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Congresswoman suggests withholding pay from lawmakers if government defaults 

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — A new bipartisan bill would block paychecks to members of Congress if the U.S. government defaults or shuts down. The charge is being led by two lawmakers in an attempt to motivate their colleagues to prevent either of those outcomes. As the threat of default looms over the economy, Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger and Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick introduced a bill to withhold pay for lawmakers if the event of a default or government shutdown. "If we are unable to protect the United States government and the United States government from a default, frankly no member of Congress should be getting paid until we are remedying that situation," Spanberger said. Right now, President Joe Biden and Republicans are locked in a stare-down. Democrats are demanding Congress raise the debt ceiling and Republicans are refusing to do that without spending cuts attached. Negotiators met all week to try and strike a deal, but on Friday th...

Lawmakers renew push to protect 'Documented Dreamers'

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — Right now, people known as "Documented Dreamers" are living in limbo, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to change that. On Wednesday, lawmakers and advocates talked about their new push to protect Documented Dreamers and allow them to permanently stay in the United States. "Documented Dreamers" are people whose parents brought them to the U.S. legally, but when they turn 21 they lose the protections of their parent's long-term visa. That forces them to stay illegally or self-deport if they can't find other ways to get legal status. Muhil Ravichandran is one of the 250,000 documented dreamers living in the U.S. "It is heartbreaking that I have to spend every day in fear that I have to leave my home," Ravichandran said. Both Ravichandran and fellow dreamer Merry Joseph were part of a group that joined lawmakers to advocate for legislative changes. "All we ask is for this country to finally recognize us," Joseph said. L...

Opportunity for Texas Prime customers to earn money through Amazon pick-ups

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — Commerce Empire, Amazon, is offering $10 to pick up purchases rather than have them shipped to a home address. The company is hoping to reduce home delivery costs. Prime subscribers have received an email with a $10 offer to pick up an order of $25 or more at locations such as Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, or Kohls's.Pick-up locations aren't new to the company as they first started introducing pick-up locations back in 2019. As Amazon comes up with new initiatives for prime customers, Dallas also benefits due to the increased foot traffic into its stores. Thus introducing a new era of convenience and customer engagement.Check your local Whole Foods or Kohls's and see if they are participating.

Paul Newberry: A city fights back against the ol’ arena flimflam

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

By PAUL NEWBERRY (AP Sports Columnist)Congratulations are in order for the good people of Tempe, Arizona.They might’ve cost themselves an NHL team, but that was a small price to pay to hang on to their wallets.In a rare setback for billionaire owners and their endless scams to get the public to build them new places to play, the Phoenix suburb decisively turned back a $2.3 billion proposal that included a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes.This one was a stunner for the NHL and the Coyotes, who thought they had worked their flimflam so well that nobody would notice it was nothing more than another egregious example of corporate welfare.“The voters seem to understand, deep down, that these things are a bad idea,” said J.C. Bradbury, an economics professor at Kennesaw State University in suburban Atlanta and vocal critic of publicly funded stadiums and arenas. “Why are we subsidizing sports teams, no matter how much they claim it’s going to spur economic d...

North St. Paul native Carolyn Wiger makes it to this season’s ‘Survivor’ finale

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

Two east metro natives competed on the current season of “Survivor” and one of them, Carolyn Wiger, made it to the finale, which airs at 7 p.m. Wednesday on CBS.The daughter of former state Sen. Chuck Wiger, the 35-year-old Wiger was born in North St. Paul and now lives in Hugo, where she works in substance recovery.With her lanky figure, numerous tattoos and complete lack of a poker face, Wiger seemed more like light comic relief to both viewers and her fellow castaways for much of the season, which is the show’s 44th. She proved to be both highly skilled and comically inept at challenges, like when she got stuck in a twisted net and starting howling and moaning (the challenge starts about 3 minutes into the video below).But once the tribes merged, Wiger’s savvy began to become much more obvious. She formed an unlikely alliance with Carson Garrett, a 20-year-old engineering student who used a 3D printer to recreate practice puzzles from the show, and Yamil “Yam Yam” Aro...

MN GOP say nursing homes are left behind in DFL $1.3 billion human services budget

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

Democrats in the Minnesota Senate on Friday approved a massive spending bill for human services that Republicans say doesn’t provide enough money to help struggling nursing homes.The legislation includes $1.3 billion in new money, which is a 16 percent increase over current funding and one of the biggest spending boosts in the next budget. The new funds would go to help care for the state’s most vulnerable including seniors, the chronically ill and Minnesotans with disabilities with a priority on home and community based services.“This bill changes people’s lives. It creates the autonomy and independence for people with disabilities,” said Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, the primary sponsor of the bill. “It encourages choice of care services and really honors the diversity of those care needs.”The legislation was approved with a 35-32 vote and now heads to the House. It is part of the next state budget the Legislature is working to finalize...

Investigators: Man who killed 2 Wisconsin officers had history of domestic problems

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

MADISON, Wis. — The man who killed two police officers in a roadside shootout in northwestern Wisconsin last month was struggling with a divorce and didn’t like getting “pushed around” by police, state investigators said in a report released Friday.Glenn Douglas Perry, 50, of New Auburn, shot and killed Chetek police officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron police officer Hunter Scheel during a traffic stop in Cameron on April 8. Perry was hit during an exchange of gunfire and later died of his wounds.The state Justice Department has been investigating the incident and released nearly 1,000 pages of documents detailing its findings.According to the report, Perry’s ex-wife told investigators that she thought Perry was schizophrenic, carried guns in his vehicle and slept with a gun under his pillow. She said he talked “to stuff that is not there” and threatened multiple people, including court officials involved in their divorce.An ex-girlfriend told investigators that ...

MN could see gas tax increase, 75-cent delivery fee

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

With just a few days left of the 2023 Legislative session, Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers are considering raising Minnesota’s gasoline tax and creating a new fee on deliveries to help fund transportation.Many of the bills forming the upcoming state budget have passed or have been signed into law, but House and Senate lawmakers continue to negotiate on the transportation bill. As they try to find sources of ongoing revenue for transportation, the delivery and gas taxes have emerged as potential new moneymakers for the state.A proposed new gas tax would tie the state per-gallon tax on gasoline to the rate of inflation, raising it beyond the current charge of 28.5 cents a gallon in the future. The proposal has not been finalized and exact figures are not yet available.Road maintenanceAsked about the tax at a Thursday Capitol news conference, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic emphasized the proposal’s role in paying for infrastructure upkeep.“First of all, I would call it a road m...

Saratoga Springs fire chief charged with misconduct, suspended without pay

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Saratoga Springs fire chief has been charged with misconduct and suspended without pay, according to the city's public safety commissioner. Fire Chief Joseph Dolan was placed on paid administrative leave in January. The union representing the city's firefighters called for his removal in April. They alleged some of Dolan's actions put firefighters and the community at risk. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The union cited an agreement to supply emergency services to the town of Greenfield. The union also said he chose to operate a fire truck without meeting minimum staffing recommendations.Assistant Chief Aaron Dyer has been serving as interim chief, and the president of the union has said he supports him.

New top prosecutor leaves high-powered law firm for public service

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:42:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Missouri Governor Mike Parson says he chose quality over politics in his pick for St. Louis Circuit Attorney.“Our focus was solely in figuring out who in their heart holds what is best for the city," he said.The governor and his pick, Gabe Gore, emphasized collaboration as the key.“Working together, I am confident that we can build a prosecutor’s office here that is one of the highest performing in the country," Gore said.Gore is a former federal prosecutor and is currently a partner at the law firm Dowd Bennet. He worked and raised his family in the city.“The same level of public safety that we enjoy, raising our family here, is what we seek for all St. Louisans," Gore said. Road rage fight sends 73-year-old man to hospital with life-threatening injuries “The step he took today, to leave a high-powered partnership at a law firm to come help the city that he loves, speaks volumes for his character," said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones.Chief Robert Tracy of the St. Loui...