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Ohio’s political mapmakers are going back to work after Republican infighting caused a week’s delay

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Redistricting Commission was set to get back to business Wednesday after two Republican legislative leaders who may be rivals for the House speakership next year settled a political dispute that delayed the time-crunched panel’s work by a week.Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had reconvened the commission Sept. 13, but he was unable to do anything more than swear in its members — himself, two other statewide officeholders and four state lawmakers — because Republicans were without a co-chair. Indecision persisted, so the governor also canceled a second attempted meeting he had set for that Friday.DeWine set the next meeting for Wednesday afternoon, then he came down with COVID-19 — precluding him from pinch-hitting as chair while Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Jason Stephens came to some agreement.Hours before the meeting was set to begin, Huffman and Stephens announced their decision. They designated a seemingly neutral third pa...

Biden and Brazil’s Lula focus on workers’ rights, while publicly playing down differences

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, focused on workers’ rights as the leaders of the Western Hemisphere’s largest democracies met Wednesday in New York.But a new partnership committed to labor rights comes amid differences between the presidents over Russia’s war in Ukraine, the U.S. embargo of Cuba and other issues. Still, Biden and Lula, in remarks to reporters, were eager to display their common goals at the start of their meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.Biden sought to tie the meeting to domestic matters. Long a champion of labor unions, Biden is navigating strikes in the U.S. by autoworkers, screenwriters and actors who are seeking better pay and protections in a changing global economy. He has declined the request by the United Auto Workers leader to join the picket line.“When the middle does well, everybody does well,” Biden told Lula. “Working-class folks have a chance to move up. And...

A man shot by police while firing a rifle to celebrate a new gun law has been arrested, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida man who was shot by police as he fired a rifle into the air to celebrate the state’s new open-carry gun law has been booked into jail after spending more than two months in the hospital, authorities said.The 37-year-old old man was booked into the Miami-Dade County jail on Friday on 53 total charges, including felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, resisting an officer with violence and possession of a short-barrel rifle, and 48 misdemeanor counts of discharging a weapon in public, according to court records. Officers responded to an apartment complex on July 7 where they found a man in body armor firing a gun into the air, according to a Miami police arrest report. Witnesses later told officers that the man claimed he was celebrating the new law that went into effect on July 1.An officer ordered the man to stop shooting and show his hands, but the man tried to run away, police said. The man turned his body toward the officer while trying t...

Nearly 100 migrants rescued from a yacht off southwestern Greece

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Nearly 100 migrants were safely evacuated Wednesday from a yacht reported to be in difficulty off the southwestern coast of Greece, authorities said.The coast guard said in a statement that the yacht carrying 93 people was located about 40 nautical miles (46 miles, 74 kilometers) west of the small town of Pylos. There were no reports of missing passengers.Six of the people on board were picked up by another yacht in the area and taken to Pylos, where one woman was transferred to a hospital in the southern city of Kalamata.Another 87 people were picked up by two passing tanker ships and transported to Kalamata escorted by coast guard patrol vessels, the statement said.The area is near where a deadly migrant shipwreck in June left hundreds of people dead and missing and led to allegations that Greek authorities failed to respond appropriately to rescue the passengers. The overcrowded trawler had set sail from Libya with an estimated 500-700 people on board. Only ...

Ukraine, Russia and the tense U.N. encounter that almost happened – but didn’t

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — It was a moment the diplomatic world was watching for — but didn’t get. In the end, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov avoided staring each other down Wednesday across the U.N. Security Council’s famous horseshoe-shaped table. Zelenskyy left before Lavrov arrived.The near-miss was somewhat to be expected. Yet the moment still spoke to the U.N.’s role as a venue where warring nations can unleash their ire through words instead of weapons. The choreography also underscored the world body’s reputation as a place where adversaries sometimes literally talk past each other. Zelenskyy denounced Russia as “a terrorist state” while Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia sat facing him near the other end of the table’s arc. As Zelenskyy launched into his remarks, the Russian briefly looked at his phone, then tucked the device away. Zelenskyy left before Lavrov’s arrival, which came as U.S. S...

Woman found dead in South Side garage was strangled; death ruled a homicide: autopsy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

CHICAGO — The death of a woman found unresponsive in the city's Grand Crossing neighborhood has been ruled a homicide.The 30-year-old woman, identified as Sierra Jamison, was found in a garage on the the 7800 block of South Indiana around 6:30 p.m. Monday. She was pronounced dead on the scene.An autopsy revealed Jamison died of strangulation and her death was ruled a homicide. Police: Romeoville murders of 4 family members was not random No further details have been provided at this time.

Police: Man holding knife to woman in suburban basement shot by officers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

ROUND LAKE, Ill. — A man holding a knife to a woman inside a Round Lake basement was shot by officers Tuesday night during a hostage situation, according to police.At around 6:35 p.m., Round Lake officers were dispatched to a home in the 700 block North Park Road. A 911 caller told police they were needed but hung up before additional questions were asked.Officers at the scene were told a woman in the basement of the home needed help.Round Lake officers approached a basement door, where a 33-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman lived in a garden unit, and could hear what sounded like people, according to police.As officers attempted to make contact, a cop outside saw the man holding a knife to the woman's neck from a basement window. Police said they tried to de-escalate the situation, but the man continued holding the knife to the woman and refused to let her go.A regional SWAT team was dispatched to the scene. Members of the SWAT team also attempted to de-escalate the situation. A...

Chicago City Council committee in favor of eliminating subminimum wage for tipped workers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

CHICAGO — Tipped workers in Chicago would see a change in how they are paid under a bill before a City Council Committee on Wednesday. City Council's Workforce Development Committee passed an ordinance impacting tipped workers paid the subminimum wage. The group is currently paid 60% of the minimum wage.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City council members propose plan to eliminate sub-minimum wage for tipped workers  Under the measure, the workers would receive 8% annual pay increases, beginning July 1, 2024 until they reach the minimum wage level on July 1, 2028. The five-year phase was negotiated with the support of 'One Fair Wage,' as well as crucial restaurant industry leaders. The plan makes good on a campaign promise by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to eliminate the subminimum wage. Minimum wage workers to receive wage bump coming July 1 While the change would be massive, strong opposition remains from some restaurants and bars and even some tipped workers, who worry customers will not ...

WATCH LIVE: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on FOMC's attempt of 'soft landing' for U.S. economy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the second time in its past three meetings, a sign that it’s moderating its fight against inflation as price pressures have eased. But Fed officials also signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year.The move to leave its benchmark rate at about 5.4% suggests that the Fed thinks it has time to wait and see if the 11 rate hikes it unleashed starting in March 2022 will continue to cool rising prices.Consumer inflation has dropped from a year-over-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.7% last month. Yet it’s still well above the Fed’s 2% target, and its policymakers made clear Wednesday that they aren’t close to declaring victory over the worst bout of inflation in 40 years.Besides forecasting another hike by year’s end, their projections showed they envision keeping rates high deep into 2024. They expect to cut interest rates just two times in 2024, down from four rate cuts they had e...

Moe's Southwest Grill giving out free queso nationwide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:42 GMT

(WSYR) – A restaurant chain is celebrating National Queso Day by giving out free cups of the "liquid gold."Moe's Southwest Grill is celebrating National Queso Day, which is Wednesday, Sept. 20, with a multi-day promotion filled with free cheese: Now through Sept. 24, all guests can get a free cup of queso (one per day) at participating Moe’s locations nationwide, no purchase necessary.  SNAP benefits are increasing Oct. 1: Here’s how much Of course, there's a small catch. In order to get the free queso, customers have to be members of the Moe's Rewards program. Thankfully for queso lovers, it's free to sign up by just downloading the smartphone app and creating an account. (Moe's Southwest Grill)In addition, Moe’s is offering a queso gift card promotion now through Oct. 1. Guests who buy $20 in gift cards will receive an eReward for a free cup of queso to be redeemed in the app through Oct. 15.Moe's currently has 628 locations in 37 states. More information about the chain's Queso...