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Virginia rises to No. 2 on CNBC’s Best States for Business list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

Virginia ranks No. 2 this year on CNBC’s list of America’s Best States for Business, just behind North Carolina, and up from No. 3 on last year’s list.Virginia has ranked No. 1 five times since CNBC launched the annual rankings in 2007, more than any other state. The last year Virginia topped the list was in 2021 (CNBC did not publish the list in 2020 because of the pandemic).While Virginia was this year’s runner-up, it did finish No. 1 for education, for what CNBC calls strong support for K-12 and postsecondary schools. The state did, however, get dinged for high costs.Virginia also ranked in the top 10 for other categories, including workforce, infrastructure, business friendliness and access to capital.CNBC’s annual list scores all 50 states on a total of 86 metrics in 10 broad categories which make states competitive.Maryland appeared almost halfway down the list at No. 28, with poor scores for the cost of doing business.In ranking North Carolina No...

Suspect arrested after Humvee plows into Army headquarters building at Georgia base

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — A person was arrested after a military Humvee crashed into the Army office building for commanders and other top leaders at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia.The vehicle plowed through the glass front doors of the Army post’s headquarters building Monday morning. No injuries were reported and a suspect was taken into custody, the Army Criminal Investigation Division said in a statement.The agency did not identify the suspect or say what charges that person faces. Spokespersons for Fort Stewart and the Criminal Investigation Division did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking further information Tuesday.Located southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is home to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. It’s the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River. Source

NATO chief says leaders set no timetable for Ukraine to join, a stance that has angered Zelenskyy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO chief says leaders set no timetable for Ukraine to join, a stance that has angered Zelenskyy.Source

Appeals court again blocks construction on Mountain Valley Pipeline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court has again blocked construction on a segment of a contentious natural gas pipeline being built through Virginia and West Virginia, this time doing so even after Congress ordered the project’s approval.The stay issued Monday by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond comes after Congress passed legislation last month requiring all necessary permits be issued for construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The law also stripped the 4th Circuit from jurisdiction over the case.Environmentalists, though, argued that Congress overstepped its authority by enacting the law, saying it violates the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution.“Congress cannot pick winners and losers in pending litigation by compelling findings or results without supplying new substantive law for the courts to apply,” lawyers for the environmentalists wrote in court papers.The law was passed last month as part of a bipartisan bill to raise the d...

“Pensé que me iba a matar”: mujer sobrevive brutal ataque en Safeway en DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

La policía está buscando al hombre que agredió a una mujer que salía de una tienda de comestibles en Adams Morgan el sábado por la noche.Silvia Murillo, de 74 años, había ido a Safeway en Columbia Road con una amiga para recoger algunos artículos. Todo fluyó con normalidad, según relató, hasta que estaba a punto de salir de la tienda poco antes de las 9 p.m. En ese momento sintió un fuerte empujón en la espalda.Fue entonces cuando ella dijo que comenzó la agresión.“Fue muy aterrador. No sabía lo que estaba pasando. Pensé que era alguien empujando un carrito, que me empujó por error”, contó Murillo.Rápidamente se dio cuenta de que el empujón no había sido un error. Murillo dijo que después de estrellarse contra la ventana, el hombre continuó atacándola.“Fue uno tras otro. El puño, puño, puño, patadas y jalón de pelo”, explicó.Murillo dijo que algunos transeúntes intervinieron para ayudar y, finalmente, el hombre se escapó. Pero el daño ya estaba hecho.“Pensé en mi hijo”, afirmó...

A Greenpeace activist is fined for crash-landing a parachute in stadium before Germany-France match

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A German surgeon has been ordered to pay a fine of 7,200 euros ($7,900) for parachuting into the stadium before a European Championship match in Munich two years ago as part of a botched climate protest.A Munich regional court convicted the 40-year-old Greenpeace activist Tuesday of endangering air traffic and negligent bodily harm for crash-landing his propeller-powered parachute inside the Allianz Arena just before Germany were due to play France in June 2021.Three people, including the defendant, were injured in the stunt, during which he first threw a large inflatable ball bearing the words “Kick out oil” onto the pitch before becoming entangled in a steel wire.Greenpeace said it regretted the incident and the defendant apologized for his actions during the trial. He was also ordered to pay 3,500 euros in damages to one of the people who were injured.A 36-year-old man who helped organize the protest was ordered to pay a fine of 3,000 euros.Source

Iowa Legislature considers 6-week abortion ban during a special session

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Protesters gathered in the Iowa Capitol rotunda as the Legislature began a special session Tuesday focused exclusively on abortion restrictions, where Republican lawmakers will work to push through a new ban on abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy.The day will be a marathon of committee hearings and floor debates in both chambers, with votes likely to extend late into the night. Demonstrators for and against the bill are expected to rally at the capitol building throughout the day.Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered the rare session after the state Supreme Court declined to reinstate a law she signed in 2018 that is practically identical to the one being proposed Tuesday. Abortion is currently legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.“Iowans know we will defend life and have grown our majority,” Speaker of the Iowa House Pat Grassley said in a July 7 statement.After the House gaveled into session, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst objected to ...

Maryland sports betting fell 21% in June

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

Wagering through sports betting apps and at retail sportsbooks in Maryland fell to $254.5 million in June, a drop of 20.5% from May.BetMaryland.com said the drop is likely seasonal, based on annual trends in states where sports betting has been legal longer, and year-over-year comparisons are a better gauge of sports betting.The first retail sportsbook opened in Maryland in December 2021, but legal sports betting apps did not launch until November of last year, making year-over-year comparisons difficult.The majority of sports wagering in Maryland is through apps, with mobile sports betting falling 20% from May to $243.8 million. Sports betting at retail locations was down almost 30% from May, totaling $10.7 million.“Revenue and state taxes were also down from May to June, with both of them dropping nearly 40%. Again, this is not atypical behavior, but in other, older markets, analysts measure health by year-over-year growth,” said BetMaryland.com analyst Dru James.The t...

Homicide under investigation on High Line Canal Trail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office was investigating a homicide Tuesday morning along the High Line Canal Trail.The scene was on the trail in the area of East Iliff Avenue and South Quebec Street, according to the sheriff's office. They alerted the public via tweet just before 10 a.m.FOX31 has a crew headed to the scene and is working to learn more about the circumstances.Investigators ask anyone with information to contact their tip line at 720-874-8477.

Central 70 express tolls begin Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:42 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Beginning Tuesday, you will have to pay to drive the express lanes of Central 70 through Denver.The I-70 tolls were supposed to begin in February for the 10-mile stretch of rebuilt roadway from Interstate 25 to Chambers Road, but the Colorado Department of Transportation ran into some problems. However, CDOT said it has corrected the problems and the grace period is now over. Colorado father, son killed in Florida crash The rates will vary by the time of day.If you’re driving at night, the charge will be $1.50. But in the morning during the rush hours of 6-9 a.m., that jumps to $4.50.If you don’t have a transponder, charges will range between $4.26 to more than $10.  Those driving on the express lanes will be billed by a license plate scanner.  The lanes are free to motorcycles and cars with three passengers.