U.S. News

Florida wildfire sends smoke over Alligator Alley, tests evacuation plans for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center

The 35,000-acre National Fire in Big Cypress has snarled I‑75 and raised new questions about how Florida would protect or move detainees at a remote immigration facility.

#florida, #wildfire, #immigration, #detention, #everglades

Ranger Road Fire Scorches 283,000 Acres Across Oklahoma and Kansas, Testing Plains Wildfire Readiness

A late-winter windstorm fueled the year’s largest U.S. wildfire so far, killing livestock and destroying homes as drought and dry grasses primed the Plains.

#wildfire, #oklahoma, #kansas, #drought, #fireweather

Minneapolis to Ban Algorithmic Rent-Setting Tools, Giving Tenants a New Right to Sue

A new Minneapolis ordinance bars landlords from using rent-setting algorithms fed by nonpublic competitor data, effective March 1, 2026, and lets tenants sue.

#minneapolis, #housing, #rent, #ai, #antitrust

New York City nurses return after 41-day strike, winning staffing ratios, safety measures and limits on AI

About 15,000 NYC nurses ended a 41-day strike after hospitals agreed to higher pay, enforceable staffing ratios, stronger security and new AI limits.

#nursesstrike, #nyc, #hospitals, #staffing, #ai

EEOC Reverses Course, Says Federal Agencies May Bar Trans Workers From Opposite-Sex Bathrooms

A 2-1 EEOC ruling overturns 2015 precedent, allowing federal agencies to restrict bathrooms and locker rooms by biological sex if equivalents exist.

#eeoc, #titlevii, #transgender, #federalworkers, #workplace

Three dead, 14 wounded in Austin bar shooting; police kill suspect on West Sixth Street

Three people died and at least 14 were wounded after a gunman opened fire at a crowded West Sixth Street bar in Austin; police fatally shot the suspect.

#austin, #shooting, #texas, #sixthstreet, #publicsafety

Florida’s Big Cypress wildfire forces highway closures as drought fuels fast spread

The 35,000-acre National Fire in Big Cypress has shut key roads, prompted burnouts and highlighted how drought is altering wildfire risk in Florida.

#florida, #wildfire, #drought, #bigcypress, #alligatoralley

State-Appointed Houston ISD Board Votes to Close or Merge 12 Campuses Amid Protests

Houston ISD’s state-installed board unanimously approved closing or consolidating 12 schools for 2026-27, prompting outrage over process and equity.

#houstonisd, #schoolclosures, #texas, #education, #community

NYC nurses strike nears partial end as Montefiore, Mount Sinai reach tentative deals; NewYork-Presbyterian walkout continues

Tentative 3-year contracts would end strikes at Montefiore and Mount Sinai, but 4,200 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Columbia campus remain out over staffing.

#nursesstrike, #nyc, #hospitals, #staffing, #healthcare

Winter wildfire scorches 175 acres near Gillespie–Blanco line, damaging fire trucks

A fast-moving Hill Country grass fire drew air support and 16 departments, burned 175 acres and damaged apparatus—an early warning for winter.

#wildfire, #texas, #hillcountry, #burnban, #firefighters

Luxury Challenger Jet Crashes in Bangor Snowstorm, Killing Six; Deicing Timing Under Scrutiny

A Challenger 650 overturned after takeoff in a Bangor snowstorm, killing six. Investigators are focusing on deicing holdover time and winter procedures.

#aviation, #ntsb, #maine, #deicing, #businessjet

DOE Emergency Order Let Homestead, Florida, Run Power Plants Past Permit Limits During Winter Storm Fern

A rare federal grid emergency order let a small Florida utility exceed air-permit limits to avoid outages, spotlighting a broader reliability shift.

#florida, #powergrid, #energyemergency, #airquality, #climate

Propane Tank Cars Derail Into Connecticut River Corridor, Prompting Shelter-in-Place

A freight train derailed in Mansfield, Conn., sending propane tank cars toward the Willimantic River. No injuries or propane leaks were detected.

#connecticut, #trainderailment, #hazmat, #propane, #railroads

Justice Department Opens Civil Rights Probe Into Baltimore Health Department’s Race-Based Training

DOJ launches a Title VII investigation into Baltimore’s health department after reports staff were split into “white” and “people of color” caucuses.

#civilrights, #titlevii, #dei, #baltimore, #doj

Gas Explosion Destroys Nashua Mental Health Clinic, Injures Three Firefighters

A gas leak call at a Nashua, N.H., mental health clinic ended in an explosion and four-alarm fire. All patients and staff escaped; cause under investigation.

#nashua, #gasexplosion, #firefighters, #mentalhealth, #infrastructure