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Pro-labor? Biden aims to prove it with unionized 2024 staff

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden likes to say he’s the most pro-union president in U.S. history. When he announces his expected reelection campaign in the coming weeks, he’ll get the chance to prove it to his own staffers.Workers on his 2024 campaign will be unionized, political allies say, making him the first president to run a reelection campaign with staff represented by a union. That means hammering out a collectively bargained agreement that could establish salary minimums, set work hours and offer overtime pay, among other things, easing the demands on a workforce that has historically been required to put in long hours for meager pay and guaranteed joblessness after Election Day.The move allows Biden to further demonstrate to his base just how deep his pro-labor convictions are, providing a strong contrast with his Republican opponents, whose staffers aren’t likely to embrace unionizing. It also means extra work for those at the top of Biden’s campaign to ...

Denmark’s aging queen to resume most duties next month

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, whose half-century reign makes her Europe’s longest-serving monarch, is expected to resume most of her official duties on her 83rd birthday next month, the palace said Thursday.Margrethe underwent back surgery on Feb. 22, and her “physical rehabilitation is going well, but there will continue to be a number of major tasks that (she) cannot carry out as planned in the coming months,” the palace said.Some of the official engagements will likely be handled by other members of the royal family, chiefly Margrethe’s oldest son, heir to the throne Crown Prince Frederik, and his wife, Crown Princess Mary. For her birthday on April 16, Margrethe plans to appear on the balcony of the Amalienborg, the downtown Copenhagen home of the Danish royals, to receive the cheers of well-wishers. The palace said it would be her first appearance on the balcony in five years because she spent her birthdays in 2019 and 2022 at a palace in Aarhus, Denm...

UK: Man charged over 2 fire attacks on people near mosques

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

LONDON (AP) — British police have charged a 28-year-old man with two counts of attempted murder after men were set on fire near mosques.The West Midlands Police force said Mohammed Abbkr was charged over attacks in London and Birmingham, central England.Abbkr, who is from Birmingham, is due to appear in court on Thursday.Abbkr is alleged to have sprayed a substance on two men and set it alight in separate incidents — one near an Islamic center in the Ealing area of west London on Feb. 27 and another near a mosque in Birmingham on Monday.The Birmingham victim, 70-year-old Mohammed Rayaz, remains in a hospital with severe injuries. The 82-year-old man attacked in Ealing suffered severe burns to his face and arms.Counterterrorism officers were supporting the investigations, but police said officers were “keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation.”The Associated Press

Heavily indebted Chinese developer proposes restructuring

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese real estate developer whose struggle to manage more than $300 billion in debt rattled global financial markets announced a long-awaited plan Thursday to restructure what it owes to foreign bondholders.The Evergrande Group, the global real estate industry’s most heavily indebted company, ran short of cash after Beijing tightened controls on corporate debt the ruling Communist Party worries is dangerously high. Some other Chinese developers collapsed, leaving half-finished apartment blocks standing empty.Evergrande’s struggle prompted fears about possible shockwaves for the global financial system. The Chinese central bank tried to reassure investors, saying its problems could be controlled and were unlikely to spill over.A deputy central bank governor, Pan Gongsheng, said this month the real estate industry finally was recovering following a wave of defaults. Pan said financing conditions for healthy developers had “improved significantly.”Evergrande’s ...

Credit Suisse deal halted crisis, Swiss national bank says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

The Swiss central bank hiked its key interest rate Thursday and insisted that a government-orchestrated takeover of troubled Credit Suisse by rival bank UBS ended the financial turmoil.In a statement, the Swiss National Bank said it’s providing large amounts of support in Swiss francs and foreign currencies and that the Sunday announcement by the federal government, financial regulators and the central bank “put a halt to the crisis.”The hastily arranged, $3.25 billion deal aimed to stem the turmoil in the global financial system after the collapse of two U.S. banks and jitters about long-running troubles at Credit Suisse led shares of Switzerland’s second-largest bank to tank and customers to pull deposits.Swiss authorities urged UBS to take over its smaller rival after the central bank’s plan for Credit Suisse to borrow up to 50 billion francs ($54 billion) last week failed to reassure investors and customers. To support the deal, the Swiss central bank says it&#...

UK central bank may hike rates after big jump in food prices

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Something unexpected may force the Bank of England to approve an 11th consecutive interest rate increase Thursday: a shortage of fresh vegetables.The scramble for peppers, cucumbers and spinach last month helped push inflation to 10.4% in February, surprising analysts who expected prices to drop into single digits for the first time in seven months.Before the numbers were released Wednesday, many economists suggested the Bank of England would keep rates on hold. That’s because of concern about turmoil in the global financial system following the collapse of two U.S. banks and the ensuing troubles at Switzerland’s Credit Suisse, which forced a hastily arranged takeover by rival UBS. But the unexpected jump in prices in the United Kingdom refocused attention on stubbornly high inflation that is pummeling consumers and slowing economic growth. Investors are now betting the central bank will raise its key rate by a quarter of a percentage point, to 4.25%. “Afte...

Woman dies in northeast Austin shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police say a woman is dead after she called 911 Wednesday night to say she was shot at her northeast Austin apartment complex.According to police, the woman called 911 around 9 p.m. from the Fort Branch Apartments on Techni Center Drive. APD says the woman gave officers enough information for them to find her location. When officers found her, police say she appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds.Both APD officers and Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics tried to save the woman, but she died just before 10:10 p.m., APD says. Austin Police say no suspects have been detained or identified and this is an isolated incident.APD says the victim, a Black woman in her late 20s, was the only person inside the apartment and officers have not found a weapon. If you have information, you should contact the APD homicide tip line at 512-477-3588. You can submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrime...

New Jersey man pleads guilty to Malta burglary

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

MALTA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A New Jersey man who was arrested in October 2022 has pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary. Robert Brown, of Wildwood, will be sentenced on May 24. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Deputies from the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office said Brown allegedly entered a residence illegally in April 2021 to steal property from the home. Deputies also say Brown allegedly entered a storage unit illegally, belonging to the same victim to steal from it in June 2021. Both locations are in the town of Malta. Brown was already being held at the Saratoga County Jail on separate charges from the New York State Police at the time and was arrested on new charges.

Hoosick Falls senior Jake Sparks signs letter of intent with Marshall

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The high school baseball season is rapidly approaching, but one member of the Hoosick Falls High School team is already making history. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Senior Jake Sparks signed his letter of intent to Marshall University Wednesday night. He's the first Panther baseball player to commit to the Division I level in over 30 years.Sparks proves that no matter where you're from, a drive to succeed can take you a long way."I think everyone here knows it's (Hoosick Falls) a small town," said Sparks. "They see it as an obstacle, and it's not. As long as you put the work in, they'll (scouts) find you. It doesn't matter what school you come from; if you're good, you're good. There's always a chance."Sparks went on to explain his reasoning for how he finally landed on playing for the Thundering Herd as the next step in his baseball career."I knew I wanted to go down south to get out of t...

UAlbany softball secures doubleheader sweep of Siena

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:52 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The University at Albany softball team grabbed early leads in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader with Siena College, leading the Great Danes to a sweep of the Saints. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! GAME ONESCORE: UAlbany 4, Siena 1KEY STATSSenior Caitlyn Mitros led with the only two RBI.Senior Morgan Petty went 3-4 at-bat for a team-high batting average.Senior Wendi Hammond hit the Great Danes’ first triple of the season. Senior Maddi Petrella followed with a second triple.Hammond pitched the complete game with three strikeouts.HOW IT HAPPENEDMorgan Petty tallied the first hit of the game in the first inning.Siena notched their first single in the bottom of the first.Putting two runners on base with a walk for graduate student Chloe Lewis and a single from Wendi Hammond, Caitlyn Mitros drove in two runs with a double.The Great Dane defense tallied three-straight outs in the second inning.A...