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German government reaches solution on budget crisis triggered by court ruling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Wednesday reached a solution to a budget crisis triggered by a court ruling last month, German news agency dpa reported.The leaders of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition had been wrangling over money since Germany’s highest court annulled a decision to repurpose 60 billion euros ($64.7 billion) originally meant to cushion the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic for measures to help combat climate change and modernize the country.The immediate challenge was to plug a 17 billion-euro hole in next year’s budget. Scholz, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner had met repeatedly seeking to resolve the impasse before the end of the year.Details on the content of the compromise and how the three leaders agreed to solve the budget crisis after negotiating all night were expected to be presented later Wednesday at a press conference by the three leaders, the chancellery said in a statement.The issue has added to ...

Mild, snowless Christmas likely as unseasonably mild pattern takes hold; potential flooding rains in Florida this weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

Tuesday logged 100% of the day's possible sunshine Following an extremely cloudy open to December, the sunshine deficit has almost been erased. Another day of mostly sunny skies expected on Wednesday. Threat of flooding in South Florida is compounded by the approach of a low-pressure system this weekend. The storm is expected to usher in a substantial amount of tropical moisture, intensifying the likelihood of increased rainfall across the region, spanning from the Keys to the southeastern part of South Florida.  Southern Florida will be bracing for a flash-flood threat this week as a storm system pushes into the region and brings more wet weather, adding to the already record-breaking rain totals for the statein 2023.

Kazakhstan strengthens Investment Council powers to boost economic growth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a landmark decree on 4 December regarding measures to increase the efficiency of attracting investment into Kazakhstan’s economy and accelerating economic growth. The decree outlines a comprehensive plan to empower the Investment Promotion Council (Investment Headquarters) with unprecedented authority. As stipulated in the decree, the Investment Promotion Council will have the power to make binding decisions on both central and local government bodies and entities in the quasi-public sector. Additionally, the Council is empowered to develop temporary regulatory legal acts with the force of law, supplementing the government’s efforts to create a conducive environment for investment. According to Kazinform, this decree is a continuation of President Tokayev’s economic policy, as outlined in his state-of-the-nation address in September. This policy focuses on economic reforms, diversification, transparent tax policies, and equitable managem...

Rosanne Cash’s The Wheel Comes Full Circle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

Rosanne Cash’s The Wheel Comes Full Circle — originally posted in Village Voice.“Screw ’em. Move to New York.” With these words to his daughter, country-music legend Johnny Cash changed the direction of Rosanne Cash’s life — as she recounts in a trailer for the re-release of her 1993 album, The Wheel. Rosanne had turned to her dad after her record label, Columbia, smelling no hits, abandoned her previous album, Interiors (true to its name, an introspective work), a career blow right on the heels of a personal one, the deterioration of her marriage to fellow singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell.I remember seeing a newspaper photo, probably not far into the ’80s, of Rodney and Rosanne — even their names seemed made for each other — out on the town, their radiance fairly emanating from the page; the caption called them “the king and queen of Nashville.” (Cash’s 1981 album, Seven Year Ache, had topped the charts; the year before, Crowell, a sought-after songwriter, reached the Top 40 ...

Fog and flooding advisories issued for parts of the Bay Area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

MONTEREY – The Bay Area could see fog and flooding Wednesday, forecasters said.Related ArticlesWeather | Let it snow: Free, one-day winter wonderland planned for East Bay park Weather | Sunny weekend ahead for Bay Area after midweek showers clear Weather | Storm tracker map: Where it’s raining in the Bay Area Weather | Bay Area weather turns gloomy, as anticipated rain passes through Weather | Caltrans working to smooth ride on a stretch of I-880: Roadshow On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory for interior valleys in the North Bay. Visibility reductions of a quarter mile or less are possible.“Travel carefully and prepare for sudden visibility changes,” the advisory stated.Forecasters also said higher than expected tides could cause minor costal flooding in areas adjacent to San Francisco Bay, potentially impacting roadways, trails and beaches.The fog advisory runs thr...

Leonard’s scoring binge continues with 31, Clippers rout Kings 119-98 for 5th straight win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard sat in the second half of back-to-backs last season. Now he’s healthy and highly productive.Leonard scored 31 points in three quarters, giving him 106 in his last three games, and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Sacramento Kings 119-98 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory, the NBA’s longest active streak.“Just being healthy has been good,” said Leonard, who tore his ACL during the 2021 playoffs. Paul George dived on the floor for a loose ball in the first half and didn’t play in the second because of a sore left groin. Coach Tyronn Lue said George could have returned if needed.“I didn’t like that,” Lue said, noting George’s multiple shoulder surgeries. “It just shows you these guys want to win.”Adding James Harden has given the Clippers another playmaking weapon.Harden had 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds to help the Clippers sweep a back-to-back for the first time this season. They have won 10 of the...

Bedard scores but McDavid has 2 assists as Oilers top Blackhawks 4-1 for 8th straight victory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had two assists and the streaking Edmonton Oilers overcame an early goal by rookie Connor Bedard to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Tuesday night in the first NHL matchup between the young stars.Sam Gagner had a goal and an assist in the highly anticipated Clash of the Connors, helping the Oilers (13-12-1) win their eighth game in a row. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman also scored for Edmonton, and defenseman Evan Bouchard added a pair of assists.Bedard gave the banged-up Blackhawks (9-18-1) a 1-0 lead with his 12th goal 3:21 into the first period, but Chicago lost its seventh consecutive road game.McDavid was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2015, and Bedard was selected first this past summer.RED WINGS 6, BLUES 4ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lucas Raymond and Robby Fabbri scored in the third period to lift Detroit over scuffling St. Louis.Soon after their season-worst fourth straight loss, the Blues (13-14-1) fired coach Craig Berube...

Stone scores twice, one in OT, lifts Golden Knights to 5-4 win over Calgary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Tuesday night.Chandler Stephenson, Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson also scored for the Golden Knights while Logan Thompson made 27 saves. Stone also had two assists for a four-point game.After Calgary’s Yegor Sharangovich scored his second goal of the game to tie it with one minute remaining, sending the Golden Knights to their seventh extra period in 13 games, Stone streaked in alone and beat Flames netminder Dustin Wolf and to give Vegas its fourth straight win.“I got a step so all I got to do is really make a good shot,” Stone said.The Golden Knights, who lead the NHL with 45 points, improved to 9-1 all-time when hosting Calgary. Vegas extended its point streak to nine games, now 6-0-3 since Nov. 27.“We know we have a good team and we know that we can come back any night,” Karlsson said. “I think we believe in oursel...

Booker scores 32, Suns hang on late to beat Warriors 119-116 on night Draymond Green ejected

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns finished another white-knuckle win in the final seconds, once again making a comfortable victory much more close than it probably should have been.It’s a trend that coach Frank Vogel is getting tired of quickly.Devin Booker scored 32 points, Bradley Beal added 16 in his return from a back injury and the Suns held on late to beat the Golden State Warriors 119-116 on Tuesday night. The Suns nearly blew a nine-point lead in the final 1:30 before recovering.“Yeah, we’ve got to stop doing that,” Vogel said. “It’s getting old … That being said, we enjoy wins. That’s a good win.”Golden State’s Draymond Green was ejected in the third quarter after receiving a Flagrant 2 foul for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 24 points.The Suns took an 88-87 lead into the fourth after Beal hit a baseline jumper with 1.9 seconds left. Phoenix used a 12-0 run — highlighted by Jordan Goodwin’s...

Myanmar supera a Afganistán y se convierte en el principal productor de opio del mundo, dice la ONU

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

(CNN) —   Myanmar se convirtió en el mayor productor de opio del mundo, superando a Afganistán después de que los talibanes en el poder impusieran una prohibición al cultivo de amapola, según un nuevo informe de las Naciones Unidas .La nación del sudeste asiático produjo aproximadamente 1.080 toneladas métricas de opio en 2023, la mayor cantidad desde 2001, dijo en su informe la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito (ONUDD).La estricta prohibición talibán del cultivo de amapola , introducida el pasado mes de abril en Afganistán, redujo la producción de opio en el país en un 95%.Dado el papel históricamente dominante de Afganistán en la producción ilegal de opio, la ONU dijo que si la prohibición del comercio continúa podría resultar en una escasez global de opiáceos, incluida la heroína, lo que probablemente alentaría una mayor producción en el Sudeste Asiático.El Triángulo Dorado, una zona remota donde se unen las fronteras de Tailandia, Laos y Myanmar, h...