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Debt limit bill gives Republicans IRS cuts, but Democrats say they expect little near-term impact

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are seeking to make good on their campaign promise to rein in the IRS with cutbacks built into the debt ceiling and budget cuts package moving through Congress.The bill rescinds $1.4 billion given to the federal tax collector in the Democrats’ health and energy package that was approved last year on party line votes. The White House says the debt deal also includes a separate agreement to take $20 billion from the IRS over the next two years and divert those funds to other nondefense programs.Democrats expended a lot of political capital to get the IRS more money last year. They faced an onslaught of campaign ads, many of them misleading, about the expected hiring of 87,000 “new agents” to target low- and middle-class Americans.Now, Biden administration officials are offering assurances that the spending cuts secured by Republican negotiators will have minimal impact on the agency’s operations ...

Hot Property: Centerville beauty on the beach

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

House hunters on the Cape can be a competitive bunch. Sure, many buyers are looking to get the most bang for their buck, but others are looking for a real estate trophy.Enter 195 & 196 Long Beach Road in Centerville. The compound is on its way to set records — it’s the most expensive residential property on the market in town.So what does just shy of $9M get you in this tony part of the Cape? How about ocean views for days, a waterfront lot with a dock, tennis court, and more than 4,800 square feet of timeless coastal elegance.The nautical theme runs throughout the home with gleaming white beadboard, beams, and paneling, providing a crisp palate that lets the incredible water views take center stage. Picture windows galore make for a sun splashed interior tailor-made for relaxation. Wind down by the living room fireplace after a day on the water or tuck yourself into one of the many reading nooks. Or, call it a day in the lavish primary with its spa-like en-suite bath and ...

Al Leiter, a Mets fan ‘at birth,’ calls his time in Queens the ‘best seven years of my baseball life’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

Growing up in New Jersey, summertime for Al Leiter was, as he puts it, “WOR, Bob Murphy, Lindsay Nelson and Ralph Kiner.” Leiter has vague memories of 1969, when he was nearly four years old and the Mets made a magical run to an improbable World Series title:“Black-and-white TV, upstairs at a house in Pine Beach, my older brothers and my dad, all excited when they won.”Tom Seaver, of course, “walked on water, as far as the Leiter family was concerned,” he adds. In 1973, when the Mets made their next trip to the World Series, Leiter was seven and “in the sweet spot of being a young boy, loving baseball,” he says.No wonder Leiter, now 57, describes himself as a Mets fan “at birth.” Lucky for him, he eventually got a chance to pitch for the team he swooned over as a kid and he was so good at it he’s headed to the Mets Hall of Fame. Leiter will be honored Saturday at Citi Field along with Howard Johnson and broadcasters G...

Police respond after BB gun found at the King School in Dorchester

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

Boston Police responded to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Grove Hall, Dorchester, this morning following a call reporting a person with a gun.Police on scene were able to determine the gun in question was a BB gun, according to Boston Public Schools spokesman Max Baker, who was at the scene.BPD spokesman Officer Michael Torigian said the call came in at 8:47 a.m. and that no injuries or arrests were reported.Responding police could be seen removing an item presumed to be the BB gun in an evidence box.Best known as the King school, the kindergarten through eighth grade school is located at 77 Lawrence Ave.This is a developing story.

San Diego 6th best place in US to raise a family: study

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Looking for the right place to raise a family? San Diego may be an option for you.According to a new study released by WalletHub, San Diego ranked as the sixth-best place in the U.S. to raise a family for 2023.Each of the 182 cities on the list received a total score that was determined by how each city fared in a variety of different factors to determine how good a city is for raising a family.The factors considered in the study were family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socio-economics.You can find more information on the methodology used for the study here. Approaching ‘June Gloom’ is leaving San Diegans desperate for ‘Sunny San Diego’ San Diego's high ranking on the list was powered by its scores in family fun and education and child care, which were ranked fifth and ninth in the nation respectively.America's Finest City also ranked 20th in socio-economics and 25th in health and safety. Affordability was the only category in the...

RBC customers dealing with online, mobile technical issues

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

RBC customers are experiencing issues with the bank’s online and mobile systems. Around 8 a.m. Thursday, users began reporting an issue with seeing details in their accounts. @RBC Hi RBC! Online bank service is down… I can’t access the view of my money. What is going on??? Two months ago it was VISA and now it’s our own account. I’m thinking of changing of bank service, it’s not normal that kind of issue and not that often.— BB Smoak ???? (@DraiochtaBlack) June 1, 2023RBC acknowledged in a tweet there was an issue with the display of transactions in online and mobile banking and was working to resolve the issue “as soon as possible.”

Lebanese army court charges 5 men allegedly linked to Hezbollah for Irish peacekeeper’s death

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s military tribunal on Thursday charged five men with the killing of an Irish U.N. peacekeeper in December, a senior judicial official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, alleged all five are linked with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.The indictment followed a half-year probe after an attack on a U.N. peacekeeping convoy near the town of Al-Aqbiya in Lebanon’s south, a stronghold of Hezbollah. The shooting resulted in the death of Pvt. Seán Rooney, 24, of Newtown Cunningham, Ireland, and seriously wounded Pvt. Shane Kearney, 22. The wounded peacekeeper was medically evacuated to Ireland. Two other Irish soldiers sustained light injuries.The indictment includes evidence from bystanders’ testimonies, as well as audio recordings and video footage from surveillance cameras, the Lebanese official said. In some of the recordings of the confrontation, the gunmen reportedly could be heard telling the peacekeep...

Ottawa improving how it handles intelligence: Trudeau’s national security adviser

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

OTTAWA — The prime minister’s national security adviser says Ottawa needs to improve the way it manages intelligence, and officials are taking steps to address breakdowns in communication within government. Jody Thomas made the comments this morning at a meeting of a parliamentary committee that is investigating allegations that members of Parliament were targeted by foreign interference. Thomas said she wouldn’t speculate on the specifics of what took place before her tenure, after watchdog David Johnston found in a recent report that there were serious issues in the way the government handles confidential information. The former governor general’s first report found that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was aware of indications Chinese officials were contemplating action directed at Canadian MPs, but did not identify negligence at the highest political levels.The report said intelligence about Chinese officials seeking information about Conservative MP ...

Penguins hire former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas as their new president of hockey operations.“On behalf of my family, we are thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and all of the incredible people across Fenway Sports Group,” said Dubas, in a statement. “I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that lies ahead of me. The ownership group, FSG leadership and the Penguins staff on the ground in Pittsburgh have been absolutely outstanding. Everyone has demonstrated a clear commitment to building a best-in-class hockey operation.”The Leafs cut ties with Dubas on May 19 after five years at the helm. The team was ousted in five games in the second round by the Florida Panthers – following losses in the first round of the post-season in Dubas’ first four years in charge.The Penguins fired president of hockey operations Brian Burke and GM Ron Hextall after the team missed the playoffs this year, ending a 16-yea...

Métis leaders want introduction, passage of self-government legislation this spring

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:22 GMT

OTTAWA — The president of the Métis National Council says leaders are urging the Liberal government to introduce and pass self-government legislation this spring. Cassidy Caron made the comment at the start of a meeting in Ottawa between ministers and Métis leaders, co-chaired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The council is comprised of Métis leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario. Caron says the nations have been working to sign self-government agreements and “eagerly look forward to the introduction and passage of Métis self-government implementation legislation in Parliament this session.”The Liberals have about a month to go before the House of Commons is set to rise for summer, and the government already has nine priority bills it wants passed. Advancing Métis self-governance was among the Indigenous-related promises Trudeau made in the 2021 federal election campaign. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2023. The ...