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Most oppose Social Security, Medicare cuts: AP-NORC poll

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most U.S. adults are opposed to proposals that would cut into Medicare or Social Security benefits, and a majority support raising taxes on the nation’s highest earners to keep Medicare running as is. The new findings, revealed in a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, come as both safety net programs are poised to run out of enough cash to pay out full benefits within the next decade.Few Americans would be OK with some ways politicians have suggested to shore up the programs: 79% say they oppose reducing the size of Social Security benefits and 67% are against raising monthly premiums for Medicare. About 65 million older and disabled people access government-sponsored health insurance through Medicare and rely on monthly payments from Social Security.Instead, a majority — 58% — support the idea of increasing taxes on households making over $400,000 yearly to pay for Medicare, a plan proposed by President Joe Biden last month....

SKorea, US, Japan call for support of ban on NKorea workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, the U.S. and Japan called for stronger international support of efforts to ban North Korea from sending workers abroad and curb the North’s cybercrimes as a way to block the country’s means to fund its nuclear program.The top South Korean, U.S. and Japanese nuclear envoys met in Seoul on Friday in their first gathering in four months to discuss how to cope with North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal. The North’s recent weapons tests show it is intent on acquiring more advanced missiles designed to attack the U.S. and its allies, rather than returning to talks.Despite 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions and pandemic-related hardships that have worsened its economic and food problems, North Korea still devotes much of its scarce resources to its nuclear and missile programs. Contributing to financing its weapons program is also likely the North’s crypto hacking and other illicit cyber activities and the wages sent by North Korean workers remaining in Chin...

Kansas passes anti-ESG bill, but it’s milder than some want

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposal designed to thwart investing that considers environmental, social and governance factors has cleared the Kansas Legislature, but divisions within its GOP majorities kept the measure from being as strong as some conservatives wanted. Lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill that would prevent the state, its pension fund for teachers and government workers and its cities, counties and local school districts from using ESG principles in investing their funds or in awarding contracts. Such investment strategies have become the target of GOP lawmakers across the country who argue they are focused more on pushing political agendas rather than earning the best returns.At least seven states, including Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia, have enacted anti-ESG laws in the past two years. GOP Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Gianforte of Montana also have moved to ensure their states’ funds aren’t invested using ESG principles.Some conservatives lawmakers in Ka...

Filipinos to be nailed to crosses despite church objection

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) — At least 12 Filipinos are to be nailed to crosses to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a gory Good Friday tradition that is rejected by the Catholic church but draws huge crowds of devotees and tourists to the Philippines, an Asian bastion of Christianity.The real-life crucifixions in the farming village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga province north of Manila were resuming after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. At least 12 men would participate, including 62-year-old sign painter Ruben Enaje, who will be nailed to a wooden cross for the 34th time in Cutud and two other nearby villages, organizers said.Enaje said he would use his extraordinary penance, probably among his last because of his age, to pray for the eradication of the COVID-19 virus and the end of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has contributed to gas and food prices soaring worldwide.“I really want to retire from this because of my age, but let’s see if m...

Asian stocks follow Wall Street up ahead of US jobs update

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Friday ahead of a U.S. job market update that traders hope might encourage the Federal Reserve to ease off plans for more interest rate hikes.Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul gained. Hong Kong and Australian markets were closed for a holiday.Traders who worry higher interest rates might tip the global economy into recession looked ahead to U.S. government data that are expected to show the job market is cooling. They hope that might prompt the Fed to decide aggressive rate hikes are no longer needed to extinguish inflation.Other data have “confirmed a clear trend that a labor market slowdown has begun,” said Edward Moya of Oanda in a report.The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4% to 3,325.92 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced 0.2% to 27,512.81. The Kospi in Seoul rose 1.2% to 2,488.24.On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 rose 0.4% on Thursday to 4,105.02 after a U.S. government report showed fewer workers filed for u...

Are inflation pressures easing? Jobs report may offer clues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a year, the Federal Reserve’s inflation fighters have been tightening their grip on the American economy with nine straight interest rate hikes. A key goal has been to slow the sizzling pace of hiring to help cool price pressures.So far, the job market has refused to crack.Hiring was surprisingly robust in both January and February, confounding forecasters. The unemployment rate remains barely above half-century lows.The latest economic signs, though, increasingly suggest that an economic slowdown may be upon us. Employers are posting fewer job openings. More Americans are lining up for unemployment aid. Manufacturers are in retreat. America’s trade with the rest of the world is shrinking. And though restaurants, retailers and other services companies are still growing, they are doing so more slowly. “The economic data seem to show the economy slowing down dramatically in the first quarter of 2023, bolstering the hopes of Fed officials that less...

It’s “cooler near the lake” season — but 2023’s warmest weather yet builds in next week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

It's “cooler by the lake season” and this will be evident both Friday and Saturday where inland high temperature will be significantly milder than areas in close proximity to Lake Michigan.Friday afternoon temperature snapshot — 50s inland but low 40s near the lake. Saturday afternoon temperature snapshot — low 60s inland but only near 50 lakesideFULL-DAY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES FROM NORMALExtended spell of above normal temperatures begins on SaturdayDaytime high temps are predicted to surge to/above 70-degrees each day next week, making it the warmest run of weather here to date in 2023. It’s even conceivable a temperature could approach 80 in the area Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. The expansion of warm temps over a good swath of the country is reflected in the predicted percent of the Lower 48 which is to reach or exceed 70-degrees. 17% of the country is to do that Thursday down to 11% Friday. But warming begins for the Easter weekend with 21% of the country looking fo...

Down five starters, Nuggets fight but fall to full-strength Suns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

PHOENIX – Ish Smith looked up at Kevin Durant, not in awe of the size or talent discrepancy between the two, but eager to get on with the competition.Down all five starters due to various ailments, the Nuggets embodied Smith’s competitive ethos. In a game that didn’t mean much after the Nuggets sealed the No. 1 seed by virtue of another team’s loss, it meant a lot to those that played.And it wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter, when Durant and Chris Paul buried consecutive 3-pointers to seize momentum, that it finally felt like Phoenix, at full strength, had asserted itself. The Suns went on to win, 119-115, dropping Denver to 52-28 on the season with only two games left in the regular season.But Denver’s reserves (and on this night, starters) had made an impression. Bruce Brown bulldozed for 31 points, and Reggie Jackson added 20.While Nikola Jokic (calf), Jamal Murray (thumb), Michael Porter Jr. (heel), Aaron Gordon (shoulder) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sick) all sat, the N...

The money behind why CHSAA moved the state football championships to Canvas Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

On Thursday in Fort Collins, CHSAA announced the state championship football games for Class 5A and 4A are moving from Empower Field to Canvas Stadium starting this year and that the Class 3A title will also move there in 2024.In an interview with The Denver Post, CHSAA commissioner Michael Krueger said moving the games to Fort Collins was “a financially responsible decision for our membership.”“As we looked at all the factors as our lease expired with Empower Field, it would be unrealistic for us to not consider the financial implications that the move would have on CHSAA,” Krueger said. “This move will have a substantial impact relative to the association’s financial considerations.”Krueger declined to talk financial specifics, but revenue numbers from the history of “Championship Saturday” at Mile High provided to The Denver Post by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame indicates CHSAA’s earning potential off the games was li...

Crews knock down residential structure fire in Westlake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:49 GMT

Firefighters were battling a tree fire that spread to a two-story residential structure Thursday night in Westlake, authorities announced. Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the blaze, located in the 1500 block of West Cambria Street, just before 8:20 p.m. When firefighters arrived at the scene, heavy flames could be seen coming out of the structure’s attic, LAFD said. Additional firefighters were requested while crews were in defensive mode.  Aerial footage from Sky5 showed a large presence of firefighters on the scene, as well as Los Angeles police detaining a person for an unknown reason. Flames seen at a residential structure in Westlake on April 6, 2023. (Citizen App)Fire crews on the scene of a Westlake area residential structure fire on April 6, 2023. (KTLA)Flames and smoke seen coming from a residential structure blaze in Westlake on April 6, 2023. (KTLA)Officers with LAPD seen detaining a person for at the Westlake area fire for an unreason on...