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Editorial: Budget agency pours ice water on Biden’s parade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

How fitting that the Congressional Budget Office released its long-term fiscal projections  the same day that President Joe Biden began his economic rehabilitation tour.In the words of The New York Times, Biden embarked upon “a concerted campaign … to claim credit for an economic revival in America.” In a Chicago speech, he touted his economic policies in an address that aides called “a cornerstone speech of his presidency.”On the same day, however, the CBO issued a more sober view of the nation’s economic trajectory — a trajectory this administration has proudly accelerated.“If current laws governing taxes and spending generally remained unchanged,” the analysis found, “the federal budget deficit would increase significantly in relation to gross domestic product (GDP) over the next 30 years.”What does that mean? “Such high and rising debt would have significant economic and financial consequences,” the CBO concludes. “It would, among other things, slow economic growth, drive up int...

Revs midfielder Carles Gil suspended for match at New York Red Bulls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

The New England Revolution will look to extended their seven-game unbeaten streak on the road against an original MLS rival with their captain out of uniform.Revolution (10-3-7) will be without dynamic central midfielder Carles Gil when they engage the New York Red Bulls (5-7-8) on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.Gil drew a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation when he picked up a YC in the 51st minute of the Revolution’s 2-2 draw at first place FC Cincinnati on July 1.That’s an interesting happenstance for a player who is routinely targeted and has 39 fouls sustained, few of which were gentle. Gil has missed time in the past due to injuries and head coach Bruce Arena said he will make the necessary adjustments.“Well, no one will fill that role,” said Arena. “We will find a way to put 11 players on the field and it’s all part of it. This happens throughout the year with suspensions, injuries of whatever, so we’ll be prepared to play on Saturday.”Arena ch...

Dear Abby: Stir-crazy wife wants to hang out with male pals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

Dear Abby: I am in a committed relationship with a wonderful man. We are not married, but we call each other husband and wife and have two beautiful children together. Our relationship is great.My husband had a different childhood than mine. He didn’t have many friends of the opposite sex. I, on the other hand, had a lot of guy friends growing up. I cherish many of these platonic relationships. There is a lot of history with them (some more than 20 years), and I enjoy their company greatly. We don’t have any romantic histories.I don’t hang out with them often because I know my husband would be upset if I were to see another man one-on-one, even just as friends. I understand his point of view. I know I might be jealous if he were to hang out one-on-one with another woman, and I would wonder. I guess we both have trust issues.There are some hobbies I would like to engage in, and a few of these guy friends have expressed interest in joining me on occasion. One of thos...

Man killed by falling tree in East County identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

EL CAJON, Calif. -- A man who died Wednesday while cutting down a tree on his property in the El Cajon area has been identified, authorities said.Gary Maurice Zing, 59, was announced as the deceased, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said on its website.The incident occurred around 11:10 a.m. in the 1900 block of Altozano Drive, per Heartland Fire and Rescue. Here comes another heat wave San Diego Zing was on FaceTime with a family member while cutting tree branches when as he was going down the hill from the tree, a part of the tree fell on him, according to El Cajon police.Authorities were then called to the residence after the victim did not emerge from under the tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.It took crews several hours to "carefully" and "respectfully" remove the man from underneath the tree, fire officials said.

As whiskey and bourbon business booms, beloved distillers face pushback over taxes and emissions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

MULBERRY, Tenn. (AP) — For decades, the whiskey and bourbon makers of Tennessee and Kentucky have been beloved in their communities. The distilleries where the liquor is manufactured and barrelhouses where it is aged have complemented the rural character of their neighborhoods, while providing jobs and the pride of a successful homegrown industry.Now, the growing popularity of the industry around the world is fueling conflicts at home.In Kentucky, where 95% of the world’s bourbon is manufactured, counties are revolting after the legislature voted to phase out a barrel tax they have depended on to fund schools, roads and utilities. Local officials who donated land and spent millions on infrastructure to help bourbon makers now say those investments may never be recouped.Neighbors in both states have been fighting industry expansion, even suing distillers. Complaints include a destructive black “whiskey fungus,” the loss of prime farmland and liquor-themed tourist developments that ar...

Top Republicans are gearing up to investigate the Hunter Biden case. Here’s what to know.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chairmen of three key House committees are joining forces to probe the Justice Department’s handling of charges against Hunter Biden after making sweeping claims about misconduct at the agency. Leaders of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees opened a joint investigation into the federal case into President Joe Biden’s youngest son days after it was announced last month that he will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement with the Justice Department. Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky and Jason Smith of Missouri have since issued a series of requests for voluntary testimony from senior officials at the Justice Department, FBI and Internal Revenue Service as they investigate what they claim is improper interference. Republicans have also requested a special counsel review of supposed retaliation against the whistleblowers who came forward with the claims. The ...

UN to vote Monday on aid deliveries from Turkey to northwest Syria — either for 6 months or 1 year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is to vote Monday on extending aid deliveries from Turkey to Syria’s rebel-held northwest, with a resolution sponsored by Brazil and Switzerland calling for a 12-month extension and a rival Russia resolution limiting a renewal to just six months.The delivery of aid to the area has increased significantly following the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that ravaged southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 8. Syrian President Bashar Assad opened two additional crossing points from Turkey to increase the flow of assistance to quake victims, and he extended their operation for three months in May until mid-August. But those crossings are not mentioned in either resolution.The rival resolutions obtained Friday by The Associated Press virtually ensure that aid deliveries will continue through the main Bab al-Hawa crossing for at least six months.Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib is home to some 4 million people, m...

Extremely overdue book returned to Massachusetts library 119 years later

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — On Feb. 14, 1904, someone curious about the emerging possibilities of a key force of nature checked out James Clerk Maxwell’s “An Elementary Treatise on Electricity” from the New Bedford Free Public Library.It would take 119 years and the sharp eyes of a librarian in West Virginia before the scientific text finally found its way back to the Massachusetts library.The discovery occurred when Stewart Plein, the curator of rare books at West Virginia University Libraries, was sorting through a recent donation of books. Plein found the treatise and noticed it had been part of the collection at the New Bedford library and, critically, had not been stamped “Withdrawn,” indicating that while extremely overdue, the book had not been discarded.Plein contacted Jodi Goodman, the special collections librarian in New Bedford, to alert her to the find.“This came back in extremely good condition,” New Bedford Public Library Director Olivia Melo said Friday. “Someone ...

Zach Remillard continuing to shine in time with White Sox

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

CHICAGO (NEWS10) -- Zach Remillard had the kind of Major League debut you only see in movies. Three weeks after capturing the attention of baseball fans across the country, the Cohoes native is still searching for the words to describe his first game with the Chicago White Sox."I don't know if it's fully been processed yet," said Remillard. "I keep saying I haven't really had a ton of time to...sit and process it all. (I'm) kind of moving from one day to the next. But it was special, and it was special for my family. And just having…my parents, my wife, my brother and his wife out there…it was something I'll never forget for sure. Especially on Father's Day weekend; it was pretty cool."Remillard hasn't slowed down since his historic debut against the Seattle Mariners on June 17, where he went 3-3 with two runs batted in, becoming the first player in the Modern Era (since 1901) to have both a game-tying and a go-ahead hit in the ninth inning or later of his Major League debut.The La ...

Ezequiel Tovar’s three-run homer lifts Rockies over Giants, snaps losing skid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:42 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is fast becoming the story of the season for the Rockies.The 21-year-old rocketed a three-run homer off Tyler Rogers in the seventh inning Friday night, lifting the Rockies to a 5-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park.Tovar’s ninth homer of the season — he’s now tied with All-Star catcher Elias Diaz for the second-most on the team — helped the Rockies snap their 10-game road losing streak. Also put to rest was an 11-game losing streak to San Francisco.Colorado received a third consecutive strong start from left-hander Austin Gomber. He pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits, walking none and striking out one.Gomber wobbled but didn’t crumble in the sixth, thanks to rookie center fielder Brenton Doyle and his cannon of a right arm.Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt led off the inning with a sharp single to right, then celebrated when Brandon Crawford, the longtime Rockies’ neme...