Author: DailyWestern

A grass fire broke out in the Denver metro area on Wednesday, February 25, prompting the shutdown of a major interstate and forcing evacuations in one suburb, according to officials. The Thornton Police Department said that Interstate 25 was closed in both directions between Thornton Parkway and 84th Avenue.THORNTON, Colo. – Four firefighters and one civilian were injured after a grass fire erupted in Thornton, Colorado, prompting the emergency evacuation of a neighboring high school that sat feet from the burning blaze and the temporary closure of a major highway outside Denver.A vegetation fire broke out quickly at around 11:30…

In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump said his tariffs are “saving our country.” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, delivering the Democratic response, said the opposite. “Since this president took office last year, his reckless trade policies have forced American families to pay more than $1,700 each in tariff costs,” Spanberger said Feb. 24. We’ve fact-checked other Democrats’ estimates about how much Trump’s tariffs are costing American families. Spanberger’s $1,700 figure is roughly in line with multiple estimates by groups that study the tariffs’ effect. These groups, which represent diverse political ideologies, used different metrics to calculate the…

So the IEEPA tariffs are gone. Now a hodge podge of indefinitely-lived tariffs lives on, with uncertainty elevated. Figure 1: EPU-trade (Baker-Bloom-Davis) (blue, left scale); Trade Policy Uncertainty (Caldara et al.) (red, right scale). Source: policyuncertainty.com, TPU Index. Even if we are stuck with Section 122 tariffs for a 150 days, it’ll still be an open question whether Trump will try to reimplement, and if he does, will this be challenged in court. There’s also the question of reimbursements to work its way through the process. So… no respite there. However, Trump’s ability to thuggishly threaten country-by-country is constrained somewhat…

Here’s Chicago Bulls sophomore Matas Buzelis discussing why the group hasn’t been on the same page (10-game losing streak). (via CHGO Sports): “I mean, of course when you trade half the team, bring in new guys, it’s tough. It’s no excuse though. We gotta come in and figure it out. And Imma say it again, […] The post Matas Buzelis: It’s tough when you trade half the team; but that’s no excuse appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

The majority of the eight skiers who were killed during Tuesday’s historic avalanche on Castle Peak have been identified in a joint statement from their families. The avalanche in the rugged Donner Pass region of California’s northern Sierra, marks the deadliest U.S. avalanche since the 1981 disaster on Mount Rainier. Officials halted Thursday’s recovery operation for the victims and the last missing skier, who is presumed dead as dangerous weather conditions persisted. Recovery efforts are expected to carry into the weekend. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray has details on the conditions from nearby Lake Tahoe. TRUCKEE, Cali. — A new report is…

At his January 2025 confirmation hearing to become the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio assessed that “unless something dramatic changes” in Asia’s military balance, China would attempt to invade Taiwan before the end of the decade. This view is widely shared. In May, for example, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party warned that “the clock is ticking to stop a war in the Indo-Pacific—and this Congress may be America’s last full chance to do it.” The good news is that the short-term likelihood of a Chinese attack on Taiwan has diminished, even as it remains too…

In the fifth wave of our study, we update our estimate of the number of Ukrainian refugees abroad, analyse the departure of young people aged 18–22, and examine the factors that shape their willingness to return to Ukraine. We also analyse the employment and income levels of Ukrainian refugees, as well as their preparedness for a possible withdrawal of temporary protection in their host countries. The study draws on data from a nationally representative sociological survey conducted in December 2025–January 2026 by the research agency Info Sapiens, commissioned by CES. Below you will find a short digest with the most…

India take on Zimbabwe at the T20 World Cup tomorrow. Read our in-depth preview here… India are not used to this. The tournament co-hosts and overwhelming T20 World Cup favourites are suddenly on the back foot. Having won 17 consecutive white-ball matches in ICC tournaments, India’s crushing defeat to South Africa on Sunday means they are now struggling to qualify for the semi-finals. To this cricket-mad nation, failure would be hard to stomach. A win over Zimbabwe is the first step on the road to redemption. They will also be hoping the Proteas do them a favour by beating the…

Late-week storms will move into the Southeast and bring needed drought relief to the region. More than two-thirds of Florida is experiencing extreme drought conditions. A wildfire burning in Big Cypress National Forest near Naples exploded to 25,000 acres Tuesday amid the bone-dry conditions. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain are expected to fall from East Tennessee through Central Florida Wednesday night through Saturday.NAPLES, Fla. – A wildfire exploded to 25,000 acres in South Florida this week amid the state’s worst drought in 25 years. However, some much-needed rain is expected to provide a modicum of relief beginning Thursday…

In a move that reflected the party’s divisions, Democrats offered a range of responses to President Donald Trump’s Feb. 24 State of the Union address. Some skipped Trump’s speech or attended alternate events. Others spoke out in opposition to Trump’s words. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered the party’s official response, emphasizing the burden of rising costs on American families and safety concerns about federal immigration enforcement. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was escorted from the chambers after holding up a large sign that said, “Black people aren’t apes,” referencing a video Trump recently posted on Truth Social depicting President Barack Obama…