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Biden decides to keep Space Command in Colorado, rejecting move to Alabama

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama. The choice ended months of thorny deliberations, but an Alabama lawmaker vowed to fight on.U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of Biden’s rationale for the decision.In announcing the plans, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the decision was based on an “objective and deliberate process informed by dat...

Trucking giant Yellow Corp. filing bankruptcy, union says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

NEW YORK — Troubled trucking company Yellow Corp. is shutting down and headed for a bankruptcy, the Teamsters said Monday.An official bankruptcy filing is expected any day for Yellow, after years of financial struggles and growing debt. Its expected liquidation would mark a significant shift for the U.S. transportation industry and shippers nationwide.“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said, in an announcement saying the union had been served with legal notice for the bankruptcy filing. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.”Yellow did not have a comment when reached by The Associated Press Monday. As of Monday afternoon, no bankruptcy filings from the company could be found on th...

Ticker: Gas prices spike 10 cents in a week; Mega Millions jackpot grows pas $1B

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

Gas prices jumped a dime in Massachusetts during the past week, driven higher by increases in the price of oil, experts say.The average price at the pump hit $3.67 in the latest survey, according to AAA, a full ten cents higher than a week ago and 12 cents higher than a month ago,“Gas demand, meaning people fueling up, remains tepid. It’s lower now than at this time last year and in 2021,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast’s Vice President of Public and Government Affairs. “But while the heat may be keeping some folks home, it also suppresses refinery production, according to experts. Constrained supplies and a higher cost of oil are tipping the balance toward rising pump prices for now.”Gas prices in Massachusetts remain lower than the national average, which hit $3.75 in the most recent survey. The national average jumped 16 cents in the last week, according to AAA.Fuel prices are still lower than last year, however. The price at the pump on July 31, 2022 was $4.47, 90 cents higher...

Man wanted for fatally striking boy in Hyde Park has turned himself in: Boston Police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

The man who was wanted in connection with fatally striking a 4-year-old boy in Hyde Park and then leaving the scene of the crash has turned himself in, according to Boston Police and the Suffolk County district attorney.Olguens Joseph has been wanted on a warrant out of West Roxbury District Court for: motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation; leaving the scene of personal injury and death; and operation of an unregistered/uninsured motor vehicle.Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden during a Monday evening National Night Out stop in Hyde Park thanked the community for its help in this investigation, which led to the arrest on Monday.“It also happened as a result of some incredible police work… and incredible work by prosecutors in my office as well,” Hayden said.Police responded to the fatal hit-and-run on Tuesday, July 18, in the area of 165 Wood Ave., in Hyde Park.Officers at around 9:30 p.m., responded to a report of a child struck by a motor vehicle. Upon arrival, offi...

Patriots training camp Day 6: ‘D’ makes goal-line stand, Rhamondre Stevenson receives rest day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

FOXBORO — Bill Belichick huddled the Patriots around him near the end of practice late Monday morning. He delivered a simple message.Be physical, but stay on your feet. Let’s get out of here without anyone getting hurt.The injury bug had already bitten the Pats throughout their first padded practice of the summer, temporarily taking out left guard Cole Strange, his backup, Chasen Hines, one tight end and a defensive back. The next few minutes of low red-zone plays followed by goal-line work would bring increased injury risk. The live goal-line period would also be a first at Patriots training camp in two years, another change against the backdrop of a lost 2022 season.Moments later, the ball was placed inside the 2-yard line. Game on.Surrounded by two tight ends, an extra offensive lineman and a couple backs, Mac Jones turned right from under center and into a hand-off. First came newly converted fullback Jahlani Tavai, then Kevin Harris, a bowling ball of a runner at 5-foot-9...

Lithium Americas shareholders approve split between U.S. and Argentina businesses

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

VANCOUVER — Lithium Americas Corp. says shareholders have approved its split into two companies. The Vancouver-based company says shareholders voted in favour of separating the company into two entities: Lithium Americas (Argentina) Corp., and a new Lithium Americas Corp. President and CEO Jonathan Evans says the Lithium Argentina team will advance the Cauchari-Oloroz project, while the Lithium Americas team will advance the Thacker Pass project. The separation is targeted to become effective this October, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions. In January, General Motors Co. signed a deal to invest US$650 million in the company to give the automaker access to production from the Thacker Pass project in Nevada. The first tranche of the deal was worth US$320 million for a 9.999-per-cent stake in the company, and the second half of the investment, in the company’s U.S. business, was to follow the separation of its U.S. and Argentine businesses. This report by The...

Missouri governor rejects mercy plea from man set to be executed for killing 6-year-old girl

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday that the state will proceed with this week’s planned execution of a man who abducted and killed a 6-year-old girl nearly two decades ago, though the man’s attorneys are still pressing claims he is mentally incompetent. Johnny Johnson, 45, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday evening for the July 26, 2022, fatal beating of Casey Williamson in her St. Louis County hometown of Valley Park. Johnson’s attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution. They also asked that Parson grant clemency — reducing Johnson’s sentence to life in prison — while asserting that Johnson’s mental illness has left him incapable of understanding the connection between his actions and his execution. Parson denied the clemency request. He noted that a variety of courts — including the original trial judge and 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just days ago — have thus far rejected John...

Trump’s early work to set rules for nominating contest notches big win in delegate-rich California

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

Donald Trump has scored a major victory in his efforts to reshape the mosaic of state Republican Party rules that determine the GOP presidential nominee.The California Republican Party over the weekend voted overwhelmingly to approve a plan to award all of their 169 presidential delegates to a candidate that wins a majority of the vote in the state’s March 5 primary. That’s a hurdle that Trump, who remains popular in the party and is the early frontrunner in the crowded 2024 GOP field, could clear. If no candidate wins more than 50%-plus-one in California’s Super Tuesday primary, then the delegates will be awarded to candidates based on their share of the vote. The rule change passed on a 53-16 vote Saturday by the California GOP’s Executive Committee is much more favorable to a frontrunner than a proposal that the party was considering a few weeks ago.Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung called it “a humiliating defeat” for Trump’s strongest rival, Florida Go...

A timeline of events leading up to the new tentative B.C. port deal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

VANCOUVER — The union representing about 7,400 port workers in British Columbia and the association of employers have announced a new tentative agreement to end their long-running dispute over a collective agreement.Here is a timeline of events leading up to the new deal.2022Nov. 30: The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association provides notice to commence collective bargaining to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada.2023Feb. 16: Negotiations begin.March 20: The ILWU serves a notice of dispute to the federal government, signalling an impasse, and requests the appointment of a conciliation officer.March 29: Talks enter a 60-day conciliation period.March 31: The existing collective agreement between the BCMEA and the ILWU expires.May 30: Conciliation ends. Talks enter a cooling-off period of 21 days.June 5: The ILWU’s negotiating committee authorizes a strike vote to be conducted on June 9 and 10.June 12: The ILWU says members voted 99.24 per cent in favo...

Skilling: Sunny, warm before clouds arrive Tuesday night

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:32 GMT

July 2023—the 7th wettest July of the past 153 years with nearly half its days reporting rainfall—closes on a GORGEOUS NOTE Monday. The high temp is likely to end up 83-deg after a morning low of 64.  Humidities and dew points have been eminently comfortable.July rainfall comes in at 7.61"--more than twice normal at O'Hare and 3.90" above the normal of 3.71". But the 11.13" at Midway was a new record for the South Side site where the observational record goes back to 1928.  That tally beat the previous July rain record of 10.29" recorded in 1996 by a wide margin.Now we head into August—a month which ranks the 2nd warmest and 2nd wettest month of the year.  A typical August sees normal temps start at 84/67 and cool modestly to 80/63 as daylight continues its slow seasonal decline.Chicagoans have watched as the city has lost 47 minutes of its possible daily sunshine since our longest day (and first day of astronomical summer) back on June 21st.  July 31st ends up with 2 minu...