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Sudan violence likely to push over 1 million refugees out of the African country by October, UN says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations said Tuesday the surging violence in Sudan is likely to drive more than 1 million refugees out of the African country by October, as the 10-week conflict shows few signs of easing.Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Since then, over 3,000 people have been killed, the country’s Health Ministry said, while about 2.5 million people have been displaced, according to the U.N.The violence has been most acute in the capital, Khartoum, but also in the western Darfur region, where RSF and Arab militias are reportedly targeting non-Arab tribes, local rights groups and the U.N. said. Most of those who have escaped have fled east to Chad. “We were talking about 100,000 people in six months (fleeing to) Chad. And now the colleagues in Chad have revised their figures to 245,000,” said Raou...

Heavy storms through DC area: ‘Blinding’ downpours, downed tree limbs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

Pedestrians dodge rain in Bethesda, Maryland. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)(WTOP/Dave Dildine) Pedestrians dodge rain in Bethesda, Maryland. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)(WTOP/Dave Dildine) Listen to WTOP for weather updates on the 8s.Fast-moving thunderstorms are rolling through parts of the D.C. area Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy winds, possible hail and “blinding downpours.”A storm sweeping through parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties in Maryland triggered multiple Severe Thunderstorm Warnings from the National Weather Service.One of the warnings will last until 4:45 p.m. The weather service said the storm was located over Crofton, Maryland, moving east at 15 mph.According to the weather service...

Virginia legislative leaders say budget talks break down, future steps uncertain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Top Virginia legislators said Tuesday that talks in Richmond about the long-running partisan impasse over updates to the state budget have broken down and negotiators have been sent home. Barry Knight, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and George Barker, co-chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, both confirmed in interviews that further meetings this week had been scuttled. But their accounts about what transpired differed, with Knight saying Democrats had backed away from a previously agreed-upon outline of a deal that would have included both tax cuts and rebates, and Barker saying Republicans were refusing to negotiate. “I don’t know where we go from here,” Knight said. “I have told my conferees to go home. They told their conferees to go home.”Republicans who control the House of Delegates and Democrats who control the Senate have been at odds for months over adjustments to the spending plan signed into law las...

Golden Knights’ banner raising highlights a tripleheader to start the 2023-24 NHL season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The 2023-24 NHL season opens on Oct. 10 with a tripleheader headlined by the Vegas Golden Knights raising their first Stanley Cup banner.The league and its 32 clubs released the 1,312-game regular-season schedule Tuesday.The puck drops again with the Nashville Predators facing off against the Tampa Bay Lightning, followed by the potential debut of presumptive No. 1 pick Connor Bedard when he and the Chicago Blackhawks visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. One-hundred-twenty days after winning the Cup, the Golden Knights will begin their title defense against the Seattle Kraken in a preview of the Winter Classic.The schedule also includes just the second-16 game day in league history on Oct. 24. Games will be staggered throughout the night from 6 p.m. Eastern on, March Madness-style.April 18 is the last scheduled day of the regular season, with the traditional 16-team playoff tournament to follow.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com...

Grains lower, Livestock higher

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

Wheat for Jul. declined 39.25 cents at $6.85 a bushel; Jul. corn fell 14.25 cents at $6.23 a bushel, Jul. oats was off 6.25 cents at 3.85 a bushel; while Jul. soybeans lost 26 cents at $14.95 a bushel.Beef and pork were higher on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Jun. live cattle rose 1.60 cents at $1.7930 a pound; Aug. feeder cattle gained 4.83 cents at $2.3367 a pound; while Jul. lean hogs was up .72 cent at $.9412 a pound.Source

Nicholas Financial: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Nicholas Financial Inc. (NICK) on Tuesday reported a loss of $15.8 million in its fiscal fourth quarter.On a per-share basis, the Clearwater, Florida-based company said it had a loss of $2.18.The specialized consumer finance company posted revenue of $8.7 million in the period.For the year, the company reported a loss of $34.1 million, or $4.65 per share. Revenue was reported as $44.3 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NICK at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NICKSource

Masarova upsets Andreescu at Bad Homburg Open as Samsonova survives scare

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

BAD HOMBURG, Germany (AP) — Spanish player Rebeka Masarova upset fifth-seeded Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 6-2 but Liudmila Samsonova survived a scare to reach the quarterfinals of the Bad Homburg Open on Tuesday.Second-seeded Samsonova needed 2 hours, 37 minutes to beat Czech player Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3 at the grass-court tournament. Samsonova awaits the winner between Katerina Siniakova and Evgeniya Rodina in the next round.American Emma Navarro beat Alizé Cornet of France 7-5, 7-6 (6) to reach the quarterfinals. The 22-year-old Navarro will next play Masarova, who converted five of her eight break point opportunities against Andreescu, without facing any from the Canadian player.Eighth-seeded Varvara Gracheva of France beat Italy’s Sara Errani 6-2, 7-5 for a quarterfinal match against Mayar Sherif or Lucia Bronzetti.___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Denver weather: 1st 90-degree day followed by cooldown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather reached 90 degrees on Tuesday as warm dry air arrived on a southwest wind. On average, Denver records its first 90-degree day on June 10. The last time it hit 90 degrees this late in June was back in 2019, according to Pinpoint Weather, Colorado’s Most Accurate Forecast.Hot Tuesday temperatures across metro Denver and the Front RangeWeather tonight: Still breezy and comfortableThere will be a few scattered thunderstorms on the far Eastern Plains early this evening. A few could be strong to severe with lightning, gusty wind and hail. For Denver and the Front Range, skies will remain mostly clear. It will still be breezy at times overnight, but temperatures look to cool into the 40s and 50s making for a comfortable night.Weather tomorrow: Not as hotWednesday will be another mainly sunny and breezy day for metro Denver. Temperatures do not appear to be as hot, with readings in the upper 80s running just a few degrees lower than Tuesday's hot 90s. Once a...

Human case of plague found in Montezuma County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Officials with the health department say the risk is low for the general public, but it has detected a human case of plague in Colorado."The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is working closely with the Montezuma County Public Health Department to investigate and monitor plague (Yersinia pestis) activity," the release reads. "At this time, public health officials have identified one human case of plague in Montezuma County in an adult. The exposure likely occurred on private property, and the investigation is ongoing. CDPHE and Montezuma County Public Health Department will provide additional information as it becomes available." How does Casa Bonita’s wait staff pay stack up to other Colorado jobs? Plague is a bacterial disease carried by fleas, found most often in Colorado in ground squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. Humans can spread the disease to each other through respiratory droplets, but most human plague cases come directly from fle...

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital recognized for work with children with autism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

As South Florida’s leading resource for autism support, the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern Center for Autism and Related Disabilities recognized Nicklaus Children’s Hospital as its newest “Autism Friendly Partner.”The event included a visit to the hospital’s neuro-diverse sensory room. Nicklaus said it’s proud to have a suitable environment for all of its young patients.“Our team has been working very hard to look at where we can incorporate strategies to support these patients and their families, to really reduce the stress for these families and to make sure that we’re optimizing care,” said Shannon Odell with Nicklaus Children’s HospitalThe new partnership is part of an initiative to create more inclusive places for families with children on the autism spectrum.