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McCarthy says debt ceiling standoff ‘not my fault,’ as White House warns of economic risks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

By LISA MASCARO and STEPHEN GROVES (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday the debt ceiling standoff was “not my fault” as he sent Republican negotiators to the White House to finish out talks, but warned the two sides need more time as they try to reach a budget deal with President Joe Biden.McCarthy said he remained optimistic they could reach an agreement before a deadline as soon as next week, when the Treasury Department could run out of cash to pay its bills. Financial markets are teetering as Washington edges closer to a debt default crisis that would be unprecedented in modern times, sending shockwaves around the globe.The White House blamed the Republicans led by McCarthy for risking a devastating default that would hit “every single part of the country” as they demand “extreme” spending cuts that would hurt millions of Americans. “We’re not going to default,” McCar...

Pete Alonso’s hot streak puts him on pace for 60 homers: ‘I just feel like I’m in a really good spot’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

The Mets lost a very forgettable game Tuesday night at Wrigley Field but Pete Alonso’s 18th home run of the season shouldn’t be forgotten, if for no reason other than it set his pace for the season at 60.The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and the two-time All-Star continues to lead the league in homers and has hit seven of them at Wrigley Field in his career. This ties him with Mark McGwire and Prince Fielder for the second-most all-time in a hitter’s first 12 games at the friendly confines.“I just think it’s a great place to play,” Alonso said Tuesday after the Mets fell 7-2 to the Chicago Cubs in the first game of a three-game series. “There’s a lot of history here. For me as a fan of the game, I think it’s a really cool place to play with a lot of history. It’s really an honor to be here and it’s a fun place to play.”This echoes what he said last month about playing in Dodger Stadium, another historic park where ...

States sue telecom over billions of robocalls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

PHOENIX  — Attorneys general across the U.S. joined in a lawsuit against a telecommunications company accused of making more than 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry.The 141-page lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky and company vice president Stacey S. Reeves. It seeks a jury trial to determine damages.The lawsuit arises from the nationwide, bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 attorneys general and the District of Columbia.Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said nearly 197 million of the robocalls were made to Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023.“Every day, countless Arizona consumers are harassed and annoyed by a relentless barrage of unwanted robocalls — and in some instances these illegal calls threaten consumers with lawsuits and arrest,” Mayes said in a statement. “More disturbingly, many of these calls are...

Harvard Pilgrim patients’ Social Security numbers may have been stolen in cyberattack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care patients’ sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers, may have been stolen as officials continue to investigate a cybersecurity ransomware incident from several weeks ago.The local health care giant has now started contacting individuals whose information might have been copied and taken from the Harvard Pilgrim systems.“While we are not aware of any misuse of personal information and protected health information as a result of the incident, out of an abundance of caution, Harvard Pilgrim is offering complimentary access to two years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through IDX to potentially impacted individuals,” Point32Health, the parent organization of Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan, wrote in an update.“We also recommend that individuals remain vigilant, monitor, and review their financial and account statements and explanations of benefits, and report any unusual activit...

Scratchers ticket worth $1M sold in Chula Vista

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A man added fortune to his morning cup of coffee on a lucky morning in Chula Vista.According to the California Lottery, Nabi Hasani said "he couldn’t believe his eyes" after staring down at a $10 "The Perfect Gift" Scratchers ticket worth a whopping $1 million. Man killed in Chula Vista crash Hasani purchased the ticket at an Arco ampm minimart located at 407 East Street in Chula Vista while making a stop for a cup of Joe. “It was just a random pick. I asked the cashier if it was true that I won,” Hasani told the California Lottery. “I still went home and showed my children and asked them to confirm it, too.”Hasani was tasked with uncovering a box showing a bell and the $1,000,000 figure. He was given 20 chances and says his luck turned when he had only three boxes left to scratch off. Box 17 delivered, revealing his big bucks victory. A winning Scratchers ticket purchased in Chula Vista, Calif. is pictured, (Image: California Lottery)The Californ...

Canada, Saudi Arabia restore full diplomatic ties, appoint envoys after 2018 spat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada and Saudi Arabia are normalizing diplomatic relations and appointing ambassadors five years after the Liberal government’s public comments on women’s rights led Riyadh to expel the top Canadian envoy.In 2018, Global Affairs Canada tweeted that it wanted Saudi Arabia to “immediately release” human-rights activists who had been detained.Both countries maintained their embassies, but Saudi Arabia downgraded its presence in Ottawa and halted trade talks with Canada, saying it was unacceptable for the Canadians to weigh in on Saudi Arabia’s justice system.Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Wednesday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed during a chat last November that they wanted to restore diplomatic relations.The department said this discussion took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok.At the time, reporters noted Trudeau had attended a lunch...

Trudeau promises to update act around use and development of water in Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

WINNIPEG — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeated promises Tuesday to update legislation that governs water use while formally announcing the Canada Water Agency is to be headquartered in Manitoba’s capital city. Trudeau said his government’s first priority is to update the act regulating the use and development of the resource in Canada.“The threats and realities facing our environment have changed since it was written in 1970,” he said in a news conference Wednesday.“Updating this act is about ensuring that we have the tools to work with provinces and territories on protecting and restoring shared waters.”Trudeau didn’t provide details about how the Canada Water Act would change.The current act provides a framework for co-operation with the provinces and territories concerning the conservation, development and use of Canada’s water resources. It does not account for the effects of climate change or the importance of Indigenous rights...

Judge greenlights JPMorgan lawsuit blaming ex-executive in Jeffrey Epstein scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge said Wednesday that he won’t block JPMorgan’s legal efforts to blame a former executive of hiding Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long sex abuse to keep the financier as a client.Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan denied requests by lawyers for the executive, Jes Staley, to toss out claims the bank made against Staley after it was sued last year by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein maintained a residence, and a woman who identified herself as one of Epstein’s victims.The judge said he’ll explain his reasoning later in a written decision.Staley’s lawyers had asked in court papers for dismissal of JPMorgan’s claims, saying the bank was using Staley as a “public relations shield” by asserting claims with no legal basis.They said Staley had no decision-making authority over Epstein’s accounts and was not alleged to have seen any of the suspicious account activity that other JPMorgan employees ignored.Epstein was 66 when he apparently killed himself ...

After years of controversy, national bio-defense lab opens in Kansas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — After more than a decade of controversy and delays, the nation’s most secure biosecurity laboratory for research on potentially deadly animal and plant diseases has opened in Manhattan, Kansas. Although a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday, researchers at the $1.25 billion National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility are not expected to begin working on biohazards for more than a year, officials said. For now, staff will conduct compliance and regulatory work, prepare protocols and operating procedures and train before working with any pathogens, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported. “They will check all the systems according to the international standards and national standards,” NBAF director Alfonso Clavijo said. “And only after we have that approval will we be able to actually do any work. We expect that by late 2024, we should be able to have that approval.”Initially estimated to cost $451 million, the price tag more than doubled after the National...

Tributes for Tina Turner, the global music superstar, after her death at 83

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:17:32 GMT

A collection of tributes that poured in Wednesday from musicians, actors and athletes following the death of musical superstar Tina Turner,“I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.” — Mick Jagger said on Instagram. Turner performed with Jagger during a show in 1985 and toured with the band in the 60s.“We have lost one of the word’s most exciting and electric performers. A total legend on record and on stage. She was untouchable. Condolences to Erwin and her family. The saddest news.” — Elton John said on Instagram.“How do we say farewell to a woman who owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world? Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock ...