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New California Assembly speaker pledges to tackle the state’s biggest issues

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Assemblymember Robert Rivas was sworn in Friday as the next speaker of California’s state Assembly, becoming the first lawmaker from a rural district to hold the powerful office in the state’s modern history. Rivas, a 43-year-old Democrat representing the agricultural Central Coast area, replaces former Speaker Anthony Rendon after a monthslong power struggle last year. Rendon, the second-longest serving speaker in state history, terms out at the end of 2024 after serving as the California lower house’s leader the last seven years. Rivas, who had a quick rise to power, pledged to lead with “urgency and unity.” At his inaugural ceremony in the Capitol, he said his priorities are to tackle the state’s housing and homelessness crisis, improve public services and infrastructure and combat climate change. Democrats hold more than three-quarters of the Assembly’s 80 seats. “California is still the greatest state in the un...

It’s almost time to resume student loan payments. What happens if you don’t?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — After three years, the pandemic-era freeze on federal student loan payments will end this fall and more than 40 million Americans will have to start making payments again under the terms of a debt ceiling deal approved by Congress.Student loan interest will start accruing on September 1 and payments will restart in October. That means tough decisions for many borrowers, especially those in already-difficult financial situations.It might seem tempting, come autumn, to just continue not making payments, but the consequences can be severe, including a hit to your credit score and exclusion from future aid and benefits.Experts say that delinquency and bankruptcy should be options of last resort, and that deferment and forbearance — which pause payments, though interest may continue to accrue — are often better in the short term.WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T MAKE STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS?Once the moratorium ends, borrowers who can’t or don’t pay risk delinquency and ev...

Suspected gunman in Texas shooting that killed 5 neighbors indicted on capital murder charge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A man accused of killing five neighbors in Texas after some of them complained that gunfire was keeping a baby awake was indicted Friday on a capital murder charge that could carry the death penalty. Prosecutors said they do not yet know whether they will seek the death penalty against Francisco Oropeza, 38, who is a Mexican national and had been deported multiple times in the years prior to the April attack outside Houston. “I think it’s a little too early for us to make that call,” San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon said.Dillon said he expects Oropeza to plead not guilty during a court appearance in August. A lawyer for Oropeza did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.Police say Oropeza stormed into his neighbor’s house on April 28 after being asked by his neighbors to stop firing his AR-style rifle because a baby was trying to sleep. All five victims were from Honduras, including a 9-year-old boy.The shooting happened...

Delaware House approves bill allowing business entities to vote in town’s municipal elections

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

DOVER, Del. (AP) — States House lawmakers have approved legislation authorizing a small town in southern Delaware to allow business entities, including corporations and limited liability companies, to vote in municipal elections.Lawmakers voted 35-6 on Friday for the measure, which was sent to the Senate on the final day of this year’s legislative session.The bill authorizes a charter change for the city of Seaford, one of more than a dozen municipalities in Delaware that already allow nonresident property owners to vote. At least four allow corporate entities and trusts to vote in municipal elections, while others restrict such entities to voting in special elections such as annexations, referenda or bond issues.Charter changes requested by local governments in Delaware are typically approved in the General Assembly in perfunctory fashion without debate or controversy. Seaford’s charter change, which sets no precedent, nevertheless drew national attention because of media campaigns...

Tax break for offshore wind energy developer Orsted narrowly approved in New Jersey Legislature

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A bill to let Danish offshore wind energy developer Orsted keep tax credits that it otherwise would have to return to New Jersey ratepayers was approved by the slimmest of margins in the state Legislature Friday afternoon and went to the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy, a strong supporter of offshore wind farms.The measure initially failed to gather enough support in the Senate but won one additional vote in a subsequent try — just enough to pass it.The bill to allow Orsted to keep federal tax credits was designed to help counter what lawmakers termed lingering economic effects on the developer from the COVID-19 pandemic and elevated inflation.It applies to Orsted’s first project in New Jersey, Ocean Wind I, which aims to generate enough electricity to power 500,000 homes.The New Jersey legislation highlighted a sharp partisan divide over offshore wind projects, with Republicans mostly opposing them as harmful to the environment, marine life and the fishing and tourism...

Fox News reaches $12M settlement with former Tucker Carlson producer who testified in Dominion case

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News will pay one of its former producers $12 million to settle her claims that she faced a discriminatory workplace and that the network coerced her into giving false or misleading testimony in Dominion Inc.’s defamation lawsuit, her lawyer said Friday.The payout to Abby Grossberg will settle all litigation that she brought against Fox Corp., Fox News Network and her former co-workers, including former Fox host Tucker Carlson.The settlement was revealed with the filing of a “Notice of Voluntary Dismissal” in a lawsuit she had brought this year in Manhattan federal court. The judge accepted the filing and closed the case.Although the notice did not reference the terms of the settlement, Grossberg’s attorney, Parisis G. Filippatos, said in an interview that his client will receive $12 million.In a statement, Fox News said: “We are pleased that we have been able to resolve this matter without further litigation.”Grossberg said in a statement that while ...

Saudi Arabia is being considered by the women’s tennis tour for possible business

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Like other sports, women’s tennis is looking into the possibility of getting into business with Saudi Arabia. And while holding a tournament there is not imminent, WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said Friday that he visited that country with some players in February as part of the evaluation process.“It’s a very difficult and very challenging topic that’s being, obviously, measured by many, many different groups right now,” Simon said at an event in London to mark the 50th anniversary of the meeting that led to the founding of the WTA.He acknowledged there “are still tons of issues in Saudi Arabia” with regard to women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.Simon’s comments came a few days after the St. Petersburg, Florida-based WTA announced it was setting up a “pathway to equal prize money” so women earn the same as men at certain tournaments by 2027 and others by 2033. Simon said Tuesday additional money would come from incremental boosts by the events themselves a...

Commerical-grade fireworks found inside Joliet casino hotel room, parking garage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — A bomb squad on Friday determined what a housekeeper thought were explosives inside a casino hotel room in Joliet were commercial-grade fireworks.Just before noon, the housekeeper called Joliet Police Department officers after they found what they thought were unmarked explosives inside a guest's room. Why are fireworks illegal in Illinois? According to a news release from police, the Cook County Sheriff's Police Bomb Team determined they were commercial-grade fireworks.The team also found commercial-grade fireworks inside a vehicle in the casino's parking garage, according to the news release.Additional details haven't been released. Joliet police are still investigating.

Skilling: Cloudy, wet weekend for Chicagoland

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

June's final day logged a 91-deg high at O'Hare---the sixth 90 of the year to date; less than the 9 which had occurred by this time a year ago. The hottest Friday max temp I've found was a 94-deg temp near downtown Chicago—but many area highs remained in the mid to upper 80s. The area ended up with just 60% of its possible sun.  Many Friday afternoon heat index readings hover near 90-deg with stifling low and mid 70-deg dew points indicating moisture levels which supported the day's haze—and contributed to area of dense fog Friday morning west of the city and in scattered areas of northwest Indiana.JUNE 2023 CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT---and goes into the books in Chicago as A DRY MONTH WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPS.The month saw only a little more than half (58%) its normal rain—JUST 2.36" versus the normal of 4.10". That means June finished among the driest 29% of Junes on the books here over the past 153 years dating back to 1871.The period since April maintains a huge deficit,...

Several flights canceled at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport ahead of busy holiday weekend

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:46 GMT

CHICAGO — Thursday was a busy day at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport for many travelers, many of whom were dealing with delays and cancelations.As of 4 p.m. Friday, more than 60 flights have been canceled at O'Hare. At Chicago's Midway International Airport, no flights have been canceled. Both airports are seeing delays less than 15 minutes.On Thursday, at least 190 flights had been canceled at O'Hare and only two fights were canceled.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe delays and cancelations also come among the record-breaking holiday travel expected to start today. AAA predicts 50.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from their home over the weekend."What's happening is it's not just weather," Peter Greenberg, a flight expert, said. "It's a number of factors that got together to produce this perfect storm."Greenberg points to issues with airline staff scheduling, layovers with less than one-hour connecting time."Majority of the people flying to Chicago ...