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Raimondo: China ‘uninvestable’ without change 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

SHANGHAI — Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo  said she warned Chinese leaders that U.S. businesses might stop investing in their country without prompt action to address complaints about worsening conditions due to raids on firms, unexplained fines and unpredictable official behavior.Raimondo’s comments Wednesday add to pressure on Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government, which is trying to revive investor interest and reverse an economic slump. Business groups say confidence among foreign companies is at an all-time low. Official figures show foreign investment plunged in the latest quarter.Raimondo visited Beijing as part of U.S. efforts to restore relations that plummeted to their lowest level in decades due to disputes about technology, security, Taiwan and other issues.She called her meetings with China’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, and other officials “very productive” but said she “didn’t pull any punches” in conveying busines...

Red Sox notebook: Despite strong numbers, Rafael Devers has been ‘off’ all season

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

By normal standards, Rafael Devers is having a terrific season.Entering Wednesday Devers was batting .269 with 29 home runs, 88 RBI, 28 doubles and an .853 OPS, putting him on pace to comfortably top 30 home runs and 100 RBI for the third time in his career. He’s also third on the team in wins above replacement (3.0), leads the team in total bases (244), and ranks seventh in baseball for OPS among qualifying players age 26 and under.Most players would kill to put up numbers like that, yet by Devers’ standards this season has often felt a tad underwhelming.Devers’ season has been defined by a series of peaks and valleys, with brief explosions of production interspersed around longer offensive droughts. He hit three home runs total in the month of May after hitting 10 in April, went homerless for 16 straight games between May 20 and June 8 and more recently hit just one over 17 games between July 28 and Aug. 16.His on-base percentage also lingered south of .300 throu...

Ticker: Economic growth revised downward; Biden tweak would up overtime eligibility 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.1% annual pace from April through June the government said Wednesday in a downward revision from its initial estimate.The government had previously estimated that the economy expanded at a 2.4% annual rate last quarter.The Commerce Department’s second estimate of growth last quarter marked a slight acceleration from a 2% annual growth rate from January through March.Though the economy has been slowed by the Federal Reserve’s strenuous drive to tame inflation with interest rate hikes, it has managed to keep expanding, with employers still hiring and consumers still spending.Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of the U.S. economy, rose at a 1.7% annual pace in the April-June quarter — a decent gain, though down from 4.2% in the first three months of 2023.Biden tweak would up overtime eligibilityThe Biden administration is proposing a new rule that would make 3.6 million more U.S. workers eligible for overtime pay, reviving an Ob...

Man killed in stabbing near McDonald's

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A man was killed Wednesday in a stabbing near a McDonald's in the Midway District, San Diego police said.According to SDPD, police received a report of a stabbing around 11:25 a.m. at the McDonald's located at 3805 Midway Drive.Upon arrival, officers found a man in the parking lot with at least one stab wound, police said. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Brother of Encanto shooting suspect talks to FOX 5 During their preliminary investigation, police learned that a man pulled up in a vehicle, possibly a white or light-colored minivan, and chased the victim down and stabbed him, Lt. Jud Campbell said.According to police, the suspect was last seen driving westbound on Midway Drive. The identity of the victim has not yet been publicly released. He was described as a man in his 30s by police.The incident is under investigation and homicide detectives were on scene to search for physical evidence, potential victims and nea...

Community reacts with Etobicoke batting cages, go-kart track to close in November

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

A popular park in Etobicoke is on the verge of a significant makeover.A section of Centennial Park has been attracting residents for years due to its go-kart track and historic batting cages. The buzz of activity along the go-kart track and the excitement seen on children’s faces indicate how precious this place has been to Etobicoke and locals.The private owners of public lands have been informed it’s time to hit the brakes to make room for other amenities as part of a new “Centennial Park Master Plan,” which the city updated in 2021. It’s described as implementing park improvements in a phased approach.The batting cages and beach volleyball courts will soon make way for a larger baseball complex with four fields, while the small ski hills nearby will be transformed into hiking and skating trails. Indigenous elements will also be incorporated into the outdoor spaces alongside new playgrounds.The proposed facilities include a cricket pitch, multi-use an...

Kansas reporter files federal lawsuit against police chief who raided her newspaper’s office

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

One of the reporters who works at the small Kansas newspaper that was raided by authorities earlier this month filed a federal lawsuit against the police chief Wednesday.Deb Gruver believes Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody violated her constitutional rights when he abruptly snatched her personal cellphone out of her hands during a search where officers also seized computers from the Marion County Record’s office, according to the lawsuit. That Aug. 11 search and two others conducted at the homes of the newspaper’s publisher and a City Council member have thrust the town into the center of a debate over the press protections in the First Amendment.Cody didn’t immediately respond to an email or text message from The Associated Press on Wednesday seeking comment. He has said little publicly since the raids. In court documents he filed to get the search warrants, he argued that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and City Council member Ruth Herbel, whose hom...

Hurricane Idalia hits Florida with 125 mph winds, flooding streets, snapping trees and cutting power

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia tore into Florida at the speed of a fast-moving train Wednesday, splitting trees in half, ripping roofs off hotels and turning small cars into boats before sweeping into Georgia as a still-powerful storm that flooded roadways and sent residents running for higher ground. “All hell broke loose,” said Belond Thomas of Perry, a mill town located just inland from the Big Bend region where Idalia came ashore. Thomas fled with her family and some friends to a motel, thinking it would be safer than riding out the storm at home. But as Idalia’s eye passed over about 8:30 a.m., a loud whistling noise pierced the air and the high winds ripped the building’s roof off, sending debris down on her pregnant daughter, who was lying in bed. Fortunately, she was not injured.“It was frightening,” Thomas said. “Things were just going so fast. … Everything was spinning.”After coming ashore, Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach at 7:45 a.m. as...

Less than one in five federally funded EV charging stations are operational: new data

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

OTTAWA — Two different federal infrastructure programs have provided funding for more than 43,000 electric vehicle chargers since 2016, but fewer than one in five of them are actually operational, new data show.The information provided by Natural Resources Canada came as Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson visited Quebec City Wednesday to announce another $25 million to fund 1,500 EV chargers in Quebec.That announcement is the latest in a constant stream of EV charging announcements in local communities across Canada, as the government aims to help build 84,500 chargers by 2029.Natural Resources Canada launched an initial program to fund up to half the cost of installing public fast EV chargers, natural gas stations and hydrogen refuelling centres in 2016. Three years later, it introduced a second program expanding the scope to include additional types of chargers.Data supplied by the department upon request say 43,046 chargers have been funded through both programs, but only 7,644 a...

Sauce Gardner voted top cornerback by panel of AP Pro Football Writers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner piled up plenty of awards in an impressive rookie season for the New York Jets.Gardner became the first rookie cornerback to earn All-Pro honors in 41 years. He was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He even had a sauce named after him by Buffalo Wild Wings.Gardner, who was named the NFL’s top cornerback by The Associated Press, is striving to be even better this season.“Everything I did already, I gotta put more work into it,” Gardner said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. “There’s going to be somebody working as hard as I worked last year. I have to take it to the next level.”A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at cornerback, making their selections based on current status entering the 2023 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points. Gardner got six first-place votes. Patrick Surtain II, Jalen Ramsey and Jaire Alexander received the other three. 1. SAUCE GARD...

Justin Jefferson selected top wide receiver by panel of AP Pro Football Writers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:24 GMT

Justin Jefferson has been setting records and terrifying defenses since the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.The All-Pro wide receiver already broke four franchise records, including surpassing Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Randy Moss for receptions and yards in a single season. He not only holds the NFL record for most 100-yard receiving games (24) in a player’s first three seasons, but will also have the most through four seasons even if he doesn’t have one such game in 2023.Jefferson became the youngest player in NFL history to lead the league in yards and receptions last season on his way to earning the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.It’s no surprise Jefferson was voted No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL by The Associated Press.A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at wide receiver, making their selections based on current status entering the 2023 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second throu...