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Photos: John Oliver's campaign for puking mullet bird delays New Zealand vote

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Vote checkers in New Zealand have been so overwhelmed by foreign interference that they've been forced to delay announcing a winner.This 2022 photo supplied by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society shows puteketeke at Lake Ellesmere, south of Christchurch in New Zealand. Vote count for New Zealand's Bird of the Century has been delayed by comedian John Oliver's global campaign, as he discovered a loophole in the rules, which allowed anybody with a valid email address to cast a vote. So he went all-out in a humorous campaign for his favored bird, the puteketeke, a water bird, on his HBO show "Last Week Tonight." (Peter Foulds/Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society via AP)This 2022 photo supplied by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society shows a puteketeke and its chick at Lake Ellesmere, south of Christchurch, New Zealand. Vote count for New Zealand's Bird of the Century has been delayed by comedian John Oliver's global campaign, as he di...

5 things to know this Tuesday, November 14

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy Tuesday! According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, rain and showers will be on their way out this morning. The chill won't leave as quickly, however, as the pre-winter coolness will stick around for another day. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Amtrak announced on November 12 that service between New York City and Albany has been temporarily suspended. The service disruption is due to safety concerns caused by structure issues with a privately owned, non-Amtrak building above the Empire Line tracks in New York City. Meanwhile, the Albany Police Department has identified the 31-year-old woman who died in the area of 2nd Street and Lexington Avenue on Thursday. Police say the death of Latisha McKinney is considered suspicious, and are still investigating the circumstances. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Tuesday morning.1. Amtrak temporarily suspends service betwee...

Ask Amy: Wedding celebration must go to the dogs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

Dear Amy: My daughter will be getting married in a couple of weeks (her second marriage).They were engaged right before COVID and put the wedding on hold.They’ve now decided to go ahead with a small wedding, but the guest list has exponentially increased to about 26 people.She wanted to host it in her house, but her house is very small and she has four dogs who don’t behave.We offered our (much larger) house and said that we would also help with the food and set-up.Our daughter agreed on one condition — that she bring her dogs. She wants to dress them up and have them be a part of her wedding.Her dogs are not well behaved. They are not consistently housebroken.They bark a lot and jump on people.These dogs have never been to our house. We have hardwood floors and new furniture.Who is going to be responsible for them?My daughter said it’s non-negotiable, so she will have it at her place.Related ArticlesAsk Amy | Ask Amy: Friends’ vacations must include “quiet ti...

The Biden administration is slow to act as millions are booted off Medicaid, advocates say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

By AMANDA SEITZ and KENYA HUNTER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Up to 30 million of the poorest Americans could be purged from the Medicaid program, many the result of error-ridden state reviews that poverty experts say the Biden administration is not doing enough to stop. The projections from the health consulting firm Avalere come as states undertake a sweeping reevaluation of the 94 million people enrolled in Medicaid, government’s health insurance for the neediest Americans. A host of problems have surfaced across the country, including hourslong phone wait times in Florida, confusing government forms in Arkansas, and children wrongly dropped from coverage in Texas. “Those people were destined to fail,” said Trevor Hawkins, an attorney for Legal Aid of Arkansas. Hawkins helped hundreds of people navigate their Medicaid eligibility in Arkansas, as state officials worked to “swiftly disenroll” about 420,000 people in six months’ time....

Trade in rare earth elements increases in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

In 2022, the EU witnessed a significant increase in the import of rare earth elements (REE+). A total of 18 thousand tonnes were imported, a 9% increase from 2021, and 7 thousand tonnes exported, a decrease of 8% compared with the previous year. The value of imports surged to €146 million, marking a 37% rise compared with 2021, while exports reached €142 million, representing a 2% increase over the previous year. Rare earth elements are a group of 17 specialty metals with a high supply risk and significant economic importance, used in various high-tech applications.Source dataset:  Eurostat extractionThe average price for imports was €7.9 per kilogram, marking a 26% increase compared with 2021, while the price of the exports was €20.7 for each kilogram of rare earth elements, an increase of 11%. China: The largest partner for imports of rare earth elementsChina was the largest partner for imports of rare earth elements, accounting for 40% of the total weight of imports, or 7.4 thous...

Bouie: The GOP’s culture war shtick is wearing thin with voters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

The Republican Party has always leaned on culture war issues to win elections, but for the last three years, since Joe Biden won office in 2020, an aggressive and virulent form of culture war demagoguery has been at the center of Republican political strategy.If the results of last week’s elections in Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio tell us anything, however, it’s that this post-Roe form of culture warring is an abject failure, an approach that repels and alienates voters far more than it appeals to or persuades them.To be fair to Republican strategists, there was a moment, in autumn 2021, when it looked like the plan was working. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican nominee for governor in Virginia, ran on a campaign of “parents’ rights” against “critical race theory” and won a narrow victory against Terry McAuliffe, a former Democratic governor, sweeping Republicans into power statewide for the first time since 2009. Youngkin shot to national prominence, and Republicans made immediate plans...

Indulge in luxury living in this stunning 4-bedroom home with secluded elegance, a chef’s kitchen, wine cellar and natural beauty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

Embraced in the serenity of a .86-acre property dotted with majestic oaks and redwoods at the end of a quiet enclave, this home celebrates an ultra-private setting and classic updated features.Soaring vaulted ceilings, luxury grade wide-plank engineered hardwood flooring, plantation shutters and a light-filled interior create a warm and welcoming first impression at 7174 Wooded Lake Drive, located in the Almaden Country Club neighborhood. Walls of windows frame the beauty of the natural terrain from just about every room.Multiple French doors and sliders, including in the living room, kitchen, family room, and primary bedroom, also open to the multiple levels of Trex deck and inviting outdoor space.About 3,179 square feet of living space features four bedrooms and three bathrooms, including three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the main level, with an expansive living/dining room and a spacious eat-in chef’s kitchen. A guest room, an updated bathroom, a family room and a wine cellar a...

Storm tracker map: Where it’s raining in the Bay Area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

The first of two waves of rain was expected to arrive in the Bay Area in the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 14, the National Weather Service said.Related ArticlesWeather | Wet week expected in Bay Area, but ‘typical winter system’ more likely than atmospheric river Weather | Rain forecast for Bay Area next week. How heavy will it get? Weather | Cold nights, rainy weekend could be in the near future for Bay Area Weather | Rain tracker map: Where it’s wet in the Bay Area, snowing in the Sierra Weather | Light rain has begun in the Bay Area and will last through Monday Heavier precipitation is forecast for Wednesday afternoon and evening.The updating radar map above shows areas of precipitation in green, with greater intensities indicated by yellow and orange.Updates on road closures and chain controls in the Sierra Nevada can be found on CalTrans’ website or mobile app or by calling (...

Marquee doubleheader in Chicago headlines the week in AP Top 25 hoops

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

The opening week of the college basketball season had one marquee game, No. 3 Arizona’s win at No. 9 Duke.Week 2 will have two on the same night at the same place.The opening game of the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago Tuesday night will feature Duke against No. 18 Michigan State. The nightcap at United Center will pit top-ranked Kansas against No. 17 Kentucky.That’s some night of hoops.Duke opened the season No. 2 the AP Top 25 preseason poll, but dropped seven spots in this week’s poll after a 78-73 loss to Arizona, which moved up nine spots to No. 3.The Blue Devils (1-1) went back and forth with the Wildcats all night at Cameron Indoor Stadium until Arizona hit six straight free throws in the final 20 seconds to win it. Michigan State (1-1) entered the season with high expectations for a team loaded with talent and experience. The Spartans took a big fall in this week’s poll, dropping 14 places after losing in overtime at home to No. 24 James Madis...

UConn stands alone, earning ranking in women’s basketball poll for record 566th consecutive week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:18 GMT

Geno Auriemma has seen hundreds of players come through UConn over the past 30 years.The names have changed from Rebecca Lobo to Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart — the standard has not. The eighth-ranked Huskies passed Tennessee on Monday, earning a spot in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll for a record 566th consecutive week, breaking a tie with the Lady Vols for the most all-time.“Players come and go and eras come and go, but what we’re most proud of is that at Connecticut we expect being in that spot,” Auriemma said. “That’s good and bad.”During their 30-year run, the Huskies have never been worse than No. 18 — the team’s ranking in the preseason poll of 1993-94 when the streak started.“Like many things that this UConn program has accomplished over the past 30 years, this ranked streak is something that no one on that team could have fathomed,” said Lobo, who starred on the team that started the run and now is an analyst for ESP...