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Germany doubles down on China port deal despite new security concerns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

BERLIN — The German government said Wednesday it will proceed with a controversial plan to sell parts of a Hamburg port terminal to China’s state-owned Cosco despite fresh security concerns and protests from members of the ruling coalition.Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed through the deal last October allowing shipping giant Cosco to acquire 24.99 percent of shares in the Hamburg Tollerort terminal, even though several Cabinet members had raised objections. But the deal was thrown into doubt last month when it emerged that German security authorities had declared the facility as “critical infrastructure,” meaning the acquisition could have faced heightened restrictions.Yet chief government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Wednesday the government was “sticking” to its decision from October without making any amendments, even though the terminal “is now considered an operator of critical infrastructure.” He did not provide further details ex...

Former president of Massachusetts State Police Union and former lobbyist sentenced to prison for charges including fraud, racketeering

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

Both the former president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former lobbyist were sentenced Wednesday after being convicted on charges of wire fraud, racketeering, conspiracy to defraud the IRS and more.The office of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins announced that Dana Pullman, 60, of Worcester, was sentenced to 30 months in prison as well as three years of supervised release and restitution, while Anne Lynch, 71, of Hull, was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution, in addition to having to pay a fine of $25,000.Pullman, who resigned as SPAM’s president in 2018, served for six years as head of the state police union, which consists of more than 1,500 troopers and sergeants. During that time, Lynch’s lobbying firm represented the union in exchange for monthly retainer payments.In a news release, Rollins’s office said the two turned SPAM into a “racketeering enterprise...

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray donates $25K to Allen shooting victims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who played high school football in Allen, Tex., donated $25,000 to support the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting, according to online fundraisers.Murray contributed $15,000 to William Cho, a 6-year-old boy whose parents, Cindy and Kyu Cho, and 3-year-old brother, James, were among the eight people who died in the massacre at the Allen Premium Outlets.He donated an additional $10,000 to a victims fund supporting other families and those who were wounded.Murray hasn’t publicly commented on the donations but is listed among the top donors on both GoFundMe pages. The fundraiser supporting William, who was released from intensive care, has raised more than $1.7 million.“We are deeply grateful and sincerely appreciate this outpouring love and prayers from all around the country,” that fundraiser reads. “William is recovering well. Both Kyu and Cindy’s family will use these funds to help William continue the ...

Anthony Volpe’s first grand slam powers Yankees to sweep of lowly A’s as tough AL East stretch awaits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

With the Yankees in need of a few wins, the Athletics provided the perfect punching bag.After scoring seven and 10 runs in the first two games of this week’s series, the Bronx Bombers tagged Oakland for double digits again on Wednesday in an 11-3 blowout. The bludgeoning gave the Yankees their first sweep of the season — and some positive vibes heading into a pivotal stretch against competitive division rivals.The abysmal A’s found themselves in an immediate hole Wednesday, as a Gleyber Torres sac fly put the Yankees on the board before the red-hot Harrison Bader drove a three-run jack to right. Umps checked the dinger for fan interference, but the home run ultimately stood.Bader is now hitting .429 with a 1.341 OPS, two triples, three home runs and 11 RBI over eight games since coming off the injured list.Second-inning solo shots from Carlos Perez and Jace Peterson, hit off Jhony Brito, cut Oakland’s deficit in half, but the Yankees blew the game open with s...

4 considerations when choosing a health and wellness coach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

It’s routine to have regular checkups with your physician, dentist and other specialists, but have you ever worked with a health coach as part of your healthcare team? If you are focused on wellness and reaching health-related goals, health coaching may be right for you.Similar to how an athletic coach can help with sports performance, a health and wellness coach helps others live a healthy life. Health coaches are partners in implementing lifestyle changes to improve health. Health coaching services may be offered through corporate wellness programs, doctor’s offices, community health clinics, online and elsewhere.Health coaches do not diagnose and treat medical conditions nor do they interpret medical results or prescribe medications, diets or supplements. Instead, they use a client-centered approach, motivational techniques and behavioral strategies to help individuals set goals and create a plan to improve their health. Health coaches also provide resources and referrals to heal...

Bitten by an iguana? You could get a rare bacterial infection, new study says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

Iguanas, those pesky green critters that come out in full force during the summer months in South Florida, are more than just a nuisance. They also pose health risks.While touching an iguana or its feces can cause salmonella, a new Centers of Disease Control & Prevention report links an iguana’s bite to a rare bacterial infection called mycobacterium marinum.The discovery came after a  3-year-old girl from California and her family had taken a trip to Costa Rica. While eating cake on the beach, an iguana snapped it out of her left hand and bit her. The girl was immediately taken to a local clinic and found to have a superficial bite for which doctors gave her a five-day course of oral amoxicillin. But five months later, a cyst appeared.After it was removed and biopsied, scientists took a closer look at the growth in the lab and discovered that the child had a rare infection caused by the bite. That type of infection usually infects humans only after a wound has been exposed to t...

Canadian military commits to training Ukrainian soldiers in Latvia as war drags on

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

OTTAWA — Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Wednesday that Canadian military members and their Latvian counterparts will begin training Ukrainian soldiers in Latvia as soon as next week. That means Canada is adding a third country to its training efforts under Operation Unifier, which is already active in Poland and the United Kingdom. Anand said it’s a reflection of Canada’s commitment to help Ukraine win the war against Russia.“It is also a recognition that our world is growing increasingly dark, and that a year-and-a-half into the further illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine by (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, we cannot let up,” Anand said.“This war does not seem to have an end in the near term.”Canada has trained more than 36,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces members since 2015, the year after Russia annexed Crimea. The program in Latvia is set to provide junior officer leadership development training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine b...

Canadians can apply to renew their passports online beginning this fall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

OTTAWA — Canadians who need their travel documents renewed before visiting far-off shores will soon be able to skip the line at the passport office, the immigration minister announced Wednesday.Starting in the fall, Canadians with simple passport renewals will be able to apply online and upload the necessary documents and passport photo on a secure government website, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said.He made the announcement at an event to unveil a new design for Canada’s passport, which includes updated security features and colourful new pages — and removes some references to key moments in Canada’s history.“The federal government is going to continue to work to improve our services and security for Canadians. This passport update is one of the many efforts that is going to improve travel and security,” Fraser said at a press conference at the Ottawa International Airport. Those applying for new passports, including children, will still need to go thro...

Biden pressures House Republicans on debt limit in campaign-style speech

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

VALHALLA, New York (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday blasted Republican-demanded spending cuts as “devastating,” making his case in a campaign-style speech to voters as lawmakers met in Washington on raising the government’s borrowing limit to avoid a potentially catastrophic U.S. default.The president is showing an increased willingness to discuss possible budget restraints, yet he insisted anew that any talks on that should occur without the risk of the federal government being unable to pay its bills. “America is the strongest economy in the world, but we should be cutting spending and lowering the deficit without a needless crisis,” Biden said Wednesday.His words were a challenge to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who met Tuesday with Biden at the White House, declaring afterward that sharp spending cuts were required for House Republicans to increase the debt limit and stave off the risk of default.Biden laid into that GOP proposal on Wednesday in Valhalla, New ...

Viral video of hundreds in line at Fort York Food Bank not surprising to operators

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:27 GMT

Almost every day of the week, hundreds of people wait hours in lineups that span an entire city block to collect food at Toronto’s Fort York Food Bank.A recent video showing the daily lineups went viral online, but the food bank’s operator tells CityNews she is not surprised by it.“Unless you live in this neighbourhood and run by and see our lines like this, it is shocking to see what poverty looks like in our city,” said Executive Director Julie Lejeune.Lejeune has been with the Fort York Food Bank for nearly a decade and describes the situation as critical, saying the number of clients has tripled since 2019.“We are serving 3,200 people every week that just went up from last month,” said Lejeune. “It was 3,000. The month before, it was 2,500, so we are seeing a month-to-month increase in the people we serve.”She said up to 20 new people are walking through these doors daily, from students to families to seniors and newcomers.“P...