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The dogs of war are howling in the Middle East

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe.BEIRUT — Against a dawning day, just hours after the fatal Gaza hospital explosion that killed hundreds, Israel’s border with Lebanon crackled with shelling and fighter jet strikes as Israeli warplanes responded to an uptick in shelling from Hezbollah.Regardless of who struck the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, the needle is now rapidly shifting in a dangerous direction. And hopes are being pinned on United States President Joe Biden and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who is set to host an emergency summit in Cairo on Saturday. But the chances of a wider war engulfing Lebanon and the entire region being hurled into violent chaos once more are growing by the hour.As Hezbollah announced “a day of rage” against Israel, protests have targeted U.S. missions in the region, more embassies in Beirut have started sending off non-essentials staff, and security teams are being flown in to protect diplomatic missions and European NGOs, preparin...

With Housing Bill, Healey Says It’s Time To “Get After It”

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

Framing her new legislation as “historic” and “urgent,” Gov. Maura Healey detailed her wide-ranging housing bill on Wednesday morning and expressed hope that its passage will provide a jolt for the 2024 construction season.“We gotta get after it,” Healey said at a press conference in Chelsea, saying that residents across the state are feeling the pressure of a squeezed housing market marked by low inventory and high costs.“Today is about meeting the moment. It’s about meeting the moment and the needs of residents across the state. We’ve heard you, we listened to you, and today we’re taking action and in the days ahead we’re going to need collective action and team work to get this done,” the governor said.Healey, who has marked her governorship so far with an emphasis on competing with other states, said the housing bill is necessary to keep residents from leaving Massachusetts.The bond bill would invest $4...

Billions of dollars to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells will only make a dent

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

By Kevin Hardy, Stateline.orgAn infusion of federal money has helped Louisiana plug nearly 500 abandoned oil and gas wells this year.That number doesn’t come close to the 4,500 abandoned wells that pock the state’s terrain, leaving the potential for groundwater contamination and the near-certainty of greenhouse gas emissions. But the money has allowed the state to nearly double the record number of wells it’s ever plugged in a year.“Everything helps,” said Patrick Courreges, spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. “If we didn’t have the federal help, we’d be over 5,000 [abandoned wells].”Louisiana is among 24 states that received millions of dollars for well plugging from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made the largest investment in legacy pollution reduction in American history.But in many ways, the difficult work is just beginning. Of the $4.7 billion the law set aside for plugging wells that oil and gas companies have abandoned, $560 mill...

Patriots get bad news at Wednesday practice ahead of Bills game

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots were down three starters, two practice-squad players and a couple key backups at Wednesday’s practice.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots QB Mac Jones sticking with routine despite early-season struggles New England Patriots | How Patriots could replace struggling offensive starter New England Patriots | Bill Belichick isn’t telling Bills how Patriots plan to use Malik Cunningham New England Patriots | Patriots-Raiders film review: Mac Jones’ offense proving beyond repair despite improvement New England Patriots | Mac Jones details what he saw on Patriots costly last-minute safety Tight end Hunter Henry, left tackle Trent Brown and practice-squad receiver T.J. Luther were absent on offense. Defensively, the Pats were down cornerback Jonathan Jones, defensive lineman Keion White, outside linebacker Josh Uche and practice-squad defensive tackle Man...

8 best short-term investments in October 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

James Royal, Ph.D. | Bankrate.com (TNS)If you’re looking to invest money for the short term, you’re probably searching for a safe place to stash cash before you need to access it in the not-so-distant future. The volatile markets and slumping economy led many investors to hold cash as the COVID-19 crisis dragged on — and things remain uncertain as the economy now faces high inflation, a banking crisis and fears of a potential recession, among other issues.Short-term investments minimize risk, but at the cost of potentially higher returns available in the best long-term investments. As a result, you’ll ensure that you have cash when you need it, instead of squandering the money on a potentially risky investment. So the most important thing investors should be looking for in a short-term investment is safety.What is a short-term investment?If you’re making a short-term investment, you’re often doing so because you need to have the money at a certain time. If you’re saving for a down p...

PrEP, a key HIV prevention tool, isn’t reaching black women

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

Sam Whitehead | (TNS) Kaiser Health NewsAlexis Perkins thought her OB-GYN’s office in Atlanta would be just the place to get a prescription for the type of drug that reduces a person’s risk of contracting HIV.But during a recent visit, the medical assistant who greeted her had not heard of the medicines known as preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, and she seemed uncomfortable discussing it, Perkins said. Her provider had heard of it but didn’t feel confident prescribing it.“She was at least honest enough to say that she was interested in it, but she didn’t really know that much about it,” said Perkins, a 25-year-old nurse, who decided to get on PrEP after participating in a sexual health education class and thinking more about her own risk. She’s still trying to find a provider to write her a prescription.“If I wasn’t really confident in myself, this could have been a very discouraging experience,” Perkins said.PrEP is a crucial tool in the fight against the ongoing HIV epidemic and, ...

Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

If you or someone you know is in need of help, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free and confidential support or text HELLO to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line.Nada Hassanein | (TNS) Stateline.orgWhen she tried to find help for her daughter’s depression, Michelle Romero was frantic, panicked and heartbroken. She searched and searched for mental health clinicians within her daughter’s insurance coverage network.But the Houston-area mom of three couldn’t find a psychiatrist nor a psychotherapist who accepted her daughter’s health insurance and was close enough to the family’s neighborhood, she said. In her network, one clinician had closed their practice. Another was at capacity with patients.So, each week, the family paid about $300 out of pocket for their daughter’s psychotherapy and psychiatry sessions. Romero has maxed out her credit cards.At Christmastime last year, Romero’s daughter was hospitalized for two weeks. Then 14, she had tried to kill herself. It wasn’...

House speaker live updates | Jim Jordan comes up short in second round of voting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jim Jordan lost the second round of balloting for House speaker on Wednesday, failing to convince his Republican detractors to support him to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy.Jordan lost 20 Republican votes in the first round of balloting Tuesday and lost 22 on Wednesday.Jim Jordan’s rapid rise has been cheered by Trump and the far rightHow the vote for a new speaker worksScalise ends bid to become speaker as holdouts refuse to back himMcCarthy was an early architect of the GOP majority that became his downfallJordan is vowing to stay in the race for House speaker despite shedding support in the second round of voting.The Ohio congressman said he would meet with lawmakers individually, but did not know when he would seek a third round of voting. He came up 18 votes short of winning the gavel Wednesday.“We picked up some today, a couple dropped off, but they voted for me before and I think they can come back again, so we’ll keep tal...

Russian foreign minister visits North Korea in the wake of a reported weapons transfer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

By The Associated PressRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited North Korea on Wednesday, just days after the U.S. said Pyongyang had transferred munitions to Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian state television ran footage of crowds greeting Lavrov in the pouring rain in Pyongyang alongside a welcoming party waving pom poms. Earlier in the week, Lavrov accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin on a visit to Beijing that underscored Chinese support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Shortly after arriving in Pyongyang, Lavrov said his visit was an opportunity to discuss implementing the agreements that Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had signed when they met at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in September.Lavrov hailed Putin’s meeting with Kim as “historic,” saying their talks demonstrated the countries’ “deep interest in the development of comprehensive cooperation.”He noted that Russia highly appreciates N...

Jordan fails to clinch Speakership on second ballot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:51 GMT

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) suffered another loss in the Speaker’s race Wednesday, failing to win the gavel on a second ballot of voting after a growing number of Republicans declined to support his bid.Twenty-two Republicans withheld support from Jordan.The vote was 199 for Jordan, 212 for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), five for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and seven for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). Ten people voted for someone else.The GOP opposition was less than what some Republicans — including Jordan allies — had predicted, but the tally is nonetheless an embarrassing setback for Jordan. Twenty Republicans withheld support from Jordan on Tuesday, leaving him short of the majority vote needed to clinch the gavel on the House floor. On Wednesday, four more Republicans flipped their votes from Jordan to another candidate. Two opponents flipped their votes to Jordan, and one Republican who was absent on Tuesda...