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Fed keeps rates unchanged and signals optimism about a potential ‘soft landing’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the second time in its past three meetings, a sign that it’s moderating its fight against inflation as price pressures have eased. The Fed’s policymakers also signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year and envision their key rate staying higher in 2024 than most analysts had expected.But as their latest policy meeting ended Wednesday, the 19 members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee conveyed growing optimism that they will manage to slow inflation to their 2% target without causing the deep recession that many economists had feared earlier this year. It’s a hopeful scenario that economists call a “soft landing.”In a set of new quarterly projections, the policymakers showed that they expect faster economic growth and lower unemployment this year and next year than they had foreseen just three months ago. Even with solid economic growth in sight, they al...

Republican former congressman endorses Democratic nominee in Mississippi governor’s race

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The last Republican who lost a general election for Mississippi governor is endorsing the Democratic nominee in this year’s race.Democrat Brandon Presley’s campaign released a statement Wednesday from former U.S. Rep. Mike Parker, who said he is choosing Presley over first-term Republican Gov. Tate Reeves.“It’s a big deal for me as a former Republican member of Congress and as a former Republican nominee for governor to vote for a Democrat,” Parker said. “But I’m supporting Brandon Presley because he’s a good man, he’s a conservative, he’s pro-life, and he’s exactly what Mississippi needs at this point in time. Tate Reeves has failed Mississippi. Brandon will not.”Presley has been trying to appeal to voters across party lines.“I want to win this election with a bipartisan, biracial coalition — for Black Mississippians and white Mississippians, Republicans, Democrats, independents,” Presley said during an appearance last week in Summit.Parker was ele...

Trump launches his fall push in Iowa to lock in his lead before the first Republican caucuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Donald Trump began a fall press Wednesday to lock in thousands of Republican caucusgoers in early-voting Iowa, where the former president faces sky-high expectations in his campaign for a White House comeback.Having campaigned far less often in Iowa than many of his 2024 rivals, Trump was making his first of five Iowa visits planned through the end of October. The visits are aimed at converting what polls in Iowa show as a commanding lead into committed supporters and volunteers as Trump’s campaign tries to secure a massive victory that would deny his rivals momentum and effectively end the primary on caucus day.“In less than four months from now, we’re going to win the Iowa caucuses in a historic landslide,” Trump predicted as he addressed a crowd of more than 1,000 people in small-town Maquoketa and urged them to bring friends to the Jan. 15 caucuses.On display was his team’s promised commitment to better organize in Iowa than it did ...

Saudi crown prince says in rare interview ‘every day we get closer’ to normalization with Israel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says in an interview with Fox News airing Wednesday that ongoing negotiations over Israel means the prospects of normalized relations between both countries “get closer” every day but that treatment of Palestinians remains a “very important” issue to be resolved. Saudi Arabia is discussing a major agreement with the United States in which it would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and aid in developing its own civilian nuclear program. The Saudis have said any deal would require major progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state, which is a hard sell for the most religious and nationalist government in Israel’s history.Widely known as MBS, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader was asked during an interview on “Special Report with Bret Baier” what it would take to normalize relations with Israel and answered that the Biden administration supports that happening.“For us, the Palestinian is...

Emergency lane along Parliament lost during ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest, court hears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

OTTAWA — The emergency lane on the street along Parliament Hill was blocked by trucks that had chained themselves together during the “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa last year, the city’s emergency services manager told the court Wednesday.The defence lawyer for one of the protest organizers says that statement doesn’t add up with the manager’s prior testimony. Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are on trial for alleged mischief and counselling others to commit mischief, intimidation and other offences during the protest against COVID-19 public-health measures.Kim Ayotte said the city and police had planned to keep one lane open for emergency vehicles, but it was “lost” after the first night of the protest. Lich’s lawyer Lawrence Greenspon pointed out that Ayotte gave a different answer when asked about emergency lanes last year as part of a federal inquiry into the invocation of the Emergencies Act.“Mr. Ayotte confirmed that convoy...

Travellers rattled by Canada-India row, but trip plans remain unchanged

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

MONTREAL — Travellers and the transportation sector at large have been rattled by the sudden ramp-up in tensions between Canada and India, but see no reason to rethink their overseas plans for now.“People are a little scared,” said Urvi Chawla, who works at Sahib Travel Agency in Brampton, Ont.The agency has been inundated with questions about visas and flight availability. However, no signs of a dip in demand have emerged.“People are asking if anything’s going wrong or if flights will be cancelled,” she said.On Wednesday, Indian officials warned students bound for Canada of security risks here, ratcheting up a spat that erupted after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in suburban Vancouver.The fallout continues to play out, right down to the retail level.“‘Should I make the booking or not? What about relations between India and Canada?'” Chawla said, paraphrasin...

What is an inverse vaccine and how can it reverse autoimmune disorders?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

Inverse vaccines are opposite of the vaccines we have come to know. Instead of giving a shot to rev up the immune system, these vaccines give orders to stop the immune response to certain cells. Chicago area doctors believe with the inverse vaccine, they may have found the key to disabling some of the most debilitating autoimmune diseases. Dr. Jeffrey Hubbell is an immuno engineer with the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering“A regulatory vaccine, an inverse vaccine, revs up regulatory mechanisms to protect your own cells,” he said. Recent Coverage: Emerging technique offers less invasive, gentler treatment for prostate cancer Think of it as the opposite of a typical vaccine. Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have figured out a way to tell the immune system which cells in the body to leave alone. In other words, mark healthy cells otherwise destroyed by multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes or ce...

Justin Fields says he was 'robotic' in loss to Bucs. Is that because of coaching?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill — Many outside the organization have been free to express their frustrations at the start of the Bears' season, and their quarterback is no different. Justin Fields was honest about his play last week and the reason why, during his news conference at Halas Hall on Tuesday afternoon."I felt like I wasn't necessarily playing my game. I felt like I was kinda robotic," said Fields when asked about what he didn't like about his performance in a 27-17 loss to the Bucs. "Not playing like myself." So why did he feel like he was not playing that way? His next response has generated plenty of attention on Wednesday."Could be coaching, I think," said Fields in response to that question. "At the end of the day, the're doing their job when they're giving me what to look at and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, I can't be thinking about that when the game comes. I prepare myself throughout the week, and when the game comes, it's time to play free at that point."Just thi...

From classroom to construction site: Geometry students building homes for community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Evanston Township High School is taking a new approach to math homework by handing students a construction helmet. The class is called Geometry in Construction and the students, lead by teacher Matther Kaiser, are building a lot more than just four walls."You have these freshman come in that have no idea how to hold a hammer, how to turn a screw and by the end of the year, they're up on roofs, they're siding houses, using power nailers and the whole time learning geometry through that construction,” Kaiser said.This is the class’s eleventh year. Geometry students gathered on an adjacent lot to build a house from the ground up."I realized you can use math like in your daily life," Hooria Ahmad said."These students are really able to see that math come alive and practice in a way that happens in the real world," Kaiser said. Chicago-based company provides free house cleanings to cancer patients It takes almost a full year of working in all the elements to frame...

Man who died after being punched at NFL game had medical issue: autopsy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:16:34 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A man who died at a New England Patriots home game last weekend after he was punched at least twice in the head did not suffer a “traumatic injury” in the stands but had a medical issue, authorities in Massachusetts announced Wednesday.Police and safety personnel responded to the upper deck at Gillette Stadium shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday and found Dale Mooney, 53, of Newmarket, New Hampshire, “in apparent need of medical attention,” the Norfolk County district attorney’s office said in a statement Monday.Mooney was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.“Our investigation has included numerous law enforcement interviews and the examination of multiple angles of video capturing the scuffle prior to Mr. Dale Mooney’s collapse during the Sunday night game at Gillette Stadium,” the district attorney's office said in a statement.“Preliminary autopsy results did not suggest traumatic injury, but did identify a medical issue,” according to the statement. “Cause a...