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1 hour ago
Officials in Hawaii have plans in case lava from the Muana Loa volcano gets too close to the interstate
By Paradise Afshar
Fire invades the sky of Hawaii after the eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano 0:49
Hawaiian authorities monitor the lava flow from the eruption of Mauna Loa.
“County officials have been working with the state Department of Transportation on a plan to close the Daniel K Freeway. It includes whether lava is moving close enough to the road to pose a hazard,” said Adam Weintraub, director of communications from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, in a statement to CNN.
"The plans are preliminary and are subject to change depending on the advance of the lava."
Weintraub said that for now, the lava flow is moving toward a relatively flat area, "so it's slowing down and spreading out."
"In doing so, their flow and direction may change by interacting with the older lava flows that make up the landscape of the 'Saddle' area between the volcanoes," Weintraub said.
“DOT can close the highway with about a 6-hour notice, and Hawaii Volcano Observatory staff say they can provide at least 24 to 48-hour advance warning if lava appears to be threatening the highway,” he added. the official.
In a tweet posted Wednesday, Hawaiian Electric said the latest forecasts indicate that "lava flows may take two days to reach the highway."
Should the highway be closed, it would affect the fastest route between the eastern and western halves of the island;
however, there are two alternate routes that generally follow the north and south coasts of the island (Highways 11 and 19).
Weintraub said there are hospitals and first responders on each side of the island, and "there is already substantial coordination between them" and hospitals on other islands regarding complex medical cases.
One of the main concerns of the authorities is that people stop on the roads to watch the lava flow.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Hawaii Department of Transportation said it is "monitoring the situation and has plans to send area messages and teams if necessary to close the busy highway and divert traffic."
1 hour ago
Harvey Weinstein took advantage of and silenced the women, prosecutors say as closing arguments begin in his second rape trial
By Cheri Mossburg
File Photo: Harvey Weinstein arrives at a Manhattan courthouse during his rape trial on February 24, 2020 in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Prosecutors began their closing arguments Wednesday in the Los Angeles sexual assault trial of former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who faces two counts of forcible rape and five counts of sexual assault involving four women: a model, a dancer, a masseuse and a producer.
Los Angeles County Assistant District Attorney Marlene Martinez called Weinstein a "titan" who "rubbed shoulders with famous actors and actresses" and used that power to take advantage of women and silence them.
“He used that power to live his life without the repercussions of his predatory behavior,” Martinez told the jury.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him.
Jurors have followed the marathon of testimony, hearing from approximately 50 witnesses, including the four accusers, who were identified in court as anonymous due to the nature of the charges.
In addition, four other women testified that similar incidents also happened to them at the hands of Weinstein.
Those alleged incidents are not charged as part of this case because they occurred outside of Los Angeles County.
“The defense has said that these victims cannot be trusted,” MartĂnez said in his closing arguments.
"That they are lying.
But what they're really telling you is that you can't trust your own ears.
Because what you heard with your own ears was who and what Harvey Weinstein is."
Weinstein's defense argued that the witnesses fabricated their stories or had consensual sex with Weinstein, saying there is no forensic evidence to support either claim.
Midway through the trial, four of the original 11 charges against Weinstein tied to a fifth Jane Doe were dropped without explanation.
During a 2020 trial in New York, Weinstein was found guilty of a criminal sex act and third-degree rape and is currently serving a 23-year sentence for those crimes.
If the Los Angeles jury, made up of four women and eight men, finds him guilty of the charges, Weinstein would face 60 years to life in prison, plus an additional five years.
The often emotional testimony at the Los Angeles trial has spanned four weeks, not including a Thanksgiving break, and has been intermittently punctuated by scathing exchanges between witnesses and attorneys.
Some of the most heated exchanges occurred during the cross-examination of accuser Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a producer, actress and wife of the California governor, who testified that Weinstein raped her in 2005. Siebel Newsom described a "cat-and-mouse period" of one hour in length that preceded her alleged rape.
“What you are doing today is exactly what he did to me,” Siebel Newsom said, accusing defense attorney Mark Werksman of “mental jujitsu” and verbal manipulation.
Weinstein's lawyers do not deny the incident occurred, but say they believed it was consensual.
Martinez also referenced Siebel Newsom in his closing remarks, saying the reason he continued to have contact with Weinstein after the alleged assault was because of his position in the industry.
“Getting on the defendant's bad side?
That would guarantee that your career is over,” Martinez said.
"These women had so many dreams that they were not going to let this monster destroy them."
Martinez is expected to resume closing arguments Thursday morning.
1 hour ago
Three teenagers arrested in Florida for sending racist and anti-Semitic messages
By CNN's Jamiel Lynch and Chris Boyette
Three 16-year-old boys were arrested in connection with several incidents of spray-painting racist and anti-Semitic messages in South Florida in October, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
Two of the juvenile suspects face three counts of criminal mischief, two counts of burglary of structure and one count of public order mischief, which, according to a news release from the sheriff's office, is an aggravated hate crime and the Third suspect faces two counts of criminal mischief and structure theft.
Authorities said the incidents were uncovered in Weston, Florida on Oct. 5, during Yom Kippur, Oct. 25 and Oct. 30, when hateful and anti-Semitic messages were spray-painted inside and outside restrooms at a golf course. in Weston Hills and additional messages were spray painted on a playground in Hunters Pointe Park and ultimately along the entrance to the Hunters Pointe subdivision.
1 hour ago
Guangzhou city, in southern China, eases confinement measures due to covid-19
By Wayne Chang in Hong Kong and Xiaofei Xu in Paris
Residents in China rebel against confinement 0:55
Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou eased some lockdown measures on Wednesday, a day after China's health agency said rectification of pandemic measures is underway and governments Locals should "respond and resolve" residents' complaints in a timely manner.
Earlier this week, videos circulating on social media showed residents in closed-off areas of the city clashing with police.
Videos widely shared on social media and geotagged by CNN show how roadblocks were removed on Wednesday, with residents expressing enthusiasm for the removal of the barriers.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Zhang Yi, a spokesman for the Guangzhou Health Commission, said the city has adjusted the designation of risk levels and pandemic containment measures, to a greater or lesser extent, in its eleven districts.
Lockdowns have been lifted in four counties, namely Liwan, Baiyun, Tianhe and Haizhu, while lockdowns remain in designated high-risk areas.
Guangzhou will stop sending all close contacts of COVID-19 patients to central quarantine facilities and allow some to self-isolate at home if they meet the requirements, Zhang said.
The city will also not do any more borough-wide mass testing for covid-19.
“All districts should carry out tests in a scientific way,” Zhang added.
On Tuesday, Guangzhou reported 6,995 new local cases, Zhang said.
China reported 37,612 new local cases across the country on Tuesday, the NHC said on Wednesday.