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Pressure rises on Israel to pause fighting and ease siege as battles intensify near Gaza City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

By NAJIB JOBAIN and KAREEM CHEHAYEB (Associated Press)DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops fought with Hamas on the edges of Gaza City on Thursday, as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9,000. With no end in sight after nearly four weeks of war, U.S. and Arab leaders raised pressure on Israel to ease its siege and at least briefly halt its attacks in order to aid civilians.U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading to the region for talks Friday in Israel and Jordan, after President Joe Biden suggested a humanitarian “pause” in the Gaza fighting to let in aid for Palestinians and let out foreign nationals.On Wednesday, an apparent agreement among the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, allowed hundreds of Palestinians with foreign passports and dozens of wounded to leave Gaza for the first time. Dozens more left on Thursday. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.Israel did ...

UAW members at the first Ford plant to go on strike overwhelmingly approve the new contract

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

By TOM KRISHER (AP Auto Writer)DETROIT (AP) — Autoworkers at the first Ford factory to go on strike have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a tentative contract agreement reached with the company. Members of Local 900 at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, west of Detroit voted 81% in favor of the four year-and-eight month deal, according to Facebook postings by local members on Thursday.Two union officials confirmed the accuracy of the percentage Thursday. Neither wanted to be identified because the vote totals had not been made public.About 3,300 United Auto Workers union members went on strike at the plant Sept. 15 after the union’s contract with Ford expired. They remained on the picket lines until Oct. 25, when the union announced the tentative deal with Ford.Production workers voted 81% to ratify the deal, while skilled trades workers voted 90% in favor. Voting at Ford will continue through Nov. 17. Local union leaders from across the country at Jeep make...

Minnesota justices appear skeptical that states should decide Trump’s eligibility for the ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO and NICHOLAS RICCARDI (Associated Press)ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Thursday that states have the authority to block former President Donald Trump from the ballot, with some suggesting that Congress is best positioned to decide whether his role in the January 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol should prevent him from running.Justices sharply questioned an attorney representing Minnesota voters who had sued to keep Trump off the state ballot under the rarely used “insurrection” clause of the U.S. Constitution. Citing Congress’ role in certifying presidential electors and its ability to impeach, several justices said it seemed as if questions of eligibility should be settled there.“And those all seem to suggest there is a fundamental role for Congress to play and not the states because of that,” Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson said. “It’s that interrelation that I think is...

Senate sidesteps Tuberville’s hold and confirms new Navy head, first female on Joint Chiefs of Staff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — HOLD FOR VOTE The Senate circumvented a hold by Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Thursday and confirmed Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, making her the first woman to be a Pentagon service chief and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Franchetti’s historic confirmation as the chief of naval operations comes as Tuberville has drawn bipartisan criticism for holding up almost 400 military nominations in an effort to protest Pentagon abortion policy. In a remarkable display, several Republican senators angrily held the floor for more than four hours on Wednesday evening and called up 61 of the nominations for votes, praising each nominee for their military service. Tuberville showed no signs of letting up, standing and objecting to each one. The Senate confirmed Franchetti with an overwhelming 95-1 vote. Senators are scheduled to confirm two other top officers on Thursday — Gen. David Allvin to be chief of staff of the U.S. Air ...

UN votes overwhelmingly to condemn US economic embargo on Cuba for 31st straight year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba for a 31st straight year.The vote on the resolution in the 193-member General Assembly tied the record for support for the Caribbean island nation: The vote was 187 in favor, with the United States and Israel opposed, and Ukraine abstaining.The “yes” vote was up from 185 last year and 184 in 2021, and tied the 2019 vote of 187.Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez urged the assembly before the vote to support “reason and justice,” the U.N. Charter and international law, and declared: “Let Cuba live without the blockade!”He said the U.S. embargo “constitutes a crime of genocide” and “an act of economic warfare during times of peace” aimed at weakening Cuba’s economic life, leaving its people hungry and desperate, and overthrowing the government.General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding and are unenforceable, but they reflect world opinion and the ...

The average long-term US mortgage rate slips to 7.76% in first drop after climbing 7 weeks in a row

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell slightly this week, ending a seven-week climb — modest relief for prospective homebuyers grappling with an increasingly unaffordable housing market.The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell to 7.76% from 7.79% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.95%.“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage paused its multi-week climb but continues to hover under 8%,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loan, held steady. The average rate was unchanged from last week at 7.03%. A year ago, it averaged 6.29%, Freddie Mac said.High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford in a market already out of reach for many Americans. They also discourage homeowners who locked in rock-bottom rates in recent years from se...

Investigators focus on railway inspection practices after fatal Colorado train derailment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

An investigation into a Colorado coal train derailment and bridge collapse that killed a truck driver is focused on whether inspection and maintenance practices at BNSF Railway contributed to the accident, federal officials said Thursday.The steel bridge built in 1958 collapsed onto Interstate 25 Oct 15, when a broken rail caused 30 cars from a BNSF Railway train hauling coal to derail, the National Transportation Safety Board said based on preliminary findings.The accident just north of the city of Pueblo closed the main north-south highway through Colorado for four days while crews cleared hundreds of tons of coal and mangled railcars.Killed in the accident was Lafollette Henderson, 60, of Compton, California, who had been driving under the bridge.Broken rails and other track problems are a leading cause of derailments, according to federal accident data.The BNSF train was travelling about 32 mph (52 kph) — below the 45 mph (72 kph) limit for the area, the NTSB said.BNSF has said ...

Hold the olive oil! Prices of some basic European foodstuffs keep skyrocketing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — These days, think twice before you lavishly ladle olive oil onto your pasta, salad or crusty bread. Olive oil, a daily staple of Mediterranean cuisine and the life of many a salad throughout Europe, is experiencing a staggering rise in price. It’s a prime example of how food still outruns overall inflation in the European Union.Olive oil has increased by about 75% since January 2021, dwarfing overall annual inflation that has already been considered unusually high over the past few years and even stood at 11.5% in October last year. And much of the food inflation has come over the past two years alone.In Spain, the world’s biggest olive oil producer, prices jumped 53% in August compared to the previous year and a massive 115% since August 2021.Apart from olive oil, “potato prices were also on a staggering rise,” according to EU statistical agency Eurostat. “Since January 2021, prices for potatoes increased by 53% in September 2023.And if high- and m...

Trial testimony reveals gambling giant Bally’s paid $60 million to take over Trump’s NYC golf course

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Gaming giant Bally’s paid $60 million to buy the right to operate a public golf course in New York City from Donald Trump’s company, the former president’s namesake son testified Thursday.The terms of the lease transfer on the former Trump Golf Links Ferry Point hadn’t been disclosed when the deal became public earlier this year. But the price emerged as Donald Trump Jr. was questioned on the witness stand Thursday at the civil fraud trial that’s delving into the ex-president’s finances and the family business’ dealings.Trump Jr. said the sales price was $60 million, but the Trump Organization had incurred “a lot of costs” over the years, so he wasn’t sure of the net profit.The Trump Organization managed the 18-hole course, which is visible from the Whitestone Bridge and boasts views of the Manhattan skyline, from 2015 until this year. It’s now called Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point.A phone message left with a B...

Japan’s prime minister announces $113 billion in stimulus spending

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:17 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Thursday a stimulus package of more than 17 trillion yen ($113 billion) that includes tax breaks and benefits for low-income households, a plan criticized by some observers as populist spending that would worsen Japan’s national debt. Kishida said his priorities are to overcome deflation and to put the economy on a growth track. Tax revenues will increase only when the economy grows and lead to fiscal health, he told a news conference, explaining the package endorsed by his Cabinet earlier in the day.The government will fund the spending by compiling a supplementary budget of 13.1 trillion yen ($87 billion) for the current fiscal year.“Japan’s economy is now on the brink of exiting from deflation. It would be more difficult to do so if we miss out this chance, ” he said. “I’m determined to boost the disposable income, to lead to expanded growth and to create a virtuous cycle.”Pay hikes have yet to outpace inflation, Kishid...