Birmingham gives an emotional farewell to Ozzy Osbourne as tearful family lead tributes

Birmingham gives an emotional farewell to Ozzy Osbourne as tearful family lead tributes

By HILARY FOX and PAN PYLAS Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Ozzy Osbourne returned to the “home of metal” for the last time on Wednesday as an emotional Birmingham honored one of its most cherished sons.

Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects to the band’s frontman as his hearse made its way through the city center followed by his tearful wife and children.

The hearse carrying Osbourne, who died last Tuesday at the age of 76, went down Broad Street, one of the city’s major thoroughfare, to the Black Sabbath bench, which was unveiled on the Broad Street canal bridge in 2019.

Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects Wednesday to frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968. (July 30) (AP Video)

“Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, oi, oi, oi,” fans screamed.

Six vehicles carrying the Osbourne family followed the hearse, accompanied by police motorcycle riders and a police car.

The family emerged briefly to inspect the array of tributes, with his wife of 43 years, Sharon, visibly moved and wiping away tears.

And long after the hearse had moved on for the private funeral, the city, which has embraced its reputation as the citadel of heavy metal, was pounding to the beat of Black Sabbath.

It was in Birmingham, where he grew up, that the world-conquering heavy metal band was formed in 1968.

Osbourne embraced the city in central England as much as it embraced him, as was evident on the streets.

Long-time fan Antony Hunt said it has been an “emotional” day and that he wanted to be in the city to pay his respects.

“What’s amazing is there’s so many, such a wide variety of age groups, from little, little children, teenagers to people in their 60s, 70s, so it’s great to see that,” he said.

Katie Brazier, head of events at Birmingham City Council, said Osbourne meant “everything” to the city.

“He never forgot where he came from,” she said. “You could still hear that Brummie accent wherever he was, you know, I think some people have hidden away from the fact that they are from Birmingham and they’ve got that accent but he kept it all the way through.”

Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates — Terence Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward — were recently awarded the Freedom of the City in recognition of their services to Birmingham.

Black Sabbath’s story began in Birmingham in 1968 when the four original members were looking to escape a life of factory work. Without doubt, the sound and fury of heavy metal had its roots in the city’s manufacturing heritage. Osbourne never forgot his working-class roots.

Thousands of Black Sabbath fans paid their respects Wednesday to frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse made its way through the streets of Birmingham, the English city where he grew up and where the band was formed in 1968. (July 30)

The band has been widely credited with defining and popularizing the sound of heavy metal — aggressive, but full of melodies.

Osbourne was Black Sabbath’s frontman during its peak period in the 1970s. His antics, on and off stage, were legendary, and often fueled by drink and drugs. He was widely known as the “Prince of Darkness.”

The band’s eponymous debut album in 1970 made the U.K. top 10 and paved the way for a string of hit albums, including 1971’s “Master of Reality” and “Vol. 4” a year later. It went on to become one of the most influential and successful metal bands of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide.

At the final show on July 5, 42,000 fans watched the band perform for the first time in 20 years at Villa Park, home of the city’s biggest soccer club, Aston Villa, with Osbourne seated on a black throne. Osbourne had been in poor health in recent years, especially after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019.

Osbourne, who also had a successful solo career, found a new legion of fans in the early 2000s reality show “The Osbournes” in which he starred alongside Sharon and two youngest children, Kelly and Jack.

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Pylas contributed from London.

NTSB finds Army chopper in fatal midair crash with plane was above altitude limit

NTSB finds Army chopper in fatal midair crash with plane was above altitude limit

By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer

Investigators probing the January midair collision of a passenger plane and an Army helicopter over Washington that killed 67 people found the chopper was flying higher than the it should have been and the altitude readings were inaccurate.

The details came out of the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings in Washington, where investigators aim to uncover insights into what caused the crash between the American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas, and the Black Hawk helicopter over Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The board opened the three days of hearings by showing an animation and playing audio and video from the night of the collision, as well as questioning witnesses and investigators about how the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army may have contributed to nation’s deadliest plane crash since November 2001.

It’s likely too early for the board to identify what caused the crash.

The January incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation.

Animation, altimeter discrepancy

The hearing opened Wednesday with a video animation showing where the helicopter and airliner were leading up to the collision. It showed how the helicopter flew above the 200 feet (61 meters) altitude limit on the helicopter route along the Potomac River before colliding with the plane.

Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. So the NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit in a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies in their altimeters.

Dan Cooper with Sikorsky helicopters said that when the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was designed in the 1970s, it used a style of altimeter that was common at the time. Newer helicopters have air data computers that didn’t exist back then that help provide more accurate altitude readings.

Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that she wouldn’t find an 80 to 100 foot discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter alarming because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Below 500 feet (152 meters) , Lewis said she would be checking both instruments and cross referencing them.

She said as long as an altimeter registers an altitude within 70 feet of the published altitude before takeoff the altimeter is considered accurate under the checklists.

But previously, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy highlighted that the published helicopter routes around Washington D.C. would allow planes and helicopters to routinely come within 75 feet of each other during landing.

Army officials said Wednesday that the flight manual for these older Black Hawks doesn’t highlight the discrepancies in altimeters that has been documented previously, but typical flight separations are at least 500 feet around airports.

Previously disclosed air traffic control audio had the helicopter pilot telling the controller twice that they saw the airplane and would avoid it. The animation ended with surveillance video showing the helicopter colliding with the plane in a fiery crash.

Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Reagan airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army’s helicopters routinely flew around the nation’s capitol with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off.

Aviation attorney Bob Clifford, who is working to file one of the first lawsuits against the government next month, said he hopes NTSB will look beyond the immediate factors that caused this crash to highlight the bigger ongoing concerns in the crowded Washington airspace.

Proposed changes

Even though the final NTSB report won’t be released until sometime next year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz isn’t waiting to propose changes. He introduced legislation Tuesday that would require all aircraft operators to use both forms of ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, the technology to broadcast aircraft location data to other planes and air traffic controllers. Most aircraft today are equipped with ADS-B Out equipment but the airlines would have to add the more comprehensive ADS-B In technology to their planes.

“There cannot be a double standard in aviation safety,” Cruz said. “We should not tolerate special exceptions for military training flights, operating in congested air space.”

The legislation would revoke an exemption on ADS-B transmission requests for Department of Defense aircrafts. It also would require the FAA to evaluate helicopter routes near airports and require the Army Inspector General to review the Army’s aviation safety practices.

Homendy said her agency has been recommending that move for decades after several other crashes.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that while he’d like to discuss “a few tweaks,” the legislation is “the right approach.” He also suggested that the previous administration “was asleep at the wheel” amid dozens of near-misses in the airspace around Washington’s airspace.

‘Fact-finding proceeding’

Homendy said the hearings over the next few days will be a “fact-finding proceeding.” The NTSB will also post thousands of pages of evidence from the crash investigation online.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that he expects “we’re going to have some very uncomfortable conversations over the next two and a half days” but that “they need to be had in the clear light of day – and simply put the best interest of the traveling public ahead of any of our personal interests, perhaps.”

The hearings in Washington involve NTSB board members, investigators and witnesses for organizations involved in the crash. Panels will focus on military helicopter routes in the Washington area, collision avoidance technology and training for air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan National Airport, among other subjects.

Federal officials have also raised concerns over the nation’s outdated and understaffed air traffic control system. During January’s mid-air crash above Washington, one controller was handing both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport.

Duffy has announced a multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the system controllers use that relies on old technology like floppy disks.

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Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Ben Finley and Rio Yamat contributed to this story.

Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing and transfer portal challenges

Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing and transfer portal challenges

By MAURA CAREY AP Sports Writer

Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention.

Its importance is clear to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, who has seen all but five players from his 2023 recruiting class leave for different programs.

“Here’s what it’s not because of: the way they’re treated, because of the way they’re developed, because of the way they’re taught,” he said. “That’s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances, but you’d have to ask those guys.”

More than 3,000 Bowl Subdivision players reportedly entered the transfer portal this past spring, which would average out to about 22 players per team. For the Razorbacks, 10 starters will be back and one of them is senior defensive lineman Cam Ball. He has remained with Arkansas his entire career, a somewhat rare occurrence for an NFL hopeful these days.

“I’m just a loyal guy. I’m loyal to the state of Arkansas; Arkansas has been loyal to me,” Ball said.

Arkansas, like many schools, is also trying to scare up more money from donors as it faces the financial ramifications of the $2.8 billion House settlement; last fall, the athletic director said the school needed some $12 million more annually to “be in the NIL game from a football perspective.” Besides the money, the Razorbacks have to find talented players; Ball grew up in Atlanta, just barely within the regional footprint in which Pittman prefers to recruit.

“We have to go outside our state,” Pittman said. “In-state recruiting has changed over the last three or four years because of NIL. So you have to think about the talent — who it is versus what pay is expected. So that’s been a little bit more difficult in our state.”

Pittman isn’t the only coach who wants prospects to be familiar with what their college experience will look like before making any life-changing decisions. Florida coach Billy Napier paints a clear picture of life in Gainesville and the challenges and perks that come with it.

“We present our product in a way where we’re selling the degree, the alumni network, the Gator-made program, and you have to be up for the challenge of trying to get Florida back to where it’s been before,” he said. “And I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to keep it together.”

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class remains mostly intact, and from Napier’s perspective, hungrier than ever. Compared to other SEC teams, the Gators have had more success with retention. Napier doesn’t think it’s a coincidence.

“We told them when they came in, you know, look, it’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here. We’re in this thing for the long haul,” Napier said. “I think a lot of this is how you pitch it in recruiting. We’re going to continue to do that, and retention is more important than it’s ever been.”

Coaches scrambling to prevent transfers and maintain consistency isn’t exclusive to the SEC. The approval of the House settlement is a double-edged sword when it comes to retention, and Power Four schools and beyond are feeling the effects. Third-party NIL deals are no longer the only negotiation tactic schools need to worry about.

Complex contracts are becoming common and legal risks grow for athletes and programs alike as college football increasingly resembles the pros. Some deals are being negotiated solely by athletes as young as 18.

As a redshirt senior, Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn is used to the process.

“I wouldn’t say I was nervous (to negotiate) because this is my third year of having to do that,” Quinn said. “You’ve got to kind of stand your ground with what you feel like is your worth. If you’re comfortable with their offer, then sign. Then you have some guys that’ll leave and go to schools to get more money and stuff. That was never really like a big pusher for me, to go out and get more money because I feel like I’m in a good situation here at Louisville.”

Quinn’s loyalty could be the most convincing negotiation tactic of them all. While programs use revenue-share dollars to sway prospective transfers, coaches have begun to reward loyalty.

“To some degree, it’s capitalism that you get what you earn. So the guys that go out and play well are going to get more than the guys who haven’t proven it yet,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “Everybody on the team’s not going to make the same. Fair doesn’t always mean equal.”

But he also said the Mustangs are not going to add players “making a whole lot more than those guys who have already earned it here.”

“And I think that’s what helps us keep a good culture, is try to start with: Let’s retain first, and then whatever’s left, let’s go build the best team we can for those guys,” Lashlee said.

North Carolina State’s Dave Doeren doubled down.

“A guy that’s been on a team three years, that’s playing well and earned it on the field should make more than a guy coming in the door. I think that’s a proper way to do business,” Doeren said, though he warned that might not be the case across the board. “Right now, common sense is not prevailing in college football.”

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AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard contributed to this report.

Lantana: The sun-loving, pollinator-friendly powerhouse

Lantana: The sun-loving, pollinator-friendly powerhouse

By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener

I have grown to love lantana. I never really had anything against it. It’s just the fact I haven’t had a lot of sun areas in my landscape and lantana can take up a fair amount of room if it is happy. Most of North Carolina is hot throughout the summer and we certainly have drought periods. Lantana is made to order for these conditions.

Lantana is in the verbena family and is sometimes called “shrub verbena.” It comes in various sizes from 1 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide according to my friends at the Cooperative Extension Service. It loves full sun, moist, but well-drained soil to fully perform. Lantana grows particularly well in the piedmont and thrives on the coastal plain and coast of North Carolina. It is even salt tolerant.

There are several varieties of lantana sold in North Carolina. “Miss Huff” is by far the most popular. That cultivar is all I have ever planted. It is a perennial in much of North Carolina and has splendid flowers of an orange, yellow, pink mix. “Miss Huff actually comes from cuttings from a plant found in Athens, Georgia. “Ham and Eggs” is similar with dark pink and yellow bloom clusters that appear for many as plates of ham and eggs. It always makes me hungry to talk about this one. It is also a cultivar you should have success in perennializing. “Chapel Hill Yellow” and “Chapel Hill Gold” are also popular. They do not produce light blue flowers, but I’m sure someone is working on that. Neither are quite as hardy as “Miss Huff” or “Ham and Eggs”. There are varieties with white, lavender, red and other colors too. There are many new varieties that you may find in the spring and early summer at your local nursery. There is also a groundcover lantana known as lantana “Montevidensis” or trailing lantana. It can be used in a large container to trail over the side. It will also hold soil on a bank. This definitely needs full sun. You can find this in lavender, purple and white. This variety like the rest we have mentioned are root hardy in zone 8 areas.

Lantana, as noted in the title, is a pollinator magnet! Butterflies, bees of all kinds and hummingbirds love this plant, the bright colors and lots of nectar. Pollinators also enjoy the mild, sweet fragrance and long growing season of lantana. The leaves kind of have a herbal or pungent fragrance.

I don’t use a lot of fertilizer around my landscape, especially with blooming plants which are deterred from producing flowers if they receive a lot of nitrogen. The nitrogen will instead give you abundant green foliage instead. That is, if you don’t burn the plant with too much nitrogen. The Espoma’s products are well suited for shrubs and flowers with their low nitrogen analysis.

Most of the folks on the crew on the “Weekend Gardener” agree that you will be safer Prune lantana’s dead stems in the spring. As for the dead stems this plant produces, I usually wait until the new green foliage sprouts from the ground before I get rid of the stems. Erv Evans always recommended we consider the appearance of a perennial in the winter before we plant in a show place area in the landscape. For the same reason it is not a good idea to plant a deciduous shrub along the foundation of a house. It doesn’t look good in the winter. You may trim your lantana during the growing season to produce more blooms. Another reason to prune is to prevent seeding. Lantana is considered invasive in places like Florida and Hawaii. But I have never experienced this in my landscape, nor has anyone on the show mentioned this as a problem for North Carolina. The folks at NC State do say lantana leaves can be poisonous to animals and an irritant to human skin.

As for pests, I have never noticed any insect problems with my lantana. If you have a thriving garden you may also be lucky enough to have predators like ladybugs, dragonflies, lacewings, spiders and praying mantis to help control the “bad” bugs.

There you have lantana in a nutshell. I like them. No, I love them in a sunny landscape with pollinators flying all around. If lantana is in a full sun location, has plenty of room to grow and is not overfertilized, this plant will give years of pleasure.

Lantana: The sun-loving, pollinator-friendly powerhouse

Lantana: The sun-loving, pollinator-friendly powerhouse

By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener

I have grown to love lantana. I never really had anything against it. It’s just the fact I haven’t had a lot of sun areas in my landscape and lantana can take up a fair amount of room if it is happy. Most of North Carolina is hot throughout the summer and we certainly have drought periods. Lantana is made to order for these conditions.

Lantana is in the verbena family and is sometimes called “shrub verbena.” It comes in various sizes from 1 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide according to my friends at the Cooperative Extension Service. It loves full sun, moist, but well-drained soil to fully perform. Lantana grows particularly well in the piedmont and thrives on the coastal plain and coast of North Carolina. It is even salt tolerant.

There are several varieties of lantana sold in North Carolina. “Miss Huff” is by far the most popular. That cultivar is all I have ever planted. It is a perennial in much of North Carolina and has splendid flowers of an orange, yellow, pink mix. “Miss Huff actually comes from cuttings from a plant found in Athens, Georgia. “Ham and Eggs” is similar with dark pink and yellow bloom clusters that appear for many as plates of ham and eggs. It always makes me hungry to talk about this one. It is also a cultivar you should have success in perennializing. “Chapel Hill Yellow” and “Chapel Hill Gold” are also popular. They do not produce light blue flowers, but I’m sure someone is working on that. Neither are quite as hardy as “Miss Huff” or “Ham and Eggs”. There are varieties with white, lavender, red and other colors too. There are many new varieties that you may find in the spring and early summer at your local nursery. There is also a groundcover lantana known as lantana “Montevidensis” or trailing lantana. It can be used in a large container to trail over the side. It will also hold soil on a bank. This definitely needs full sun. You can find this in lavender, purple and white. This variety like the rest we have mentioned are root hardy in zone 8 areas.

Lantana, as noted in the title, is a pollinator magnet! Butterflies, bees of all kinds and hummingbirds love this plant, the bright colors and lots of nectar. Pollinators also enjoy the mild, sweet fragrance and long growing season of lantana. The leaves kind of have a herbal or pungent fragrance.

I don’t use a lot of fertilizer around my landscape, especially with blooming plants which are deterred from producing flowers if they receive a lot of nitrogen. The nitrogen will instead give you abundant green foliage instead. That is, if you don’t burn the plant with too much nitrogen. The Espoma’s products are well suited for shrubs and flowers with their low nitrogen analysis.

Most of the folks on the crew on the “Weekend Gardener” agree that you will be safer Prune lantana’s dead stems in the spring. As for the dead stems this plant produces, I usually wait until the new green foliage sprouts from the ground before I get rid of the stems. Erv Evans always recommended we consider the appearance of a perennial in the winter before we plant in a show place area in the landscape. For the same reason it is not a good idea to plant a deciduous shrub along the foundation of a house. It doesn’t look good in the winter. You may trim your lantana during the growing season to produce more blooms. Another reason to prune is to prevent seeding. Lantana is considered invasive in places like Florida and Hawaii. But I have never experienced this in my landscape, nor has anyone on the show mentioned this as a problem for North Carolina. The folks at NC State do say lantana leaves can be poisonous to animals and an irritant to human skin.

As for pests, I have never noticed any insect problems with my lantana. If you have a thriving garden you may also be lucky enough to have predators like ladybugs, dragonflies, lacewings, spiders and praying mantis to help control the “bad” bugs.

There you have lantana in a nutshell. I like them. No, I love them in a sunny landscape with pollinators flying all around. If lantana is in a full sun location, has plenty of room to grow and is not overfertilized, this plant will give years of pleasure.

Easy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Easy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serving Size: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 Irish potatoes
  • 2 tbsp. avocado oil or cooking oil of choice
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley

Directions

  1. Clean and cube potatoes, leaving the skin on.
  2. In a bowl, coat potatoes with cooking oil and spices.
  3. Line or grease a baking pan and spread potatoes on it evenly.
  4. Sprinkle shredded parmesan on top.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees f for 40 minutes or until golden and crispy.
8.8-magnitude earthquake sends small tsunami into coasts of Russia, Japan and Alaska

8.8-magnitude earthquake sends small tsunami into coasts of Russia, Japan and Alaska

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — One of the world’s strongest earthquakes struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused small tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand.

People were advised to move to higher ground in multiple locations and that the potential danger may last for more than a day, but places where tsunami waves have already washed ashore have reported no significant damage so far.

Waves less than a foot (under 30 centimeters) above tide levels were observed in the Alaskan communities of Amchitka and Adak, said Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska.

White waves washed up to the shoreline on Japan’s Hokkaido in the north and Ibaraki and Chiba, just east of Tokyo, in footage aired on Japan’s NHK public television.

A tsunami of 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) was detected at the Ishinomaki port in northern Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

That was the highest measurement so far among several locations around northern Japan. But higher waves were still arriving, said Shiji Kiyomoto, an earthquake and tsunami response official at JMA.

The Russian areas nearest the quake’s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula reported damage from the earthquake and evacuations from the tsunami, but no serious injuries.

Cars jammed streets and highways in Honolulu as the tsunami alerts coincided with the Tuesday afternoon rush-hour. Warning sirens blared as people moved to higher ground. Hawaii schools canceled after-school and evening activities.

Hawaii and Oregon warn residents of potential damage

The impact of the tsunami could last for hours — such as in Adak, a community of about 70 people in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands — or perhaps more than a day, Snider said.

“A tsunami is not just one wave,” he said. “It’s a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that’s where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.”

“In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they’re going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,” which is why some communities may feel effects longer, he said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said the tsunami generated by the quake could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated. The first waves were expected around 7 p.m. Tuesday local time.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said on Facebook that small tsunami waves were expected along the coast starting around 11:40 p.m. local time, with wave heights between 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters). It urged people to stay away from beaches, harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted.

“This is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water,” the department said.

Much of the West Coast spanning Canada’s British Columbia province, Washington state and California were also under a tsunami advisory.

A tsunami of less than 30 centimeters (under 1 foot) was forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The province’s emergency preparedness agency said waves were expected to reach remote Langara Island around 10:05 p.m. Tuesday and Tofino around 11:30 p.m. The agency said “multiple waves over time” were expected.

Russian regions report quake damage

The quake at 8:25 a.m. Japan time had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japan and U.S. seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude and the USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of 20.7 kilometers (13 miles).

The quake was centered about 119 kilometers (74 miles) east-southeast from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude were recorded.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko. He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

The quake caused damage to buildings and cars swayed in the streets in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which also had power outages and mobile phone service failures. Russian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry saying several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported.

Among the world’s strongest recorded quakes

The earthquake appeared to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the March 2011 earthquake off northeast Japan that was 9.0 magnitude and caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world.

The tsunami alert disrupted transportation in Japan. Ferries connecting Hokkaido and Aomori on the northern tip of Japan’s Honshu island were suspended, as well as those connecting Tokyo and nearby islands, and some local train operations were suspended or delayed, according to operators. Sendai airport temporarily closed its runway.

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said so far no injuries or damages have been reported. The agency, in response to the tsunami alert, issued an evacuation advisory to more than 900,000 residents in 133 municipalities along Japan’s Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

Japanese nuclear power plants reported no abnormalities. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter on higher ground at the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety.

Philippine authorities warned provinces and towns along the eastern coast facing the Pacific of possible tsunami waves of less than 1 meter (3 feet) and advised people to stay away from the beach and coastal areas. “It may not be the largest of waves, but these can continue for hours and expose people swimming in the waters to danger,” Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press.

Mexico’s navy warned that tsunami waves will start reaching the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 02:22 a.m. Wednesday local time, and waves could progress along the Pacific coast to Chiapas state, around 07:15 a.m. local time. The navy recommended people stay away from beaches until it suspended the alert.

New Zealand authorities issued warnings of “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation. The government emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas, and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries. The waves would start arriving late Wednesday local time.

New Zealand is about 6,000 miles (9,600 kilometers) from the epicenter.

The quake was the strongest to hit this area in the Kamchatka Peninsula since 1952, according to the local branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

They said that while the situation “was under control” there are risks of aftershocks, which could last for up to a month and warned against visiting certain coastal areas.

Earlier in July, five powerful quakes — the largest with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea near Kamchatka. The largest quake was at a depth of 20 kilometers and was 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

On Nov. 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka caused damage but no reported deaths despite setting off 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves in Hawaii.

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This story has corrected the wave height forecast in Oregon to between 1 and 2 feet, not 1 and 3 feet.

July 30th 2025

July 30th 2025

Thought of the Day

July 30th 2024
Photo by Getty Image

One small positive thought in the morning can change your entire day.

Some North Carolina Democratic lawmakers break from party to pass Republican priorities

Some North Carolina Democratic lawmakers break from party to pass Republican priorities

By MAKIYA SEMINERA and GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican lawmakers on Tuesday overrode several vetoes by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, getting just enough votes from Stein’s own party to enact some laws while falling short on others.

The votes were key tests for Republican General Assembly leaders since they narrowly lost their veto-proof majority following last fall’s elections.

Both chambers enacted eight of 14 vetoed measures to further their conservative agenda, including laws that target transgender rights, allow firearms on private school property and eliminate an interim greenhouse gas reduction mandate.

The GOP is one seat shy in the House of overcoming vetoes at will. Lawmakers were able to convince anywhere from one to three House Democrats to override on some measures.

“It depends on what the issue is, but on most issues, we’re going to have a working supermajority,” House Speaker Destin Hall told reporters after session.

Democratic leaders managed to keep intact other vetoes issued by Stein, meaning GOP goals to let adults carry concealed handguns without a permit and eliminate DEI initiatives are derailed for now.

Republicans “didn’t override them all. I mean, we might come back and override them if they have the numbers,” Democratic Rep. Pricey Harrison said after Tuesday’s session. “It’s a heck of a way to do policy.”

Possible Democratic victory on transgender bill ends in defeat

House Democrats weren’t able to uphold the governor’s veto on a bill targeting transgender people when one of their party members broke ranks.

The legislation initially ran as a bipartisan measure curbing sexual exploitation of women and minors on pornography websites. But several contentious provisions were tacked on later, such as recognizing only two sexes and preventing state-funded gender transition procedures for prisoners.

Freshman Democratic Rep. Dante Pittman voted for the measure in June but on Tuesday sided with Stein’s veto instead. Another Democrat, Rep. Nasif Majeed, sided with Republicans to override Stein’s veto.

“I had some moral issues about that and I had to lean on my values,” Majeed told reporters of the bill after the vote.

DEI bills blocked for now

In one of their biggest victories, Democrats blocked three bills that would have restricted diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the state by staying unified in their opposition.

Two of the bills would bar certain “divisive concepts” and “discriminatory practices” related to race and identity in K-12 schools, public universities and community colleges. The third bill would ban state agencies from implementing diversity, equity and inclusion programs or utilizing DEI in hiring practices.

Hall told reporters he expects the chamber will overcome the remaining vetoes, such as the DEI bills, at some point.

“If people are out and the numbers are there, we’re going to vote to override,” Hall said.

Mixed results on guns and immigration

Republican lawmakers fervently prioritized legislation on guns and immigration this session, but in some cases, they couldn’t complete that agenda Tuesday.

A vetoed bill allowing permitless concealed carry for eligible people over the age of 18 wasn’t heard in the House. That bill already faced an uphill battle after two Republicans voted against it with Democrats last month.

House Republicans also failed to call a vote on vetoed legislation that would require several state law enforcement agencies to engage in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown by formally cooperating with federal agents.

Other legislation on guns and immigration followed the pathway to becoming law.

A bill that allows certain people to carry firearms onto private school property with administrative permission passed with support of a Democrat. Another Democrat’s support also pushed through a separate immigration measure expanding the offenses that would require a local sheriff to check a detained person’s legal status in the country.

Interim greenhouse gas mandate gets repealed

Enough Democrats joined Republicans in overriding Stein’s veto of legislation that largely addressed activities of Duke Energy, the state’s dominant electric utility.

The new law in part repeals a portion of a bipartisan 2021 law that told electric regulators to work toward reducing carbon dioxide output 70% from 2005 levels by 2030. A directive in the 2021 law to meet a carbon neutrality standard by 2050 is still in place.

Republicans said the 70% reduction mandate was unnecessary and if eliminated would moderate electricity rate increases required to meet the 2050 standard by allowing use of less expensive power sources.

Stein and environmental groups opposed the measure, saying that eliminating the 2030 standard and other provisions will result in higher consumer rates by having utilities rely more more on natural gas to generate electricity.

Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US

Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US

By RUSS BYNUM and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to heat in the summertime, but this week’s sweltering hot weather set at least one record and has forecasters urging residents to limit time outside on Tuesday if possible — and stay hydrated.

The all-time high temperature at Tampa International Airport was broken on Sunday when the thermometer hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). The previous record had been 99 F (37.2 C) in June 2020.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday the prolonged heat is expected to peak in the Southeast at mid-week. A strong upper ridge also was generating a “dangerous and prolonged” heat wave in the central and eastern sections of the country.

No relief in the shade

In Savannah, Georgia, landscaper Darius Cowherd took a break Tuesday in the cab of his work truck after spending the morning mowing grass, trimming bushes and blowing leaves in Forsyth Park in the coastal city’s downtown historic district.

Sipping from a giant water bottle almost the size of a gallon jug, he said, “I filled it with ice at 7 this morning and it’s all melted by 10:30.”

A canopy of live oak trees in much of the park provided little relief.

“It’s hot even when you’re working in the shade,” said Cowherd, who wore a wide-brimmed hat to shield his face and neck.

The National Weather Service predicted temperatures in Savannah would reach 97 F (36 C) Tuesday, with heat index values — what the temperature feels like — approaching a broiling 110 F (43 C).

Breaking records

The heat wave was expected to set new records across Florida on Tuesday, with highs around 100 F. Heat index values in the Tampa Bay area were expected to range from 113 to 118 F (45 to 47.7 C).

“We have extreme heat warnings in Georgia, down through northern Florida that would also include places like the Tampa Bay and Orlando metro areas,” said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “We’re going to see today more opportunities for temperatures to be near 100 again.”

However, rain is in the forecast for Wednesday, which will likely cool things off a bit.

Extreme heat warnings also were issued in the country’s center from New Orleans up to St. Louis, the meteorologist said. The heat index value on Tuesday was expected to reach as high as 110 F around the St. Louis area and in southwest Illinois.

‘Too much’ heat

In downtown Savannah, scattered tourists trudged along the sidewalks despite the heat. A few carried umbrellas to keep the sun at bay.

A block away, Luis Hernandez was working in direct sun on a ladder painting second-floor windows on a 19th century home. He wore long sleeves to protect against sunburn.

Hernandez said a co-worker made sure he and his fellow house painters had a cooler filled with drinking water. About every two hours, they would go inside to take breaks in the air-conditioning.

“Sure, it’s hot,” Hernandez said — almost “too much.”

With temperatures climbing Tuesday afternoon in Tallahassee, Willie Gaines and his workers took a break from painting white traffic lines on a newly paved road near the All Saints neighborhood. As they sat in the shade of tree, heat radiated off the blacktop. The air was thick with the fumes of fresh asphalt.

“Everybody’s complaining they ain’t never seen it this hot,” Gaines said.

___

Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida, and Mike Hempen in College Park, Maryland, contributed to this report.

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