K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For December 29th, 2017 – Evening

NEW YORK (AP) - NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (DIH BLAH'-ZEE-OH) SAYS INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE A BRONX FIRE THAT KILLED 12 WAS CAUSED BY A CHILD PLAYING WITH A STOVE. DE BLASIO SAID FRIDAY ON WNYC THAT FOUR PEOPLE ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES FOLLOWING THE FIRE THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE BRONX. THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THOSE WHO DIED INCLUDE GIRLS AGES 1, 2 AND 7, AND A BOY. HIS AGE WAS NOT GIVEN.

PORTLAND, MAINE (AP) - DANGEROUSLY COLD WEATHER ACROSS HALF THE COUNTRY HAS ADVOCATES FOR THE HOMELESS SCRAMBLING TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND OFFICIALS URGING RESIDENTS TO ASSIST THEIR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS. IN WATERTOWN, NEW YORK, THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO MINUS 32 DEGREES THURSDAY MORNING. IT ROSE TO MINUS 7 FRIDAY MORNING. IN BOSTON, THE PINE STREET INN SENT A VAN WITH OUTREACH WORKERS AROUND TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO SPEND THE NIGHT INSIDE.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. (AP) - THE BITTERLY COLD WEATHER THAT IS IN STORE FOR LARGE AREAS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES THIS WEEKEND IS GIVING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ANOTHER CHANCE TO QUESTION CLIMATE CHANGE. HE TWEETED THAT EASTERN STATES "COULD USE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT GOOD OLD GLOBAL WARMING." TRUMP HAS CALLED GLOBAL WARMING A "HOAX." IN HIS TWEET, TRUMP FAILED TO NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WEATHER AND THE CLIMATE. WEATHER REFERS TO SHORT-TERM ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, WHEREAS CLIMATE IS A LONG VIEW OF WEATHER PATTERNS.

CAIRO (AP) - EGYPT'S HEALTH MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SAYS AT LEAST 10 PEOPLE, INCLUDING EIGHT COPTIC CHRISTIANS, HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A SHOOTOUT OUTSIDE A SOUTH CAIRO CHURCH. KHALED MEGAHED SAYS FRIDAY'S ATTACK TOOK PLACE WHEN GUNMEN ON A MOTORCYCLE OPENED FIRE OUTSIDE MAR MINA CHURCH. ONE GUNMAN WAS SHOT DEAD AS WAS A SECURITY OFFICER, HE SAID.

NEW YORK (AP) - POLICE SAY 125 PARKING GARAGES AROUND NEW YORK'S TIMES SQUARE WILL BE EMPTIED AND SEALED OFF AHEAD OF NEW YEAR'S EVE SO NO ONE HAS A CHANCE TO SNEAK IN A CAR BOMB. THAT'S AMONG THE SECURITY PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF THE CELEBRATION IN A CITY THAT HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF RECENT DEADLY ATTACKS. OTHER MEASURES INCLUDE SNIPERS, BAG-INSPECTING OFFICERS, METAL DETECTORS AND DOGS TRAINED TO SNIFF OUT TRACES OF EXPLOSIVES.
===========================

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY MISSPOKE WHEN THEY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THEIR APPROVAL OF A MAJOR SURFACE COAL MINE EXPANSION IN MONTANA.

U.S. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN HEATHER SWIFT SAID THURSDAY THAT THE EXPANSION IS UNDER REVIEW.

SWIFT SAYS "INTERNAL MISCOMMUNICATION" LED TO THE INCORRECT ANNOUNCEMENT LAST WEEK ABOUT WESTMORELAND COAL COMPANY'S ROSEBUD MINE.

OFFICIALS WITH ENGLEWOOD, COLO.-BASED WESTMORELAND DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR COMMENT THURSDAY.

THE COMPANY'S STOCK PRICE BRIEFLY JUMPED LAST WEEK AFTER THE INACCURATE STATEMENT.

SWIFT SAYS THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT PLANS TO RELEASE A DRAFT STUDY OF THE EXPANSION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

THE STUDY IS PART OF A PROCESS THAT TYPICALLY TAKES SEVERAL YEARS AND CULMINATES WITH THE COAL BEING OFFERED AT AUCTION.

THE MINE SUPPLIES COAL FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST POWER PLANTS IN THE WESTERN U.S.

THE EXPANSION WOULD KEEP THE MINE OPERATING FOR ANOTHER 19 YEARS.

=============================
A UTILITY SAYS ELECTRICITY IS NOW RUNNING THROUGH TRANSMISSION LINES THAT WERE BURIED AFTER A STORM CUT POWER TO A WESTERN WYOMING TOWN EARLIER THIS YEAR.

LOWER VALLEY ENERGY LAST WEEK ENERGIZED THE BURIED POWER LINES CONNECTING TETON VILLAGE.

THE UTILITY BURIED THE LINES ALONG WYOMING HIGHWAY 390 IN JUNE FOLLOWING THE FEBRUARY STORM THAT KNOCKED DOWN LINES, LEAVING THE TOWN WITHOUT POWER FOR MORE THAN FOUR DAYS.

LOWER VALLEY ENERGY OFFICIALS SAY THE STORM MARKED THE WORST DISASTER IN THE 80-YEAR HISTORY OF THE ENERGY COOPERATIVE.

THEY SAY HAVING THE LINES BURIED SHOULD DECREASE THE RISK OF OUTAGES AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE BY WIND, ICE AND TREES.

HOWEVER, BURYING LINES COSTS NEARLY THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS OVERHEAD LINES.