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US lawmakers condemn French President Macron’s ‘betrayal’ of Taiwan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

France’s president shocked Washington over the weekend when he argued that Europe shouldn’t get sucked into a U.S. confrontation with China over Taiwan. Now the GOP is hitting back hard and the Biden administration is trying to play down the comments.French President Emmanuel Macron questioned whether “it is in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan” for fear of a “Chinese overreaction” in an interview with POLITICO on Saturday. He added that the “worst thing” that Europe could do would be to “take our cue from the U.S. agenda” geared to defending Taiwan.Chinese state media has reacted gleefully. Macron’s statement “signals a dead end for the U.S. strategy of luring Europe to contain China,” Beijing’s Global Times tabloid said on Monday.Republicans on Capitol Hill sounded equally as dire.“The Chinese Communist Party is the most significant challenge to Western society, our economic security, and our way of life…France must be clear-eyed about this threat,” said Se...

Nashville sends Justin Jones back to the Tennessee House days after GOP lawmakers ousted him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

 (CNN) — The Nashville Metropolitan Council on Monday voted to reappoint Justin Jones to the Tennessee House of Representatives, sending the ousted lawmaker back to occupy the House District 52 seat as an interim representative.His return comes days after the GOP-dominated House expelled him after he and two other Democrats called for gun reform on the chamber floor.The 36-0 vote to return Jones to his seat followed a vote to suspend a procedural rule that prevents an individual from being nominated and appointed to the seat in the same meeting. Following the decision late in the afternoon, Jones joined demonstrators in a march to the state Capitol.The crowd gathered at the meeting erupted into cheers after the vote. Those joining Jones in marching to the Capitol chanted: “Whose house? Our House.”On Thursday, Jones and Justin Pearson, who are both Black, were forced out of the legislature in a two-thirds majority vote cast by their Republican colleagues after ...

UMass system buys 15,000 abortion pills per Healey request following ban order

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

The state has amassed a year’s supply of the abortion medication mifepristone in defiance of a Texas-based judge’s move to block access to the drug.The governor, speaker, Senate and UMass presidents and members of the delegation took to the State House steps in a show of solidarity over a ruling that has reignited the abortion debate nationwide.“Here in Massachusetts, we are not going to tolerate this,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “Abortion will remain safe, legal, and accessible here in Massachusetts.”The governor, standing alongside U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan, Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, state Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano, among others, said she had just signed an executive order “confirming protections for medication abortion under existing state law.”“The action we are taking today protects access to mifepristone in Massachusetts and protects patients and providers from...

Yankees Notebook: Luis Severino’s first bullpen session features new pitch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

CLEVELAND — Luis Severino shared a surprising update Monday after throwing a bullpen at Progressive Field, his first since suffering a low-grade lat strain on his right side late in spring training.Don’t worry Yankees fans; Severino felt fine after the 22-pitch session, which incorporated the right-hander’s entire arsenal. The surprise — even to Aaron Boone — was that that repertoire included a splitter that Severino has been working on.Severino didn’t say much else about the new pitch, but that wasn’t his top priority on Monday.“Location and stuff are not there, but I’m not worried about that,” he said of his overall bullpen. “Was more worried about my health.”Severino said that he hasn’t felt any pain in his lat since about a week after sustaining the injury. Next steps will be based on how Severino feels Tuesday, but he hopes to throw another bullpen in two or three days.“First thing was getting t...

Was the Broward death of Pittsburgh Steeler QB intentional? Family lawsuit says NFL player was drugged

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

The death of former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr. may not have been quite the accident officials thought it was last year, according to a lawsuit filed in Broward circuit court .Haskins, 24, died on April 9, 2022, on Interstate 595, struck and killed by a dump truck near Fort Lauderdale’s airport as he appeared to be seeking assistance after running out of gas. The Broward Medical Examiner’s Office determined that his death was an accident. No one has been charged with any crime in connection with Haskins’ death.But the lawsuit filed on March 23, 2023, on behalf of Haskins’ wife, Kalabrya Haskins, raises questions about why the dump truck driver didn’t see him and why Haskins was as drunk as he was at the time of his death. “It is believed that Dwayne was targeted and drugged as part of a blackmail and robbery conspiracy,” said his attorney, Rick Ellsley. “In fact, his highly expensive watch was stolen from him sh...

Ticker: Gas prices jump; Stocks end mixed after holiday 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

Gas prices in Massachusetts jumped seven cents a gallon higher over the past week, according to AAA.The average gas price is $3.34 per gallon, which is 4 cents higher than a month ago and 78 cents lower than this time last year.“OPEC’s announcement that it will cut production by over a million barrels per day took the oil market by surprise,” AAA said in a statement. “In response, crude immediately surged well above $80 a barrel, although it has since struggled to stay above that mark.”High prices for gas and goods and services have been keeping pressure on household and business budgets, leading the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in an attempt to slow inflation. Efforts to reduce the Massachusetts gas tax faltered last year on Beacon Hill, where legislative leaders are contemplating a new run at tax relief this spring.Stocks end mixed after holidayStocks were mixed on Wall Street Monday in their first trading after a report heightened speculat...

1 dead, 3 injured in Oshawa crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

Durham regional police say one person has died and three others are injured in a two-vehicle crash in Oshawa on Monday night.Police have closed Simcoe Street between Howden and Raglan roads for the investigation.Among the injured, a woman in her 50s has been taken to a Toronto-area trauma centre with serious injures.The other two injured people were taken to an Oshawa-area hospital and are reportedly in stable condition. There’s no word on their ages or genders.No further details were immediately available.

Post-COVID woe: Atlantic City casino earns fell 4.6% in ’22

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Three years after the coronavirus pandemic erupted, Atlantic City’s casinos are collectively struggling to get back to where they were before COVID-19 in terms of profitability.Figures released Monday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show that the city’s nine casinos collectively had a gross operating profit of $731.2 million in 2022. That was down 4.6% from the $766.8 million profit they made in 2021.And only four had an operating profit that was higher than what they reported in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic broke out.Gross operating profit reflects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and other expenses, and is a widely-accepted measure of profitability in the Atlantic City casino industry.Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino and the Casino Association of New Jersey, said inflationary pressures took a toll on the casinos’ finances last year.“You have revenue that’s not growing fa...

No April Fool: Retired Iowa mechanic wins $40M lotto jackpot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — At first, the recent winner of a $40 million jackpot says he couldn’t believe he won the lottery — after all, he bought the ticket on April Fools’ Day.“I thought it was a joke,” said Earl Lape, a 61-year-old retired mechanic from Dubuque, Iowa. Only after confirming his Lotto America ticket with a convenience store clerk was he convinced he won the big prize, according to the Iowa Lottery.“I laughed. I thought it was April Fools,” Earl Lape said after claiming his prize at the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Lape opted to take his winnings in cash, which for the drawing was $21.28 million. The $40 million prize was for those who take their winnings in an annuity, paid over 29 years.Lotto America is played in 13 states and offers smaller prizes than the games Powerball and Mega Millions. But it also has much better odds — 1 in 26 million — of winning the jackpot.Lape said he intends to use the money to help his family and will also make donations to...

Vancouver’s homeless shelters are overwhelmed following heavy rainfall and decampment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:21 GMT

VANCOUVER — The president of the Union Gospel Mission says Vancouver’s forced shutdown of an encampment has added another layer of stress to its staff as they put mats in hallways for the overflow of those needing shelter. Dean Kurpjuweit said Monday their shelter has been at capacity for the last few months, but they had to go over the limit the last few nights to accommodate everyone.“We have got a number of rooms where we put people in bunk beds and then we have kind of a common space where we put down mats and then in the hallways that lead to the rooms, we put some mats down there,” said Kurpjuweit. Vancouver police and city staff moved into the Downtown Eastside encampment last Wednesday to dismantle and throw away belongings, tents and other structures that lined the sidewalks on Hastings Street. Mayor Ken Sim, along with the fire and police chiefs, said the fire danger and increased crime meant the encampment had to be dismantled. Kurpjuweit said they did all they coul...