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Minnesota’s new $71.5 billion budget is biggest jump in state history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

At $71.5 billion, the two-year state budget that took effect July 1 marks the largest increase in government spending in modern Minnesota history.The roughly 37 percent jump in spending is driven largely by the historic $17.5 billion budget surplus lawmakers had on the books when the year began. And some of it is one-time spending, with the general fund expected to drop to around $65.2 billion by the following biennium.Even so, the surge in funding for government programs trumps even the “Minnesota Miracle” of the early 1970s, when lawmakers committed to more equitably funding public schools and other local governments that had relied heavily on property taxes.It will take scores of new state workers just to implement the new spending plan, and Minnesota Management and Budget acknowledged an “excess of 2,000” additional workers will need to be added to a state payroll that now totals about 50,000.Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party members, now in narrow control of...

Overwhelmed animal shelter seeking adoptions, donations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

BERKSHIRE, MASS. (NEWS10) – Many animal shelters are seeing an uptick in pets being surrendered and are seeking help from the public. Berkshire Humane Society says normally 120 animals are in the shelter but currently 168 animals are being housed and there’s a waiting list of people looking to surrender their pets.Executive Director John Perreault estimates about 30-40 people are waiting to bring in cats and a dozen or two want to turn in their dogs. Their small mammal population is double what it usually is.“We’re seeing numbers we haven’t seen in a long time,” Perreault said.He says he hasn’t seen the shelter this full since the 90s.“I think this is the new norm, especially with the volumes of phone calls coming in,” Perreault said.He attributes part of the problem to COVID because many people lost their jobs and homes.“The cost of things today has really made an impact on animals, as you can see our shelter’s very full today and not only today, we’ve been like this for a while no...

Royals score 5 in first inning off Dodgers’ Julio Urías before holding on for 6-4 win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals rudely welcomed Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías back from the injured list by scoring five times in the first inning on Saturday night, and Kansas City held on for a rain-delayed 6-4 victory over Los Angeles.Daniel Lynch (2-3) nearly gave all his support back when he allowed three runs in the second. But the left-hander settled down, eventually throwing 108 pitches to get through five innings. He allowed five hits and three walks with four strikeouts, helping the Royals beat the Dodgers for just the second time in their last 10 meetings.The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the eighth when Yonny Hernandez struck out and Freddie Freeman grounded out, and Scott Barlow got the final four outs for his 10th save while capping four innings of one-run ball by the Kansas City bullpen.Drew Waters and Salvador Perez drove in runs, and Edward Oliveras and Samad Taylor had sacrifice flies, as Urías (5-5) scuffled through his first game since hurting his hamstring o...

Sporting KC cruises to 3-0 victory over Whitecaps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Rémi Walter and Alan Pulido scored first-half goals and Sporting Kansas City breezed to a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.Walter found the net for the first time this season when he took a pass from Gadi Kinda in the 33rd minute and scored the only goal Kendall McIntosh and Sporting KC (6-10-6) would need. Pulido used assists from Walter and Tim Leibold in the second minute of stoppage time to put Sporting KC up 2-0 at halftime. Pulido has scored seven of his eight goals this season in his last six appearances. Erik Thommy scored unassisted in the 53rd minute to complete the scoring. It was Thommy’s third goal of the campaign.McIntosh stopped one shot to earn the clean sheet for Sporting KC. Yohei Takaoka had one save for Vancouver.Vancouver (6-6-7) was coming off a 2-0 road win over defending champion Los Angeles FC that snapped a 15-match winless run away from home. The Whitecaps have not won two in a row on the road since ...

Kelenic’s tiebreaking single leads Mariners over Rays 8-3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Jarred Kelenic hit a tiebreaking single off Tyler Glasnow in the sixth inning, Teoscar Hernández added a two-run double in a three-run seventh and the Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Saturday to stop a three-game losing streak.George Kirby (7-7) allowed two runs and two hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts, and the Mariners bats backed him with 13 hits as they evened the series at one game apiece. Paul Sewald pitched 1 2/3 innings for his 15th save in 18 chances, finishing a five-hitter.Seattle built a 2-0 lead on Mike Ford’s RBI single in the second and J.P Crawford home run in the third. Kirby no-hit the Rays through 5 1/3 innings, but Yandy Díaz doubled in the sixth for the Rays’ first hit and Luke Raley homered to tie the game at 2-2. “It was just a split. It was middle-middle,” Kirby said. “It didn’t move much. He was a little early on it, but he got enough barrel on it to take it out … I don’t regret throwing ...

Leal, Willis guide Nashville to 2-0 victory over DC United

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Randall Leal scored twice in the first half and Joe Willis made it stand up as Nashville SC defeated D.C. United 2-0 on Saturday night.Leal took a pass from Hany Mukhtar in the 18th minute and found the net and he followed with an unassisted goal in the 37th minute to put Nashville up 2-0 at halftime. Leal entered play with one goal on the season.Willis finished with two saves to earn the clean sheet for Nashville (11-5-5). Tyler Miller saved one shot for DC United (7-9-5).Nashville was coming off two straight shutout losses following a club-record 10-match unbeaten streak. The club has never lost three straight and has won all six times following two-match skids.Mukhtar has a goal contribution in seven straight home matches — eight goals, five assists. He has 32 goal contributions in 43 home matches since 2021. Nashville improves to 4-0-2 all-time versus DC United, including a 1-1 draw on the road earlier this season. Nashville is the only team DC United has...

Julio scores late to give Real Salt Lake 1-0 win over Toronto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Anderson Julio scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to rally Real Salt Lake to a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night.The victory extends Real Salt Lake’s club-record unbeaten streak on the road in all competitions to 10. It is the longest unbeaten road run since an 11-match streak by the Portland Timbers spanning the 2012-13 seasons.Real Salt Lake (8-7-6) improves to 2-5-3 all-time on the road against Toronto (3-8-10). Toronto falls to 3-2-6 at home this season. Toronto has surrendered only four goals in 10 home matches with RSL.Julio scored the winner unassisted. It was his second netter of the campaign.Zac MacMath saved three shots to earn the clean sheet for Real Salt Lake. Greg Ranjitsingh had five saves in his third start this season for Toronto. Toronto has dropped a league-high 17 points from winning positions this season.Toronto travels to play Orlando City on Tuesday. Real Salt Lake returns home to host Orlando City on Satu...

Kamungo, Junqua, Paes lead Dallas over LAFC 2-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Bernard Kamungo scored early in the second half, defender Sam Junqua added a late goal and FC Dallas beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 on Saturday night.LAFC (9-5-5) entered the match having won four of its last five match-ups with Dallas (8-7-5), including a 2-1 win at home earlier this season. LAFC has won five of the 10 all-time meetings but just once in Dallas.Kamungo found the net for a second time this season when he took a pass from Nkosi Tafari in the 56th minute to give Maarten Paes the only goal he would need. Junqua’s first netter of the season came in the 90th minute with an assist from Tsiki Ntsabeleng.Paes saved three shots to earn the clean sheet for Dallas. John McCarthy did not make a save for LAFC.Dallas came into the match with a 1-4-0 record in its last five matches, including two straight shutout losses for the first time since August of 2021. The club has never been shut out in three consecutive matches.Dallas improves to 6-1-2 in its last nine...

Torres scores twice, leads Orlando City over Fire 3-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Facundo Torres scored a goal in each half to propel Orlando City to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.Orlando City (8-5-7) has gone unbeaten in six straight matches at home, tying a club record.Orlando City took a 1-0 lead into halftime on a goal by Torres in the 38th minute. Kyle Smith and Martín Ojeda picked up assists on Torres’ sixth netter of the season.Torres struck again in the 55th minute on a penalty kick to stretch Orlando City’s lead to 2-0.Chicago (5-7-8) cut its deficit in half on a PK goal by Xherdan Shaqiri in the 66th minute. It was Shaqiri’s second score of the season.Ramiro Enrique gave Orlando City a two-goal lead again when he took passes from Iván Angulo and Rafael Santos and scored his second goal of the campaign.Pedro Gallese saved two shots for Orlando City. Chris Brady totaled six saves for Chicago.Orlando City, which improved to 4-1-5 in its last 10 matches, beat Chicago for a fourth straight time a...

Corte de Constitucionalidad de Guatemala ordena suspender oficialización de resultados de elecciones generales tras denuncias de partidos políticos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

(CNN Español) — La Corte de Constitucionalidad de Guatemala ordenó este sábado al Tribunal Supremo Electoral que suspenda la “calificación y oficialización” de los resultados de las elecciones generales del 25 de junio, hasta que se realice una revisión de los escrutinios en las Juntas Electorales y Departamentales, así como en el Distrito Central, según un comunicado de la Corte.La medida se tomó luego de que nueve partidos políticos presentaran amparos contra el Tribunal Supremo Electoral, denunciando irregularidades en el proceso de revisión de escrutinios, según el comunicado de la Corte de Constitucionalidad.Segunda vuelta presidencial en Guatemala: las propuestas de Sandra Torres y Bernardo Arévalo“En tanto se dilucidan las situaciones”, indica la Corte, el Tribunal “debe suspender la calificación y oficialización de resultados a efecto de que, para la fecha prevista para la segunda vuelta para elección presidencial, todo haya quedado debida...