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With the House paralyzed, White House prepares for shutdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

By Josh Boak, Stephen Groves and Lisa Mascaro | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The White House is preparing Friday to direct federal agencies to get ready for a shutdown after House Republicans left town for the weekend with no viable plan to keep the government funded and avert politically and economically costly disruption of federal services.A federal shutdown after Sept. 30 seems all but certain unless Speaker Kevin McCarthy can convince his rebellious hard-right flank of Republicans to allow Congress to approve a temporary funding measure to prevent closures while they work on the annual federal spending plan. But the House is not expected back until Tuesday, leaving just five days to resolve his standoff.“We got members working, and hopefully we’ll be able to move forward on Tuesday to pass these bills,” McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters at the Capitol.McCarthy signaled his preference for avoiding a closure, but a hard-right flank of his House majority has eff...

Small earthquake rumbles South Bay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

(KRON) -- A preliminary 2.8-magnitude earthquake shook parts of the South Bay on Friday morning, the United States Geological Survey said. The small quake's epicenter was located in Cupertino at a depth of 6.7 kilometers.The earthquake struck at 11:03 a.m. According to the USGS's "Did You Feel It?" reporting system, light and weak shaking was felt by people in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose, Saratoga, and Mountain View.

Fatal pedestrian collision in SF escalates call for safer streets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- There’s a growing call to make streets safer following yet another pedestrian death in San Francisco.On Wednesday, a pedestrian who was crossing the street in the area of Valencia and 18th streets was struck by a vehicle, according to the San Francisco Police Department. After receiving medical aid at the scene, the pedestrian was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but later died from his injuries.The victim has been identified as Jian Huang, 80, of San Francisco, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. This marks the city’s 14th pedestrian death of the year.Police said the driver who struck Huang remained at the scene, and impairment due to drugs and alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the fatal collision. DUI driver tried to buy alcohol after crashing into North Bay store: police According to the organization Walk San Francisco, Huang was crossing Valencia Street when an SUV making a left turn onto Valencia from...

Md. school bus association calls out Howard Co. bus contract

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

Last month in Howard County, Maryland, many public school students started their new school year waiting on the curb as school buses were hours late to pick them up or didn’t show up at all.Now, the Maryland School Bus Contractors Association, which represents 3,000 school buses in 19 of the state’s 24 jurisdictions, is weighing in and calling on the county school system to terminate its contract with California-based company Zum Transportation that operates 210+ buses for the school system.In a statement Thursday, the association said community-based contractors can provide solutions if the school system is willing to end “its failed experiment of a contract” with Zum.MSBCA President Steve Nelson called the situation “alarming” and said the school system and the contractor “failed to live up to their responsibilities to the students and families they are expected to serve.”He recommended the school system rely more on in-state contrac...

Solheim Cup Results

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

FridayAt Finca CortesinAndalucia, SpainYardage: 6,903; Par: 72United States 5 Europe 3Friday FoursomesLexi Thompson/Megan Khang, United States def. Meja Stark/Linn Grant, Europe, 2 and 1 (1pt U.S.).Danielle Kang/Andrea Lee, United States def. Celine Boutier/ Georgia Hall, Europe, 1 up (1pt U.S.).Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz, United States def. Leona Maguire/Anna Nordqvist, Europe, 1 up (1pt U.S.).Ally Ewing/ Cheyenne Knight, United States def. Charley Hull/Emily Kristine Pedersen, Europe, 5 and 4 (1pt U.S.)Friday FourballRose Zhang/Megan Khang, United States vs. Gemma Dryburgh/Madelene Sagstrom, Europe, tied (½ pt each).Leona Maguire/Georgia Hall, Europe def. Lexi Thompson/Lilia Vu, United States, 1 up (1 pt. Europe)Jennifer Kupcho/Allisen Corpuz, United States vs. Emily Kristin Pedersen/Maja Stark, Europe, tied (½ pt. each)Carlota Ciganda/Linn Grant, Europe, def. Angel Yin/Ally Ewing, United States, 4 and 2 (1 pt. Europe)Source

Hero or villain? Rupert Murdoch’s exit stirs strong feelings in Britain, where he upended the media

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Before he hit America, Rupert Murdoch ripped through Britain’s media like a tornado.His newspapers changed the political and cultural weather and swung elections. His satellite television channels upended the staid broadcasting scene.Journalists and politicians in the U.K. both hailed and reviled the 92-year-old mogul after he announced Thursday that he was stepping down as leader of his companies Fox and News Corp., handing control to his son Lachlan.For The Times of London, which he owns, Murdoch was “a trailblazer who changed the media.” Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the tycoon “did more than any press baron in the last 100 years to promote the cause of the global free media that is indispensable for democracy and progress.”But to his critics, Murdoch was an unaccountable, malevolent presence in British life. Nathan Sparkes of Hacked Off, a press reform group that aims to curb tabloid wrongdoing, said Murdoch “presided over a company where widespread ille...

Sabato De Sarno makes much anticipated debut at Gucci under the gaze of stars like Julia Roberts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Sabato De Sarno wants people to fall in love with Gucci again, calling his debut collection “Gucci Ancora,” Italian for “Gucci Again.”The title is a touching admission of the challenges facing the 40-year-old designer, who joined Gucci this summer from Valentino, where he worked for 14 years after stints at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.The question is: can De Sarno do again what his predecessor Alessandro Michele was able to achieve by exciting the public to swarm to Gucci, pacing revenues at a sustained double-digit growth for French owner, Kering? Until the inevitable dip.De Sarno’s debut Friday, nine months after being hired in the wake of Michele’s surprise departure, was the most anticipated on the Milan Fashion Week calendar for next spring and summer womenswear.The furor was enough to fill the front row with Hollywood A-listers including Julia Roberts and Ryan Gosling.What the collection wasn’t: It wasn’t overtly sexy in a sultry way, like in the Tom Ford-era. N...

Nebraska mother sentenced to 2 years in prison for giving abortion pills to pregnant daughter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

A Nebraska mother who pleaded guilty to giving her teenage daughter pills for an abortion and helping to burn and conceal the fetus was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.Jessica Burgess, 42, pleaded guilty in July to tampering with human remains, false reporting and providing an abortion after at least 20 weeks of gestation, which is illegal in Nebraska. Madison County District Judge Mark Johnson sentenced her Friday to one year in prison for each count, with the first two to run concurrently. The sentence for the abortion count was ordered to run after the first two, amounting to a two-year sentence.Online court records show the judge deemed her unsuitable for probation.Burgess, of Norfolk, Nebraska, admitted at her plea hearing to helping her then-17-year-old daughter end her pregnancy. As part of her plea, charges of concealing the death of another person and abortion by someone other than a licensed physician were dismissed. Her daughter, Celeste Burgess, who is now 19, wa...

Argentina beats Samoa to get back into Rugby World Cup playoffs contention

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — Argentina was back in the quarterfinals hunt after defeating Samoa 19-10 in a bruising, scrappy Rugby World Cup pool match on Friday.The Argentines needed to win after the dismal opening defeat to England, and used the 13-day break to get their heads on right for the Samoans, who had only a six-day turnaround.Argentina even denied Samoa a losing bonus point when Nicolas Sanchez booted a last-minute penalty from almost halfway.Emiliano Boffelli scored all of Argentina’s points for a 13-3 lead in a rainy first half and his third penalty after the rain passed extended their lead to 16-3 with 24 minutes to go.But with five minutes left, Samoa replacement hooker Sama Malolo barged over for a converted try, and Argentina’s supporters were finally hit with a mute button. But Samoa couldn’t threaten again, the Argentines in the crowd started singing and dancing again, and Sanchez delivered the finishing blow.Argentina has Pool D games left against Chile an...

King Charles III winds up his France state visit in Bordeaux to focus on the climate and sip wine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:21 GMT

BORDEAUX, France (AP) — After pageantry and politics in Paris, King Charles III concluded his three-day state visit to France with a trip down south to Bordeaux on Friday to focus on a more personal passion: the environment.As the skies cleared following a morning downpour, Charles and Queen Camilla helped plant a loquat leaf oak tree, known for adaptability to a changeable climate, in the garden of Bordeaux City Hall. Locals waved French and British flags, and some shouted “God Save The King,” as the royal couple greeted well-wishers.French firefighters who helped fight wildfires in the Bordeaux region last year showed the U.K. monarch maps and photos of the devastation, and helped guide him around an experimental forest designed to monitor the impact of climate on urban woodlands. Charles and Camilla wrapped up their sojourn in France with a tour of the Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte winery, known for its sustainable approach to wine-making. Owners Florence and Daniel Cathiard — and t...