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Biden administration seeks to remove medical bills from credit reports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

(CNN) — Millions of Americans with unpaid medical bills would no longer have that debt show up on credit reports under proposals being considered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.The agency, which is soliciting feedback from small businesses that may be affected, expects to issue a proposed rule next year, the bureau said Thursday.If the rule is finalized, consumer credit companies would be barred from including medical debt and collection information on reports that creditors use to make underwriting decisions.Creditors would only be able consider non-medical information when evaluating borrowers’ loan applications. And debt collectors would no longer be able to use the listing of medical debt on credit reports as leverage to pressure consumers into paying questionable bills, the bureau said.“Research shows that medical bills have little predictive value in credit decisions, yet tens of millions of American households are dealing with medical debt on their...

Wakefield girl battling brain cancer wins national hat design contest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

A Wakefield girl battling brain cancer can now add the title of fashion designer to her resume after her sparkly hat design won a national contest. The hat 11-year-old Leah Ellis created will be sold to benefit other children battling cancer. Speaking with 7NEWS, Ellis and her family said they were delighted by the honor. “Everybody was pretty psyched about winning,” said Ellis’ father Neal Ellis. “Love Your Melon” is an outdoor and lifestyle brand dedicated to giving a warm beanie to every child battling cancer. This year, Love Your Melon decided to hand over the creative reins for the first time to the children themselves through a contest. “She was so excited,” said Ellis’ mother, Elena Proakis, describing her daughter’s reaction after winning the contest.  Ellis has been battling brain cancer for the last 2.5 years. After this contest, Ellis and the rest of her family are proudly wearing her beanie, which includes sparkles, her favorite co...

Prisoner charged with murder after death of cellmate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The cause and manner of death of an inmate who died last year from an assault while in his own cell at the San Diego Central Jail has been determined, authorities said.Derek Baker, 56, died due to blunt force head trauma, Lt. Anthony O'Boyle with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) said in a news release Thursday. His death was confirmed as a homicide.Baker's cellmate, 28-year-old Patrick Ferncase, was charged Tuesday, facing one count of murder, according to law enforcement.On March 12, 2022, Baker was reported injured by another incarcerated person, prompting deputies to go to his cell, where Baker was found injured, per the sheriff's department.Later that month, Baker died from his injuries as a result of the assault. 4,500 more Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers in San Diego vote to strike During the investigation, authorities named Ferncase as a suspect in Baker's death.Ferncase was initially arrested on Dec. 21, 2021 by Carlsbad police and booked ...

Biden deal with tribes promises $200M for Columbia River salmon reintroduction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Biden administration has pledged over $200 million toward reintroducing salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin in an agreement with tribes that includes a stay on litigation for 20 years. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Spokane Tribe of Indians signed the deal with federal officials on Thursday, The Seattle Times reported. The funds from the Bonneville Power Administration will be paid over 20 years to implement a plan led by the tribes to restore salmon and steelhead in the basin. Constructing the Grand Coulee Dam about 80 years ago in eastern Washington, and Chief Joseph Dam downstream, stopped salmon from migrating into the basin and through tribal lands, cutting off tribal access to the fish, which leaders say has caused devastating cultural harm. Salmon runs in the Upper Columbia had been abundant for thousands of years and were a mainstay of tribal cultures and trade. The Upper Columbia United Tribes,...

UNGA Briefing: Netanyahu, tuberculosis and what else is going on at the UN

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — It’s Day 4 of the U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting that brings world leaders together at U.N. headquarters in New York. Here are the highlights of what happened Thursday at the U.N. and what to keep an eye on Friday. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THURSDAY— The Security Council met to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh on an emergency request from Armenia and France.— The head of Guinea’s junta recharacterized the recent coups in Africa as attempts by militaries to save their countries from presidents’ “broken promises.”— Two permanent observers addressed the General Assembly: European Union representative Charles Michel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.— Speech count: 38WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON DAY 4— Key speeches: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry— Netanyahu returns to the General Debate for ...

British royals sprinkle star power on a grateful French town with up-and-down ties to royalty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — As they do every day at noon, the town hall bells played a cheeky little tune about a king who put his pants on back to front. Perhaps a good thing then, for French-British friendship and all of that, that King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived a little too late to hear it. The British royal couple swept into Saint-Denis just after its midday chimes, coming to sprinkle a little of their star power on the town north of Paris that drank up the attention on Thursday.After all, it’s not every day that VIP visitors venture out here — one of the poorest and toughest parts of the Paris region. Residents were thrilled, welcoming the royals as a boost for the town with a reputation for crime, deep pockets of economic hardship, and where many are deprived of the wealth and opportunities that nearby Paris enjoys. “When people speak of Saint-Denis, they say, ‘Oh ! Don’t go!,'” said Yannick Caillet, an assistant mayor. “We want to de-stigmatize the town...

Guerrero Jr. returns to pinch-hit, but Blue Jays’ rally falls short vs. Yankees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

The right knee discomfort that’s left Vladimir Guerrero Jr. day-to-day in this crucial final stretch of the Toronto Blue Jays season isn’t something new for the all-star first baseman.Back on May 17, when he sat out a 3-0, 10-inning walk-off win over the New York Yankees, the joint flared up enough for him to undergo an MRI, which also revealed no structural damage. He pinch-hit the next day and then appeared in every Blue Jays game until taking a miss Aug. 6 at Boston. Until this week in New York, the only other games he’s missed were two contests May 6-7 at Pittsburgh, when left wrist soreness forced him to the bench.Combine that with Guerrero playing in 381 of a possible 384 regular-season games from 2020-22 and it’s pretty clear how much it takes to keep him off the field.“I wouldn’t say all season, the days that they took me out of the game or I didn’t play, most of the time it’s either my knee or my wrist,” Guerrero, speaki...

E.coli outbreak confirmed at McHenry County high school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

HUNTLEY, Ill. — The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) confirmed an E.coli outbreak at Huntley High School Thursday evening.According to the MCDH, there are currently six confirmed cases of STEC, or Shiga Toxin-producing E.Coli, all of which involve students at the school.The first cases was identified Sunday, and health department officials said there is insufficient evidence to indicate where the illness came from, as of Thursday evening.STEC is a bacterial infection known to cause gastrointestinal illness in humans. This strain of E. coli bacteria grows and lives in the intestines of people and animals. Transmission of STEC can occur due to contact with contaminated food, contaminated water, people, and animals. Symptoms and characteristics of STEC include:Diarrhea (often bloody)FeverAbdominal cramping and body achesVomitingHeadachesSymptoms typically start within 3-4 days of exposure to STEC but may take up to ten days to develop. Most individuals infected with STEC feel...

One dead in south Austin homicide, APD says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead, and the Austin Police Department is investigating the incident as a homicide at a south Austin apartment complex, the agency said during a media briefing on Thursday.At approximately 5:32 p.m., 911 received multiple calls about a disturbance involving a gun at the SOCO Park Apartments, located in the 7200 block of South Congress Avenue, said APD Public Information Officer Alexandra Parker during the briefing.Police said the incident occurred outside but did not specify where at the complex.Officers arrived on scene at 5:36 p.m. and found a man in his 30s with obvious signs of trauma, Parker said. The man, who was not identified Thursday, was pronounced dead on the scene at approximately 5:45 p.m.Additionally, police said no child was injured during the incident.This was an isolated incident, and there is no threat to the public, Parker said. Detectives will remain on the scene as they continue the investigation.There was a person of interest on t...

Texas Longhorns hope for more 'pool parties' as Big 12 play begins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A more concerted effort toward forcing turnovers this season has Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian throwing pool parties.Figuratively, at least. Longhorns ’embrace the hate’ Big 12 farewell tour starts in Waco on Saturday The No. 3 Texas Longhorns enter Saturday's Big 12 Conference opener against Baylor tied for No. 8 in the country with a plus-5 turnover margin. Sarkisian said he is making a huge deal over turnovers during practice."I've borderline thrown a pool party in the middle of practice for a turnover," Sarkisian said. "I've tried to make it such a big deal when we create a turnover. We want to celebrate the heck out of turnovers."MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersSarkisian preached all training camp that forcing turnovers was the next big improvement the Longhorns' defense had to make. It made huge strides from 2021 to 2022, and three games into...