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Ways to save during this week's heat wave

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Severe weather and triple-digit heat can cause power outages in the metro area. Xcel Energy told FOX31 nearly 1,500 people lost power just days ago due to a lightning strike in Jefferson County. Another cause of an outage can be the overuse of power during a heat wave. “Oh it's a hot one, thank goodness for the clouds,” said homeowner Walter Hochner. Increased use of cooling systems can create a heavier load on the power grid. Xcel told FOX31 the plan to prepare for summer heat includes allowing customers to volunteer to reduce their power usage in exchange for a discount as part of the Saver’s Switch and AC Rewards programs. Hot temperatures bring health risks to Colorado “Customers have volunteered to decrease their load in order to be able to increase the capacity of our system,” said Xcel spokesperson Iffie Jennings.Xcel will continue to install special meters that alert the company of any power outages throughout the coming months. If you don't have one yet,...

Take a look inside the new Wild Animal Refuge in southern Colorado

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Colo. (KXRM) — You may have heard of the Wild Animal Sanctuary located in Keenesburg, which is home to hundreds of exotic animals including wolves, lions and bears. Nestled in the far southern reaches of Colorado is another location, the Wild Animal Refuge, which is closed to the public and contains nearly 10,000 acres of land in Springfield."We do have the Wild Animal Sanctuary that's up in Keenesburg, Colorado," said the Director of Animal Care at the Wild Animal Refuge, Taylor Logan. "That is open to the public, and we use that for a lot of our outreach. The reason we're not open day-to-day down here [in Springfield] is the amount of money and infrastructure it would take, would not be made up by the sheer number of guests that would be able to make it out."A big entrance sign in Baca County upon entry to The Wild Animal Refuge.After many twists and turns off back roads in Baca County, you can find the entrance gates to the Wild Animal Refuge. FOX31's sister station,...

DeSantis is in a car accident on his way to Tennessee presidential campaign events but isn’t injured

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in a car accident Tuesday as he traveled to campaign events in Tennessee for his 2024 presidential bid but wasn’t injured, his campaign said.The Republican White House hopeful “was in a car accident while traveling to an event in Chattanooga, Tennessee,” on Tuesday, campaign press secretary Bryan Griffin confirmed to The Associated Press. DeSantis “and his team are uninjured,” Griffin said.Representatives for DeSantis’ campaign did not answer questions about who was driving the governor or reveal details about the accident. DeSantis was continuing on to his event, spokesman Andrew Romeo said.DeSantis was scheduled to hold events throughout central and eastern Tennessee on Tuesday. He has trailed front-runner Donald Trump in the GOP presidential contest.

FWC reminds fishers of rules and safety ahead of Lobster ‘Mini’-Season

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

FLORIDA (WSVN) — Lobster enthusiasts and fishermen are gearing up for the highly anticipated two-day Lobster Sport “Mini” Season, commencing at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday and concluding at midnight on Thursday. As an opportunity for recreational fishermen to enjoy a head start on lobster fishing before the commercial boats, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is holding a media event at 10 a.m. to address the essential rules and regulations.The FWC’s media event will cover crucial topics aimed at promoting safety and responsible fishing practices during the Mini-Season. Among the key aspects to be discussed are the rules and regulations governing the event, dive flag safety, safe boating practices, and the proper method for measuring lobsters through a live demonstration.Fishermen participating in the Mini-Season are advised to adhere to the specific guidelines laid out by the FWC. For Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, the Daily B...

Spotify is hiking its prices

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

New York (CNN) — Spotify is the latest streaming service to hike its prices.Beginning Monday, new subscribers will pay $1 more per month for its ad-free premium plan, rising to $10.99 per month. Current customers are being given a “one-month grace period before the new price becomes effective,” Spotify said.Spotify’s other tiers, like its family and student plans, are also getting a $1 per month bump. The monthly cost of Duo, a plan that lets two people split a premium plan, is rising by $2, to $14.99. The price increases are now in effect for subscribers in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.In a release, Sweden-based Spotify said the “market landscape has continued to evolve since we launched” in 2008, and that the price hikes “will help us continue to deliver value to fans and artists on our platform.” Subscribers will get an email on Monday alerting them to the new prices.Spotify (SPOT) will also continuing offering a fre...

TikTok brings in text posts to rival Elon Musk’s X

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

London (CNN) — TikTok will now allow users to post text-only content for the first time in a challenge to Elon Musk’s beleaguered X, formerly known as Twitter.Announcing the new post format Monday, the video streaming platform said it would broaden “options for creators to share their ideas and express their creativity.”“With text posts, we’re expanding the boundaries of content creation for everyone on TikTok, giving the written creativity we’ve seen in comments, captions, and videos a dedicated space to shine,” the company said in a statement.Users are now able to share “stories, poems, recipes, and other written content,” which can be customized by adding sound, stickers and background colors, among other features.In perhaps the most direct challenge to the X platform, text posts on TikTok will allow users to tag other accounts and add hashtags that relate to trending topics.The latest move by TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, may prove to be another kno...

Mega Millions jackpot is the 8th largest in the US at $820 million

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

Lottery players will have a shot at an estimated $820 million Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night, less than a week after someone hit a Powerball prize that topped $1 billion.The huge Mega Millions jackpot is the eighth-largest U.S. lottery prize and follows a $1.08 billion prize won by a player Wednesday in Los Angeles. California lottery officials haven’t announced a winner of that prize, which was the sixth-largest in U.S. history.Jackpots in the two lottery games grow so large because the steep odds make winning so unlikely, allowing the grand prize to roll over again and again. The last time someone beat Mega Millions’ odds of 1 in 203.5 million and won a jackpot was April 18 — that’s 27 drawings without a big winner.The game pays out many more smaller prizes, which start at $2. The overall odds of winning any prize is 1 in 24.The $820 million prize for Tuesday night’s drawing is for a sole winner who chooses payment through...

McCarthy makes most direct impeachment threat against Biden to date

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

(CNN) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested that House Republicans may be approaching the point where they’d pursue an impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden, the California Republican’s most explicit threat of impeaching the president to date.“We’ve only followed where the information has taken us. But Hannity, this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed,” McCarthy told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Monday.McCarthy’s comments come amid a series of congressional investigations in the Republican-led House that have targeted Biden, his administration and his family members – most prominently his son Hunter. House Republicans have demanded that US Attorney David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee, answer questions about allegations from two IRS whistleblowers that the tax investigation in the Hunter Biden criminal probe was tainted by political int...

Bill Belichick provides training camp update on JuJu Smith-Schuster, other key starters

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots have one less thing to worry about as they get ready for training camp practices to being Wednesday morning.Defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, who skipped mandatory minicamp, has reported for training camp, ESPN reported Tuesday morning. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was hopeful Tuesday morning that the circumstances that kept Guy out of minicamp — a situation reportedly believed to be “contract related,” per ESPN — were resolved.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots training camp 2023 preview: Bold predictions, breakout players and cut candidates New England Patriots | Patriots training camp countdown No. 1: What will Bill O’Brien’s offense look like? New England Patriots | Patriots 53-man roster projection: Pats keep just five receivers New England Patriots | Patriots sign WR Jalen Hurd, ex-Navy LB Diego Fagot to fill out roster New England Pa...

Bill Belichick explains why the Patriots extended DeVante Parker, Ja’Whaun Bentley

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:41:54 GMT

FOXBORO — Between the time the Patriots last hit the field for minicamp and began preparing for their return this week with the start of training camp, the front office kept busy.In late June, the Patriots extended wide receiver DeVante Parker on a 2-year, $10.8 million contract with $9.1 million in guarantees. Parker can make up to $33 million over the length of his revised 3-year deal. Parker, who had been entering a contract year, caught 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns last season. He is now signed through 2025.A day later, the team inked linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley to another extension and kept him from hitting the open market next spring. His new deal adds two years worth $13.1 million, including $9 million guaranteed. Bentley is coming off a career year when he posted 125 tackles, three sacks, six QB hits and two pass deflections.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick expects Patriots CB Jack Jones to practice amid legal situa...