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Kaiser Permanente strike begins Wednesday, several pharmacies close

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Time has run out, and with no agreement reached between Kaiser Permanente and the health care workers' union, a three-day strike will begin.On Wednesday morning, Kaiser, the largest nonprofit private health care provider in both Colorado and the U.S., announced several pharmacies and other services will be closed during the strike. Kaiser Permanente workers speak ahead of potential strike The two sides had until Wednesday to come to an agreement, and nothing has been reached.So, a strike will happen from Oct. 4 at 6 a.m. to Oct. 7 at 6 a.m.More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers, 3,000 in Colorado, will protest unfair labor practices and unsafe staffing levels at hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and facilities across the U.S. This strike will be the largest health care worker strike in U.S. history.Kaiser pharmacies closed during the strikeThe following pharmacies will be impacted by the strike. Denver/Boulder areaBaseline (Boulder), Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Ke...

Denver weather: Sunny and seasonal Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — After some morning clouds, mostly sunny skies will return by Wednesday afternoon with mild highs near 70 degrees in the Denver weather forecast.Weather today: Plenty of sunshineEarly clouds will clear by the afternoon on Wednesday with winds staying light. Snow beginning to fall in Colorado’s high country High temperatures will make it into the upper 60s and low 70s, keeping Denver just below average.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on Oct. 4 Weather tonight: Clear skies and coolThe skies will be full of stars on Wednesday night. There will also be light winds and crisp lows that end up in the lower 40s.Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on Oct. 4 Looking ahead: Chilly end of the week, mild weekendThursday afternoon keeps the mainly sunny skies in the forecast with below-average highs in the upper 60s. Friday finishes off the workweek with a mix of sun and clouds with cooler highs in the lower 60s. This is the fastest-selling license plate in Colorado history ...

Close call: Lightning strike narrowly misses wildlife expert in Everglades City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. — A bolt of lightning struck just inches away from a wildlife expert while he was filming a promotional video in the Everglades. The incident was posted on Instagram by Forrest Galante, a Discovery Channel host, last week. “I got hit. I felt it. Yeah, I got hit,” said Galante in the video. “Yeah, that hurt, it just hurt.” While he was in the middle of a product review, Galante was interrupted by a lightning strike that left him visibly shaken. His colleagues responded in shock, asking, “Really?” and “Holy [expletive].” The caption on the Instagram video read, “Just a couple of days ago I was out in the Everglades filming a gear review when lightning hit the water 20 or so feet behind me and I got fully zapped! I still have a weird metallic taste in my mouth!”Despite the close call, he reassured everyone in the video.“I’m OK. [Expletive] it,” Galante said. The bolt of lightning missed ...

Rishi Sunak scraps northern leg of HS2 rail line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

LONDON — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the remaining leg of the long-planned High Speed Rail 2 project has been scrapped. HS2, a multibillion pound high-speed rail route meant to connect Leeds, Birmingham, and Manchester to London, was announced by then-Prime Minister David Cameron in 2013.Originally meant to connect the North of England to the capital of London, Sunak announced on Wednesday that “the rest of the HS2 project” will be canceled, referring to everything beyond a line from London to Birmingham in the West Midlands which is already under construction.In his speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, the prime minister said the remaining £36 billion earmarked for HS2 will instead be reinvested in “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, across the country.”Announcing the changes, Sunak said: “I say to those who backed the project in the first place, the facts have changed, and the right thing to do whe...

Rishi Sunak deploys his secret weapon: His wife, Akshata Murty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

The political spouse is back.Akshata Murty made a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester Wednesday, hyping up her husband Rishi Sunak and cracking jokes in a bid to humanize the U.K. prime minister, who is trailing in the polls.Taking the stage before Sunak’s own speech, Murty — businesswoman and daughter of a major Indian IT tycoon — described the pair as “one team,” and riffed on Sunak’s public image as a geeky technocrat.She confirmed Sunak “does love a good rom-com, the cheesier the better,” but quipped that episodes of Netflix hit Emily in Paris “are not informing his outlook on the EU.”In the most openly political part of her speech, the PM’s other half said her husband’s outlook could be summed up with one word — “aspiration” — and insisted he would not shy away from telling hard truths.She recalled being struck when the pair met 20 years ago by Sunak’s “deep lo...

Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., the first hero of Camden Yards, excited by resurgence of 2023′s ‘fun, fun team’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

When Cal Ripken Jr. played in the first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992, he was the defending American League Most Valuable Player and the face of Baltimore’s franchise. That game marked his 1,574th straight, well on his way to breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games — and doing so, in 1995, at Camden Yards.He no longer goes to the ballpark each and every day. But the iconic Ironman, who played in 2,632 straight games, has found himself there more this season than he did a few years ago, entertained by the exciting Orioles.Ripken was the first hero of Camden Yards. Now, he has a front-row seat to the best Orioles team the ballpark has seen, at least as far as the win-loss record is concerned, as they’ve amassed nail-biting wins and memorable moments during a splashy 2023 campaign.“They are a fun, fun team to watch,” he said.Ripken is one of baseball history’s heroes and is uniquely heralded in Baltimore. “...

Cancer survivors get a day of pampering at Gillette Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

Biden presses student debt relief as payments resume after the coronavirus pandemic pause

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced another wave of federal student loan forgiveness on Wednesday as borrowers brace for payments to restart after a three-year pause that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic president’s latest step will help 125,000 borrowers by erasing $9 billion in debt through existing relief programs. In total, 3.6 million borrowers will have had $127 billion in debt wiped out since Biden took office. “President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families,” the White House said in a statement.Biden is scheduled to make a formal announcement at the White House at 1 p.m. ET. Biden promised to help alleviate the burden of student debt while running for president, and he’s been under pressure to follow through even though his original plan was overturned by the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court.He’s been relying on a patchwork of different ...

Russia says it has foiled a major Ukraine drone attack as concerns grow over Kyiv’s weapons supplies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

Russian air defenses shot down 31 Ukrainian drones during a concerted nighttime attack by Kyiv’s forces on border regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday, as uncertainty grew over Ukraine’s future access to weapons and ammunition from its Western allies.The drone attack appeared to be Kyiv’s largest single cross-border drone assault reported by Moscow since it launched its invasion 20 months ago. There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties. Ukraine is pressing on with a slow-moving counteroffensive it launched three months ago to expel Russian invaders, though mounting concerns about replenishing its military stocks and cracks in the Western wall of support cast a cloud over its efforts.Adm. Rob Bauer, the head of NATO’s Military Committee, sounded the alarm about depleted stockpiles.“The bottom of the barrel is now visible,” Bauer said of weapons systems and ammunition supplies.With the war of attrition likely continuing through winter into ...

Got packages to return? Call Uber. The ride-hailing service is now offering to return parcels for $5

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:09:51 GMT

Uber is adding a new task to its list of services: mailing consumers’ return packages.The ride-hailing and delivery company said Wednesday that its drivers will collect up to five prepaid and sealed packages and drop them off at a local post office or at UPS or FedEx stores. Uber will charge a flat fee of $5 for the service or $3 for its Uber One members.The San Francisco-based company said the service will be available in nearly 5,000 U.S. cities to start. Uber said customers will be able to choose package drop off locations within its app. Only locations open for at least the next hour will be listed. Drivers will provide visual confirmation once a package has been dropped off.While the service is expected to be used primarily to return packages, Uber drivers will also mail new packages that are sealed and have prepaid labels.The new service gives Uber a vast opportunity. FedEx and UPS deliver 31 million parcels each day, while the U.S. Postal Service delivers 25 million, sa...