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Biden to expand migrant access to health plans: US officials

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce that his administration is expanding eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges to hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter.The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before the formal announcement on Thursday.The 2012 DACA initiative was meant to shield from deportation immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents as young children and to allow them to work legally in the country. However, the immigrants were still ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance programs because they did not meet the definition for having “lawful presence” in the U.S. That’s what Biden’s ...

Russia identifies Ukrainian suspect in war blogger’s killing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

Russia’s top security agency on Thursday accused a Ukrainian man of involvement in a bombing that killed a well-known Russian military blogger at a St. Petersburg cafe.Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the war in Ukraine who filed regular reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed on April 2 as he led a discussion at a riverside cafe in the historic heart of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city. Over 50 people were injured.A 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident, Darya Trepova, who was seen on video moments before the blast presenting Tatarsky with a statuette that contained explosives, was quickly arrested. According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the statuette but didn’t know what was inside it.Russian authorities described the bombing as an act of terrorism and blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating it. Ukrainian authorities have not directly responded to the accusation, but an a...

Norway expels 15 Russian diplomats suspected of intel work

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

Norway’s government said Thursday that it was expelling 15 Russian diplomats from the country because they were suspected of gathering intelligence while working at the Russian Embassy in Oslo. Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said the move was “an important measure to counter and reduce the scope of Russian intelligence activities in Norway, and thereby secure our national interests.”Norway’s government said the activities of the Russians declared persona non grata were “incompatible with their diplomatic status.” The Associated Press

Parts of High Park off limits today as crews conduct controlled burns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

West-end Toronto residents may notice significant smoke billowing from High Park on Thursday — but there’s no cause for alarm.The City of Toronto will be conducting controlled prescribed burns in the park from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.As a result, access to the park will be closed off to all vehicles beginning at 7 a.m. until the smoke has dissipated. Public access will also be restricted in areas around the burn sites.“A prescribed burn is a deliberately set and carefully controlled fire that burns low to the ground and consumes dried leaves, small twigs and grass stems, but does not harm larger trees,” reads a release from the City. “The City has been safely executing prescribed burns in High Park for almost two decades.”2023 High Park prescribed burn sites map. (City of Toronto)The City says Thursday’s summer-like forecast is expected to provide “optimal weather conditions” for crews to conduct the burn. The expected conditions sho...

Protesters march against Macron’s plan to raise pension age

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters opposed to President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plan to raise the retirement age in France marched Thursday in cities and towns around France in a final show of anger before a decision on whether the measure meets constitutional standards.Hours before the Paris march got underway, protesters piled bags of garbage in front of the Constitutional Council, which is expected to decide Friday whether to nix any or all parts of the legislation. The trash piles were cleaned up but signaled the start of a new strike by garbage collectors that was timed to start with Thursday’s nationwide protests marches. A previous strike last month left the streets of the French capital filled with mounds of reeking refuse. “The mobilization is far from over,” the leader of the CGT union, Sophie Binet, said at a trash incineration site south of Paris where several hundred protesters blocked garbage trucks. “As long as this reform isn’t withdrawn, the mobilization will continue in o...

Prosecutors: German climate demo didn’t cause cyclist death

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Thursday they have determined that climate protesters weren’t responsible for the death in October of a cyclist after their road blockade caused a delay in the arrival of a rescue vehicle at an accident scene.The Oct. 31 incident in Berlin fueled controversy over the tactics of the Last Generation group, whose actions also have included throwing mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in an art museum and disrupting traffic at airports. Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged activists to show “creativity” and avoid endangering others.Berlin’s fire service said at the time that blockades resulted in officers with special rescue equipment getting stuck in traffic as they rushed to help a seriously injured cyclist who got stuck under a cement mixer.Prosecutors in the German capital said Thursday that they looked into whether the death of the cyclist could have been prevented if it hadn’t been for a delay caused by two Last Generation act...

The best and worst places to work in the federal government

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

(The Hill) – Federal government employees sounded off on their workplaces in an annual survey by the Partnership for Public Service, giving insight to what are the best — and worst — places to work in the sprawling federal bureaucracy.The survey ranked 17 large, 27 mid-sized and 30 small agencies in the federal government, basing the ratings off of three promptsI recommend my organization as a good place to workConsidering everything, how satisfied are you with your job?Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your organization?It also ranked the departments on 12 different workplace issues, like pay, diversity and leadership.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was ranked as the best overall large agency, those with over 15,000 employees, marking its second year running in the top spot. Coming in last for the large agencies was the Social Security Administration, which had the lowest overall rating of all agencies in the survey, regardless of size. The...

City of Austin: Salvation Army downtown shelter to close doors without forcing anyone to the streets

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The woman in charge of Austin's homeless strategy assured members of the Public Health Committee Wednesday that no one will be forced out into the streets when a downtown shelter closes Saturday. On Feb. 17, Salvation Army announced it would be closing its downtown shelter March 15, citing it could not continue to offer the desired level and quality of care due to the age and condition of the facility. At the time, 97 people were using the shelter.Dianna Gray, the city’s Homeless Strategy Officer, said the Salvation Army agreed to extend the shelter for another month and will close it by April 15. Salvation Army to extend shelter operations to help relocate remaining clients Gray told the PHC there were three people left at the downtown shelter as of Wednesday.Those three would be relocated to the NorthBridge shelter, located on 7400 North Interstate 35, over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, Gray said.Gray presented a breakdown of where people had gone a...

Warm spring days ahead of weak cold front

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We're back to the 80s this afternoon, and we'll spend more days than not above the 80° mark over the next week.Today will feature mainly sunny skies, dry conditions and warm temperatures as highs return to the upper 70s and low 80s. Overall, today looks to be a great day to get outside and enjoy the springtime warmth!Thursday's forecast - mainly sunny, dry and warmClouds increase tonight into Friday as a storm system passes far to our north. Rain chances remain low (10%) as a dryline attempts to approach the area from the west. Although confidence isn't great in storm development, there is a "marginal" threat (1 out of 5) of a strong to severe storm on Friday if storms were to overcome the odds and form.Low risk of strong to severe storms in our northern counties on FridayA cold front will follow on Saturday bringing a slightly better (but still low) chance for spotty showers and storms to start the weekend. Afternoon highs will spike to near 90° ahead of the front ...

Texas bills call for renewables to help save declining fossil fuel sector

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:28 GMT

(The Hill) – The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a package of bills that would cut support from wind and solar power and force renewable electricity producers to help pay for new fossil fuel power plants. The five bills are part of a larger campaign by the Republican-controlled body to redirect growth in the states' flourishing renewable energy sector — by far the largest in the country — toward oil and gas.The effort seeks to establish the long-term primacy of “dispatchable” electricity — in practice, gas powered plants — over renewables.The package acts as a counterpoint to the shifting reality of Texas’ energy landscape. While the state is by far the nation’s largest emitter of fossil fuels, new renewable electricity is cheaper and often more attractive than new gas power plants — particularly with the 30 percent renewable energy tax credits passed by Democrats last September. Plus, wind and solar power has been crucial to keepin...