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Biden ‘optimistic’ on debt ceiling as White House negotiation with McCarthy underway

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said he was “optimistic” of making progress on debt ceiling talks as he opened a critical meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy late Monday at the White House, a pivotal moment as Washington works to strike a budget compromise and raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. It’s a crucial conversation for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit. As soon as June 1 the U.S. could start running short of cash to cover its debts, a daunting situation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a letter to Congress on Monday “it is highly likely” that Treasury would be unable to pay all the nation’s bills. An unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on ...

Stefan Bondy: Carmelo Anthony wore his basketball joy on his face

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

It was the smile.Even during those down years with the Knicks — those seasons of Phil Jackson’s triangle and dysfunction trickling from the top — the grin was never far from Carmelo Anthony.It gave the viewer the sense, whether through watching his game or interacting with him in the locker room, that Anthony really enjoyed himself. He enjoyed playing the sport. He enjoyed his teammates. He enjoyed the media. He enjoyed stardom. He enjoyed New York City.And that’s easier to root for. It’s easier to understand why an athlete on a nine-figure contract would smile. More relatable. So when Anthony was introduced at Madison Square Garden during Game 2 against Miami — just about three weeks before the future Hall of Famer announced his retirement — the arena exploded, as if those fans were pushing James Dolan through vocal force to retire No. 7. For over six seasons in orange and blue, he spoke to a generation of Knicks supporters with an isolatio...

Ticker: State seeks $250M grid expansion grant; Regulators review bad bets on DraftKings; Building trades job fair

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

State officials have submitted an application for $250 million in federal funds to build clean energy infrastructure.The Department of Energy Resources submitted the application to the U.S. Department Of Energy’s Grid Innovation Program for the Cleaner Grid New England (CGNE) Project, the Healey administration said Monday. The CGNE Project is a partnership with Eversource and National Grid.The project would enable interconnections for about 3,600 megawatts of offshore wind power by increasing the grid’s hosting capacity by 2,400 megawatts in the Brayton Point area and at least 1,200 megawatts on the South Coast, while enabling the incremental interconnection of 300 megawatts of solar resources.“Transmission is the great enabler of offshore wind in Massachusetts and the region,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “With new energy sources coming online, it’s critical that we also build out transmission to deliver this ne...

Picture books explore what spring brings — fun puddles, big bikes, eager seeds, jumping spiders and more

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

Caroline Luzzatto | Virginian-Pilot CorrespondentSpring is here, bringing with it rain, mud, bugs, birds, frogs, flowers and the joy of rediscovering long, leisurely hours outside. These new picture books capture the delight of unpredictable weather, touring the neighborhood on a bicycle, communing with plants and creatures — and embracing the endless fascination of spring spreading through backyards, gardens and streets, with the promise of summer just around the corner.“A Seed Grows” by Antoinette Portis. (Ages 4 through 8. Neal Porter Books. $18.99.)With simple words and bold, bright illustrations, author/illustrator Antoinette Portis takes a poetic look at the life cycle of a sunflower.Optimistic springtime gardeners will appreciate the step-by-step path from seed to sprout to towering plant shedding seeds that start the process all over again. Notes at the end discuss the cycle in a bit more detail, and include other resources and help for those who want to grow their own.(Cand...

New nasal spray to reverse fentanyl and other opioid overdoses gets FDA approval

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

By MATTHEW PERRONE (AP Health Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Monday approved a new easy-to-use version of a medication to reverse overdoses caused by fentanyl and other opioids driving the nation’s drug crisis.Opvee is similar to naloxone, the life-saving drug that has been used for decades to quickly counter overdoses of heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers. Both work by blocking the effects of opioids in the brain, which can restore normal breathing and blood pressure in people who have recently overdosed.The Food and Drug Administration endorsed Opvee, a nasal spray update of the drug nalmefene, which was first approved as an injection in the mid-1990s but later removed from the market due to low sales. Naloxone comes as both a nasal spray and injection. It’s not immediately clear how the new drug will be used differently compared to naloxone, and some experts see potential downsides to its longer-acting effect. The drug will be avai...

Alleged shooter in Mansfield slay found armed, in body armor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

Police responding to a call for gunshots Saturday in residential Mansfield arrived to find a Manchester-by-the-Sea man in the street, armed and clad in body armor, with another man dead from multiple gunshot wounds to his head, prosecutors say.“On May 20, 2022, at approximately 11:11 a.m. there was a 911 call from the town of Mansfield, 42 West Church Street, in which a male caller reported a male at that location suffering from a gunshot wound to the head,” said prosecutor Patrick Driscoll. “Police arrived on the scene a short time period later and found a man, allegedly the defendant, in the street with body armor on him.”The defendant William O’Brien, 22, of Manchester-by-the-Sea, was arrested after the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Samuel Waters, of Mansfield, on Saturday. He was first charged on two firearm counts and then, on Monday morning, with one count of murder.O’Brien attempted to flee the scene, Driscoll said, but was apprehended by p...

After active shooter reported at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts State Police determines that it was a hoax

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

After police swarmed St. John’s Prep in Danvers on Monday for a report of an active shooter on campus, Massachusetts State Police did not find any gunman and confirmed that it was a hoax.While responding to the active shooter call, a Danvers police officer accidentally fired a gunshot — leading to a massive police response to the campus.“The initial response was a threat of a person threatening to cause harm located in one of the men’s rooms,” Danvers Police Chief James Lovell said at a press conference.“During the initial search, there was an accidental discharge,” he added. “No one was injured, and that prompted the increased response.”The officer fired their gun inside a men’s bathroom, and no one else was in the bathroom at the time.Some students fled the 175-acre campus following the report of a person with a gun, quickly running toward the woods.“This is everybody’s nightmare,” said Head of School Ed...

MTS routes still impacted as strike enters second week

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Dozens of Metropolitan Transit System bus routes could be impacted Monday as a work stoppage continues into its second week.Ongoing labor negotiations between MTS contractor Transdev and its bus operators prompted workers to start striking last Tuesday, when some drivers walked away from their buses at the end of their shift and left management to park the buses inside the facility. Workers are asking for better working conditions and pay. Bar Ella to succeed Bub’s at the Beach in Pacific Beach The public transit service provider advised riders Monday the following bus routes could be affected:South Bay Bus Division1, 3, 5, 27, 28, 35, 225, 701, 704, 705, 709, 712, 901, 904, 905, 906, 907, 909, 916, 917, 923, 929, 932, 933, 934, 950/950A, 955, 961, 962, 963, 967, 968, 992.East County Bus Division88, 115, 280, 290, 815, 816, 832, 834, 848, 851, 852, 854, 855, 856, 864, 872, 874, 875, 888, 891, 892, 894, 921, 928, 936Copley Park Division (MTS Access and minibu...

Niall Horan to make stop in Chula Vista during 2024 tour

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- One Direction fans, get ready: Niall Horan is coming to San Diego County next year as part of his newly announced international tour.Horan will be rounding out his tour, "THE SHOW" Live on Tour, with a stop at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista on July 30, 2024.Pre-sale for the show begins on Thursday, June 1 at 10 a.m. General sale will start the next day, June 2, at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased during both sales on LiveNation.Known for his time as a member of the boyband One Direction, Horan's tour announcement precedes the release of his third solo studio album, called "THE SHOW," on June 9. Since One Direction disbanded in 2016, the Irish singer gained notoriety as a solo artist with tracks like "This Town," "Put A Little Love On Me" and "Slow Hands." Leon Bridges, Joji and Lovejoy to perform at new San Diego music festival "THE SHOW" Live on Tour will be Horan's first concert series since his 2018 "Flicker World Tour" -- his debut...

Community gathers for Ontario Place celebration and demonstration 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:27:24 GMT

Community members gathered on Monday at Trillium Park for a belated 50th birthday party for Ontario Place. However, celebrations were tinged with a sense of urgency as groups fight the Ontario government’s plans for the future of the lakefront attraction.“It’s a place of so many memories for so many people, that’s really the power of this place,” said an organizer of the event and co-chair of Ontario Place for All, Norm Di Pasquale.“The people from Barrie remember this place, people from all across Ontario have stories about Ontario Place, even all across Canada.”Ontario Place first opened in 1971 and it’s 50th birthday was in 2021, but the landmark moment wasn’t celebrated because of the pandemic. Though it was decommissioned as an attraction in 2012, the site has recently been used for events and festivals.Residents who attended the event spoke of their fond memories visiting the site, and voiced concerns about the property in the years to...