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Facing GOP backlash, McCarthy labors to shore up debt deal votes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked strenuously Tuesday to sell fellow Republicans on the debt ceiling and budget deal he negotiated with President Joe Biden and win approval in time to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.Leaders of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus lambasted the compromise as falling well short of the spending cuts they demand, and they vowed to try to halt passage by Congress. A much larger conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, declined to take a position, leaving McCarthy hunting votes.With tough days ahead, the speaker urged skeptical GOP colleagues to “look at where the victories are.” Unhelpfully for Biden, he said of the Democrats on ”Fox and Friends,” “There’s nothing in the bill for them.”A key test was coming late Tuesday when the House Rules Committee was to consider the 99-page bill and vote on sending it to the f...

Oakland man sentenced to 21 years for killing man after spotting him in traffic

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

OAKLAND — A city resident has been sentenced to 21 years and eight months in prison in a plea deal over a 2018 fatal shooting outside an East Oakland corner store, court records show.Robert Graham, 51, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of 39-year-old Phillip Pullum. In exchange, prosecutors dropped murder a charge against Graham and a judge sentenced him on May 22. He remains in Santa Rita Jail, pending transfer to the state prison system.Pullum was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2018, on the 3500 block of Davis Street. Prosecutors say that Graham and another man were driving through Oakland in Graham’s girlfriend’s car when they noticed Pullum standing by the trunk of his car. The driver allegedly stopped and Graham got out, confronted Pullum and then pulled out a firearm just six seconds into their argument. Police say he shot Pullum just eight seconds after pulling the gun.Graham was arrested four months later, in February 2019, and ha...

Yosemite waterfall adventures for families, grandkids and nature lovers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

I’ve always had a soft spot for waterfalls. Who doesn’t? So when I planned a family trip to Yosemite last year, I organized my itinerary around as many of the park’s cascades as possible in late spring, because as the snow melts, the waterfalls roar.In this distinctly non-drought 2023, though, that roar is thunderous and likely to get even more so, thanks to California’s epic snowpack. Snowmelt is sending the Merced River to flood stage and beyond, with flooding in Yosemite Valley likely through early July. So all the usual warnings — check the National Park Service site for trail and road condition updates before you go, exercise extreme caution on those slippery trails and maintain a safe distance from rivers, creeks and waterfalls — apply tenfold.But it also means that those glorious waterfalls are going to be a spectacle for months to come. (Lucky us!) So plan your trip for late summer or early fall, when the crowds thin out. Here’s where to stay an...

Police activity reported near Golden Gate Park, crews on scene

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- People are being advised to avoid the area of 47th Avenue between Judah and Irving streets due to police activity. Emergency crews are on the scene, according to an alert from the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Attorney of accused Bob Lee killer withdraws from case Traffic delays are expected and people are advised to consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time. No further information is available at this time. The location is close to Golden Gate Park on what appears to be a residential street just a few blocks from the beach.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

HBO estimates 2.9 million watched ‘Succession’ finale on Sunday night

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This image released by HBO shows Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans, left, and Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch in a scene from the series "Succession." (HBO via AP)(AP) This image released by HBO shows Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans, left, and Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch in a scene from the series "Succession." (HBO via AP)(AP) NEW YORK (AP) — HBO said 2.9 million people watched or streamed the series finale of “Succession” on Sunday night, a series record that is expected to grow as delayed viewing is taken into account.That beat the first-night record of 2.75 million for an episode that aired on April 30, earlier in the fourth and last season of the family drama about a media company.The audience can be expe...

Utah Republican Chris Stewart planning to resign from Congress, AP source says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

File - Utah Rep. Chris Stewart talks to supporters during an Utah Republican election night party on June 28, 2022, in South Jordan, Utah. Stewart will officially announce tomorrow that he's leaving Congress due to his wife's illness, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/George Frey, File)(AP/George Frey) File - Utah Rep. Chris Stewart talks to supporters during an Utah Republican election night party on June 28, 2022, in South Jordan, Utah. Stewart will officially announce tomorrow that he's leaving Congress due to his wife's illness, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/George Frey, File)(AP/George Frey) ...

HISA chief: Churchill Downs would accept recommendation to pause racing if needed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The head of horse racing’s oversight authority believes Churchill Downs would accept a recommendation to pause racing if necessary as an emergency summit convenes to examine the deaths of 12 horses over the past month at the home of the Kentucky Derby.Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority CEO Lisa Lazarus noted that while the federally created board doesn’t have the authority to close Churchill Downs, it can make that recommendation. “I’ve had some very multiple long conversations with top-ranked executives at Churchill Downs over the weekend, and they are really committed to doing the right thing,” Lazarus said Tuesday during a virtual news conference just ahead of the summit with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.“My strong view is that if we were to make a recommendation to Churchill Downs to shut down racing, that they would accept that recommendation.”Churchill Downs’ spring meet is scheduled to resume on Thursday evening.HISA called for ...

Wildfire on Canada’s Atlantic coast spurs evacuation of 16,000 people

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — A wildfire on Canada’s Atlantic coast has damaged about 200 houses and other structures and prompted the evacuation of 16,000 people, many of whom were eager to return Tuesday to see whether homes and pets had survived.Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish hotspots in the fire that started in the Halifax area on Sunday, Halifax Deputy Fire Chief David Meldrum said. He said it was too early to give an exact count of homes destroyed, but the municipal government put the toll at about 200 buildings.Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced the province would be banning all travel and activity in all wooded areas as of 4 p.m. local time. The ban applies to all forestry, mining, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, off-road vehicle driving and all commercial activity on government lands.“We’re in a very serious situation in this province, and we need to take the steps that we can to protect Nova Scotia,” he told a news conference via a video call f...

Business Highlights: Ruling protects Sacklers from lawsuits; AI extinction risk warning

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma to settle opioid claims, protect Sacklers from lawsuitsA federal court ruling has cleared the way for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of legal claims over the toll of opioids. A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Tuesday overturned a lower court’s 2021 ruling that found bankruptcy courts did not have the authority to protect members of the Sackler family who own the company and who have not filed for bankruptcy protection from lawsuits. The concept is at the heart of Purdue’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits in a deal that would include $5.5 billion to $6 billion from Sackler family members.___The easiest way to get a $7,500 tax credit for an electric vehicle? Consider leasing.DETROIT (AP) — Thanks to a boost from the government, leasing — not buying — is becoming the most affordable way to get your hands on an electric vehicle. Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act provided a federal tax ...

UN: Staggering 15.3 million Syrians, nearly 70% of population, need aid

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — For the first time in Syria’s 12-year war, people in every district are experiencing some degree of “humanitarian stress,” and a staggering 15.3 million — nearly 70% of the population — need humanitarian aid, the United Nations said Tuesday.A U.N. appeal for $5.4 billion to help over 14 million people in Syria is less than 10% funded and the U.N. World Food Program has warned that without additional money, 2.5 million people are at risk of losing food or cash assistance from July.The dire humanitarian situation, compounded by the February earthquake that devastated the rebel-held northwest, was spelled out to the Security Council by the U.N. humanitarian office’s deputy operations director Ghada Mudawi.The Syrian people “are more and more reliant on humanitarian assistance as basic services and critical infrastructure are on the brink of collapse,” she said.Mudawi urged generous pledges and the swift release of funds at a European Union hosted conference ...