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Opinion: Federal funding for child care is about to fall off a cliff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

On Saturday, $39 billion in federal child-care funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act are set to expire. As a result, close to 3.2 million children could lose their spots in early education programs. Congress can solve this problem. So far, however, it has declined to do so, starting with deciding not to pass the Build Back Better provisions in 2022 that would have made child-care funding permanent.Inaction has consequences. Families who have relied on this assistance since the COVID-19 pandemic will face tough choices. They could see their child-care costs increase by 15% or more. Instead of paying these fees, they might have to choose to reduce their work hours or leave the workforce altogether.This will come as a second blow to families who lost a measure of financial stability when Congress allowed the Child Tax Credit to expire in 2022, a decision that caused the rate of child poverty to more than double in one fell swoop — the largest year-to-year increase i...

El Congreso de Estados Unidos sigue camino al cierre del Gobierno

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

(CNN) — Se espera que la Cámara de Representantes adopte este viernes un proyecto de ley provisional del Partido Republicano para prorrogar la financiación del Gobierno, pero el presidente de ese cuerpo, Kevin McCarthy, parece carecer de los votos necesarios para aprobarlo y el Congreso sigue en vías de desencadenar un cierre del Gobierno.El Senado y la Cámara de Representantes se encuentran en un punto muerto sobre cómo mantener en funcionamiento el Gobierno, y el cierre es inminente ya que la financiación expira el 30 de septiembre.McCarthy se está preparando para que su cámara considere un proyecto de ley provisional del Partido Republicano con disposiciones fronterizas adjuntas, ya que los líderes del Partido Republicano de la Cámara de Representantes han insistido en que la seguridad fronteriza debe abordarse como parte de la lucha por el gasto.Análisis: La política de cierre del Gobierno del Partido Republicano sacude a WashingtonPero si el proyecto de ley llega a la Cám...

What is a Blue Alert?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Thursday just before 6:30 p.m., cell phones across Colorado started buzzing with information regarding a "Blue Alert." Many are familiar with an Amber or even a Medina Alert, but what exactly constitutes a Blue Alert?The public safety alert warned residents that a Blue Alert was activated in the Colorado Springs/ El Paso County area. People were told to be on the lookout for 41-year-old Justin Kula.A Blue Alert was issued in Colorado for Justin Kula, 41, on Sept. 28, 2023.FOX31 learned from our sister station, FOX21 in Colorado Springs, that Kula allegedly killed a parole officer during a hit-and-run crash and injured another parole officer.What does a Blue Alert mean?Blue Alerts are not commonly sent out to the community, but the alert has been in effect since 2011. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 11-1036 into law and created the Blue Alert Program.The program works in cooperation with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement an...

Thieves use explosive device in attempt to steal ATM

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police are investigating the attempted theft of an ATM in Jefferson County after multiple witnesses said they heard an explosion. Around 4:30 a.m. Friday, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the area of West Bowles Avenue and West Coal Mine Avenue on reports of an attempted ATM theft in the parking lot of a Walmart.According to deputies, multiple people called the sheriff's office and said they heard an explosion. Deputies believe an explosive device was used to try and gain access to the ATM. 16-year-old shot inside McDonald’s in Commerce City However, it appears the suspect or suspects were unsuccessful as deputies said nothing appeared to have been taken from the ATM. No injuries were reported.Deputies said the suspect vehicle was described as a red Honda CRV with a covered rear license plate. The car was seen fleeing the scene and heading east on Bowles.West Coal Mine Avenue is closed in front of the Walmart while deputies continue their inv...

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California dies at 90

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 1992 in the “Year of the Woman” and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, has died. She was 90.Three people familiar with the situation confirmed her death to The Associated Press on Friday.Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state — including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control — but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.She was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and became its first female president in 1978, the same year Mayor George Moscone was gunned down alongside Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former supervisor. Feinstein found Milk’s body.After Moscone’s death, Feinstein became San Francisco’s f...

Police investigation underway after body found behind thrift store in Lauderhill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

Lauderhill Police officers were at the scene after a body was found outside of a thrift store. The body was found behind the Family Thrift, located at 2699 N State Road 7, where the body was seen wrapped in a blanket. Though details of the crime scene are limited, authorities are investigating the scene. The Lauderhill Police Department has been contacted for more information. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Man arrested after altercation leads to attack over movie theater seat in Pompano Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

A violent incident that unfolded in a Pompano Beach movie theater last July has led to the arrest of 27-year-old Jesse Montez Thorton II, who now sits in jail facing charges of aggravated battery with great bodily harm.The victim, Marc Cohen, 63, had purchased VIP tickets with assigned seating for a film at the theater located at 2315 N. Federal Highway. When Cohen and his wife arrived, they found an unknown couple occupying their seats. After politely requesting Thorton to vacate their assigned seats, a verbal altercation escalated into a physical confrontation, captured on video.In the video footage, Thorton is seen repeatedly punching Cohen in the face until witnesses intervened, pulling Thorton away. Cohen required hospitalization after he suffered head and facial injuries.Police said after months of investigation, including an anonymous tip through Broward Crime Stoppers, led detectives to identify Thorton as the aggressor. On Thursday Thorton was apprehended in Fort Lauderdale...

The N-word and racist taunts: Tesla allowed racism in its factory, US government lawsuit alleges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

(CNN) — The United States government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Tesla Thursday alleging the automaker allowed repeated and overt displays of racism toward Black employees in its Fremont, California, factory.Racist slurs were allegedly used often by non-Black employees when speaking to Black employees at the factory, according to the suit. The suit quotes a Black Tesla worker saying that “people were using the N-Word all the time, especially men, and particularly White men.”The suit also alleges instances of racist taunts and threats, including death threats written in the bathroom and racist graffiti on “vehicles rolling off the production lines.”Not the first such lawsuitBlack employees who complained to supervisors about the behavior were subject to retaliation, including reassignment to unpleasant jobs, reschedulings and firings, according to the suit, which was filed in US District Court in the Northern District of California. It further charges the raci...

Door opens for Sánchez as Spanish lawmakers reject Feijóo’s PM bid again

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

It’s Pedro Sánchez‘s time to shine.Center-right Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on Friday failed to win a second vote on his bid to form a government. Just as they did when an initial vote was held Wednesday, a majority of Spanish lawmakers rejected the conservative boss’s candidacy, with 177 voting against him and 172 in favor.One vote was declared void: That of Catalan separatist Junts party MP Eduard Pujol, who accidentally voted for Feijóo but quickly retracted his support.With Feijóo’s bid to become PM definitively rebuffed by the parliament, Spain’s King Felipe VI must now summon political leaders to Zarzuela Palace and once again quiz them on whom they think should be prime minister. The obvious candidate is caretaker PM and Socialist Party leader Sánchez, who has been biding his time while his conservative rival embarked on a quixotic quest to form a government.In order to be reappointed prime minister, Sánchez needs to secure maj...

EU extends protections for Ukrainian refugees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

BRUSSELS — The EU has prolonged temporary protection for Ukrainians fleeing from war.Interior ministers for the European Union on Thursday supported extending measures — triggered in the immediate wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — until March 2025. They were set to expire in March 2024. The so-called Temporary Protection Directive allows Ukrainians to move freely across the EU, gives them instant rights to live and work within EU countries, and also offers them access to social service benefits there such as housing and medical care.Some 4 million Ukrainians have benefited from this directive since the start of the conflict, European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said after the meeting of interior ministers on Thursday. She added that this includes around 750,000 working in Europe, while more than 300,000 are seeking a job through public employment services.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the extension of the directive during her ann...