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Biden picks Philadelphia union audience, economic populist tone for first rally of reelection campaign

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Biden delivered an unapologetically economic populist message Saturday during the first rally of his reelection campaign, telling an exuberant crowd of union members that his policies had created jobs and lifted the middle class. Now, he said, is the time for the wealthy to “pay their fair share” in taxes.Biden spotlighted the sweeping climate, tax and health care package signed into law last year that cut the cost of prescription drugs and lowered insurance premiums — pocketbook issues that advisers say will be the centerpiece of his argument for a second term.“I’m looking forward to this campaign,” Biden said to cries of “four more years!” before adding, “We’ve got a record to run on.”His choice of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania — and a friendly union audience — as his first official campaign stop reflected their crucial role in his reelection effort. The city was the site of his 2020 campaign headquarters and the state was one of a handful that had vo...

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance can continue US operations as it battles SEC fraud charges

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Binance have reached an agreement in court that lets the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange continue to operate in the United States as it battles SEC fraud charges.Under a consent order filed Saturday, the defendants in the June 5 lawsuit agreed to repatriate all assets held for the benefit of Binance’s U.S. trading customers.The SEC alleges Binance broke U.S. law by operating as an unregistered securities exchange. It filed similar charges against the world’s other top cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, nearly simultaneously.But Binance and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, face additional charges of diverting customer funds – concealing the fact that it was commingling billions of dollars in investor assets and sending them to a third party that Zhao also owned.As a result, the SEC asked that the assets of Binance’s U.S. platform be frozen.The order signed by Washington, D.C. federal judge Amy Berman Jackson prevents the defendants from...

DeSantis quiet on Trump indictment as he faces conservatives in Trump country

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

GARDNERVILLE, Nevada (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday condemned Walt Disney World and the U.S. Justice Department — not his chief Republican rival, Donald Trump — as he courted Nevada Republicans deep in the heart of Trump country.The U.S. “is off the rails,” the Republican governor said. “Insanity is reigning supreme.”Speaking to Nevada Republicans for the first time as a presidential candidate, DeSantis made no direct mention of the federal indictment of Trump, who is facing dozens of felony counts for mishandling classified documents. “We’re going to end this weaponization of government once and for all,” said DeSantis, donning an untucked short-sleeve shirt from a podium adorned with bales of hay and bull horns.The comments come as the GOP’s crowded 2024 presidential class grapples with how to respond to Trump’s recent indictment. While some Republicans have raised serious concerns about the charges, DeSantis has largely ignored the situation, touching on...

Microsoft says early June disruptions to Outlook, cloud platform, were cyberattacks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — In early June, sporadic but serious service disruptions plagued Microsoft’s flagship office suite — including the Outlook email and OneDrive file-sharing apps — and cloud computing platform. A shadowy hacktivist group claimed responsibility, saying it flooded the sites with junk traffic in distributed denial-of-service attacks.Initially reticent to name the cause, Microsoft has now disclosed that DDoS attacks by a murky upstart were indeed to blame. But the software giant has offered few details — and would not comment on the attacks’ magnitude. It would not say how many customers were affected or describe the attackers, who it has named Storm-1359. A group that calls itself Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility on its Telegram social media channel at the time. Some security researchers believe the group to be Russian.Microsoft’s explanation in a blog post Friday evening followed a request by The Associated Press two days earlier. Slim on details, the post...

16 injured as Baltimore bus crashes into 2 cars, apartment building

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Sixteen people were injured Saturday when a mass transit bus crashed with two cars before hitting a building in Baltimore, authorities said.Baltimore police said officers in the city’s central district responded to a Maryland Transit Administration bus crash at about 10:20 a.m. A preliminary investigation showed that the bus crashed with a Lexus and a Nissan before coming to rest in a building. The Baltimore Sun reported that it was an apartment building.Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright told The Associated Press that 16 people were injured, with none of the injuries being life-threatening. He said residents of the building were being allowed to return to their apartments Saturday afternoon.Witnesses said the Lexus was speeding and ran a stop light when it struck the bus.“There were bystander, spectator reports that there were vehicles speeding through this and the MTA bus, in an effort to avoid being a part of that, collided into this buildi...

Stones frontman Mick Jagger, girlfriend have Florida house up for sale

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and his dancer girlfriend Melanie Hamrick have put their Florida home up for sale.A listing on Realtor.com says the lakefront home with four bedrooms and 5.5 baths is listed at $3.499 million — and it looks like the Jagger connection is a key selling point.“You can’t always get what you want but this house is definitely what you need!” the listing overview says, quoting part of the famous Stones song written by Jagger and Keith Richards in 1969. “This magnificent, custom-built Rutenberg home in the premier gated community of The Lake Club was designed with privacy in mind.”Jagger and Hamrick bought the home in the Lakewood Ranch area east of Bradenton along the Gulf coast for a little over $1.9 million in October 2020. The property was registered to Hamrick and was chosen mainly because her family lives in the area. Its original purchase price was $1.2 million in 2010.The overview says the home covers more than 5,700 s...

Military investigates sexual misconduct allegation against Snowbirds pilot

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

The Royal Canadian Air Force is investigating a sexual misconduct allegation against a Snowbirds pilot, and the aerobatics team will be performing a plane short for the time being.The commanders of 1 and 2 Canadian Air Divisions issued a statement on Saturday saying the allegation has been made against a member of 431 Squadron, which is based in Moose Jaw, Sask., and the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is investigating.Department of National Defence spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande said the member is a pilot with the aerial acrobatics team, but she noted no charges have been laid.Lamirande said the department isn’t releasing where or when the alleged misconduct occurred.The department’s news release said the person affected by the alleged misconduct is also a member of the military.It said the Snowbirds will perform air displays as an eight-aircraft team, instead of nine, for the foreseeable future.“The pilots do a number of training exercises before th...

Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani and Neil Barrett interpret timelessness during Milan menswear shows

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Menswear is looking for post-pandemic footing during Milan Fashion Week, landing somewhere between resort, adventurer and tailoring.Dolce & Gabbana offered an interpretation of quiet luxury, reinventing masculine silhouettes with feminine tailoring tricks without the brand’s usual color and bling. Neil Barrett dipped into the archives for crisp, uniform looks that are timeless. MSGM offered adventure with an off-road collection inspired by African travels.On the tailoring side, Ralph Lauren showed its high-end Purple line in its patrician Milan villa, focusing on made-in-Italy detailing for everyday luxury, including burnished footwear, unconstructed cotton-linen blend jackets, and chunky Fair Isle knitwear. Margherita Maccapani Missoni chose the menswear shows to unveil her new brand, using her paternal Maccapani family name instead of the more familiar Missoni from mother Angela. Her women-focused Maccapani brand features easy to wear, form fitting clothes m...

A Utah city violated the First Amendment in denying a drag show permit, judge rules

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The city of St. George must issue a permit for a Utah-based group that organizes drag performances to host an all-ages drag show in a public park, a federal judge ruled, calling the city’s attempt to stop the show unconstitutional discrimination. “Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces,” U.S. District Judge David Nuffer wrote in a Friday ruling granting the preliminary injunction requested by the group. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional or unconventional, have access to public spaces for public expression.”Southern Utah Drag Stars and its CEO, Mitski Avalōx, sued the city of St. George in May after the city denied the group permits for an all-ages show it aimed to host in a public park in April. A complaint filed in federal court accused city officials of “flagrant and ongoing violations o...

Steele, Hoerner help Chicago Cubs beat Baltimore Orioles 3-2 for season-high 5th straight win

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:46:42 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Steele pitched five innings of two-run ball in his return from the injured list, and the Chicago Cubs topped the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Saturday for their season-high fifth straight win.Steele allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one in his first start since May 31. The left-hander had been sidelined by a strained forearm.After collecting 38 runs and 51 hits in the first four games of the win streak, Chicago managed just four hits against Kyle Gibson (8-4) and two relievers. But Mike Tauchman delivered a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth, and the Cubs held on.After Steele (7-2) departed, Julian Merryweather got three outs and Mark Leiter Jr. worked two innings. Adbert Alzolay then closed it out for his fourth save.Baltimore put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh, but Anthony Santander struck out looking and Gunnar Henderson bounced to second. Ryan O'Hearn flied out to the wall in center for the final out of the eighth. MLB...