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Big pay raise for troops in defense bill sent to Biden. Conservatives stymied on cultural issues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

By KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a defense policy bill Thursday that authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades, overcoming objections from some conservatives concerned the measure did not do enough to restrict the Pentagon’s diversity initiatives, abortion travel policy and gender-affirming health care for transgender service members.The $886 billion bill was approved by a vote of 310-118 and now goes to President Joe Biden after the Senate had overwhelmingly passed it Wednesday. It is likely the last piece of major legislation Congress will consider before leaving for the holiday break, though negotiations continue on a bill to aid Ukraine and Israel and boost border security.The spending called for represents about a 3% increase from the prior year. The bill serves as a blueprint for programs Congress will seek to fund through follow-up spending bills.Lawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy ...

5 questions that can help guide your holiday tipping

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

By Elizabeth Ayoola | NerdWalletService workers help make our lives easier throughout the year — whether it’s by keeping our lawns immaculate or babysitting during date nights. The holidays are an ideal time to show gratitude for the work they do throughout the year.But how much do you tip service workers during the holidays, and whom should you prioritize? Etiquette experts have answers to these questions and more.1. Whom should you tip during the holidays?Holiday tips are usually for workers who provide consistent help throughout the year. If you need a hierarchy of some sort, consider starting with anyone who assists you within your home, says Thomas P. Farley, an etiquette expert in Manhattan who goes by Mister Manners. That could include a housekeeper, live-in aide or au pair, he says. Then, you can prioritize people who offer services outside your home.Here are a few people you may consider giving a holiday tip:Babysitter.House cleaners.Dog walker.Personal chef.Handyman or han...

EPA begins formal review of vinyl chloride, toxic chemical that burned in Ohio train derailment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has initiated a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following a fiery train derailment earlier this year in eastern Ohio.The Environmental Protection Agency said it will review risks posed by a handful of chemicals, including vinyl chloride, which is used to make a variety of plastic products, including pipes, wire and packaging materials. The chemical is found in polyvinyl chloride plastic, better known as PVC.The EPA said it will study vinyl chloride to determine whether it poses an “unreasonable risk to human health or the environment,″ a process that would take at least three years.Vinyl chloride is one of five chemicals the agency is reviewing, including four that are used to make plastics. Other chemicals set for review under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act include acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzenamine, and a compound known as ...

Winnipeg’s 100-year-old Nutty Club shuts down due to competition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

Winnipeg’s renowned candy company, the Nutty Club, is shutting its doors after more than 100 years of business.Parent company Scott-Bathgate Ltd says the Nutty Club, which was known in Western Canada for its candies, will wind down operations in late January due to increased competition.   The company says it cannot sustainably operate Nutty Club without significant investments to increase its scale and scope to compete with national distributors.In a news release Thursday, Scott-Bathgate president James Burt thanked Nutty Club’s employees, customers and suppliers for their loyalty.Scott-Bathgate says the company will work through its inventory to fill as many customer orders as possible over the coming weeks.It says employees have been given working notice and severance based on their year of service while vendors are being notified of the closure.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2023.The Canadian Press

Jurors hear closing arguments in domestic violence trial of actor Jonathan Majors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A Manhattan jury will soon decide if Jonathan Majors is guilty of assaulting his girlfriend following two weeks of clashing narratives about whether the rising Hollywood star was the aggressor or victim during a chaotic struggle in the backseat of a car.The court case has centered on allegations brought by Grace Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer who said the “Creed III” actor struck her on the side of the head, twisted her arm behind her back, and squeezed her finger until it broke during a dispute last spring. In closing arguments that ended before lunch on Thursday, an attorney for Majors portrayed Jabbari as a compulsive liar who concocted a story of an abusive relationship as revenge after catching her boyfriend of two years texting another woman.The 34-year-old actor, who did not testify during the trial, dabbed his eyes with a tissue as his attorney, Priya Chaudhry, implored the jury to “end this nightmare for Jonathan Majors.”Prosecutors, meanwhile, said t...

Biden coming to Milwaukee next week for third visit to battleground Wisconsin this year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to travel to Milwaukee on Wednesday, marking his third visit to the battleground state this year.The White House announced Thursday that Biden plans to discuss his economic agenda while in Milwaukee. No other details about the trip, including where exactly he was going, were announced.Biden was last in the state for a visit to Milwaukee in August. In February, he visited a Madison-area union training center.Wisconsin is among the handful of critical states where Biden needs to persuade voters that his policies are having a positive impact on their lives by generating roughly $500 billion in corporate investments in factories and other facilities.Biden has been to Wisconsin six times since he took office in 2021. The Associated Press

Zelenskyy makes first visit to US military headquarters in Germany, voices optimism about US aid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first visit Thursday to the U.S. military headquarters in Germany where allied leaders coordinate the delivery of weapons and other aid to the war effort. And in a social media post after he left, he expressed optimism about getting additional American aid, which has been hung up for weeks in congressional gridlock.“We expect that the U.S. Congress will soon adopt the crucial decision to continue such vital support for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said, after meeting for several hours with U.S. military commanders, including Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, Gen. Darryl Williams, head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and Lt. Gen. Antonio Aguto Jr., who leads the security assistance coordination.In a statement, U.S. European Command said they discussed efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent battlefield needs and the ongoing training of Ukrainian forces. Training has been taking place in Germany and several...

‘He had the best smile’: Mom of alleged Kenneth Law victim mourns son, wants answers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

Kim Prosser was angry and consumed by grief when she learned that her son was one of the alleged victims of an Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances to people who took their own lives. Now, months after her son’s death in March, the 46-year-old said she’s reached a calmer space and is only seeking answers from Kenneth Law, who was charged this week with 14 counts of second-degree murder.“I have never experienced my heart break the way that it has this year … there was definitely anger and an onset of ‘who’s at fault for this,’ but now I want to sit in a place of forgiveness, not retribution,” Prosser said in a phone interview. “I actually would like to know more about (Law). What’s his story, how did he get there.”Police have alleged that 58-year-old Law, who is from Mississauga, Ont., ran several websites that were used to sell sodium nitrite and other items that can be used for self-harm, shipping them to...

Mark Wahlberg on his action-comedy ‘The Family Plan’ and his dreams for Hollywood 2.0

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

Mark Wahlberg knows as well as any parent that it’s hard to find a movie everyone in the household wants to watch – especially with teenagers around. It’s part of the reason he latched on to “The Family Plan,” a charming action-comedy about a former assassin turned suburban dad whose past catches up with him. It’s streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday.“You always have movies that parents can go to with the kids and they’ll tolerate them because the kids really want to see it or vice versa,” Wahlberg told the AP. “But this really felt like it was a movie that actually was for the whole family.”Early in “The Family Plan,” his character is attacked in a grocery store and he must fend off the assailant with his 10-month-old in a baby-carrier on his chest. With his minivan cover blown, he then must convince his wife and teenagers to embark on a cross-country road trip to outrun the danger that he’s also desperately trying to keep secret from them.The grocery store fight with the baby ne...

British teenager who went missing 6 years ago in Spain is found in southwest France, reports say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:07:32 GMT

PARIS (AP) — A British teenager who went missing six years ago on a family holiday in Spain has been found in southwestern France, French media reported on Thursday. Broadcasters BFMTV and TF1 cited the prosecutors’ office in Toulouse as saying that Alex Batty, 17, has been found. BFMTV said a delivery driver spotted the adolescent looking lost and haggard by the side of a road and drove him to a police station. TF1 said he was found on Wednesday.The Toulouse prosecutors’ office did not immediately respond to after-hours questions sent by email and text message by The Associated Press. In the United Kingdom, the Greater Manchester Police said officers from Batty’s hometown of Oldham are in contact with French authorities to establish the authenticity of the reports.The force said his mother, Melanie Batty, and his grandfather, David Batty, are wanted in connection with the teenager’s disappearance and that their whereabouts are unknown. He traveled with them ...