medical needs. Some surgeries have been relocated within the facility, located at 1201 NW 16th St., in order to minimize potential risks and ensure patient safety.The Miami Herald also stated that one of the facility’s primary chillers went offline while workers conducted a routine clean-up. Nurses told ...

No injuries reported after light pole falls on transit bus in NW Miami-Dade

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

No injuries were reported after an incident involving a Miami-Dade Transit bus sparked a response from local authorities in Northwest Miami-Dade.On Tuesday, just after 5 p.m., Miami-Dade police units responded to the scene of Northwest 103rd Street and 27th Avenue after a light pole fell onto a Miami-Dade Transit bus. While the bus was occupied at the time of the incident, reports confirmed that there were no injuries sustained by passengers or the driver. The exact circumstances leading to the light pole’s collapse are currently under investigation by authorities. It is yet to be determined whether adverse weather conditions, equipment failure, or other factors contributed to the incident.

Turtle takes unexpected stroll into Iron Knight Gym in Port Saint Lucie

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

PORT SAINT LUCIE, Fla. (WSVN) — In an unusual turn of events, a turtle managed to bypass membership requirements and ventured into the Iron Knight Gym through an open garage door earlier this week. The incident left the gym manager amused as the reptile roamed around the exercise facility.Nikki Baker, unexpectedly found herself in a unique workout session as she attempted to guide the uninvited tortoise back outdoors. Armed with nothing but a towel, Baker gently coaxed the tortoise away from the gym equipment.“It’s a turtle. I don’t know if I should pick you up; I don’t want you to snap at me. And I don’t want to hurt you,” Baker said. She continued to express her surprise, stating, “You always think turtles are slow, but no, this guy was going.”The tortoise eventually heeded the manager’s efforts and left the premises.

Taylor Swift leads with 8 nods as the MTV Video Music Award nominations are announced

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

(CNN) — MTV has revealed the nominations for the 2023 “Video Music Awards” (VMAs).Taylor Swift leads the pack with eight nominations, including a repeat “Video of the Year” nod after breaking records last year to become the only artist to win three times in the category. She is followed this year by SZA with six nominations, and Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith, who all have five nominations each. BLACKPINK, Diddy and Shakira each have four.First-time nominees include Kim Petras, along with Metro Boomin and Rema with three nods each, and Ayra Starr, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Reneé Rapp and Yung Miami with two apiece. Other artists receiving first-time nods include Aespa, boygenius, Burna Boy, Davido, Eslabon Armado, FLETCHER, Lauren Spencer Smith, Musa Keys, FIFTY FIFTY, JVKE, PinkPantheress, Saucy Santana, Stephen Sanchez and Toosii, among others.Starting on Tuesday, fans can vote across the 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting...

Americans are pulling money out of their 401(k) plans at an alarming rate

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

Minneapolis (CNN) — More Americans are tapping their 401(k) accounts because of financial distress, according to Bank of America data released Tuesday.The number of people who made a hardship withdrawal during the second quarter surged from the first three months of the year to 15,950, an increase of 36% from the second quarter of 2022, according to Bank of America’s analysis of clients’ employee benefits programs, which are comprised of more than 4 million plan participants.It’s a “pretty troubling” development if more people are resorting to making hardship withdrawals, Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree, told CNN.“You understand why people do that in the heat of the moment, but the opportunity costs on that are really, really high over time,” he said.Bank of America’s latest Participant Pulse report also found that a greater percentage of participants borrowed from their workplace plans from the first quarter, and average contributions trailed off as well.However, o...

New variant EG.5 is on the rise as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations go up

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

(CNN) — There’s a new coronavirus variant topping the leaderboard in the United States: EG.5.Nationally, EG.5 is causing about 17% of new Covid-19 cases in the country, compared with 16% for the next most common lineage, XBB.1.16, according to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.EG may sound like a whole new flavor of the virus, but it’s not; it’s a spinoff of the XBB recombinant strain of the Omicron family. And it represents another incremental tweak to the virus rather than a major evolutionary leap like the original Omicron strain.Compared with its parent XBB.1.9.2, it has one extra mutation to its spike, at position 465. This mutation has appeared in other coronavirus variants before. Scientists aren’t sure exactly what new tricks it enables the virus to do, but variant hunters are paying attention because many of the new XBB descendants have adopted it.The 465 mutation is present in about 35% of coronavirus seque...

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Senior lawmakers from the United States and Europe are calling for a change in the Western diplomatic approach toward Serbia and Kosovo amid concern that tensions between the two could rapidly spiral out of control.In the letter, signed by U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his counterparts in Germany, the U.K., Ukraine and other countries, the lawmakers said U.S. and European Union negotiators were not putting enough pressure on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.Serbia and its former province of Kosovo have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refuses to recognize the move.“It is hugely underestimated how serious the situation is that the EU and allies have brought themselves into with the continued appeasement of autocrats in the region like Vucic and (Bosnian Serb leader Milorad) Dodik,” on...

WSP Global raises earnings forecast as earnings climb

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

MONTREAL — WSP Global Inc. is raising its earnings forecast for the year amid rising revenues fuelled by organic growth as well as recent acquisitions.In the three months ended July 1, the engineering firm says net earnings attributable to shareholders rose to $150.7 million from $89.3 million in the same period a year earlier.The Montreal-based company says revenues jumped to $3.63 billion in its second quarter from $2.76 billion the year before, pushed up by organic growth of net revenue that topped nine per cent.WSP says adjusted net earnings increased to $1.56 per share versus $1.30 per share a year prior, beating expectations of $1.49 per share, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.On the heels of at least eight acquisitions since May 2022, WSP says it expects revenues for this year to hit between $10.7 billion and $11 billion, up from a previous outlook of $10 billion to $10.6 billion.The company is projecting adjusted earnings of $1.9 billion to $1.93 billion ve...

A Finnish man places 26.5 pounds of dynamite in a friend’s vehicles and claims it was a joke

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Finnish man reportedly stored 12 kilograms (26.5 pounds) of dynamite in two cars belonging to a friend, saying it “was a joke”, Finland broadcaster YLE said Wednesday.The owner of the two cars didn’t see it as funny and informed the police who briefly detained the potential prankster. He was eventually freed but remains a suspect. He admitted to placing the explosives on Aug. 3 in the cars but said he didn’t intend to blow them up, YLE reported.Police have also ruled out any possible terrorist intent. The suspect faces up to two years in prison.Tony Rauma with the local police told YLE the men knew each other and live in a small village in the western part of Finland.It was not known where the explosives came from.None of the men were identified.The Associated Press

Metro sees profits shoot up amid surging same-store sales growth

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:18:00 GMT

MONTREAL — Metro Inc. says earnings surged in its latest quarter, fuelled by higher same-door sales.In the quarter ended July 1, the grocery and drug store retailer says net earnings skyrocketed 26 per cent to $346.7 million from $275 million a year earlier.Metro says the massive gains in its third quarter are due in part to a tax benefit after the Canada Revenue Agency granted capital losses to the company that had previously been disallowed.Nonetheless, adjusted net earnings rose 11 per cent to $314.8 million last quarter from $283.8 million the year before, while adjusted fully diluted net earnings leaped 14 per cent to $1.35 per share from $1.18 per share.Analysts had expected adjusted net earnings of $1.29 per share, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.The Montreal-based company says sales increased by 10 per cent to $6.43 billion from $5.87 billion a year prior, boosted by same-store sales growth of nine per cent.The hefty third-quarter earnings come as Metro gr...