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Some Democrats are already warning of a government shutdown as budget battle with GOP takes shape

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s bid to appease Republican hard-liners and get the House moving again after a recent party rebellion on the floor has some Democrats warning of a difficult road ahead when it comes to passing legislation that will keep the government running. Republicans teed up votes this past week on guns and on censuring one of former President Donald Trump’s most prominent critics, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Those votes helped get the House moving again, though the latter effort failed, with Schiff helped by some 20 Republicans. The most consequential move of the week, however, was an announcement from GOP leadership that arrived with little fanfare. Republicans said they plan to pursue appropriations bills, which fund government programs and agencies, with less spending than the top-line numbers they agreed to in a deal with the White House last month. That compromise avoided what would have been an unprecedented federal default.McCarthy arg...

Biden’s rally with union workers will mark first big event of his 2024 campaign

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to promote his pro-labor record Saturday at his first major political rally since he formalized his reelection campaign, appearing alongside union members to make the case that his economic agenda is boosting the middle class. His campaign says Biden, who will appear at the Philadelphia Convention Center, will “lay out the core principles of his economic message.” The president also intends to talk about how a sweeping climate, tax and health care package he signed into law last year has cut the cost of prescription drugs and lowered insurance premiums. It’s part of his administration’s focus on his achievements during his first two years in office — the centerpiece argument for a second term.Several of the nation’s most powerful unions — including the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — officially endorsed Biden’s campaign on Friday. ...

7 injured when hot air balloon catches fire during takeoff in Switzerland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Seven people were injured when a hot air balloon caught fire Saturday morning during takeoff from a village in central Switzerland, authorities said. Authorities in the canton of Zug said seven people — four women and three men, aged between 28 and 62 — were in the balloon’s basket in the village of Huenenberg, southwest of Zurich. Two women and one man were seriously injured, while the other four occupants suffered minor injuries.The injured were taken to the hospital by the ambulance service and by private individuals, according to a statement.It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. The Associated Press

Some Republicans are angry about Trump’s prosecution yet ready to vote for someone else in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Kathleen Evenhouse took a break from her work in the corner of a small-town Iowa coffee shop to slam the federal criminal indictment of Donald Trump as patently political, the work of a U.S. Justice Department she says is awash in hypocrisy. “I think we’re playing a game as a country,” the 72-year-old author from Pella said in an interview, expressing a sentiment widely shared among conservatives since the former president was charged. “I think that damages any sense of justice or any sense of — should I even bother to vote? Why should I listen to the news? Or why should I care?”Evenhouse does plan to vote in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation Republican presidential caucuses next year. Despite her anger about Trump’s plight, he will not win her support. Many voters in early states who will play an outsize role in deciding his political fate agree that he is being treated unfairly. While there is widespread distrust of the Justice Department and it...

Saturday Forecast: Hazy sunshine, close to 70s by lake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

Saturday: Hazy sunshine. Air quality: Moderate. NE 5-10 mph. High near 80 inland, close to 70 by the lake. Saturday Night: Hazy evening, then partly cloudy skies. NE/SE 5-10 mph. Low 55-60Sunday: Increasing clouds and slight chance of a shower. SE 5-10 mphHigh 83, cooler by the lake. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for a slight chance of a shower early on Monday on Juneteenth with partly sunny skies a high around 83. A pattern of dry weather for the rest of the week is expected with hazy sunshine from Canadian wildfire smoke. Temps creep up toward 90 the end of the week-- but each day looks about 5 to 10 degrees cooler by the lake. 

Michigan man arrested, accused of plotting mass shooting at synagogue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

(The Hill) – A Michigan man has been arrested over an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a synagogue, according to a criminal complaint filed against the teen. The complaint charges 19-year-old Seann Pietila with transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure someone. FBI Special Agent Ryan Roskey said in the complaint that Pietila demonstrated through Instagram messages his neo-Nazi ideology, antisemitic beliefs, suicidal ideologies, and his praise of past mass shooters that have had similar ideologies, as well as his intent to copy their actions. The complaint states Pietila specifically mentioned that he admires Brent Tarrant, who carried out mass shootings at mosques in New Zealand in 2019, killing more than 50 people. The Instagram account that Pietila used sent a message saying they needed a camera for livestreaming, as Tarrant did during his attack, and another saying they planned to mimic “b.t’s” attack, per the complaint. Police foil alleged mass shootin...

Veterinarian explains why pet owners should beware of foxtail grass

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – They might look harmless, but those bushy, wheat-like seeds waving in the wind this time of year on stalks of foxtail grass can be incredibly dangerous to pets. The seeds, called grass awns, are pointy and have barbs on them that can easily stick to fur. If they’re not discovered early enough, they can push their way into the skin and, in severe cases, they can even travel all the way into a dog or cat’s body. “They can step on these little barbs, get them embedded in their fur. We can also see them go in other areas of the body, up the nose is not uncommon. As a dermatologist, I've taken quite a few out of ear canals,” Dr. Ashley Bourgeois, a board certified veterinary dermatologist in Portland told Nexstar's KOIN.  See a paw print sticker on a mailbox? Don’t remove it Grass awns tend to be a more common problem for dogs, but can also affect cats. In certain cases, pets suffering from embedded awns can require serious veterinary care that can cost owners t...

Heat alerts and more storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Most heat index readings Friday were between 110° and 122°. The heat index was 122° at Flatonia during the 6:00 hour. La Grange followed with its heat index of 121° brought about by the combination of a 96° air temperature with an 82° dew point. Camp Mabry had one of the higher heat indices with its maximum of 115° at 5 p.m. Austin's heat index did not drop below 100° until after 9 p.m. The Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday for Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties eastward, as well as for Lampasas County. The Hill Country will remain under the Heat Advisory.More extreme heat and humidity making for an uncomfortable dayCamp Mabry also tied a record with a high of 103°. The previous record was first set in 1925, then tied in 2011 and 2022.More cloud cover today will drop temperatures just a little but the forecast will continue triple-digit heat in several locations.Today's highs will be a few degrees lower than FridayThe heat and humidity ...

1 dead in north Austin after vehicle strikes pedestrian

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS said a person was pronounced dead overnight after reportedly being struck by a vehicle in north Austin.ATCEMS said the pedestrian was an adult patient, but the identity of the pedestrian was not disclosed.The collision occurred near the 8800 block of North Interstate 35 heading south at approximately 12:30 a.m., according to ATCEMS.It is unknown if the driver who struck the pedestrian remained at the scene.At the time of the incident, ATCEMS said there would be traffic closures in the area.

TEA no longer monitoring Round Rock ISD board

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:53 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Education Agency is no longer monitoring Round Rock ISD's board of trustees, the district said Friday. Round Rock ISD said the end of monitoring was effective immediately. PREVIOUS: Retired Texas superintendent to monitor Round Rock ISD board after 2019 report TEA began monitoring the RRISD board in September 2021 after concerns and misconduct allegations from former board members. The district said the monitoring decision "indicates that the TEA is satisfied with the progress that has been made."“Their decision is a reflection of the collective work of the Board of Trustees to improve their practices and how they serve our community," Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez said in a release. A monitor was assigned to the district after the TEA says it received a complaint in early 2020 “alleging that a district trustee engaged in behavior detrimental and counter-productive to the welfare of the district and its students.”The TEA monitor, former Carroll ISD superi...