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Teachers union in Portland, Oregon, votes to strike over class sizes, pay, lack of resources

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Teachers in Portland, Oregon, have voted to go on strike, their union announced Friday, in another sign of a growing national organized labor movement that’s seen thousands of workers in various sectors walk off the job this year. The Portland Association of Teachers’ strike would start Nov. 1 unless an agreement with the school district is reached before then. The union said nearly 99% of teachers voted in favor of the strike, with 93% of its members participating in the ballot. Teachers have cited large class sizes, salaries that have not kept up with inflation and a lack of resources as key concerns. The union has been bargaining for months with the district for a new contract, which expired in June.“Students need stability and experienced educators in our schools, but the high cost of living is pushing teachers to leave the district. I don’t know how I’m going to survive on a teacher salary in Portland and I’m at the top of the pay scale,”...

Dominion Energy Charity Classic Tour Scores

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

FridayAt James River CourseRichmond, Va.Purse: $2.2 millionYardage: 7,025; Par: 72First RoundHarrison Frazar31-34—65Paul Goydos35-32—67Richard Green32-35—67Jerry Kelly34-34—68Brett Quigley35-33—68Brian Gay37-32—69Robert Karlsson36-33—69Scott McCarron33-36—69Colin Montgomerie34-35—69Ernie Els36-34—70Tim Herron36-34—70John Huston37-33—70Justin Leonard33-37—70Jeff Maggert35-35—70Paul Stankowski34-36—70Steven Alker36-35—71Shane Bertsch36-35—71Padraig Harrington35-36—71Billy Mayfair38-33—71Vijay Singh35-36—71David Toms35-36—71K.J. Choi36-36—72Scott Dunlap37-35—72Bob Estes38-34—72Lee Janzen36-36—72Miguel Angel Jimenez39-33—72David McKenzie38-34—72Mike Weir35-37—72Woody Austin39-34—73Olin Browne37-36—73Alex Cejka40-33—73Darren Clarke35-38—73Glen Day38-35—73Ken Duke38-35—73David Duval38-35—73Matt Gogel38-35—73Bernhard Langer38-35—73Rod Pampling37-36—73Y.E. Yang35-38—73Stephen Ames38-36—74Arjun Atwal40-34—74Paul Broadhurst37-37—74Chris DiMarco37-37—74Retief Goosen38-36—74Michael Jonzon38-36—...

Dominion Energy Charity Classic Par Scores

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

FridayAt James River CourseRichmond, Va.Purse: $2.2 millionYardage: 7,025; Par: 72First RoundHarrison Frazar31-34—65-7Paul Goydos35-32—67-5Richard Green32-35—67-5Jerry Kelly34-34—68-4Brett Quigley35-33—68-4Brian Gay37-32—69-3Robert Karlsson36-33—69-3Scott McCarron33-36—69-3Colin Montgomerie34-35—69-3Ernie Els36-34—70-2Tim Herron36-34—70-2John Huston37-33—70-2Justin Leonard33-37—70-2Jeff Maggert35-35—70-2Paul Stankowski34-36—70-2Steven Alker36-35—71-1Shane Bertsch36-35—71-1Padraig Harrington35-36—71-1Billy Mayfair38-33—71-1Vijay Singh35-36—71-1David Toms35-36—71-1K.J. Choi36-36—72EScott Dunlap37-35—72EBob Estes38-34—72ELee Janzen36-36—72EMiguel Angel Jimenez39-33—72EDavid McKenzie38-34—72EMike Weir35-37—72EWoody Austin39-34—73+1Olin Browne37-36—73+1Alex Cejka40-33—73+1Darren Clarke35-38—73+1Glen Day38-35—73+1Ken Duke38-35—73+1David Duval38-35—73+1Matt Gogel38-35—73+1Bernhard Langer38-35—73+1Rod Pampling37-36—73+1Y.E. Yang35-38—73+1Stephen Ames38-36—74+2Arjun Atwal40-34—74+2Paul Broad...

The US is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and should do more, ambassador to Japan says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and needs to update its approach to have stronger presence there to counter China’s influence, said the top American diplomat to Tokyo.Speaking at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York on Friday, Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said the region is turning to the U..S. when China is becoming a threat, and he described Japan as an essential player in the U.S.-led alliances and an influential power that works side by side with the U.S. in the region. “We, as a country, strategically, defense-wise, economically, we have to think of a new and kind of modernized way we approach Japan and the region as well,” Emanuel told Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the institute.“The region wants all of America, not just part of America, economically, militarily, diplomatically, politically,” Emanuel said. “Because they know, an untethered China is a real risk t...

Greek economy wins new vote of confidence with credit rating upgrade and hopes for investment boost

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece won new certification of its financial health Friday, as Standard & Poor’s became the first of the three major international ratings agencies to upgrade the formerly struggling country’s credit rating to investment grade.The one-notch upgrade, from BB+ to BBB-, is expected to significantly boost market confidence in the Greek economy, attracting investment and lowering borrowing costs. The center-right government hailed it as a major success. It came more than a decade after Greece’s bonds were relegated to sub-investment — or junk — grade amid the financial crisis that pushed the country to the brink of financial collapse and forced three massive international bailouts.To secure the rescue loans, successive Greek governments undertook to impose painful spending cuts and tax hikes while broadly reforming the economy and balancing the state budget.S&P said Greece’s outlook was stable, while a further reduction in the countr...

Biden asks Congress to secure $105 billion for Ukraine, Israel, the border and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday released a sweeping set of proposals to bolster Israel and Ukraine in the midst of two wars as well as invest more in domestic defense manufacturing, humanitarian assistance and managing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.The total cost of the supplemental funding request was pegged at just over $105 billion. President Joe Biden hopes Congress will move urgently on the legislation, and he made the case for deepening U.S. support for its allies during a rare Oval Office address on Thursday night.The Democratic president’s plan faces some immediate complications on Capitol Hill, even as most lawmakers say they want to help both countries. The House is at a standstill, unable to pass legislation, as the Republican majority struggles to choose a new speaker. The money could also get bogged down in a divided Senate where Republicans have increasingly opposed Ukraine aid and demanded adding additional border policies to the measure...

Air France pilot falls off cliff to his death while hiking California’s towering Mount Whitney

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A pilot from France who disappeared while hiking California’s towering Mount Whitney was found dead after falling about 1,000 feet (305 meters) off a cliff, the National Park Service said Friday.The hiker was identified as Tom Gerbier of Fontenay-sous-Bois, France, who was a pilot for Air France, the park service said in a statement. He was 38, according to a missing poster issued by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, which was part of the search. The tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney rises 14,494 feet (4,418 meters) on the eastern border of Sequoia National Park and is a difficult but popular hike. Gerbier started out at Whitney Portal near the town of Lone Pine early Tuesday and was reported missing when he didn’t show up for his return flight Wednesday, the park service said. The park service and local authorities sent ground teams to the area Thursday.The searchers spotted clues that someone may ...

III Points Music Festival kicks off in Wynwood, drawing big crowds and big traffic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

More than 100 bands will let the music play all weekend long in the Magic City, as the III Points Music Festival kicked off in Wynwood to big crowds and a few traffic headaches.Revelers began flocking to Mana Wynwood Convention Center along Northwest 23rd Street, Friday afternoon.There are about 27,500 people expected to be behind the gates on Friday, and roughly the same amount of people on Saturday.Among them is Matthew Greenberg, who said he’s seeing his top-of-the-line headliners.“I would say Fred Again and Skrillex, they’re like the two, like, the reason I’m here,” he said. “They’re really talented; they’re kinda what got me into electronic music when I was younger.”But the acts performing this weekend extend well beyond EDM.“I haven’t looked at the schedule, honestly,” said attendee Traphouselily, an up-and-coming artist.Traphouselily said he came to see the shows and catch a couple of good ideas for his f...

American mother and daughter taken hostage by Hamas are released as humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

(CNN) — Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, on Friday nearly two weeks after launching a deadly attack in Israel and abducting around 200 people.The US citizens were handed over at the border with Gaza and are now in the care of the Israel Defense Forces, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday. They are currently on their way to an Israeli military base to be reunited with family, according to the office for Israel’s prime minister.The Raanans are from Chicago and had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, when they were taken hostage on October 7, according to their family.During the attack, Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people, including civilians and soldiers, according to Israeli authorities. It was the most deadly attack by militants in Israel’s 75-year history and revealed a staggering intelligence failure by the country’s security forces.Israel has sinc...

Regular service resumes after shuttle buses replace trains on part of Green Line

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:32 GMT

Regular service resumed Friday evening after shuttle buses temporarily replaced train service along part of the MBTA’s Green Line, the T said. The MBTA first announced delays on the Green Line in a post on X around 3:45 p.m., saying a train with a pantograph problem near Lechmere station was to blame.In an update shortly after 4 p.m., the T said shuttle buses were replacing service between North Station and Union Square station as well as between North Station and the Medford/Tufts station. The T said shuttles were continuing to replace train service around 4:45 p.m. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., the T said trains were running again in the area after crews made repairs to the overhead wire. While shuttle buses had been phased out, the T said riders should expect residual delays of about 15 minutes.