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Biden pans McCarthy’s debt plan as ‘huge cuts’ to Americans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked furiously Tuesday to build support for a Republican plan that would demand strict limits to federal spending in return for agreeing to raise the nation’s debt limit and stave off an unprecedented U.S. default.But President Joe Biden swiftly swatted down the plan, which would cap much federal spending at increases of 1% a year, as requiring “huge cuts” to programs helping millions of Americans.It was just the latest in what is expected to be a protracted debate over how, when and even whether to raise the nation’s debt limit, now at $31 trillion, with default and a potentially devastating blow to the economy possible if Congress fails to act.McCarthy is finding unusual support for his plan from his typically fractured House Republican majority, who view the proposal as a calling card to push Biden into negotiations. The White House has so far refused to engage in debt ceiling talks, doubtful McCarthy can unify Republic...

Equity Bancshares: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Equity Bancshares Inc. (EQBK) on Tuesday reported net income of $12.3 million in its first quarter.The Wichita, Kansas-based bank said it had earnings of 77 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 82 cents per share.The bank holding company posted revenue of $65.2 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $48.2 million, which missed Street forecasts._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on EQBK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/EQBKSource

Republicans block temporary replacement for Feinstein on key Senate panel, leaving many Biden judicial nominees in limbo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans block temporary replacement for Feinstein on key Senate panel, leaving many Biden judicial nominees in limbo.Source

Claressa Shields sees name and image at Little Caesars Arena

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Two-time Olympic gold medalist and women’s world middleweight champion Claressa Shields was on the verge of tears when she saw her name and image on the videoboards at Little Caesars Arena, where she will fight Hanna Gabriels of Costa Rica.“I’m trying to stay calm and not take my makeup off, so I ain’t gonna cry, but I’m really happy,” Shields said. “I know that this is taking women’s boxing to the next level, for sure.”The home of the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings, which opened in 2017, will host boxing for the first time on June 3.“I grew up coming here, watching the Pistons play,” said the 28-year-old Shields, who is from Flint, Michigan. “I never imagined that I would get a chance to fight here. It was a dream that I wanted and that I had, but I didn’t think that it would really happen.“So, to actually be here and to see all these seats and see my face everywhere, all the excitement around the fight and 15,000 fans for me, it’s a weird feeling, to be h...

Real Madrid beats Chelsea, reaches Champions League semis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Rodrygo scored twice as Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0 to advance to the Champions League semifinals for the 11th time in 13 seasons on Tuesday.The defending champions completed a 4-0 aggregate win in the quarterfinals at Stamford Bridge.But it could have been a much more difficult night for the Spanish giants if Chelsea had converted a host of chances in a spirited fightback in the second leg.N’Golo Kante failed to convert clear openings in each half with the score still goalless. And former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had to beat away a close-range effort from Marc Cucurella just before the break.The home team, which has now lost all four games under interim manager Frank Lampard, was made to pay for those misses as Madrid struck twice on the break.Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 58th minute when turning in Vinicius Junior’s cutback. He added a second in the 80th, this time after Federico Valverde’s assist.The Brazil forward might have compl...

6 strangers en route to FLL become friends after being stranded in Fort Myers due to floods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

The floods last week caused travel trouble for a group of passengers trying to get to South Florida. Some of them decided to travel together to get to their final destination.You can call it divine intervention. The bond between these strangers changed their lives forever– an unforgettable trip and a new set of lifelong friends.Six strangers, one goal: to get to South Florida, but when the historic flooding hit, their plans went up in the air.“Anytime you fly, you’ll always have to take that chance something can happen,” said Karen Schultz, a retired school teacher.Schultz said she flew in from Cleveland to Atlanta to get on a Spirit Airlines flight to Fort Lauderdale, but it didn’t make it there.The flight was rerouted to Fort Myers to refuel and stayed there.Five hours later, the flight was canceled.The airline company offered everyone on board a $50 voucher and told everyone to find their own way.“I immediately was like what are we gonna do?...

‘Like an earthquake’: Parking garage falls in NYC, killing 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A parking garage collapsed Tuesday in lower Manhattan’s Financial District, killing one worker, injuring five and crushing cars as concrete floors fell on top of each other like a stack of pancakes, officials said.Bystander video showed cars hanging precariously from a buckled upper deck of the three-story building, and people nearby described a fearsome rumbling, followed by screams.“It felt like an earthquake,” said Liam Gaeta, a student at nearby Pace University. Other students described seeing cars falling in the building.Officials said one worker was trapped on an upper floor and rescued via a neighboring roof.The garage caved in around 4 p.m., a few blocks from City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, and about half a mile (0.8 km) from the New York Stock Exchange.The collapse left the building “completely unstable,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference. Firefighters had to pull out because of the danger, conducting searches instead with a drone and a robotic d...

Kipchoge says leg injury foiled Boston Marathon attempt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The rain might be gone if Eliud Kipchoge returns for another try at the Boston Marathon, as he said Tuesday he intends to do. The field might be thinner. The wind might be at his back.But Heartbreak Hill will still be there.The historic route from Hopkinton to Boston’s Back Bay isn’t going to change, and that was the biggest problem for the two-time Olympic gold medalist who set a world record on the flattest of the major marathon courses and broke 2 hours in a completely controlled environment.“I can’t win every time,” he told reporters a day after his slowest marathon ever and just his third loss in a major race to go with 12 victories.“I was feeling good. And I think it’s just it’s a challenge. So let us discuss it as a challenge and move on,” he said. “You know, there is three things: Yesterday is a canceled check. Today is cash. And tomorrow is a promissory note. Let us forget about the canceled checks, let us talk of the cash and the promissory notes.”A...

MBTA transit police officer hit by car in Dedham

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

An MBTA transit police officer is recovering after being hit by a car in Dedham Tuesday.Police said the officer was performing an escort for a funeral when a vehicle suddenly crashed into him. Police said the officer was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Photos from the scene later showed a damaged police motorcycle lying on its side near where the crash took place.The crash remained under investigation as of Tuesday afternoon. 

Trump says he would ban homelessness, put violators in ‘tent cities’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:40 GMT

Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in the 2024 Republican primary field, wants to make homelessness illegal and send violators away to camps for rehabilitation.“Under my strategy, working with states, we will ban urban camping wherever possible. Violators of these bans will be arrested, but they will be given the option to accept treatment and services if they are willing to be rehabilitated. Many of them don’t want that, but we will give them the option,” Trump said in a Tuesday campaign ad.Under his plan, the federal government will open tracts of “inexpensive land” for the construction of “tent cities.” There, Trump says in the ad, “the homeless can be relocated and their problems identified.”Trump also calls for the restoration of the nation’s use of mental institutions for housing those homeless people with severe mental health concerns or the “dangerously deranged.”“For those who are severely mentally ill and deeply disturbed, we will bring them back to ment...