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US Republican senator praises UK Labour’s ‘Reaganesque’ policy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

The U.K.’s Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has won plaudits from an unlikely source for taking a tough line on taxation after she pledged that the Labour Party would not introduce a wealth tax if it forms a government following the next British election.U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, said in a post on social media on Friday that America’s Democratic Party should “wake up and take a cue” from Reeves.“She is for wealth creation. She feels u don’t tax ur way out [of economic problems]. U grow ur way out,” he wrote, adding that the British opposition’s policies are “very Reaganesque.”In an interview with the Telegraph last weekend, Reeves ruled out introducing a levy on accumulated wealth or owned properties despite calls from some on the left of the party to back more radical solutions to the cost of living crisis.She also confirmed a decision to shelve plans to raise the top rate of personal income tax from ...

Texas drunk drivers will now have to pay child support if they kill a parent, guardian

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

(CNN) — A new law in Texas requires convicted drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian, according to House Bill 393.The law, which went into effect Friday, says those convicted of intoxication manslaughter must pay restitution. The offender will be expected to make those payments until the child is 18 or until the child graduates from high school, “whichever is later,” the legislation says.Intoxication manslaughter is defined by state law as a person operating “a motor vehicle in a public place, operates an aircraft, a watercraft, or an amusement ride, or assembles a mobile amusement ride; and is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another by accident or mistake.”If someone is unable to pay the restitution because they’re incarcerated, they’re expected to make payments no “later than the first anniversary of the date,” of their release, the law says.Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill in J...

Russia says it thwarted attacks on Crimea bridge. Shelling and strikes leave at least 3 dead

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia said Saturday its forces destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones being used in an attempt to attack a key bridge linking Russia to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula, forcing its temporary closure for a third time in less than a year.One naval drone was destroyed late Friday and two others early Saturday morning, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. The Kerch bridge, which is a key supply route for Kremlin forces in Russia’s war with Ukraine, has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. An explosion in October, which Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb, left three people dead. A further attack on the bridge in July, killing a couple and seriously wounding their daughter, left a span of the roadway hanging perilously. The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key...

Killer who escaped Pennsylvania prison is spotted nearby on surveillance cameras

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — A recently convicted murderer who’s been on the run for days after escaping a suburban Philadelphia prison was spotted shortly after midnight Saturday by residential security cameras in an area not far from the prison, authorities said.Authorities haven’t disclosed the circumstances of how Danelo Cavalcante, 34, managed to escape Thursday morning from Chester State Prison, and say the episode is under investigation. He was sentenced to life in prison last month for killing his ex-girlfriend in front of her children, and escaped while awaiting transfer to state prison.Cavalcante was seen on cameras at around 12:30 a.m. in Pocopson Township, roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the prison, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. Local police also received a report of an attempted burglary at a home around 11:30 p.m. Friday, although it wasn’t immediately clear if Cavalcante was involved. The district attorneyR...

Rival Eritrean groups clash in Israel, leaving dozens hurt in worst confrontation in recent memory

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hundreds of Eritrean government supporters and opponents clashed with each other and with Israeli police Saturday, leaving dozens injured in one of the most violent street confrontations among African asylum seekers and migrants in Tel Aviv in recent memory. Among those hurt were 30 police officers and three protesters hit by police fire.Eritreans from both sides faced off with construction lumber, pieces of metal, rocks and at least one axe, tearing through a neighborhood of south Tel Aviv where many asylum seekers live. Protesters smashed shop windows and police cars, and blood spatter was seen on sidewalks. One government supporter was lying in a puddle of blood in a children’s playground.Israeli police in riot gear shot tear gas, stun grenades and live rounds while officers on horseback tried to control the protesters, who broke through barricades and hurled chunks rocks at the police. Police said officers resorted to live fire when they felt their lives ...

Police exchange gunfire with female suspect on East Side overnight

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

CHICAGO -- Police are searching for a female suspect after gunfire was exchanged on the city's East Side overnight.According to police, officers responded to a call of a person with a gun and observed a man and a woman. The female offender discharged a firearm and officers did as well but did not make contact. 2 teens shot, 1 critical, after Mount Carmel HS football game in Woodlawn Police said the female offender fled on foot and the man was questioned by police and released. No officers were injured and there was a firearm recovered on the scene. A search for the woman is ongoing and there is no additional information provided on the incident. The specifics of the incident is being investigated by COPA and WGN will update as more information is recovered.

National parks can ban you from visiting: Here's how

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — National parks are some of the most visited destinations in the U.S. However, some behaviors can leave you on the outside looking in. Though it is relatively rare, some people have been banned from the parks, either for a short period of time or forever. Earlier this year, for example, a man was sentenced to probation after being caught for the second time leading an illegal packrafting expedition through the Grand Canyon. As part of his probation, the man is barred from entering national parks, monuments, or federal recreation areas for two years. In many cases, the bad behavior is obvious. Take, for example, spray painting or otherwise defacing park features. Man banned from Yellowstone, Grand Teton after allegedly going off-trail, suffering thermal burns A San Diego woman was banned from all national parks sites and areas managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers for two years after she pleaded ...

At Lake Mead, 1 inch equals 2 billion gallons of water storage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - For Las Vegas, water is life.After years living with a lingering sense of doom, residents have taken some pleasure in seeing Lake Mead fill up a little bit on the strength of a record snowpack for the Colorado River. The fact remains that it's only a third full, but it's a big improvement over last year. In fact, the lake is 23 feet higher today than its low point in July of 2022.With every inch Lake Mead rises, 2 billion gallons are added. It's a simple number to remember in all the news about how the lake level changes. 1 inch = 2 billion gallonsOver seven days (Aug. 20-27), the lake gained about 13 and a half inches - 27 billion gallons. The increase at Lake Mead is because releases from Glen Canyon Dam - 280 miles upstream on the river - have increased. While Hoover Dam is releasing water at 7,712 cubic feet per second (cfs) over the past week, it has been getting water released from Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell) at 12,635 cfs, pushing up the level at Lake Mea...

SWAT response ends after 'code silver' called at Seton Northwest hospital in Austin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said a SWAT call in northwest Austin early Saturday has ended. Police said the call came in at 5:39 a.m. in the 11000 block of Research Boulevard's northbound service road. APD said the SWAT situation ended at approximately 7:30 a.m. and no arrests were made.An Ascension Seton spokesperson said a "code silver" was called Saturday morning because of an incident involving a person in their car in the parking lot. The hospital was locked down, and APD responded to the scene. Ascension Seton said one person was treated for a gunshot wound. Austin-Travis County EMS said the person was stabilized at Seton Northwest and transported to a local trauma center.

Rockies Journal: Ezequiel Tovar team MVP? Kris Bryant’s productivity? Peter Lambert’s future?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:08 GMT

A month’s worth of questions as the Rockies begin September baseball:• Will the Rockies lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history? They entered the weekend with a 49-84 record (.368) and on pace to finish 60-102. To avoid 100 losses, the Rockies must finish with a 14-15 record in September.• Will the Rockies top last year’s attendance mark at Coors Field? Given their record and quality of play, you wouldn’t think so, but there is a chance it will happen. Entering the weekend series vs. Toronto, the Rockies had averaged 32,050 per game at Coors compared to last year’s 32,467. But here’s the thing: the Cubs, Dodgers and Giants are still coming to LoDo and they tend to bring lots of fans to the ballpark.• Will shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, just 22, finish the season as the Rockies’ best all-around player? He’s clearly the club’s best rookie but he’s also rivaling third baseman Ryan McMahon for team MVP honors. Tovar’s...