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New Zealand budget plan offers modest financial relief ahead of election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Months before an election, New Zealand’s government on Thursday offered some modest financial relief to many people by making most prescription medicines free and increasing subsidies for child care and public transportation.But the government’s annual budget plan was notable for its lack of big new initiatives. Since taking office earlier this year, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has promised a back-to-basics approach and axed many of the more ambitious — and contentious — plans of his predecessor, Jacinda Ardern.Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the budget was all about doing the basics well. “It’s pragmatic and it’s practical and it’s the right budget for these times,” Robertson said. “Were there other things I wanted to do? Were there other things ministers wanted to do? One hundred percent there were. But this is not the right time for all of those things.”Polls indicate Hipkins and his liberal government are in a close contest for the October e...

FIFA’s Infantino optimistic about Women’s World Cup TV deals in Europe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although the clock is rapidly dwindling, FIFA President Gianni Infantino seems slightly more optimistic about reaching what he sees as an acceptable deal for the broadcast rights to the upcoming Women’s World Cup in five key European countries.While Infantino walked the green carpet at a gala event Wednesday night for the unveiling of the logo and branding for the 2026 World Cup at Los Angeles’ historic Griffith Observatory, the FIFA boss spoke briefly about the ongoing negotiations with broadcasters in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and England for the rights to show the Women’s World Cup games taking place in two months in Australia and New Zealand.“Some discussions have taken place, have started, I have to say, at a bit of a different level,” Infantino said. “So it is moving.”Infantino has decried the offers made only a few weeks before, claiming they show disrespect to the women’s sport and FIFA’s ongoing attempts to level the fina...

Councilmember calls community meeting after drug concerns continue at East Austin Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A popular East Austin park is getting attention for all the wrong reasons.People living near Parque Zaragoza Neighborhood Park said drugs and crime are on the rise and it needs to be addressed."This walk, when it is dark, I feel a little uneasy," said Ricky Hennessy who lives next to the park.He said he does not feel safe visiting the park or the rec center anymore."There is a large and active drug dealing operation just down the street," Hennessy said. "We are constantly picking up needles, condoms, glass, burnt foil and this is in the area where the kids would be playing."Councilmember Jose Velasquez said he's aware of the issues as well and is working on solutions."Trying to bring more police attention," said Velasquez. "We have been in constant contact with the police."The Austin Parks and Recreation Department tells KXAN homeless camps in the park have been cleared multiple times over the last year and a half.PARD has also hired an overtime APD officer to help a...

DFL lawmakers’ $3B tax deal includes $260 rebates, credits and larger Social Security exemption

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

A joint House and Senate committee at the Minnesota Legislature working to finalize a tax bill released some details of an agreement late Wednesday night.The deal between the DFL-led House and Senate includes tax rebates worth $260 per tax filer, plus money for up to three children for a maximum of $1,300. Those rebates will cost the state just under $1.2 billion, but are lower than the $1,000 per filer rebates DFL Gov. Tim Walz championed.The deal also includes a larger exemption for Social Security income, with filers earning up to $100,000 exempt from state taxes on their benefits, according to documents posted by the Legislature. That reduction will reduce revenues by about $500 million in the next state budget.Most of the other tax reductions are designed to help families and lower-income residents. They include a larger tax credit for families with children and a new tax credit for renters.Democrats have characterized the legislation, which makes about $3 billion in tax change...

Witness to George Floyd’s murder sues Minneapolis for emotional distress, assault

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

One of the most vocal bystanders as a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd three years ago is suing the city, alleging he was assaulted and suffered emotional distress as he witnessed the handcuffed Black man beg for his life, go limp and stop breathing.Donald Williams of Minneapolis filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court.While now-former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck on May 25, 2020, he threatened Williams and other bystanders with a can of chemical irritant, shaking it at them after Williams expressed concern for Floyd, according to the lawsuit.The lawsuit also alleges that Chauvin and another now-former officer, Tou Thao, taunted Floyd, Williams and other bystanders who expressed concern and that Thao placed his hand on Williams’ chest. Williams took those actions as threats and, the lawsuit says, he was fearful for his safety and the safety of the other witnesses.The lawsuit says Williams is seeking more than $50,000 for each coun...

FOX 2 catches up with baby born with organs on outside

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

QUINCY, Ill. - Ten years ago, FOX 2's team was in the delivery room at Barnes Jewish Hospital for a very tricky birth of a baby with a rare birth defect. Hayden Hoskins was born with an omphalocele. Part of Hoskins's organs formed on the outside of his abdomen in utero.An omphalocele affects one in every 5,300 newborns. Hoskins's parents found out their baby had one during a routine ultrasound.Andy and Kelsea Hoskins traveled from Quincy, Illinois, to Barnes Jewish and Children's Hospital in St. Louis because the hospitals have a national reputation for treating omphalocele babies. Our cameras were in the delivery room when Hayden was born.Doctors and his parents wouldn't know if the birth defect had affected his breathing until he was born. Hayden went to the NICU at Children's Hospital, where he needed a little help breathing. He would spend the next five and a half months at home, living with the large growth attached to his stomach area. Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney K...

Flock camera leads to DUI hit-and-run arrest in Eureka

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

EUREKA, Mo. - The increasingly popular Flock cameras are giving police a helping hand throughout St. Louis County. Most recently, they helped Eureka police remove a repeat offender off the streets."We can't have police officers everywhere all the time, and so Flock fills some of those voids," said Lt. Michael Werges, with the Eureka Police Department. "It simply allows us to solve cases that before we could not." Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns On April 29, around 9:30 p.m., a 62-year-old driver hit a parked car at a busy shopping center and drove off. Thankfully, no one was hurt during the hit-and-run, but there was damage to both cars. With the help of a witness and Walmart cameras, police had a description of the car.An hour later, the Flock cameras led them to the suspect."Our officers quickly searched our flock database, located a vehicle matching that description," Werges said. "We were able to get a license plate, run that license plate to the regi...

Parkway South High School honors juniors for rescuing classmates in car crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

MANCHESTER, Mo. - Noah Adou and Jackson Lange accepted their superintendent character awards to much adulation.The two Parkway South High School juniors received the awards for something they did not do in the classroom, but for what they did on their way to a school track meet."Our first reaction was to get out of our car and get up there," Lange said on Wednesday.While on their way to Parkway North High School in March, their classmate's car was t-boned and flipped at Page Avenue and Fee Fee Road."The car got hit, went into the air, and flipped over, and it landed on its side," Adou said.The two rushed to the car to help their classmates, applying lessons they learned in the classroom and using their shirts as tourniquets. Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns "Jackson was like, take off your shirt and put it on the wound, and that's what we did," Adou said. "We learned that in health class."There were no serious injuries, although one student was taken to th...

Efforts to close short-term rentals loopholes following crime downtown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

ST. LOUIS – FOX 2 has exposed loopholes contributing to the repeated chaos and violence in downtown St. Louis, and also uncovered new information about the frantic efforts to close those loopholes.There was a vision of downtown can be Wednesday: live music at lunchtime with food trucks on the Old Post Office Plaza.The plaza is right next to the OPOP Lofts on Locust Street, where out-of-control parties have led to fighting and gunfire during each of the past two weekends.2B Residential of St. Louis manages the property for the building owner, Strategic STL Lofts, which is actually in New Jersey. 2B Residential has pinpointed the apartment hosting the parties the past two weekends. Goat senior prank ends Missouri athlete's competition The woman holding the lease does not live in the apartment. She’s rented it for single nights both weekends, and is now being evicted, according to 2B Residential.Leases for the apartments explicitly state that leaseholders “may not sublet” their apart...

Neighbors worry about rise in crime after Chouteau Park shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:54:19 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Families living near Chouteau Park are concerned about a rise in crime after a shooting was caught on camera. Several neighbors said they called 911 when they heard gunfire, but when police got there, the shooter was gone.“You just grab what you care about and get out of the area," said Peter Monterubio.He lives nearby, and like the rest of his neighbors, he frequently goes to Chouteau Park with his 8-year-old son.Tuesday's shooting was something Monterubio didn't expect to see.“I just saw two people running from where it happened over. So I can’t confirm if they were the shooter or if they were involved in some sort of altercation or what," he said. Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns “It was just in broad daylight that this happened, and people just fled in droves," said a neighbor who wished to remain anonymous. "It was so scary, and it’s just disappointing that so much time and money and effort has been spent into Chouteau Park."She said a big...