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Qatargate suspects say they back stronger ethics cop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 GMT

STRASBOURG — MEPs Eva Kaili and Marc Tarabella want the Commission to take a tougher approach to enforcing ethics across the EU institutions.Both stand accused of accepting cash in return for political favors in what has been dubbed Qatargate. And they are among the 365 MEPs who backed a resolution on Wednesday calling the Commission’s proposal for an interinstitutional ethics body “unsatisfactory and not ambitious enough.”It was the political scandal of Qatargate that moved the moribund idea of an independent ethics minder back onto the front burner. Yet ethics hawks in the Parliament were disappointed last month when the Commission proposed a panel that would not have the power to start its own investigations or impose sanctions.Instead, the Commission plans would set baseline requirements for EU politicians on declaring assets, disclosing third-party travel, and restrictions on side jobs. Then each institution, including the Parliament, would make commitments on how to enforce ru...

Russia’s ‘General Armageddon’ is ‘resting,’ says top lawmaker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 GMT

Russian General Sergei Surovikin, considered an ally of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and who has not been seen in public since the mercenary group’s uprising three weeks ago, is “resting,” a Russian lawmaker said Wednesday. Sergei Surovikin, known as “General Armageddon” for his aggressive military strategies in Chechnya and Syria, had “advanced knowledge” of the rebellion, according to U.S. officials, the New York Times first reported days after the attempted mutiny.Surovikin — a deputy commander of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine — is “resting” and “currently not available,” Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, told a reporter who asked about the missing-in-action general. The Kremlin has not made an official public statement about Surovikin’s knowledge of the Wagner mutiny or his whereabouts.

Severe Maternal Morbidity Rate Nearly Doubled In Mass.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 GMT

The volume of people experiencing complications from pregnancy or delivery in Massachusetts nearly doubled from 2011 to 2020, according to new data released Wednesday by the Department of Public Health.Episodes of several maternal morbidity (SMM) can lead to short- or long-term health problems — including eclampsia, acute kidney failure and heart attacks — and they might trigger live-saving procedures like hysterectomies, according to the data brief.The report examined 678,382 deliveries, including both live births and fetal deaths, among 483,699 Massachusetts residents from 2011 to 2020. The SMM rate rose from 52 per 10,000 deliveries to 100 per 10,000 deliveries in that time frame, said Dana Bernson, director of special analytic projects at DPH’s Office of Population Health.“Black non-Hispanic birthing people consistently have the highest SMM rates over the 10-year period, and the inequities are increasing,” Bernson said during a virtual Public H...

‘Succession’ tops Emmy nominations with 27 as ‘Last of Us’ and ‘White Lotus’ give HBO top 3 spots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 GMT

By ANDREW DALTON (AP Entertainment Writer)LOS ANGELES (AP) — HBO dominated Wednesday morning’s Emmy nominations, with the elite trio of “ Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us” combining for a whopping 74, but the dominant theme darkening the scene is the ongoing writers strike and the looming possibility that actors may join them in as little as a day.“Succession” and its deeply dysfunctional dynasty of one-percenters led all Emmy nominees in its fourth and final season with 27, including best drama, which it has won two of the past three years. It got three nominations for best actor in a drama, with Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin all getting nods for playing men of the Roy clan, and Sarah Snook getting a best actress nomination. It also got four nominations for best supporting actor in a drama.The cursed vacationers at a Sicilian resort from the second season of “The White Lotus” trul...

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

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:14:17 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...