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Travel Troubleshooter: How do I get off Avis’ Do Not Rent list?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I recently tried to rent a car from Avis in Bangor, Maine. When I arrived at the counter, a representative said that I couldn’t rent from the company because I was on its Do Not Rent list. The attendant couldn’t tell me why I was on the list, but I noticed that my name was misspelled twice on the reservation.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter The representative gave me a number to call. An Avis employee recommended that I send an email to the company to get my name removed from the Do Not Rent list.Since I was traveling with my sister, we moved the reservation to her name, which solved the problem. But once we were on the road, I saw the receipt was almost double the original price for the rental car.Avis is now asking me about my employment, but they still haven’t told me why I’m on the Do Not Rent list. My sister, who works in cybersecurity, believes that there may have been a data breach or that Avis is confusin...

Wish You Were Here: Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

Intrepid readers have traveled far and wide in recent months, from the bike trails of Spain to the wildlife-filled islands of the Galapagos and the museums and cultural centers of Austria, sharing their adventures and tips along the way.Now, an Oakland couple is sharing their Irish island discoveries.Wish You Were HereOakland residents Linda Sol and Ken Hall had just signed up for a boat ride to the Blasket Islands in Dingle, Ireland, when they snapped this selfie. (Courtesy Linda Sol) IRELAND: Oakland resident Linda Sol and her husband, Ken Hall, visited Ireland on a recent Rick Steves tour that included a stop in Dingle (pictured), where they signed up for “a wonderful boat ride to the Blasket Islands,” Linda says. “If (you) go to Dingle, check out Dingle Crystal — all Irish made, not like Waterford.”The Blasket Islands, an uninhabited archipelago of islands known for its stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife, lie off the Dingle PeninsulaR...

Petaluma police investigating death threats written on high school bathroom wall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

(BCN) -- Police in Petaluma are investigating disturbing messages written on a bathroom wall at a high school on Friday. Detectives have opened a case into death threats on a bathroom wall written in black ink at Petaluma High School, located on Fair Street. According to police, one message read, "Date: Monday 10/23/23 is the day I kill. I'm going to shoot up the school and my first person is [name redacted]. So watch out Monday is your guys (sic) day." Two students were named in the threat, according to police. A third student was also singled out with derogatory names and "wishing death upon them," Petaluma detectives said. School administrators and police narrowed down a few persons of interest in the case using video footage near the bathroom and relationships to the named students. 16-year-old killed, 3 injured at Oakley house party shooting "The threats are possibly related to an ongoing conflict amongst a small group of students," said police. Interviews with students...

2.9 magnitude earthquake strikes in Isleton, second in five days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

(FOX40.COM) -- A 2.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Isleton on Monday morning, making it the second earthquake in the area in less than a week, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake was detected at 7:42 a.m. as a 4.0 magnitude at a depth of 8 kilometers or about 5 miles. The earthquake was downgraded a magnitude 2.9 at around 8:30 a.m. How common are earthquakes in the area of Isleton? Isleton is located about 40 miles southwest of Sacramento in Sacramento County. The city is located on the easternmost edge of the Delta Region.As of 8 a.m., there have been 44 responses to the USGS's 'Did You Feel It?' report with the strongest felt shaking being "light" near Rio Vista and Isleton. There is no reported damage at this time.

Trayectoria de la tormenta tropical Otis: ¿a dónde se dirige y qué estados amenaza?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

(CNN Español) — La tormenta tropical Otis avanza rumbo a México y amenaza con fuertes lluvias al suroeste y a partes del sur del país, según el reporte de las 9:15 a.m. (hora local) del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional de México (SMN).¿Cuál será el curso de Otis esta semana?Según el informe, a esa hora Otis se ubicaba 420 km al sur de Puerto Ángel, en el estado de Oaxaca, y a 605 km al sur-sureste de Acapulco, en el estado de Guerrero.El sistema registra vientos máximos sostenidos de hasta 75 km/h con ráfagas de hasta 95 km/h.Se prevé que Otis siga su curso hacia el norte y toque tierra el jueves con fuerza de tormenta tropical en algún punto cerca de Acapulco, y en las horas siguientes se degrade a depresión tropical, mientras siga su camino sobre el estado de Guerrero.Pronóstico de la trayectoria de Otis. Cortesía: SMN de México.Zonas afectadas por la tormenta tropical OtisEl pronóstico indica advertencia de lluvias para el sur y el sureste de México, con mayor incidencia en ...

Former Pentagon official: US ‘actions matter more’ when it comes to Israel-Hamas, Ukraine wars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

The Israel-Hamas war continues as more U.S. forces are sent to the Persian Gulf amid “recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region,” according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin.“These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel,” Austin said in a statement.The announcement followed a visit by President Joe Biden to Israel in the wake of Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack and what has been deemed an imminent ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli Defense Forces.This week, WTOP’s Luke Lukert spoke with Mario Mancuso, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, about how the U.S. is managing its stake in war-torn Israel and Ukraine. toggle audio on and off change volume ...

Consulados de El Salvador abren hasta tarde para registar votantes para las elecciones presidenciales

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

Participar de las próximas elecciones presidenciales será más sencillo para los salvadoreños que viven en Estados Unidos ante una iniciativa de los consulados. Las embajadas de El Salvador en el DMV trabajarán hasta las 10 p.m. para asegurarse que sus connacionales tengan lo necesario para ejercer su derecho. La fecha límite para registrarse es el 5 de noviembre. “Ahora se está ofreciendo dos modalidades: presencial y en línea, para que realmente sea un derecho. La gente está muy entusiasmada en votar, en participar en las elecciones presidenciales y también de los diputados porque realmente son votaciones claves para las decisiones en nuestro país”, explicó la embajadora Milena Mayorga. Para las elecciones presidenciales en el país centroamericano, se espera la participación de al menos tres millones de salvadoreños que viven en Estados Unidos. Para votar desde el exterior, deberán tener el Documento Único de Identidad (DUI) o el pasaporte salvadoreño. Adicionalmente, deberán de ha...

Autoworkers strike at Stellantis plant shutting down big profit center, 41,000 workers now picketing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

The United Auto Workers union has once again escalated its strikes against big Detroit automakers, this time adding a factory that makes Ram pickup trucks for Stellantis.The union says that 6,800 members walked out Monday morning and shut down the Sterling Heights, Michigan, Assembly Plant, a huge profit center for the company.The newest strike action comes just three days after union President Shawn Fain reported progress in talks with General Motors and Stellantis but said the companies will have to make better offers. No progress was reported with Ford, which last week said it had the best offer of the three.The union went on strike Sept. 15 at one assembly plant from each company. About 40,800 workers are now on strike against all three automakers. The strikes, now in their sixth week, cover seven assembly plants and 38 parts warehouses. About 28% of the union’s work force at the three company’s are now on strike.General Motors, which increased its offer last week, a...

Heavy rains drench northeast Caribbean as Hurricane Tammy spins into open waters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Tammy unleashed heavy rain in the northeast Caribbean on Monday as it spun over open waters after making landfall in Barbuda.The storm was located about 260 miles (420 kilometers) north of Anguilla. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) and was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph). Tammy was expected to strengthen slightly in upcoming days and then weaken, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.The storm was forecast to drop up to three inches (eight centimeters) of rain in the Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands, with meteorologists warning of mudslides and isolated flash flooding.Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Otis whirled through open waters in the Atlantic on a path toward Mexico’s southern coast.The storm was located about 375 miles (605 kilometers) south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico. It had winds of up to 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph).A tropical storm watch was in effect from...

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson wants his wax figure improved

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:33 GMT

(CNN) — Dwayne Johnson has heard the complaints about his wax figure and says he’s doing something about it.The Musée Grévin, a museum in Paris, France, that specializes in wax figures of famous people, came under fire recently for a sculpture of Johnson that many found to be too light skinned to represent the actor, who is multi-ethnic.Some people took to social media to accuse the museum of “white washing” the figure of the “Black Adam” star, commenting that the recently unveiled likeness suffered from a “melanin deficiency.”Johnson, whose late father, the wrestler Rocky Johnson, was of Black Nova Scotian descent and his mother, Ata Maivia, is Samoan, saw the outrage and addressed it Sunday on social media.Johnson posted a video of comedian James Andre Jefferson talking about the wax figure and wrote in the caption, “I knew my boy @jamesjeffersonj had this Rock wax statue in his roasting crosshair.”“‘Is this how y’all felt when you lost the Little Mermaid?’” he quot...