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No deal reached to keep insurance companies in California; leaving crisis unresolved

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

A rumored legislative deal aimed at keeping home insurance companies from bailing on California is dead now that the deadline for a bill has passed. But a consumer group that has been attacking what it called a  back-room insurance bailout plan warned Tuesday that those secret talks with the state’s Insurance Commissioner haven’t ended.“These negotiations were marked by secrecy and public interest advocates were barred from the room,” Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, said in a statement Tuesday. “Working in the dark from the insurance industry’s playbook to impose Florida-style deregulation in California isn’t how we’re going to solve this crisis and keep homeowners insured.”A top insurance industry representative Tuesday denied companies were behind any secret dealings and blamed the California’s collapsing insurance market on regulations more burdensome and bureaucratic than in other states.“I...

War on Google: What to know about feds’ landmark antitrust lawsuit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

The way the feds tell it in their landmark antitrust lawsuit against Google, the Mountain View-based tech giant transformed in two decades from a beloved pipsqueak into a burly behemoth gobbling market share and squashing rivals with the ruthlessness of a mobster.Google told its workers not to refer to its competition with the words “crush,” “kill” and “hurt,” according to the lawsuit, which went to trial Tuesday in Washington, D.C. federal court, with the U.S. Department of Justice acting on behalf of California and 13 other states.The lawsuit starts off by saying the company 20 years ago was the “darling of Silicon Valley as a scrappy startup with an innovative way to search the emerging internet.” But in the two decades since, it argues, the company frequently flexed its competition-killing muscle.“We should be careful about what we say in both public and private,” a Google chief economist wrote, according to the government’s lawsuit. ...

CDC recommends updated COVID vaccine for fall virus season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

(KRON) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it is recommending an updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone except newborns this fall. Federal health officials wrote on Tuesday, "CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter."Updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will be available this week.The CDC explained why it is recommending the updated vaccine. "Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration," the CDC wrote.The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated vaccine restores and enhances protections against variants, federal healt...

Cal Fire battling 15-acre vegetation fire northeast of Napa

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

(BCN) -- Cal Fire is battling a vegetation fire northeast of the city of Napa, the agency said at 3:55 p.m. Tuesday. The fire is burning near the 1600 block of Wooden Valley Road and is between 15 and 18 acres, Cal Fire said. Westfield mall operators sued by American Eagle over ‘rampant criminal activity’ Dubbed the "Alta Fire," the blaze is in grass-oak woodlands and has a moderate rate of spread. Cal Fire is employing eight fire engines, four air tankers, two helicopters and bulldozers to put out the fire. Cal Fire announced at 4:39 p.m. that forward progress on the fire had been stopped. At the last update, it was 30 percent contained. Wooden Valley Road was closed between Highway 121 and Wooden Valley Cross due to the blaze, Napa County said. Crews are working on enforcing containment lines, Cal Fire said. Bay City News contributed to this story.

Reagan National Airport under ground stop ahead of Tuesday night storms

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

Reagan National Airport is experiencing delays ahead of thunderstorms that are expected to roll through the D.C. area Tuesday night.The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ground stop for the airport, preventing inbound flights from landing there until 9:30 p.m.One or more storms may turn “severe,” said 7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson.“At this time, the heaviest and worst of storms is expected between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. Wednesday,” said Johnson.Johnson said there is a “moderate threat” of damaging winds and flash flooding, with rain rates over one inch per hour in certain areas. This increases the risk of ponding — when flooding occurs in relatively flat areas like roadways where motorists risk hydroplaning.Showers should ease by 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to Johnson.Listen to WTOP online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.Current traffic conditionsWeather forecastClosings and DelaysSign up for WTOP alertsFor...

Zimbabwe’s newly reelected president appoints his son and nephew to deputy minister posts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Newly reelected Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa swore in a new Cabinet on Tuesday after appointing one of his sons and one of his nephews to deputy minister posts.Mnangagwa’s Cabinet was largely made up of loyalists from his ruling ZANU-PF party. The move to appoint his 34-year-old son David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa as deputy finance minister and nephew Tongai Mnangagwa as deputy tourism minister was criticized by the opposition.Mnangagwa, 80, did not include any members of the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change party, which has rejected his victory in elections last month.The credibility of the vote was also questioned by both Western and African observers.Mnangagwa retained many of his old ministers in his new Cabinet while also including several younger members of ZANU-PF.The opposition CCC said Mnangagwa appointing family members was “particularly worrying.”“Rather than think of the national plight, Mr. Mnangagwa has set up an infrast...

OPINIÓN | Lo que Putin quiere de Kim no es ningún misterio

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

Nota del editor: Frida Ghitis (@fridaghitis), exproductora y corresponsal de CNN, es columnista de asuntos mundiales. Es colaboradora semanal de opinión de CNN, columnista del diario The Washington Post y de World Politics Review. Las opiniones expresadas en este comentario le pertenecen únicamente a su autora.(CNN) — Cuando el dictador norcoreano Kim Jong Un llegó este martes a la región rusa del Lejano Oriente en el tren verde blindado de su abuelo, camino de reunirse con el presidente de Rusia, Vladimir Putin, contribuyó a subrayar dos hechos importantes sobre la guerra no provocada de Putin contra Ucrania.En primer lugar, Putin ha convertido lo que una vez fue un poderoso y respetado ejército, y país, en uno que se ve rebajado a pedir ayuda a un Estado empobrecido que apenas puede alimentar a su propio pueblo. Es un ejercicio humillante para un Putin disminuido, que se compara vanagloriosamente con el zar Pedro el Grande del siglo XVIII, y no es una gran imagen para una R...

Argentina beats altitude and Bolivia 3-0 in World Cup qualifier despite no Messi

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Argentina expected a tough battle in the altitude of La Paz. The World Cup champion’s climb appeared even steeper with Lionel Messi out of the lineup.Argentina still beat Bolivia 3-0 on Tuesday in its second match of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.It’s now two for two in qualifiers for coach Lionel Scaloni’s team, which was led by veteran Ángel Di María and a strong midfield.Uruguay had the chance to join Argentina atop the standings table, but lost 2-1 at Ecuador. The Ecuadorians now have moved back to zero; they started the tournament at -3 after having three points deducted by FIFA for the falsification of birth information of defender Byron Castillo, who is of Colombian origin.Chile was hosting Colombia and Brazil was playing Peru later Tuesday. Brazil and Colombia are also coming off wins in their opening games.The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is expanding to a 48-team format. The top six teams i...

Gov. Healey declares state of emergency, Leominster schools closed again Wednesday after flooding

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

Cleanup efforts continued in Leominster and several other Massachusetts communities Tuesday after heavy rains on Monday triggered flash flooding that damaged roads, homes and businesses and prompted the closure of local schools.Hours after sunrise revealed new damage and after touring impacted communities, Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday night officially announced a state of emergency declaration.“Today I saw firsthand the devastating impacts of severe flooding in Leominster and North Attleborough – and it was painfully clear that Massachusetts is in a state of emergency,” Healey said, in part.“This declaration will expedite our efforts to deliver relief to impacted communities and bolster our ability to access federal resources,” Healey said. More than 100 people were utilizing city emergency shelter space as of Tuesday morning, according to Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella. In addition to local school closures, several roads in Leominster were closed throughout the day.In an upd...

Orioles starter John Means solid in return but bats struggle with runners in scoring position for 5-2 loss to Cardinals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:54 GMT

The way John Means pitched Tuesday was encouraging. The way his offense hit wasn’t.In his first start since April 2022, Means pitched five innings of three-run ball, pounding the strike zone and looking like a starting pitcher capable of remaining in the rotation for the remainder of the season.But Baltimore’s bats didn’t back him up, putting together perhaps their worst offensive performance in weeks against the worst statistical starting pitcher in the major leagues. St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright entered Tuesday with an 8.19 ERA that was 1.31 runs worse than any other starter with more than 80 innings pitched, but the Orioles couldn’t capitalize against the struggling veteran and his bullpen in a 5-2 loss.The matchup against the National League Central-worst Cardinals was ripe for the taking, as the Orioles have spent the past few weeks as one of the best offenses in the sport. They scored 48 runs in their previous five games and averaged...