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Temperatures soar in Iberia as wildfires force the evacuation of 1,400 in Portugal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — More than 1,000 firefighters are battling a series of wildfires in Portugal as it and neighboring Spain experience several days of extreme summer heat, with temperatures in many areas rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).Three major fires raged in Portugal on Tuesday, with the biggest in the southwest near the town of Odemira, where on Monday about 1,400 people were evacuated from villages and a camp site as a precaution. They were gradually returning home on Tuesday.The National Civil Protection Service said about 1,000 firefighters, 320 vehicles and nine aircraft were deployed at that fire on Tuesday. It has so far scorched around 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres).The recent spate of wildfires came as temperatures have spiked. On Monday, the city of Santarem, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of the capital, Lisbon, set the year’s highest temperature at 46.4 C (115.5 F). Temperatures are forecast to fall nationwide from Tuesday, though they will mostl...

Soaring sales of diabetes drug Mounjaro, widely used for weight loss, sends Eli Lilly to new heights

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

Eli Lilly’s diabetes treatment Mounjaro, which is widely used for weight loss, raked in nearly $1 billion in second-quarter sales, or more than $200 million above what Wall Street had expected.Shares of the drugmaker soared to an all-time-high early Tuesday after Lilly said Mounjaro sales swelled more than 70% since the first quarter to $980 million. Almost all of that came from the U.S., and the company said significant demand was leading to delays in filling orders for some doses.Analysts expected the drug to bring in about $740 million during the quarter, according to FactSet.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug at the end of last year’s second quarter to treat type 2 diabetes, but analysts see a lot of potential for it in the booming market for weight-loss treatments, and doctors have already been prescribing it off-label for that.Regulators are currently deciding whether to also make weight loss an approved use. Lilly said earlier this year that the inj...

Niger’s junta rejects a diplomatic visit by regional and U.N. officials over ‘atmosphere of menace’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Niger’s military junta has refused the latest diplomatic attempt to reinstall the ousted president, rejecting a proposed visit by representatives of the West African regional bloc, the African Union and United Nations on Tuesday, according to a letter seen by The Associated Press.The letter cited “evident reasons of security in this atmosphere of menace” against Niger, two weeks after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country’s democratically elected leader. The regional bloc known as ECOWAS had threatened to use military force if the junta didn’t reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum by Sunday, a deadline that was ignored.On Monday, acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with the coup leaders and said they refused to allow her to meet with Bazoum, whom she described as under “virtual house arrest.” She described the mutinous officers as unreceptive to her appeals to start negotiations and restore constitutional rule.“These conver...

Stock market today: Wall Street slumps with markets worldwide on worries about banks and the economy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are slumping Tuesday as more caution creeps into financial markets worldwide.The S&P 500 was 1% lower in early trading, following up on losses for stocks across Europe and much of Asia. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 370 points, or 1%, at 35,102, as of 9:50 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.3% lower.In the U.S., bank stocks dropped after Moody’s cut the credit ratings for several smaller and midsized ones amid a long list of concerns about their financial strength. Across the Pacific, stocks sank 1.8% in Hong Kong and 0.3% in Shanghai after a report showed exports for China’s troubled economy shrank by the most since the start of the pandemic in 2020.The worries layered on top of a mixed set of earnings reports from big U.S. companies.UPS fell 3% after it cut its forecast for revenue this year. It reported stronger profit for the spring but weaker revenue.Eli Lilly helped to limit the market’s losses after jumping 16.4%. The medi...

CPD: 24 armed robberies throughout Northwest Side since Saturday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Nearly 25 armed robberies have been conducted throughout the Northwest Side since Saturday night.The latest incidents happened in a span of less than two hours early Tuesday morning throughout West Town, Logan Square and Wicker Park.The spree began at around 12:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee. Police said a 53-year-old man was walking on the sidewalk when three males exited a silver sedan and robbed him of his cell phone and wallet at gunpoint.At around 1 a.m. in the 2000 block of West Superior, police said a 30-year-old woman was riding a bicycle when she was cut off by a silver sedan. She was then robbed of her cell phone and bag at gunpoint.Approximately five minutes later in the 1900 block of West Chicago, a 36-year-old man was robbed on the sidewalk at gunpoint by the same three suspects of his cell phone. Man charged with first-degree murder of 9-year-old girl in Portage Park Then at approximately 1:50 a.m. and 2 a.m., two separate bicyclists, a 32-yea...

Black musician sues white supremacist group over alleged attack

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

(The Hill) -- A Boston musician has filed suit against white supremacist group Patriot Front nearly a year after he claimed members of the organization beat him on the street.Charles Murrell III, a Black music teacher and musician, was near Boston Public Library on July 2, 2022, when he was approached and beaten by a group of Patriot Front members, the suit alleges.The white supremacist group performed a march down the Boston Freedom Trail carrying banners reading “Reclaim America” and fascist imagery. The suit alleges that the group encountered Murrell on the sidewalk and proceeded to punch, kick and beat him with their metal shields.The men were unidentifiable due to face coverings except for the group’s leader, Thomas Ryan Rousseau.The suit alleges Rousseau and the group violated Murrell’s civil rights and seeks civil damages for physical and emotional distress.“This attack left me with both physical and emotional injuries. While I am still trying to heal, I hope that this healin...

Woman seriously injured after probable shark attack in New York City, officials say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

NEW YORK CITY (WPIX) – A woman was injured after an apparent shark attack in the NYC borough of Queens on Monday, according to officials.A caller alerted authorities to a major injury at Rockaway Beach around 6 p.m. The victim, 50, was taken to the hospital after NYPD officers applied a tourniquet.She is in serious but stable condition, according to officials. Authorities also confirmed that the woman had suffered an apparent shark bite. Sources told Nexstar's WPIX that the shark had bitten the woman's upper left leg. Bear bites camper relaxing in hammock, officials say The city's parks department called the incident "a frightening event" but claimed such attacks at Rockaway Beach are exceedingly rare.We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer. Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare. We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spott...

Who doesn't qualify for a Facebook settlement payment?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – While many Americans qualify for a piece of the massive $725 million Facebook settlement, a few groups of people are not eligible to make a claim in the class action lawsuit. The eligibility requirements are fairly simple: You need to have had a Facebook account for any time between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022. You also need to have been a United States resident during that period of time. Even people who have deleted Facebook accounts may qualify.But there are some exemptions, as outlined by the settlement administrator. Time running out to file for $725M Facebook settlement: How to claim your payment First off, "directors, officers, legal representatives, alleged co-conspirators, and agents" of Facebook's parent company Meta are disqualified. Any legal counsel who represented Facebook in the lawsuit (or other lawsuits that were consolidated into this settlement) also are not eligible. The same goes for other people who worked on the case, including the judge, med...

These are the best states to win the Mega Millions jackpot in

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — With another record-setting lottery jackpot up for grabs — a $1.55 billion Mega Millions grand prize — it's hard not to fantasize about being a billionaire. Unfortunately, you won't become a billionaire right away if you win. It isn't just because of how long it takes to validate a winner. Taxes are going to drop you down from billionaire status to millionaire, albeit a double or triple-digit millionaire. State lotteries are required to withhold 24% in federal taxes on Mega Millions jackpot wins. With additional taxes, about 37% of the prize money will be taken out in total.Depending on where you live, you could see even more tax withholdings taken from your prize. Can a Mega Millions jackpot winner remain anonymous? Not in these states New York has the highest state lottery tax withholding on large lottery prizes like the Mega Millions jackpot (some have different tax rates for different-sized prizes, or the taxes aren’t withheld unless a prize is larger th...

What is PragerU? The conservative education platform now in Florida schools

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Florida Department of Education is raising alarm with its recent approval of the conservative education platform PragerU, which touts itself as an alternative to progressive “indoctrination,” for use in classrooms this school year. The “supplemental curriculum” means educators can if they choose show PragerU materials in class without fear of repercussions, with video titles ranging from “Was the Civil War About Slavery?” to “The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party.” Critics contend PragerU has promoted videos with misinformation and is too biased for public schools, escalating the controversy regarding changes to Florida’s education system under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Here’s what to know about PragerU and the fallout in Florida:What is PragerU?PragerU is a conservative platform that was founded by conservative talk show host Dennis Prager and Allen Estrin back in 2009. On its site, it touts itself as a nonprofit focused on “a free alternat...