WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday after cutting it three times in a row last year, a sign of a more cautious approach as the Fed seeks to gauge where inflation is headed and what policies President Donald Trump may pursue. In a statement, the Fed said the job market is “solid,” and noted that the unemployment rate “has stabilized at a low level in recent months.” The Fed also appeared to toughen its assessment of inflation, saying that it “remains somewhat elevated.” Both a healthier job market and more stubborn inflation typically would imply…
Author: MAK Gojar
LOS ANGELES — Rihanna appeared for the first time at the trial of her longtime partner A$AP Rocky, on the day of its most important testimony — the description by a former friend of the moment Rocky allegedly fired a gun at him. The singer superstar, who has two toddler sons with the rapper Rocky, sat out of view of the courtroom’s cameras, between Rocky’s mother and sister, in the downtown Los Angeles criminal courthouse. Security brought her in surreptitiously to avoid crowds Wednesday morning. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, has been standing trial on two felony…
The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it was holding interest rates steady, a sign of caution amid stubborn inflation and worries from some that possible tariffs or immigration restrictions by the Trump administration could keep prices elevated. The economic headwinds also dashed hopes among real estate developers who say continued rate reductions by the Fed, which cut rates three times last year beginning in September, could have eventually kicked off construction of new apartment complexes across downtown Chicago. “Back in September we were thinking it was the beginning of rate cuts that would extend through 2024 and 2025,” said Greg McBride,…
SURFSIDE, Fla. — A Dubai-based developer plans to build a 12-story luxury condominium project on the South Florida site where a building collapsed in 2021, killing 98 people. DAMAC International said Tuesday that it planned to build The Delmore on the site where the Champlain Towers South partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, outside Miami in June 2021. Construction has already started and the project is expected to be finished in 2029, the company said in a news release. The building with staggered floors designed by Zaha Hadid Architects will have 37 “mansions” with units averaging 7,000 square feet. The price…
Ryan Pressly had to make a choice. As he mulled over with his wife, family and friends whether to waive his no-trade clause to accept a move from the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs, the veteran reliever considered the opportunity to close games again — though it would come at the cost of leaving Houston, his wife’s hometown and where their two kids were born and have been raised. Pressly ultimately agreed to be traded to the Cubs, a deal that became official Tuesday with the Cubs sending minor-league pitcher Juan Bello in return. The Astros will also be…
The Sixth District court that reversed ex-football star’s 2020 rape conviction issues order suggesting intent to overrule a Santa Clara County judge’s jurisdictional stance. SAN JOSE — An appellate court has issued an order signaling that it intends to side with former San Francisco 49ers star Dana Stubblefield as he pursues a bail hearing — and his release from state prison — following the same court’s reversal of his 2020 rape conviction late last year. Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield sits at a press conference with his attorneys in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Stubblefield’s 2020…
The crash happened at the intersection of Taylor Boulevard and Grayson Road. PLEASANT HILL — A woman who died in a two-car crash on Monday has been identified by authorities as a Pittsburg resident. Related Articles Crashes and Disasters | San Jose: Pedestrian killed in collision near Coyote Creek Crashes and Disasters | Fatal collision kills one person in Pleasant Hill Crashes and Disasters | Man dies in Oakland traffic collision Crashes and Disasters | Berkeley pedestrian killed after being struck by vehicle Crashes and Disasters | SUV occupant who died after crash onto East Bay BART tracks is identified…
An 86-year-old woman died in the fatal crash reported near Sherlock and Kimball drives early Wednesday, police say. SAN JOSE — A pedestrian died in a car collision on a residential street near Coyote Creek early Wednesday, police said. Related Articles Crashes and Disasters | Authorities identify woman who died in Pleasant Hill crash Crashes and Disasters | Fatal collision kills one person in Pleasant Hill Crashes and Disasters | Man dies in Oakland traffic collision Crashes and Disasters | Berkeley pedestrian killed after being struck by vehicle Crashes and Disasters | SUV occupant who died after crash onto East…
The man was a minor at the time of the collision. REDWOOD CITY — A man who crashed into a San Carlos family’s car while street racing in 2022, killing the parents instantly, has been sentenced to 90 days of electronic home monitoring, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. Cesar Morales, 20, who was a minor at the time of the crash, was racing a man he met at a stoplight and reaching speeds of over 80 miles per hour, when he crashed into the car of Grace Spiridon and Gregory Ammen. The crash orphaned the couple’s…
Bay Area floral designers put their creativity on display in Fleurs de Villes’s “Lunaire,” which runs through Feb. 2. Jennifer Balcom, a floral designer from FlyBunker based in San Francisco, places flowers on their floral arrangement for Fleurs de Villes at Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Prepare yourself to be amazed by the floral artistry on display to celebrate Lunar New Year this week at Westfield Valley Fair. Bay Area designers created 16 mannequin displays that explore different aspects of Lunar New Year traditions from red envelopes and…
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department released the image of a person they want to question after a shooter targeted the NAACP office in Broward County. Leer en español Chief William C. Schultz said two witnesses came forward with details about the shooting that were pertinent to an investigation that also involves the FBI, ATF, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Marsha A. Ellison, president of the NAACP branch office at 1100 Sistrunk Boulevard, was concerned the shooting and the way detectives handled the investigation could be related to the NAACP standing against reinstating former Fort Lauderdale police officer who was fighting…
Meta Platforms Inc. posted sharply higher profit and revenue for its fourth quarter on Wednesday, thanks to higher ad revenue on its social media properties, sending its shares up in after-hours trading even as it forecast increasing expenses on its artificial intelligence efforts. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he expects 2025 to “be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant.” The Menlo Park, California-based company earned $20.83 billion, or $8.02 per share, in the October-December quarter. That’s up 49% from $14.02…
A chaotic back-and-forth over President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal grants and loans has farmers, activists, organizations and businesses wondering whether they will receive the funding they rely on. It’s funding that among many other things is being used to address environmental problems or tackle climate change. The White House ordered the freeze on Monday evening, naming some 2,600 programs. Then a federal judge temporarily blocked it. Then the Trump administration rescinded the memo on Wednesday afternoon. Some programs stopped or slowed as administrators grappled with how to react. And even if Trump doesn’t move again with a comprehensive freeze,…
Norfolk Southern’s solid fourth quarter — combined with the optimism the railroad is hearing from their customers and support they’re getting from Washington D.C. — has the CEO feeling optimistic about 2025. The railroad, based in Atlanta, earned $733 million, or $3.23 per share, in the fourth quarter. That’s up from $527 million, or $2.32 per share, the prior year, helped by a couple of one-time items whereas the same quarter last year was weighed down by hefty derailment cleanup costs. The insurance payments Norfolk Southern is collecting during the fourth quarter related to the disastrous East Palestine, Ohio, derailment…
President Donald Trump’s administration will not be renewing the Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans when it expires in April. Leer en español U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Wednesday that she reversed her predecessor’s decision to renew the TPS until October 2026. In response, Rep. María Elvira Salazar released a statement saying she supports both President Donald Trump and TPS for Venezuelans fleeing political persecution. “There is a simple solution to this: Maduro has to go! Trump is the only force to get him out,” Salazar said. Noem’s decision affects about 600,000 Venezuelans who will no longer…
The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a key role to help President Donald Trump fulfill his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles. The vote was 56-42 in Zeldin’s favor. Three Democrats — Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — supported Zeldin, along with all 53 Republicans. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, is a longtime Trump ally and served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment. He voted…
POV: Your Jonas Brother dad is also in charge of the car music.
A woman said she saw a wounded man running to a gas station across the street on Wednesday morning after having an argument with another person in a northwestern Miami-Dade County parking lot. Leer en español According to Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office deputies, there was a ShotSpotter alert shortly after 8:20 a.m., at 102 NW 27th Ave. Detectives blocked the Mobil gas station on the corner of Northwest 27th Avenue and 103rd Street and the nearby parking lot at La Malquerida, a restaurant and cafe at 10117 NW 27th Ave. A witness who works at a nearby tint shop said…
Broward Health Dr. Craig Harrison is an emergency care physician. On Wednesday he said there has been an increase in upper respiratory infections. Harrison said South Florida is more at risk not only because it is highly populated but because there are also a lot of people passing through from all over the world. Leer en español “We do have to be aware of that there’s going to be more infectious exposure,” Harrison said. Respiratory illnesses can cause nasal congestion, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and fever — and sometimes devolve into bacterial pneumonia. Harrison said that since Fort Lauderdale is a…
General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the residence of Vietnam’s late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of Vietnam on Monday – a special arrangement made by the Vietnamese side for Xi’s state visit to the Southeast Asian neighbor. General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the residence of Vietnam’s late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of Vietnam on Monday – a special arrangement made by the Vietnamese side for Xi’s state visit to the Southeast Asian neighbor. General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the residence of Vietnam’s late revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh…