Florida governor declares emergency over red tide for 7 Counties
Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order Monday declaring a state of emergency for seven counties dealing with an unusually lengthy red tide algae bloom that has killed thousands of marine animals, his office said.
The executive order gives more state funding to local governments and research agencies in the seven southwestern Florida counties.The emergency was declared for Hillsborough, Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee and Pinellas counties.
Scott also directed an additional $900,000 in grants for hard-hit Lee County, where red tide warning signs currently dot more than 170 beach access points, his office says.
Southwest Florida's red tide blooms are fast-growing colonies of an algae, Karenia Brevis, that often turns the water red.
The algae release toxins when they die, and in high concentrations can be deadly to fish and marine mammals. The current bloom has killed fish, sea turtles, manatees and a whale shark, littering some beaches with carcasses. The algae can cause coughs and other respiratory distress in humans as breezes blow toxins inland. People have reported respiratory irritation in several counties, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
People also can become ill if they eat shellfish loaded with the toxins.
"People should not swim in the water, eat seafood from it or breath the air near it," University of Miami marine biology and ecology professor Larry Brand said this month.
FBI agent Peter Strzok 'fired over anti-Trump texts'
A veteran FBI agent who exchanged anti-Trump text messages with a colleague during the election has been fired from the FBI, his lawyer has said.
Peter Strzok has been accused by Republicans of being biased against Donald Trump, and seeking to prevent his election victory.
Mr Trump has pointed to the text exchanges as evidence of bias in the special counsel's Russia probe.
Mr Strzok served on the Russia probe and the Hillary Clinton email inquiry.
Mr Strzok's lawyer Aitan Goelman said in a statement that FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich ordered the firing on Friday.
He said the sacking overruled a decision by the head of FBI employee discipline, who determined that Mr Strzok should only face a demotion and a 60-day suspension.
"The decision to fire Special Agent Strzok is not only a departure from typical Bureau practice, but also contradicts Director [Christopher] Wray's testimony to Congress and his assurances that the FBI intended to follow its regular process in this and all personnel matters," Mr Goelman said in a statement on Monday.
"This decision should be deeply troubling to all Americans. A lengthy investigation and multiple rounds of congressional testimony failed to produce a shred of evidence that Special Agent Strzok's personal views ever affected his work."
Turkey to boycott US electronic goods over sanctions
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will boycott US electronic products, after Washington imposed punitive sanctions on Ankara.
"If [the US] has the iPhone, there's Samsung on the other side," Mr Erdogan said, referring to Apple and its South Korean competitor.
Turkey's weakened currency, the lira, plunged by a full 20% in response.
President Erdogan said Turkey was taking measures to stabilise the economy, and should not "give in to the enemy" by investing in foreign currencies.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is visiting Ankara, branded the US sanctions an illegitimate policy at a news conference on Tuesday. He accused the US of seeking an unfair competitive advantage in global trade.
Google tracks users who turn off location history
Google records users' locations even when they have asked it not to, a report from the Associated Press has suggested.
The issue could affect up to two billion Android and Apple devices which use Google for maps or search.
The study, verified by researchers at Princeton University, has angered US law-makers.
Google said in response that it provides clear descriptions of its tools and how to turn them off.
The study found that users' whereabouts are recorded even when location history has been disabled.
For example:
- Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you open the Maps app
- Automatic weather updates on Android phones pinpoint roughly where a user is
- Searches that have nothing to do with location pinpoint precise longitude and latitude of users
Porsche is the First Automaker to Use Gorilla Glass Windows
orsche announced Monday that it will be the first automaker to use 'Gorilla Glass,' panes of which will separate the insides of the new 911 GT3 RS from the outside.
'Gorilla Glass' is a common name for thin-film glass, which is a composite found commonly on mobile devices and televisions. It's made with a thin pane of glass, chemically treated so that its fine imperfections—visible only under an electron microscope—are partially filled in, boosting compressive strength, flexibility, and resistance to scratches and chips. Porsche's engineers used a similar material in the rear pane of the 918 Spyder Weissach, and now, the GT3 RS will use thin-film glass to cut weight from its rear and rear side windows.
How much weight? Porsche says the rear safety glass window on a base 911 weighs 5.8 kilograms (12.8 pounds), but that of the GT3 RS with the same dimensions comes in at just 3.7 kilograms (8.2 pounds).
Thin-film glass conveys other benefits, too. Traditional safety glass blocks about 70 percent of ultraviolet radiation, while thin-film glass can block 99 percent. Likewise, the thinner panes mean less optical distortion, which is especially important with how steep the windows in some 911s can be.
Porsche is also in pursuit of how to add better infrared insulation to thin-film glass and wishes to evaluate its uses for interior touch displays. The automaker does admit some ways in which the material falls short of traditional safety glass, namely its high cost due to limited demand in the automotive market for thin-film glass. An additional problem is that thin-film glass can at times be too flexible—windows you roll down can't be made of the stuff because they could flex at high speeds, and not seal correctly when rolled up.
But with Porsche announcing its exploration of thin-film glass for automotive applications, it may be only a matter of time before its competitors adopt the technology, maybe even rolling it out for use in mass-production or economy vehicles. Weight reduction is the final frontier of automotive engineering, and everyone should be pleased by its advancement.
FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS FOR 14th AUGUST, 2018
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID WITH FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
WINDS: ESE TO SSE AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NW BAHAMAS, FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES ACROSS THE EXTREME NW BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SE BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS, HOT AND HUMID WITH FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS EARLY. PARTLY CLOUDY TO FAIR AND WARM AT NIGHT WITH A SHOWER OR TWO.
WINDS: E TO SE AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NW BAHAMAS, FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES ACROSS THE EXTREME NW BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SE BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SE BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: A SMALL NONTROPICAL, LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES SOUTH OF CAPE RACE, NEW FOUNDLAND, IS PRODUCING LIMITED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. STRONG UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVENT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHILE IT MOVE SOUTH-SOUTHWESTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH OVER THE CENTRAL SUB-TROPICAL OCEAN. FORMATION CHANCE THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS TO 5 DAYS IS LOW AT ABOUT 20 PERCENT OR LESS. ELSEWHERE THE TROPICS REMAIN QUIET AND TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
MAN SHOT IN AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY IN KEW TOWN
Police are asking members of the public, to come forth with any information they may have in an attempted armed robbery, which occurred Monday, August 13, 2018.
According to reports, shortly after 12 a.m. an armed masked man attempted to rob a Kew Town bar. A 57-year-old male received a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital.
Investigations are ongoing.
If you have any information please contact the Chalk Sound Police Station at 338-5901, 941-8082, 911 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.
ENDs.
THE PASSING OF WILLIAM 'BILL' HOWARD, PRESIDENT, WEST INDIAN AMERICAN DAY CARNIVAL ASSOCIATION (WIADCA)
TCI Ministry of Health Host Mass Casualty Training
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Human Services and Sports through its National Health Emergency Management Unit remains committed to providing a comprehensive approach to health emergency management in response to public health threats including natural and man-made disasters affecting the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Ministry collaborated with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in hosting a Train the Trainer Training on July 18-20; the facilitator for this training was PAHO Regional Trainer, Mr. Peter Burges. Ms. Charlene Higgs and Dr. Denise Braithwaite-Tannet were re-certified as Mass Casualty Management Trainers and Mr. Kenrick Neely, Mrs. Tammika Lall-Williams and Mr. Ajahmek Fitz-Henley were also certified as Associated Mass Casualty Trainers.
A Mass Casualty Management Training commenced the following week, July 23-28, 2018 on Providenciales which included thirty-three participants drawn from among the various response agencies. These included first responders such as Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Technicians, Health Care workers from Primary Health Care, Environmental Health, the Wellness Center, TCI Hospitals, as well as Personnel from the Ministries Mortuary Services. Other agencies represented included DDME, Immigration, Port Authority and TCI Hospitals Facilities Management and ADRA.
The Mass Casualty Management Course is a didactic multi-sectoral training course consisting of five days of lectures, field exercises, role playing and a final written desktop and field exercise designed to sharpen the response skills of mass casualty responders to effectively manage events.
The Turks and Caicos must be in a state of readiness for adequate responses to natural, man-made, chemical or radioactive events, stated Ms. Higgs Director of Health Disaster, Education and Training within the Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Human Services and Sports.
For more information regarding Mass Casualty Training contact Ms. Charlene Higgs on 338-3064.
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The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) expresses apologies
Monday, August 13, 2018 – The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) expresses apologies to our Stakeholders and traveling public for all disruption of flight operations at the JAGS McCartney International Airport, Grand Turk.
This disruption of flight operations is due to inadequate Fire Service coverage. Due to the safety concerns, the facility was not able to accommodate Air Traffic at JAGS McCartney International Airport.
Currently all efforts are being made to restore safe flight operations.
The Airports Authority will inform the General Public once flight operations are able to resume.
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TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AIRPORTS AUTHORITY
Is a statutory body that was established in 2006 following the split of the Civil Aviation Department into the Civil Aviation Authority and Airports Authority. TCIAA is mandated for the constructing, controlling and managing of airports; providing and maintaining runways, taxiways and terminals for the efficient operation of airports; providing facilities for Customs and Immigration services, and Health and Security checks; and for incidental and connected purposes.
For more information call 649.946.4420 or email: info@tciairports.com. Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tciairports or follow us on Twitter - @tciaa