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Largest Hindu temple outside India in the modern era opens in New Jersey

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. (AP) — If stones could talk, sing and tell stories, Yogi Trivedi believes the marble and limestone that adorn the spires, pillars and archways of the stunning Hindu temple in central New Jersey would compose a paean to the divine.The tales these stones tell are those of seva (selfless service) and bhakti (devotion), which form the core of the Swaminarayan sect, a branch of Hinduism, said Trivedi, a scholar of Hinduism at Columbia University.It took a combined total of about 4.7 million hours of work by artisans and volunteers to hand-carve about 2 million cubic feet of stone. The four varieties of marble from Italy and limestone from Bulgaria traveled first to India and then over 8,000 miles across the world to New Jersey. They were then fitted together like a giant jigsaw to create what is now touted as the largest Hindu temple outside India to be built in the modern era, standing on a 126-acre tract. It will open to the public on Monday. The largest temple compl...

No subway service on large portion of Line 1 all weekend

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

A large portion of the TTC subway system is closed this holiday weekend. There is no subway service on Line 1 between Spadina and St. Andrew stations as crews perform track work. Shuttle buses, which would normally fill the gap for any closure, are also not running along that stretch because of construction work and the expected traffic congestion along University Avenue which the TTC says would cause significant delays for customers. The TTC says service is being increased on nearby streetcar and bus routes to try and mitigate the closure. Service along most of the closure will resume by Sunday at 8 a.m., except for the stretch between Osgoode and King stations which will open at 11 a.m.Due to track work, there's no service on Line 1 between Spadina & St. Andrew stn today. No shuttle buses will run. Service will be increased on nearby surface routes. Customers requiring an accessible connection should exit at Dupont Stn & speak to staff.https://t.co/sUJIzvUKZU pic.twitt...

‘We are at war’: Hamas kills 40 in unprecedented, wide-ranging incursion into Israel

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday.Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.At least 561 wounded people were being treated in Israeli hospitals, including at least 77 who were in critical condition, according to an Associated Press count based on public statements and calls to hospitals.There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but AP reporters witnessed the funerals of 15 people who were killed and saw another eight bodies arrive ...

Man dead, another critical after wrong-way crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

CHICAGO -- A man is dead and another is in critical condition after a wrong-way, head-on crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive Friday night. Police said the incident took place near the 2900 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive around 11:48 p.m. A passenger in the vehicle that was crashed into sustained blunt force of trauma t the body and was transported to University of Chicago medical Center in critical condition where he was pronounced dead shortly after. Man arrested in connection to Willowbrook Juneteenth shooting The 53-year-old man driving the vehicle that was driving on the wrong side of the road sustained injured to the body and was transported to University of Chicago Hospital in critical condition. Citations are pending and police are still investigating the incident.

Netanyahu says Israel is 'at war,' promises retaliation after Hamas launches attack

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday.Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.At least 561 wounded people were being treated in Israeli hospitals, including at least 77 who were in critical condition, according to an Associated Press count based on public statements and calls to hospitals.There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but AP reporters witnessed the funerals of 15 people who were killed and saw another eig...

Navigating what an ‘ethical’ bag of coffee beans means is easier said than done

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

(The Conversation) - You’re shopping for a bag of coffee beans at the grocery store. After reading about the effects of climate change and how little farmers make – typically $0.40 per cup – you figure it might be time to change your usual beans and buy something more ethical. Perusing the shelves in the coffee aisle, though, you see too many choices.First up is the red tub of Folgers “100% Colombian,” a kitchen staple – “lively with a roasted and rich finish.” On the side of the tub, you see the icon of Juan Valdez with his donkey, Conchita – a fictional mascot representing the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation.Coffee farmer Julian Pinilla uses a coffee grinder during an interview with AFP in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Juan Restrepo/AFP via Getty ImagesNext might be Starbucks “Single-Origin Colombia.” One side of the green bag tells “the story” of the beans, describing “treacherous dirt roads” to “6,500 feet of elevation” that are “worth the jou...

A comfortable weekend

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A cold front moved south through overnight leaving a strong north wind. Wind gusts in excess of 20 to 25 mph are part of this morning's forecast. Wind speeds and gusts will lower during this afternoon.The cooler breeze will help keep our afternoon temperatures in the 70s. Most highs today will be in the low to mid 70s. The last time we had a daytime maximum in the 70s was 77° on April 29.A lighter north wind, a mostly clear sky and dry air will send most overnight temperatures to the 50s. There will be some mid/upper 40s in the Hill Country. The last time Austin had a low in the 50s was May 1 when the thermometer fell to 58°.Rain looks to be limited to scattered showers that could begin as early as Tuesday afternoon. A tropical storm in the eastern Pacific, Lidia, is forecast to take a turn to the northeast Monday taking it to the central west coast of Mexico late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning.The forecast issue is how much moisture from the Pacific and th...

When will Texas see its first freeze of the season?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video explains why pipes burst when they freeze.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The strongest cold front of the season moved through the state on Wednesday and Thursday, finally ushering in fall temperatures for most of Texas. Now that it feels like fall, it's time to look at that first freeze. El Niño into 2024: What that means for winter and spring A freeze is defined as having a low temperature of 32º or colder. Technically a hard freeze is when temperatures drop to 28º or below. You can get frost with air temperatures several degrees above freezing.For the purposes of this, we'll just look at the average first day with low temperatures of 32º or colder coming after the conclusion of the summer months. The average is over a 30-year period from 1991-2020.StatewideAs you'd expect the earliest freezes in Texas happen in the northern and western parts of the state. Amarillo has the earliest average first freeze of this list with an October dip to 32º or below.The latest f...

Does your horse need taillights? Fact-checking Texas' strangest traffic laws

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - While drivers in Texas tend to know the major rules of the road, the long and winding highways of history in the Lone Star State have also produced some lesser-known traffic laws - and a few notorious traffic myths. Do horses need taillights, or is that a tall tale? Here is a look at a few lesser-known Texas traffic laws, as well as a few more rules that are more fiction than fun facts. You don't need a windshield in Texas, but you do need windshield wipers.As noted in previous reports, it is illegal to drive without windshield wipers in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Transportation Code, the windshield is not an item listed for vehicle inspections; however, windshield wipers are. This note in the law can allow owners of vehicles designed without or with foldable windshields, such as certain Jeep models, to legally operate. Your vehicle needs taillights - and so does your horse.Although some claims have been mad...

'You can’t stop her:' 75-year-old grandmother lifeguards at YMCA with grandson

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:06:14 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — When Birmingham grandmother Martha Dawson heard about the years-long YMCA lifeguard shortage, she immediately thought of her grandson, Davis. What she didn't bargain for was becoming a lifeguard herself. ”I thought that being a lifeguard would be a really good job for a 15-year-old to have," she said.To her surprise, Martha was also recruited, an offer that she calls a great gift. ”It's amazing. I can't really put into words what it means to me," she said. "It totally connects me to my grandson; it’s something we enjoy together. And again, it’s sort of emphasizing the idea (not) just giving lip service to something worthwhile, but actually doing it.”The pair is now going on two years of protecting the pool. Davis said the experience has allowed him to see his grandmother in a whole new light. Gov. Kay Ivey suggests Alabama library funding be conditional on ‘sensible policies’ regarding controversial books ”It's an experience that a lot of people don’t get...