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Israel’s President Herzog will address Congress to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its statehood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address a joint meeting of Congress on July 19 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Israel’s statehood and to reaffirm his nation’s special relationship with the United States, congressional leaders announced on Thursday.“The world is better off when America and Israel work together,” said the announcement from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “Eleven minutes after declaring independence in 1948, the United States was the first to recognize the state of Israel, and today, we continue to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two democracies.” McCarthy addressed Israel’s parliament in May. It was the first time in 25 years, a sitting speaker of the House had addressed Israel’s Knesset, and it came in a period of fraught relations between Israel’s government and President Joe Biden.McCarthy noted that the only other president of Israel to address a joint meeting of Congress was Herzog̵...

Belarus leader welcomes Wagner forces but others in the country see them as a threat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

As life in Russia returned to normal after an armed rebellion by a mercenary group, tensions were rising in and around its neighbor Belarus, where the exiled leader of the force and some of its fighters were settling in.Moving to Belarus was part of the deal the Kremlin struck with Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military company, to end last weekend’s rebellion that rattled Russia’s leadership.Prigozhin and his fighters escaped prosecution and were offered refuge in Belarus by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who said his country could use their experience and expertise.That doesn’t sit well with the Belarusian opposition and guerrilla activists, who called Wagner fighters “a threat to the Belarusian people and (the country’s) independence,” and promised action.“We’re categorically against stationing Russian mercenaries in Belarus and are preparing a ‘warm’ welcome to Wagnerites in Belarus,” said Aliaksandr Azarau, leader of the BYPOL guerrill...

IMF says that without reforms, Lebanon faces ballooning inflation and public debt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Without reforms, Lebanon will continue to see triple-digit inflation, and public debt in the small, crisis-ridden country could reach nearly 550% of GDP by 2027, the International Monetary Fund warned in a report Thursday.The report came as a follow-up to a nine-day visit by IMF officials in March. Progress toward finalizing a sorely needed IMF bailout package for the struggling country has largely stalled. Since reaching a preliminary agreement with the IMF more than a year ago, Lebanese officials have made limited progress on reforms required to clinch the deal. They include restructuring the country’s debts and its ailing banking system, revamping its barely functioning public electricity system and improving governance.Since the country fell into an economic crisis in 2019, the country’s “GDP has declined by about 40 percent, the (currency) has lost 98 percent of its value, inflation is at triple-digits, and the central bank has lost two thirds of its (foreign curr...

Air quality improves slightly, alert remains for Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

The Air Quality Index for Chicago continues to be in the unhealthy range.Thursday began with a reading of 192. That reading is very modestly lower than Wednesday evening, but still not good. An Air Quality Alert has been extended for the entire Chicago area through midnight. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short. Others should choose less strenuous activities limit active time outdoors.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Smoke is lingering. Visibilities at 8 a.m. were at 2.5 miles at O'Hare and just 2 miles at Midway.

July concert calendar: 10 of the best shows in the Chicago area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

CHICAGO — Summer is in full swing and every weekend is jammed packed with enough concerts to make decision making difficult.Here's ten of the best July shows, including three music festivals.7/1 — Erykah Badu, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), United CenterR&B legend Erykah Badu makes her return to the area after playing Ravinia last year and headlining Pitchfork in 2021.Her "Unfollow Me" tour comes to United Center on the first of the month with Yasiin Bey, aka Mos Def, opening.Listen in: Erykah Badu's On & OnAUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 08: Erykah Badu performs during Weekend 2 of the ACL Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 08, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic)7/7, 7/8 — Dave Matthews Band, Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly IslandLove them or hate them, Dave Matthews Band puts on one hell of a show. Instead of touring every summer just to tour, the band is on support of their new album "Walk Around the Moon."Listen in: #41PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 10: Dave...

Around 30,000 prisoners soon to be eligible for free college

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

(The Hill) -- Pell Grants eligibility is set to be extended to people in prison on July 1, ending a ban that prevented most incarcerated individuals from getting federal aid for school. The change has been in the making since 2020 when lawmakers voted to expand Pell Grant access to prisoners after such help was banned in 1994. An education department spokesperson said around 760,000 prisoners will be eligible for the Pell Grant, which is also increasing at the beginning of July to $7,395. Supreme Court hands down blow to college affirmative action Around 30,000 prisoners will be getting $130 million worth of aid per year to get their education while they are serving their sentences, the spokesperson said.“The expansion of the Second Chance Pell Experiment will allow for opportunities to study the best practices for implementing the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students, and will expand the geographic range of the programs,” the Department of Educ...

Air quality on NYC subway platforms rivals wildfire smoke, researcher says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – The air quality on New York City's underground subway platforms may be as bad, if not worse, than the smoke expected in the region from Canadian wildfires, according to a researcher."If one was to use the AQI (air-quality index) for the subway air quality, it would be very poor,” said Dr. Terry Gordon, a professor of environmental science at NYU and the co-senior study author. "Almost any of the underground subway stations is going to have worse air quality than what we’re experience on a day like today,” said Gordon. "Would it be as bad as when the wildfire smoke came through, and … might be coming through in the next couple days? Probably about equivalent."Gordon said New York’s subways have the worst air pollution of any transit system on the planet. He said the pollution is mainly on the platforms, and air quality significantly improves once you're inside a train car. Wildfire smoke expected to impact air quality in NYC this week The good news is that ex...

5 things to know about the Texas heat wave

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

(The Hill) -- A scorching heat wave that’s been sweeping over Texas since early June is spreading to surrounding states in the southern U.S., bringing with it record-high temperatures and heightened risks for heat-related injuries and deaths. Here are five things to know about the heat wave:Record heat sweeps TexasTexas has been facing a brutal heat wave for three straight weeks, resulting in record-setting temperatures across the state.Rio Grande Village has consistently had the highest temperature in the country in recent days, reaching a scorching 119 degrees Friday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).Del Rio reached an all-time high temperature of 115 degrees last Wednesday and has seen 10 straight days of daily records, NWS Austin/San Antonio reported.Much of Texas remained under some form of heat warning or advisory Wednesday, with the northeastern portion of the state facing an excessive heat warning. The intense heat has placed increased pressure on Texas’s elec...

Ryan Mallet drowning: Officials release bodycam footage, statement indicating no riptides at Florida beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

DESTIN, Fla. (WMBB) — Safety officials in Destin, Florida, have issued a statement after former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett drowned in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week.Destin Beach Safety, which is part of the Destin Fire Control District, said they responded to a call about about six swimmers struggling to get back to shore shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday. One of the swimmers, who they identified as Mallett, had "submerged and failed to resurface," the agency wrote in a public statement. Three lifeguards entered the water, brought the swimmers back to shore, and performed life-saving measures on Mallett. He was ultimately pronounced dead at a Destin hospital.Officials with Destin Beach added that flag conditions at the beach were yellow, indicating "medium hazard" and "moderate surf and/or currents.""There were no rip currents present in the area in which we responded to Ryan Mallett," Destin Beach Safety wrote. Florida beach now deadliest in US this year after 3 more drowni...

Supreme Court deals serious blow to affirmative action in college admissions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:13 GMT

The Supreme Court in a pair of decisions on Thursday severely limited the use of race as a factor in college admissions, upending decades of affirmative action programs that U.S. institutions have used to select students from their applicant pools.In rulings that broke along ideological lines, he court’s six conservative justices invalidated Harvard’s and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s (UNC) admissions schemes by ruling they did not comply with the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection."Both programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “We have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today,” he continued. “At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities ...