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Record Russian budget will boost defense spending, shoring up Putin's support ahead of election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Russia's State Duma took a step forward Wednesday towards approving its biggest-ever federal budget which will increase spending by around 25% in 2024, with record amounts going on defense.Defense spending is expected to overtake social spending next year for the first time in modern Russian history, at a time when the Kremlin is keen to shore up support for President Vladimir Putin as Russia prepares for a presidential election in March.Record low unemployment, higher wages and targeted social spending should help the Kremlin ride out the domestic impact of pivoting the economy to a war footing, but could pose a problem in the long term, analysts say.The draft budget "is about getting the war sorted in Ukraine and about being ready for a military confrontation with the West in perpetuity,” said Richard Connolly, an expert on Russia's military and economy at the Royal United Services Institute in London.“This amounts to the wholesale remilitarization of Russian society...

6-year-old assaulted with bat in Georgetown assault dies, WCSO says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A 6-year-old who was assaulted with a baseball bat by his neighbor in September died on Tuesday, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) confirmed in a news release Wednesday.Jeremy Diaz was recovering from the attack since it happened on Sept. 11. His family said he suffered multiple fractures to his skull from the attack. Fundraiser helps 6-year-old boy assaulted with baseball bat by neighbor Jeremy Diaz (Photo: Arturo Diaz)WCSO said the assault was a random act.The family’s neighbor, 39-year-old neighbor Daniel Logan, was arrested by WCSO after he was accused of breaking into their home and assaulting Jeremy with a baseball bat. Georgetown man arrested, accused of assaulting 2 people, including 6-year-old, with bat Logan was charged with two first-degree felonies, including injury to a child and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a family member, according to officials."Our hearts are heavy as we learn of the passing of Je...

Largest-ever Texas Lottery prize, worth more than $157 million, claimed by South Dakota lottery trust

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the ticket was claimed in Austin by a lottery trust based in South Dakota. AUSTIN (KXAN) — The largest-ever Texas Lottery prize has been paid out to a lucky person in South Dakota.The Mega Millions ticket, worth $360 million, was claimed at the Texas Lottery Commission headquarters in Austin by the Blue Yucca Trust of Rapid City, South Dakota. A lottery trust helps keep the winner of lottery prizes worth $1 million or more anonymous.The winner chose the cash value option, meaning they took home $157,367,045, before taxes. Almost 2,000 Texans have won more than $1 million in state lottery history The ticket had been purchased at a Stripes convenience store in San Angelo for the Oct. 6 drawing. The retailer also received a $1 million bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.The winnings are the largest-ever Lottery prize in Texas, surpassing a $157 million prize claimed by an anonymous Leander resident in Octob...

Hope Breakfast Bar to open fifth location in Woodbury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

Hope Breakfast Bar is spreading like wildfire — but don’t call it a chain.Owners Brian and Sarah Ingram prefer it to be known as a “collection of restaurants,” the latest of which will open next year in Woodbury, across the street from Kowalski’s on Radio Drive.It will be Hope number five, for those who are counting. The original, opened in 2019, is in St. Paul. The two other full-service restaurants are in St. Louis Park and Eagan, and there’s a smaller, counter-service version in Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul.Sarah and Brian Ingram of Purpose Driven Restaurants. (Courtesy of Michael Boeckmann)“Every time we do a Hope, we try to make the design a little different,” Brian Ingram said. “My biggest fear is that anyone will look at this as a chain.”The restaurant’s tagline is “Believe in Breakfast” and the operation gives 3% of its profits to its nonprofit, Give Hope, which is focused on “helping neighbors in need.”This Hope will have a giant coffee bar and kitchen on ...

Ramsey County designates two St. Paul locations as winter warming spaces for the homeless

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

Ramsey County has designated two overnight winter warming spaces for the homeless, which will be supported by the county’s free shuttle van service. As of Wednesday, Catholic Charities’ St. Paul Opportunity Center at 422 Dorothy Day Place is the county’s official overnight location for single adults and couples.On Dec. 1, Central Baptist Church at 420 N. Roy St. will begin accepting families and young people ages 14 to 24 overnight.The warming space locations will remain open every night from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. through the end of March, with seating, blankets, light snacks and hot beverages such as hot cocoa and coffee. Warming essentials like hats and gloves also will be provided to those in need of cold weather supplies, according to a written announcement from Ramsey County.The county has extended its hours from last year, when warming spaces opened at 9:30 p.m. nightly and closed at 6:30 a.m.The warming spaces are opening two weeks earlier than last year and have...

Aviation Mall open early, late for the holidays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The Aviation Mall is making some changes to its hours over the holidays. The mall is closing for Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, Nov. 23. After that, it's holiday shopping time. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The mall reopens at 7 a.m. for Black Friday, staying open until 9 p.m. From then, the mall is open until 9 p.m. most days for the rest of the year. The full schedule includes:Saturday, Nov. 25: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.Sunday, Nov. 26: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Monday-Thursday, Nov. 27-30: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.Friday-Saturday, Dec. 1-2: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 3: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Monday-Thursday, Dec. 4-7: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.Friday-Saturday, Dec. 8-9: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 10: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Monday-Friday, Dec. 11-15: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.Saturday, Dec. 16: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 17: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.Monday-Saturday, Dec. 18-23: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.“There’s something magical about the in-...

Weekend repair work to shut down lanes on Hoosick St

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- At least two lanes will be closed on Hoosick Street on Saturday to repair leaking underground water infrastructure. The lanes will be closed from 15th Street to Burdett Avenue. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Repair work will begin at 5 a.m. and is expected to run until 5 p.m. All four lanes could be closed based on the repair needs. Troy Police will be present to facilitate the safe passage of vehicles near the work zone. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible. The City of Troy does not anticipate the work will interfere with water service to the community. Anyone with questions about the repairs should contact the Department of Public Works at (518) 237-0343.

Police apprehend larceny suspect following pursuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 37-year-old man was arrested after leading police on a chase that ended on Broadway on Tuesday evening. Mark K. Nolan-Schou of Albany is accused of multiple larcenies in Coeymans and Delmar. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Bethlehem Police were notified of an alleged larceny in the Town of Coeysman. The suspect involved fled the scene, driving north on State Route 9W.Officers located the vehicle on State Route 9W and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Nolan-Schou, refused to exit the vehicle and drove away. The pursuit ended on Broadway in the City of Albany.Nolan-Schou was charged with unlawfully fleeing a police officer, reckless driving, and numerous Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. Bethlehem Police also identified Nolan-Schou as a suspect in a separate larceny case on November 12, where packages were stolen from a residence on Elsmere Ave in Delmar. Nolan-Schou was charged with petit larceny...

Denver has cut homeless housing sites in some neighborhoods but not others. Here’s the updated map.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

Three months after Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office floated a list of 11 “promising” sites to shelter homeless people, plans have progressed for four of them — while three have been dropped from the list as the administration looks for replacements.As the new mayor’s goal of getting 1,000 people off the street by Dec. 31 approaches, work is underway on three micro-community sites that will shelter people in temporary tiny homes or pop-up Pallet shelters, so named because they are shipped on wooden pallets. A former hotel has begun housing people, while renovations are underway on another hotel that shares a site with one of the future micro-communities.Click to enlargeJohnston’s advisers also have made one major addition to the site list, one that is poised to make a big impact quickly.The Denver City Council on Nov. 6 approved a lease and potential $43 million purchase agreement for a former DoubleTree Hotel at 4040 N. Quebec St. That building...

Kazakh minister sets out how to strengthen EU’s relationship with his country

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:51 GMT

In a visit to Brussels to take part in the European Commission’s Raw Materials Week, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction, Kanat Sharlapaev, explained how his country is already meeting many of the EU’s requirements for critical raw materials. He set out how, as reliable partners, Kazakhstan and the European Union, can expand that supply and strengthen trade and investment links, writes Political Editor Nick Powell.It’s been a year since the EU and Kazakhstan agreed a strategic partnership on critical raw materials, batteries and green hydrogen. At a business forum on that strategic cooperation, Kazakh Industry Minister Kanat Sharlapaev said Kazakhstan fully supports the European Union's aspirations for diversifying sustainable supplies of critical raw minerals and is confident that the country can make a significant contribution to achieving this goal. “Our Republic has all the necessary qualities, including the availability of raw materials, unique production capacit...