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More earthquakes are hitting Virginia. Is a big one coming?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

In recent weeks, Virginia has been rattled with more earthquakes than usual, leading some experts to wonder whether a larger quake might be coming.Six quakes have been detected in the western portion of the state since mid-June, according to the United States Geological Survey, with headquarters in Fairfax County.At least three of the earthquakes were felt by people.Typically, only two or three quakes per year are felt by residents across Virginia.“It’s a little bit of a burst of activity here,” said Martin Chapman, a professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech. “When you see a series of these things in a smaller area, you have to take into account the fact that they may be foreshocks of a bigger earthquake.”For scale, a magnitude 5.3 is considered to be a moderate earthquake, and a magnitude 6.3 is a strong one. All the recent Virginia quakes have been smaller, around the magnitude 2.5 level.“We take a close look at it and we monitor our instruments...

No Powerball jackpot winner in Wednesday’s drawing, prize now an estimated $875 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

(CNN) — The Powerball grand prize is growing once again after no winning jackpot tickets were sold for Wednesday’s drawing.The big prize for the next drawing on Saturday is now an estimated $875 million, according to the lottery’s website, with an estimated $441.9 million lump-sum cash value before tax.Wednesday’s numbers were 23-35-45-66-67 and the Powerball was 20.While no tickets had all six numbers drawn, two tickets sold – one in Florida and one in Indiana – matched the first five numbers for a $1 million prize.There have now been 36 consecutive Powerball drawings without a big winner. The last jackpot won was on April 19 when a winning ticket in Ohio earned $252.6 million.The record for the largest-ever Powerball prize jackpot is $2.04 billion, which was won in California last November.And because no winners were drawn in Tuesday’s Mega Millions, there are now two jackpots that could each award more than half a billion dollars to a winning ticket. Friday’s Mega Millions jackpo...

Cities fight to keep the lights on in extreme weather events

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

This article is part of POLITICO’s Global Policy Lab: Living Cities, a collaborative journalism project exploring the future of cities. Sign up here.A city, a heat wave, a catastrophic blackout that leaves millions without power, unable to find relief from stifling temperatures.That nightmarish scenario may seem far-fetched. But it’s a growing possibility in Europe’s major cities in the age of climate change.When temperatures climb, city residents — who are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat compared with those living in rural areas — tend to seek refuge in air-conditioned, indoor spaces. That puts a major strain on electricity grids, which struggle to keep up with demand.As these extreme events become more common, experts warn that there’s an increased potential for shortages.“Grid congestion, the failure of the electricity network to cope with increased demand, already affects all regions in one way or another,” said Roel M...

Negotiations on EU nature law to start July 19

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Negotiations between EU institutions on highly contentious new rules to restore nature will start on July 19, European Parliament environment committee chair Pascal Canfin tweeted Thursday.The announcement comes after the Parliament narrowly adopted its common position on the text during a nerve-wracking vote in plenary on Wednesday, paving the way for negotiations to start with the Council of the EU on a final deal.The Commission’s legislative proposal, presented a year ago as part of the EU’s Green Deal, wants to force EU countries to implement measures to restore at least 20 percent of the EU’s degraded land and sea areas by 2030.It has come under fire from conservative politicians, who pushed hard to get MEPs to reject the bill, arguing that it will have detrimental impacts on food production and the rollout of renewable energy projects.Member countries adopted their joint stance on the proposal in June. The Parliament used the Council’s general approach ...

British response to China threat ‘completely inadequate,’ damning report warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

LONDON — The British government has taken too long to act against Chinese interference, leading to a “serious failure” in its response and “one that the U.K. may feel the consequences of for years to come,” a cross-party committee of lawmakers warned Thursday.In a long-awaited and damning report, the Intelligence and Security Committee — which oversees the work of the U.K.’s intelligence community — said the resources dedicated to tackling security threats posed by China are “completely inadequate.”And it accused the British government of being too “slow” to develop policies to protect key U.K. assets from Chinese interference. “We found that the level of resource dedicated to tackling the threat posed by China’s ‘whole-of-state’ approach has been completely inadequate, and the slow speed at which strategies and policies are developed and implemented leaves a lot to be desired,” the committee wrote. That contradicts the government’s rosy self-assessment of its approach to China...

Police investigating after bullet pierces window of popular North End bakery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

A police investigation is underway after a bullet was fired through a window of a popular North End bakery late Thursday night.Officers responding to a reported shooting on Hanover Street around 11 p.m. found a bullet hole in one of the windows of Modern Pastry.The business was closed at the time of the shooting and there were no reported injuries.No additional information was immediately available.Anyone with information is urged to call Boston police.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Buses replacing service on a stretch of Red Line after emergency response at Charles/MGH

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Buses are replacing subway service on a stretch of the Red Line on Thursday after a mechanical issue disabled a train at the Charles/MGH MBTA station.Fire crews could be seen responding to the station around 6:30 a.m.Buses are replacing service between Harvard and Broadway stations. Riders can use Green Line service from Union Square/Medford for alternate service inbound.They can also use Bus 1, 64, 68, 77, 87, and 96 for alternate service.https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1679442416867110913No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Heat Now, Storms Ahead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Back to back beach and pool days the last couple of days as temps yesterday took another step up. We hit 91 in Boston, marking the first official 90 degree day in Boston of the year. It’s the 5th latest 90 degree reading at Logan Airport, where records are kept. Now that we have that in the books, will we take another run at it today? Close, but I expect to fall just shy of it as highs top off in the upper 80s. With that said, some towns just away from the coast will likely touch 90 or 91. With dew points drifting up to near 70, it’ll be very humid with just an isolated afternoon shower/storm popping up, mainly northwest of Boston. The sky high humidity, combined with instability and a disturbance moving in from the west will trigger scattered storms tonight and more scattered storms on Friday. With the atmosphere juiced with water vapor, localized downpours, producing a quick 1-3″ are possible. Those high amounts won’t be found everywhere, but where the ba...

Lawyer accused of North End sex assaults due back in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

A New Jersey man charged in a series of sexual assaults in Charlestown in the 2000s will be back in court Thursday to face charges stemming from additional assaults in the North End.Matthew Nilo, 35, is facing new charges following his June 15 release after posting $500,000 bail. The charges stem from five attacks on four women in the North End. One of the victims was attacked twice, 11 days apart. The attacks occurred in January 2007, July 2007, January 2008 and July 2008.Prosecutors say DNA evidence links Nilo to the attacks. His lawyer is questioning the legality of how the DNA evidence was obtained.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Battenfeld: Is Maura Healey becoming just another drive-by governor?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Is Maura Healey becoming just another drive-by governor?We’ve seen this movie before.Healey showed up in western Massachusetts on Wednesday for two quick events to survey flooding damage in that part of the state, and hours later was off to Atlantic City of all places for a governors’ conference.Then her office announced that after the conference, she’d be traveling to Michigan and wouldn’t be home until Sunday. Details about the Michigan trip were scant but she plans on Friday to meet with the “Michigan Women’s Commission” with other fellow governors. Maybe she can join them for a game of hoops.This comes as more torrential rains are possible later this week which could impact the already flooded areas of western Massachusetts.Healey has been out of state now overnight for four full weeks of her brief tenure as Massachusetts governor, leaving either Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll or Secretary of State William Galvin in charge.That’s a downright Romneyesque record. An...