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Stock market today: Asia shares decline as faltering Chinese economy sets off global slide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares declined Wednesday amid worries over discouraging data on China, as well as over the future of the U.S. economy.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.1% in morning trading to 31,879.84. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dove 1.4% to 7,204.00. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 1.2% to 2,539.48. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 1.2% to 18,364.11, and the Shanghai Composite lost 0.7% to 3,153.43.New Zealand’s central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.5% on Wednesday. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s monetary policy committee said the headline inflation rate had declined, but core inflation remained too high. The committee said it would take a prolonged period of subdued spending to reduce inflation pressure. The New Zealand dollar was little changed on the news, trading at around U.S. $0.6.“A recent set of disappointing economic data out of China has not been encouraging for the region,” said Yeap Jun Rong, market analyst at ...

Highland Park High School set to roll out new weapon detection system on first day of school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Highland Park residents shared their takes on the installation of a new weapons detection system at Highland Park High School, which students will walk through tomorrow as they enter the building for their first day of school."Right now is not the time to assign blame. Right now is the time for us to discuss where and how we move forward especially tomorrow and the next few days," said one Highland Park Resident.Last week, the board of District 113 approved having a weapons detection system, starting at one school, at one door. Parents who form part of the community group "Parents for Securing Our Schools" said they applaud the move, but would like to see the system implemented at all entrances."Parents SOS believes that for us to do everything possible to make our kids as safe as possible that there must be a WDS at every entrance at every door," the same resident said. "But it appears this won’t be the case when school starts tomorrow."Atop the mind of many a...

Another deadline reached in impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tuesday marks the deadline for filing answers to pre-trial motions in the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Rules of Impeachment established in June by the Senate set Aug. 5 as the deadline for all pre-trial motions and Aug. 15 as the deadline for answers by the opposing party. Ken Paxton’s legal team moves to dismiss part of impeachment Once all pre-trial motions and answers are received, the rules state the Senate Special Committee on Rules and Procedures for the Court of Impeachment will have until Aug. 28 to review the motions and answers to prepare a report with recommendations for each motion that will be provided to members of the court by Aug. 29.With the exception of motions which would dismiss any article(s) of impeachment if granted, the lieutenant governor as presiding officer of the court may make rulings on the motions at the commencement of the trial before opening statements.Those motions, which if granted, could ...

St. Paul homeowner fatally stabbed 73-year-old man last month in self-defense, prosecutors say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

Ramsey County prosecutors have declined to bring charges against a Highland Park homeowner in last month’s fatal stabbing of a 73-year-old man, who St. Paul police say tried to get into the home while armed with a knife.Police said Tuesday that Robin Sherwood Lambert of Bloomington first stabbed the 59-year-old man in the chest with a knife during the July 29 altercation, which began about 9:30 a.m. after Lambert knocked on the door of his home in the 1100 block of Bowdoin Street, near Cleveland Avenue and Mississippi River Boulevard.Dennis Gerhardstein, spokesman for the Ramsey County attorney’s office, said in a Tuesday statement that the man’s “use of self-defense against” Lambert was “justified based upon all the facts presented to us by the investigators.”Police previously said that two men stabbed each other during the altercation, and that Lambert, who was stabbed in the leg, was detained until officers arrived. Both men were taken to a hospital, where Lambert died. The...

With Saints, Jovani Moran working on confidence, control in bid to return to Twins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

Saints left-handed reliever Jovani Moran was available to pitch against the Indianapolis Indians on Tuesday night at CHS Field, but when the Indians opened up a big early before hanging on for an 8-5 win the decision was made to save the next step in the reclamation project for another day.The Twins sent the 26-year-old Moran down on Aug. 8, three days after he gave up three walks in one inning of work against Arizona. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said at the time that Moran needs to do a better job of attacking the strike zone.Moran said he saw the demotion coming, and while disappointed, he couldn’t argue with the decision.Twins relief pitcher Jovani Moran“I need to believe in me more; trust in me,” he said. “I’m here to get the confidence back.”While with the Twins, Moran gave up 27 walks in 42 1/3 innings, an average of 5.7 per nine innings.“It’s kind of been his thing most of his career,” said Saints pitching coach Pete Larson. “He’s trying to get back to some of those training...

Reducing the number of vacant properties in St. Louis, one at a time

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

ST. LOUIS – More than 20,000 properties are sitting vacant in the City of St. Louis. That data is courtesy of a partnership between the city and the STL Vacancy Collaborative."That includes, approximately, about 14,000 vacant lots and about 8,000 to 9,000 vacant buildings. Most of that is concentrated to the north side of the city—over 60%," Torrey Park, director of the STL Vacancy Collaborative, said.The question many people are wondering is now that the city knows where the vacant properties are located and who owns them, what happens next? Sidewalk repairs trap 92-year-old woman in her home "Property is being fixed up, being stabilized, renovated; some of it is being torn down. Some of it is being repurposed as community gardens,” managing attorney Peter Hoffman said. “So, there are already successes. We have to also remember this is a 70-year problem in the making. This did not happen overnight.”"Obviously, it costs money to both stabilize wherever possible and demolish vacant...

St. Louis County Council vote advances proposed Boeing development

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

CLAYTON, Mo. – A vote by the St. Louis County Council on Tuesday allows the county to move forward in a process aimed at securing a nearly $2 billion development by Boeing in exchange for tax breaks.St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has supported the development. He said Tuesday’s vote is an important step in the process.“It allows us to move forward and collect information from all the taxing districts,” he said.Critics, including government watchdog Tom Sullivan, question whether Boeing, Missouri’s largest manufacturer, needs tax incentives.“It seems the company does not, or at least, the company has not made the case,” said Sullivan.Page insists that bringing a new aerospace production line would reaffirm St. Louis County as an advanced manufacturing leader and add jobs beyond Boeing.“It’s a big part of our economy, and we need to continue to maintain our leadership in the country,” Page said.The vote was 5-1 in favor of moving forward with the process. Council chairwoman Shalo...

Nolan Arenado, Jordan Walker hit first-inning homers to power Cardinals past Athletics 6-2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker homered in the first inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Oakland Athletics 6-2 on Tuesday night.Arenado finished with four hits, and Tommy Edman also homered for the last-place Cardinals, who have won five of six.Lawrence Butler hit his first major league homer for Oakland, which has lost five straight overall and its last nine on the road. The A's (33-87) fell 54 games under .500 for the first time since ending the 1979 season at 54-108.Dakota Hudson (4-0) recorded his third successive win, allowing two runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings.Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Knizner also drove in runs for the Cardinals.Arenado hit a two-run shot in the first off Spenser Watkins (0-1), his team-high 25th, to make it 3-0. Three batters later, Walker hit his 11th homer.St. Louis has scored five or more runs in each of its last six games.Butler, in his 18th career at-bat, sent a long drive over the wall in right in the seventh inning.TRA...

Infant skull fracture reported after alleged unreported daycare fall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

ST. PETERS, Mo. – A St. Peters childcare center is at the center of a lawsuit following a head injury the mother says she was never told about.The mother says she later learned her infant son had a skull fracture.The Missouri Office of Childhood cited Kids Kingdom on Four Winds Drive in St. Peters with failing to supervise a 5-month-old when he reportedly fell out of a bouncer and onto his head. The state also cited the center for failing to tell the infant’s parents anything even happened.“This was entirely preventable,” attorney Chris Finney said.Finney just filed a lawsuit over the incident that happened last October. Sidewalk repairs trap 92-year-old woman in her home “You never want to hear that your young child has a skull fracture and a subarachnoid hemorrhage,” he said.The report from state investigators confirmed a complaint that “Staff did not call the parent... when he fell out of a bouncer and hit his head.”Finney says the mother happened to notice a bump later while “...

L.A. County firetruck damaged in crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:33:09 GMT

A crew with the Los Angeles County Fire Department was involved in a traffic collision Tuesday in Santa Clarita.  According to county fire officials, the crew had been dispatched to Whites Canyon Road and Nadal Street at around 1:23 p.m. on reports of an earlier collision.  Video posted to the Citizen App showed that the county fire engine appears to have jumped the curb and crashed into a brick wall in front of a residence. Significant damage can be seen to the front of the firetruck, with dents in the grill as well as the front windows knocked out of the vehicle. The fence sustained heavy damage as well, with bricks strewn across the front of the property. A crew with the Los Angeles County Fire Department was involved in crash on Aug. 15, 2023. (Citizen App)Details are limited and it is unclear what led to the crash and if another vehicle was involved.  Authorities said that around 1:45 p.m., one victim was taken to a nearby hospital in unknown condition. No inform...