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El Salvador president wants to cut the number of municipalities from 262 to 44

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador President Nayib Bukele says he wants to cut the number of municipalities in the country from 262 to 44 to reduce the tax burden.The proposal would require the approval of the country’s Legislative Assembly, in which Bukele’s party and its allies hold a majority. The president also proposed reducing the number of lawmakers in that body from 84 to 60.“How is it possible that in a territory of 8,100 square miles (21,000 square kilometers) we have 262 municipalities?” Bukele said in a speech Thursday marking his fourth year in office. The president’s New Ideas party controls the majority of the current municipalities.The president said the names of municipalities would not be lost because they would be converted into districts by the same name.The conservative National Republican Alliance (Arena) party said it saw clear electoral motivation behind the move just one year before Bukele plans to seek re-election despite a widespread interpretati...

Hard Rock Cafe in Denver to close this summer

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Hard Rock Cafe has been a staple of Denver's 16th Street Mall for more than two decades, but that run is coming to an end.Opened in 1998, the iconic chain restaurant's final day will be July 29. 3.9 earthquake hits Wyoming, just north of Colorado The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reports it has been notified that 54 employees will be laid off when Hard Rock Cafe closes.The Denver location is the only one in Colorado, and once it closes the closest Hard Rock Cafe will be Las Vegas, which is about 10 hours away by car.The Hard Rock is a cornerstone business for the Denver Pavilions but not the only eatery at that specific portion of the mall. The Pavilions also house 5280 Burger Bar, Lucky Strike, Henry’s Tavern, Maggiano’s and several other restaurants.The 16th Street Mall has been under construction for several years and many businesses have closed along the shopping corridor since the COVID-19 pandemic began.The Denver Pavilions is located towar...

Police kill 14-year-old armed robbery suspect in Aurora

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) -- Police shot and killed a 14-year-old boy and took two more into custody after an armed robbery in Aurora on Thursday afternoon, according to interim Police Chief Art Acevedo. Friday morning, the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office identified the boy who was killed as Jor'Dell Da'Shawn Richardson.A regional search was underway for more young males, possibly teenagers, who fled the scene in a dark-colored Kia minivan, that had been reported stolen, Acevedo said. He did not release ages but said officers believe they were all boys.The dark-colored Kia Sedona minivan had a CNS-P11 plate, according to police.Acevedo said robbers took vapes from a store near 8th Avenue and Dayton Street. The boy who police shot and killed had a semiautomatic pistol when he threatened the store clerk, the chief said. 2 escaped inmates from Adams County jail taken into custody A sergeant with Aurora's Gang Intervention Unit first spotted the alleged robbers in hoodies and surgical ma...

Fitch warns it could still downgrade America’s credit rating despite debt ceiling resolution

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

New York (CNN) — Fitch Ratings is keeping the United States on watch for a potential credit rating downgrade even after Congress passed a last-minute bill to avert a disastrous default.In its first statement since the Senate passed the debt ceiling legislation Thursday night, Fitch Ratings on Friday said it is keeping the United States on rating watch negative and plans to make a decision on a potential downgrade by the end of September.Although the resolution to the debt ceiling fight is a “positive,” Fitch expressed deep concern about the recurring brinksmanship and worsening polarization in Washington.“Fitch believes that repeated political standoffs around the debt-limit and last-minute suspensions before the X-date (when the Treasury’s cash position and extraordinary measures are exhausted) lowers confidence in governance on fiscal and debt matters,” the ratings company said in a statement.That reasoning is similar to the rationale behind the&...

Jimmy Butler, not Gabe Vincent, must guard Jamal Murray in NBA Finals

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

Jimmy Butler has to guard Jamal Murray at all times.It’s the only way the Miami Heat will stand a fighting chance now down 0-1 in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, courtesy of a 26-point effort from Murray in the Mile High City on Thursday.While two-time MVP Nikola Jokic struggled to generate offense through the first three quarters before coming alive in the fourth, it was Denver’s lead guard who picked apart the Heat defense on an 11-of-22 shooting performance that also included 10 assists on the night.Yet of Murray’s 22 field goal attempts, Butler defended only two, and both were misses: a heavily contested stepback two, and a contested pull-up three that clanked off left iron.Yet Miami seemed keen on sticking with starting point guard Gabe Vincent as Murray’s primary defender. Murray shot seven-of-nine from the field when defended by Vincent and got to the paint with ease all night. He shot three-of-five when defended by Hayward Highsmith, one-of...

Home Showcase: Beacon Hill style, location … and a pool

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

Longtime Home Showcase readers know we don’t usually gatekeep, so we’re hoping you’ll forgive us if we briefly considered keeping Unit 4 at 21 Joy Street in Boston all to ourselves while we furiously saved up for a down payment.What has us so enthralled? Beyond its iconic location in the heart of Beacon Hill just behind the State House, the penthouse condo is stashed in one of the neighborhood’s most unique buildings.While the building’s red brick exterior and black shutters fit right in with the rest of the neighborhood, what it hides is pure magic. Here’s the thing: it’s a shared, utterly dreamy, landscaped patio and secret garden with a pool and fountain. A pool in Beacon Hill? Yup. Think about a lunchtime dip between calls, or cooling off in the evening under the canopy of trees.If that’s not enough outdoor space for you, the condo boasts two additional private exterior spaces — a balcony off the living room overlooking the garden and a 170 square-foot deck.Eventually you’ll nee...

Passenger train derails in India, killing at least 50 and trapping many others

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

By ASHOK SHARMA (Associated Press)NEW DELHI (AP) — Two passenger trains derailed in India on Friday, killing at least 50 people and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged coaches, officials said.About 400 people were injured and taken to hospitals after the accident, which happened nearly 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) northwest of the capital of New Delhi, officials said. The cause was under investigation.Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, the top administrator in the Balasore district, said at least 50 people were dead.Nearly 500 police officers and rescue workers with 75 ambulances and buses responded to the accident, said Pradeep Jena, the top bureaucrat of the Odisha state.Rescuers were attempting to free 200 people feared trapped in the wreckage, said D.B. Shinde, administrator of the state’s Balasore district.Amitabh Sharma, a railroad ministry spokesperson, said 10 to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fe...

Recipe: Raspberry coulis is a tasty, last-minute dessert topping

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

When friends and family stop by for dinner, whether expected or just last-minute drop-ins, I like to have something easy to offer for dessert when time is tight. Raspberry coulis (koo-LEE) is a showy and delicious sauce made from puréed and strained fruit. It can doll up a slice of store-bought angel food cake in a delightful way. Ice cream, pound cake, and cheesecake are also tempting-from-the-freezer candidates.This raspberry coulis will keep well in the refrigerator for 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Two styles of frozen raspberries are common in the marketplace: quick frozen with nothing added, or frozen in syrup. Each has its own set of requirements to make a perfect coulis (see alternative when using raspberries frozen in syrup).Raspberry Coulis (Raspberry Sauce)Yield: about 2 1/2 cups12 ounces quick-frozen raspberries, thawed but cold1/2 cup sugarAlternative for raspberries frozen in syrup: 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen raspberries in syrup (thawed), 1 teaspoon cornstarch...

Cape’s first shark alert of the season for Chatham

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

The heat, humidity and now shark warnings. Summer is upon us.The Shartivity app run by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has posted a “Shark Alert!” for off North Beach Island in Chatham “heading south.” The shark was spotted “about a quarter mile” off the island.This is the first shark alert of the season.This is a developing story … 

Pros and cons of an adjustable-rate mortgage

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

TJ Porter | Bankrate.com (TNS)Say “mortgage,” and most people think of a fixed-rate, long-term loan. While that’s certainly the most popular variety, it’s not the only home loan in town. For some aspiring homeowners, an adjustable rate mortgage might be a better option.Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) often appeal to homebuyers due to their initially low interest rates. But all good things come to an end, and you can get a nasty shock when the rate adjusts, and your monthly payments increase — often dramatically.So it’s crucial to understand the overall pros and cons of ARMs and how they work. Forewarned is forearmed, after all.How does an adjustable-rate mortgage work?An ARM is a 30-year adjustable-rate mortgage that has an initial fixed interest rate period — three, five and seven years are especially popular. Once that period ends, the interest rate adjusts each year (or possibly six months) after that.When this adjustment occurs, the interest that accrues on your loan is recalcu...