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US to lead on training Ukrainian F-16 pilots

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

BRUSSELS — The United States will head up a coalition of countries training Ukrainian pilots and crews to operate and maintain F-16 fighter jets alongside the Netherlands and Denmark, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.Speaking during the first day of the NATO defense ministers summit in Brussels, Austin said allies in the security bloc’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group had decided to form smaller “capability coalitions” focusing on specific areas of support for Kyiv.For example, Austin said that Estonia and Luxembourg will lead on supporting Ukraine’s IT infrastructure to “defend its networks,” while Lithuanian will help Kyiv with demining. Beyond fighter jet training, Austin said the U.S. would also join armor and artillery programs, while a naval group will also be set up. “That shows how much we can do when we come together,” said Austin. “It also show that American leadership matters.”In August, the...

House Republicans pick Steve Scalise as speaker nominee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

(CNN) — House Republicans voted behind closed doors to select Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana as their nominee for speaker, according to multiple sources familiar, paving the way for a floor vote to elect a new speaker after Kevin McCarthy’s abrupt ouster.It is not yet clear when the full House will hold the speaker vote, but it could take place as soon as Wednesday. Scalise currently serves as House majority leader.Until a speaker is elected, the House remains effectively paralyzed following McCarthy’s ouster, an unprecedented situation that has taken on new urgency amid Israel’s war against Hamas. Raising the stakes further, the longer it takes Republicans to elect a new speaker, the less time lawmakers will have to try to avert a government shutdown with a funding deadline looming in mid-November.Scalise was running against GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee and the only other declared Republican candidate for t...

How can I remove my card information from a website?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

Poonkulali Thangavelu | Bankrate.com (TNS)When you’re shopping online, you’ve probably seen retailers ask if you’d like to save your card information. While the rationale is that doing so is a convenience for you, it also creates a sticky situation that’s beneficial for the merchant since it encourages you to come back for future shopping.While you should have the choice to decide whether you want to save your card information with a particular merchant, you may also find that you don’t have the chance to opt out of the situation.As an example, reader Juanita recently shared that, “A local sports facility offers summer classes for kids. Weekly sessions can be purchased individually, and the person must register each time they sign up for a session. They only accept credit card payments, and although their payment form powered by EZ Facility offers the option to uncheck the statement ‘I authorize Longplex LLC to store my credit card information for future payments,’ the ability to un...

Patriots offense gets good news at practice ahead of Week 6 matchup vs. Raiders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

FOXBORO — One of the Patriots’ best players returned to practice Wednesday.Right guard Mike Onwenu, who left Sunday’s loss to the Saints early with an ankle injury and wasn’t spotted at Tuesday’s walk-through, was back on the practice field Wednesday for a fully padded session.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick insists re-signing Jakobi Meyers was priority for Patriots New England Patriots | Bill Belichick: Mac Jones will start at QB, Patriots ‘not making any changes’ New England Patriots | Could Patriots CB J.C. Jackson start Sunday against the Raiders? New England Patriots | Patriots return speedy WR to practice Tuesday, lose 2 others New England Patriots | Do the Patriots expect QB Mac Jones to start Sunday? Bill O’Brien answers Wide receivers Demario Douglas (head) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (head), and outside linebacker Matthew Judon (...

Authorities searching for suspect wanted in connection to Holyoke shooting that killed unborn baby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

Authorities say they are actively pursuing a third suspect in connection to a shooting that left a pregnant woman critically injured and her unborn baby dead in Holyoke last week.Massachusetts State Police on Wednesday added Kremith D. Alvarez, to their most wanted list. They say the 28-year-old is 5 feet 6 inches tall, 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.Two of the three suspects – Johnluis Sanchez, 30, and Alejando Ramos, 22, both of Holyoke – were taken into custody last week on murder charges. An arrest warrant charging Alvarez with murder, with full extradition authorized, was sought and obtained from Holyoke District Court.Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding Alvarez’s whereabout to contact the Massachusetts State  Police Detective Unit at (413) 505-5993 or the Massachusetts State Police: Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section at 1-800-KAPTURE (1-800-527-8873).“ALVAREZ is actively avoiding law enforcement, the firearm used in this incident ...

7 saving strategies you may not have tried yet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWalletWith the holiday shopping season just starting and prices of many consumer goods continuing to rise, saving money can seem impossible. But those financial pressures also make doing so even more important.“Saving is your margin,” says Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner and owner of Aquila Wealth Advisors. “When things happen — your car breaks down or there’s a layoff, or smaller stuff like gifts for the holidays — you have something to fall back on.” Maldonado notes that saving can also allow you to have money for fun things.The personal savings rate for Americans has been dropping in the last few months, and as of July was 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.Maldonado recommends aiming for a savings rate closer to 20% of your take-home income. “You can live off of 80% and put 20% toward deferred gratification,” he suggests.That guidance matches the popular 50/30/20 budget, which suggests putting 50% of your take-home inco...

Birkenstock stumbles in its stock market debut as Wall Street trades in its wingtips for sandals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Birkenstock shares are stumbling in their debut on the stock market as Wall Street trades in its wingtips for sandals for a day. The 249-year-old German maker of upmarket sandals set a price of $46 per share for its initial public offering of stock, valuing the company at $8.64 billion. The stock opened for trade at $41, which was below the range of $44 to $49 it had been expected to price just a week ago. Birkenstock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the “BIRK” ticker symbol. Birkenstock Holding Ltd. sold about 10.8 million shares in the offering, raising about $495 million. Its shareholders sold an additional 21.5 million shares.The company’s footwear was first cobbled together by Johann Adam Birkenstock in Germany in 1774. The sandals have long been derided as the antithesis of high fashion but have a cult following and this year got a plug in the blockbuster film “Barbie.”“Through the strong reputation and universal appeal of our brand — enabling ext...

Stock market today: Wall Street slips after the first of two big updates on inflation this week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged lower Wednesday as yields are mixed in the bond market, which has been Wall Street’s main driver recently.The S&P 500 was 0.3% lower in afternoon trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 97 points, or 0.3%, as of 1:41 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% lower.Wall Street has been mostly struggling since the summer as longer-term yields shoot higher in the bond market, weighing on prices for all kinds of investments. Some relief has come this week, and yields have regressed after officials at the Federal Reserve suggested they may be done raising their main overnight interest rate.The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.62% from 4.66% late Tuesday and from more than 4.80% last week, when it reached its highest level since 2007. Besides hurting prices for investments, high yields have jacked up rates for mortgages and other loans, which saps momentum from the economy.But the two-year Treasury yield, which moves...

“Addictive” social media feeds that keep children online targeted by New York lawmakers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

New York would restrict the way online platforms like Instagram and YouTube can collect and share children’s personal information and let parents keep their kids from being bombarded by “addictive” feeds from accounts they don’t follow, under legislation proposed Wednesday. The bills offered by state leaders are aimed at protecting young people from features designed to keep them endlessly scrolling, endangering their mental health and development, Attorney General Letitia James said. “Young New Yorkers are struggling with record levels of anxiety and depression, and social media companies that use addictive features to keep minors on their platforms longer are largely to blame,” James said. “This legislation will help tackle the risks of social media affecting our children and protect their privacy.”The regulations sought by James and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, are similar to rules already in place in Europe, where violations could incur fines worth a percentage of re...

El Salvador sends 4,000 security forces into 3 communities to pursue gang members

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:15 GMT

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador sent more than 4,000 security forces into three communities on the outskirts of the capital to root out gang members Wednesday, as President Nayib Bukele prepared to request another extension of emergency powers to combat crime.Bukele announced the pre-dawn operation in a slickly produced video posted to the platform X. Soldiers and police were sent to surround the densely populated communities of Popotlan, Valle Verde and La Campanera outside San Salvador, the president said.“We are not going to stop until we capture the last terrorist that remains,” Bukele wrote, using a phrase that typically refers to members of gangs who have been accused of drug trafficking, protection rackets and extortion. “We won’t allow small remnants to regroup and take away the peace that has cost so much.”Bukele has used emergency powers granted after a surge in gang violence i n March 2022 to wage an all-out offensive against the country’s powerful street gan...