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Deal on global climate damages likely to be struck Thursday at COP28

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Countries are poised to seal a hard-fought agreement on Thursday for the creation of an international fund to help communities rebuild from climate-driven calamities, giving the U.N. climate talks a bit of a win on their opening day.The hosts of the summit, known as COP28, released a draft agreement on Wednesday that would accept wholesale the recommendations a handful of countries adopted earlier this month. It includes a provision, demanded by the United States, that says all contributions to the fund are voluntary.Five diplomats from European and African nations, who were granted anonymity to speak to POLITICO about the negotiations, said it was likely the draft deal would be adopted at the opening of the summit in Dubai.Still to be decided: How much money the fund should contain and where the cash should come from. At this point, the draft “invites” developed countries to lead in providing financial resources to start up the fund. None have yet prov...

In Surprise, SJC’s Lowy plans to step down from state’s high court

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey still hasn’t picked someone to fill the first spot on the state’s highest court to open up during her tenure, and she’s about to get a second choice as well.Supreme Judicial Court Justice David Lowy informed Healey he plans to retire from the court on Feb. 3, 2024, court officials announced Tuesday. Moments later, UMass President Marty Meehan announced that Lowy accepted a job as the university system’s next general counsel.“Justice Lowy is a highly respected jurist who possesses a keen legal mind and also brings significant experience as an educator,” Meehan said in a statement. “We have taken great pride in David Lowy’s career for many years, and it is fair to say that he has inspired UMass students to pursue careers in law and in public service. I am honored to welcome one of our most distinguished graduates back to the University.”Lowy, himself a UMass graduate, will also serve as the system’s strategi...

Chicken thighs are your answer to quick weeknight dinners

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

Beth Dooley | Star Tribune (TNS)Hands down, chicken thighs are the best choice for an easy, no-fuss weeknight supper.First, they’re almost impossible to overcook. Unlike chicken breasts, the thighs are extremely forgiving, and the meat stays succulent even after reaching the 165-degree done mark. Because chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, they have a more intense flavor than breasts. But no worries — most of that fat renders out and bastes the meat, keeping it moist as it cooks. As a bonus, thighs are generally priced lower than breasts and if you buy them bone-in, they provide the base for a rich chicken stock.When it comes to cooking, the best technique is to start them in a cold pan, skin-side down, then give them a blast of heat to sear them before flipping to finish in the oven. A little oil gets the process going, then add a handful of cherry tomatoes alongside the chicken thighs. They will blister, burst and release their juices, which, when deglazed with a littl...

Despite setbacks, states are still counting on offshore wind

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

By Alex Brown, Stateline.orgIn recent months, East Coast states’ plans to install massive new offshore wind farms have been battered by bad economic news, canceled contracts and newfound uncertainty about the projects officials are counting on to reach their clean energy goals.Despite the setbacks, state leaders say they don’t intend to dial back their offshore wind ambitions. They’re planning new strategies and investments to help the industry weather its rocky start. And they’re holding fast to mandates that offshore wind make up a substantial portion of their future power supply.“New Jersey is committed to wind energy, and doubling down is the answer,” New Jersey state Sen. Bob Smith, a Democrat who chairs the Environment and Energy Committee, said after a developer canceled two projects off the state’s coast. “I don’t think we have a choice. Offshore wind could literally be an inexhaustible source of energy.”Some developers who have recently pulled out of long-planned projects c...

Evolving overdose crisis shakes previously effective treatments

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

By Taylor Sisk, KFF Health NewsBURLINGTON, Vt. — “You can’t inject a horse tranquilizer and think nothing bad is gonna happen” to you, said Ty Sears, 33, a longtime drug user now in recovery.Sears was referring to xylazine, a sedative used for animal surgeries that has infiltrated the illicit drug supply across the country, contributing to a steady climb in overdose deaths.Sears divides his time between Burlington and Morrisville, a village an hour to the east. In Burlington, he visits clusters of drug users, offering water, food, and encouragement.He has been there, been down, done time, struggled to adhere to treatment regimens. But this, he said, is different: first, fentanyl — estimated to be 50 to 100 times as potent as morphine — and now xylazine, and the life-threatening wounds and sores it can cause.Sears implores those he encounters who suffer the effects of these drugs to look at what they’re doing to themselves. But to little avail.“They say they’re unable to get out of i...

US targets banks’ billions of dollars in overdraft fees

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

By Evan Weinberger and Paige Smith, Bloomberg NewsA top US consumer watchdog is preparing to make it much harder for banks to charge clients overdraft fees — setting up a clash with financial firms over billions of dollars in annual revenue.Consumer Financial Protection Bureau officials have privately told industry executives that the regulator will likely unveil its long-awaited plan to crack down in December, according to people familiar with the discussions. The CFPB has been crafting the regulations for months, and most of the details remain secret.Washington has been clamping down on overdraft charges, which the Biden administration has dubbed “junk fees.” The CFPB, which declined to comment on the timing of its plans, has said banks got nearly $8.5 billion in 2021 from insufficient fund and certain low-balance fees.Wells Fargo & Co. reached a $3.7 billion settlement with federal regulators in December to settle allegations it illegally charged “surprise” overdraft fees, am...

Momentum builds for psychedelic therapies for troops, vets

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

Mark Satter | CQ-Roll Call (TNS)In 2004, Mike Gemignani enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school. A forward observer, he directed artillery units and Apache attack helicopters to their targets during his two tours in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division.He eventually left the military, went to college and settled into a job. But a slow trickle of anxiety and depression soon followed.He sought help through the Department of Veterans Affairs, where counselors prescribed him “fistfuls” of medication, including opioids and more drugs to counter their side effects. The drugs didn’t help his depression, and for days at a time he would do nothing, immobilized by the illness.Gemignani’s story is not uncommon for those who served in the military. But now, after years of effort, momentum is building in Congress to explore a new path for servicemembers and veterans struggling with psychological illnesses: psychedelics.Current legislative proposals include studies of the effectiv...

Lawmakers can ‘vote their conscience’ on expelling Santos, House speaker says, but he has concerns

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

By KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson expressed reservations Wednesday about expelling Rep. George Santos from the House this week, but said he and other GOP leaders will not push colleagues to oppose removing the New York Republican from office. “We’re going to allow people to vote their conscience,” Johnson said.Santos has survived two previous expulsion efforts in his first year in Congress and has said he will not seek reelection, but the hands-off approach this time could tip the scales against him. Support for ousting Santos has grown after a monthslong investigation by the House Ethics Committee found that Santos “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”Johnson, R-La., said he has heard Republican lawmakers make forceful arguments on both sides. Some have argued that Santos should have his day in court before an expulsion vote occurs; that ...

Last planned release of hostages in Gaza begins, as mediators aim to extend Israel-Hamas truce

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

By WAFAA SHURAFA, JACK JEFFERY and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated PressDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel’s air and ground offensive. The cease-fire will otherwise end within a day.Two Russian-Israeli women freed by Hamas entered Israel Wednesday evening, the military said. The release was expected to be followed by the swap of 10 more hostages in Gaza for 30 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.Israel has welcomed the release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives. Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored on Wednesday that Israel will resume its campaign to eliminate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years and orchestrated the deadly attack on Israel that triggered the war. Hamas has been designated as a terr...

Families of American hostages in Gaza describe their anguish and call on US government for help

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:12:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The last Omer Neutra’s parents heard from him, he told them reassuringly that he anticipated a quiet weekend. But they checked the news anyway before getting ready for bed in New York, their nightly routine as parents of a tank commander in the Israeli military tasked with protecting small villages near the Gaza Strip. What they saw horrified them.“Of course, everything was wrong. Immediately, we understood that he’s right there,” his mother, Orna Neutra, said Wednesday of the brutal Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas that killed more than 1,200 civilians and soldiers and triggered a war in Gaza.They would later learn that their son, a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen, had been ambushed and pulled out of his tank. He was taken to Gaza, where he is believed to remain as a hostage more than 50 days later.The Neutras joined relatives of three other American hostages — including of newly freed 4-year-old Abigail Edan — in calling for the governments of Israel and the United ...