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Republican senator should drop his ‘irresponsible’ protest and OK military nominees, Biden says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday said it is “irresponsible” of a Republican senator from Alabama to block confirmation of military officers in protest of a Defense Department policy that pays for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or reproductive care. “He’s jeopardizing U.S. security by what he’s doing,” Biden said of Sen. Tommy Tuberville. “It’s just totally irresponsible in my view.” More than 260 nominations are stalled by Tuberville, including Biden’s pick for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, America’s top military officer. The U.S. Marine Corps is currently without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century because of the block. It also affects scores of one-, two- and three-star officers who are assigned to new base commands.“I’d be willing to talk to him if I thought there was any possibility of changing his ridiculous position,” Biden said during a press conference with the pr...

March Madness expansion discussed by NCAA committee but no deal imminent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee discussed possible expansion of March Madness at its meetings this week but said no moves were imminent to increase the field beyond the current 68 teams. “Whether the tournament expands or not remains to be seen,” sad Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball. Earlier this year, the NCAA Division I board of directors approved recommendations by the DI transformation committee that included allowing one quarter of teams in bigger sports to compete in championship events. That could mean expanding the fields in both men’s and women’s basketball up to 90 teams. There are many in the sport who believe the 68-team fields and three weekends of play are ideal. In 2016, the NCAA signed an eight-year extension of its TV deal for $8.8 billion that now runs through 2032.Gavitt said the men’s basketball committee is “studying options and gathering feedback from various consti...

Iranian president welcomed in Zimbabwe with anti-West songs on the last stop on his Africa trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was welcomed in Zimbabwe on Thursday by people singing songs criticizing the West as he made his last stop on a three-nation Africa trip aimed at finding new trade alliances to soften the impact of U.S. sanctions on his nation.Raisi was greeted at Harare’s international airport by Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and dozens of supporters waving Zimbabwe and Iran flags and holding placards with Raisi’s image.Both countries are under U.S. sanctions and Raisi’s trip to Africa, which has already included stops in Kenya and Uganda, highlights Iran’s efforts to counter those heavy economic punishments.Iran and Zimbabwe already have a joint permanent commission on political and trade relations and officials on Thursday signed 12 new memorandums of understanding, including agreements on agriculture, pharmaceuticals, telecoms, gas, energy and education.Iran also signed agreements with Kenya and ...

People treated for possible heat exhaustion, dehydration in Taylor Swift merch line

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — In a little over 24 hours, Taylor Swift will be hitting the stage at Empower Field. But Thursday morning, hundreds of fans have lined up with a different goal in mind – buy merchandise outside the stadium.Swift opened up the line to her merchandise truck to any and all fans at 7 a.m., and hundreds lined the parking lot several hours beforehand. What can you buy for the price of 2 Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets? FOX31's Carly Moore has been at Empower Field all morning. She said four people have had medical treatment and some Denver Health paramedics are on site. Moore said heat, dehydration and altitude sickness are among the possible issues. Pinpoint Weather Metrologist Travis Michels is reminding fans to bring sunscreen and plenty of water because temperatures will be in the 90s on Thursday. There will be lots of sunshine, which will help temperatures hit around 93 degrees.Many fans Moore they showed up Thursday so that they wouldn't have to worry about getting ...

Biden declares victory over Putin as he tries to galvanize allies at home and abroad

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

HELSINKI, Finland — President Joe Biden wrapped up his visit to Europe on Thursday touting the strength of NATO and the alliance’s ability to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. But those diplomatic breakthroughs overseas came with lingering uncertainties about the future of the war.Biden capped off his trip in Helsinki, projecting a dramatically different presence than the last American president to visit the Finnish capital. Five years ago this week Donald Trump sided with Putin over America’s intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. This time, Biden touted the strength of the alliance designed to halt Putin, with NATO only growing in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“Putin’s already lost the war,” Biden declared at a brief trip-ending news conference. “Putin has a real problem — how does he move from here? What does he do? And so, the idea that there’s going to be, what vehicle is used — he could end the war tomorrow. He could just...

India buys French fighter jets, submarines as Modi visits Macron

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

PARIS — The Indian government confirmed on Thursday it will buy 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets and 3 Scorpene military submarines from France’s Dassault and Naval Group as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Paris.The military deal comes as France is intensifying political and commercial ties with India, while bidding to draw the Asian powerhouse away from Russia, which is its top weapons supplier.Modi is in Paris where he met with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. He will have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday night and will attend the annual parade for France’s Bastille Day on Friday on the Champs Elysées. The two countries are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their Indo-French strategic partnership and they are set to present a roadmap for the next 25 years of bilateral cooperation. On Friday, Paris and New Delhi will announce new cooperation and investment projects in the transport, energy and space sectors, according to a French di...

Kevin Spacey fights back tears as he testifies how sex abuse allegations ‘exploded’ his career

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Kevin Spacey fought back tears and dabbed his eyes with a tissue Thursday as he told jurors in a London court how sexual misconduct allegations six years ago had destroyed his career.“My world exploded,” Spacey said at his sexual assault trial. “There was a rush to judgment and before the first question was asked or answered I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost everything in a matter of days.”The emotional testimony came toward the end of his nearly three hours in the witness box, in what could be the most consequential speaking part of his life. He denied sexually assaulting three men and chalked up crotch-grabbing allegations by a fourth as having been a “clumsy pass.”The allegations that sent Spacey’s stellar film and stage career into a spiral came in 2017 as the #metoo movement gained momentum in the U.S. and a fellow actor accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior three decades earlier.News of those accusations led others to come forwa...

Patients squeezed in fight over who gets to bill for pricey infusion drugs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

Samantha Liss | (TNS) KFF Health NewsHealth insurers and medical providers are battling over who should supply high-cost infusion drugs for patients, with the tussle over profits now spilling into statehouses across the country.The issue is that some insurers are bypassing hospital pharmacies and physician offices and instead sending more complex drugs through third-party pharmacies. Those pharmacies then send the medications directly to the medical provider or facility for outpatient infusing, which is called “white bagging,” or, more rarely, to patients, in what is called “brown bagging.” That shifts who gets to buy and bill for these complex medications, including pricey chemotherapy drugs.Insurers say the policies are needed because hospital markups are too high. But hospitals argue that adding an intermediary results in unnecessary risks and delays, and they say some insurers have their own or affiliated pharmacy companies, creating financial motives for controlling the source ...

Everything you need to know about filing a home insurance claim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

Mandy Sleight | Bankrate (TNS)If you’re dealing with loss or damage to your home, whether it’s due to a weather event, home burglary or other unexpected event, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed. When it comes time to file a claim with your home insurance, you don’t want to encounter more stress in the process.Navigating the claims process can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Bankrate’s insurance experts have outlined everything you need to know about filing a home insurance claim in the article below, from the types of claimable events to the steps for filing a claim.How to file a home insurance claimAs soon as property loss occurs, you should consider contacting your home insurance company for help in filing your claim. Each insurance company has its own claim process that policyholders need to follow. Usually the sooner you can initiate a claim, the earlier you may be able to resolve the issue.—Help prevent further damage. Take measures to ensure your home’s structure will...

5 tips to keep social media from spurring you to overspend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:47 GMT

By Erin El Issa | NerdWalletScrolling social media may provide entertainment, catharsis or just a way to pass the time. It might also cause you to spend more than you can afford.A new NerdWallet survey finds that 65% of Americans believe that social media has increased overspending. Here are five tips to keep social media scrolling from hurting your real-life finances.1. Wish list and waitAccording to the survey, 18% of Americans have made a purchase because of something they saw on social media that they regret making. Impulse buying is easy on social media, particularly when you purchase from within the app. One way to combat this and possibly avoid regret? Wish list and wait.Create a list of anything and everything you come across on social media that you want to buy. And then wait to purchase. How long you wait is up to you — maybe it’s a month or just 24 hours. You might still choose to purchase the item ultimately, but when you put time between wanting and buying something, yo...