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Biden: Debt meeting ‘productive,’ default ‘not an option’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

By ZEKE MILLER, SEUNG MIN KIM, JOSH BOAK and LISA MASCARO (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said he and congressional leaders had a “productive” meeting Tuesday on trying to raise the nation’s debt limit though no agreement was reached, and they will meet again Friday to try to avert the risk in weeks of an unprecedented government default.Speaking at the White House, Biden declared, “Default is not an option.”Lawmakers and their staffs were to hold meetings as soon as Tuesday evening on government spending, as Biden said he was willing to engage in debate on lowering the deficit, but only if the government’s full faith and credit was assured.“I told congressional leaders that I’m prepared to begin a separate discussion about my budget, spending priorities, but not under the threat of default,” Biden said.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) — Pre...

The Orioles’ top prospects are climbing rankings. GM Mike Elias says some could soon climb to the majors.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

The Orioles’ young core has led them to a strong start. There remains the potential for more youth to join in.Speaking with local reporters for the first time since the end of spring training, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said he was pleased with the 22-13 record the Orioles took into Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, adding, “I think we can get better, too.” He largely expects those improvements to be in the form of steps forward from players currently on the roster, but the ascension of more prospects from the club’s top-ranked farm system would also add talent.Eight of the organization’s players landed in Baseball America’s latest list of the game’s top 100 prospects, and six of them are in Triple-A or the majors. That group doesn’t even include Gunnar Henderson, who opened the year as baseball’s unanimous No. 1 prospect but has since graduated from that status because of his time with...

Yankees Notebook: Aaron Boone managing against future family with A’s in town

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

Nick Allen knew his on-field accomplishments weren’t going to woo his future fiancée when the two first met.“When Savannah and I were talking, I didn’t even say one word about baseball,” the A’s shortstop told the Daily News. “I knew nothing I could say about baseball would ever impress her.”With the last name Boone, Savannah has seen plenty of high-level baseball in her life. She’s the daughter of Bret, a former All-Star with the Reds and Mariners. And Bret is the brother of Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who enjoyed his own playing career. Their father, Bob, and grandfather, Ray, both played in the majors. Ray began his career in 1948, thus jumpstarting a long run of major league success for the Boone family.Allen doesn’t share that name, but with him and Savannah set to marry after the season, he’s honored to be part of the baseball-centric family.“The family’s just got so much history,” Allen said. ...

Ticker: Seafood business faces discrimination claim; Mattress giants merge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

An immigrant worker has filed a complaint with the state against a seafood business she says subjected her to years of sexual harassment and racial discrimination on the job.The worker, Paula Fortes, is a Black woman who immigrated to the U.S. from Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa. She filed an amended version of her complaint against Eastern Fisheries, a New Bedford seafood harvester and distributor, with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.Fortes said she endured repeated and persistent sexual and racial comments while working, including disparaging comments about her hair texture, such as another worker calling her “broom hair.” She said she was also subjected to unwanted touching while working. Fortes agreed through an attorney to be identified by name.Representatives for Eastern Fisheries and BJ’s Service Co. did not respond to requests for comment about the complaint.Mattress giants mergeBedding provider Tempur Sealy h...

McCarthy: No movement on debt ceiling  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday after meeting with President Joe Biden and Democratic congressional leaders that he “didn’t see any new movement” toward ending a months-long impasse over raising the nation’s borrowing limit. But he said they would reconvene Friday in hopes of averting a potential U.S. default by the federal government.Lawmakers and their staffs were to continue separate discussions as soon as Tuesday evening on the annual federal budget at Biden’s encouragement, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said, as Democrats signaled openness to some spending cuts as long as they were disconnected from the threat of default.“I asked the president this simple question, Does he not believe there’s any place we could find savings,” McCarthy told reporters outside the White House. “All I’m asking is that we spend the amount of money we spent five months ago.”The high-stakes Oval Off...

Orioles prospect Jackson Holliday adjusting to High-A Aberdeen with new goals: ‘I feel like I’m in a good spot’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

Jackson Holliday remembers being on the bus ride home from Fredericksburg, Virginia, after playing his last series with the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds. His father, a seven-time MLB All-Star, texted him asking for an update if he had been called up yet. “Not yet,” he replied.But when the bus arrived later that night on April 23, last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick got the call that he would be promoted to High-A Aberdeen.“It was cool,” Holliday said. “I guess he had a good sense for that. They were all excited.”Holliday joined the IronBirds for a road trip that lasted the next two weeks and is finally set to make his Aberdeen debut at Ripken Stadium against the Winston-Salem Dash on Tuesday night.Through those first 10 road games at the new level, Holliday, the Orioles’ top prospect still in the minor leagues, is slashing .297/.435/.459 with an .894 OPS. He has walked nine times and struck out 10.For Holliday, the transition boils down ...

FTX founder wants indictment thrown out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

NEW YORK — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sought a dismissal of criminal charges against him in a court filing, saying prosecutors have improperly made federal crimes out of civil and regulatory issues that resulted from an industrywide collapse of cryptocurrency markets dubbed the “crypto winter.”Lawyers for the onetime head of a multibillion dollar cryptocurrency exchange said in papers in Manhattan federal court that the U.S. government had a “dramatic — and troubling” response to a broad market crash in cryptocurrency last year that affected every corner of the market.They said Bankman-Fried’s non-U.S. FTX company lasted far longer than others in the industry before it entered bankruptcy in November when the global exchange ran out of money after the equivalent of a bank run. A trial is tentatively set for the fall.Prosecutors alleged in December that Bankman-Fried cheated investors and looted customer deposits on FTX to make lavish real estate purch...

Tucker Carlson to launch new show on Twitter; ‘See you soon’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

On a raucous day in politics, Tucker Carlson added more fuel to the 2024 election fire by announcing he’s no longer going to remain on the sidelines.The ousted Fox News host said he’s launching a show on Twitter.“Twitter has long served as the place where our national conversation incubates and develops. Twitter is not a partisan site. Everybody is allowed here and we think that’s a good thing,” Carlson said in a video on his Twitter feed.“Starting soon we will be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” he added @TuckerCarlson. “See you soon.”This is a major coup for Elon Musk, who is struggling to keep Twitter relevant after buying it for $44 billion in October.Musk didn’t have much to say, yet, about Carlson’s show. He did agree with another Twitter commenter who pointed out the social media platform has become “the world’s number-one podca...

Remains of Sober Grid app founder identified in California

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Human remains found last month in Southern California have been identified as those of the Sober Grid app founder who disappeared in 2021, authorities said.The remains of Beau Mann were found on April 25 in the courtyard of an abandoned property in Santa Monica and were identified by the Los Angeles County coroner on May 6, the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement Monday.The coroner’s office was trying to determine the cause of death, police said.Sober Grid is a social media-style app that provides peer support coaching, an online community and other resources to people in recovery from addition. It was founded in 2015.“Simply put — Beau was our light,” Sober Grid said in a statement. “After an experience in his early years with drugs and addiction, he turned his focus and passion towards helping others.” Mann was 39 when he was last heard from on Nov. 30, 2021, after he got into an Uber near Sober Grid’s Los Angeles office, acco...

4 staff leave Indianapolis-area school where kid ate vomit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:48 GMT

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (AP) — Four staff members at a suburban Indianapolis school have been fired or have submitted their resignations after a 7-year-old special education student was told to eat his own vomit.The board of the Brownsburg Community School Corp. approved the actions Monday night for the staff at Brown Elementary School.They are among five staff members the Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office has charged with neglect or failure to report neglect after the February incident. The fifth, a behavioral technician, works for an outside agency and cannot be disciplined by the school district.A sixth staffer who does not face charges but who the school district said also did not report the incident, also has submitted a letter of resignation. That letter was not received in time to be acted upon during Monday’s meeting and will be discussed at a June board meeting.A teacher and an instructional aide at the school were charged with neglect. They as well as a second teacher, a secon...