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Patriots, Commanders enter matchup with confidence in spite of recent results

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — At the bottom of the AFC standings and in the throes of his worst start since his first season in New England, Bill Belichick and the Patriots could have easily been sellers at the trade deadline.They weren’t. “We’re getting ready for Washington,” Belichick said this week regarding his team’s lack of trade activity.The Commanders (3-5) were open for business, dealing top pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat in moves that stockpile draft picks for a rebuilding effort but do nothing to help them this season.Though, coach Ron Rivera also insisted they haven’t given up on the season. “It’s an opportunity to see what else we have,” Rivera said. “It’s an opportunity to go out and win football games using different guys.”One team will walk out of Sunday’s matchup feeling at least a little better about the remainder of the season. The Patriots (2-6) certainly could use a confidence boost coming off another humbling loss at Miami just a week after seemingly figu...

Tens of thousands of Las Vegas Strip hotel workers at 18 casinos could on go strike this month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers fighting for new union contracts set a strike deadline Thursday, threatening major disruptions at more than a dozen resorts — the city’s economic backbone — that could coincide with the Strip’s inaugural Formula 1 races later this month.The Culinary Workers Union said about 35,000 members whose contracts expired earlier this year are ready and willing to walk off the job if deals aren’t reached by Nov. 10 with casino giants MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts.That’s five days before the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, which is expected to bring thousands of people to the Strip, is set to kick off with an opening ceremony.Ted Pappageorge, the union’s secretary-treasurer and chief contract negotiator, said at a news conference Thursday that the union and its members hope it doesn’t come to that, but, he said, “workers are prepared, united and ready to strike if neces...

Nigeria’s government budgets for SUVs and president’s wife while millions struggle to make ends meet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s lawmakers on Thursday approved the new government’s first supplemental budget, which includes huge allocations for SUVs and houses for the president, his wife and other public officials, sparking anger and criticism from citizens in one of the world’s poorest countries.In the budget presented to lawmakers to supplement the country’s expenditures for 2023, the government had allocated about $38 million for the presidential air fleet, vehicles and for renovation of residential quarters for the office of the president, the vice-president and the president’s wife — even though her office is not recognized by the country’s constitution.Before the budget was approved, and facing increasing criticism, lawmakers eliminated $6.1 million earlier budgeted for a “presidential yacht” and moved it to “student loans.”A Nigerian presidential spokesman said President Bola Tinubu had not given approval for the yacht, whose allocation was provided under the ...

Yellen says the US economic relationship with China must consider human rights and national security

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington wants to build an economic relationship with Beijing that takes into account national security and human rights and is fair to both sides, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday.In laying out the Biden administration’s economic approach toward the Indo-Pacific region, the country’s top financial official said Washington does not seek to decouple from China, the region’s largest economy and the world’s second largest next to the United States. But it wants to diversify by investing at home and boosting links with trusted countries in the region.“We’ve put forward a vision of the world grounded in values we share with these allies and partners and in which there is also a healthy and stable economic relationship between the United States and China,” Yellen said in a speech hosted by the Asia Society less than two weeks before leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries will gather in San Francisco for ...

Colin Rea stays with Milwaukee Brewers, agrees to 1-year deal with club option for 2025

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Right-hander Colin Rea stayed with the Milwaukee Brewers rather than explore the free-agent market, agreeing Thursday to a one-year contract that includes a team option for 2025.The 33-year-old was eligible for free agency and could have started negotiations with any team next Monday.After making just one major league appearance in 2021 and spending last season with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan’s Central League, Rea agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year deal with the Brewers and went 6-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 26 games. He earned $500,000 in performance bonuses based on innings.Rea helped stabilize a starting rotation that was dealing with multiple injuries the first half of the season. Rea’s 22 starts ranked fourth on the team, and the Brewers went 14-8 in those games while winning their second NL Central title in three years.Rea set career highs in wins, appearances, starts, innings (124 2/3) and strikeouts (110). He is 14-14 with a 4.74 ERA in five major le...

Amazon used an algorithm to essentially raise prices on other sites, the FTC says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

Amazon used a secret algorithm that essentially helped the company raise prices on other online sites and “destroyed” some internal communications as the Federal Trade Commission was investigating the company, according to newly unredacted portions of the agency’s antitrust lawsuit against the e-commerce giant. The new excerpts unveiled Thursday allege Amazon executives intentionally deleted communication by using a feature on the popular app Signal that makes messages disappear. By doing this, the FTC said Amazon “destroyed more than two years” worth of communications from June 2019 to “at least early 2022” despite instructions it gave Amazon not to do so. In a prepared statement Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle called the FTC’s claim “baseless and irresponsible.”“Amazon voluntarily disclosed employee Signal use to the FTC, painstakingly collected Signal conversations from its employees’ phones, and allowed agency staff to inspect those conversations even when they had nothing t...

Vikings, Falcons share 4-4 records and uncertain quarterback plans for the remainder of the season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons have more in common than the 4-4 records they take into Sunday’s game.Each team’s quarterback plans for the remainder of the season appear uncertain, but could be defined by the performances of Sunday’s new starters.Perhaps the only certainty for either team’s immediate future at the position is the Vikings know they’ve lost Kirk Cousins until 2024 with a torn right Achilles tendon last week.A rash of turnovers cost Falcons second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder his starting job for at least one week. Taylor Heinicke will make his first start of the season.Heinicke says he’s focused only on the one game because he doesn’t know if the starting job will be his for more than one game after coach Arthur Smith said “our focus is short-term.” Rookie Jaren Hall will make his first career start for the Vikings. Nick Mullens, the primary backup, is on injured reserve with a lower back injury. M...

Nathan Woodyard's defense rests in trial over Elijah McClain's death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The defense for Nathan Woodyard, an Aurora Police officer on trial for the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, rested their case Thursday.The trial began on Oct. 17. Woodyard took the stand Wednesday, and closing arguments are scheduled to take place in court Friday morning. Officer Nathan Woodyard takes the stand during trial in Elijah McClain’s death Woodyard, who is suspended from the force, is charged with reckless manslaughter of the 23-year-old McClain.Two other officers involved in the case stood a separate trial earlier this year. One was found guilty, and the other was acquitted of all charges.What happened to Elijah McClain?In August 2019, McClain was walking home from a convenience store when he was stopped by police. Someone had called 911 saying McClain, who was wearing a runner’s mask and jacket and listening to music, seemed “sketchy.”Three officers approached him and the situation quickly escalated. McClain was put in a neck hold by officers an...

Investigators focus on railway inspection practices after Colorado train derailment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

An investigation into a Colorado coal train derailment and bridge collapse that killed a truck driver is focused on whether inspection and maintenance practices at BNSF Railway contributed to the accident, federal officials said Thursday.The steel bridge built in 1958 collapsed onto Interstate 25 Oct 15, when a broken rail caused 30 cars from a BNSF Railway train hauling coal to derail, the National Transportation Safety Board said based on preliminary findings. Train stopped on tracks in Commerce City The accident just north of the city of Pueblo closed the main north-south highway through Colorado for four days while crews cleared hundreds of tons of coal and mangled railcars.Killed in the accident was Lafollette Henderson, 60, of Compton, California, who had been driving under the bridge.The BNSF train was travelling about 32 mph (52 kph) — below the 45 mph (72 kph) limit for the area, the NTSB said.Broken rails and other track problems are a leading cause of derailments, accor...

Denver, Chicago mayors meet with Biden officials to pitch migrant aid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden administration officials hosted big city mayors at the White House on Thursday to discuss how to manage a growing number of migrants, one day after those leaders sent a letter asking for more federal help. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met with White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Homeland Security Department officials before heading to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers. Investigators focus on railway inspection practices after Colorado train derailment “I had a good series of conversations,” said Johnston, who led the coalition. “I think we shared our sense of urgency and we shared this belief that we need funding, but really what we want is a longer-term solution." The other Democratic mayors who signed onto the letter to President Joe Biden were Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Sylvester Turner of Houston and Eric Adams of New York. The meeting came together quickly and not all five could make it.Adams said he was ab...