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Jim Jordan to endorse empowering McHenry as temporary Speaker

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will back a resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) as he continues to work to shore up support for his Speaker bid, according to a source familiar.The move comes after Jordan failed on two ballots to get the 217 votes he needed to win the gavel and opponents were promising greater resistance.But it’s unclear whether a vote to empower McHenry will pass muster on the House floor. While the push to expand McHenry’s power has been growing this week, several conservative Republicans on Thursday came out strongly against doing so. Whether Jordan’s endorsement of the idea moves them — and whether Democrats may be willing to make up for any GOP defections — remains the key question.The resolution would broadly grant McHenry the same powers as an elected Speaker, but it would only leave him in the role until January, and he would not be in the line of presidential succession.  Jordan is not dropping out of the race and will remain the...

Suspected Santa Rosa fentanyl dealer arrested after search warrant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

(KRON) -- A convicted felon was arrested Tuesday in Santa Rosa after a police investigation into a suspected dealer distributing counterfeit Xanax pills in the city, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department. The pills were suspected to be fentanyl.Authorities identified the suspect as Felix Miguel Alvarado, 35, of Santa Rosa. Alvarado was driving on the 1000 block of Nasan Street at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday when he was stopped under a search warrant and detained. Santa Rosa PD detectives found approximately 45 counterfeit Xanax pills suspected to be fentanyl in the vehicle, police said.A search warrant was later executed at Alvarado’s residence on the 400 block of Beaver Street. There, SRPD said detectives found another 250 counterfeit Xanax pills, 14 grams of suspected cocaine, packaging materials, a digital scale and a loaded 44 magnum revolver. Cyclists killed in Napa identified as visitors from Oregon As a convicted felon, Alvarado is prohibited from having firearms or ammunitio...

Slovakia president rejects nomination of opponent of climate change policy as environment minister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s president announced Thursday that she is postponing the appointment of a new Cabinet following last month’s parliamentary election because she cannot accept the nomination of a person who doesn’t believe in the threat of climate change as environment minister.Liberal President Zuzana Caputova said Rudolf Huliak, who was nominated by the ultranationalist and pro-Russian Slovak National Party, could not ensure the proper functioning of the ministry because he opposes the government’s long-term environmental policies and Slovakia’s international obligations.“A candidate who has not recognized the scientific consensus on climate change and asserts no real climate crisis exists cannot be in charge and represent a ministry whose main role is the protection of nature, landscape and the Earth’s climate system,” Caputova said in a statement.She also mentioned Huliak’s advocacy of violence against environmentalists as a reason not to sw...

In high-stakes election for control of Virginia General Assembly, what role will Northern Virginia play?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

With just a few weeks to go, the high-stakes election that will decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the Virginia General Assembly, remains basically a dead heat.Heading into Election Day on Nov. 7, Republicans hold a narrow majority in the 100-seat House of Delegates (50-46, with four vacancies) and Democrats maintain a similarly narrow majority in the 40-seat State Senate (22-18).Every seat is on the ballot — and polls show the end result is up for grabs by either party.“What you see across the commonwealth is really very much a 50-50 contest,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, and a longtime Virginia state politics watcher.Virginia voter guide: What you need to know for the 2023 general electionIn Virginia, with so many districts falling into either solidly-blue Democratic or reliably-red Republican territory, there are only a handful of tossup seats in both the House and the Senate across the entire sta...

After scoring goals for France, Kylian Mbappé needs to start scoring again for PSG

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

PARIS (AP) — After scoring goals for France in European Championship qualifying, Kylian Mbappé needs to start scoring again for Paris Saint-Germain.Mbappé’s three goals in qualifying this month came against the Netherlands and Scotland, and they helped Les Bleus clinch a spot at Euro 2024. Those goals brought him to 43 for the national team at the age of only 24. That’s already two more than France great Michel Platini, with only Olivier Giroud (54), Thierry Henry (51) and Antoine Griezmann (44) left ahead of him.But after scoring eight goals in his first five games for PSG this season, Mbappé has not found the net in the past four. He was ineffective, too, when PSG lost to Newcastle 4-1 in the Champions League two weeks ago.PSG coach Luis Enrique might choose to rest Mbappé in the French league on Saturday against Strasbourg because the club has a big game against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.But with PSG in third place and two points behind leader Mona...

Union Pacific railroad’s quarterly profit falls 19% as volumes slow and costs remain high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific’s third-quarter profit fell 19% as the railroad hauled fewer shipments and costs remained high, but the average speed of its trains improved 5% as new CEO Jim Vena began to tweak the operations.The Omaha, Nebraska, railroad earned $1.53 billion, or $2.51 per share, during the quarter, That’s down from $1.9 billion, or $3.05 per share. But it tops the per-share earnings of $2.42 that Wall Street was expecting, according to a survey of analysts by FactSet Research.The number of shipments Union Pacific delivered slipped 3% in the quarter, and while costs improved about 4% they remained elevated at $3.76 billion.The railroad’s revenue slipped 10% to $5.9 billion because of the lower volume and the lag between when fuel prices increase and when Union Pacific’s fuel surcharge kicks in.“We faced many challenges in the quarter, including continued inflationary pressures and a drop in carloads,” said Vena, who took the job in August. But the avera...

No. 13 Ole Miss visits Auburn team seeking first SEC win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

No. 13 Mississippi (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-3, 0-3), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).Line: Ole Miss by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Auburn leads 35-11.WHAT’S AT STAKE?The Rebels are seeking to stay in SEC West contention and going for their third straight division win since a loss to leader Alabama. Ole Miss had an open date after a 27-20 win over Arkansas. The offensively challenged Tigers are still seeking their first SEC win and trying to stay in the hunt for bowl eligibility. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze spent five seasons as the Rebels coach. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin flirted with the Auburn job before Freeze landed it.KEY MATCHUPMost of the attention goes to the Ole Miss offense, but the defense appears to have a solid mismatch against Auburn. The Tigers are last in the league in scoring offense (27.7 points per game) and passing offense (155.8 yards per game) and 13th in total offense (347 ypg). The Rebels defense, led by safety Trey Washington and pass-ru...

FDA proposes ban on this type of hair straightener

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

Hair straighteners and hair smoothing products are often marketed for and used by Black women. But the Food and Drug Administration plans to ban hair straighteners that release formaldehyde gas — a chemical that can cause uterine cancer.Clinton Jones, owner of the Magnum Opus salon in North Arlington, Virginia, told WTOP he plans to stop using these types of straighteners. His staff is eager to style hair another way.“We’re always thinking about ways that we can alter, change and shape,” Jones said. “Hair is a woman’s No. 1 accessory.”Jones should know — he’s been a hairstylist for nearly 30 years. So when hair straighteners and smoothing products hit the market, he said it changed the game.“It changed a lot of people’s lives because it really answered the question of, ‘How can I get rid of my frizzy hair if I live in humid climates?'” Jones said.But Jones had no idea formaldehyde used in these chemical products could...

Home sales fell again in September as surging mortgage rates, rising prices discouraged homebuyers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes in September fell for the fourth month in a row, grinding to their slowest pace in more than a decade as prospective homebuyers grapple with surging mortgage rates and a near historic-low level of properties on the market.Existing home sales fell 2% last month from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.96 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s just above the 3.9 million unit pace that economists were expecting, according to FactSet. But it’s the slowest sales pace since October 2010, when the market was still choked by foreclosures following the housing bust several years earlier. Sales sank 15.4% compared with the same month last year and are down 21% through the first nine months of the year versus the same period in 2022.Despite the housing market slump, home prices kept climbing versus a year ago. The national median sales price rose 2.8% from September last year to $394,300....

Man United midfielder Casemiro will miss the team’s next Premier League match because of injury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:52 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United midfielder Casemiro will miss Saturday’s Premier League game against Sheffield United because of injury, the club said Thursday.The Brazil international has remained in his home country to recover from what has been described as a “small issue” while playing for his national team in World Cup qualifying against Venezuela and Uruguay.United said the decision to stay in Brazil was based on the club’s advice “to recover as swiftly as possible.”Casemiro has endured a difficult start to the season and was sent off after conceding a penalty in United’s 3-2 Champions League loss against Galatasaray at the start of the month. He was then substituted at halftime of the following match — a 2-1 win over Brentford — after his error led to a goal for Mathias Jensen.United said Casemiro, who is suspended for Tuesday’s Champions League game against Copenhagen, is expected to be back at the club’s training center early next ...