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Japan’s NHK TV reports a loud explosion at a Japanese port during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit, but no injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s NHK TV reports a loud explosion at a Japanese port during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit, but no injuries.Source

Woodford, Cards’ pen shut down Pirates in 3-0 win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — John Woodford and three relievers scattered eight hits, Nolan Gorman drove in two runs, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Friday night.Woodford gave up seven hits in 5 1/3 innings but only one for extra bases, a double by Austin Hedges leading off the fifth. He retired the next three batters to escape that jam.Zach Thompson (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings, striking out four, Drew VerHagen was perfect in the eighth, and Giovanny Gallegos followed suit in the ninth for his first save.Johan Oveido (1-1) was outstanding for Pittsburgh, allowing one run in seven innings, striking out 10. Oviedo made 33 appearances and 19 starts for St. Louis over three seasons before being traded to the Pirates last year at the deadline for veteran left-hander Jose Quintana.Nolan Arenado went 3-for-3 with a walk. He hit a one-out single in the sixth and later scored on Gorman’s single, ending a 14-inning scoring drought for the Cardinals against the Pirates....

Police shoot, kill suspect with woman, children barricaded in Northglenn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

NORTHGLENN, Colo. (KDVR) -- A Thornton police officer was involved in a shooting with a suspect on Friday night, the Thornton Police Department said.The Northglenn Police Department and Thornton SWAT said they were trying to contact a person who violated probation on attempted murder out of Denver in the 300 block of Malley Drive around 5 p.m. The department tweeted that a shelter-in-place had been issued at 5:40 p.m. after the suspect barricaded himself. Man allegedly takes badge, uses it to slice Denver officer’s neck The suspect had a woman and three children barricaded with him and when police tried to negotiate their release, shots were fired at officers, TPD said. The suspect later fired more shots at police and a Thornton officer returned fire, striking the suspect, TPD said. Police rendered life-saving measures but the suspect died at the hospital, the department said. The shelter-in-place was lifted just before 7 p.m. and NPD said there was no threat to the community. Th...

Klietmann: Inflation Reduction Act puts cancer drugs in jeopardy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

An obscure component of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will jeopardize patients’ access to an entire class of medicines that could be key to beating cancer and reversing Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions.It’s crucial that Congress acts to fix this structural defect — and soon. Our policy environment should encourage drug companies to pursue the most promising potential treatments and cures, no matter what form they take. Unfortunately, the hastily written IRA is doing just the opposite.Here’s the crux of the issue. The IRA permits the federal government to impose draconian price caps on a range of prescription drugs covered under Medicare. However, the law exempts newly approved medications from price setting for a specified number of years to allow drug makers time to recoup their upfront R&D investments.Small molecule drugs — which are chemical compounds, usually pills — are exempt from Medicare pri...

Eliza takes a stand in ‘My Fair Lady’ revival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

“My Fair Lady” is a bold investigation of gender roles, sexual politics, clashing cultures, and privilege. It also features the endlessly romantic and dreamy musical number “I Could Have Danced All Night.”The musical has always worked at an odd balancing act. It’s part subversive piece of art, part sweet-and-magical bit of popcorn. In 2018, director Bartlett Sher put his thumb on the scale tipping his revival of “My Fair Lady” toward the subversive – the touring production of the show plays April 18-30 at the Citizens Bank Opera House.“Audiences might remember the show in a more romantic light or remember it as a really offensive piece because they’ve seen an iteration where [main character] Eliza [Doolittle] is being abused,” Madeline Powell, who plays Eliza, told the Herald. “In Bartlett’s version of this play, his biggest goal was to give Eliza agency… he was really intentional about restoring George Bernard Shaw’s original Eliza.”Both Shaw’s 1913 play “Pygmalion” and “My Fair La...

Lowry: Women’s sports suffer in Title IX expansion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

Decades from now, when scholars are debating how the executive branch jumped the rails of any legislative accountability or rational rules, the new Biden administration Title IX edict should be the prime exhibit.It is a sweeping expansion of regulatory power, not in the service of the original goal of the underlying statute, but in opposition to it.This is brazen even for the Biden administration of the student loan forgiveness program and the rent moratorium.The new draft rule forbids blanket bans on transgender athletes competing in sports against athletes of their adopted gender, but allows, in theory, more narrowly tailored prohibitions. This is being portrayed as a moderate, compromise approach to the issue. It is nothing of the sort. The more fundamental issue, though, is that it lacks any foundation in the law.Congress passed Title IX ensuring equal access “on the basis of sex” and President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. The idea that Nixon and leaders...

Michel: Who pays what, and where your taxes go

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

The annual tax-filing ritual sends Americans across the country scrambling to gather documents and brace for the inevitable confusion that results. For a lucky few, it can be a straightforward process. But tax filing can be a complicated and time-consuming ordeal for many, particularly for lower-income taxpayers. As we reconcile our tax bills, it’s natural to wonder: who pays taxes, and what do they fund?You’re not alone if Tax Day triggers fear and confusion. Even Americans who use tax software or an accountant face a seemingly endless list of questions.This is because politicians on both sides of the aisle get carried away with designing new tax programs without considering how the whole system works when families file their taxes. As a result, the United States has at least six sets of rules on how a child might qualify a family for tax benefits, 15 programs targeted at higher education, 18 tax-advantaged savings accounts and 14 deductions for people who itemize. The task of mere...

Editorial: Power grid security is America’s Achilles’ heel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

This week marks 10 years since unknown assailants attacked a power substation in Metcalf, California, that continues to serve as a harbinger about the vulnerability of the nation’s electric infrastructure.That’s 10 years without the level of investment needed to upgrade, modernize and secure the nation’s power systems; 10 years without this perilous threat to American security even being a primary point of concern among those tasked with the nation’s well-being.Federal and state officials, in concert with electric organizations and power companies, must do better. Addressing the grid’s vulnerability should be a national priority as the number of attacks increases and the likelihood of a prolonged catastrophe grows larger.On the evening of April 16, someone — or perhaps more than one person — severed several fiber-optic communication lines serving Silicon Valley. Then, over about 20 minutes, the assailant(s) fired 120 shots that damaged 17 transformers at a remote substation, causing...

Dear Abby: Overwhelmed young adult needs a break

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

Dear Abby: I am 20 years old and dating a Marine. I work at a hospital, and I also have a part-time job. I recently rented an apartment near where my boyfriend is staying, and I’m busting my butt to be independent. My boyfriend struggles because he’s got a lot going on as well and doesn’t earn that much money. I’m the breadwinner right now and, honestly, I’m just tired. I work way too hard, and I’m really stressed. Life is hard, and I genuinely feel like I can’t catch a break. Any advice? –Overwhelmed in VirginiaDear Overwhelmed: This is the life you have chosen, and you are doing all you can. Carrying so much stress is bad for your emotional and physical health. Your boyfriend may not be making much money now, but he isn’t broke. It may be time to step back and review your finances and his, and whether you should continue to be the breadwinner. Things may get easier as your boyfriend gains rank and more seniority in the military...

Japanese PM unhurt after blast shakes port he was visiting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:40 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unharmed after an explosion at a western port on Saturday, NHK television reported, and a suspect was apprehended for allegedly throwing the explosive.Kishida was visiting the Saikazaki port in Wakayama prefecture to cheer his ruling party’s candidate in a local election. The explosion occurred just before he was to begin his speech, NHK said. No injuries were reported in the incident and Kishida was taken to Wakayama prefectural police headquarters, it added.The incident comes only nine months after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. The assassination shocked the nation and a subsequent investigation found holes in Abe’s security and led to reinforcement of Japan’s police security measures.The latest attack also comes as a series of Group of Seven ministerial meetings begins this weekend ahead of the May 19-21 summit that Kishida will host ...