Italy approves 24 billion-euro budget that aims to boost household spending and births

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

Italy approves 24 billion-euro budget that aims to boost household spending and births Italy’s far-right-led government on Monday approved a budget for next year that aims to bolster public health services, encourage families to have more children and put more money in the pockets of low- and medium-wage earners.Premier Giorgia Meloni said the 24 billion-euro ($25 billion) budget, which includes 5 billion in spending cuts, is in line with the government’s priorities. She described it as both “serious” and “realistic,” even as Italy faces an expected increase of 13 billion euros in payments to service its public debt as interest rates increase.The budget was approved by Meloni’s cabinet in a one-hour meeting before being sent for EU approval. Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti expressed confidence that the budget would be accepted by both the EU and markets. A cut in payroll taxes will put 100 euros a month in the pockets of 14 million Italians, aimed at boosting spending power in the face of higher inflation, Meloni said.The budget also includes ...

Germany notifies the EU of border controls at the Polish, Czech and Swiss frontiers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

Germany notifies the EU of border controls at the Polish, Czech and Swiss frontiers BERLIN (AP) — Germany notified Monday the European Union’s executive branch of temporary border controls at its frontiers with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, going a step beyond a move last month to strengthen checks on its eastern border.The notification would enable Germany to carry out the same systematic checks at the border that it has conducted on its frontier with Austria since 2015.The government has responded over the past week to intense pressure to address the arrival of large numbers of migrants following a pair of state elections that brought poor results for the governing parties and gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany. It has announced draft legislation to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers as Chancellor OIaf Scholz met Friday with the opposition leader and two leading state governors for what he called a “friendly and constructive exchange” on migration issues.Interior Minister Nancy Faeser last month ordered border checks...

2 Capital Region men dead after fire in Oneida County

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

2 Capital Region men dead after fire in Oneida County FORESTPORT, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – Two Capital Region men have died and two others have been injured after a hunting camp fire in Oneida County. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office said the fire happened around 1 a.m. on October 14 in Forestport. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Joseph Funk, 64, of Gansevoort, and Thomas Dingmon, 78, of Middle Grove were pronounced dead at the scene. Bruce Siergieny, 64, from Queensbury, and Michael Hastings, 63, of Fort Edward, were burned in the fire. Siergieny was taken to St Elizabeth Hospital in Utica and Hastings was taken by helicopter to the burn unit at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.The call for the fire came in around 1:25 a.m. for the Forestport Fire Department and the Oneida County Sheriff's Office about a camp on fire on Nichols Mills Road. Green Island Police investigating shots fired When they arrived, the camp was engulfed in flames. Police are still investigating the c...

Janae Edmondson walks again at Smyrna High School game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

Janae Edmondson walks again at Smyrna High School game ST. LOUIS - A brave Tennessee teen who lost her legs after a car crashed into her in downtown St. Louis is walking again. It's thanks to her new prosthetic legs.Janae Edmondson was seen walking this weekend on her new prosthetic legs. She was a special guest at the rivalry game at Smyrna High School against Stewart's Creek on Friday night in Tennessee. The PA announcer said she chose to walk there because of what Smyrna means to her. Three metros on the verge of passing St. Louis in size 21-year-old Daniel Riley is facing charges in the February crash that injured Edmondson.

Muslim boy killed and woman wounded in Illinois hate crime motivated by Israel-Hamas war, police say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

Muslim boy killed and woman wounded in Illinois hate crime motivated by Israel-Hamas war, police say CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois landlord accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy and seriously wounding his mother was charged with a hate crime after police and relatives said he singled out the victims because of their faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas.In recent days, police in U.S. cities and federal authorities have been on high alert for violence driven by antisemitic or Islamophobic sentiments. FBI officials, along with Jewish and Muslim groups, have reported an increase of hateful and threatening rhetoric.In the Chicago-area case, officers found the 32-year-old woman and boy late Saturday morning at a home in an unincorporated area of Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, the Will County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on social media. Relatives and a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group identified the slain boy as the wounded woman's son.The boy was pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman had mul...

'Come From Away' at the Fabulous Fox Theatre Nov. 3-5

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

'Come From Away' at the Fabulous Fox Theatre Nov. 3-5 ST. LOUIS - On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all. 'Come From Away' tells the remarkable true story of the small town in Newfoundland that opened their homes to 7,000 stranded travelers on 9/11. It is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre November 3 through 5, and FOX 2 wants you to win four VIP tickets! Three metros on the verge of passing St. Louis in size Go to the contest page of FOX2Now.com to get registered!

'Mother's Against Drunk Driving' host 5k fundraiser to spread awareness

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

'Mother's Against Drunk Driving' host 5k fundraiser to spread awareness CREVE CEOUR, Mo. - 'Mother's Against Drunk Driving' hosted their annual 5K fundraiser at Creve Coeur Park.'Walk Like Madd's' primary mission is to serve the people whose lives have been forever changed after someone drove while impaired. The National Highway Safety Administration says impaired driving is responsible for 31% of all U.S. traffic deaths.   Three metros on the verge of passing St. Louis in size Volunteer Coordinator Deborah Weinstein joined MADD soon after losing her son to a drunk driving incident."My son David was killed 12 years ago by a drunk driver. Shortly after that, I contacted MADD."The regional executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Heartland, Jarod Breit, says, "It is a crime, and it is preventable. Driving awareness and bringing attention to that crime is our second priority. And so today, we're accomplishing both of our priorities."MADD says it has helped reduce the number of drunk driving deaths by more than 50% by working with law enforcem...

President Biden postpones Colorado trip to participate in national security meetings on Israel-Hamas war

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

President Biden postpones Colorado trip to participate in national security meetings on Israel-Hamas war President Joe Biden is postponing his trip to Colorado to remain active in national security meetings, the White House announced Monday.The announcement comes as the United States is working to evacuate Americans from Israel following the attack on that nation by Hamas and the ensuing war.Biden is expected to hold high-level meetings with aides on Israel and the growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza as Israel retaliates, the Associated Press reported. The president is weighing a decision to visit the region in a powerful symbol of support for Israel following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 30 U.S. citizens.Biden was scheduled to visit Pueblo as part of his “Investing in America” tour and make a stop at the city’s CS Wind factory.Related ArticlesColorado News | Four minority-owned marijuana manufacturers joins forces under one roof Colorado News | Train derails north of Pueblo, killing truck driver an...

Drew Austin’s installation at Leon Gallery uses mylar, glass and other glistening things to explore how light enriches our lives

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

Drew Austin’s installation at Leon Gallery uses mylar, glass and other glistening things to explore how light enriches our lives Drew Austin’s “In-Dwelling” is a tiny jewel box of an art show, full of things that glisten and glimmer, that twinkle like tinsel, that collect, refract and reflect light and splash it along the walls and floors of Leon Gallery.In a sense, it is a lesson in the rays and waves of physics and how the interaction between light and various surfaces determines how we see the world. Each of the nearly 40 objects on display read like a mini-experiment in how shadows form and help our eyes to comprehend shape, texture and dimension.Clear and reflective surfaces capture light at Leon Gallery. Amanda Tipton Photography, provided by Leon GalleryBut that is a cold way to describe a show that is really a collection of intimate moments. The artist wants us to reflect on, and honor, the beauty and wonder of light as it filters through our lives, as it dapples through leaves and drops delicate, radiant beams along pathways, and how that can delight us — when we pay attention.Austin keeps his ...

Four minority-owned marijuana manufacturers joins forces under one roof

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:14:04 GMT

Four minority-owned marijuana manufacturers joins forces under one roof Finding a physical location to open a cannabis business in Denver is challenging. Ask local Sarah Woodson and she’ll tell you it’s among the biggest barriers to entry for new entrepreneurs.Woodson would know. In addition to opening Denver’s first legal marijuana tour bus company, The Cannabis Experience, she’s the founder of The Color of Cannabis, an organization that advocates for BIPOC representation in the industry. One of the pillars of her work is a 10-week course that supports social equity business applicants — people of color and other marginalized groups that were disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs — and helps them bring their ideas to life.Last year, while scouting potential brick-and-mortar locations with one of her class graduates, Woodson found a creative solution to one of the challenges facing cannabis entrepreneurs: A 10,000-square-foot warehouse in Montbello where multiple product manufacturers could share the space and, importantly, the rent....