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22 US citizens have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war: State Department

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of U.S. citizens confirmed to have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war has risen to at least 22, the State Department said Wednesday. That's an increase from 14 the day before.U.S. citizens also are among the estimated 150 hostages captured by Hamas militants during their shocking weekend assault on Israel, President Joe Biden confirmed on Tuesday. The war has already claimed at least 2,200 lives on both sides.The attack raised questions about the potential influence of Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas, and whether Iran had anything to do with it. But the U.S. has collected information that suggests senior Iranian government officials were caught off guard by the multipronged assault, according to a U.S. official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. That piece of intelligence has informed White House officials publicly asserting that it has not yet seen evidence of direct involvement by Iran i...

Republicans nominate Steve Scalise to be House speaker and will try to unite before a floor vote

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans nominated Rep. Steve Scalise on Wednesday to be the next House speaker and will now try to unite to elect the conservative in a floor vote after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the job.In private balloting at the Capitol, House Republicans pushed aside Rep. Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman, in favor of Scalise, the current majority leader, lawmakers said. The Louisiana lawmaker is seen as a hero to some after surviving a mass shooting on lawmakers at a congressional baseball game practice in 2017. He is now battling blood cancer.Republicans who have been stalemated after McCarthy’s historic removal last week will seek to assemble their narrow House majority around Scalise in what is certain to be a close vote of the full House. Democrats are set to oppose the Republican nominee.A floor vote of the whole House could come as soon as Wednesday afternoon.“I don’t know how the hell you get to 218,” said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, referring ...

Ukraine tells NATO: Forget me not

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

BRUSSELS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels on Wednesday to discover a Europe no longer completely focused on the war Russia has unleashed on his country, but he’s rolling with the punches.He insisted that there was no danger of Israel crowding Ukraine out of the limelight, and instead encouraged Western politicians to visit Israel — replicating similar treks to Kyiv by most of the world’s leaders.“My recommendation to the leaders [is] to go to Israel,” said Zelenskyy. “Unity is more important than to be alone.”He also sought to tie the two conflicts together, saying that divisions in the alliance will only help the Kremlin: “Russia’s counting on it, on dividing support,” he said during an appearance with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. He then made the link between the two crises explicit, calling both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hamas “terrorists” that “seek to hold free...

UK foreign secretary runs for cover as sirens go off in Israel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen ran for shelter in southern Israel as sirens went off Wednesday.The two politicians — alongside many other people — ran to take shelter, as seen in a video reposted by Israel’s foreign ministry on X, formerly Twitter. According to former diplomat David Saranga, who originally posted the video, Cleverly and Cohen were visiting the town of Ofakim in Israel when “a siren goes off warning of incoming Hamas rocket fire.” Ofakim, located about 25 kilometers away from Gaza, was one of the sites where hostages were taken during the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday, the Times of Israel reported.“I’m here in Israel today to show that the UK’s support for the Israeli people is unwavering,” Cleverly said on X before the video was published.Prior to the attack, a spokesperson from the UK’s Foreign Office announced that “the Foreign Secretary has arrived in Israel tod...

US to lead on training Ukrainian F-16 pilots

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

BRUSSELS — The United States will head up a coalition of countries training Ukrainian pilots and crews to operate and maintain F-16 fighter jets alongside the Netherlands and Denmark, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.Speaking during the first day of the NATO defense ministers summit in Brussels, Austin said allies in the security bloc’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group had decided to form smaller “capability coalitions” focusing on specific areas of support for Kyiv.For example, Austin said that Estonia and Luxembourg will lead on supporting Ukraine’s IT infrastructure to “defend its networks,” while Lithuanian will help Kyiv with demining. Beyond fighter jet training, Austin said the U.S. would also join armor and artillery programs, while a naval group will also be set up. “That shows how much we can do when we come together,” said Austin. “It also show that American leadership matters.”In August, the...

House Republicans pick Steve Scalise as speaker nominee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

(CNN) — House Republicans voted behind closed doors to select Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana as their nominee for speaker, according to multiple sources familiar, paving the way for a floor vote to elect a new speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s abrupt ouster.It is not yet clear when the full House will hold the speaker vote, but it could take place as soon as Wednesday. Scalise currently serves as House majority leader.Until a speaker is elected, the House remains effectively paralyzed following McCarthy’s ouster, an unprecedented situation that has taken on new urgency amid Israel’s war against Hamas. Raising the stakes further, the longer it takes Republicans to elect a new speaker, the less time lawmakers will have to try to avert a government shutdown with a funding deadline looming in mid-November.Scalise was running against GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee and the only other declared Republican candidate for t...

How can I remove my card information from a website?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

Poonkulali Thangavelu | Bankrate.com (TNS)When you’re shopping online, you’ve probably seen retailers ask if you’d like to save your card information. While the rationale is that doing so is a convenience for you, it also creates a sticky situation that’s beneficial for the merchant since it encourages you to come back for future shopping.While you should have the choice to decide whether you want to save your card information with a particular merchant, you may also find that you don’t have the chance to opt out of the situation.As an example, reader Juanita recently shared that, “A local sports facility offers summer classes for kids. Weekly sessions can be purchased individually, and the person must register each time they sign up for a session. They only accept credit card payments, and although their payment form powered by EZ Facility offers the option to uncheck the statement ‘I authorize Longplex LLC to store my credit card information for future payments,’ the ability to un...

Patriots offense gets good news at practice ahead of Week 6 matchup vs. Raiders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

FOXBORO — One of the Patriots’ best players returned to practice Wednesday.Right guard Mike Onwenu, who left Sunday’s loss to the Saints early with an ankle injury and wasn’t spotted at Tuesday’s walk-through, was back on the practice field Wednesday for a fully padded session.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick insists re-signing Jakobi Meyers was priority for Patriots New England Patriots | Bill Belichick: Mac Jones will start at QB, Patriots ‘not making any changes’ New England Patriots | Could Patriots CB J.C. Jackson start Sunday against the Raiders? New England Patriots | Patriots return speedy WR to practice Tuesday, lose 2 others New England Patriots | Do the Patriots expect QB Mac Jones to start Sunday? Bill O’Brien answers Wide receivers Demario Douglas (head) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (head), and outside linebacker Matthew Judon (...

Authorities searching for suspect wanted in connection to Holyoke shooting that killed unborn baby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

Authorities say they are actively pursuing a third suspect in connection to a shooting that left a pregnant woman critically injured and her unborn baby dead in Holyoke last week.Massachusetts State Police on Wednesday added Kremith D. Alvarez, to their most wanted list. They say the 28-year-old is 5 feet 6 inches tall, 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.Two of the three suspects – Johnluis Sanchez, 30, and Alejando Ramos, 22, both of Holyoke – were taken into custody last week on murder charges. An arrest warrant charging Alvarez with murder, with full extradition authorized, was sought and obtained from Holyoke District Court.Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding Alvarez’s whereabout to contact the Massachusetts State  Police Detective Unit at (413) 505-5993 or the Massachusetts State Police: Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section at 1-800-KAPTURE (1-800-527-8873).“ALVAREZ is actively avoiding law enforcement, the firearm used in this incident ...

7 saving strategies you may not have tried yet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:18:24 GMT

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWalletWith the holiday shopping season just starting and prices of many consumer goods continuing to rise, saving money can seem impossible. But those financial pressures also make doing so even more important.“Saving is your margin,” says Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner and owner of Aquila Wealth Advisors. “When things happen — your car breaks down or there’s a layoff, or smaller stuff like gifts for the holidays — you have something to fall back on.” Maldonado notes that saving can also allow you to have money for fun things.The personal savings rate for Americans has been dropping in the last few months, and as of July was 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.Maldonado recommends aiming for a savings rate closer to 20% of your take-home income. “You can live off of 80% and put 20% toward deferred gratification,” he suggests.That guidance matches the popular 50/30/20 budget, which suggests putting 50% of your take-home inco...