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New York lawmakers OK bill removing medical debt from credit reports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Hospitals and other health care providers in New York would be banned from reporting medical debt to credit agencies under a bill passed this week by the state’s legislature — a measure intended to limit the damage that illness and injury can do to someone’s financial health.If signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the law would make New York the second state, after Colorado, to prohibit medical debt from being collected by credit reporting agencies or included in a credit report.National credit reporting agencies had already voluntarily agreed to not report medical debts under $500, but advocates say additional protections are needed.A bad credit report often means difficulty renting a house, buying a car, or securing a loan. And unlike someone whose credit is damaged by reckless spending or a bad investment, people often find themselves hit with huge, unexpected medical bills simply because they’ve suffered from disease or injury.“Medical debt is diffe...

Live updates | Specialized vessel flown to Canada, to be used to search sea floor for Titan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

Follow along for live updates on the submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. ____SPECAILIZED UNDERWATER VESSEL FLOWN FOR SEA FLOOR SEARCHThe daunting search and rescue effort for the Titan is rushing experts and specialized underwater equipment together by land, by air and by sea to find the submersible before its oxygen runs out.A remotely operated vehicle that can scan the sea floor, known as an ROV, was flown to Canada on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at the Titanic site on Thursday morning.“The equipment that is onsite and coming is the most sophisticated in the world and certainly capable of reaching those depths,” said Sean Leet, chief executive of Canadian Horizon Maritime company.The company and the Mi’kmaq band co-own the Polar Prince, which is the research vessel that launched the Titan.“We are praying for our friends onboard the Titan submersible,” said Miawpukek First Nation Chief Mi’sel Joe. “We want them to come home saf...

Israeli settlers storm into Palestinian town in West Bank as Israeli airstrike escalates crackdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

TURMUS AYYA, West Bank (AP) — Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, setting fire to dozens of cars and homes to avenge the deaths of four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen the previous day, residents said. Palestinians said one man was killed in the violence.After nightfall, Israel carried out a rare airstrike on a car carrying suspected Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank. The drone strike, believed to be the first in the area in nearly 20 years, marked a major escalation by Israel in a more than year-long campaign against militants in the area. Palestinian media reported three were killed in the strike. The fighting further raised tensions heightened this week by a daylong Israeli military raid that killed seven people, including a 15-year-old girl, in a militant stronghold, and Tuesday’s mass shooting, whose victims included a 17-year-old Israeli boy.Wednesday’s settler rampage came as the Israeli mili...

North Carolina prosecutor won’t charge officers involved in death of man during arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A local prosecutor revealed Wednesday that she won’t seek charges against officers in North Carolina’s capital city who repeatedly used stun guns on a man who subsequently died, saying evidence reviewed fails to show the use of force was unreasonable.Several Raleigh police officers were placed on administrative leave following the Jan. 17 death of 32-year-old Darryl Tyree Williams. They were trying to arrest Williams around 2 a.m. for possession of a controlled substance in a parking lot where a sweepstakes parlor and several closed businesses were located.The State Bureau of Investigation looked into what happened and forwarded its findings to Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. In her summary report, Freeman determined “it has been concluded that the officers’ actions were not a violation of the law.”“In a criminal prosecution of a law enforcement officer for a use of force, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the use of force w...

Canada Bread fined $50 million for role in bread price-fixing scheme

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. has been fined $50 million after pleading guilty to its role in a criminal price-fixing scheme that inflated the wholesale price of bread in Canada for years. It’s the highest price-fixing fine ever imposed by a Canadian court, the Competition Bureau of Canada said Wednesday.The settlement is a significant milestone in the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing in Canada. It comes as record food prices fuel consumer discontent with Canada’s food industry and fan distrust of grocers. It also shines a spotlight on the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation into the role of other companies, including Metro, Sobeys, Wal-Mart Canada, Giant Tiger, and Maple Leaf Foods.“Our continuing investigation remains a top priority,” Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition, said in a statement. “We are doing everything in our power to pursue those who engage in price-fixing.”Canada Bre...

Mayor Brandon Johnson set to speak after City Council

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to address the media following the wrapping of City Council on Wednesday. Johnson is expected to speak around 2:45 p.m. Watch the full presser in the video player above.

Cubs bring out the brooms as trip to London looms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

PITTSBURGH — The Cubs did everything they could do to make themselves feel good ahead of their longest - and most unique - road trip of the season.For the second time in a week, it came at the expense of a National League Central division foe. Anchored by another strong performance by Kyle Hendricks on the mound and a productive offense, the Cubs finished off a sweep of the Pirates with an 8-3 win at PNC Park on Wednesday afternoon. This comes ahead of the team's two-game series with the Cardinals in London on Friday & Saturday, with the team getting a rare two-day break between games. It's the Cubs' first trip to the United Kingdom for a regular season game in team history and their first time playing a game outside of the continental United States or Canada since 2003. It marks the second time in a week that they've swept Pittsburgh, having done so at Wrigley Field from June 13-15. It's the third series sweep of the season for the Cubs, with the first coming against the Athlet...

Chicago award-winning restaurant one of the 10 best in the US, according to new report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

CHICAGO — A renowned restaurant in Chicago has made a list for the Top Ten of its kind in the country. Trips to Discover compiled a list of the best award-winning restaurants in the United States, ranking those recognized by the Michelin Guide, Forbes Travel Guide and AAA Diamond Awards and factoring in ratings from Google and TripAdvisor.Of the 64 restaurants that were evaluated, Chicago's Alinea was ranked ninth among the group and was the city's lone representative on the list. It's another honor for the restaurant located at 1723 North Halsted St. in Lincoln Park.According to Trips to Discover, two types of analysis were used to compile the rankings, starting with a statistical review looking at customer reviews and ratings from Google and Trip Advisor. A qualitative review looked more at the written reviews of each restaurant. Alinea boasted accreditation from Michelin, Forbes, and AAA with a customer review score of 4.72/5, a TripAdvisor food score of 4.45/5, and TripAdvi...

Television veteran Geraldo Rivera says he's quitting Fox News' political combat show 'The Five'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Geraldo Rivera has quit as one of the lonely liberal voices on Fox News' popular political combat show “The Five,” saying Wednesday that “a growing tension that goes beyond editorial differences” made it no longer worth it to him.The last scheduled appearance on “The Five” for the television veteran, whose 80th birthday is on July 4, is next week.“It has been a rocky ride but it has also been an exhilarating adventure that spanned quite a few years,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. “I hope it's not my last adventure.”Rivera said that it was his choice to leave “The Five,” but that Fox management “didn’t race after me to say, ‘Geraldo, please come back.’” There was no immediate comment from Fox.Despite airing in the late afternoon instead of prime time, “The Five” has become Fox's most-watched program, with an average of more than 3 million viewers last year. Its conceit is simple — five people, four of them conservative and one liberal...

Missing Forest Lake girl believed to be traveling with cat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:35 GMT

Desiray Kappes, left, 14, of Forest Lake, has been missing since May 19, 2023, when she was seen leaving her residence on a bike. She is believed to be traveling with her cat, center. She may utilize a backpack pet carrier while on foot. If you have seen Desiray with her cat or bike and trailer pictured, please call the Forest Lake Police Department at 651-439-9381 or 911. (Courtesy of the Forest Lake Police Department)A 14-year-old girl who left her Forest Lake house on her bicycle May 19 and still has not been found is believed to be traveling with her cat.Desiray Kappes, a homeschooled student who left her house in the 900 block of Eleventh Avenue Southwest around 9:30 a.m. May 19, may have a backpack pet carrier while on foot, police said Wednesday. It is unknown what her destination was at the time, police said.The Forest Lake Police Department released photos of Desiray’s cat and asked for the public’s help in the search.Desiray is 5 feet 6 inches tall, has brown hair an...