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Internal EU discontent grows at von der Leyen’s neglect of Palestinian statehood

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is infuriating the EU’s own foreign policy team by neglecting to mention the bloc’s support for Palestinian statehood in her public remarks on the Israel-Hamas war. Adding to the pressure on her, some 800 EU staff have also taken the unusual step of writing to protest she is showing unjustifiable bias toward Israel in the conflict. The latest flashpoint was a speech on Thursday at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think-tank in Washington, when she prioritized Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas’ brutal assault on October 7 and neglected to mention the two-state solution that is a core part of the position of European countries. One senior EU official commenting on the speech accused her of airing her own personal views and presenting an unbalanced view of where the EU stood on the crisis in the Middle East. Foreign policy “is decided by member states, by the Council. The rest, with full respect, ...

Juveniles charged with dousing acid on western Mass. playground slides that injured 4 children

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

LONGMEADOW, Mass. (AP) — Two juveniles have been charged after several slides at a Massachusetts park were doused with acid in this summer and four children were injured, the Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said.The juveniles, whose identities cannot be released due to their ages, have been charged with four counts of assault and battery on a child with injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon as well as vandalism, Gulluni said. His office did not say whether the pair have been arrested.“Our collective effort to charge those we believe are responsible should make clear that protecting this community’s children is among our highest priorities,” Gulluni said in a statement late Thursday. “Whether the threat and harm caused were intended as pranks or malicious acts, it will not be tolerated.”In June, police and firefighters responded to Bliss Park in Longmeadow for a report of a suspicious substance on the playground equipment. At about the same time, fire...

Four people hospitalized after truck driver slams into vehicles, bank in South Yarmouth

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

Authorities in Yarmouth say four people were injured after a pickup truck driver appeared to go off road and crash into several vehicles and a business Friday morning.The Yarmouth Police Department said both officers and firefighters were called to the TD Bank off Route 28 where a truck was found embedded in the side of the building around 11:30 a.m.Investigators found the crash appeared to happen after the truck left the roadway and “became airborne after hitting a median,” striking a sign in the process which, in turn, hit and injured a bystander.Two parked cars were also struck as the truck barreled in the direction of the bank and eventually plowed into a brick wall.All four people injured, including the driver, suffered what were described as minor injuries.Why the truck initially left the road and the crash itself remains under investigation.

Native lands lack clean water protections, but more tribes are taking charge

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

Alex Brown | (TNS) Stateline.orgAcross the roughly 1,300 square miles of the White Earth Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota, tribal members harvest wild rice in waters that have sustained them for generations. They’ve been working for decades to restore sturgeon, a culturally important fish, and they harvest minnows and leeches to supply bait for anglers across the country.But the White Earth Band can no longer depend on the clean, abundant waters that make those activities possible. Droughts brought on by climate change and irrigation for agriculture have threatened the reservation’s rivers and lakes. Manure runoff from factory farms could poison the water that’s left.Last year, the tribal government passed an ordinance to restrict withdrawals of water from the reservation and adjacent lands that share an aquifer. Under the statute, farms and other businesses seeking to withdraw more than 1 million gallons per year must obtain a permit from the tribe.“White Earth firmly beli...

Chicago Bears Week 7 storylines: Tyson Bagent’s underdog charm, Justin Fields’ unclear prognosis and a possible defensive resurgence

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

At 1-5, the Chicago Bears have a lot to sort through as they ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Soldier Field.Offensive line uncertainty. Defensive inconsistency. An undrafted rookie likely to make his first NFL start. It’s another complicated puzzle that Matt Eberflus and his coaching staff need to put together.In advance of the game, here’s the inside slant on three notable storylines.‘Nothing to lose’All aboard who’s coming aboard.That amplified and familiar whistle you’ve been hearing this week has been coming from Chicago Bears headquarters in Lake Forest, where Desperation Station has sent the latest hope-and-hype train on its way.The Tyson Bagent Express is out on the tracks with a couple of opportunities to board before it barrels into Soldier Field for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.For the “Let’s see what we’ve got in the kid” crowd, this is an exciting and intriguing moment, a cha...

Can psilocybin help ease existential despair in patients with advanced cancer? Researchers hope to find out.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

A new study in Colorado is trying to answer definitively whether psychedelics help at least some patients dealing with distress over advanced cancer.Dr. Stacy Fischer, co-leader of cancer prevention and control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, said several small studies have found that psychedelic drugs may help patients who are experiencing demoralization or despair because of their impending mortality. The study CU is part of will have a larger and more diverse group of people, which hopefully will produce more conclusive evidence of whether there’s a benefit, she said.“There’s so much science that needs to be done in this space,” Fischer said.Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is still a Schedule 1 drug, meaning the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration determined it has high potential for misuse and no accepted medical use.But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also released guidance earlier this year for trials involving psilocybin and some othe...

Belgian minister quits as ‘monumental error’ sees Tunisian shooter slip through extradition net

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s justice minister resigned on Friday after it was discovered that Tunisia was seeking the extradition last year of an Islamic extremist who shot dead two Swedes and wounded a third this week.Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said that he and his services had been searching for details to understand how Abdesalem Lassoued had disappeared off the map two years ago after being denied asylum and ordered by Belgian authorities to be deported to Tunisia.On Monday night, Lassoued gunned down two Swedish men and wounded a third with a semiautomatic rifle. The attack forced the lockdown of more than 35,000 people in a soccer stadium where they had gathered to watch Belgium play Sweden.In a video posted online he claimed to be inspired by the Islamic State group. Police shot him dead on Tuesday morning in a Brussels cafe.“This morning at nine o’clock, I remarked the following elements: On Aug. 15, 2022, there was an extradition demand b...

Best bank accounts for kids

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

Sarah Sharkey | Bankrate.com (TNS)A savings account is a useful tool for teaching children the value of money and managing finances. But before opening a savings account for your child, it pays to look for some key features.Here are some of the best savings accounts for kids, including those that require no minimum balances, charge no fees or provide ways to eliminate them and offer competitive APYs.Best savings accounts for kidsEach of these savings accounts offers a worthwhile place to start a child’s banking journey. Check for account opening age restrictions, whether there are fees and what happens when the child reaches a certain age before opening a savings account for your child.Alliant Kids Savings AccountThe Alliant Kids Savings Account requires an initial deposit of $5, which the credit union will cover for you. The account pays 3.1% annual yield, but it earns no interest if the daily balance falls below $100. No monthly fee is charged as long as you receive e-statements i...

Why are mortgage rates so high?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

Andrew Dehan | Bankrate.com (TNS)The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate touched 8% on Thursday, according to Bankrate data, a level not seen since the year 2000.Over the past several weeks, the 30-year rate has been on the cusp of 8%, backed off, then picked up steam again — a confounding pattern somewhat atypical of this time of year, when home sales and mortgage activity begin to slow.Why mortgage rates are so highThere are several variables that have prompted the 30-year rate’s march toward 8%:—The 10-year Treasury yield: The rates on fixed-rate mortgages are tied to the yield on 10-year Treasury notes. When this bond yield goes up, so do mortgage rates, with a margin. In general, higher yields signal confidence in the economy. If investors foresee trouble, they’ll buy lower-risk Treasurys, which drives down yields and, in turn, fixed mortgage rates. Against that grain, the yield has risen rapidly as of late, inching toward 5% as of Oct. 19, due partly to economic uncertainty an...

Mike Pence faces a cash shortage and questions about how much longer his 2024 campaign can survive

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:58:15 GMT

By JILL COLVIN (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — With three months to go before the Iowa caucuses that he has staked his campaign on, former Vice President Mike Pence faces mounting debt and lagging poll numbers that are forcing questions about not only whether he will qualify for the next debate, but whether it makes sense for him to remain in the race until then.Pence ended September with just $1.18 million left in his campaign account, a strikingly low number for a presidential contest and far less than his rivals, new filings show. His campaign also has $621,000 in debt — more than half the cash he had remaining — and is scrambling to meet donor thresholds for the Nov. 8 debate. While he would likely meet the debate’s polling requirements, Pence has struggled to gain traction and is polling in the low single digits nationally, with no sign of momentum. Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is leading every one of his rivals by at least 40 points in na...