MOSS LANDING – Highway 1 was closed and evacuations were ordered within the Moss Landing community and Elkhorn Slough area after a serious fire broke out Thursday afternoon at a battery storage plant in Moss Landing in northern Monterey County.

The fire, which burned uncontrolled Thursday night and produced huge flames and dangerous clouds of black smoke, was reported at the ability on Highway 1 around 3 p.m., Monterey County spokesman Nicholas Pasculli said.

RELATED: Energy Storage at Moss Landing: A Smokey Challenge for a New Chapter

“It is imperative that residents obey the evacuation order and follow the instructions of the police and fire departments,” Pasculli said. “In this situation, we take the protection of life and property very seriously. We urge people to follow the evacuation order and move to a safe location.”

Evacuations of about 1,500 people have been ordered for areas from Moss Landing south of Elkhorn Slough, north of Molera Road and Monterey Dunes Way and west of Castroville Boulevard and Elkhorn Road to the ocean, he said.

Pasculli said the Monterey County Sheriff's Office called other agencies within the county to help with the emergency.

“It is a serious incident,” he said. “All resources from the county and our neighboring jurisdictions were deployed to assist with this incident.”

The plant belongs to the Texas company Vistra Energy and is considered one of the most important battery storage power plants on this planet. It incorporates tens of hundreds of lithium batteries that store electricity generated through the day from solar and other sources to be used at night. Such battery storage plants are a vital a part of California's efforts to convert most of its electricity generation to renewable sources.

“You can’t sugarcoat it. “This is a disaster,” Monterey County Supervisor Glen Church told KSBW-TV. “This is extremely disturbing.”

Church said the fireplace was “contained” in a concrete constructing whose roof had collapsed.

“We don't think there's any real danger of it expanding outward and penetrating further into where it's inside,” he said. “There are a lot of batteries in there and the system is on fire quite a lot.”

The plant is positioned on the location of a now-closed Fifties PG&E Moss Landing natural gas plant, visible from its huge smokestacks near Moss Landing Harbor. The first phase was accomplished in 2020 and expanded to 750 megawatts in 2023. Vistra sells the electricity stored there to PG&E, which also owns a separate 182-megawatt, 256-tesla battery storage facility on the north side of the location. “Megapack” battery packs. This system didn’t look like burning at 8 p.m

Employees on the Vistra plant called the North Monterey County Fire Protection District for assistance after a fireplace was discovered on the 300-megawatt Phase I energy storage facility, company spokeswoman Jenny Lyon said in an email to this news organization.

Lyon said all personnel were safely evacuated.

“Our top priority is the safety of the community and our staff,” she said, “and Vistra greatly appreciates the continued support of our local emergency responders.”

Lyon said the reason for the fireplace has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fireplace is extinguished.

Lithium battery fires are notoriously difficult to place out. They burn at high temperatures and may emit toxic gases that may cause respiratory problems, skin burns and eye irritation.

There have been other fires at the ability.

Fires broke out on the Vistra plant on September 4, 2021 and February 14, 2022. Investigations revealed that they were brought on by a malfunction of a sprinkler system that released water and caused several units to overheat.

Then in September 2022, a fireplace broke out at PG&E's Elkhorn battery plant. Police closed Highway 1 for 12 hours. An investigation determined the cause was an improperly installed vent guard on considered one of the 256 units, which allowed rainwater to enter and short-circuit the batteries. There were no injuries to firefighters, PG&E employees or the general public.

Governor Gavin Newsom then signed a law requiring battery storage power plants in California to work with local fire departments to develop emergency plans and increase fire protection.

“Expanding the state’s battery storage is critical to achieving our clean energy goals,” state Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, who authored the bill, said in an interview last yr. “But we also need to ensure that these facilities have safety systems in place to protect the health and well-being of workers and surrounding communities.”

Last summer, after two fires broke out at San Diego County battery storage facilities, San Diego County regulators asked county officials to impose stricter rules that may restrict battery storage facilities near homes, schools and other facilities. And when Vistra proposed constructing a big battery plant in Morro Bay, residents there approved a measure on the November ballot that they hoped would block construction.

Battery storage has increased sevenfold in California over the past five years, from 1,474 megawatts in 2020 to 10,383 megawatts last summer. One megawatt is sufficient to power 750 households.

On Thursday evening, the Castroville Recreation Center at 11261 Crane St. served as a brief evacuation point for individuals who needed to depart their homes.

Highway 1 is closed in each directions between Highway 183 and Struve Road. There isn’t any estimated time for the roadway to reopen.

Originally published: January 16, 2025 at 7:40 pm PST

It's been a 12 months of adventure for the Bay Area News Group's intrepid readers. You saw that Northern lights in Iceland's Westfjordslearned to arrange paella in Barcelona and explored the cultural treasures of Austria. They then shared their stories and gave helpful travel suggestions.

Read on for a travel story a few mother and son's road trip to the good American Southwest and find more travel inspiration for readers at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.

Wish you were here

ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO: Denie Burgstrom of San Jose and her son Blaine took a two-week “bucket list” road trip to the good American Southwest in October that included Solvang and San Diego before crossing the California border to go to Tombstone, Arizona. “My mom is a huge history buff,” Blaine says. “From there Las Cruces, New Mexico, Roswell and then Albuquerque, which we used as a base to also see Santa Fe and Taos. Then we traveled to Monument Valley (Arizona) and on to Page, where we saw the enchanting Antelope Canyon.”

One of the various highlights was a stay at Amargosa Hotel near the eastern fringe of Death Valley. “Amargosa has a fascinating history and began as part of a town developed by the Borax company,” says Blaine. “Later, dancer/artist Marta Becket came across the nearly abandoned buildings and renovated them so she could showcase her dance and artwork. The hotel, which is currently being renovated again, is an experience to stay at.”

TRAVEL TIPS: “September and October are a great time to visit the desert – not too hot and not too cold and the colors are stunning. Antelope Canyon is located on protected Navajo land and is only accessible as part of a guided tour. The indigenous guides are informative and entertaining, with lots of great photo opportunities. Be prepared for a 20-minute bumpy ride to the canyon, which takes about an hour to traverse. Be sure to book excursions early.”

Originally published: December 30, 2024 at 6:30am PST

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Matt Murray checked out the scoreboard above him, counted down the seconds as they disappeared and at last pumped his fist.

It had been 638 days since Murray last felt that feeling come over him.

Bilateral hip surgery forced the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender out of your entire 2023-24 season, the ultimate term of his four-year contract. There was no guarantee that the oft-injured Murray would play within the NHL again. A one-year contract gave him the lifeline to proceed operating far out of the limelight within the AHL with only one goal.

And over a yr and a half later, Murray was back where he struggled: within the NHL win column after stopping 24 shots in a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

“A long way. A big mountain to climb. But I kept that moment in my mind on the days when it was difficult,” Murray said.

With every word he said after the sport, the 30-year-old's eyes became redder. His voice was shaking.

“A big release,” he said, struggling to seek out the correct words to place his nearly two-year absence from the NHL into perspective. “A rush of emotions.”

The goalkeeper's typical hugs along with his teammates after the win were tighter and longer. In a physical game where a player's profession can turn right away, Murray's return resonated way over the 2 points the Leafs also added that day.

“It’s nice to see (Murray) smile,” Steven Lorentz said, “because you know he’s back doing what he loves.”

In the locker room, Max Domi immediately presented Murray with the team's WWE-style wrestling belt as Player of the Game. Murray's inconsistent performance was secondary.

“He got the thing 100 percent, he deserved it,” Domi said. “The ability to mentally persevere after all those days where I'm sure he had a lot of doubts is a long road to recovery. “We're all super happy with him.”

It's easy to quantify how long Murray's journey back to the NHL took in days: 628 of them between his last two appearances.

It is much more difficult to describe exactly how difficult this journey is.

Injuries have dogged Murray throughout his career, having won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in his first two seasons in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins. From 2018 to 2022, his play declined each season. After being traded to the Leafs in the summer of 2022, he struggled through his first season. It was fair to wonder if hip surgery would be the final blow of his NHL career.

But Murray still stayed with his teammates at the Leafs' training facility during his rehabilitation last season, feeling so close but so far away from the league he once conquered.

“The fact that he’s on his way here right now says a lot about his character and his commitment to the game,” Lorentz said.

Murray had a stand full of his equipment at this facility that was never used. An important and human gesture from the Leafs organization, but still a reminder that Murray didn't play any NHL games.

Even after signing a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Leafs, he felt like the organization's No. 4 goaltender. When the Leafs needed a goaltender to replace the injured Anthony Stolarz, they called up Dennis Hildeby. The lanky Hildeby is seven years younger than Murray.

How could Murray not wonder if his NHL return would ever come?

“There were definitely times when it felt really difficult,” Murray said. “But whenever I felt like that, I had a great group of people around me. That’s the only reason I’m here.”

All Murray could do was work his tail off far from the public eye and quietly hope for the return that finally came on Friday evening.

“Emotions were high today,” Murray said.

These emotions were perhaps at their highest before the game. The typically stoic Murray allowed himself to pause and appreciate how far he had come.

“I was able to take a moment during warmups and during the anthem to look around and appreciate the long journey it has been and think of all the people who helped me get here,” Murray said.

It was a game that reminded viewers of the fragility of an NHL career. Only a few years separated Murray from winning the Stanley Cup to largely retiring from the NHL, all essentially before the age of 30.

“You feel bad for a guy like that because he works so hard and wants it so badly,” Lorentz said. “We’re all rooting for him.”

Murray moved quite well on his return. He swallowed many of the 27 shots the Sabers threw at him and looked every bit the veteran he’s. Murray had conceded two goals and was recalled after a video review. His long-range save on Sabers forward Alex Tuch was a reminder of the athleticism he can provide now that he's also fully healthy.

These are all qualities that Leafs fans could have forgotten. But they’re qualities which are still on the forefront of Murray's Leafs teammates.

“I haven't forgotten what he accomplished in his career in this league,” said Leafs forward Max Pacioretty, who is not any stranger to debilitating injuries that threaten his profession. “It's hard to even begin to remember what you've done, what you've achieved, because it seems like all the noise is always in the moment, be it the injury or what's happened recently. “

Perhaps the Leafs victory could have been predicted in advance. Sure, they were playing against a shaky Sabers team that had now lost twelve in a row. And they were worn by an up-and-coming, red-hot line consisting of Max Domi, Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. They're the third line in name only: The trio combined for three goals and six points against the Sabres.

But the opponent shouldn't denigrate what was at the forefront not only for Murray, but also for the Leafs in Buffalo. They wanted to do right by a player who did everything in his power to return to the NHL. You didn't have to squint to see a defender like Jake McCabe throwing the Sabers out of Murray's crease with a little more vigor.

“It gives you some incentive to go the extra mile knowing that (Murray) went the extra mile just to get back to the position he's at,” Lorentz said. “It's not that he was half-hearted about getting back to this point and that he expected to be here. Surgeries and injuries like the one he went through can put a damper on your career for a long time. You may never be able to return to your old form.”

But Murray is working to get back to his old Matt Murray. And the Leafs' need for Murray won't end as they head north on the QEW back to Toronto.

Stolarz's earliest return from a knee injury is anticipated to be mid to late January. Hildeby doesn't exactly have the total confidence of the Leafs organization for the time being after allowing just a few poor goals against the Sabers at home in a recent outing, combined with a less-than-stellar AHL season up to now. He will likely develop into an NHL player down the road, but there’s room for him to proceed to develop and develop into more confident in his game.

But Murray has what no other goalie within the Leafs organization has: experience. And that's vital for Brad Treliving and Craig Berube: Both value games played and would like to depend on veterans if possible.

They will depend on Murray due to the whole lot he has done and been through in his profession.

After Friday night, this profession looks completely different.

“The reality is you have to take each day as it comes and you never know when it will all be over,” Pacioretty said. “So you don’t want to take days for granted.”

After drying his eyes and slowly removing his sweat-soaked goalkeeping gear, Murray sat alone within the locker room. The Leafs equipment staff stopped unloading bags from the locker room to softly pat him on the shoulder.

Murray looked up and saw a note on a board within the locker room. The Leafs bus would go away in 20 minutes. There was one other NHL game on the horizon.

He was capable of smile again, knowing that it definitely won't be 628 days before he can do what he loves.

History of massive deals

Companies world wide are increasingly committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to slow and ultimately reverse climate change.

One indicator is the variety of corporations which have set emissions targets as a part of emissions trading Science Based Targets Initiative.or SBTi, a worldwide nonprofit organization. This number grew from 164 corporations at the tip of 2018 to over 6,600 by November 2024. And hundreds more have committed to cutting their emissions.

However, it isn’t at all times a smooth road. Some of those corporations – including big names like Microsoft and Walmart – have needed to withdraw a few of their SBTi commitments.

We study the story the SBTi commitments to grasp these obligations and what can undermine it. We consider there may be more to those setbacks than meets the attention.

What is Net Zero?

To understand corporations’ climate commitments, let’s start with the concept of “net zero.”

The Paris Agreementa global treaty on climate change, goals to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and ideally to 1.5 C (2.7 F). To achieve the more ambitious goal of 1.5°C, it have to be achieved Zero net greenhouse gas emissions until around 2050.

Net zero is the purpose at which the quantity of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere is balanced by the greenhouse gases removed, either through natural sources comparable to forests or through technologies comparable to carbon capture and storage.

The Science Based Targets Initiative.Developed alongside the Paris Agreement in 2015, it provides a framework to assist corporations align their efforts towards the 1.5°C goal.

SBTi commitments have grown rapidly

To Join the initiativeCompanies will begin signing a commitment letter to set short-term (2030) and long-term (2050) targets to scale back their emissions. Companies have 24 months to develop goals that comply with SBTi guidelines. If SBTi's goals are validated and approved, the corporate will publicly disclose its goals. The targets have to be revalidated every five years or they expire.

The number of worldwide corporations committing and setting goals with SBTi has increased rapidly in recent times.

By the tip of 2023, 7,929 corporations, representing 39% of worldwide market capitalization, had committed to setting targets and 4,205 had targets already validated by SBTi. By November 2024, that number had grown to six,614.

This impressive turnout is especially significant given SBTi's high expectations. SBTi requires setting short-term goals Companies reduce their emissions by not less than 42% by 2030 from 2020 levels.

Why some corporations have withdrawn

So why are corporations like Walmart, Microsoft and Amazon reducing their commitments to SBTi?

While some people attribute these steps to this political pressure from fossil fuel advocatesA better have a look at the info since 2013 reveals a more complex set of things that will higher explain their actions.

We found that over the past decade, 695 corporations either withdrew short- or long-term commitments or had a commitment that had expired and been terminated by SBTi. These actions focused on two different time periods.

The first period followed SBTi's decision in April 2019 update its criteriaincluding tightening the minimum goal from below 2°C to either “well below 2°C” or 1.5°C. We consider that several corporations weren’t prepared for the brand new requirements. Of the five hundred corporations that had either committed to or set targets by the tip of 2018, 94 (18.8%) ended their initial commitments after the standards modified.

The second period was after January 2023, when SBTi has introduced a brand new compliance policy and commenced removing expired commitments. During this era, 531 commitments were terminated – 497 of them as a consequence of the commitment expiring and 16 as a consequence of the corporate's exit.

It is essential to acknowledge that SBTi has strategically raised the bar to encourage corporations to speed up their progress in tackling climate change.

Reasons why some corporations have had problems

A March 2024 report states: SBTi provided an open view about corporations' climate commitments from 2019 to 2021 and, more importantly, where they faced difficulties.

Approximately half of the businesses that responded to the survey identified the complexity of addressing it Scope 3 emissions – Emissions from an organization’s supply chain and the usage of its products – as a key barrier to setting net zero targets. The supply chain is commonly considered a blind spot for measuring environmental impact and is difficult for corporations to manage.

On the day the report was published, SBTi canceled the long-term commitments of 239 corporations. About 60% of those corporations had short-term goals that remained in place.

This helps explain the news surrounding corporations like Walmart, Microsoft and Amazon.

Walmart and Microsoft's long-term net zero commitments have been terminated, although each corporations proceed to have valid short-term goals with SBTi.

In addition, each confirm their environmental commitment of their annual reports. Walmart is currently Completion of the Scope 3 emissions evaluation to tell future strategy development and Microsoft is investing in CO2 removal Technologies ought to be CO2 negative by 2030.

Amazon presents a harder case. The company can have had difficulty complying with SBTi's strict requirements, particularly with regard to produce chain emissions. Amazon said it’s stays committed to achieving net zero emissions and plans to explore goal setting with other organizations.

Many corporations are on course

Our evaluation of Progress data from SBTiwhich incorporates all corporations which have set a goal by 2022 and for which SBTi has emissions data, shows that corporations are reducing their emissions at a mean annual rate of 5.4%.

If you simply have a look at the direct emissions from the corporate's operations (Scope 1) and the electricity purchased (Scope 2), the businesses do even higher. The median annual emissions decline was 7.25% for corporations with Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets.

Scope 2 emissions are the minor aspects and are sometimes accompanied by cost-saving measures comparable to improving energy efficiency.

The biggest challenge is Scope 3 emissions brought on by corporations' suppliers and consumers' use of their products. Companies with a separate Scope 3 goal only reduced these emissions by a mean annual rate of about 3%.

In 2024, SBTi announced plans to revise its Net Zero standard and enable corporations to make use of carbon offsets to realize their Scope 3 emissions targets, attracted heavy criticism. Carbon offsets allow corporations to pay for projects that reduce emissions on their behalf, comparable to by planting trees or managing forests.

SBTi's challenge is to seek out a balance that maintains the integrity of its standards while encouraging broader participation, particularly from high-impact industries.

Other ways corporations reduce their emissions

While setting and achieving SBTi targets signals a robust commitment to fighting climate change, many corporations are setting and dealing towards emissions targets without joining SBTi.

An example is that this Drawdown Georgia Business Compact. It was created to speed up the adoption of 20 technology and market-ready solutions and includes nearly 70 corporations, from Georgia-headquartered multinational corporations like Delta and UPS to small and medium-sized businesses operating within the state.

Through the pact, corporations promote initiatives with local economic advantages. For example, they explore ways to maximise the power of Georgia's forests to remove carbon and discuss effective ways to make use of it sustainable aviation fuels.

The road to net zero emissions shall be bumpy. But the rapid growth of worldwide corporate commitments, in addition to the actions of a wider range of corporations on the regional level, suggest that corporate efforts are nevertheless moving forward.

Of course, since I had never driven an electrical automobile before, I made sure to cover 500 miles across two states in someday on my first drive.

Although public opinion on electric cars stays mixed, the facts suggest that these cars should not a passing fad. Electric vehicle sales within the U.S. topped 1 million for the primary time in 2023, quadrupling the number three years earlier. And although demand has waned, a recent study by industry group Cox Automotive found that greater than half of buyers previously identified as skeptics are able to enter the electrical vehicle market within the second half of the last decade.

While my first experience with an electrical vehicle was unusual—I rented one to drive from San Jose, California, to a piece event in Las Vegas—it included many situations that a possible buyer should consider. If you're recent to electric vehicles, or simply interested in what a road trip in a single looks like, listed below are my insights.

Maximum range isn’t the actual range

The 2023 Chevy Bolt EV 1LT I drove has a combined miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) of 120 and a maximum range of 259 miles, in accordance with the US Department of Energy. These figures don’t reflect reality.

That's because an electrical vehicle's maximum range doesn't have in mind using other components within the automobile, resembling air-con/heating, the infotainment system, charging your phone, or the terrain you're driving through. It's simply a measure of what the battery can do when it's 100% charged.

However, it seems that an electrical battery works best when it’s charged between 20% and 80%, because if this level is exceeded, the battery is subjected to high voltages that may cause it to degrade more quickly over time. (Think of your phone battery and the way it’s going to drain faster because the phone gets older.) So in case you keep your automobile battery charged between 20% and 80% more often than not, your battery should last more.

When I picked up the automobile, the battery was at 80% charge, giving me at the least 151 miles of range. I had planned my trip based on where I could find public charging stations, and I knew the primary leg of my journey would involve about 151 miles over a mountain pass. Before setting off, I made a decision to top up the charge to at the least 163 miles – but luckily I reached the primary stop with 60 miles left, mainly because of regenerative braking, which captures the energy normally lost during braking and feeds it back into the battery.

Charging isn’t at all times possible

I charged the vehicle 4 times during my trip, using three of the 4 largest public charging stations: Electrify America, ChargePoint, and EVgo. Because all three charging stations work in a different way, I needed to determine methods to pay and charge every time. It felt like I used to be 16 again, learning methods to replenish my automobile for the primary time.

Depending in your region, you might have many or no charging options available. This isn’t at all times predictable. Consider two California cities of comparable size: Fresno, with 542,107 residents, and Sacramento, with 524,943 residents. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Sacramento has twice as many charging stations with Level 2 fast chargers and direct current (DC) (the 2 fastest charging options) as Fresno: 359 and 174, respectively. And in several regions of the country, the differences are even greater.

Also, bear in mind that not all of those chargers are suitable for each automobile. Tesla has by far the most important network of charging stations, but while the corporate is opening up that network to other manufacturers and charging station operators, that process remains to be underway. Also, some chargers at each station could also be out of service (two of the 4 stations I visited had chargers that weren't working), and in case you arrive at a station and it's full, you might have to attend.

The charging process can take a protracted time

Enter a drive from San Jose to Vegas into your favorite mapping software and also you'll get the reply that the drive takes about eight hours. My drive took 11.5 hours.

The travel time in an electrical vehicle relies on the vehicle you drive and what kind of public chargers you employ. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, DC fast chargers can charge a battery-powered electric vehicle to 80% in as little as 20 minutes or as much as an hour. When I finished on the ChargePoint in Coalinga, California, I had at the least 60 miles left within the battery. I used a DC fast charger for 1 hour and 9 minutes to get a further 103 miles.

However, most plug-in hybrids and plenty of electric cars should not yet equipped for any such fast charging, so realistically it could possibly take longer. I didn't do Level 2 charging on my trip, but this technology can charge a battery electric vehicle to 80% in 4 to 10 hours and a plug-in hybrid in a single to 2 hours.

In total, I charged for 3 hours and 6 minutes on my 529-mile drive. For comparison, I drove back from Vegas in a gas-powered automobile and only needed to replenish once for eight minutes.

The fear of charging is real

Horrible. That's what it appears like once you take a protracted drive in an electrical vehicle and wonder in case you'll make it to the following charging station.

I experienced this twice on my trip – once I reached Mojave, California, and still had at the least 20 miles to go, after which once I got to Las Vegas and still had at the least 32 miles to go. Both times, I used to be seriously afraid I wouldn't make it to my next stop. I turned off the air-con, stopped listening to my audiobook, unplugged my phone, and tried to remain positive.

I began planning my options in case the automobile died. I used my phone to look for charging stations near me, but had no luck. Worst case scenario, I used to be going to make use of my AAA membership, although I don't know what they might do apart from tow the vehicle to a charging station. Of course, it was newbie nerves, but in accordance with survey after survey, charging and range anxiety is one among the largest barriers to widespread EV adoption. One survey found that about 40% of current EV owners still have a bit anxiety.

A smartphone is indispensable for drivers of electrical vehicles

When you drive a petroleum automobile, there are lots of places to stop. In fact, you will notice road signs along the highway that can let you realize when you may stop. You can't depend on that with an electrical automobile. Instead, you might have to depend on your phone or pre-scheduled charging stations. Even though I had my stops planned prematurely, I ended up in search of stops once I began to get anxiety about charging.

Additionally, chances are you’ll need your phone to pay for charging. Gas stations generally offer two ways to pay: on the pump or with an attendant. None of the charging stations I visited had an attendant on duty, and at ChargePoint I couldn't tap the plug or pay there. Instead, I needed to pay with the app, which isn't ideal in case your phone is dead or you may't get the app to work.

Would I purchase an electrical vehicle after this trip?

Yes, but there are some limitations. I'm lucky to be a two-car household, and if we were to purchase an electrical automobile, it could replace one among the gas-powered vehicles. I think electric cars are great for brief trips, just like the each day commute, but I'm not ready for one on an extended trip. And if I were to purchase an electrical automobile, I wouldn't depend on public charging stations. I might buy a Level 2 charger at my homewhich does incur additional costs for the charger and electrician, but gives me the peace of mind of knowing I can quickly charge every night.

Originally published: August 30, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.

The racially motivated tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, when a white racist murdered nine black believersand the deadly White nationalist rally in CharlottesvilleVirginia, forced the Americans two years later to confront the role that Memorials, monuments and other symbols glorifying racist ideologies.

The murder of George Floyd by a white police officer from Minneapolis in 2020 has only made this challenge more urgent.

Part of the racist reckoning after Floyd's death is a movement to remove offensive names from public places. Some names perpetuate degrading insults and stereotypes against individuals with dark skin. Others honor historical figures related to racism and colonization. This movement is what we Geographers call America's “renaming.”

Government officials, activists and others have called for the renaming of certain places and institutions. Examples include the removal Christopher Columbus' name comes from a public school in Chicago and deletes the name of former KKK leader and Governor Bibb Graves from a constructing on the University of AlabamaThe removal of the names of Confederate generals from several US military bases provides one other example.

These changes have develop into focal points of social activism and debate, each to support And in resistance to call revisions.

A typical element on this renaming moment is offensive street namesWe consider that discussions and decisions about removing these names can profit from comprehensive sources of knowledge This will enable the general public to see the extent of the issue facing the country.

The recent publication of a App developed by STNAMES LABa global team of Place name scholarsenables the creation of nationwide lists of discriminatory street names and provides information on how regularly and where they occur.

We consider the app is a vital educational tool that can help communities understand how discriminatory views are embedded in on a regular basis life and the harm that offensive names could cause.

After tracking a number of the most controversial names of places and institutions in America, we consider the app will help people discover the changes needed to acknowledge and proper past mistakes in street naming.

Recognizing that names can hurt and heal

It is increasingly recognised that place names are usually not neutral place names. Rather, they will convey harmful messages that misrepresent the history and identity of minority communities. As a result, they work against the opportunity of a more equal society.

In November 2021, a much-noticed campaign to discover and replace offensive place names took place.

US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the primary Native American to carry this office, ordered the removal of the word “squaw”, hereinafter known as “sq—,” after the names of 650 mountains, rivers and other places on federal land. Haaland's order crowned long-standing demands by Native American groups to eradicate the racist and sexist label.

Then, in 2022, Haaland established the Advisory Committee for reconciliation in place names, consisting of members of tribal nations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and scientists. Guiding principles call on the United States to acknowledge the historical role of racism and sexism within the naming of places. They also highlight how those in power have used names to disrespect, misrepresent and control certain groups which have historically been discriminated against.

Based on public comments over a two-year period, the committee concluded that derogatory place names are a source of recurrent trauma for groups which have historically been discriminated against. As a pacesetter of an Indian community told The committee said: “Names matter because they can build or break a relationship with the land and have the power to empower or marginalize communities.”

As well Report 2022 by the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and the Wilderness Society found that derogatory place names can create an unfriendly environment that some people avoid. In addition, Emory University study from 2022 found that houses on streets named after anti-slavery Confederate figures sell cheaper and the sale takes longer than for comparable houses in the encircling streets.

The renaming of streets is a vital moment of reconciliation in the neighborhood. The frequent use of offensive street names causes a high social and psychological stress on marginalized communities, after Cultural historian Deirdre Mask.

When hurtful names are faraway from streets, some members of oppressed communities describe how the spirit or feeling of places can change and cure to start out.

The difference an audit makes

The Home Office Committee proposes that efforts to vary offensive names driven by researchIt calls on residents to search out out where derogatory place names exist, when and the way they got, and the way these names may harm the well-being of community members.

Data Scientist Catherine D’Ignazio and her team in Data + Feminism Lab They demand the implementation Examinations collect and visualize data on unjustified names to denounce the harmful effects and abuse of power behind these symbols.

The newly released street names app from STNAMES LAB allows people to do that. Fed with Open road map The data allows users to perform queries and map and download streets with specific terms.

Once users enter a reputation, they will check the precise location of the named streets on a map. They may download the query results as a spreadsheet to get the complete list of streets.

The app provides an easy visualization of the frequency and geographic distribution of names. You can see whether the name occurs across the country or is concentrated in a selected region.

Demonstration of the app

To illustrate the app's capabilities, we searched for names which have sparked public controversy.

The federal government’s condemnation of “sq—” as a spot name doesn’t mean that local authorities will follow suit, although some Cities And States are already doing this. We found 429 streets in 47 states whose names contain the word “sq—”.

Although “sq—” comes from the Algonquian language, the word was corrupted and abused by European settlers to scale back Native American women to a simplified and sexualized image. Being called “sq—” continues to be a painful day by day reality for indigenous women. Many of them say the term hurts their self-image and sense of belonging.

The street name app exposes further racist stereotypes of Native Americans. Variations of “redman/men” and “redskin“ appear on 211 streets.

“Redskin” is an outline of Native Americans as warlike and dangerous. According to the Native American author Angelina NewsomeColonialists often used it synonymously with “savage.”

We found 415 streets in 46 states that contain the word “Savage” of their name.

Although references to “Redman” and “Redskin” have long been Consumer products and mascots of sports teams, many indigenous groups challenge these stereotypes as degrading.

The nationwide seek for offensive street names is about greater than just gathering information. Data and maps may also help raise awareness and look after individuals who must live with unjust naming practices.

Tracking and visualizing these inequalities is essential to developing the “bourgeois imagination“, which, in keeping with scholar Catherine D'Ignazio, is vital to assume and demand more comprehensive alternatives to the present American naming landscape.

This shouldn’t be nearly removing offensive names per se, but additionally about making the places marked with those names more welcoming and respectful to all Americans.

California drivers are probably the most confrontational drivers of all 50 states, in accordance with a brand new survey, with a high percentage having experienced road rage in the shape of cutting, verbal abuse and tailgating.

To determine which states have the angriest and most confrontational drivers, news and data website Forbes Advisors surveyed 10,000 licensed drivers and compared all 50 states on nine key criteria.

According to the survey, nearly half of respondents said one other California driver intentionally cut them off.

The data also showed that just about a 3rd of respondents said that they had been yelled at, insulted, cursed at or threatened by one other California driver.

More than 60% of respondents said one other driver had tailgated them. And greater than a 3rd of California drivers reported that one other driver had attempted to dam their automotive while merging or changing lanes.

But it is just not only in California that aggression in traffic and confrontational drivers occur.

The variety of violent road rage incidents has risen sharply within the United States over the past decade. According to an evaluation of information from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive conducted by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom that covers gun violence in America, road rage shootings increased by greater than 400% between 2014 and 2023. During that 10-year period, offended drivers shot and killed 3,095 people, in accordance with The Trace.

While California tops the list of states with the worst road rage, probably the most polite drivers within the country will be present in Hawaii.

Originally published: August 5, 2024 at 2:20 p.m.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Miranda hit a game-winning home run within the eighth inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland Athletics 8-7 on Sunday night, winning each games of a split doubleheader and ending the four-game series with a sweep.

Willi Castro had three hits and Carlos Correa and Austin Martin had two each for the Twins. Minnesota has won five games in a row and 7 of eight.

“It was a great day,” said Royce Lewis, who hit a house run in each games.

With one out within the eighth inning, Miranda smashed a first-pitch slider by Dany Jiménez (1-2) 427 feet to the second deck in left field, Minnesota's third home run of the night. Lewis and Trevor Larnach also hit home runs.

Miranda replaced Larnach as designated hitter within the sixth inning.

“When I'm not in the game, I always prepare in the cage. I know the pitchers that can come in and I have to be ready,” he said.

JJ Bleday had a career-high 4 hits and Tyler Soderstrom had three hits, including a house run, but Oakland lost for the ninth straight game, including all seven games of a road trip that began in San Diego. Pitching coach Scott Emerson was ejected within the sixth inning.

“When we hit home runs with this offense, we usually win. We just didn't have the pitching to do it,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “We fought better on the road than we did the last time we played at home, but we couldn't get a win.”

Lewis hit seven home runs in his first twelve games of the season, something that has never happened in Twins history.

“That's more than I've ever seen,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It's not a coincidence, he's really very talented, he has a very good swing that always stays in the air. He can hit fastballs, he can hit breaking balls, he always has a chance to do something. He has a dangerous nature at the plate. When he's on your side, you can't help but smile when he does it.”

After Josh Staumont (1-0) made the ultimate out of the seventh inning, he threw out the team with a strikeout within the eighth inning. Griffin Jax pitched a scoreless ninth inning and secured his sixth save.

Correa had multiple hits in eight of his last 11 games, including two home runs as a part of a three-hit game as Minnesota won the opener 6-2. Lewis and Carlos Santana also hit home runs.

Louie Varland, Minnesota's twenty seventh pick for the doubleheader, threw 4 1/3 mostly solid innings but allowed 4 straight singles within the seventh inning, the last two RBIs by Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers, tying the rating at 7-7.

Oakland starter Joey Estes allowed eight hits and 6 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Minnesota starter Chris Paddack lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs and five hits. Both allowed two home runs.

BEAUTIFUL HANDLE

Martin reached over the wall to steal a house run from Langeliers within the second inning.

“Sure, I was surprised!” he said. “I felt it slip into my glove, but my whole arm was kind of crossed, so I didn't know what I was going to bring. I wasn't expecting to bring a baseball, but when I looked and had it, I thought, 'Damn, that's not bad.'”

TRAINING ROOM

Athletics: RHP Ross Stripling, out since May 25 with a right elbow injury, has began throwing from 105 feet. Kotsay has no schedule for a bullpen session or throwing from a mound.

Twins: RF Max Kepler returned to the lineup within the night game. He sat out the primary game after being hit above the elbow by a 99 mph pitch on Friday.

NEXT

Athletics: LHP Hogan Harris (0-0, 2.49) is scheduled to begin Tuesday at home against Kansas City. The Royals plan to make use of RHP Alec Marsh (5-3, 3.63).

Twins: RHP Pablo López (6-6, 5.33) will face Rays' RHP Aaron Civale (2-5, 5.20) at home on Tuesday to open a three-game series.