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Federal Reserve is poised to leave rates unchanged as it tracks progress toward a ‘soft landing’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Since Federal Reserve officials last met in July, the economy has moved in the direction they hoped to see: Inflation continues to ease, if more slowly than most Americans would like, while growth remains solid and the job market cools.When they meet again this week, the policymakers are likely to decide they can afford to wait and see if the progress continues. As a result, they’re almost sure to leave their key interest rate unchanged when their meeting ends Wednesday. The cooling of inflation suggests that the Fed is edging toward a peak in the series of rate hikes it unleashed in March of last year — the fastest such pace in four decades, one that has made borrowing much costlier for consumers and businesses.The focus for Wall Street investors and analysts now is shifting toward what comes next. Some clues could come in the updated interest rate projections it releases each quarter and at a news conference with Chair Jerome Powell.Another rate hike this year wi...

Backlog of air passenger complaints tops 57,000, hitting new peak

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

The backlog of air passenger complaints at Canada’s transport regulator has hit a new high of more than 57,000, as dissatisfaction over cancellation and compensation persist three and a half years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.The numbers reveal that an average of more than 3,000 complaints per month have piled up at the Canadian Transportation Agency over the past year, with the current tally well over three times the total from September 2022.Vancouver residents Chad Kerychuk and Melissa Oei say they are mulling a complaint after they arrived in Halifax six hours later than planned on a flight from Vancouver in August 2021 and found themselves separated despite paying for pricier tickets to select their spots in advance.The couple says WestJet has rejected their request for a partial refund, and the airline informed them the disruption was caused by unplanned maintenance — an exclusion from compensation rules that will soon be unavailable to carriers.In June, the gov...

Couple, 2 children, 3 dogs found dead inside Romeoville home: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — A homicide investigation is underway after a couple, their two children and three dogs were found dead inside a home in Romeoville.Police conducted a well-being check around 8:40 p.m. Sunday on the 500 block of Concord Avenue, after a member of the household did not show up to work and was not responding to phone calls. Upon arrival, officers discovered four deceased individuals, two adults and two children, with gunshot wounds inside of a residence.Police said three dogs were also found fatally shot.According to authorities, the adult victims have been identified as Roberto Rolon and Zoraida Bartolomei. Police said the deceased children belonged to both Rolon and Bartolomei. The childrens' identities have not yet been released.Investigators said the shooting happened sometime between 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday. Police do not believe the shooter is among the victims. 14-year-old boy fatally shot after Hillcrest HS football game ID’d: Police Anyone with in...

Indiana sues hospital system over support of doctor who provided abortion services to 10-year-old Ohio girl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

(The Hill) -- Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) has filed a lawsuit against the health system where a 10-year-old Ohio girl received abortion services last year after being denied in her home state, alleging the institution failed to enforce HIPAA.In July of last year, Indiana OB-GYN Caitlin Bernard, employed by IU Health, garnered national attention after sharing with the Indianapolis Star her account of providing abortion services to a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who had been raped. This story quickly drew the ire of conservatives including Rokita who accused Bernard of failing to abide by Indiana patient privacy and mandatory reporting laws.Rokita filed a complaint with the Indiana Medical Licensing Board against Bernard, alleging the physician had violated her patient's privacy. The board ultimately determined that Bernard had violated privacy laws and issued a reprimand and $3,000 fine against her.Throughout this conflict, IU Health maintained that Bernard had followed In...

China halted spy balloon program some time after US downed device: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

(The Hill) - China has reportedly stopped its spy balloon operations seven months after one of its balloons was spotted in skies above the U.S.Sources familiar with China’s spy balloons told CNN that Chinese leaders have made the decision to not launch additional balloons after one was shot down by the U.S. in February. Since then, US officials have not seen any new launches, CNN reported. Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told CNN that the incident in February was “unexpected” and “isolated.”“Since the incident happened, China has stated repeatedly that the balloon is found to be an unmanned civilian airship used for meteorological and other research purposes, and that its accidental entry into US airspace is entirely an unexpected, isolated incident caused by force majeure,” Liu told CNN. US intelligence officials said they think the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) didn’t intend for the balloon to cross skies in the United States. The balloon took off from the small ...

Car ends up in pond after Newburgh police chase

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

NEWBURGH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Newburgh woman who fled from police officers ended up driving into a pond after a chase ensued. Melissa Branagan, 38, faces several charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On Friday, around 11:39 p.m., state troopers pulled over a 2014 Cadillac going north on State Route 9W in Newburgh for several vehicle and traffic violations. Police identified the driver as Melissa Branagan.Police say Branagan fled the scene which prompted a chase. Law enforcement says they chased Branagan through Newburgh and Marlborough. The chase ended once the car drove into a pond on Marchese Drive in Marlborough. Branagan, who was the only person in the car, at first was unable to get out. $50K winning Powerball ticket sold at Albany Stewart’s A trooper ended up entering the water and was able to get her out of the car through the driver-side window. He swam her back to shore. Police say Branagan refused medical attentio...

$50K winning Powerball ticket sold at Albany Stewart's

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A lucky Stewart’s Shops customer purchased a top-prize-winning Powerball ticket worth $50,000. The winning ticket was from the September 16 drawing and was sold at the Stewart’s located at 1050 Western Avenue in Albany. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The winning numbers were 08, 11, 19, 24, 46, and the power ball was 5. The winning numbers for the August 19 drawing were 1, 25, 27, 38, and 62, and the power ball was 13. The winning numbers for the Powerball game are drawn from a field of one to 69. The red Power Ball is drawn from a separate field of one to 26. The Powerball drawing is televised every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.The New York Lottery is North America’s largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.7B in the 2022-2023 fiscal year to support education in New York. New Yorkers struggling with a gambling problem can contact the confidential HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 ...

Road rage: How angry are Illinois drivers?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

ILLINOIS (NEXSTAR) – Road rage is an experience most drivers have either felt or been on the other end of, but you may be more likely to see it in some states more than others.That’s according to a new survey from Forbes Advisor which polled 10,000 licensed drivers – 200 from each state – to compare every state in the nation across nine key metrics. Among the metrics were the percentages of drivers report being forced off the road, being yelled at, or another driver leaving their vehicle to fight them.According to that survey, Illinois ranked eighth among the top 10 states with the most confrontational drivers.The Prairie State stands out for having the highest rate of drivers reporting that another driver forced their car off the road. Additionally, Illinois drivers were found to be the sixth most likely to report another driver yelling or fighting with them after exiting their vehicle.Drivers from Illinois have also been the most likely to report that another driver has attempted ...

Opinion: If Republicans cannibalize Buck, they may lose his seat to Democrats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

In the wake of the Biden impeachment inquiry, Congressional House Republican crazies have outspokenly questioned Congressman Ken Buck’s allegiance and are searching for a candidate to mount a primary challenge against him.Buck, for his part, earned their wrath because he would rather focus on issues that matter to voters in his district like inflation, southern border security, and crime, rather than embrace and evangelize their fantasy political sideshow.Strike one: Buck, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, doesn’t believe the House has produced any evidence that Biden profited off his son’s foreign deals and has called the timeline for an impeachment inquiry absurd as he has seen no evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor. Buck is a former elected District Attorney of Weld County and Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office, but that is not a detail true believers respect — they only value blind allegiance. Buck is refusing to get in the ...

Woman lying down in Aurora parking lot run over, killed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:00 GMT

A woman died Sunday morning after lying down in a hospital parking lot, where she was run over by a sedan, Aurora officials said.At 9:35 a.m. Sunday, Aurora police officers responded to reports of a crash in the parking lot of the Medical Center of Aurora, according to a Monday news release from the Aurora Police Department.Investigators determined the 55-year-old woman was lying down in a traffic lane when she was hit by a Ford sedan traveling through the parking lot, the release stated.Officials pronounced the unidentified woman dead on the scene. The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office will identify her.According to the news release, neither speed or alcohol are believed to be factors in the crash, and the 35-year-old driver remained on-scene with police.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Teenage driver killed in midnight crash Sunday, Lakewood police say Crashes and Disasters | Motorcyclist killed after running red light and crashing into SUV, ...