Month: April 2024

President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities while visiting Prince William Forest Park in Virginia on Monday to mark Earth Day.

The White House also plans to also expand Biden’s New Deal-style American Climate Corps green jobs training program, saying that it hopes its ‘Solar for All’ grants will help more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities get solar power. It said solar power could save about $400 per household in electricity costs and prevent 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 25 years.

The grants are being awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which unveiled the 60 recipients on Monday. The White House said: “the selectees will provide funds to states, territories, tribes, municipalities, and nonprofits across the country to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar.”

2,000 jobs were revealed as ‘just the beginning’ of what is expected to be about 20,000 positions that will be available for young people to get involved in conservation, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure to address climate change. The White House said: “These positions are hosted by hundreds of organizations advancing clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience. The website, which is launching in beta form, will be regularly updated with new American Climate Corps positions. Its goal is to make it easy for any American to find work tackling the climate crisis while gaining the skills necessary for the clean energy and climate resilience workforce of the future.”. According to the White House, the jobs on ClimateCorps.gov will be located in 36 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

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Clothing retailer Express, the parent of the Bonbons and UpWest brands, announced on Monday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be closing 95 stores (including all of its UpWest stores) with closing sales spanning across more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. to begin on Tuesday. Express said its remaining stores will operate as usual during the mass closing.

The retailer – based in Columbus, Ohio, and founded in 1980, was a shopping mall staple; the company said it made the move to file for bankruptcy as a strategic move to sell most of its operations to investment group WHP Global, an indirect subsidiary of shopping outlet giant Simon Property Group. Express also announced that it received a non-binding letter of intent from a group led by consumer brand acquisition and management firm WHP Global to potentially purchase the majority of its stores and operations. Express said that it had filed for Chapter 11 protection “to facilitate the sale process” (per ABC NEWS).

According to Express’ website, the company operates about 530 Express retail and Express Factory Outlet stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, in addition to roughly 60 Bonobos Guideshop locations as well as online operations for these brands.  Express reported nearly $1.2 billion in total debts and $1.3 billion in total assets as of March 2 in its Chapter 11 petition, which was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Stewart Glendinning, CEO of Express, said in a statement: “We continue to make meaningful progress refining our product assortments, driving demand, connecting with customers and strengthening our operations. We are taking an important step to strengthen our financial position and enable Express to continue advancing our business initiatives. WHP has been a strong partner to the company since 2023, and the proposed transaction will provide us additional financial resources, better position the business for profitable growth and maximize value for our stakeholders.”

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Police are investigating the shooting death of an 18-year-old on the campus of Delaware State University early Sunday morning. According to Dover Police, officers responded at about 1:40 a.m. to a report of shots on the campus’ freshman dorm, Warren-Franklin Residential Hall; upon arriving at the scene, they located an 18-year-old woman who was not a registered student who had been shot in the upper body. The young woman was taken to Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus where she died from her injuries. Her identity has not yet been released by police. Police said no other injuries were reported in connection to the shooting, and at this time they don’t have a description of any possible suspects.

A university statement provided by police said the campus was closed Sunday with no visitation permitted, with all events canceled and police patrols increased. Delaware State University’s statement posted on the Dover PD’s website read: “The DSU Police Department and staff will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure the health and well-being of our campus community. Counseling services are available in the Tubman Laws Hall housing office. The campus is closed today, events have been cancelled, and police patrols have been increased. No visitation will be permitted today.”

Dover police and Delaware State University police are investigating the case, which was classified as a homicide.  The Delaware State University Student Government Association said in a statement posted on Instagram that the shooting “tragic” and urged the rest of the campus community to stay safe: “as your Student Government Association, we stand united in supporting one another through this difficult time. Let us come together to offer comfort, strength, and solidarity to those affected by this tragedy.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dover Police Department at (302)736-7130 or submit tips through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333 or online at delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

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Two young siblings were killed when an intoxicated driver crashed into a Michigan business where a child’s birthday party was being held over the weekend.  Per CNN, An 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother were killed, and at least nine others were seriously injured at the party at a boat club in Newport, Michigan, on Saturday when a driver drove through the building where the celebration was taking place.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s office said in a news release Sunday that the vehicle crashed into Swan Boat Club in Berlin Charter Township around 3 p.m. Saturday and came to a stop about 25 feet inside the building, where the young child’s birthday party was being held. Authorities allege that the driver, a 66-year-old woman, was intoxicated while operating the vehicle. First responders provided first-aid to 15 victims and nine were transported by ambulance or helicopter to hospitals, while the other victims sought medical treatment on their own.

Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said that the two children were pronounced dead at the scene, and three children and six adults were rushed to medical facilities by ambulance or University of Michigan medical helicopter with “serious life-threatening injuries.”  Goodnough said that the driver, who authorities are not yet identifying publicly, was taken into police custody and is being held at the Monroe County Jail. She was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, and is likely facing additional charges as the investigation continues, the sheriff said.

The Swan Boat Club, located on Lake Erie in the community of Newport, is about 30 miles south of Detroit. The venue said on Facebook that it will be closed through the weekend, adding: “Please keep all the people and families in attendance in your prayers. We thank everyone for their concern and prayers.”

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Trader Joe’s has pulled Infinite Herbs-branded basil from its shelves in 29 states after a salmonella outbreak has left 12 people sickened. The grocery store announced the recall April 17 on its website, stating that Infinite Herbs organic basil may have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. On their website, Trader Joe’s advised customers who purchased Infinite Herbs organic basil during the Feb. 1–April 6 date range to discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe’s store for a full refund.  According to a food safety alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the ‘Infinite Herbs’ brand organic basil was sold in 2.5-ounce clamshell-style plastic containers in 29 states due to the risk of salmonella. The CDC reported that the outbreak had sickened at least 12 people in seven states, including one hospitalization, with zero deaths reported so far.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the people who have fallen ill are spread across seven states: Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. The FDA shared on its website that “seven of eight cases with information available reported exposure to fresh organic basil purchased from Trader Joe’s before becoming ill,” adding that Trader Joe’s has already pulled all Infinite Herbs brand organic basil from their store shelves and the product should no longer be available for sale to customers in any stores.  The supplier of the basil is cooperating with the FDA investigation and has agreed to initiate a voluntary recall, the CDC stated.

In a statement posted to its website, Infinite Herbs CEO Grego Berliavsky said the company has voluntarily recalled some 2.5-ounce packages of fresh organic basil sold between February 1 through April 6 with UPC 8 18042 02147 7 because of the potential it could be contaminated with salmonella. Berliavsky wrote: “I am heartbroken at the thought that any item we sold may have caused illness or discomfort. We simply will not rest until we can once again be confident in the safety of this product .. Fresh basil naturally wilts and expires after five to seven days, so we are confident that the recalled basil is no longer available for sale. However, if you have food in your freezer that includes Infinite Herbs organic basil purchased between February 1 and April 6, do not consume it.”  In addition, Berliavsky said that the basil had been sourced from a single farm, which is no longer in production: “We are working with the farmer to conduct an internal investigation of the food safety practices. Through this investigation, our goal is to determine the cause of this recall and apply measures to prevent it from happening again.”

Trader Joe’s said that people who purchased the basil may return it to the store for a refund. Customers can also call Trader Joe’s at (626) 599-3817 or email customer service: here.

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Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, the suspect charged in the murders of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, said in a new court filing that Kohberger has an alibi that will exonerate him in the case.

Kohberger was indicted on charges of murder by a grand jury last May; according to the court filing (reviewed by CNN), Kohberger, 29, claims he was driving in Pullman, Wash., on the night of the murders; and that cellphone tower data will prove he was miles away when the four students were killed. All four victims — Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20 — were stabbed to death in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, at their off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho.  Kohberger’s lawyers plan to use cellphone tower data analysis in an effort to prove he was not at the home where the murders happened on Nov. 13, 2022.

Lead defense attorney Anne Taylor said in the filing: “Mr. Kohberger was out driving in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, as he often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and stars. He drove throughout the area south of Pullman, Wash., west of Moscow, Idaho,” adding that the alibi is supported by data from Kohberger’s phone, with numerous photos showing him late at night or in early morning hours out in the countryside. In addition, Kohberger’s defense will put a cell phone tower and radio frequency expert on the stand to support the alibi, with the spot where he allegedly was out driving the night of the murders being located about 10 miles from the murder scene.

Kohberger, who lived in the town of Pullman, Washington, 9½ miles away from Moscow, was arrested in Pennsylvania nearly seven weeks after the killings on Dec. 30 while in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains visiting family.  Investigators allege they tied Kohberger to the killings by using DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left at the scene in the bed where Mogen and Goncalves were found deceased.  Moscow police had been looking for a white Elantra as possible evidence, and Kohberger’s Hyundai Elantra was seized from his Pennsylvania home.

Prosecutors claim that Kohberger broke into an off-campus home in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, and stabbed the four students to death at a King Road residence in the small city of Moscow on the Washington-Idaho border. The victims likely were asleep when the brutal attacks began.

Kohberger, who was a doctoral student studying criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

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