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Business Highlights: Wholesale inflation, Wall Street rally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

___US wholesale inflation pressures eased sharply last monthWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell in March, a sign that inflationary pressures in the economy are easing more than a year after the Federal Reserve began aggressively raising interest rates. Plunging energy prices pulled the government’s producer price index down 0.5% from February to March. Compared with a year ago, wholesale prices were up 2.7% in March — the mildest 12-month increase since January 2021. The producer price index can provide an early sign of how fast consumer inflation will rise. A huge drop in gasoline accounted for much of the sharp slowdown in producer prices. But even excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core wholesale inflation fell 0.1% in March.___Wall Street rallies and tech stocks leap as inflation coolsNEW YORK (AP) — A rally on Wall Street lifted stocks to their highest level in almost two months following the latest sign that inflation continues to cool. The S&P 5...

Man who killed 6 in Christmas parade to pay more restitution

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge ordered a man convicted of killing six people when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee to pay tens of thousands of dollars more in restitution Thursday, saying she wants to make sure he doesn’t profit from any potential movie or book deal.Darrell Brooks Jr. was convicted in October of 76 charges, including six homicide counts and 61 counts of reckless endangerment, for driving through the parade in downtown Waukesha in 2021. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow sentenced him to six consecutive life sentences without parole and ordered him to pay about $171,400 in restitution in November.Brooks drove his red Ford Escape through the parade after getting into a fight with his ex-girlfriend. Six people were killed, including 8-year-old Jackson Sparks, who was marching with his baseball team, and three members of a group known as the Dancing Grannies. Scores of others were injured.Brooks told the court tha...

Romney faces 1st potential challenge in Utah Senate race

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) — A potential challenger to Republican first-term Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah took a major step Thursday toward jumping into next year’s race, expected to be one of the GOP’s hardest-fought primary contests in 2024.With memories of Romney’s two votes to impeach former President Donald Trump stillfresh, Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson announced he was forming an exploratory committee for the primary race, which all but formalizes his entry and allows him to raise money and campaign statewide. Utah needs a “conservative fighter” who represents its values and blamed “professional career politicians” in Washington for inflation and higher gas prices, Wilson told The Associated Press in an interview at his real estate office in northern Utah.Forming the committee allows him to begin raising contributions and campaign throughout the state. “I don’t have any illusions that, as speaker of the house, I’m a household name. But that’s really not what this is about...

Will Coors Fields' 8th-inning beers cause more crime?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Are extra beer sales worth the extra fights that will go with them? Depends on which academics you ask.The Colorado Rockies are extending Coors Field alcohol sales to the end of the eighth inning instead of the seventh after rule changes to that made games about 30 minutes faster on average. The change to alcohol sales will start on April 17, when the Rockies host the Pittsburgh Pirates. They aren't the first team to do so over the league's new pitch clock. Researchers have analyzed crime trends associated with alcohol sales at sporting events. The one that shows an association with fights is exclusive to American baseball. Alcohol sales will be extended at Coors Field during Rockies games Some studies found no evidence of any sizable rise in criminal behavior with extended beer sales. One study in the National Library of Medicine concluded: "This small body of evidence indicates no consistent effects of changes of <2 hours on alcohol related outcomes. Four eve...

Hybrid car owner says he's lucky to be alive after 'massive' garage explosion in Erie

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

ERIE, Colo. (KDVR) — The owner of a hybrid electric car told FOX31 he’s lucky to be alive after walking through the moments when his garage exploded Tuesday.Carmelo Maggio was sleeping Tuesday morning when, around 8 a.m., smoke alarms started sounding off and his mom came running to get him and his pets out of the house. Explosion inside Erie garage sends firefighters, garage door flying “I look, I see some smoke and then I see it's coming from the garage and I get super worried because my Jeep was in there,” Maggio said.Firefighters responded within minutes, rushing to the garage as Maggio, as well as his mom and pets, got out right in time to see the explosion. “I'm over there on the street and I watch a big, big boom and this garage door exploded, went mid-air and almost hit a firefighter,” Maggio said. “It was like something you'd see out of a movie. A massive explosion. I've just never seen anything like that because we didn't see any real visible flames. We just saw a bunch ...

Astronaut visits Colorado alma mater

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Colo. (KDVR) -- NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins visited and spoke to the student body of the middle school she attended as a child. Her mission was to inspire the kids to achieve their dreams.It was at Louisville Middle School where twelve-year-old Watkins entertained dreams that were literally out of this world. Those dreams came true as Watkins, now a NASA astronaut, is back on Earth from a six-month-long space mission on board the International Space Station. “We did over 250 different scientific experiments of all different types of science. Then the other 30% of our time is doing maintenance,“ said Watkins.Today Watkins returns to the school where she used to only dream of exploring the final frontier. Rare lynx caught on film in San Juan mountains “To be able to say hello to old teachers and see what’s changed and what hasn’t changed and really just hopefully to inspire the children who are in the seats that I once sat in,“ said Watkins. Students at Louisville Mid...

US 40 reopens from Craig to Steamboat after flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

HAYDEN, Colo. (KDVR) -- Update: 4/13 1:00 p.m.: U.S. 40 is back open in both directions. Drivers are encouraged to be cautious since the roadway is still wet.Original Story: A major waterway that runs through the middle of a Colorado town crested its banks Thursday, causing flash flooding.In a release, Town Manager Mathew Mendisco said the flooding could continue throughout the day due to rapid snow melt from increasing temperatures. Fire danger: These areas are under a red flag warning A flood advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for Routt County and the intersection of Dry Creek and Highway 40. The advisory is in effect until 12 p.m. on Saturday.ClosuresThe Colorado Department of Transportation said Highway 40 between Craig and Steamboat Springs will be closed in both directions until at least 12 p.m.All schools and parks have been closed in Hayden due to the flooding. Worst floods in Colorado history Mendisco asked that residents avoid the following areas...

Homes, church damaged after tornado hits community in Dania Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

As South Florida deals with flooded areas due to heavy rains, it wasn’t just water damage after a community in Dania Beach was hit by a tornado. The strong winds Wednesday night ripped a roof off a home. Homes on Jamaica Drive near Bryan Road were impacted by the heavy winds. And it wasn’t just homes that were impacted. Surveillance video captured strong winds blowing off the door of the New Dania Church of God and Christ. “After I got home, got an alert from our ADT system that our front door was opened,” said pastor Jonathan Thomas. That’s how Thomas learned his church had been damaged. “I looked at the camera and the door was literally on the floor,” Thomas said. When he got to the church, he quickly realized that that wasn’t the only problem. “Leaves and everything, all kinds of debris was in the church, and then afterwards we came out, we saw tree branches down,” Thomas said. “It blew a big portion of ...

For travelers stranded after historic floods lead to FLL’s closure, the waiting continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport remains closed for a second day after days of relentless rainfall resulted in historic floods in Broward County, as stranded travelers continue to wait for updates.As rain fell outside the airport all day Wednesday, people inside became desperate to leave. Some have been waiting for 12 hours after the airport completely shut down at around 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday.“I was freaked out, and I was kind of scared,” said a girl. “I kind of calmed down; I took deep breaths.”7News cameras on Thursday captured passengers fast asleep in a terminal, as well as several unmanned ticket counters.“I took myself all the way to the highway and tried to catch Ubers; it wasn’t working, the cabs,” said a traveler. “We actually came back, walking back here, the phones died, everything like that.”“Both entrance and exit were blocked on the way out, so we’ve been here all night,” said anot...

Broward public schools to remain closed for 2nd day due to historic floods; classes expected to resume Monday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:26 GMT

Broward County’s public schools will remain closed for a second consecutive day due to extensive flooding caused by inclement weather that began earlier this week and continues to affect the region, school district officials said.The Broward County School Board reached the decision during a meeting held Thursday evening.School district officials confirmed the cancellation of classes and all school activities on Friday, citing the historic flooding and more rain being forecast for Friday.Broward County School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff said many Broward County Public Schools staff members who went to school buildings to assess flood damage were unable to access them.BCPS Chief of Staff Dr. Valerie Wanza said the schools have sustained about $2 million worth of damage, adding there are 30 schools that they have been unable to access because of the flooding in and around the buildings.BCPS Chief of Communications John Sullivan said the damage level was unexpected, and that’s...