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Debt deadline: White House meeting set, but no solution yet

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing the risk of a an unprecedented U.S. government default by month’s end, President Joe Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders to face-to-face talks at the White House next week.It’s the first concrete step toward negotiations on averting a potential economic catastrophe, but there’s a long way to go: Biden and Republicans can’t even agree on what’s up for negotiation.WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?If the government’s legal borrowing limit of $31.4 trillion is not raised or suspended in the next few weeks, the result could be financial havoc. If the government can’t borrow money to keep paying its bills for an extended period, there could be millions of job losses, businesses left bankrupt, crashes piling up across financial markets and lasting economic pain. The damage would be financial, but the cause would be political, a breakdown between Republicans and Democrats, rather than a problem with the underlying health of the U.S. econom...

Overhaul of Supreme Court ethics runs into GOP opposition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats promised Tuesday to pursue stronger ethics rules for the Supreme Court in the wake of reports that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in luxury vacations and a real estate deal with a top GOP donor. Republicans made clear they strongly oppose the effort. Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said lax ethical standards have created a lack of public confidence in the nation’s highest court.“The Supreme Court could step up and fix this themselves,” Durbin said as he opened the hearing. “For years, they have refused, and because the court will not act, Congress must.”Republicans, however, criticized the hearing as an effort to destroy the reputation of Thomas, one of the staunchest conservative voices on the court. Their comments showed how unlikely it is that Congress will pass legislation on the matter, with the parties worlds apart when it comes to the credibility of the Supreme Court, particularly afte...

‘A big part of my life’: Orillia mourns hometown legend Gordon Lightfoot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

ORILLIA, Ont. — It didn’t take long for the flowers to appear at the statue of Gordon Lightfoot in his Ontario hometown. The legendary folk musician, claimed by the City of Orillia as its “favourite son,” died of natural causes at a Toronto hospital on Monday at the age of 84. Barely 24 hours later, Orillia residents stopped by the bronze sculpture of Lightfoot that stands in a city park to pay their respects. Cam Gardy, who brought yellow flowers to lay at the base of the statue, said his mother went to school with the musician and would tell tales of how he’d perform for students. “He has been a part of my life as I have grown up,” Gardy said, adding that while he never met Lightfoot personally, he had been to one of his concerts. “Mr. Lightfoot is iconic, not only to the residents and the city but obviously to the people across Canada.” Lightfoot put Orillia on the map, Gardy said, and was an “incredible ambassador” for ...

No charges for ex-officer who hit Tyre Nichols with stun gun

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn.. (AP) — A former Memphis police officer who hit Tyre Nichols with a stun gun during a traffic stop that preceded Nichols’ brutal beating by other officers won’t be charged criminally, a prosecutor said on Tuesday.Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said his office did a thorough investigation of Preston Hemphill’s role in the arrest, reviewing hours of body camera footage and interviewing witnesses multiple times.“By no means do we endorse the conduct of Officer Hemphill at that first traffic stop … but we do not believe that criminal charges are appropriate,” Mulroy said.Hemphill was fired Feb. 3 after an internal Memphis Police Department investigation showed he violated multiple department policies for his role in the Jan. 7 arrest of Nichols, who died in a hospital three days later. Five other officers have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Nichols’ death.Nichols was beaten after police stopped him for what they said was a tr...

Almost half of midterm voters cast ballots early or by mail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

Almost half of all voters in the 2022 midterm elections cast their ballots before Election Day either by mail or through early voting, with Asian and Hispanic voters leading the way, according to new data the U.S. Census Bureau released Tuesday.The heavy use of both early voting and voting by mail occurred even as Republican-led states have tightened rules on both voting methods over the last two years, and it marked a steep rise from the two previous midterm elections in 2018 and 2014. Only the 2020 presidential election, during the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic, had a greater share of of U.S. voters who cast ballots early or by mail — more than two-thirds of voters did so.In the 2022 midterm elections, two-thirds of Asian voters and almost three-fifths of Hispanic voters cast ballots by mail or at early-voting sites, while less than half of white and Black voters did so, according to Census Bureau survey data.Unusual dynamics drove midterm turnout last year including the U.S...

2 critical after Southwest Side crash involving school bus, students with special needs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

CHICAGO — Several people were hurt Tuesday in a crash involving a school bus on Chicago’s Southwest Side. Students with special needs were among those taken to the hospital, the Chicago Fire Department said.Crews including several ambulances responded to 31st Street and Kedzie Avenue around 11 a.m. in the city’s Little Village neighborhood for reports of a head on crash.According to police, an SUV driven by a man, attempted to pass a semi truck. The SUV then went into oncoming traffic and struck the school bus head on.According to the Chicago Fire Department, 16 total people were transported to area hospitals. Two drivers were taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to CFD.Police said nine students, ages 16-18, were taken to the hospital for evaluation but no series injures were reported. FBI: Armored truck robbed in Homewood; bank robbed on North Side A Special Olympics event was taking place nearby at La Villita Park. The driver of the SUV was issued citations fo...

3 people beaten, robbed in Little Village

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are investigating after three people were robbed at gunpoint on Chicago’s Southwest Side.According to police, a 72-year-old man, a 60-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were in the 2700 block of South Lawndale around 5 a.m. Tuesday when a white car pulled up and four men exited the car. FBI: Armored truck robbed in Homewood; bank robbed on North Side The group of men displayed two guns and demanded money.Police said the 72-year-old man was struck in the head. The 60-year-old man was struck in the head and robbed of money. The woman was robbed but not injured.The group of men then got in the car and left the scene.Police have not released any additional information.No one is in custody.

Chicago's Divvy to become biggest bikeshare in North America by service area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Divvy bikeshare system operator, Lyft, are expanding its service area and increasing its fleet size.Plans were announced at a Tuesday afternoon event to add 3,000 classic pedal bikes to the system, along with 253 new Divvy stations primarily targeting neighborhoods traditionally underserved by the bikeshare. CDOT officials are aiming for citywide accessibility. FBI: Armored truck robbed in Homewood; bank robbed on North Side Caroline Samponaro, head of transit and micromobility policy at Lyft, stated with this expansion, Chicago's Divvy Bikes would become the largest bikeshare by service area in North America. The announcement comes as May gets underway, marking National Bike Month and a turn towards warmer weather, and thus an increase in cyclists on the roadways.

'Some Like It Hot' leads Tony Award nominations with 13 nods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “Some Like It Hot,” a Broadway musical adaptation of the cross-dressing movie comedy that starred Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, waltzed away Tuesday with a leading 13 Tony Award nominations, putting the spotlight on a show that is a sweet, full-hearted embrace of trans rights. With songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and starring Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee, who all got nominations, the show follows two musician friends who disguise themselves as women and join an all-girl band to flee Chicago after witnessing a mob hit. Like the movie, there are men in dresses trying to pass as women. But this time, the dress awakens something in Ghee’s character, akin to a transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly.“The only thing we wanted to do was to be honest and we wanted to treat these characters with dignity,” said Matthew López, who wrote the Tony-nominated book with Amber Ruffin and has a Tony already for the play “The Inheritance.” “Sometimes the best wa...

Snake makes home in traffic signal breaker box, causes intersection power outage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:15:44 GMT

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A large snake that made its home inside a traffic signal breaker box in Virginia was removed after it flipped a switch that controls the light.According to the Prince William County Police Department, the breaker box powered a traffic signal at the intersection of Prince William Parkway and Sudley Manor Drive. When the snake flipped the breaker switch, the signal was shut off. Because of molted skin and waste found inside, it is believed that the snake had been living in the box for some time, police said.The snake did not damage anything inside the box.A large snake that made its home inside a breaker box that powers a traffic signal in Prince William County was removed by police after it flipped a switch that controls the signal. (Photo: Prince William Police)Since snakes gain body heat from their environment, it's not unusual to find them hiding in places to keep warm. A crash investigator and animal control officer removed the snake unharmed...