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Tesla owners sue over battery software update impact

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

(The Hill) – Several Tesla owners filed a class action lawsuit against the electric car company on Friday, alleging that its automatic software updates have depleted their cars’ batteries or rendered them inoperable.The owners of the Tesla Model S and Model X cars claim that the software updates have occurred “without warning” and reduced the driving range of the cars by at least 20 percent. In some cases, the batteries became completely unusable, the lawsuit alleges. Some Tesla owners spent between $500 and $750 to reverse the update, while others needed to purchase a new battery for up to $15,000, according to the claim. Starbucks rolls out $1 charge for certain orders, causing confusion “When car owners purchase their vehicles, they reasonably expect that unforeseen events — like weather, accidents, or flat tires — may impact the performance of their vehicles and lead to costly repairs,” the lawsuit said. “But no reasonable consumer would expect that the car manufactu...

What washes into Austin waterways after heavy rain?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — The City of Austin's Watershed Protection Department said it is looking out for pollutants and debris that may be washed into local creeks by heavy rain this weekend.Thane Turner, environmental compliance supervisor, said common pollutants his department sees after rain events include sewage, e.coli, and oil. Austin Watershed Protection prepares for weekend storm Watershed Protection field crews are prepared to stay busy the next few days, ready to clear fallen trees and branches out of culverts.Turner said his department focuses on water quality, which often assess water after the rain falls for any hazardous changes.He said locals can take steps to help limit how many contaminants run off into Austin's creeks."A large percentage of the residents of Austin have vehicles and some of those are going to be leaking. If they're leaking onto a roadway, it will quite likely wash away. And so we encourage people to just put down a little bit of piece of cardboard or a lit...

Report: Vikings trade edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to Browns

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

It seems like edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is finally getting his wish.After posting a goodbye to the Vikings on social media earlier this offseason, Smith will reportedly play for the Cleveland Browns next season.In breaking news first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Vikings have agreed to trade Smith to the Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Additionally, the Vikings will reportedly surrender a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.After putting up 10 sacks for the Vikings last season, Smith was on the books for $9.45 million with a $15.5 million cap hit this season. Asked about Smith earlier this offseason, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wouldn’t commit to him, instead replying, “We’re in ongoing communication with him and his representatives.”The decision to move Smith seemed like a possibility at some point considering the Vikings signed ...

Jordan Addison certainly ‘looks the part’ in first practice with Vikings

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison turned heads Friday at TCO Performance Center.His effortless movement on the practice field paved the way for crisp routes for rookie quarterbacks Jaren Hall and Logan Nelson.Heck, the artistry from the first-round draft pick even attracted head coach Kevin O’Connell, who threw him a couple of passes during the first day of rookie minicamp.“I thought Jordan had a really, really good day,” O’Connell said. ‘He looks the part, which is exactly what I expected out of him.”Oh so smooth 3️⃣ @Espn_Jordan pic.twitter.com/949DbLfUna— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 12, 2023This has been a long time coming for Addison. Ever since the Vikings drafted him with the No. 23 pick in last month’s draft. the 5-foot-11, 175-pound receiver from Southern Cal has been eager to get to workNever mind that Addison impressed the Vikings in the predraft process...

New report details plan aimed to lower homicides in St. Louis region

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Two organizations in the St. Louis region have joined forces with the goal to lower homicide rates. Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the Regional Business Council released a report Friday called "The Need for a Regional Strategy to Reduce Homicides." The new 32-page report suggests that violent crime affects everyone in the region. "Where we see those numbers at an unacceptably level is around homicides," said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. "What we also found out, if you can bring homicides down, other crimes tend to go down with it." Trending Story: Kirkwood High School’s yearbook raises concerns from others The organizations called on regional officials to come together to develop a regional strategy to reduce crime. The effort comes at a time when regional leaders plan to convene in St. Louis for a regional crime summit next week. "The business community came out today in a unified front saying we have got to tackle crime I the regi...

Kayaker who lost consciousness is rescued from Clear Creek near Idaho Springs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

A kayaker who lost consciousness and was pulled from the hard-running waters of Clear Creek just east of Idaho Springs has been taken to a hospital.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Two men stranded in snowy Pike National Forest rescued by Air National Guard Crime and Public Safety | Six hurt, two critically, in mechanical collapse at Gaylord Rockies Resort’s pool area Crime and Public Safety | Distressed owl trapped in lacrosse netting rescued by Wheat Ridge officers Crime and Public Safety | Hikers are losing their shoes in Colorado’s high country, requiring rescues The incident unfolded about 12:10 p.m. Friday just off U.S. 6 about 2.5 miles east of Idaho Springs, according to an Idaho Springs Police Department news release.Other recreationists in the area pulled the 34-year-old Lakewood man out of the water and performed CPR as emergency responders rushed to the scene. A police patrol truck was u...

Death rate soars among L.A. County's homeless population

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

The mortality rate among homeless people in Los Angeles County has increased by 55% in recent years, according to the latest county public health report.In 2019, 1,289 people experiencing homelessness died. This number increased to 1,811 in 2020 and 2,201 in 2021, according to the report.The report also found that drug overdoses continue to be the leading cause of death among unhoused individuals in the county. Drug overdoses have been the leading cause of death among homeless people since 2019 and accounted for 37% of all deaths in 2020 and 2021 combined, officials said. Flesh-eating ‘zombie drug’ saturating Los Angeles streets Researchers found that overdose rates among unhoused Black and Latinx people in Los Angeles County are higher in comparison to their white counterparts. The report also said that fentanyl-related overdoses have nearly tripled since 2019 when the rate was just 20% and rose to 58% by 2021.Coronary heart disease and traffic injuries were the second and third ...

Mom donates kidney to pediatrician daughter suffering from rare disease

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

A mother lost 20 pounds to be able to donate one of her kidneys to her daughter, a pediatrician who was suffering from a rare disease, Loma Linda University Medical Center officials said.Brittany Chow would have had to have waited about 12 years for an available organ if her mother, Elizabeth Chow, hadn’t stepped in.Brittany, who is a chief pediatric resident at the Loma Linda hospital, often neglected her own check ups, but she realized she had high blood pressure and was feeling tired.She had attributed her lethargy to her job, stress levels and her weight. But one day, when she was feeling extremely tired, she was finding it difficult to catch her breath after walking up stairs.She soon went to urgent care and discovered that her blood pressure was way above average.At the emergency room, doctors began running tests and she soon got some “shocking results.”Brittany and Elizabeth Chow are seen in two photos provided by Loma Linda University Health. Elizabeth and baby Brittany are ...

Huntington Beach hit-and-run leaves man severely injured

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who left a man severely injured in Huntington Beach on Thursday.Officers responded to reports of a person lying on the road on Beach Boulevard near Stark Avenue around 11:24 p.m.When police arrived, they found a 36-year-old man with severe injuries, according to Huntington Beach police. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.A preliminary investigation revealed the victim was walking across Beach Boulevard when he was struck by a vehicle in the northbound lanes, authorities said. After the crash, the driver fled the scene, leaving the victim lying on the road. The suspect remains at large and police are asking for the public's help.Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or the events leading up to it is asked to call Investigator J. Rounds at 714-536-5666.

Here's how many earthquakes cause significant damage in California each year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

If you live in California, sooner or later you will feel an earthquake, and depending on what part of the state you are in, earthquakes could be a regular thing. California registers hundreds of earthquakes per year, but the majority of these are of low magnitudes and may not even be felt by anybody. Only the state of Alaska has more -and larger- earthquakes.The Golden State generally gets two or three large earthquakes every year that are strong enough to cause moderate damage, according to the California Department of Conservation. 5.5 magnitude earthquake shakes Northern California Earthquakes are considered "moderate" if they are between magnitude 5.0 - 5.9, "large" if they are between 6.0 - 6.9, "major" means between 7.0 - 7.9, and "great" if they are above 8.0, according to the DOC. The so-called "Big One" that is talked about in California is a hypothetical magnitude 7.8 or stronger earthquake that would likely happen in Southern California and cause upwards of 1,800 d...