13 dead in Philadelphia house fire
Thirteen people, including two sisters and their eight children, were killed in a fire in a Philadelphia rowhome, making this Philadelphia’s deadliest in over a century. According to fire officials in the area, the residence had no working smoke detectors, and no cause has been reported. According to The Associated Press, “None of the four smoke alarms appeared to be working, said Craig Murphy, first deputy fire commissioner. The alarms had been inspected annually, and at least two were replaced in 2020, with batteries replaced in the others at that time, Philadelphia Housing Authority officials said. It said the last inspection was in May 2021. Smoke detectors were working at that time, officials said.” Two others were hospitalized after the fire.
Cuomo’s groping charge dropped
Prosecutors from the Albany County District Attorney’s office dropped the groping charge against the former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo. According to The Associated Press, “The charges against Cuomo were based on allegations by Brittany Commisso, one of the governor’s executive assistants before he resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations in August. Commisso says Cuomo slid his hand up her blouse and grabbed her breast when they were alone in an office at the governor’s mansion in Albany in late 2020. Her lawyer, Brian Premo, said in a statement Tuesday that she ‘had no control over the filing or prosecution of criminal charges. She had no authority or voice in those decisions.’” Albany County District Attorney David Soares said, “While we found the complainant in this case cooperative and credible, after review of all the available evidence, we have concluded that we cannot meet our burden at trial.” Soares also stated that he was “deeply troubled” by the allegations against Cuomo. However, he did not explain why he asked for the charge to be dismissed.
Californians face water restrictions as drought continues
Californians face mandatory water restrictions as they experience an extended drought and short fallen conservation efforts. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has called for a reduction in water use by 15%. According to The Associated Press, “The new restrictions follow an extremely wet December that state officials warned may not continue during the winter months that normally are the state’s wettest. Weather patterns have become more unpredictable due to climate change and state climatologist Michael Anderson said forecasts show January, February and March could be drier than average.” Even with the past month of rain, the state’s water system has experienced increased stress as a result of previous months of drought conditions. Northern California has experienced less severe drought conditions and has reported significantly higher rates of water conservation.
