Blowing the whistle on referee shortage: How this program aims to help nationwide issue
The billion-dollar youth and high school sports industry around the country has been plagued by a referee shortage, with overbearing parents and coaches and time demands being examples of why many donโt want to be officials anymore.
Shootings near Milwaukee Bucks playoff game prompt curfew
Downtown Milwaukee will be under a limited curfew for the rest of the weekend and a massive watch party scheduled for Sunday has been called off after 21 people were injured in three separate shootings near an entertainment district where thousands gathered for an NBA playoff game.
Why the Soo Locks are so important to our U.S. economy
The Soo Locks see almost 90 percent of the world's iron ore go through them. So again, why is this place, known as the Soo Locks, so important? Because without the Soo Locks, the U.S. economy would plunge into a deep recession. In light of that, what exactly are the Soo Locks, and what function do they provide that's so vital to the U.S. economy? AdInterested in seeing the Soo Locks for yourself?
CDC changes school guidance, allowing desks to be closer
Three feet โgives school districts greater flexibility to have more students in for a prolonged period of time,โ said Kevin Quinn, director of maintenance and facilities at Mundelein High School in suburban Chicago. In recent months, schools in some states have been disregarding the CDC guidelines, using 3 feet as their standard. Teachers and other adults should continue to stay 6 feet from one another and from students, the CDC said. The American Academy of Pediatrics says desks should be 3 feet apart and โideallyโ 6 feet. AdThe CDC guidance was problematic for many schools that traditionally had 25, 30 or more children per classroom in closely grouped desks.
Donโt forget to spring forward! Daylight saving time begins Sunday
SAN ANTONIO โ Itโs that time of year again to spring forward! Daylight saving time is back, beginning Sunday. The official time change is at 2 a.m., Sunday, but for those who hit the hay earlier, it may be a good idea to set your clocks forward before going to bed. However, youโll need to manually change the clocks on your car radio, oven, alarm clock and the other standalone clocks around your home. Not all states in the U.S. take part in daylight saving time.
Parliamentarian: COVID-19 bill must lose minimum wage hike
It will force Democrats to make politically painful choices about what to do next on the federal minimum wage, which has long caused internal party rifts. The proposal would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 over five years, well over the $7.25 in effect since 2009. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have voiced opposition to including the minimum wage hike in the relief bill, and other moderates have expressed concerns, too. But theyโd still face the challenge of garnering 60 Senate votes, a hurdle that has upended Democratic attempts to boost the minimum wage for over a decade. But those same Senate rules prohibit provisions with only an โincidentalโ impact on the federal budget because they are chiefly driven by other policy purposes.
$1B Mega Millions prize a result of long odds, slow sales
Itโs only the third time a lottery jackpot has grown so large, but much has changed since the last time such a big prize was up for grabs in 2018. After a peak in October 2018, Medenica said sales of the big lottery games dropped about 50%, prompting talk among lottery officials about jackpot fatigue. Sales of Mega Millions and Powerball continued to decline after the virus hit along with other lottery games, but while scratch tickets and other instant games rebounded strongly later in the year, national game sales remained moribund. By design, Mega Millions and Powerball are relatively generous in awarding small dollar prizes and lottery officials boast there is a roughly one in 24 chance of winning something. Itโs hard to fathom how unlikely it is to beat odds of one in 292.2 million for Powerball or one in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Hard-luck Maryland town gets a $731.1 million Powerball win
Just who will collect the Powerball prize may never be known: Maryland is one of the states that allow winners to remain anonymous. The Powerball jackpot came only a day after nobody won the $970 million Mega Millions prize, the third-largest prize in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $716.3 million and $546.8 million for Wednesday's Powerball. After the Powerball win, the new jackpot has a $15 million cash value.
Perfect tranquility: Some resonating words from the first inauguration
The inauguration of George Washington as the first President of the United States. (Photo by MPI/Getty Images)Things have changed quite a bit since the first presidential inauguration in 1789. Illustration of American general and politician George Washington (1732 - 1799) receiving the news of his election as the first American president, 1789. While emphasizing the public good, Washington addressed the need for a strong Constitution and Bill of Rights. He also said he would be declining pay beyond what the public good thought was required.
Our next president, Joe Biden, and his storied career: In photos
(Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) (Getty Images.) Jill Biden and Joe Biden in 1987. (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images) (Getty Images.) (Photo by Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis via Getty Images) (Getty Images.) (Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images) (Getty Images.)
Mega Millions jackpot now $865M; Powerball up to $730M
The Mega Millions top prize climbed to an estimated $865 million, the biggest jackpot in more than two years. The winning numberโs in Tuesday nightโs Mega Millions drawing were: 10-19-26-28-50 and a Mega Ball of 16. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since Sept. 15, allowing the prize to grow larger and larger over four months. Winners almost always opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $638.8 million and $546 million for Powerball. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bus dramatically plunges off NYC bridge; driver, passengers hurt
(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)NEW YORK โ A bus dramatically plunged off a bridge in New York City late Thursday, leaving its front half hanging over a highway ramp, its fall broken only by the road below. The 55-year-old driver broke his jaw in the crash and refused to submit to a drug and alcohol test after arriving at the hospital, authorities said Friday. Seven passengers suffered minor injuries in the crash, which happened after 11 p.m. near an interchange of the Cross Bronx and Major Deegan expressways. โThe bus fell approximately 50 feet onto the access road. Speed appeared to be a factor in the crash, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said, adding no mechanical issues were detected in the bus.
Trump becomes first president to get impeached twice: The scene at the Capitol, in photos
With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump. Trump is the only U.S. president to be twice impeached. The U.S. Capitol stands on January 13, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (2021 Getty Images)Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) presides over the vote to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump for the second time in little over a year in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 13, 2021. (2021 Getty Images)