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Some ‘Obamacare’ plans could see big rate hikes after lawmakers fail to agree on reinsurance program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Some Affordable Care Act health plans could see big rate hikes in 2024 after Virginia lawmakers failed to reach agreement on a widely supported program that reduced premiums this year, state officials and insurance companies said this week. At issue is the state’s relatively new reinsurance program, which the General Assembly voted to create in 2021. Launched this calendar year, the program works by essentially pooling certain expensive claims and using mostly federal and some state money to cover them. By reducing risks and costs to insurers, it aims to lower premiums in the “Obamacare” individual marketplace — and did so successfully this year, according to state data. But now, due to a lack of consensus among lawmakers, the widely supported program is headed toward suspension for 2024, officials said Wednesday at a State Corporation Commission meeting. A range of observers said in interviews that they believed the program could still be salvaged, but ti...

At least 20 villagers killed in latest attack in Nigeria’s hard-hit north, survivors say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 20 people were killed by gunmen in north-central Nigeria early Thursday, surivors said, the latest in a cycle of violence targeting remote villages in the West African nation.Dozens of gunmen arrived in Plateau state’s Heipang village after 1 a.m. and opened fire on villagers, most of whom were asleep, residents said. “In a particular family, they killed five people — both the father, the mother and the children,” said one survivor, Jacob Dadi.Dadi said villagers recovered 17 bodies in Heipang and then more people were shot to death as the gunmen fled to nearby brush land that often act as their hideout.A local youth group, the Berom Youth Movement, said 21 people had been killed in total and seven others were injured.Police confirmed the attack occurred but could not provide any detail about casualties in the area, which is 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Jos, the Plateau state capital.Such attacks have become common in many parts of Nigeria’s northern ...

Denver International Airport set record passenger traffic this summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Denver's air travel is officially past the doldrums brought on by the global COVID pandemic. Air travel reached a peak in 2019, but COVID stopped it short. Most air travel was canceled in March 2020 and the months immediately following as global travel restrictions went into effect. In the years following, the subsequent re-emergences of COVID continued to halt air travel as different cities and countries adopted different restrictions. 5 myths about the state that Coloradans want busted Now, the nation's third-busiest airport and world's seventh-busiest is busier than it's ever been, according to new figures, including records set in 2019. "June 2023 ranks as the busiest month of passenger traffic ever for the airport," reads a release. "The 6,769,608 passengers served during June eclipsed the previous top monthly total set in July 2019 by more than 35,000 passengers. June 2023 passenger volume increased 8.2% compared to June 2022 and 6.0% compared to June 2019....

Colorado brewpub named best in country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — USA Today's 10 Best readers voted for the best brewpubs in the country, and a Colorado location made the number one spot. The highest-voted brewpub in America is the Stronghouse Brew Pub, which is one of the last intact buildings in Telluride's Four Corners. Built in 1892, there's still a rustic feel to the place, except it pours beer now instead of storage for goods from the Rio Grande Southern Railway, according to its website. The building went through many business owners before landing in the Stronghouse Preservation hands in 2020 and renovating it into a brewpub. While the business is fairly new, there's a brass cash register that dates back to 1909, according to its website.The beer's made on-site and ranges from ales, stouts, IPAs and sours along with cocktails, draft kombucha and seasonal non-alcoholic beer. Based on Google Reviews, the food is a huge part of the experience as well. While the menu seems like normal bar food, the reviews suggest different."I ...

Downtown Denver only has a little more than half its pre-COVID foot traffic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's downtown cannot seem to recover its pre-pandemic foot traffic. Researchers at the University of Toronto School of Cities analyzed the amount of cell phone activity in a given area as a proxy for foot traffic. They compared stretches of time since the pandemic to the same stretches of time before the pandemic began. Security guard killed in parking lot on Federal At no point in the last three years has Denver's downtown foot traffic been more than two-thirds of its pre-pandemic levels. During the period from March through May 2023, Denver's downtown traffic was at an average of 56% of what it had been in 2019. Denver's downtown has one of the lower rates among U.S. cities, ranking 35th among 52 cities. Only four cities, Salt Lake City, Utah; Bakersfield, California; Fresno, California and El Paso, Texas, have fully recovered their pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic.Timeline of a rolling 11-week average downtown Denver recovery rateNo single factor determi...

Homestead woman arrested for animal cruelty after dog found emaciated and neglected

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

A 36-year-old woman is facing charges of animal cruelty with intent to injure and kill, as well as confining an animal without proper care.According to an arrest report, police responded to a residence in the 15000 block of SW 282nd St. in Homestead, following a report of animal cruelty, Monday August 7. Upon arriving at the scene around 1:45 p.m., police encountered a distressing scene.A canine was found confined in a cage outside in the backyard, sitting in its own urine and feces. The cage lacked any provisions of food or water, and the canine’s condition was visibly alarming. The emaciated animal had multiple sores along its body, indicating prolonged neglect.The owner of the canine, identified as Mercedez Laporsha Cochran, was allegedly responsible for subjecting the animal to unnecessary pain and suffering. It was revealed that the canine had been deprived of essential care, including proper sustenance and hydration, as well as a suitable environment for exercise and wel...

Iran transfers 5 Iranian-American prisoners to house arrest in step toward deal for ultimate release

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has transferred five Iranian-Americans from prison to house arrest in exchange for billions of dollars frozen in South Korea, U.S. and Iranian officials said Thursday, in a deal that comes after months of heightened tensions between the two countries.Iranian officials at the United Nations confirmed the terms to The Associated Press, saying that the prisoner transfer “marks a significant initial step in the implementation of this agreement.”Iran also acknowledged that the deal involved $6 billion to $7 billion that were frozen as a result of sanctions. The U.N. mission said the money would be transferred to Qatar before being sent on to Iran if the agreement goes through.The final transfer of the money — and the ultimate release of the five detainees — is expected in the next month or so due to the complicated nature of the financial transactions, officials said.The deal unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf...

Boston doctor accused of committing lewd act in front of 14-year-old on flight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

A Boston doctor was arrested Thursday for allegedly committing a lewd act in front of a 14-year-old girl on a flight last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts announced.Sudipta Mohanty, 33, is an internal medicine and primary care doctor with a practice in Boston. He was charged Thursday with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts for allegedly exposing himself and masturbating in view of the child, court documents allege.About halfway through a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022, the 14-year-old girl said Mohanty was covered with a blanket and bouncing his leg. Then, the blanket was removed, and she observed him masturbating, officials said.The minor, who was traveling with grandparents seated nearby, then got up and sat in an empty seat in another row. Once she arrived in Boston, law enforcement was notified.Mohanty was released on conditions after an initial appearance in federal court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Ticker: Mortgage rates match this year’s high; Feds probe fatal Virginia Tesla crash  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose this week to just under 7%, the latest setback for would-be homebuyers already facing affordability challenges due to a housing market limited by a shortage of homes for sale.Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan rose to 6.96% from 6.90% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 5.22%.It’s the third consecutive weekly increase for the average rate, which now matches its high for the year set on July 13. High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford in a market already unaffordable to many Americans.“There is no doubt continued high rates will prolong affordability challenges longer than expected, particularly with home prices on the rise again,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “However, upward pressure on rates is the product of a resilient economy with low unemployment and st...

Beth Israel Deaconess doctor charged with ‘lewd act’ in front of girl on plane from Hawaii

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:15 GMT

A Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center doctor is accused of pleasuring and exposing himself while seated next to a 14-year-old girl on a flight from Hawaii to Boston last year.Sudipta Mohanty, 33, of Cambridge, was arrested Thursday and charged by criminal complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. He was released following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.The charge carries a sentence of up to 90 days in prison followed by a year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.“About half-way through the flight MOHANTY was masturbating next to Minor A. Minor A was disgusted and very uncomfortable. She then moved to a different seat,” an affidavit filed in the case on Wednesday alleges.The Hawaiian Airlines flight departed from Honolulu on May 27, 2022, and arrived in Boston the next morning. Mohanty boarded the flight with a female companion, who sat on his left in a middle row of fou...