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Fed Chair Powell sees progress on inflation, though not quickly enough

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER (AP Economics Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation may be cooling — just not yet fast enough for the Federal Reserve.Chair Jerome Powell offered a nuanced view Wednesday of how the Fed intends to address its core challenge at a time when inflation is both way below its peak but still well above the central bank’s 2% target: Give it more time, and maybe some help from additional interest rate hikes. Yet on a hopeful note, Powell also suggested that the trends that are needed to further slow inflation, from lower rents to slower-growing wages, are starting to click into place. As a result, the Fed decided Wednesday to forgo another increase in its benchmark interest rate, leaving it at about 5.1%. The pause followed 10 straight hikes in 15 months — the fastest series of increases in four decades. By leaving rates alone, at least for now, Powell and other top Fed officials hope to use the extra time to more fully assess how higher borrowing ...

Man suspected of shooting SDPD officer arrested

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego Chief of Police David Nisleit announced Wednesday that a man suspected of shooting an officer last Thursday in Chollas Creek has been arrested.JC Blake Sartor, 29, was arrested around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 8700 block of Spectrum Center Boulevard in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood.The shooting happened around 11:10 a.m. in the 5200 block of Wightman Street when the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a stolen white truck.According to police, Sartor attempted to flee from the officer on foot before ultimately pulling out a gun and shooting the officer.Nisleit thanked SDPD's Homicide Unit, Special Investigations Unit, Special Operations Unit, Gang Team, Ghost Gun Team, SWAT Unit, Crime Lab, Neighborhood Policing Unit, Patrol Unit for their joint efforts in in locating Sartor. Sailor on life support after Coronado car-jacking incident "This is just a great case of just phenomenal police work locating this suspect," Nisleit said.Nisleit said he would...

Milwaukee bankruptcy avoidance plan clears Wisconsin Senate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Senate on Wednesday passed a bipartisan plan to prevent Milwaukee from going bankrupt that also sends more state aid to every community in the state, a long-sought after funding increase agreed to by Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.The measure is part of a larger deal struck by Evers and Republican legislative leaders after months of talks that also increases K-12 education funding by more than $1 billion. Once approved by the Assembly as expected later Wednesday, the bills would head to Evers, who is expected to sign them into law.Milwaukee leaders warned of dire consequences and catastrophic budget cuts as the city faces bankruptcy by 2025. Milwaukee is struggling with an underfunded pension system and not enough money to maintain essential police, fire and emergency services.“We cannot let our largest city fail,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Spreitzer before the Senate passed it on a bipartisan 21-12 vote.Evers, speaking Wednesd...

Trudeau learned of Paul Bernardo transfer the day it happened, before Mendicino knew

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office says he learned about the prison transfer of Paul Bernardo the day it happened — a day earlier than Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. The confirmation came as Conservatives called for Mendicino’s ouster over his office’s handling of the information that the convicted killer and serial rapist was being moved out of maximum-security prison. While his office was informed about the possibility of the transfer to a medium-security institution nearly three months before it happened, Mendicino said he found out about it the day after Bernardo was moved.“As the minister said in question period, he should have been informed earlier and he has dealt with that,” Alison Murphy, a spokesperson for Trudeau, said in a statement.Murphy said a staffer in Trudeau’s office was alerted by the Privy Council Office in March that the transfer was a possibility, and “inquiries and requests for information were i...

University of Delaware agrees to settle class-action suit over COVID campus shutdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The University of Delaware has agreed to pay $6.3 million to settle a lawsuit over its campus shutdown in 2020 and the halting of in-person classes because of the coronavirus pandemic.According to court papers that were filed this month and signed by the plaintiffs and university president Dennis Assanis, some 21,000 current and former students could receive cash reimbursements. While agreeing to settle the case, the university continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing. Court records indicate that the university reached an agreement in principle in late April, less than a month after a federal judge ruled that the case could proceed as a class action on behalf of thousands of students who were enrolled and paid tuition in the spring semester of 2020, when the campus was shut down.Under the settlement, which is awaiting final court approval, the university will pay $6.3 million into an escrow account overseen by a settlement administrator. Of that amount, pla...

Pickleball popularity continues to grow in Toronto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

The City of Toronto is making more room for North America’s fastest-growing sport.City council confirmed on Wednesday it has added stand-alone pickleball courts to three new planned tennis court complexes, plus 30 new outdoor courts will be introduced that can be shared with other sports.Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis.In response to the rising demand and growing popularity of pickleball, the city has increased the number of outdoor courts from just one five years ago to 165 this year.More than 50 community recreation centres currently offer pickleball programming.“The city has quickly responded to the demand for pickleball, a highly engaging and accessible sport, by providing court opportunities for play across Toronto,” Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said.“A big part of the attraction of this game is that it can easily be enjoyed by people of all skill levels and ages, and its cour...

Oregon’s 6-week GOP walkout over bills on abortion and guns could end soon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — There was an optimistic mood in the Oregon state Capitol that a boycott by Republican senators, which has been underway for six weeks, could end soon as GOP and Democratic leaders met to negotiate compromises over bills on abortion, transgender health care and gun safety.The walkout, which began on May 3, is the longest in the 163-year history of the Oregon Legislature and reportedly the second-longest of any U.S. state, after Rhode Island. This year several statehouses around the nation, including Montana and Tennessee, have been ideological battlegrounds. Oregon — which pioneered decriminalizing marijuana, boosting recycling, and protecting immigrants — is often viewed as one of America’s most liberal states. But it also has deeply conservative rural areas.The talks in Oregon aimed at ending the impasse gained momentum when Republicans, led by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Tim Knopp, began late last week to negotiate on the contentious bills.“I don’t want to say a...

GOP presidential candidates struggle with response to Trump’s unprecedented legal troubles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — Just last week, former Vice President Mike Pence said he hoped federal prosecutors would not bring charges against former President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, a day after Trump was arraigned on dozens of felony counts related to classified documents, Pence described the allegations as “a very serious matter.”“I cannot defend what is alleged,” Pence, who is now challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, said on CNBC. Later in the day, the former vice president faced pointed questions from a conservative radio host after refusing to say whether he would pardon Trump if given the chance.Pence’s evolving message highlights the high-stakes dilemma for Trump’s Republican rivals, who are struggling to find a clear and consistent strategy to take on the frontrunner as Trump’s unprecedented legal troubles threaten to dominate all other issues in the 2024 presidential contest.Some Republican leaders this week have demonstrated a ne...

City Council holds hearing on pedestrian and traffic safety during NASCAR Street Race

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

CHICAGO — NASCAR's very first urban street race is hitting Chicago streets July 1 and 2, with the race expected to attract at least 100,000 ticket holders throughout an already busy weekend across the City.During Wednesday's City Council meeting, members of the Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee hosted a hearing to learn more about NASCAR and the City's plans to keep residents safe, while also managing traffic and crowd control."Safety and security of everyone attending the event, but also around the event, is our top priority," said Julie Griese, President of NASCAR's Chicago Street Race. "When you look at the event itself, everyone will see concrete barriers that are going into place around the 2.2 mile course." A Guide to NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race According to Griese, each barrier weighs more than 10,000 pounds and is four feet tall. On top of the concrete barriers, there will also be an eight-foot-tall fence encompassing the entire perimeter of the race course."From th...

Man faces several felon charges after hitting, critically injuring boy riding his bike in Batavia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:03 GMT

BATAVIA, Ill. — An Aurora man is facing several charges after Batavia police said he struck and critically injured a teenage boy riding his bike last month.On Wednesday, Batavia police said Cesar Gandarilla, 38, is charged with three counts of Aggravated DUI/great bodily harm, three counts of aggravated DUI/ no valid driver's license, DUI combination drugs, aggravated use of communications device great bodily harm, unlawful use of cannabis/ driver and numerous traffic violations. Man arrested after hitting boy riding bike in Batavia On May 31, police said Gandarilla struck the boy while he was riding his bike near Union Avenue and South Batavia Avenue. The boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition.The Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team assisted the Batavia Police Department with the investigation.