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McCarthy says debt ceiling deal possible by end of week as Biden cuts short upcoming foreign trip

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

By LISA MASCARO and SEUNG MIN KIM (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and congressional Republicans are still far from resolving the looming U.S. default crisis, but a deal is still possible by the end of the week, GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared after an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with Biden and other Democratic leaders.Meanwhile, Biden is cutting short a big, upcoming foreign trip because of the urgency of the talks. He will still attend a Group of Seven summit in Japan this week but will then hurry home rather than going to Australia and Papua New Guinea as planned.For all the talk of a dire debt-limit outcome, there was overriding agreement after the White House meeting that the first default in U.S. history must be averted.“Number one, we know we’re not going to default,” said Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. But he added: “We’re running out of time.”Said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Sc...

Ticker: Wells Fargo to pay $1B in settlement; IRS ‘direct-file’ pilot set for 2024

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Wells Fargo has agreed to a pay $1 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by its shareholders who alleged the bank made misleading statements about its compliance with federal regulators after a fake account-opening scandal came to light in 2016.The class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of hundreds of thousands of public employees of Rhode Island and Mississippi whose retirement funds had invested in Wells Fargo. A federal judge in New York on Tuesday granted preliminary approval of the settlement that was filed late Monday.Wells Fargo has been sanctioned repeatedly by U.S. regulators for violations of consumer protection laws going back to 2016, when employees were found to have opened millions of accounts illegally in order to meet unrealistic sales goals.In a statement about the settlement Tuesday, Wells Fargo said, “While we disagree with the allegations in this case, we are pleased to have resolved this matter.”IRS ‘direct-file’ pilot set for 2024Most taxpayers are in...

Ravens free agency tracker 2023: Former Bears center Sam Mustipher signs, giving depth to offensive line

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Welcome to the Ravens’ free-agency tracker, which will be updated throughout the offseason.As of the start of the NFL’s new league year on March 15 at 4 p.m., teams can officially announce signings and trades. Here’s a rundown of who the Ravens have agreed to sign, who they’ve lost and who’s still on the open market:Free agent additionsCenter Sam Mustipher: The Ravens have been without a backup center since Trystan Colon bolted for the New York Jets in free agency this offseason, but they’ve now filled that vacancy with Mustipher.Mustipher, who spent his first three years with the Chicago Bears, signed a reported one-year deal with the team on May 15. It’s also a homecoming for the 26-year-old, who grew up in Owings Mills and starred at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney before going to Notre Dame.Undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2019, Mustipher surprisingly became the Bears’ center late in the 2020 season, starting the last s...

Inspector general adds healthcare, transit oversight hires

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Two director-level oversight hires for the healthcare and transportation audit divisions were announced by the state inspector general’s office.Gregory Matthews, a past managing attorney with the Medicaid Fraud Unit in the state attorney general’s office, was tapped to direct the newly-created Healthcare Division. His role will involve overseeing the IGO’s mandated review of Massachusetts Medicaid and the Health Safety Net.Kimberly Stanley, a former audit policy and planning manager in the state auditor’s office, was named deputy director of the IGO’s Internal Special Audit Unit, which “monitors the quality, efficiency and integrity of MassDOT’s operating and capital programs.” This includes the MBTA and other DOT divisions.“I am delighted that these two distinguished public servants are joining our team,” Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro said in a Tuesday statement.“With continued large-scale government investments being made in healthcare and infrastructure, it is vital tha...

Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins resigning — ‘in disgrace’ says Sen. Cotton

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

Rachael Rollins is resigning her coveted Massachusetts U.S. Attorney post ahead of an ethics probe to be released tomorrow about her ill-advised appearance at a Biden fundraiser last summer that was first reported by the Herald.Rollins’ attorney, Michael R. Bromwich, announced today that Rollins would be submitting he resignation to President Biden by the end of the day Friday. The chief spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston later confirmed the resignation will take place, but said “the work of the office will not be impacted.”“As with every transition, we will follow guidance from DOJ. The Acting United States Attorney will be announced soon. No further comment at this time,” spokeswoman Christina DiIorio-Sterling told the Herald.The blockbuster announcement comes as U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said today he warned her “history of poor judgment” would blow back on the office. Rollins is the top prosecutor in the regio...

Kim Gardner steps down as St. Louis prosecutor 2 weeks sooner than planned

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Embattled St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who this month announced she would resign effective June 1, said Tuesday she is leaving office immediately, ending a turbulent tenure marked by frequent criticism, especially from Missouri’s Republican leaders.The sudden announcement created confusion about who is running the prosecutor’s office in Missouri’s second-largest city. A statement from Gardner’s office said she has been working with St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell on the transition so his office can take over city cases “to prioritize public safety.”But Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who will appoint a replacement, told reporters that he’ll announce his pick by Friday, and that until that person takes over, the Missouri attorney general’s office will operate the circuit attorney’s office, starting Wednesday.Parson met earlier Tuesday with Black clergy leaders who urged him to appoint a Black person to the...

Surging Alaska rivers leave behind huge chunks of ice, damaged homes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Ice jams in two Alaska rivers unleashed major, rapid flooding over the weekend that damaged homes and left huge chunks of ice as tall as 12 feet (3.7 meters) littered across communities in the state’s southwest and east.Floodwaters on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers rose quickly Saturday before retreating Sunday, leaving widespread damage in communities like Circle and Crooked Creek, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Homes were lifted off foundations, smashed into by ice, or inundated with water.A flood warning was in effect until Tuesday evening for several villages in southwest Alaska. A flood watch was in effect for several eastern communities due to a surge of ice and water moving down the Yukon river, according to the National Weather Service. A heightened risk of flooding this year had been predicted due to above-average snowpack and low temperatures into the spring.Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration for the communities of Eagle and Circl...

B.C. teen sustained head injuries before death, pathologist tells murder trial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

VANCOUVER — A forensic pathologist testifying in the trial of a man accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby, B.C., told the British Columbia Supreme Court Tuesday that the victim sustained “blunt force” scalp and head injuries before she died.“They could have happened immediately before death or up to several hours before death,” Dr. Jason Morin said.The body of the girl, who cannot be identified under the terms of a publication ban, was found in Burnaby’s Central Park in July 2017, just hours after her mother had reported her missing.Ibrahim Ali last month pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the trial.Morin, who conducted the autopsy, said the girl died after being strangled, which caused the bursting of blood vessels from under her chin to the top of her face, and in her eyes.He previously told the court that the four-hour autopsy and subsequent neuropathology report showed there had been a lack of blood supply to the teen’s ...

‘Probably organized crime’: Montreal police probe wave of arsons, extortion attempts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

MONTREAL — The greater Montreal area has witnessed a notable increase in arsons in recent months, with restaurants, cafés and vehicles the frequent targets.Police and other law enforcement experts say most of the fires are likely tied to extortion attempts by organized crime.“The first common denominator is there’s probably organized crime involved,” André Gélinas, a retired Montreal police sergeant-detective, said Monday in an interview.Gélinas, a former intelligence officer, said some of the fires could be connected to turf wars — notable examples in Montreal occurred among pizzerias and towing companies, he said. But what’s very likely is that most of the cases involve protection rackets, he added.Criminals, he said, offer business owners “protection” in exchange for fixed monthly payments. Those who fail to pay are vandalized by the same criminals.“What’s particular is organized crime is asking for money to protect the owners from ...

YouTube’s recommendations send violent and graphic gun videos to 9-year-olds, study finds

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — When researchers at a nonprofit that studies social media wanted to understand the connection between YouTube videos and gun violence, they set up accounts on the platform that mimicked the behavior of typical boys living in the U.S.They simulated two nine-year-olds who both liked video games. The accounts were identical, except that one clicked on the videos recommended by YouTube, and the other ignored the platform’s suggestions.The account that clicked on YouTube’s suggestions was soon flooded with graphic videos about school shootings, tactical gun training videos and how-to instructions on making firearms fully automatic. One video featured an elementary school-age girl wielding a handgun; another showed a shooter using a .50 caliber gun to fire on a dummy head filled with lifelike blood and brains. Many of the videos violate YouTube’s own policies against violent or gory content.The findings show that despite YouTube’s rules and conten...