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Yellen: ‘No good options’ if Congress fails to act on debt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday that there are “no good options” for the United States to avoid an economic “calamity” if Congress fails to raise the nation’s borrowing limit of $31.381 trillion in the coming weeks. She did not rule out President Joe Biden bypassing lawmakers and acting on his own to try to avert a first-ever federal default.Her comments added even more urgency to a high-stakes meeting Tuesday between Biden and congressional leaders from both parties. Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads over whether the debt limit should even be the subject of negotiation. GOP lawmakers, led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, are demanding spending cuts in return for raising the borrowing limit, while Biden has said the threat of default shouldn’t be used as leverage in budget talks.Yellen, interviewed on ABC’s “This Week,” painted a dire picture of what might happen if the borrowing limit is not increased be...

Man charged in 1988 Michigan slaying dies in SC jail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

THREE RIVERS, Mich. (AP) — A man who was arrested last month in the 1988 stabbing and strangulation of a Michigan woman has died in a South Carolina jail, where he was awaiting extradition to face a murder charge, authorities said.Police in Three Rivers, Michigan, said they were told Saturday about the death of Robert Waters, 53, at the detention center in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Waters was arrested April 30 after investigators used genealogical data to narrow the list of suspects to his family, authorities said. He was charged in the killing of 19-year-old Cathy Sue Swartz in Three Rivers, which is in southwestern Michigan about 136 miles (218 kilometers) southwest of Detroit.Prosecutor David Martin said Waters had waived extradition to Michigan. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating Waters’ death, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday. No other details were released.Swartz was stabbed and strangled in her apartment. Her death ...

Alleged killer of prominent Iraqi analyst sentenced to death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi court on Sunday issued a death sentence against the alleged killer of prominent Iraqi security analyst Hisham al-Hashimi, nearly three years after his assassination.A criminal court sentenced police officer Ahmed Hamdawi Al-Kinani to death for the analyst’s killing after convicting him of a terrorism charge, according to a statement from Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council. A video of al-Kinani appearing to confess to his purported involvement in the crime was released shortly after his arrest two years ago, but many say he had the backing of armed groups.A relative of al-Hashimi’s said the family was pleased with the verdict, but said those who ordered the assassination should be brought to justice in addition to those who carried it out.“Until now, we have not learned who is backing the killer of Hisham al-Hashimi and who gave the orders to execute,” they said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of armed groups.The family expressed concern ove...

Is your company planning layoffs, closures? Many states let you check

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Between tons of tech layoffs and major retailers closing up shop, it's understandable if you're feeling a little uneasy in terms of job security. Depending on the size of your company and your state of residence, you may be able to easily check if your employer is planning serious cuts or branch closures. It's thanks to a federal law called the WARN Act, which stands for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. Essentially, the law requires employers with 100 or more full-time employees to give 60 days of advanced notice for plant closings or mass layoffs. A "mass layoff" is defined as: (1) loss of 500 or more jobs at an employment site or (2) loss of 50 to 499 jobs, if that number makes up more than 33% of the company's workforce. Layoffs but low unemployment: What is going on in this strange economy? Some states have even stricter rules, requiring WARN notices from smaller companies or employers planning layoffs that affect fewer people. For-profit an...

Weekend Gardening with Tim Joyce: May 'To-Do List'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

WGN's 'Plant Daddy' is back with a May 'to-do list' to get your gardens ready for summer. Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Road rage suspect had 3 kids in his car during shooting, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A Memphis man shot at a couple on the interstate while he had three children riding in his own car, police say. The couple told police they were driving on I-240 through Memphis when the driver of a silver SUV shot at them. The bullet went through the rear window and out the front windshield, cutting the passenger on her head. The driver managed to get a photo of the SUV. Officers who responded to the shooting saw the SUV's license plate number from the photo and traced it to a Nissan Pathfinder registered to a man in Memphis' Frayser neighborhood. These are the 10 safest states in the US, data shows When officers arrived at to the address, they saw a Pathfinder in the home's driveway, and Leo Jones getting out of the driver's seat. Jones was wearing a holster containing a 9 mm handgun, they said.Inside the SUV were three juveniles, ages 3, 8 and 11. Police said Jones told officers all three children were in the vehicle when he fired shots during a road ra...

These are the 10 safest states in the US, data shows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Which states in the U.S. are safest? U.S. News and World Report recently revealed the 10 states that are safest in regards to occurrences of both violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents using data from the FBI.As explained by the FBI, violent crimes include murder, robbery, aggravated assault and sexual assault. Property crime includes events like burglary and motor vehicle theft. U.S. News explains the data shows that while violent crime rose 4.6% between 2019 and 2020, property crime dropped 8.1%. RANKING: The safest cities in the U.S. 2023, according to SmartAsset Currently, the 10 safest states are:State/rankViolent crime rateProperty crime rate1. Maine109 per 100K residents1,156 per 100K residents2. New Hampshire146 per 100K residents1,099 per 100K residents3. New Jersey195 per 100K residents1,158 per 100K residents4. Vermont173 per 100K residents1,217 per 100K residents5. Idaho243 per 100K residents1,112 per 100K residents6. Rhode Island231 per 100K res...

I-35 reopens near Round Rock after 4-vehicle crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Interstate 35 has reopened following a temporary closure after a four-vehicle wreck near Round Rock Sunday morning.Round Rock Police said the shutdown was for the southbound lanes near University Boulevard, and traffic was being diverted at the University Boulevard exit. The Texas Department of Transportation said all southbound lanes were closed due to a crash.As of 10:25 a.m., the roadway had reopened.

Denver weather: Sun, wind and a chance of thunderstorms Sunday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

A sunshine-filled Sunday morning in Denver will give way to clouds and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service at Boulder.The city will see a high temperature of 72 degrees Sunday, with sunny skies before 2 p.m. After mid-afternoon, residents can expect clouds and some gusty wind, with an about 20% chance of thunderstorms, according to the weather agency.The thunderstorms, should they develop, will be scattered, forecasters predicted. The most severe storms are expected on the plains to the east of the Interstate 25 corridor, and could produce small hail.The thunderstorm risk drops after 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the weather service.Monday’s weather will be similar, with an expected high of 76 degrees and a chance of thunderstorms after 7 p.m.

UFC fighter Tony Ferguson arrested for DUI in Hollywood after multi-car crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:04 GMT

UFC fighter Tony Ferguson was arrested on a DUI charge in Hollywood early Sunday morning after his truck slammed into several parked cars.According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Ferguson was driving a pickup truck when he crashed into four parked vehicles in the 1400 block of Wilcox Avenue around 1:50 a.m. UFC fighter Tony Ferguson was arrested in Hollywood early Sunday morning after refusing to take a DUI sobriety test in Hollywood, California on May 7, 2023. (LA-OC.tv)UFC fighter Tony Ferguson was arrested in Hollywood early Sunday morning after refusing to take a DUI sobriety test in Hollywood, California on May 7, 2023. (LA-OC.tv)UFC fighter Tony Ferguson was arrested in Hollywood early Sunday morning after refusing to take a DUI sobriety test in Hollywood, California on May 7, 2023. (LA-OC.tv)One man was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition.According to TMZ, Ferguson was uncooperative with police. He was arrested at the scene for misdemeanor DUI aft...