Month: February 2025

By FATIMA HUSSEIN WASHINGTON (AP) — The layoffs of roughly 7,000 IRS probationary workers beginning this week likely mean the end of the agency’s plan to go after high-wealth tax dodgers and could spell disaster for revenue collections, experts say. The majority of employees shown the door at the federal tax collector are newly hired workers focused on compliance, which includes ensuring that taxpayers are abiding by the tax code and paying delinquent debts, among other duties. The IRS... Read More

Donald Williams, retired after 30 years as a Navy helicopter gunner, is worried about possible cuts to veterans programs he relies on to help him with post-traumatic stress disorder that continues years after his service. So too is Mariana Gracia, whose Army vet husband, Agustin, relies on the Veterans Administration to treat debilitating conditions, including Gulf War Illness and chronic fatigue syndrome. “VA health cuts would impact my husband in such a way that he could actually lose his... Read More

KENT, Conn. (AP) — A Scottish Highland bull is the talk of the town in the rural hills of western Connecticut, where it has been roaming for over a month in the frigid winter weather after escaping from its confines. Local residents have reported sporadic sightings, including a few over the past week, said Lee Sohl, the animal control officer in Kent. It was recently seen just over the town line in New Milford. “People keep spotting it and they don’t know that people are looking for... Read More

In Florida’s sweeping push to ensure aging condo buildings are kept safe, there are many key things that have — and haven’t — happened so far this year. Many condo associations for older buildings with three or more stories were required by Dec. 31 last year to submit inspection paperwork. It’s necessary under new safety guidelines that were enacted after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside that killed 98 people. While many associations... Read More

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Miramar was partially evacuated Thursday after a security officer fell ill while coming into contact with a white powdered substance, police say. A suspect was detained at the scene. Originally Published: February 20, 2025 at 12:10 PM EST ... Read More

This weekend, some of us will celebrate where we came from and what we’ve brought with us. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here. Originally Published: February 20, 2025 at 5:55 AM EST ... Read More

Today is Thursday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2025. There are 314 days left in the year. Today in history: On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Also on this date: In 1792, President George Washington... Read More

By DAVID SMALE KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Lionel Messi did what Lionel Messi does. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored from the right side of the box in the 56th minute to lift Inter Miami past Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on a bitterly cold Wednesday night in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup’s first round. “There’s one guy that can turn the game over, and he did,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. Miami head coach Javier Mascherano simply described Messi’s effort as... Read More

Commissioners learned last year that cracks had formed in the concrete. Now, they want a guarantee that the building will be safe over the long term. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here. Originally Published: February 19, 2025 at 5:49 PM EST ... Read More