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Debt limit talks start, stop as Republicans, White House face ‘serious differences’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, FARNOUSH AMIRI and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Debt limit talks between the White House and House Republicans stopped, started and stopped again Friday at the U.S. Capitol, a dizzying series of events in high-stakes negotiations to avoid a potentially catastrophic federal default.President Joe Biden’s administration is reaching for a deal with Republicans led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as the nation faces a deadline as soon as June 1 to raise the country’s borrowing limit, now at $31 trillion, to keep paying the nation’s bills. Republicans are demanding steep spending cuts the Democrats oppose.Negotiations came to an abrupt standstill earlier in the day when McCarthy said it’s time to “pause” talks. But the negotiating teams convened again in the evening only to quickly call it quits for the night. The president, who has been in Japan attending the Group of Seven summit, had no immediate public comme...

Orioles beat Blue Jays, 6-2, behind Ryan Mountcastle’s 3-run homer, Kyle Gibson’s steady start

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

The Orioles’ first game against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023 was similar to many the teams have played over the past few years.Not as much in the fact that Baltimore won the game, as the Orioles haven’t posted a winning record against their American League East foe since 2017. Rather, it was Ryan Mountcastle blasting a home run off Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi that evoked familiar feelings.Mountcastle clobbered a three-run home run off Kikuchi in the third inning to propel the Orioles to a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. There are few pitchers, teams or venues the Orioles slugger is more effective against than those three.The 26-year-old entered Friday’s series opener with a 1.014 OPS against Toronto in his four-year career — his best mark off any team he’s tallied at least 50 plate appearances against. But it’s his success versus Kikuchi that is even more profound, as Mountcastle is now 5-for-10 with a double, four home runs R...

Man sought after groping child in East County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Authorities were asking for the public's help in identifying and locating a man suspected of groping a child in Santee, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) said.The incident occurred Thursday around 4 p.m. near Big Rock Park in the 8100 block of Arlette Street, Lt. Anthony O'Boyle said in a news release Friday.A 12-year-old student from Chett F. Harritt School was walking towards the park when a man approached the girl and inappropriately touched her chest, according to the sheriff's department. The girl's friend was able to intervene and push away the suspect, who then took off on an electric black and gray scooter going eastbound towards Mesa Road, authorities said.The Santee Sheriff's Station received the report from the victim's mother and sent out an ASTREA helicopter to search for the suspect, per SDSO. He was not found. Rapper ‘Boosie’ charged with firearm possession after San Diego arrest The suspect, who has short hair and a mustache, is describe...

‘A day of joy:’ Brittney Griner set to open 1st WNBA season since detainment in Russia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time since last season, Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard opened her pregame comments without announcing how many days Brittney Griner had been jailed in Russia.Griner has been free s6-ince December when she was part of a high-profile prisoner swap. She hit the court for warmups about 90 minutes before the Mercury’s WNBA season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.“Until the day we got the news in the morning that she was on her way home, no one thought that it was going to happen,” Nygaard said. “We did our jobs probably with less joy than professional athletes do. It was heavy every day.”Not anymore.“Today is a day of joy,” Nygaard said. “An amazing, amazing thing has happened.”Griner scored 10 points in 17 minutes in an exhibition loss to the Sparks last week. It was the 32-year-old center’s first game action since she was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022 after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage ...

Former 49ers lobbyist testifies he received illegally leaked report on team’s political influence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The former chief lobbyist for the San Francisco 49ers has testified that a Silicon Valley city councilman illegally leaked a confidential report criticizing the team’s political influence, it was reported Friday.Rahul Chandhok told a criminal grand jury March 21 that Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker digitally sent him the report — which was made by a civil grand jury — last October, the San Francisco Chronicle reported after reviewing a transcript of his testimony. Prosecutors accuse Becker of providing the secret report to Chandhok and a local news outlet ahead of its official release and then lying to the grand jury about it. He has pleaded not guilty to one felony count of perjury under oath and a misdemeanor count of willful failure to perform duty. He could face up to four years in state prison if convicted.The 49ers play in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Santa Clara owns the stadium ...

Texas woman claims to be girl who went missing at 3 from Chicago home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

CHICAGO — A Texas woman claims she is Diamond Bradley, who disappeared from her family's Chicago home when she was 3 years old.But it's not the first time someone has claimed to be one of the missing girls. 20 years later, missing Bradley sisters case still unsolved Diamond and her 10-year-old sister vanished from their South Side home in 2001.On Friday, the family is cautiously optimistic. Even after a massive search and nearly 22 years missing, their aunt Shelia Bradley Smith said the family will never give up looking. So when video started circulating on social media of someone claiming to be Diamond Bradley, the family had a mixture of feelings. Heartbreaking hoax: Woman claiming to be missing Bradley sister lied to family "There's a lot of doubt, there's a lot of hope," Shelisa said. Investigators said the girls' mother left the two at their apartment when she left for work around 6 a.m.When she got home around 11 a.m., her daughters were gone. She found a note written by 1...

Gene Honda: One of the only Asian American PA announcers in professional sports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

CHICAGO — He’s known by many as the voice of Chicago sports.He’s been doing it for almost four decades.Gene Honda is one of the only Asian American PA announcers in all of professional sports. He's broken several barriers in the industry with his long resume.His booming voice has been synonymous with the White Sox for more than 30 years.Honda takes his job very seriously as the Public Address Announcer for the Chicago White Sox. But off the mic, he’s anything but serious. Almost everyone at Guaranteed Rate Field will tell you he's full of wisecracks and laughter.Honda is also the announcer for the Blackhawks, DePaul Men’s Basketball, the Maui Invitational and the NCAA Men’s Final Four —to name a few.He was born and raised on the North side of Chicago to Japanese American parents. Honda attended Senn High School and later his beloved University of Illinois. AAPI History: Second City’s first all-Asian cast brings progress – and punchlines – to the stage This career path, however, wa...

Paul Lisnek on Chicago's new mayor, latest from Springfield and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

CHICAGO — WGN Political Analyst Paul Lisnek joined WGN Evening News to discuss the latest political news.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesHe discussed Chicago's new mayor, the latest news from Springfield and the latest on the 2024 presidential election.Watch the full report in the player above.

Scholarship honors legacy of former Bastrop football star

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

BASTROP, Texas -- A family in Bastrop is honoring the legacy of a former Bastrop High School football star with a scholarship.The L.B. Evans, III Memorial Football Scholarship was awarded to Damari Monroe of Bastrop High School, and he will attend Mary Hardin-Baylor University in the Fall.Evan's wife, and former KXAN reporter Sonta Henderson, said the scholarship is a way to continue the legacy of Evans, who was a 1988 graduate and a football star on the Bastrop Bears team.Evans was known for his leadership and uplifting his teammates, Henderson said. She said his passion for the game caught the eye of Hollywood, and he was cast in the blockbuster movie, "Any Given Sunday." He worked alongside Oscar winners, like Jamie Foxx, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the great Hall of Famer Johnny Unidas, Al Pacino, Super Bowl winner Ricky Waters, NFL player Terrell Owens and more, Henderson said.Evans passed away in July 2022 after suffering from diabetes and heart disease, Henderson sa...

NCAA softball: Gophers fall to McNeese State in marathon matchup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:11:04 GMT

A marathon game for Gophers softball team ended in a whopping 13 innings on Friday night in Seattle, Wash.Though the Gophers headed into the NCAA Tournament extremely confident in their abilities to make a run, they fell in an incredible matchup that will go down in history regardless of the winner.After battling tooth and nail in the opener of the NCAA Regional, the Gophers suffered a disheartening 5-4 loss. They will now have to beat either host Washington or Northern Colorado in order to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.It was a back-and-forth contest for both teams with Gophers ace Autumn Pease getting the start, and junior Jackie Hambrick and freshman Sydney Schwartz also seeing time in the pitcher’s circle.With their backs against the wall in extra innings, Gopher star centerfielder Natalie DenHartog crushed a solo home run hope alive. Unfortunately for the Gophers, that was as close as they got.Related ArticlesCollege Sports | Gophers men’s hockey...