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Text of the policy statement the Federal Reserve released Wednesday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Below is the statement the Fed released Wednesday after its policy meeting ended:Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a modest pace. Job gains have been robust in recent months, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Inflation remains elevated.The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient. Tighter credit conditions for households and businesses are likely to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation. The extent of these effects remains uncertain. The Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks.The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. In support of these goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 5 to 5-1/4 percent. Holding the target range steady at this meeting allows the Committee to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy.In determining the extent of additio...

Fierce fighting in Myanmar between army, resistance fighters kills at least 26, groups say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Recent fierce fighting between Myanmar’s army and resistance fighters has killed at least 26 civilians, including six children, in an area east of the capital, according to reports Wednesday by a resident, a rights group and a medical assistance group.The fighting took place in Shan State’s Pekon township, a hotly contested area in the armed struggle that arose after February 2021 when the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover prompted widespread public protests, whose violent suppression by the security forces triggered an armed resistance that now spans much of the country.The recent fighting has focused on Mobye, a conglomeration of villages covering about 175 square kilometers (about 70 square miles) located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the capital, Naypyitaw. The area is between the capital and an area dominated by the Karenni ethnic minority group, which also has been fighting against the military-installed go...

Michelin Guide checking out Colorado's culinary scene

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The state's culinary scene is in the spotlight as the renowned Michelin Guide is expanding to Colorado. Michelin Stars are awarded in rank from lowest to highest of one, two or three. They are based on the "quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time," according to the Michelin Guide. While Michelin stars are the most popular and well-known, there are other awards the guide gives out. The Bib Gourmand is given to restaurants that offer great quality food at reasonable prices. Restaurants that display leadership in sustainability are eligible for the Michelin Green Star. Denver chef named finalist for prestigious culinary award The guide inspectors will be observing restaurants in Denver, Boulder, Aspen and Snowmass Village, the Town of Vail and Beaver C...

Box of mail found dumped in SW Miami-Dade trash can

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

Dozens of pieces of mail in a box were found dumped in a garbage can in a Southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood. Surveillance video captured an alleged thief around 4 a.m. on Monday, sitting in a driveway for about an hour. “The person gets out of the car, it’s a man, and he takes this box and he dumps it in my garbage can,” said Razia Velez, who found the evidence. “What seems to be a whole neighborhood of stolen mail, I mean they went as far as ripping a mailbox apart.”Velez called 7News to share what happened.“This is really important stuff you know, this is people’s belongings, their information, their lives,” she continued. “This is a violation of all of us.”Velez said she called Miami-Dade Police who came to look at the box and that they reported it to the postal police. She hasn’t heard from them yet and wants to make sure something is done. “Still waiting more than 24 hours later, nobody’s contacted me or co...

Boston’s Juneteenth celebrations kick off at Embrace sculpture

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

Juneteenth celebrations kicked off Wednesday morning with the Embrace Inaugural Juneteenth Concert.The concert honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King outside of the new Embrace statue in the Boston Common.The concert is a new addition to the “Embrace Ideas Festival,” which celebrates art, culture and scholarship.Governor Maura Healey joined the celebration, emphasizing the holiday’s importance.“We’re proud that this community and this holiday have deep roots in Boston, and in Massachusetts, Juneteenth will be celebrated in countless ways,” Healey said at the concert. “Black history is American history. We will teach it. We will talk about it. We will embrace it.”To celebrate, there will be speakers, panels and musical performances all throughout Boston for the next several days. 

Salt Lake City begins to plan for future of unique ‘Hobbitville’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) — Katherine Maus acknowledges that Allen Park is very different than the other parks she’s worked on.The 92-year-old private residence turned public park, affectionately known by Salt Lake City residents as “Hobbitville,” is a quiet sanctuary, almost hidden away from the city’s fast-growing Sugar House neighborhood. Its large trees tower over abandoned tiny homes and cabins that George Allen, the one-time president of a Utah zoological society, had constructed on his property for house students, professors, artists and anyone who needed a place to stay near Westminster Park decades ago.The land is also filled with aging statues and artwork with some of Allen’s favorite literary quotes printed on them. Visitors also can find wildlife milling through the open land as they wander through all of these different components that make Allen Park unique.“We have a lot (of parks) that are culturally rich but this is definit...

Gov. Healey sets up advisory group as SCOTUS decides fate of affirmative action

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

A new 42-member advisory group and expanded access to college and career readiness tools are the latest response from the Healey administration to a potential rollback of the use of race in the college admissions process.The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of this month on lawsuits challenging affirmative action in the admissions processes of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Education officials, including those in Massachusetts, are worried the conservative majority could strike down affirmative action.Gov. Maura Healey said the Advisory Council for the Advancement of Representation in Education was scheduled to meet for the first time Wednesday and is made of “stakeholders with expertise in higher education; civil rights advocacy; diversity, equity and inclusion work; and the experiences of students of color.”“We want to send a clear message to students of all backgrounds – you are welcome here in Massachusetts,’ Healey said in a statement....

WR Parris Campbell does RB work to close minicamp as Saquon Barkley standoff drags on

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

In Saquon Barkley’s absence, new Giants receiver Parris Campbell did some individual work with the running backs during Wednesday’s final day of mandatory minicamp.Campbell, a former Indianapolis Colt, took some handoffs on a delay and jet sweep and even ran as the pitch man on an option.“I did it some in Indy,” Campbell said. “But it’s really my high school and my college background. It’s not new to me. It’s something I like to do because they’re using me in different ways. I feel like that’s something that I’m good at, too. Getting some reps back there is good.”Campbell isn’t the only Giants receiver backfield versatility. Second-year receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who is still rehabbing a torn ACL, was a standout high school running back who carried the ball plenty at Nebraska before transferring to Kentucky, too.This is relevant because without Barkley, the Giants’ RB depth chart doesn’t...

Morgan Smith wins New England Amateur title by one shot over sister Molly

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

Morgan Smith, 19, of Westford defended her New England Women’s Amateur championship in Manchester, Conn.Smith won by one shot over younger sister, Molly Smith, 18, after the final round. Morgan Smith, a recent Phillips Exeter Academy graduate, will golf at Georgetown University. She fired a final-round 72 to finish 3-under (213) for the 54-hole tournament.Morgan Smith, a Vesper Country Club member, last year became the first teen-ager to win the event since Rhode Island’s Samantha Morrell accomplished the feat in 2010.Molly Smith, who plays out of Mt. Pleasant Golf Club and is headed to Central Florida, led this year’s tournament after 36 holes after opening with rounds of 69 and 70. Lillian Guleserian of Blue Hill CC finished third with a 3-over 219.

Report: 2020 US census helped guide distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual government spending

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:51 GMT

By MIKE SCHNEIDER (Associated Press)The head count of every U.S. resident in 2020 helped guide the distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual federal spending, underscoring the importance of participating in the once-a-decade census, according to a new report released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.There were 353 federal assistance programs that used the Census Bureau data in 2021 to steer the allocation of the federal funding, up from 316 programs accounting for $1.5 trillion in 2017, the time frame for the last update of a similar study.The federal funding is distributed to state and local governments, nonprofits, businesses and households. In 2021, it helped pay for health care, education, school lunch programs, COVID-19 relief, child care, food assistance programs and highway construction, among other things.“It almost doubled and makes it even more clear the importance of census data in evidence-based policy making and having a healthy economy,” said George Washin...