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Biden blasts GOP ‘wacko notions’ amid debt limit standoff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

ACCOKEEK, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden lambasted Republicans’ emerging trade-off plans to raise the nation’s debt limit only in exchange for spending cuts and other policy concessions on Wednesday, declaring that GOP lawmakers are threatening a historic default on U.S. obligations “unless I agree to all these wacko notions they have.” His remarks in a union hall speech came as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who had for months struggled to unite Republicans around a unified budget proposal, released a sweeping spending-restraint plan to offer to the White House along with lifting the debt limit by $1.5 trillion.But it’s far from settled whether McCarthy has 218 Republican votes — a House majority — in favor of his proposal, which has no chance of becoming law in the Senate and is meant to kickstart negotiations with the administration. Cruising toward crisis, if Congress and Biden can’t agree to raise the limit in coming weeks, the government would be at risk...

Omega Flex: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

EXTON, Pa. (AP) — EXTON, Pa. (AP) — Omega Flex Inc. (OFLX) on Wednesday reported profit of $5.7 million in its first quarter.The Exton, Pennsylvania-based company said it had net income of 57 cents per share.The flexible metal hose maker posted revenue of $30 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on OFLX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/OFLXSource

Old Second Bancorp: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

AURORA, Ill. (AP) — AURORA, Ill. (AP) — Old Second Bancorp Inc. (OSBC) on Wednesday reported first-quarter net income of $23.6 million.The bank, based in Aurora, Illinois, said it had earnings of 52 cents per share.The results missed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 54 cents per share.The financial holding company posted revenue of $77.5 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $71.4 million, which also missed Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $74.4 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on OSBC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/OSBCSource

Rockies activate pitcher Daniel Bard from 15-day IL

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies activated pitcher Daniel Bard from the 15-day injured list Wednesday ahead of the team’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates after the star closer had been out since March 30 due to anxiety.“It feels good to have Daniel back,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The last two weeks have been really positive for Daniel. We’re hoping that he can help, and he will. He’s a big part of our bullpen.”Bard threw one inning in his team’s loss Wednesday, giving up no hits or runs on nine pitches.Last season, Bard ranked third among all National League pitchers with a career-high 34 saves. He earned the save in 91.9% of his appearances, the best mark in MLB in 2022 and the second-best percentage in a single season in Rockies franchise history.Bard pitched for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but struggled with control, displayed most notably when he threw a pitch inside against Venezuela that broke the hand of Houston Astros second baseman Jose Al...

Seattle’s Adams, Brooks hopeful to be back for training camp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says both safety Jamal Adams and linebacker Jordyn Brooks are hopeful of being ready for training camp this summer.However the team will be cautious with the progress of both coming back from major injuries. Carroll said Wednesday that both are progressing in their recovery from significant injuries suffered last season. Brooks tore his ACL late in the season while Adams suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in the season opener. Carroll said that while it may be overly optimistic, both are trying to be ready sometime during training camp. “Very optimistic on their sides and they’re really thinking they’re going to make it so we’re holding good thoughts,” Carroll said. Both players are expected to have checkups with Seattle’s medical staff in the next couple of weeks. Brooks had started every game the past two seasons before getting hurt in Week 17 last season against the New York Jets. Brooks’ injury, combined with Cody Barton le...

As courts weigh abortion pill rules, patients ask: What now?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

All the legal rulings lately on a key drug used in medication abortions may leave many women wondering: What does this mean for me?Various courts have recently ruled on mifepristone, which is used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily extended access to the pill until Friday while justices consider whether to allow some restrictions to take effect.Meanwhile, doctors, clinics and telehealth providers are taking steps to ensure they’ll still be able to offer abortion care in the future. For patients, there’s been confusion “about whether or not they can access their appointments,” said Dr. Becca Simon, a family medicine doctor in Pennsylvania who provides abortions. “We’re trying to just calm people.”IS THE USUAL TWO-DRUG TREATMENT STILL AVAILABLE?Yes. People can still get medication abortions using mifepristone from doctors and clinics in states where it was available before the rulings. Medication abortion, which accounts fo...

Woman shot after wrong turn had hopes, dreams, father says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) — The father whose 20-year-old daughter was fatally shot after she and her friends got lost and drove to the wrong house in rural town upstate New York raged Wednesday at the man who pulled the trigger.“For this man to sit on his porch and fire at a car with no threat is just … it angers me so badly,” said Andrew Gillis, whose daughter Kaylin Gillis was killed Saturday. “And I just hope to God that he dies in jail.” The anguished father spoke at the courthouse where the man accused of killing Kaylin Gillis, Kevin Monahan, was denied bail by a judge. Monahan, 65, appeared in court with a jacket, tie and shackles. Her answered questions from the judge, but mostly sat quietly.“My daughter was an honor student. She had hopes and dreams of … becoming a marine biologist or a veterinarian,” Andrew Gillis told reporters, his voice cracking with emotion. “She loved animals. And this man took that away from us.”Gillis, her boyfriend Blake Walsh and the...

Local non profits celebrate Ontario Trillium Foundation grants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

Not for profit organizations around Ontario have been celebrating Resilient Communities Fund grants provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in recent days.Organizations in Kingston are among those in the province who took advantage of the grant opportunity that’s meant to help community organizations recover and build capacity, resilience and sustainability.For the Kingston School of Art, that looked like adding some new equipment, meeting the additional cleaning needs of the pandemic, and most importantly, an additional part time staff member.The school is an independently operated, registered charity providing affordable art education to Kingstonians of all ages and stages of artistic development.Executive Director of Kingston School of Art Maddi Andrews said this funding has helped rebound from challenges experiences throughout the pandemic, but is also really helping to further grow the school. Adding an extra staff member in new Programs and Administration Assis...

Supreme Court takes up Colorado stalking case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A man convicted and sentenced for stalking a Colorado singer is now saying his messages were protected under the First Amendment in a case that's before the U.S. Supreme Court.In 2017, Billy Raymond Counterman was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for stalking Colorado singer Coles Whalen. Whalen's attorney says the messages started escalating in 2014. Colorado to end COVID-19 exposure notification system "I think best estimates is that she received more than a thousand unwanted communications from Counterman," said Paul Cassell, an attorney representing Whalen. "Coles received hundreds of communications, and many of those were threatening. They were references to her needing to die and references to the fact that Counterman was following her or following friends of hers, and so those communications caused her to need to leave her home and ultimately to give up her career as a stage performer." But now, Counterman is appealing a lower court's decision by...

Colorado to end COVID-19 exposure notification system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:44 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — More than three years after the initial COVID-19 shutdowns in the U.S., the nation's pandemic response continues to wind down.Colorado announced Wednesday that it's ending its exposure notification system. The program sends cell phone alerts to users who were recently around another user who tested positive. The rollout of Colorado’s new psychedelics law hit another milestone The federal public health emergency on COVID-19 is set to end on May 11. Because of this, Apple and Google are decommissioning the service, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.CDPHE said its exposure notification system will also end on May 11. "A message will appear on users’ phones alerting them that the system is no longer operational and prompting them to delete their data," CDPHE said.Months into the pandemic in 2020, Colorado launched its exposure notification system. Users were able to opt into or out of the free system on their Apple or Google devices....