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Republican speaker directs House panel to open Biden impeachment inquiry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday he is directing a House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family’s business dealings, launching historic proceedings ahead of the 2024 election.McCarthy said the House Oversight Committee’s investigation so far has found a “culture of corruption” around the Biden family as Republicans probe the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, from before the Democratic president took office.“These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said outside the speaker’s office at the Capitol. “That’s why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”The announcement comes as the Republican leader faces mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden while he also is struggling to pass legislation needed to avoid a fede...

Heavy rain brings flash flooding to parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP) — Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with one city declaring a state of emergency as water poured into homes, creating moats around their foundations and leading to boat rescues of residents. Concern about a dam listed in poor condition led to more evacuations.More storms were in the forecast for Wednesday, and although it was still early, winds and flooding from Hurricane Lee were expected to affect Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire and central and coastal Maine during the weekend, forecasters said.Mayor Dean Mazzarella in Leominster, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Boston, urged people not to venture outside as roads flooded Monday night, but some residents were evacuated as water came into their basements. All schools were closed Tuesday and two shelters were set up.“The storm stopped over us last night. It didn’t move for close to five hours. It had dumped 11 inches (28 centim...

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers has torn left Achilles tendon, AP source says. He’s likely to miss the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Aaron Rodgers has a torn left Achilles tendon, according to a person familiar with the diagnosis, and the quarterback likely will miss the rest of the New York Jets’ season.An MRI on Tuesday confirmed the four-time NFL MVP’s injury, the person told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce it. Coach Robert Saleh was scheduled to speak to reporters on a video call later Tuesday.NFL Network first reported Rodgers tore the Achilles tendon, confirming the Jets’ fears. Torn Achilles tendons typically take several months of recovery due to the extensive rehabilitation needed.“Concerned with his Achilles,” Saleh said after the Jets’ 22-16 overtime win over Buffalo on Monday night. “MRI is probably going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight. But it’s not good.”On his fourth regular-season snap in a Jets uniform, Rodgers tried to avoid a rushing Leonard Floyd, who wrapped up the quarterback and spun him do...

Former No. 1 tennis player Simona Halep gets 4-year ban in doping case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from professional tennis for four years for doping violations, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Tuesday.The 31-year-old Romanian had been accused of two doping offenses — failing a drug test during the 2022 U.S. Open and for irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport, the ITIA said.A panel concluded that Halep “had committed intentional anti-doping rule violations.”Halep had been provisionally suspended since October 2022. The four-year ban will run to Oct. 6, 2026.Halep reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in 2017. She won Wimbledon in 2019, beating 23-time major champion Serena Williams in the final, a year after winning the French Open.Halep, who had blamed a contaminated supplement, plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.“I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court,” Halep said in a...

Critical health violations found in kitchen used by daycares after E. coli outbreak

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

CALGARY — Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says there three critical violations were found at a central kitchen serving Calgary daycares affected by an E. coli outbreak.More than 200 people have fallen ill from the bacteria since the outbreak at 11 daycares was declared a week ago.Dr. Mark Joffe says the kitchen was closed immediately on Sept. 4 and that likely prevented the outbreak from being much worse.He says the violations, found the following day, related to food handling, sanitation and pest control.Alberta Health Services said as of Monday afternoon there were 231 lab-confirmed cases.Twenty-five children and one adult were receiving care in hospital, with 21 severely ill. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 12, 2023.The Canadian Press

Panel finds no single factor in horse deaths at Churchill Downs. More screening is suggested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Horse racing’s federally created oversight panel found no single cause of death among 12 horses at Churchill Downs this spring, but recommends further action and analysis to mitigate risk at the home of the Kentucky Derby, according to a report released Tuesday.The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) report also suggested improved veterinary screening and the creation of a blue-ribbon committee to study synthetic surface options throughout the sport.The report comes two days before the start of Churchill Downs’ fall September meet and follows the June 7 suspension of racing to conduct an internal safety review. The spring meet was shifted to Ellis Park in western Kentucky.That move came in the aftermath of seven horse deaths in the days leading up to the 149th Derby on May 6 — including two on the undercard — and five more in the weeks afterward. HISA immediately convened an emergency summit and recommended pausing the meet after consulting industry experts, vete...

‘Freedom Convoy’ Facebook page is the focal point of criminal trial Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

OTTAWA — The Facebook page of the “Freedom Convoy” protest is at the centre of the evidence and legal arguments today as the trial of two prominent organizers enters its sixth day.The Crown’s case against Tamara Lich and Chris Barber for their role in the protest has been mired in complaints from the defence that have slowed the process.Crown prosecutor Tim Radcliffe is painstakingly taking the court through 212 pages worth of posts and videos from the “Freedom Convoy 2022” Facebook page, including updates from convoy organizers to supporters.Though social media played a major role in the protest and makes up the bulk of the Crown’s exhibits, the videos and posts shown so far in court have not yet been accepted as evidence.Defence lawyers are demanding more information about how the Crown plans to use them to prove their case before they can be considered by the judge. Some of the videos show life in Ottawa during the protest, while others feature...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts lower as oil prices rise and Oracle weighs on tech stocks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting lower Tuesday as Wall Street waits for reports coming up this week about the economy and Big Tech companies.The S&P 500 was 0.5% lower in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 51 points, or 0.1%, at 34,612, as of 11 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.7% lower.Software giant Oracle was weighing on tech stocks after reporting revenue for the latest quarter that fell just short of what analysts expected. Its stock tumbled 12.3%, even though its profit topped expectations.Oracle’s forecast for how much revenue it will make in the current quarter wasn’t as strong as some analysts expected, even as it touts customers signing up for services because of the boom around artificial-intelligence technology.Apple was 1.6% lower ahead of an event later in the day where it’s expected to unveil its latest phone models. The stock soared through much of this year, which is crucial for many investors because it’s the most...

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suspending state gas and diesel taxes again

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s governor is again suspending state taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, declaring a legal emergency over higher prices.Gov. Brian Kemp signed the executive order Tuesday morning. The suspension of the taxes, at 31.2 cents per gallon of gasoline and 35 cents per gallon of diesel fuel, begins Wednesday and lasts through Oct. 12.Georgia’s government gave up an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue during an earlier suspension over 10 months from March 2022 to January 2023, about $170 million a month.Georgia can easily afford to forgo the cash, which is used mostly for roadbuilding. Not only is its rainy day account full, but it has roughly $10 billion in additional surplus cash in state accounts. The state is also likely to run another multibillion dollar surplus in the budget year that began July 1, unless revenues fall sharply.The move also lets Kemp shift the state’s political conversation, which has been consumed by a Fulton County grand jury...

Work to transform section of Bloor Street West now underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Motorists will now find it a tight squeeze along Bloor Street West between Prince Edward Drive and the South Kingsway as a project to reimagine the section of road near the Old Mill begins.Lane restrictions for work on the ‘Bloor Street West Complete Street Project’ went into place on Monday.Traffic is now reduced to a single lane through the work zone, and those lane restrictions are permanent. The project aims to reconfigure the roadway from four lanes to two. This will allow for only one lane of traffic in each direction while adding several other features to make the area more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.“The project will provide road safety improvements, cycle tracks, and public realm upgrades to meet Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and Climate Change Action Plan goals,” a website for the project says.“Changes to Bloor Street West will be made with materials that can be installed quickly, such as bollards, roadway paint, planters and signage.”A map for th...