Connecticut Democrats are sounding the alarm over what they say are Republican-led efforts to subvert the electoral process. Two bill proposals being considered in the state legislature would usher in changes to the state's election laws, including provisions to allow absentee ballots to be submitted over the internet, prevent federal immigrations agents from being within 250 feet of polling places and banning guns from voting areas.
Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East, according to the U.S. official, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is sparking controversy -- inside and outside the military -- with public comments on the war with Iran that are heavy on taunts and talk of retribution, a stark departure from the way his predecessors have communicated during wartime. read more
With three weeks until Donald Trump meets Xi Jinping, Beijing is frustrated by what it sees as insufficient U.S. preparation ... read more
A United Nations panel issued a Wednesday decision condemning hate speech from President Trump and raising concerns with his administration's immigration policies. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination warned that hate speech from political leaders, including Trump, combined with intensified immigration crackdowns near schools, hospitals and faith-based institutions, has sparked "grave human rights violations."
imo, a powerful tune ...
Call - I Don't Wanna (1987)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
I ain't here to hold you when you cry
I ain't here to hold your shaky hand
I ain't here to look you in the eye
Or beg for you to understand
I ain't gonna walk you thru your dreams
Walk you thru this life that we all know
I ain't here to listen while you speak
I ain't here to heal your broken soul
Am I here at all?
I ain't here to tell you what you need
I ain't gonna take a noble stand
I ain't here to look you in the eye
Or beg for you to understand
I can only tell you what I've seen
I can only tell you how it felt
When my heart was crushed so bad inside
Till I felt the hatred slowly melt
I don't wanna
I ain't gonna watch your every move
I ain't gonna dog your every step
I ain't here to shape your every mood
I ain't here to keep your secrets kept
Oh, but if I held you in my arms
If I could squeeze you till we cry
I don't wanna lose this love I feel
I don't wanna lose this fight tonight
I ain't gonna
I ain't here to hold you when you cry
I ain't here to hold your shaky hand
I ain't here to look you in the eye
I don't want you under my command
...
@#7 ... refuse to burn undergrowth ...
In California, Controlled Fires Can Save Homes. Why Aren't More Happening? (September 2024)
www.nytimes.com
... Mr. Koller, 34, said there was no way to know for sure if the intentional burns, which occurred periodically in the years before the fire, including two in March, had made the difference. "But prescribed fire was part of that puzzle," he said.
Federal and state agencies, as well as other groups that work with them, including private citizens and businesses, are setting fires that burn the dry grasses, small trees and other vegetation that could otherwise fuel an intense wildfire. Research has shown that these burns reduce wildfire risk, potentially saving lives and property.
While the state is increasing its use of beneficial fire, as the method is called, officials and experts alike say it is far from enough to meet the threat posed by catastrophic wildfires. ...
Land managers in the state, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and federal agencies have set a target of intentionally burning 400,000 acres annually by next year, an amount of land that when combined would be larger than the city of Los Angeles. The goal is to chip away at the 10 million to 30 million acres that officials estimate would benefit from some form of fuel reduction treatment. In 2022, the most recent year for which there is data publicly available, about 96,000 acres were burned by these land managers.
"The state is struggling to get anywhere close to the targets they have for prescribed fire," said Chris Field, a climate scientist at Stanford who has studied controlled burns. "It's clear that there would be real profound benefits of reaching the target and ultimately going beyond it." ...
Americans cutting back on all expenses to pay for healthcare
www.upi.com
... People in the United States are killing budgets, skipping meals, stretching prescriptions and driving less as they struggle to keep up with healthcare expenses, a survey shows.
Gallup found in a survey that more than one-third of Americans find themselves making "at least" one trade-off in daily expenses to make sure they can afford access to healthcare and pay its associated bills.
With the cost of health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs continuing to rise, and with the expiration of some Affordable Care Act subsidies and changes to Medicare and Medicaid, Gallup reported that people are cutting back on day-to-day requirements, borrowing money and putting off major decisions and long-term planning.
"Collectively, these shifts could leave millions of Americans without health insurance at a time when financial stress is already running high," the survey organization said in a press release. ...
@#19 ... "Weather Report was a pioneering American jazz fusion band (1970 - 1986) co-led by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, known for hits like "Birdland" and albums such as Heavy Weather. ...
Back in 1997 when the Hale-Bopp comet appeared in our sky, the local college radio station played the song, Scarlet Woman ( www.youtube.com ) a lot.
A lot.
The song is from Weather Report's Mysterious Traveler (1974) album.
So, apropos...
... Grenell's tenure as interim president of the Kennedy Center since February 2025 has been marked by tumult, plagued by high-profile performance cancellations, protests, declining ticket sales and financial strain as he sought to execute the president's vision for the arts center. ...
So, instead of Pres Trump accepting the blame for the tumult he caused, he is taking it out on others.
So typical.