Author: News Desk

NEW YORK — The federal judge presiding over the fraud case against the organizer of New York City’s SantaCon bar crawl made it clear at the defendant’s first appearance before her that she’s not a fan of the annual celebration. Judge Colleen McMahon said each year she feels “assaulted by SantaCon” and must stay home on the day when “drunken kids who are wearing Santa costumes” crowd the city’s sidewalks. McMahon made her observations as the event’s organizer, Stefan Pildes, appeared before her for the first time. The 50-year-old Hewitt, New Jersey, resident was arrested a week ago and freed…

King Charles III of Britain said Tuesday that his country and the U.S. have had many differences over the past 250 years, but told a joint meeting of Congress that the two nations “have always found a way to come together.” Speaking to a packed House chamber, Charles made no direct references to the war in Iran, only noting that he was speaking at a time of “great uncertainty.” He said both countries were “in times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East, which pose immense challenges for the international community.” The king’s rare address to Congress came at…

The Angels announced Tuesday that right-hander Shaun Anderson, who was designated for assignment a few days ago, passed through waivers unclaimed. The Halos outrighted Anderson to Triple-A, but he rejected the assignment (which is his right as a player who has previously been outrighted in the past). He’s elected free agency instead. Anderson tossed 16 2/3 innings out of the Angels’ bullpen this season. The 31-year-old was hit hard, surrendering 13 runs (11 earned) on 17 hits and eight walks with a dozen strikeouts. He also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. That’s now parts of seven seasons…

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s largest school district said Tuesday that it revised its conflict-of-interest policy after an audit found its former superintendent awarded district business to a consulting firm he worked for, affirming findings first reported by The Associated Press in the weeks after federal immigration officers detained him. Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, worked for two decades as an educator and administrator in urban districts across the U.S. His Sept. 26 arrest in Des Moines, Iowa, shocked the community and drew national attention to his history of criminal charges and falsified credentials. He pleaded…

You graduated, moved back home, submitted dozens (maybe hundreds) of applications, and finally landed a job—that you’re probably overqualified for. Welcome to the life of a recent college grad. According to ZipRecruiter’s recent graduate report—which surveyed 1,500 college grads from 2025 and 1,500 rising graduates—the current job market is changing how a new wave of young adults is studying, working, and living.  And despite obstacles, they remain hopeful about reaching their professional goals in the near future. New grads face intense competition today than in past years, as entry-level opportunities shrink and artificial intelligence reshapes the job market. More job…

The Cubs have claimed left-hander Doug Nikhazy off waivers from the White Sox and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa. There wasn’t any previous indication Nikhazy had been removed from the Sox roster but it appears they tried to sneak him through waivers in recent days. The Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was the first to report the moves. It’s mildly surprising that the Sox put Nikhazy on the wire. He has options and has mostly been in the minors as depth since they claimed him off waivers three weeks…

OTTAWA — The federal government is adding $755 million in sport funding as part of its spring economic update. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says the money’s purpose is to expand access to sport and better support Canada’s athletes competing on the world stage. Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted at an injection of money into the sports system March 14 when speaking with Canadian skiers competing in Norway. Canada fell out of the top five countries in the total medal count at the Winter Olympics for the first time since 1994 in February’s Milan Cortina Games. The country’s gold and total…

Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash are entangled in a legal battle over custody of their daughter Harper Rose. Storms and Barash fell in love while working together on General Hospital. They tied the knot in 2013 and welcomed Harper Rose the following year. Their romance came to an end in 2016 when Barash announced that he and Storms called it quits. “We are splitting due to the cliché irreconcilable differences, but we’re splitting amicably,” Barash told Soap Opera Digest in April 2016. “We have every intention of remaining a family through this and coparenting our kid and retaining a friendship…

As summer approaches, cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada are readying to host the highly awaited 2026 FIFA World Cup kickoff. But with exorbitant prices and disruptions ahead, local officials are battling to tame discontent as fans try to keep their eye on the ball. On Monday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that New York City, which is serving as a cohost to a series of World Cup soccer matches with New Jersey, will host free fan zones across the five boroughs. The free programming aims to offset the high ticket…

The federal Liberals say they’re getting a windfall from better-than-expected fiscal revenues and are largely putting that money back into circulation to support households and build up the economy. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne on Tuesday tabled Canada Strong For All, a mid-year fiscal update that includes $54.5 billion in new costs and spending since Budget 2025.Improved revenues and reduced expenses elsewhere mean the spring economic update includes $37.5 billion in net new spending.The Liberals now estimate last year’s federal deficit came in at $66.9 billion, more than $11 billion short of the $78.3 billion forecast in the 2025 budget, thanks…