Biden to address budget, debt agreement from Oval Office Friday evening

For almost 36 years, a creative team has designed photo shoots to showcase bare-chested heroes.  The steamy snaps of buff bodies gracing glossy calendar pages were a staple for the fundraising efforts of the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Society (CFBTS).

James Chow says he is still in an adrenaline rush a day after witnessing an attack at the University of Waterloo that police have described as “hate-motivated.”

It’s a purse so small it barely registers to the naked eye — yet, it just sold for more than US$67,000.

Senior students at St Aidan’s High in Wishaw were treated to a variety of workshops and displays in a Health Fayre aimed at promoting positive physical, sexual, and mental health, write Joe Irvine and Chris McElroy.

Enforcement directorate has summoned IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal for questioning in relation to the BMC Covid Scam case today. The federal agency had called Jaiswal was called for questioning earlier as well but he didn't do so. According to news agency ANI, ED has recorded statements of 8 people in the BMC covid scam case.

An Alberta mother who alleges Starbucks Coffee Canada Inc. mistakenly thought her cancer symptoms were COVID-19 symptoms is now taking legal action against the company, arguing she was wrongfully fired over the mix-up.Lisa Pedersen has a rare type of blood cancer called myeloproliferative neoplasm and is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for it.

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Nearly two dozen kids and teens are facing charges after authorities in Delaware County say a 15-year-old was beaten up and robbed of his Yeezy slides while a crowd watched and filmed.Officers from the Haverford Township Police Department were called by a neighbor to the 100 block of Glen Arbor Road Monday night for a reported assault. A 15-year-old boy with "visible injuries" told police that 6-8 juvenile males and females assaulted him and robbed him of his Yeezy slides behind Chatham Park Elementary School.Police later found a group of teens and kids who matched the suspect's descriptions on the 600 block of Derby Road.

OLD CITY - Protesters filling Chestnut Street in Old City Thursday night outside the Museum of the American Revolution and demonstrators hurling insults at members of Moms for Liberty, arriving by bus for their opening night event and annual summit."I think these people are a sham and they’ve completely twisted reality and absolutely this is an insult to Philadelphians. This is the birthplace of democracy," Dorothy Daub Grossman stated.The Center City Marriott under heavy security as the headquarters for the group’s weekend event.

PHILADELPHIA - The FOX 29 Weather Authority has a new tool in the arsenal of forecasting, bringing on-the-spot weather and the latest updates to viewers in the form of the Weather Beast.It is a Ford F150, built as a storm chasing vehicle. It’s a large vehicle, with extra monster tires.

PHILADELPHIA - Businesses impacted by the fiery collapse of Interstate 95 earlier this month say they are starting to see normal volume of customers again following the highway's expedited reopening. Alison Korbik, Catering Manager at Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse, told FOX 29 that business has "definitely been busier" since the once cratered overpass was repaired with an innovative fix.Investigators say on the morning of June 11 truck driver Nathan Moody, 53, was navigating a curve on the Cottman off-ramp when his tanker truck overturned and caught fire. Soon, the southbound stretch of the highway collapsed, killing Moody and miraculously sparing other motorists and bystanders on the heavily trafficked artery of highway. Most Northeast Philadelphia residents are happy I-95 is reopened and traffis returning to normal.The collapse spiraled traffic into chaos, with ever-changing detours and reroutes designed to navigate motorists that sometimes sent motorists into unfamiliar parts of the city. Nearby businesses, like Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse and Sharkeys Grill and Ale House, had their customer bases stunted by having a main route to the restaurants severed. "We did have a lot of people come during that time and say that they weren't going to come here because of the closure even though there were other ways to get to us," Korabik said.Pennsylvania state leaders, together with the federal government, worked around the clock and concocted a plan for a temporary fix that would ensure the safe reopening of I-95. Meanwhile, businesses that weren't impacted by the collapse showed some neighborly hospitality by promoting the businesses that were feeling the pinch. I-95 COLLAPSE COVERAGE"If you're nearby and it's on your route, stop on

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities in Philadelphia are investigating a spate of violent abductions and robberies that they believe may have been carried out by members of the same group.The Philadelphia Police Department's Special Victim's Unit outlined three incidents that happened within a 24-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday. Authorities say a woman was walking along the 1200 block of Academy Road around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when she was robbed at gunpoint and forced into a U-Haul van by four gunmen. Several items were taken from the victim, according to police, and she was punched in the face and shot at twice as she exited the U-Haul van. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESA short time later, investigators say a man was using a drive-thru ATM machine at a TD Bank of the 6300 block of Roosevelt Boulevard when he was boxed in by a U-Haul cargo van. Two gunmen exited the van and demanded the victim to withdraw money from the ATM before stealing his 2011 Mercades-Benz. The suspects in both incidents are described by police as 3-4 Black males in the late teens or early 20s.

Madonna‘s close friend Debi Mazar is letting fans know how the Queen of Pop is doing.

Lourdes Leon was reportedly by her mother Madonna’s hospital bed after she was admitted to the hospital, and placed on a ventilator. The artist did not speak on the matter, but she did share a photo on her Instagram story Wednesday wearing a backward corset at a Vans event.Although it could seem a little odd that Leon was at an event on the day the news broke, Madonna was hospitalized last Saturday.

Gok Wan arrived in Manchester this evening for a charity event but has admitted he might be forced to "hobble" on stage. The TV presenter turned musician is set to DJ at the Sedulo Foundation Ball tonight (June 29) but has issued a warning to fans about his health.

It sounds like Madonna really is on the mend.

Kerry Katona has given fans an update on her health but has warned them not to panic. In a video posted online, she could be seen in a dark room wearing an oxygen mask.

Jamie Foxx is still recuperating from his mysterious health scare.

Police in Waterloo are investigating what led to a stabbing at the city’s main university that sent three people to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Gogglebox star Ellie Warner is currently suffering a health condition that many new mums face.

Madonna’s closest friends and family members have been by her side, after being found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital for a serious bacterial infection. It was previously reported by Page Six that her daughter Lourdes Leon had been accompanying her since the health scare happened on Saturday.

Madonna’s recent health scare has garnered significant attention and concern. Amidst fears for her well-being, her management team held a crisis meeting on Zoom to discuss the situation.

Pete Davidson has checked into rehab.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. says a $70 million Lotto Max ticket that had gone unclaimed for a year has not been physically validated and is now expired.

The NHS reaches an amazing milestone this year when it celebrates its 75th anniversary.

President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation on Saturday to raise the debt ceiling, dodging Monday's deadline when the Treasury warned that the United States would start running short of cash to pay all its bills.The bipartisan measure, passed by the House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday, averts the potential of an unprecedented government default that would have rocked the U.S. and global economies.

debt ceiling and spending legislation that will ensure the country avoids a federal default, sending the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk and ending one of the most stressful periods of congressional dealmaking in recent memory.The legislation passed the upper chamber a day after the House united in rare bipartisan fashion to approve the deal reached between Republicans and the White House, which has few fans but will ensure the U.S. can continue to pay its debts.“America can breathe a sigh of relief,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he announced an agreement on the vote.The legislation passed the Senate by 63-36, with both Democrats and Republicans voting no.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate gave final approval late Thursday to a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, grinding into the night to wrap up work on the bipartisan deal and send it to President Joe Biden's desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline.The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome.

FILE - US President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with leaders of his federal emergency preparedness and response team to receive the annual briefing on extreme weather preparedness, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)WASHINGTON - A Republican measure overturning President Joe Biden's student loan cancellation plan passed the Senate on Thursday and now awaits an expected veto.The vote was 52-46, with support from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana as well as Arizona Sen.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Joe Biden fell on stage Thursday after giving a commencement speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy.Video shows the 80-year-old Biden trip on a black sandbag as he walked off the stage at Falcon Stadium in Colorado.

President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over raising the federal debt ceiling and averting an economic calamity.The bipartisan agreement reached this past weekend includes a compromise on the matter.In exchange for a two-year suspension of the debt limit, Republicans demanded stricter work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, commonly referred to as welfare.However, the deal omitted an earlier and more controversial GOP push for Medicaid work requirements, which would denygovernment-sponsored health coverageto unemployed, able-bodied adults who do not have children."We have additional work requirements that are quite consequential," Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told reporters on Sunday.WHAT IS THE DEBT CEILING AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?Under the current criteria to receive SNAP benefits, able-bodied adults without children who are 49 and younger must work or participate in a training program for at least 80 hours a month.

debt ceiling while cutting government spending, clearing a crucial bar with bipartisan support as Congress races to avert a federal default.With some Republicans voting against the measure over concerns the hard-fought compromise didn’t go far enough, it took Democrats — some of whom had their own concerns and also voted no — to secure the majority needed to send the bill to the Senate, which is set to hold its own vote later this week.The goal is to get the bill signed by President Joe Biden before Monday, when the U.S. Treasury says it will run out of money to pay its debts.Ever since the deal between House Republicans and the White House emerged over the weekend, lawmakers in both parties have urged members to vote for it despite their misgivings, assessing it was better than the alternative of devastating economic upheaval.In the end, 117 House members — 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats — voted against the package.Tensions rose earlier Wednesday when Republican support lagged on a procedural vote, but the package ultimately sailed ahead once Democrats — after waiting until it was clear Republicans didn’t have the votes on their own — unleashed their own votes in a show of bipartisan support.Quick approval by Congress would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others, and would prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad.

WASHINGTON - Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.The hard-fought deal pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act. Tensions ran high throughout the day as hard-right Republicans refused the deal, while Democrats said "extremist" GOP views were risking a debt default as soon as next week.With the House vote of 314-117, the bill now heads to the Senate with passage expected by week's end.McCarthy insisted his party was working to "give America hope" as he launched into a late evening speech extolling the bill's budget cuts, which he said were needed to curb Washington's "runaway spending."But amid discontent from Republicans who said the spending restrictions did not go far enough, McCarthy said it is only a "first step."Earlier, Biden expressed optimism that the agreement he negotiated with McCarthy to lift the nation's borrowing limit would pass the chamber and avoid an economically disastrous default on America's debts.The president departed Washington for Colorado, where he is scheduled to deliver the commencement address Thursday at the U.S.

FILE - (L-R) U.S. President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talk as they depart the U.S.

US First Lady Jill Biden (R) and President Joe Biden (2nd R) leave Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church after memorial mass on the anniversary of the death of their son Beau Biden, on May 30, 2023, in Wilmington, Delaware. The Bidens placed WILMINGTON, Del. - President Joe Biden marked Tuesday’s eighth anniversary of one of the saddest days of his life, the death of his son Beau, by attending a memorial Mass and visiting his gravesite.Biden, his wife, Jill, and other family members prayed for Beau Biden during the Mass at St.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden says he feels good about the debt ceiling and budget deal negotiated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as the White House and congressional leaders work to ensure its passage this week in time to lift the nation's borrowing limit and prevent a potentially disastrous U.S. default.Signaling the tough days still ahead, McCarthy urged skeptical colleagues to "look at where the victories are."The Republican speaker said Tuesday he will be sitting down and talking with lawmakers as they return to Washington from the long Memorial Day weekend."This is just the first step," McCarthy said of his agreement with Biden.RELATED: Debt ceiling deal: Here's what's in, what's out of the bill to avert US defaultIn an appearance on "Fox & Friends," he sought to shore up support amid rising opposition from conservatives in his party.

WASHINGTON (AP) - With days to spare before a potential first-ever government default, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached final agreement Sunday on a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling and worked to ensure enough Republican and Democratic votes to pass the measure in the coming week.The Democratic president and Republican speaker spoke with each other Sunday evening as negotiators rushed to draft the bill text so lawmakers can review compromises that neither the hard-right or left flank is likely to support. Instead, the leaders are working to gather backing from the political middle as Congress hurries toward votes before a June 5 deadline to avert a damaging federal default."Good news," Biden declared Sunday evening at the White House.RELATED: What's next on debt ceiling: Congress has little time to approve deal before default deadline"The agreement prevents the worst possible crisis, a default, for the first time in our nation’s history," he said.

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives and the White House have reached an “agreement in principle” to raise the debt ceiling — just over a week before the deadline to avoid a potential default.

Memorial Day long weekend, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen extended the deadline for a deal to raise the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, but only by four days.Originally, Yellen said the deadline was as early as June 1 to avoid a potential default but in a letter to Congress on Friday, the date was extended to June 5.Yellen said her department would make more than $130 billion in scheduled payments in the first two days of the month, including to veterans and Social Security and Medicare recipients, but encouraged the White House and Republicans to come to an agreement “as soon as possible.”“If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, it would cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position, and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests,” she wrote.The extension comes as President Joe Biden and Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared to narrow in on a two-year budget deal that was aimed at curbing federal deficits.The pair are hoping to strike a compromise over the weekend, but any deal would need to be a compromise as support would be needed from Republicans and Democrats to pass a divided and narrowly-controlled Congress.On Friday evening before departing for Camp David, Biden said “things are looking good.”“I’m hoping we’ll have some clear evidence tonight before the clock strikes 12 that we have a deal,” he said. “But it’s very close.”Despite potential hang-ups, including over stiffer work requirements on people receiving government food stamps, both sides appeared to be optimistic that they could find a deal.“I’m a total optimist,” McCarthy said Friday.

FILE - Charles Quinton Brown Jr, U.S. general and chief of staff of the United States Air Force, smiles during his visit from Tactical Air Wing 73 "Steinhoff." (Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance via Getty Images)WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that he is tapping a history-making Air Force fighter pilot with years of experience in shaping U.S. defenses to meet China’s rise to serve as the nation’s next top military officer, according to a senior administration official.The nomination of Air Force Gen.

President Biden’s plan to forgo more than $400 billion in federally backed student loan debt.Lawmakers approved a resolution disapproving of Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan that was announced last year and is now stalled because of an ongoing legal challenge. The Supreme Court is expected to consider the legality of Biden’s plan later this summer.On Wednesday, lawmakers voted 218-203 in an attempt to speed up the process and end Biden’s plan through legislation.