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Biden set to sign debt ceiling bill that averts prospect of unprecedented federal default

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation on Saturday to raise the debt ceiling, dodging Monday’s deadline when the Treasury warned that the United States would start running short of cash to pay all its bills.The bipartisan measure, passed by the House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday, averts the potential of an unprecedented government default that would have rocked the U.S. and global economies. Raising the nation’s debt limit, now at $31.4 trillion, will ensure that the government can borrow to pay debts already incurred.“Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher,” Biden said from the Oval Office on Friday evening. “Nothing would have been more catastrophic,” he said, than defaulting on the country’s debt.The agreement was hashed out by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, giving Republicans some of their demanded federal spe...

Police searching for robbery suspect who stole wedding ring in Roxbury

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

Boston police are seeking a suspect in a robbery in Roxbury last Sunday, when a man stole a woman’s late husband’s wedding ring outside a church, according to officials.The suspect ripped a woman’s chain with the ring from her neck and attempted to steal her purse on Blue Hill Avenue around noon. The woman defended herself until the suspect fled on foot toward Maywood Street, police reported.Police describe the suspect as “a Hispanic male in his mid-twenties with a stocky build, wearing white shirt and denim shorts with a large bruise on his left leg and may walk with a noticeable limp.”

Melrose city councilor allegedly harassed for wearing her hijab, appears in court

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

A woman was called to court after allegedly attacking a Melrose city councilor.Prosecutors said Joan Ditomaso confronted Councilor Maya Jamaleddine at a gas station for wearing a hijab last year.Prosecutors said when the councilor’s husband intervened, Detamaso shoved him. Jamaleddine said this case is an opportunity for accountability.“I truly hope that they learn their lesson, at least… acknowledge and be accountable and responsible for their acts.” Jamaleddine said she’s disappointed that prosecutors declined to file hate crime charges in the case.

Fellow broadcasters weigh in on what makes Howie Rose and Gary Cohen great

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

Before Kevin Burkhardt was calling Super Bowls, before he was manning the Citi Field sidelines for SNY, and even before selling used cars in New Jersey, he was doing what so many others did every summer: Listening to baseball games on the radio.The players on the team came and went. Games were won and hopes were dashed. Throughout franchise history, almost nothing has remained constant, except for the broadcasters.“To me, Gary and Howie are the Mets,” the FOX Sports broadcaster told the Daily News.Gary Cohen and Howie Rose have mastered the art of baseball storytelling like few others. They’ve become as integral to the fabric of the organization and the fan experience as the Home Run Apple. The Mets will cement the legacy of their beloved broadcaster this weekend by inducting the two into the team Hall of Fame.But their legacy extends far beyond Citi Field. Rose and Cohen have become legends in their industry for how they do their work and how they treat people.The...

Bob Raissman: Be a shock if Tom Brady bailed on Fox TV gig to return to the field

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

When May turned into June, Aaron Rodgers had company when it came to generating NFL buzz. There was Patrick Mahomes and questions about whether he is capable of building a dynasty in Kansas City.Then there was the man who supposedly won’t set foot on the field again — the budding TV star, Tom Brady. Suddenly, after he purchased a stake in the team, and because of Jimmy Garoppolo’s physical iffiness, speculation bubbled about Brady ending up quarterbacking the Las Vegas Raiders.On Thursday, even after Brady told Sports Illustrated’s Robin Lundberg: “I’m certain I’m not playing again…..” it didn’t deter some of the football cognoscenti from speculating that once training camp rolls around, Brady could get the itch to return to the field.Brady wants to shut the spec down, but the hubbub is terrific for his nascent TV career at Fox Sports, where he’s currently the number-one-game-analyst-in waiting, scheduled to enter the...

Rain brings much-needed relief to firefighters battling Halifax-area wildfires

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

Officials in Nova Scotia say the Halifax-area wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes over the past week is now considered held.David Steeves, a technician of forest resources with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, says the fire is about 85 per cent contained, sits at 9.5 square kilometres and is unlikely to grow due to a combination of firefighting efforts and long-awaited rain.But he says a number of areas of concern remain and crews continue to closely monitor hot spots and the fire’s perimeter.The blaze that broke out Sunday in the Halifax area raced through a number of subdivisions, consuming about 200 structures — including 151 homes — and forcing the evacuation of more than 16,000 people.Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Deputy Fire Chief Dave Meldrum says rain has brought relief today, but notes it also raises the risk that firefighters could be hurt from slips or falls and makes for a tough working d...

Debt deal imposes new work requirements for food aid and that frustrates many Democrats

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the food aid requirements that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the debt ceiling deal, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.In the end, Democrats warily accepted new requirements for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats...

Israeli military says Egyptian police officer kills 3 soldiers in gunbattle at Egyptian border

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — A gunbattle involving an Egyptian police officer in southern Israel along the Egyptian border left three Israeli soldiers dead Saturday, the army said. It was a rare instance of deadly violence along the frontier.Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an army spokesperson, said the fighting began overnight when soldiers thwarted a drug-smuggling attempt across the border.He said several hours later, two soldiers in a guard post were shot and killed. Their bodies were found after the shooting, when they did not respond to radio communications.Hecht said the killings appeared to be connected to the thwarted drug smuggling attempt. The army said the Egyptian police officer was killed in a second exchange of fire in which a third soldier was killed. Hecht said an investigation was being conducted in full cooperation with the Egyptian army. He said troops were searching for other possible assailants.It was the first deadly exchange of fire along the Israel-Egypt border in over a decade...

Turkey’s Erdogan takes oath of office, ushering in his third presidential term

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s longtime leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, took the oath of office on Saturday, ushering in his third presidential term that followed three stints as prime minister.Erdogan, 69, won a new five-year term in a runoff presidential race last week that could stretch his 20-year rule in the key NATO country that straddles Europe and Asia into a quarter-century. The country of 85 million controls NATO’s second-largest army, hosts millions of refugees and played a crucial role in brokering a deal that allowed the shipment of Ukraine grain, averting a global food crisis.Erdogan was sworn in during a session in parliament before an inauguration ceremony at his sprawling palace complex. Supporters waited outside parliament despite the heavy rain, covering his car with red carnations as he arrived.All eyes are on the announcement of his new Cabinet later on Saturday. Its lineup should indicate whether there will be a continuation of unorthodox economic policies or a r...

Delegates working to end global plastics pollution agree to craft a draft treaty

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:37:24 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Global negotiators have agreed to craft a draft treaty to end plastic pollution, a preliminary but crucial step toward tackling one of the most lasting sources of human waste.Environmental advocates cautiously welcomed the outcome of five days of U.N. talks in Paris on plastic pollution, but expressed concern that the petroleum industry and some governments would water down the eventual treaty. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels.Delegates at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for Plastics agreed Friday evening to produce an initial draft before their next meeting in Kenya in November, participants said. The committee is charged with developing the first international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, on land and at sea.A coalition of “high-ambition” governments led by Norway and Rwanda, along with environmental groups, want to end plastic pollution altogether by 2040 by slashing production and limiting some chemicals used in making plastics.“Pro...