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A huge threat to the U.S. budget has receded. And no one is sure why.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

By Margot Sanger-Katz and Alicia Parlapiano | New York TimesFor decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget.Now, flat Medicare spending might be a bigger one.Something strange has been happening in this giant federal program. Instead of growing and growing, as it always had before, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade.The trend can be a little hard to see because, as baby boomers have aged, the number of people using Medicare has grown. But it has had enormous consequences for federal spending. Budget news often sounds apocalyptic, but the Medicare trend has been unexpectedly good for federal spending, saving taxpayers a huge amount relative to projections.“Without a doubt, this is the most important thing that has happened to the federal budget in the last 20 years,” said David Cutler, a professor of health policy and medicine at Harvard, who helped the Obama White House develop the Affordable Care A...

Victim stabbed outside Santa Clara bar

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

(KRON) -- A victim was stabbed behind Normandy House Lounge in Santa Clara on Saturday night, police said. Officers detained a suspect, Lorenzo Lopez, at the bar on Washington Street and took him into custody.Lopez was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder. The victim was treated at a hospital for injuries from multiple stab wounds. No other details about the incident were released.

Part of Livermore to be sprayed Tuesday night for mosquitos infected by West Nile Virus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

(BCN) -- Residents in East Livermore might want to keep their heads down Tuesday night, when the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District will spray for adult mosquitoes due to increased West Nile virus activity. The district said it will apply an oil-based insecticide, Evergreen ULV (5-25) Ground, using a truck-mounted ultra-low volume sprayer. The area to be treated is bounded by Patterson Road to the north, East Avenue to the south, North Mines Road to the west and South Vasco Road to the east. The spraying will start sometime after 10:30 p.m. and will continue for a few hours. The district said a number of dead birds tested positive for West Nile virus, and two groups of positive mosquitoes have been found recently in the treatment area. Alameda County Sheriff looking for runaway missing teen District general manager Ryan Clausnitzer said in a statement, "We expect a quick and effective response by our team will suppress the mosquito population and lower t...

Patriots’ Jack Jones to serve 1 year of probation, community service in firearms case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots defensive back Jack Jones has agreed to serve one year of probation and 48 hours of community service in exchange for prosecutors dropping eight of the nine weapons charges he faced in connection with his June arrest at a security checkpoint at Boston’s Logan Airport for allegedly having two loaded guns in his carry-on bag.The deal was reached during a hearing Tuesday in Boston Municipal court. Jones, 25, was arrested in June after two firearms were found in what police identified as being his carry-on luggage. He was charged with two counts each of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a large-capacity magazine and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card. He was also charged with an airport security violation. Tuesday’s court filing showed that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office dropped all the weapons charges. He received pre-trial probation for the security v...

Robin Fraser out as coach of the Colorado Rapids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Robin Fraser is out as coach of the Colorado Rapids with the team languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.The Major League Soccer club announced the decision Tuesday. Chris Little will serve as the interim coach until the club names a successor.Fraser went 47-48-34 spanning all competitions since taking over on Aug. 25, 2019. He guided Colorado to two playoff appearances, including the top spot in the West in 2021.But the Rapids have fallen on hard times this season. They’re 3-10-13 and in the bottom of the standings.“This was a difficult decision but one we felt was necessary to best position the club to return to the playoffs and ultimately compete for trophies,” Rapids President Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”Little has been with the Rapids since 2021.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource

¿Qué hacer si alguien de tu familia da positivo por covid-19? Una experta da varios consejos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

(CNN) — La primera dama de Estados Unidos, Jill Biden, dio positivo por covid-19 y tiene síntomas leves, según informó la Casa Blanca. El contagio se produjo justo cuando la cantidad de los casos de coronavirus y las hospitalizaciones van en aumento en el país. El presidente Joe Biden ha resultado negativo hasta el momento.El diagnóstico de Jill Biden también tiene lugar mientras una nueva variante del virus, BA.2.86, ha despertado preocupación e impulsado a que se realicen estudios de laboratorio urgentes. Los primeros resultados sugieren que la variante puede no ser motivo de gran preocupación y que la vacuna actualizada, que se espera esté disponible a finales de este mes, funcionará bien contra ella.Mientras algunos expertos han solicitado reinstaurar el uso de mascarillas, otros han pedido un enfoque individualizado de mitigación del riesgo, centrado en proteger a los adultos mayores y a las personas más vulnerables a la enfermedad grave.Las primeras pruebas de laboratori...

Denver set to finish 2023 without hitting 100 degrees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Even with record heat waves over the summer, Denver weather temperatures have yet to hit 100 degrees, and it's likely it won't happen at all this year.The National Weather Service started tracking temperatures in Denver in 1872, and since then, temperatures have only reached 100 degrees in September twice. What’s the hottest temperature recorded in Denver? While Denver did set records for the hottest temperatures multiple times this year, Pinpoint Weather Chief Meteorologist Dave Fraser said he doubts temperatures can reach 100 degrees at this point."We're too far past summer heating, the sun angle is low, the days are getting shorter, so it's probably virtually impossible that we would see a 100-degree day," Fraser said.When was the last 100-degree day in Denver?Over 150 years, the NWS has only recorded triple-digit temperatures in Denver 105 times.The last time Denver got to triple-digit heat was about 13 months ago on Aug. 5, 2022, at 101 degrees.When was the l...

Hit the runway with your fur baby during dog fashion week at SLS South Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

Here in Miami we take fashion very seriously. I mean, everywhere you go everyone is dressed to impress, even our furry friends.But on Wednesday, it’s our fur babies time to shine at Hyde Beach with a dog fashion week at the SLS South Beach.This is no cat walk, it’s a dog walk.Aura Copeland: “It’s a great opportunity to enjoy a night with your furry friend without leaving him or her behind at home, and to learn about the newest accessory trends, fashion trends, in dog fashion.”This year is going to be bigger and better. Over 60 fur babies will hit the run way strutting the latest trends.Aura Copeland: “You’ll see a lot barbie-inspired pink, you’ll see a lot of tutus, a lot of pearls, rhinestones, as well as fun accessories.”What a paw-fect treat.Aura Copeland: “We thought, why not celebrate the love for our dogs. All dog owners know how obsessed we are with the outfits that our dogs are wearing, so why not share this love fo...

Beverly sisters connect with neighbors through colorful sidewalk chalk questions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

A Beverly neighborhood is a little brighter thanks to one family who turned a sidewalk into a community bulletin board this summer, one question at a time.“It’s fun to see that people like to get their hands dirty with chalk,” Charlotte, 11, said.Louisa and Charlotte Soodik, along with their father Nick, drew up the idea at the start of the summer.“We just thought about the idea to write a bunch of chalk questions, and then we just kept doing it, and it was really fun,” Louisa, 8, said.The family said they never expected to get such an overwhelming response from the community.“We could be inside with the windows up, and we would hear people laughing, talking about what to write,” Nick said.The questions are anything from, “Who is your favorite fictional character,” to “Which famous person would you want to get lunch with,” the family said.“We got amazing responses,” Nick said. “I mean, the whole sidewalk was filled with famous people’s names.”In honor of the first week back to schoo...

Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday ‘grateful’ to be in Triple-A amid ‘crazy’ year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:16:03 GMT

Jackson Holliday didn’t tell the hotel clerk to Google him Monday, but he did have to do some convincing.Freshly promoted to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides from Double-A Bowie, Holliday was with his fiancée as he tried to check into a hotel in the city. The problem: Holliday is only 19, and the hotel required registering guests to be at least 21.The other problem: The baby-faced shortstop looks like he’s barely reached adolescence.The hotel clerk asked the couple what their situation was.“I just got called up,” Holliday said. “We need a hotel that’s safe and nice.”The clerk relented and rented them a room, and so began the stay of baseball’s top prospect on his first night in Triple-A.Holliday, the top pick in the 2022 draft by Orioles and the son of seven-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, was playing high school baseball in Oklahoma last year. When he arrived in Norfolk, he reached his fourth level of the organization this seas...