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Iowa Republicans passed a strict abortion bill last night. A legal challenge was filed by morning

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

By HANNAH FINGERHUT (Associated Press)DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s new ban on most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy was challenged in court on Wednesday, launching what will likely be a lengthy and emotional legal battle just hours after the Legislature approved it in a late-night vote.Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’ll sign the bill into law on Friday. It would take effect immediately. The bill was passed with exclusively Republican support in a rare, one-day legislative session lasting more than 14 hours. There were vocal — and sometimes tense — objections from Democratic lawmakers and abortion advocates protesting at the Capitol. The challenge, brought by the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic, requests that a district court temporarily put the soon-to-be law on hold as the courts assess its constitutionality.Abortion is currently legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, but that ...

Creative ways to cut your energy costs this summer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

Blasting the air conditioning to counteract stifling heat can provide much-needed relief this summer, but the utility bills that follow might not be as pleasant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of electricity has been steadily climbing over the past two years.“Most U.S. households will continue to pay high costs for energy throughout the summer because of high energy prices and the anticipated hot temperatures,” says Courtney Klosterman, home insights expert at insurer Hippo.The good news is you might have more control over your energy usage than you think. Paula Glover, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit that advocates for energy efficiency policy, estimates that based on numbers from the Energy Department, consumers could save 10% to 20% a year on energy bills just by shifting habits and making some energy-efficient investments. But, she adds, “You have to be diligent.”Here are five steps you can follow to lower your energy bill this summe...

Live Updates | Biden vows NATO unity behind Ukraine ‘will not falter’ as summit concludes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Follow along for updates on the summit of the NATO military alliance in Lithuania’s capital:What to know: — Ukraine wins G7 security pledges but its NATO membership remains elusive— Turkey won’t ratify Sweden’s NATO membership before October, Erdogan says— Biden and Zelenskyy praise each other despite divisions over Ukraine war— Greece and Turkey pledge to ‘reset’ ties and bypass longstanding disputes— NATO’s Article 5 stands in way of Ukraine joining alliance while at war— NATO summit in brief: Mixed news for Ukraine and a response to Russia——President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the U.S. and allied commitment to Ukraine “will not weaken” as he highlighted NATO support for Kyiv more than 500 days after Russia’s invasion.Speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania at the conclusion of the alliance’s annual summit, Biden told a crowd of cheering thousands, “our unity will not falter — I promise you.”Biden said the response to the Ukraine crisis is a model for the U.S. ...

At NATO summit, Biden says ‘our unity will not falter’ on Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pledged Wednesday that western allies “will not waver” in defense of Ukraine, casting the struggle against Russian aggression as one of the world’s central challenges. “Our unity will not falter,” Biden said. “I promise you.”He made the pledge at the NATO summit in the capital of Lithuania, a country that he said knows the “transformational power of freedom” after spending decades under Moscow’s thumb. “America never recognized the Soviet occupation of the Baltic,” he said to an outpouring of cheers from a crowd of thousands at Vilnius University. “Never, never.”The courtyard where Biden spoke was draped with American and Lithuanian flags. More spectators gathered in an overflow area, where a big screen was set up. Biden spent two days in Vilnius for the annual NATO summit, where members of the western military alliance pledged more support for Ukraine but stopped short of extending an invitation for the...

IMF approves much-awaited $3 billion bailout for Pakistan, saving it from defaulting on debt

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved a much-awaited $3 billion bailout for Pakistan, the global lender said, a move that’s likely to save the impoverished Islamic nation from defaulting on its debt repayments.The IMF said its executive board approved an agreement to release the funds over a nine-month period to support Pakistan’s economic stabilization program. The announcement comes less than two weeks after Pakistan and the IMF agreed to the nine-month plan following a series of meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and other officials.“The arrangement comes at a challenging economic juncture for Pakistan. A difficult external environment, devastating floods, and policy missteps have led to large fiscal and external deficits, rising inflation, and eroded reserve buffers” in the fiscal year 2023, the IMF said in a statement.The Associated Press

Lawsuits could delay the start of New Jersey’s first offshore wind power project

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

OCEAN CITY, N.J. (AP) — A tangle of litigation could delay the start of New Jersey’s first offshore wind energy project, as developer Orsted is suing governments to stop delaying necessary permits, and citizens groups try to halt the project altogether.The latest in a fast-growing thicket of litigation came July 3 when Danish wind power developer Orsted sued Cape May County, alleging the government is dragging its feet in issuing a road permit needed to do test work along the route a power cable would run.The company is also suing the city of Ocean City over similar delays to the project, which the federal government has endorsed as a significant piece in the White House’s efforts to “jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country,” in order to tackle the catastrophic effects of climate change.Last month, three citizens groups opposed to offshore wind — Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach, and Protect Our Coast NJ — filed an appeal of New Jersey’s d...

Turkey’s Erdogan says lawmakers will take up ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership in October

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Sweden’s NATO membership bid would not be ratified by Turkey’s parliament before October, but that he hopes for a swift ratification once lawmakers return from a break.Turkey on Monday withdrew its objections to Sweden joining the alliance, a step toward the unity that Western leaders have been eager to demonstrate in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision by Erdogan was a significant move toward Sweden’s membership and came after days of intensive meetings.Erdogan’s comments Wednesday were his first public confirmation of his decision to refer Sweden’s membership to parliament, where his party and its allies command a majority.He said at a news conference at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, that the process would have to wait until after lawmakers return from a summer recess. The new session opens Oct. 1. “The parliament is not in session for the upcoming two months … but our ...

Pioneering Anchor Brewing Co. to halt operations after 127 years with beer sales in decline

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

San Francisco’s 127-year-old Anchor Brewing Co. will shut down and liquidate after years of declining sales, citing tough economic conditions. Anchor has been a trailblazer in the U.S., brewing craft beers when most Americans were loyal to one of the few major breweries. The brewery teetered on insolvency in the 1960s, when it was acquired by Stanford grad Fritz Maytag, according to Anchor Brewing. Maytag implemented new brewing practices such as dry hopping, and began bottling the beer in 1971. By the mid 1970s Anchor Brewing had assembled a solid portfolio of respected brews including Anchor Porter, Liberty Ale, Old Foghorn Barleywine Ale, and the first annual Christmas Ale, a sought-after brew around the holiday every year in multiple regions of the U.S. In 2017 it was purchased by Japan’s Sapporo. Beer makers have faced increasing difficulties over the past few years, including lockdowns implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation concerns and the rise of sales of ...

Two men charged in shooting death of Fudail Moulvi

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

Two men have been arrested in the shooting death of a 19-year-old earlier this month in Don Mills.Police say Fudail Moulvi was found shot to death in the area of Lawrence Avenue and Don Mills Road on July 1. Investigators believe Moulvi was shot at a separate location. On Tuesday, police charged 19-year-old Komail Kabal Mohammad with second degree murder. On Wednesday, police say 20-year-old Mustafa Khalid turned himself into police and has also been charged with second degree murder.

Recognition of First Nations rights a ‘sticking’ point in new policing law plan: AFN

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:11 GMT

OTTAWA — A lawyer for the Assembly of First Nations says including the recognition of rights is a “sticking” point as the organization negotiates a new policing bill with Ottawa. Julie McGregor updated chiefs gathered in Halifax today on work to develop a law that would declare policing on First Nations an essential service.She told the organization’s general assembly the Department of Public Safety recently said it does not have a mandate to include full recognition of First Nations rights in the proposed legislation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised that his government would bring forward a new law in 2020.Calls for its introduction were amplified last year after 11 people were stabbed and killed on James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby community of Weldon, Sask., where the RCMP was the police service of jurisdiction. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said last year that he hoped to table a bill by the fall, but nothing was introduced before MPs broke...