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Firefighters extinguish abandoned house fire in West Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

Firefighters responded to a house that caught fire in West Park. According to officials, the fire started around 4:57 a.m. on Tuesday. Authorities later found that the home was unoccupied, as it was an abandoned building that was under renovation.The fire was extinguished in about 10 minutes thanks to the help of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue crews, along with deputies, that worked on the scene.No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. The State Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the blaze.

U-Haul driver faces multiple charges after crashing into a security barrier near White House in Lafayette Square, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

(CNN) — The driver of a U-Haul who crashed into a security barrier in Lafayette Square near the White House Monday night was arrested on multiple charges, including threatening to kill or harm a president, vice president or family member, according to US Park Police.The truck crashed into security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street just before 10 p.m., and officers detained the driver, the US Secret Service said.There were no injuries reported to any Secret Service or White House personnel, spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.A preliminary investigation revealed the driver – who has not been publicly identified – may have intentionally struck the barrier, the Secret Service later said.While authorities have not provided specific details on the alleged threat, the US Park Police said the man faces the charge of threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a President, vice president or family member.The driver also was also arrested on char...

Lego is heading back to the ’80s with a 2,651-piece model ‘Pac-Man’ arcade cabinet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

(CNN) — Eighties kids, rejoice! Toy company Lego is about to release a 2,561-piece set celebrating “Pac-Man.”The set is based on a real 1980s arcade game cabinet and comes complete with a light brick to illuminate the coin slot, Lego said on its website.“Pac-Man” was launched in Tokyo in 1980 and went on to become the most successful arcade game of all time. Players control Pac-Man, a yellow, cheese-shaped character who is tasked with eating every small dot inside a maze while at the same time avoiding four ghosts.While the Lego set does not actually function as a gaming system, it is “loaded with retro game details you’ll want to devour,” the company says.It features what Lego calls a “mechanical maze,” which is operated by turning a crank on the side of the set.“When turned, the characters move around the maze in a realistic way, thanks to triumphant engineering efforts,” it says.Measuring 13 inches high, 10 inches wide and seven deep, the arcade cabinet has a removable back panel...

Man arrested after fleeing crash site in taxi on Miami highway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

A man was arrested after he hitched a ride in a taxi to flee from the scene of a crash that he caused.The Florida Highway Patrol tweeted a video, provided to them by Only In Dade, that showed the suspect exiting his vehicle and stopping traffic to navigate to a taxi on State Road 112 after his blue Cadillac sedan crashed into a gray Mini Cooper.Officials said the incident happened in the area of Northwest 22nd Avenue around 2:20 p.m., Monday.https://twitter.com/FHPMiami/status/1660824035276787713According to FHP, 40-year-old Carlo Santi was arrested in Broward County after he was found by authorities. He was then transported to Jackson North Hospital with minor injuries. Santi is now awaiting clearance to be booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.Authorities said he faces several charges.

UK on track to swerve recession, says sunnier IMF growth forecast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. will avoid a recession this year, the International Monetary Fund said, in a boost for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt after previous gloomier predictions from the global financial body.The IMF — which said at the start of the year that it expected the British economy to fare worse than Russia’s in 2023 — upgraded its outlook for the U.K. Tuesday. It now expects the U.K. economy to grow by 0.4 percent in 2023, an upgrade from the 0.3 percent contraction it predicted in April.However, the fund warned that inflation remains high — and that its upgrade remains a modest one.“The outlook for growth, while improving somewhat in recent months, remains subdued,” the IMF said.The latest numbers were welcomed by Hunt, who said the IMF report “credits our action to restore stability and tame inflation.”Speaking at a press conference, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said that there remained “significant risks” to the agency’s o...

Get to know Kendall Williamson: Q&A with the new Chicago Bears safety’s college coordinator

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

One of the most impactful draft picks Ryan Poles made in his first year as Chicago Bears general manager was choosing safety Jaquan Brisker in the second round of the 2022 draft.Poles waited until the seventh round to select a safety this year, drafting Stanford’s Kendall Williamson with the 258th pick, citing his speed and range.While the Bears plugged in Brisker immediately, they shouldn’t need to force Williamson onto the field with veteran Eddie Jackson still in place. But the Bears need to plan for the future and create a depth chart, and Williamson’s traits make him a potential core special teams performer for coordinator Richard Hightower.Over the last two seasons, Williamson totaled 117 tackles, six tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception, nine passes defended and two forced fumbles.Lars Anderson, Stanford’s defensive coordinator during Williamson’s five years at the school, spoke to the Tribune about the safety’s development and pr...

Column: Chicago Cubs are in a May funk — and the degree of difficulty will only increase in the next 28 games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

It’s too late to fret over what happened to the Chicago Cubs over the last month.The damage is done.They morphed from a team that looked like it might exceed expectations to one that looks remarkably similar to the 2022 group that was out of contention by June and winning meaningless games in the second half. All that goodwill built up in spring training and at the start of the season quickly has gone to waste.What happens over the next month if the Cubs don’t come out of their extended slump could have ramifications that last well beyond 2023, making this a crucial juncture.By the time they’re in London to play the St. Louis Cardinals on June 24-25, they could be back in contention — or back in sell mode for the final month before the trade deadline.What’s it going to be, Cubs?This is a team built to compete now, or so we were told by the marketing campaign: #NextStartsHere. Poor ratings on Marquee Sports Network last year and the lowest attendance at ...

No debt ceiling agreement, but Biden and McCarthy call White House talks productive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. It’s a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit. As soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Janel Yellen said in a letter to Congress, “it is highly likely” the government will be unable to pay all the nation’s bills. Such an unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on U.S. stability, sending shockwaves through the global economy.Each side praised the other’s seriousness, but basic differences remained. They are at odds over h...

Militants attack Pakistan oil plant near Afghan border, kill 6 troops and guards, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of militants attacked an oil and gas plant on Tuesday in Pakistan’s remote northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, killing four security troops and two private guards, officials said.Oil production was temporarily suspended following the attack on the oil and gas extraction facility run by a multinational European company, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas, in Hangu, a restive district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.The company said the attackers never reached the facility itself but fought with the troops and guards outside. “Production from the wells has been temporarily shut down by remote access and the wells are now secured,” the company said in a statement.The attack triggered an intense shootout, according to the local police chief, Sawab Khan. He said a wide search was underway to apprehend the attackers, who fled the scene.Blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as t...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cheered by 20,000 fans at Sydney stadium

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:28 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by around 20,000 cheering fans, many chanting “Modi,” at a Sydney stadium on Tuesday during his second visit to Australia as his country’s leader.Modi shared the stage with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who compared the reception by the primarily Indian crowd at Qudos Bank Arena to a concert by U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen at the same venue.“The last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen and he didn’t get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got,” Albanese told the capacity crowd.“Prime Minister Modi is the Boss,” Albanese added, using Springsteen’s nickname.Modi told the audience he expected trade between the two countries will double in the next five years.“Our positive cooperation is growing in areas like climate action, disaster management, strategic technologies, reliable supply chain, education and health security,” Modi said.“It hasn’t grown through diplomacy. The ...