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VRE proposes Saturday service, 5% fare hike for next year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

Still recovering from a loss of ridership during the pandemic, and a slow return to in-person work throughout the region, the Virginia Railway Express is proposing a budget that would bring new weekend service and a 5% fare increase.During a livestreamed presentation on Oct. 24, VRE Chief Financial Officer Mark Schofield, joined by Budget Manager Alex Buchanan, laid out some of the proposals for FY 2025 (which begins in July 2024) their team hope to make a reality when the VRE operations board votes in December.Watch the VRE presentationFare hikesBuchanan said that, while the proposed fare hikes are not primarily motivated by ridership numbers, costs of service — number of trains, facilities, labor and equipment — have inflated greatly since 2020, which was the last time VRE raised fares.“The number of trains and how frequently we operate those trains is not driven by ridership … It’s predominantly how many trains we run,” he said.At present, less than 25% of VRE&#...

Stock market today: Wall Street recovers some losses after falling 10% below its summertime high

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is clawing back some of its sharp recent losses Monday, ahead of a week that could send more big swings through financial markets.The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher in its first trading after dropping more than 10% below its high point for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 322 points, or 1%, as of 11:04 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher.Western Digital was helping to prop up the market after it reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also announced plans to split its company into two, one focusing on traditional hard disk drives and the other focusing on flash memory. Its stock jumped 5%.McDonald’s was also supporting the market’s gains after it reported stronger profit and revenue for the summer than analysts expected. Its stock rose 1.6% after it said it benefited from higher prices for its products in the United States and raised its dividend.More than 3 out of 4 companies i...

New Kids On The Block coming to Denver in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — New Kids On The Block is coming back to Denver, but they aren't kids anymore.The band became popular in the late 1980s to 1990s with top hits like "Hangin’ Tough" and "Step By Step." The group started out in Boston and turned into a sensation with sold-out shows and more than 80 million albums sold worldwide. Here’s how much money was spent at Red Rocks in 2022 The band dismembered in 1994 but came back to record a 2008 album. On Nov. 3, they are releasing a revamped version of their 2008 album "The Block Revisited" to celebrate their 15-year return to the music scene.Next summer, the band is hitting 40 cities, including Denver. The 1990s crew is all returning with Donnie, Joey, Jordan, Jonathan and Danny. Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff will be joining along for the ride.The band will perform at Ball Arena on June 28, 2024. Presale tickets start on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 12 p.m. until Thursday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. for Fan Club and CITI members.

Mysterious ‘alligator’ sighting sparks concern in Hillsboro Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

HILLSBORO BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A reported sighting of a 6-foot-long reptile in Hillsboro Beach has stirred speculation about whether it’s a crocodile or an alligator. While officials have not yet confirmed the reptile’s identity, the presence of the scaly creature near the shore has raised concerns.Live video footage from 7Skyforce revealed trappers and police officers near the beach, taking precautions and preparing to capture the animal. Thankfully, the reptile has not posed any threats or attacked anyone.Hillsboro Beach Police issued an alert to residents, urging caution and notifying the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) about the situation. The sighting occurred in a section of the beach with no public access, surrounded by private residences of significant value. The mystery continues as authorities work to determine the nature of this intriguing visitor.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Hate crime targets Miami Beach bagel shop’s pro-Israel flag

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

In an act of hatred, a pro-Israel flag outside Bagel Time Cafe on Alton Road and 41st Street was slashed over the weekend. This incident is part of a troubling pattern of vandalism targeting South Florida.Police were called to the scene on Saturday morning to investigate the crime, searching for fingerprints on the damaged banner. The owner of Bagel Time Cafe, Josh Nodel, expressed his disappointment and concern, emphasizing that the incident was an act of hatred and vandalism.“It’s pretty bad for us, our community; we have a Miami Beach community over here. Everybody here knows each other, so people don’t want to feel in fear,” said Nodel.The crime was captured on camera and the footage is now in the possession of law enforcement, who are actively working to identify the perpetrator.Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

NBA releases new court designs for in-season tournament games

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA’s in-season tournament will feature new court designs.All 30 teams, when playing home games in the tournament that starts Friday and runs through Dec. 9, will have a primarily solid-color court on the floor of their arena. The courts will be fully painted, with no visible woodgrain.The league first released the designs to ESPN, one of its broadcast partners, on Monday before releasing the list publicly. The league did not say what the cost of the project was.The courts all largely follow the same design scheme, with the NBA Cup — the tournament’s trophy — displayed both at midcourt and in the lanes, a 16-foot-wide runway in a contrasting color down the center of the floor and team names on the baseline.It will mark the first time that Boston, Chicago, the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland and New Orleans play on an alternate home court, the league said.Tinkering with court designs is not a new concept. Most notably, FIBA — the sport’s intern...

Chicago Bears can’t make it 2 wins in a row — again: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears could not seem to capture a spark or enough momentum to build a two-game winning streak, if you can call something as brief as two a “streak.”They fell behind early and there was no rally Sunday night at SoFi Stadium in a 30-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.1. The Bears (2-6) projected confidence in the days leading up to the game.Blowout wins over the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders stood as evidence but the next step — the one that has been elusive — is putting together consecutive wins. They call it stacking wins but, again, if you’ve only got two of them, is it really a stack? It’s something the organization hasn’t done since Weeks 16-17 of the 2021 season, a Nick Foles start at Seattle and an Andy Dalton start at Soldier Field against the New York Giants a week before the previous regime was fired. Imagine that: Foles and Dalton, a couple of footnotes in the Bears’ quarterback iss...

As mortgage rates top 8%, what home buyers should know

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

By Kate Wood | NerdWalletInterest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have hit yet another high, with lenders offering loans above 8% for the first time since 2000. Mortgage rates have gone up rapidly this year, rising two full percentage points from lows near 6% back in February.That’s been brutal for home buyers, who have watched their buying power erode. At a 6% interest rate, a buyer looking to spend $2,000 a month on principal and interest could afford a loan of roughly $333,500. With interest rates at 8%, that same buyer can afford only $272,500. Their target home price has dropped $61,000 as more of that monthly payment has to go toward servicing interest.Here’s why mortgage interest rates are so high, and why they could remain elevated. Still, there are ways that home buyers can contend with such a challenging housing market.Why mortgage rates climbed so highA year ago, many housing economists, including in forecasts from Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Ass...

Crash closes northbound I-5 lane at Del Mar Heights Road

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- One lane of Interstate 5 remained closed at Del Mar Heights Road Monday morning following a crash.All lanes were initially blocked as a result of the collision, which involved multiple vehicles, Caltrans San Diego reported at 5:40 a.m. FOX 5's Traffic Map By 7:40 a.m., the HOV and left four lanes had reopened. The right lane was still closed.Check back for updates on this developing story.

Brush fire burns 24 acres near Lower Otay Lake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Cal Fire crews are battling a multi-acre brush fire that broke out near the Lower Otay Lake Sunday afternoon.The fire, called the "Border 34" fire, was stopped at 24 acres, according to officials. As of 8:30 p.m., it was 60% contained.The fire, which broke out around 3:30 p.m., had a moderate rate of spread with the potential to reach 75 acres, the department said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.No structures or homes were threatened with the fire, officials said. Brush fire near border prompts closure to I-8 The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Cal Fire. However, it came as the Santa Ana winds continued strengthening, giving way to elevated ignition risk across the county.Gusty eastern winds are expected to continue at high speeds through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.Farther north, parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties were placed under a red flag warning through Monday due to the risk of fire ignition wit...