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GEM arrives in Perry to assist victims affected by hurricane Idalia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

PERRY, FLA. (WSVN) – Another organization is on the ground in Florida’s Big Bend region to send support to victims affected by Hurricane Idalia. Volunteers stood by as truckloads of supplies arrived in Perry, Thursday morning.The Global Empowerment Mission partnered with an area church to hold a distribution. They say their aid doesn’t end there.“In the coming days and weeks ahead, if folks need things like drywall, mattresses, help with cleaning up, we’ll be ready to assist,” said Patrick Lynch, Chief Development Officer at GEM. “Right now, we’re trying to assess very closely with the state what exactly is needed and where it’s needed.”Volunteers packed up boxes filled with food, toiletries and other essentials families may have lost in the storm.GEM is also preparing another supply truck that’s expected to head to Perry sometime Thursday afternoon.

Counteroffensive critics are ‘spitting into the face’ of our soldiers, Ukraine says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

TOLEDO, Spain — Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday lashed out at those criticizing the slow pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, calling on them to keep their mouths shut. “Criticizing the slow pace of counteroffensive equals to spitting into the face of Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life every day, moving forward and liberating one kilometer of Ukrainian soil after another,” he told reporters during a break at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers that he attended in Toledo, Spain.  “I would recommend all critics to shut up. Come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves,” he added.Ukraine launched its counteroffensive against Russian troops this past June; but its slow pace has been the focus of international headlines for weeks. Ukraine’s staunchest supporters argue that sluggish progress can be traced back in part to delays among Ukraine’s allies in providing all the necessary equipment and materials to be effectiv...

Cape Lawmakers Making Pitch For Regular Rail Service to Buzzards Bay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

You’ve heard of the soon-to-launch South Coast Rail and the long-sought East-West Rail into the western reaches of the state. But how about what we’ll call the Cape Connector?A group of lawmakers from Cape Cod and the islands want to make their region the next hub for regular passenger rail service, pitching it as a way to relieve locals from crushing traffic congestion and the greenhouse gas emissions that come with it.Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth and Rep. Kip Diggs of Barnstable filed legislation (HD 4555) that would instruct the MBTA to launch commuter rail service between South Station and Buzzards Bay within one year.That route already accommodates the Cape Flyer, which runs on summer weekends from Boston through Buzzards Bay to stops on the Cape, so supporters believe sufficient infrastructure is already in place.Unlike the Cape Flyer, however, lawmakers behind the bill want to launch an option that would provide more predictable and regular service for the reg...

Biden declares a major disaster in Florida following Hurricane Idalia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden has formally declared a major disaster in Florida in response to Hurricane Idalia, the White House announced Thursday.“The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor,” the White House said in a statement.Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida Wednesday morning as a powerful Category 3 storm and has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it makes its way up the East Coast, causing flooding, significant property damage and power outages across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.Biden spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by phone earlier Thursday to inform him of the declaration.“This morning, President Biden called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to convey that he has signed a Major Disaster Declaration and ordered all available federal resources to help with the continued response to Tropical Storm Idalia,” the White Hous...

Ex-Proud Boys organizer sentenced to 17 years in prison for plot to keep Trump in power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A former organizer of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years in prison for spearheading an attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.Federal prosecutors had recommended a 33-year prison sentence for Joseph Biggs, who helped lead dozens of Proud Boys members and associates in marching to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Biggs and other Proud Boys joined the mob that broke through police lines and forced lawmakers to flee, disrupting the joint session of Congress for certifying the electoral victory by Biden, a Democrat.“I know that I messed up that day,” Biggs told the judge just before being sentenced, “but I’m not a terrorist.”The judge who sentenced Biggs also will separately sentence four other Proud Boys who were convicted by a jury in May after a four-m...

Election workers have gotten death threats and warnings they will be lynched, the US government says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a dozen people nationally have been charged with threatening election workers by a Justice Department unit trying to stem the tide of violent and graphic threats against people who count and secure the vote.Government employees are being bombarded with threats even in normally quiet periods between elections, secretaries of state and experts warn. Some point to former President Donald Trump and his allies repeatedly and falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen and spreading conspiracy theories about election workers. Experts fear the 2024 election could be worse and want the Justice Department to do more to protect election workers. The Justice Department created the task force in 2021 led by its public integrity section, which investigates election crimes. John Keller, the unit’s second in command, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the department hoped its...

How to compare credit repair options

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

Rebecca Betterton | Bankrate.com (TNS)If you have recently applied for a financial product, you may have been met with higher than normal rates. This, primarily due to inflation, is unfortunately out of your control. But working to improve your credit score through the process of credit repair can mean a higher score and potentially better rates in the future.When choosing which credit repair route — a credit repair company, a credit counselor or through DIY approaches — consider the following factors to ensure the chosen method fits your specific needs.Time availableWhile the process of repairing your credit is not known for its quick speed, there are some options that might be preferred over others if the timing is top of mind. Of the routes, the do-it-yourself approach has the largest time commitment. It will require you to get copies of your reports, review them, file any disputes and adopt healthier spending habits.If you’re looking to save some of your own time, consider a cre...

Timing and cost of new vaccines vary by virus and health insurance status

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

By Julie Appleby, KFF Health NewsAs summer edges toward fall, thoughts turn to, well, vaccines.Yes, inevitably, it’s time to think about the usual suspects — influenza and COVID-19 shots — but also the new kid in town: recently approved vaccines for RSV, short for respiratory syncytial virus.But who should get the various vaccines, and when?“For the eligible populations, all three shots are highly recommended,” said Georges Benjamin, a physician and the executive director of the American Public Health Association.Still, there’s no need to get them all at the same time, and there are reasons to wait a bit for two of them. Some people may also face cost issues. Let’s break this down.What’s the price?It depends on the vaccine — and on your insurance coverage.For COVID shots, including the updated ones expected to be available this fall, most people will still be able to get the vaccines for free. People became accustomed to that no-cost availability during the pandemic, but the federal...

At least 74 are dead, many of them homeless, as fire rips through a rundown building in South Africa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

By GERALD IMRAY and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME (Associated Press)JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A nighttime fire ripped through a rundown apartment building mainly occupied by homeless people and squatters in Johannesburg early Thursday, leaving at least 74 dead, officials said. Some people threw babies out of third-story windows to others waiting below in the desperate scramble to evacuate, witnesses said.At least 12 of those killed were children, the youngest a 1-year-old, according to city and medical officials, who held a press conference to give an update on the death toll. They said an undetermined number of people were still missing and many bodies recovered were burned beyond recognition.More than 50 people were injured, six of whom were in a serious condition in the hospital. Emergency services officials had earlier warned that the death toll could rise as they continued to search the scene more than 12 hours after the blaze broke out at around 1 a.m.Dozens of bodies recovered by firefigh...

Do this before the redesigned 2024 FAFSA launches in December

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:14 GMT

By Trea Branch | NerdWalletFor the first time since 2016, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will not be ready on Oct. 1 for the following academic year. Instead, students have to wait until December to fill out and submit a redesigned application for financial aid — including federal student loans, grants and work-study — for the 2024–25 school year.Nearly 72% of college families didn’t know that the 2023-24 FAFSA became available on Oct. 1, 2022, according to a 2023 study by private student loan lender Sallie Mae. If families aren’t ready to go when the new FAFSA is released this year, they could miss out on vital aid to help them cover college expenses.“We’re dealing with a truncated financial aid season,” says MorraLee Keller, senior director of strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), a nonprofit organization supporting college affordability. Keller says all students should do what they can to be re...