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Brazil approves a major tax reform overhaul that Lula says will ‘facilitate investment’

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

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s lower house has approved a major reform of the nation’s notoriously complicated tax system in a major victory for leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who threw his weight behind the proposal.The long-awaited tax reform aims to simplify the system, widely considered overly burdensome for both individuals and businesses, and boost economic growth that has drifted between downturns and doldrums for the last decade.The reform will “facilitate investment,” tweeted Lula, who celebrated the proposal’s approval late Friday and thanked Congress.The reform — initially approved by deputies in July — had to be voted on again after the Senate made changes to the text before sending it back to the lower house.The constitutional amendment passed easily by greater than 3-to-1 margins in both rounds of voting. When results appeared on the giant television screen in Congress, lawmakers reacted with cheers and applause.“After more than 40 years, the country will...

UT Austin ranks in list of top universities shaping US leaders

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

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The University of Texas at Austin ranked in a list of universities producing the most powerful leaders in the United States. TIME Magazine and Statista took resumes from 2,000 top U.S. leaders and looked at where they earned their degrees. The study authors included politicians, CEOs, union leaders, Nobel winners and other esteemed positions across various industries in their analysis.   Report: UT Austin ranked 9th best public university in the nation Citing experts, Time said that it's not about whether these universities are better at teaching students to become leaders, but that alums from the university might be better poised for advanced opportunities. Additionally, the authors wrote that candidates with diplomas from elite universities may signal to employers they survived a grueling admissions process and are likely to be intelligent, making them stand out among other applicants. Unsurprisingly, Ivy League universities claimed several of the top t...

Another year of battling cedar

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

AUSTIN (KXAN) – We have reached the time of the year so many look forward to... and so many dread. Why? It's cedar fever season in Central Texas. Most cedar counts since the season started have been low. As of December 16, there has been just one day (December 9th) when the count reached the medium threshold.Meteorologist Rich Segal spoke with Dr. Amin Mery, an allergist with Hill County Allergy and Asthma, who suggested this could be another active season because of the ongoing drought. The warmer than normal temperatures also play a role in how this season will unfold.There are several over-the-counter medicines and eye drops that will help cedar sufferers during the season, one that peaks with abnormally high counts in late December and January. But for some, those OTC meds aren't enough. When that happens, Mery recommended seeing an allergists to help overcome the allergies and feel better. Sinus issues, skin issues, and allergic conjunctivitis (pink eye) are conditions that go ...

3 hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli troops had been holding a white flag, military official says

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

By JULIA FRANKEL, NAJIB JOBAIN and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)JERUSALEM (AP) — Three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly shot by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip had been waving a white flag and were shirtless when they were killed, military officials said Saturday, in Israel’s first such acknowledgement of harming any hostages in its war against Hamas.Anger over the mistaken killings is likely to increase pressure on the Israeli government to renew Qatar-mediated negotiations with Hamas over swapping more of the remaining captives, which Israel says number 129, for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Hamas has conditioned further releases on Israel halting its punishing air and ground campaign in Gaza, while Israeli leaders have said the hostages’ release can only be achieved through military pressure.The account of how the hostages died raised questions about the conduct of Israeli troops. Palestinians on several occasions have reported that Israeli soldiers opened fire as civil...

Teen killed, woman wounded in Sun Valley drive-by shooting

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

A 19-year-old man was killed and a 20-year-old woman wounded in a drive-by shooting during the early-morning hours in Sun Valley Saturday.Police say the victims were entering their vehicle around 1:20 a.m. in the 11100 block of Lorne Street when four male suspects approached in a vehicle. One of the males pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds at the victims before the suspect vehicle sped off in an unknown direction, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Arriving officers found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. Southern California repo man killed on the job, suspect at large The woman was hospitalized in stable condition. No descriptions of the suspects or the suspect vehicle were available.It was unclear if the shooting was gang-related.

LASD buyback event offers gift cards for guns, 'no questions asked'

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

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will be offering gift cards in exchange for unwanted guns Saturday. The gun buyback will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pico Rivera City Hall located at 6615 Passons Blvd., the Sheriff's Department posted on Instagram, adding that the event comes "just in time for the holidays!" Firearms must be unloaded and transported in the trunk of a vehicle. The Sheriff's Department will be giving $50 gift cards for non-working firearms or parts, $100 gift cards for working pistols, rifles and shotguns, $200 gift cards for ghost guns (guns with no serial numbers) and $300 gift cards for assault rifles (AR-15, AK-47, etc.) Kobe Bryant video helped bring Ohtani to Dodgers The Sheriff's Department says that 3D and homemade guns will be evaluated for value on the day of the event.

San Francisco homicide: Man shot in Oceanview

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

A man was fatally shot early Wednesday in San Francisco’s Oceanview neighborhood, police said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Bay Area homicides 2023: Map and details The shooting was reported at 2:39 a.m. near Plymouth and San Jose avenues. Officers found an unresponsive man with gunshot wounds. After attempts at resuscitation, he was pronounced dead at the scene.The medical examiner identified the man as Jorge Villagran, 48. No arrest has been made, and no suspect details have been released.

Four people, two dogs survive fire incident in Antioch

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

(BCN) -- Four people and two dogs survived a fire incident at a residential structure on St. Francis Drive in Antioch, fire officials said early Saturday morning.The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said on its social media account that three of the four adult persons and one of the dogs first escaped the second-alarm fire, and were uninjured. Martinez residents upset after another flaring incident at refinery The remaining person and dog were later rescued by fire crews and were transported for evaluation, it added.The cause of the blaze is under investigation.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

San Jose Chamber of Commerce names new CEO

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

(BCN) -- The San Jose Chamber of Commerce has selected Leah Toeniskoetter as its new president and CEO, the organization announced this week.Toeniskoetter is the founding director of public policy think tank SPUR San Jose, as well as a senior manager at Deloitte and daughter of prolific developer Chuck Toeniskoetter. New California laws bring changes to housing in 2024 She is the third CEO for the group in three years, in the wake of the chamber--formerly known as the Silicon Valley Organization--dissolving its political action committee and losing hundreds of members after it ran racist campaign ads in 2020."Leah Toeniskoetter has significant experience successfully launching new initiatives and organizations, shaping public policy, and fostering community impact, making her an exceptional choice to lead the Chamber into a new era," the chamber said in a statement.Toeniskoetter succeeds Derrick Seaver, the chamber's most recent CEO, who resigned in August."The Chamber of Commerce...

A Defense-Linked Contractor Took Over a Successful CDC Anti-Overdose Initiative. It Imploded in a Day.

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

A groundbreaking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiative to support harm-reduction groups across the country fell apart this month after the program came under the control of a federal contractor that has done no public health work for the government.The National Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Center, or TA Center, was founded in 2019 as a coalition of harm-reduction groups partnered with the CDC to offer training, funding, and guidance to those working to reduce overdose deaths. Its success rested on the deep experience and the trust community members had for the three main partner organizations, which included the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, or NASTAD; the National Harm Reduction Coalition, or NHRC; the University of Washington’s Supporting Harm Reduction Programs; and a handful of other groups.This month, the TA Center ceased functioning as it had for more than three years: Instead of a partnership, the project would be administer...