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Alaska governor’s budget plan includes roughly $3,400 checks for residents and deficit of nearly $1B

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy unveiled a budget plan Thursday that would pay residents an oil-wealth dividend of about $3,400 next year using a formula that lawmakers have all but abandoned and use savings to plug an estimated $990 million deficit. The proposal does not include an increase in the per-student K-12 school funding formula, though Dunleavy, a former educator, said he expected education to be at the fore of discussions when lawmakers convene for their new legislative session next month. He said he wanted lawmakers to consider his proposal from last session that would provide bonuses to teachers as a way to help recruit and retain them. Dunleavy blasted the federal government and groups that have challenged oil, mining and other development projects in Alaska, saying it has left the state with choices such as having to make budget cuts, tax residents and businesses, or reduce the size of the yearly dividend. Alaska has no state sales tax or pe...

King Charles pays light-hearted tribute to comedian Barry Humphries at Sydney memorial service

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — King Charles III paid a light-hearted tribute to the late Barry Humphries at a state memorial service Friday in Australia, recalling his own apprehension when the comedian’s alter ego, Dame Edna Everage, played a prank on him a decade ago.Video of the prank during a Royal Variety Performance in London in 2013 was widely replayed after Humphries died in Sydney in April aged 89.Humphries, in the character of the snobbish Everage, approached the then Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as they sat in the theater’s royal box.Everage looked at her ticket then explained to the laughing royals before leaving: “I’m so sorry, they found me a better seat.”Charles alluded to the joke in a message read by Australian Arts Minister Tony Burke at the memorial service in the Sydney Opera House.“I suspect that all those who appeared on stage or on TV with Barry’s Dame Edna, or who found her appearing at the back of the royal box, will have shared that uniq...

Captains of smuggling boat that capsized off California, killing 3, sentenced to federal prison

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The captains of a boat that capsized off the California coast last year while smuggling migrants out of Mexico, killing three people, were sentenced Thursday to federal prison.Jorge Armando Preciado-Vasquez, 30, and Alexis Martinez-Preciado, 20, were given more than 4 years each in prison, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. The men, both Mexican residents, were sentenced for smuggling.Authorities said they were piloting a boat containing seven adults and a child over Thanksgiving weekend in 2022 when it overturned off Imperial Beach, several miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.A 39-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man from Mexico drowned along with a still-unidentified young woman from Guatemala, authorities said.Hundreds of maritime smuggling operations occur every year off California’s coast. Attempts to smuggle migrants into the U.S. from Mexico by both land and sea have claimed numerous lives.In March, eight people died when two bo...

Man injured in 2-alarm Scarborough house fire

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

One man has been taken to a hospital following a two-alarm fire at a residence in Scarborough.Fire crews were called to Frolick Crescent in the Scarborough Golf Club Road and Ellesmere Road area at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday for reports of a house fire.Toronto Fire Services arrived to heavy smoke and categorized the blaze as a two-alarm fire. Crews were able to extinguish the main body of the fire.Toronto police said one man has been rushed to a hospital. The severity of his injuries is unknown.

Browns' Garrett is set to chase Bears' Fields at site of the quarterback's rough NFL debut

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Two years ago, Justin Fields made his NFL start on the road. It was far more miserable than memorable.Blame Myles Garrett.Chicago's quarterback remembers nearly everything about his first game with the Bears in 2021 — the excitement, playing again in Ohio, the bruises.“And then of course getting sacked, too,” said Fields, who was sacked nine times — 4 1/2 by Garrett — and hit 15 times as the Bears were roughed up by the Browns 26-6. “Hopefully we can change that going back this weekend.” Opinion: Will next week decide the fate of Justin Fields and Luke Getsy? On Sunday, Fields and the improving Bears (5-8) will visit Cleveland for a matchup against the Browns (8-5), who have been hammered by injuries and are leaning on veteran QB Joe Flacco to get them to the playoffs for just the second time since 2002.Fields intends to stay upright more than he did in his first game against the Browns, and that will require his linemen, probably a tight end and maybe a...

Hepatitis epidemic hits Hawaii harder than other states

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Viral hepatitis C is curable. Hepatitis B is treatable. Both are preventable — so, why does one U.S. state have such high rates of it?Did you know that Hawaii has higher liver cancer mortality due to hepatitis B and C than the continental United States? Water bead warning: Why major retailers are pulling popular toy "When we look at hepatitis B, and hepatitis C specifically, we also see higher death rates of both of those compared to the continental U.S.," says Hawaii Department of Health's Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator Thaddeus Pham. "People who die from hepatitis in Hawaii — hepatitis C specifically — can die up to 20 years earlier than residents in the rest of the state."That's right. There's a 20-year difference in life expectancy between those who contract the curable hepatitis C and those who don't have it. Pham and the DOH are in the middle of developing a surveillance infrastructure as part of the HepFree by 2030 campaign, which will track the s...

Bulls open 25-point first-quarter lead in Miami, team's largest since Jordan era

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The Chicago Bulls had a start the likes of which the franchise hadn't seen since the Michael Jordan era on Thursday night.The Bulls jumped out to a 33-8 lead in Miami — the team's biggest first-quarter lead in nearly 27 years. Chicago made 13 of its first 17 shots.The last time Chicago had a bigger first-quarter lead was Jan. 31, 1997, at Golden State. Jordan made a jumper late in the opening period to give the Bulls a 27-point edge at 35-8. Chicago went on to win that game 115-92 and eventually won the NBA title that season. No. 1 North Central football eyes 30th straight win, third Stagg Bowl championship  Chicago's 25-point first-quarter lead Thursday was the second-largest in the NBA this season. Boston led Washington by 26 in the opening quarter on Oct. 30.Miami finished the period on a 14-3 run, getting within 36-22 by the end of the first. The 25-point margin was the biggest opening-quarter deficit for the Heat since falling behind by 28 in the first quarter of...

How to watch the 2023 Texas high school football state championships

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — There’s history to be made at AT&T Stadium for high school football players in December, and you can watch it all unfold from home. Texas high school football playoffs: State championships schedule, scores, stats All of the games will be aired on Bally Sports Southwest and Bally Sports Southwest Extra. Games kick at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.The Class 1A 6-man games along with the 2A Division I state title games were played Wednesday. Bally Sports Southwest’s highlight and breakdown show “Ford Championship Live” will be sandwiched between games at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 14-16.Below are the dates and times of the games. Check the channel guide below or consult your TV provider to find Bally Sports Southwest.Find Bally Sports Southwest in the Austin areaDirecTV/DirectTV Stream: Channel 676AT&T U-verse: 753 (SD) 1753 (HD)Spectrum: 54Grande Communications: 55 (SD) 1155 (HD)Streaming: BallySports.com, Bally Sports app with a s...

Just in time for the holidays: CTFB, Amazon celebrate home delivery program

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With the holiday season here, needs can feel amplified for many. That's why Central Texas Food Bank celebrated its new partnership with Amazon for their home delivery program on Thursday.The home delivery program is a collaboration between CTFB and Amazon, which has delivered more than one million meals to food insecure families and others across Travis and Williamson Counties, according to CTFB.This program utilizes Amazon Flex delivery to connect meals and supplies to other local organizations.The food bank invited media members out to the Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center, to celebrate, but also highlight issues for so many in our area."Demand is at an all time high. We are actually seeing an increase reliance on our services that rivals the peak of pandemic. Just last month, we served over 400,000 individuals which is an all-time high for the Central Texas Food Bank," said Sari Vatske, president and CEO of the food bank. Through Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhoo...

Man convicted of vehicular homicide in Aurora DUI crash that killed mother, daughter

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:35:59 GMT

The man accused of killing a mother and her 6-year-old daughter when he drove the wrong way down South Chambers Road while drunk in 2022 was found guilty on all charges by an Arapahoe County jury last week.Juan Pablo Pascual-Licea was found guilty of two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault, child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury and child abuse resulting in death on Dec. 7, according to court records.Pascual-Licea was arrested on April 8, 2022 after he crashed into an SUV carrying a family of four near South Chambers Road and East Sixth Avenue. The family was on their way home from their 6-year-old daughter’s birthday party, according to a news release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.Pascual-Licea was driving more than 80 mph the wrong way down South Chambers Road when the crash occurred, according to the district attorney’s office. He had previously hit a bicyclist and almost hit a group of teenagers in a crosswalk.He had a blood ...