OPEC to increase oil output as global economy recovers
The OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries have confirmed their plans to return 2.1 million barrels per day of oil output, balancing fears that continuing COVID-19 outbreaks in some countries will sap demand against rising demand from recovering economies around the globe.
Mexico beats US 1-0 in men's Olympic soccer qualifying
Now comes the winner-take-all semifinal Sunday night against Honduras or Canada for a trip to the menโs Olympic soccer tournament. Mexico, the 2012 Olympic champion, won its 14th straight Olympic qualifier dating to 2008 and finished first in Group A at 3-0. AdโWe wanted to win the game to be at the top of our group,โ American defender Mauricio Pineda said. In the first game of the doubleheader, Costa Rica routed the Dominican Republic 5-0 in a matchup of eliminated teams. Randall Leal of Major League Soccerโs Nashville scored twice, and Manfred Ugalde, Bernald Alfaro and Aaron Salazar had one goal each.
Spain arrests 80 in 3 nights of riots over rapper's jailing
A demonstrator throws a stone against police during clashes following a protest condemning the arrest of rap singer Pablo Hasl in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Protests over the imprisonment of a rapper convicted for insulting the Spanish monarchy and praising terrorist violence have morphed for the third night in a row into rioting. Pablo Hasl began this week to serve a 9-month sentence in a northeastern prison. AdLike the two previous nights, the protests began Thursday with large gatherings in several cities that were, at first, mostly peaceful. In Catalonia's regional capital, Barcelona, hundreds sang songs, rapped and shouted โPablo Hasรฉl, freedom!"
Texas man charged in Capitol riot accused of threatening to โassassinateโ Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, FBI says
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)DALLAS โ A 34-year-old Texas man has been arrested for allegedly taking part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol this month and posting violent threats, including a call to assassinate Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Garret Miller, who is from the Dallas suburb of Richardson, was arrested Friday after being named in a five-count federal complaint. Miller has been arrested for allegedly taking part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol this month and posting violent threats, including a call to assassinate Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. In another tweet, Miller posted: โThey are right next time we bring the guns," an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit. After posting a photo on Facebook showing him inside the Capitol, Miller responded to a comment on the picture with: โjust want to incriminate myself a little lol," according to an FBI affidavit.
Spain tries to reverse economic slump as unemployment rises
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez has declared a second nationwide state of emergency in hopes of stemming a resurgence in coronavirus infections. The country is grappling with a resurgence of the virus that has claimed at least 35,000 lives. The 2021 spending plan includes the first 27 billion euro from the EUโs fund expected to arrive in Spain. The proposal is based on the expectation that Spainโs economy will grow 7.2% next year. The International Monetary Fund expects GDP to sink more than 12.8% this year, more than any other developed economy.
California wavers on theme park opening rules amid pressure
But following industry criticism of the proposed rules, state health officials said no announcement was coming Friday as negotiations continue. Amusement park leaders saw a draft of the new rules Thursday and urged state officials to change them, said Erin Guerrero, executive director of the California Attractions and Parks Association. A Disney official said there have been no major reported outbreaks in Florida associated with the companyโs theme parks and declined to say whether any cases have occurred there. Ian Henderson, a spokesman for Steelโs office, said county health officials have worked closely with Disney to prepare for the reopening of its parks. ___Taxin reported from Orange County, California.
Clock running out before some airlines begin furloughs
She said a bailout that keeps airline workers employed would be cheaper for the government than putting them on the unemployment line during a pandemic. American Airlines is expected to furlough about 19,000 workers, United says it will cut nearly 12,000, and several thousand more employees at smaller carriers have received layoff warnings. Airlines have persuaded tens of thousands of employees to take early retirement or severance deals. But even after those offers, the airlines have more pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and other workers than they need. Late Tuesday, the Treasury Department said it completed loans to seven major airlines: American, United, Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier, Hawaiian and SkyWest.
Arizona student group slammed for raising money for gunman
A Republican student group at Arizona State University is receiving backlash for donating money to the 17-year-old gunman who fatally shot two protesters in Wisconsin. College Republicans United announced this week that half of any funds they raise during the semester will go toward paying for the legal defense of Kyle Rittenhouse. In a statement Saturday night, the ASU College Republicans denounced College Republicans United radical, far-right extremist group.ASU College Republicans called for an investigation of the group. Authorities in Kenosha, Wisconsin, say Rittenhouse shot and killed two people and severely wounded a third with an AR-15 rifle Tuesday. The group is not the only one raising money for Rittenhouse.
FAA: Check engines on 737s that could shut down mid-flight
WASHINGTON Safety regulators issued an emergency order directing airlines to inspect and if necessary replace a critical engine part on popular Boeing 737 jets after four reports of engines shutting down during flights. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that its order affected about 2,000 twin-engine passenger jets in the United States. Delta Air Lines said it would inspect 20 planes but did not say whether any of its planes suffered engine shutdowns. The directive does not apply to the newer Boeing 737 Max, which has been grounded worldwide since March 2019 after two crashes that killed 346 people. Passenger jets have two or more engines, and multiple engine failures of the type that FAA warned about in its order are rare.
Airlines canceling flights out of Roanoke amid coronavirus travel decreases
ROANOKE, Va. โ If you have plans to fly out of Roanoke, youโll want to make sure theyโre still happening. Thatโs the advice the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is giving travelers as airlines are canceling flights out of the Star City because of significant decreases in passenger traffic. American, Delta and United are often canceling flights either the day before, or the day of flights, according to airport representatives. At the Lynchburg Regional Airport, officials said they used to have seven daily flights scheduled to and from Charlotte with American Airlines. Now, there are only three or four daily flights.
Roanoke's Chicken Church distributes high-end socks to those in need
Worship and prayer is at the core of this local church in southeast Roanoke, but they're also handing out socks to provide warmth and comfort. The company donated a large quantity of them to United Christian Inner-City Ministry better known as the Chicken Church. Amanda Statzer says the mission to help serve the Roanoke community especially those in southeast Roanoke. Billy English says this fits the motto of the Chicken Church. To contact the Chicken Church click here.
Flight attendant fired, allegedly drunk
(CNN) - A flight attendant was arrested after passengers aboard a flight from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana, expressed concern about her condition during the flight, court documents show. March was also fired by Air Wisconsin, which operates as a regional airline for United and United Express. "The Flight Attendant involved in this incident is no longer employed by Air Wisconsin," the company said in a written statement. "Please reach out to Air Wisconsin for their statement about their flight attendant. You may already know this was not a United flight attendant or crew," United said in a statement to CNN.
A 14-year-old US boy was headed to Sweden but ended up on a plane to Germany
(CNN) - A boarding gate mix-up almost landed a North Carolina teenager in Germany this week instead of Sweden. However, he boarded a flight by Eurowings, a German airline, which had a plane at the gate, United said in a statement. It is unclear why Anton was able to get on the Eurowings flight and whether he had a boarding pass. "When somebody says unaccompanied minor, wrong airplane, wrong country, everybody should've stepped up and done something," Brenda Berg told the Raleigh station. United said in a statement that it has refunded the $150 unaccompanied minor fee to the family.
Delta has good quarter, unlike other airlines
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - US airlines had a rocky quarter, but Delta was the notable exception. Unlike American Airlines, United and Southwest, Delta Air Lines was not forced to cancel flights in the quarter due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max because the airline doesn't own that plane. Delta said that its total revenue grew between 8% and 8.5% for the quarter that ended Saturday. Profits should also hit the top end of its guidance since profit margins should be about 1% better than expected. Shares of American, United and Southwest were also narrowly higher on Delta's signal of a strong fare environment.