California is bracing for dangerous flooding over the next few days due to a winter storm system intensifying across the state. With two fatalities already confirmed and over 9,400 residents having been placed under evacuation orders, the weather presents a major safety risk for California residents.

The National Weather Service's David Lawrence said that the expected flash flooding is a particular concern in the state's central coast and Sierra Nevada foothills. To tackle the weather, the California Department of Transportation has reportedly allocated 4,000 workers to 12-hour shifts, taking measures such as removing downed trees and clearing drainage culverts to minimize flooding. The California National Guard has also deployed 36 high water vehicles to carry out rescues.

Rainfall rates of up to 1 inch per hour are expected, while parts of the Sierra Nevada could see as much as 8 feet of snow. Creeks and streams in the Sierra Nevada foothills are especially at risk

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a high-profile trip to Iowa on Friday, engaging with potential Republican primary voters and building a name for himself as a potential 2024 presidential nominee. The trip follows other GOP hopefuls, such as former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, to the traditionally first Republican nominating state.

In Davenport, DeSantis met in person with a crowd of Republicans in a book tour stop at a resort casino. He presented his new book, as well as ideas such as “grandparent waivers” that would give tuition breaks to out-of-state students whose grandparents are Florida residents.

However, he mistakes made in some interactions with Voters, such as with Suzy Barker- a 50-year-old teacher who wore a University of Florida hoodie- demonstrated both risks and potential rewards of a potential DeSantis presidential bid. While well-versed

Late Wednesday night, Russia conducted a massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities, killing at least six people and damaging critical infrastructure across ten regions. Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station was also affected and has been forced to operate on emergency power sources 6 times since the offensive started. This puts the plant on the brink of a possible nuclear meltdown.

The Russian attack included 81 missiles and 8 Iranian-made suicide drones, with Ukrainian air defenses managing to shoot down 34 cruise missiles and four drones. The missiles used included 28 Kh-101 and Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles, 20 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, 13 S-300 surface-to-air missiles, 8 Kh-31P and 6 -Kh-59 guided missiles, 6 Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles, and 6 Kh-22 missiles, according to Ukrainian state media.

The Kh

On Friday, March 10th, 2023, regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore ties and reopen diplomatic missions in a Chinese-brokered deal. This hugly symbolic move toward healing the longstanding diplomatic divide between Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia comes weeks after US President Joe Biden adopted a tough stance on the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. After a gap of seven years, Iran and Saudi Arabia have moved forward with a joint statement confirming the reopening of diplomatic missions within two months.

The rapprochement was aided by Iraq, a neighbor to both countries, which hosted several rounds of talks between the two nations since April 2021. Iranian Foreign Minsiter Hossein Amirabdollahian participated in the low-level security and intelligence talks in July and expressed an eagerness to move towards political and public spheres. In addition, Saudi Arabia welcomed the initiative of Chinese president Xi Jinping

On Thursday morning, the Kremlin unleashed a new wave of violence on Ukraine, unleashing 81 missiles of multiple varieties, including 6 of the feared Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. These new weapons are capable of traveling at Mach 4 or higher, making them much harder for Ukrainian defenses to detect and shoot down. 34 of the 81 total missiles were taken out by Ukrainian air defenses, with the remaining 47 reaching their intended destinations, resulting in 11 dead and over 20 injured.

The use of these new weapons marks a troubling development in the ongoing conflict between the two countries, with it being the first time so many of these missiles have been used in one attack. The Kinzhalhypersonic missiles have a range of up to 1,250 miles and are nuclear-capable, adding another layer of fear to the situation. These weapons are said to make sudden, unpredictable course changes as they get close

After a federal judge vacated permits for the Willow oil drilling project on Alaska's North Slope, the Biden administration is faced with a key decision in the coming days. If approved, it would be the largest oil project in the country. ConocoPhillips, the project's developer, submitted a proposal for Willow to drill in the 23-million acre National Petroleum Reserve for an estimated 600 million barrels of oil, nearly 1.5 times the current supply in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

As part of the proposed development, three oil sites would be established and thousands of migratory birds and caribou habitats would be disturbed. According to the Biden administration estimates, the project would also release 9.2 million metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere a year and add the equivalent of 2 million gas-powered cars to the roads.

The majority of Alaska Natives on the North Slope remain

The No.14 Miami Hurricanes suffered a hard-fought 85-78 loss to No. 21 Duke in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament Friday night. Amidst the hard-fought battle between the two ACC powerhouses, Miami was dealt a blow when forward Norchad Omier suffered a right ankle injury just over a minute into the game.

The incident occurred when Omier rebounded a missed free-throw only to land on the foot of Duke’s Dereck Lively II, causing Omier to roll his ankle and fall to the court in pain. After being helped to the bench, Miami soon announced that he would not be returning to the matchup. X-rays were later taken and the results were fortunately negative.

Omier, an All-ACC second team pick, came in averaging 14 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds and the

The Chicago Bears have made a big splash in the NFL, trading the no.1 pick of the 2023 draft to the Carolina Panthers. The move is sure to cascade into ripples across both teams and the league overall, starting with the Panthers now having their choice of highly prized draft prospects such as Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis.

In the same deal, the Bears acquired Pro Bowl-caliber WR DJ Moore, fresh off a season wherein he managed 63 receptions and seven touchdowns. Moore has also signed an extension through 2025. This move is sure to benefit majorly Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who faced a challenging last season, completing 2,242 yards and 17 TDs throws with 1,143 yards and eight scores for rushing.

The Panthers proved that they are in search of a franchise quarterback by trading for

On Thursday evening, a heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in the northern German city of Hamburg. At a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall, a gunman opened fire and killed at least six people before killing himself. Nine total people were injured by the assailant, with one woman losing a baby during the chaos.

According to police, the incident occurred around 9pm local time and the shooter was found dead in the building. There is no concrete evidence as of yet to suggest the shooter was working with others, but police investigations are still running at full speed. Police have yet to confirm a motive, but they have warned citizens to stay indoors and exercise caution.

Mayor Peter Tschentscher expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, expressing shock at the reports. He said that emergency services are continuing to do their best to find out what happened and ensure public safety. Cities such as Hamburg are not unaccustomed to cases of violence

Paul Flores was convicted of killing Kristin Smart and now justice has been served - on Friday he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. During the Monterey County Superior Court sentencing, Judge Jennifer O'Keefe described Flores as a "cancer to society". She rejected motions to toss out the conviction, acquit him and order a new trial.

Smart, 19, had vanished from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo over Memorial Day weekend in 1996. Her remains have never been found, but she was declared legally dead in 2002. It was believed that Flores, then a first-year student, walked her home from an off-campus party and attempted to rape her in his dorm room. To this day, Flores has never admitted his guilt.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked the judge for the maximum sentence

British residents experienced an intense cold snap this past weekend as gales and blizzards battered the U.K., causing dangerous conditions for drivers and travelers alike. Areas across northern England and north Wales were the worst-hit, with wind gusts of up to 50 mph and snow accumulations of up to 30 centimeters. This storm, dubbed Storm Larisa by meteorologists, has caused extensive disruptions to traffic, schools, and air travel.

Drivers were forced to endure long travel times and at least one driver spent seven hours stuck on the M62 highway that cuts across northern England. Video journalist Richard McCarthy reported seeing many abandoned cars on the highway, including a Jaguar with a shovel planted in the ground next to it. Rail services were also canceled and roads in the Peak District were impassable.

At the airports, delayed flights were a major issue. Flights at the East Midlands Airport were suspended for

Families from all over Montana are flocking to Bozeman to cheer on the Bobcats in their elusive quest for a state basketball tournament trophy. The surge in visitors is causing the local hotel economy to soar and businesses to experience a surge in customers. The impact extends beyond the local economy, though. The success of the university’s sports teams is spilling over into academic success, with MSU reporting its second largest freshman enrollment in history this year.

The Bobcats men's basketball team won the Big Sky Tournament, seizing the opportunity to appear in March Madness. The football team, men's hockey team, and other sports have also been experiencing success over the last couple of years, to the point that the Big Sky Conference awarded MSU with the Big Sky Men's All-Sports Trophy.

ASMSU President Lucas Oelker remarks, “It’s easy to see

The Purdue Boilermakers (18-8) are looking to extend a 6-2 run of form as they visit the Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-18) for the regular season finale on Sunday, February 26th at 3:00 PM ET in Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our computer prediction models favor Purdue to win by a projected score of 76-65.

Minnesota have picked up their signature win of the season against top 50 Nebraska Cornhuskers back on February 15 in a 95-92 home victory. They have 10 losses to Quadrant 1 teams, tied for the 12th-most in Division 1.

The Golden Gophers have fortunately had their best performances closer to home, ranging from 77-65 over Liberty (No. 100) on November 27th, to 75-67 on the road over Penn State (No. 106) on January 18th, amongst other victories.

Former President Donald Trump is being offered the chance to testify before a grand jury led by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office next week, signaling that the probe into a alleged hush money payment scheme may be drawing to a close. Trump's legal team is concerned with the District Attorney's intentions as former key White House aides, Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway, have recently made appearances before the grand jury.

The $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in late October 2016, days before the 2016 presidential election, was allegedly to buy her silence on a alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has consistently denied the affair. According to prosecutors, the issue is whether Trump falsified the records of the Trump Organization to reimburse Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, for the money he used to pay Daniels.

While Trump’s spokesman called the District Attorney’s

California is bracing for the onslaught of yet another atmospheric river inducing widespread flooding concerns. With some areas already having felt the impact of a dozen stormy fronts so far this season, officials are urgently warning residents of dozens of counties to start leaving at-risk areas. The National Weather Service has issued a level 4 of 4 warning in an area stretching from Salinas to San Luis Obispo, with nearly 70,000 people urged to evacuate their homes. Hourly rainfall rates of up to 1 inch per hour are expected in some of the affected areas, while creeks and streams in the Sierra Nevada foothills remain the most vulnerable to flooding and potential avalanches.

The National Water Center has warned of multi-rounds of rainfall bringing with it the potential for significant river and stream overflows, with the worst of the rain likely to persist until the early part of next week

The drama of this week's bank-stock market blindsided most, except for the corner of Wall Street that noticed a gradual increase in bearish interest in the $2.2 billion SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF. The Fed's rising interest rates, a response to inflation, has caused major problems for two small banks on the West Coast. SVB Financial, a Silicon Valley-based bank, was forced to sell off $1.8 billion in assets at a loss due to an outflow of deposits. Similar withdrawals at Silvergate Capital caused them to do the same. The withdrawal of deposits came from startups and technology firms, many of which were struggling to succeed amid the rising interest rates.

The problem is that banks need to safely park their cash and have been investing in low return investments such as treasury bills during the pandemic, not expecting interest rates to suddenly rise. This leads to major financial losses if

On Wednesday, March 10th, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) closed down Silicon Valley Bank, in Santa Clara, California. In an effort to private insured depositors, the FDIC established a new local bank– Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara (DINB). However, Silicon Valley Bank’s pre-existing socioeconomic and market difficulties show that this closure could have a wider-reaching and negative impact on the banking industry across the country.

At the root of Silicon Valley Bank’s woes is the Federal Reserve’s decision to accelerate its campaign to fight inflation by raising interest rates. For banks, this means the value of their existing bond portfolios decreases with each rise in rate, and Silicon Valley Bank suffered due to the withdrawal of deposits, leading to the bank being forced to sell assets at a loss. This immediately translated to a $1.8 billion dollar

On Thursday evening, a deadly shooting occurred at a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Hamburg, Germany, which left seven people dead and seven injured, including four with serious injuries. The Hamburg police confirmed that the shooter, 35-year-old former church member Philipp F., was among the dead. Investigators are still searching for a motive as the shooter was not believed to be tied to any terrorist group.

The incident occurred around 9 p.m. local time and the police responded within minutes, headed by Interior Minister Andy Grote who said this was "the worst crime in our city's recent history". In addition to the gunman, the dead included four male victims and one female along with an unborn baby. The woman who was carrying the baby survived her injuries.

Raids of the gunman's apartment revealed 15 magazines loaded with 15 bullets each and four further packs of ammunition with about 200 rounds.

Residents in California are preparing for a powerful storm that is bringing with it triple digit winds, multiple feet of snow to Tahoe communities, and heavy rain which could lead to flooding. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings and a flood watch as the atmospheric river intensifies and barrels towards the state.

The storm is set to start Thursday at 4 PM with levels of snow fluctuating significantly, starting at 6,500 feet and rising to 8,500 feet in the evening and dropping to 6,000-6,500 feet on Friday night. With the intensity of the rainfall, the Weather Prediction Center has issued a level 4 of 4 warning of excessive rainfall across an area that could impact nearly 70,000 people along the central California coast, stretching from Salinas to San Luis Obispo to Monterey and Ventura counties.

Home and business owners have been urged to clear roofs of several feet of snow before the weighted

Heading into the start of the trading day on Wall Street, markets showed signs of risk-aversion and greed as the anticipation of Friday's February jobs report weighed heavy on investors. Benchmark 2-year Treasury note yields held near 14-year highs as the U.S. dollar index dropped. A late call from the SEC caused Credit Suisse to delay its annual report, while Uber considered launching a separate entity for its freight logistics. Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng was also sentenced to 10 years for his role in the 1MDB corruption case and Visa and Mastercard paused on their new payments code for firearms sellers.

U.S. equity futures traded modestly lower, as traders shifted away from risk markets ahead of the much-anticipated jobs report due tomorrow and weighed the implications of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's hawkish testimony on Capitol Hill yesterday. Powell's remarks emphasized the need for increasing interest rates in

Financial markets across the world shuddered on Tuesday as news spread of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB)'s request for $2.25 billion in fresh capital, sending markets into a tailspin. The KBW Bank Index plunged by 7% and the four biggest US banks lost a combined $52 billion in market value in one day.

This has been accompanied by an outflow of deposits from SIVB, which has seen its share price nosedive by a staggering 60%. This massive drop has cast a pall over the banking sector, with nearly $500 billion in deposits on the verge of being wiped out.

In an effort to avoid the same fate, First Republic Bank has announced they are taking precautionary steps through a large capital raise of $125 million. Despite this, share prices continue to slide, with stocks hitting their lowest levels in 15 years.

The Federal Reserve has acted to

Wall Street is abuzz after attempting to comprehend the chain of events that landed Silicon Valley Bank Financial Group (SVB) in talks to sell itself after its attempts to raise capital have failed. This revelation sent US bank stocks into a nosedive and triggered speculation on which institution will be the next victim.

For years, US regulators have taken a conflicting approach on banks, loosening restrictions on smaller banks so they could dabble in fintech innovation, while tightening the oversight on “systemically important” institutions like JPMorgan and Bank of America Corp. Today, with SVB Financial Group in talks to sell, these inconsistencies can no longer be overlooked.

A significant contributor to SVB’s current state include its significant exposure to risk-on assets, such as tech startups and crypto-currencies. Fears over economic instability as well as said exposure, have caused significant losses,

As Wisconsin works to improve the reading proficiency of its students, state legislators are pushing forward a reading program mandate. Designed to raise literacy rates across the state, the requirement has forced hundreds of school districts to seek waivers due to high costs and mixed results.

Gov. Tony Evers recently spoke with Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, both of whom expressed concerns over the cost of implementation and lack of measurable effects of the program. Superintendent Jill Underly is also pushing back against the mandate with her own program supported by her coalition.

Superintendents such as Susan Austin of Groton, who has worked tirelessly on her waiver application, have expressed their opposition to the program: “Commercial programs are not the magic bullet. They de-professionalize teachers and cannot be a one-size-fits-all.”

With over half of all districts

Early Friday morning, a shooting occurred at a German Kingdom Hall in the city of Hamburg, leaving multiple dead and wounded. Police said several people were killed on the scene and the wounded were taken to hospitals, but exact numbers have yet to be confirmed.

The shooting took place at about 9:15 p.m. local time Thursday, in a three-story building belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses. According to witnesses, at least 25 shots were fired in four distinct bursts. One witness even saw a figure running between the ground floor and the second floor of the building inside.

Upon arrival, police found multiple people dead and wounded on the ground floor. They then heard a gunshot from the upper floor, leading them to a fatally wounded person, possibly a shooter. Thankfully, police did not need to fire their own weapons. At this time, police are still working to verify that no further perpetrators are involved, and are yet to identify a motive

On Thursday, President Joe Biden offered his 2024 budget proposal which calls for an unprecedented tax increase of nearly $4.7 trillion. The plan also calls for cutting the federal deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years. The budget proposal is largely seen as a lead-up to Biden's re-election campaign.

The 1031 transfer, or what the IRS calls a like-kind exchange, is a loophole that has let real estate investors avoid paying capital gains taxes by using those funds to purchase a similar property elsewhere. To remedy this, the Biden administration is calling for the end of this loophole, which they say would add $19 billion to the budget.

This isn't the first time Biden has targeted the 1031 Exchange. In 2020 his 'caring economy' plan proposed ending it in order to fund universal preschool and a childcare tax credit. Last year, he proposed a cap