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The Anti-War Vote That Came 20 Years Late

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

Anti-war demonstrators march during a demonstration against war in Iraq and Iran on Jan. 4, 2020, in Washington, D.C.Photo: Alex Edelman/Getty Images/Getty ImagesMembers of the United States Senate are patting themselves on the back. They officially just voted to end the war in Iraq — sort of.The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force for the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the legislation is being praised by its supporters in the Senate as a reassertion of the war-making powers of Congress. “This vote shows that Congress is prepared to call back our constitutional role in deciding how and when a nation goes to war,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, and Republican Todd Young of Indiana, argued that the vote sent a signal that the American people are still in charge when it comes to deciding when to go to war.But the Senate vote came 20 years ...

Crowded field hopes to avoid Premier League relegation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A good relegation fight can keep things interesting at the bottom of the Premier League. Usually it doesn’t involve nine teams, though.Just four points separate last-place Southampton from 12th-place Crystal Palace heading into the final stretch of the season as the threatened clubs and a few nervous managers try to reverse their fortunes.Palace manager Roy Hodgson calls it “exceptional,” and he’s been coaching since the mid-1970s.“You don’t normally have almost a whole bottom section of the table all fighting to avoid relegation and you certainly don’t see so many teams which most people would say, ‘they can’t get relegated, they’re too big a club to get relegated,” said Hodgson, who at 75 is the oldest manager in league history.The top 11 teams can all still qualify for European competitions and peering across the gulf — an 11-point gap from Aston Villa to Palace — any of the bottom nine could be relegated.Saturday’s home game against Le...

EPA approves California rules phasing out diesel trucks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Biden administration cleared the way Friday for California’s plan to phase out a wide range of diesel-powered trucks, part of the state’s efforts to drastically cut planet-warming emissions and improve air quality in heavy-traffic areas like ports along the coast.The decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows California to require truck manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission trucks over the next couple of decades. The rule applies to a wide range of trucks including box trucks, semitrailers and even large passenger pick-ups.“We’re leading the charge to get dirty trucks and buses – the most polluting vehicles – off our streets, and other states and countries are lining up to follow our lead,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.The EPA typically sets standards for tailpipe emissions from passenger cars, trucks and other vehicles, but California has historically been granted waivers to impose ...

MLB opening day has 14 clock violations, stolen base spike

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Marcus Stroman is getting used to Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock. And it’s no small deal for the Chicago Cubs right-hander.“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s a big adjustment.”Stroman committed baseball’s first regular-season pitch-clock violation Thursday in the third inning of the Cubs’ 4-0 victory over Milwaukee on opening day. It was the first of 14 violations in 15 games on a day the average game time shrunk 26 minutes to 2 hours, 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stolen base attempts per game more than doubled from last opening day, an indication that efforts to spur the running game may be working. Runners were 21 of 23 on steal attempts Thursday, compared to 5 of 9 in seven games on the first day of the 2022 season. Five pitch timer violations were by batters, eight by pitchers and one by a catcher as all MLB teams opened on the same day for the first time since 1968.Stroman clocked an unwelcome spot in the record books while ...

Medicare, Social Security could fall short over next decade

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The financial safety nets millions of older Americans rely on and millions of young people are counting on will run short of money to pay full benefits within the next decade, the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released Friday warns. Medicare, the government-sponsored health insurance that covers 65 million older and disabled people, will be unable to pay full benefits for inpatient hospital visits and nursing home stays by 2031, the report forecast. And just two years later, Social Security won’t have enough cash on hand to pay out full benefits to its 66 million retirees. The report is another prod for politicians to address the fragile financial state of the social programs, which are only expected to get more expensive in the coming years as more Americans age into eligibility for them. “The Trustees continue to recommend that Congress address the projected trust fund shortfalls in a timely fashion to phase in necessary changes gradua...

Child missing after migrant bodies found near Canada border

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

MONTREAL (AP) — Authorities in the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne said Friday one child is missing after the bodies of six migrants of Indian and Romanian descent were pulled from a river that straddles the Canada-U.S. border. The victims were trying to enter the United States illegally from Canada, said Lee-Ann O’Brien, deputy chief of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service. Their bodies, including that of a child under 3, were found Thursday in the St. Lawrence River near Akwesasne, Quebec. O’Brien says police found a Canadian passport belonging to a missing infant with the Romanian family, adding that the deceased child was also a Canadian citizen.Weather conditions in the area were rough Wednesday night, she said. “These is a heartbreaking situation, particular given the young child that was among them,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “We need to understand properly what happened, how it happened and do whatever we can to minimize the chances of this ever happening aga...

Gwyneth Paltrow scores court win that means more than $1

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — All that for a dollar?Nah, Gwyneth Paltrow ’s motivation to go to trial to fight a lawsuit accusing her of sending a fellow skier “absolutely flying” at a posh Utah ski resort in 2016 was about vindication.She got it when a jury found her not at fault in the collision, granting her exactly the $1 she sought in her countersuit. As a court reporter read the verdict, the courtroom gallery made up mostly of her supporters exhaled while Paltrow sat next to her lawyer intently and avoided displaying emotion that could be interpreted as surprise or gloating.She might have come out ahead in the court of public opinion, too, Hollywood lawyers and publicists say. “It’s not often that you go through the whole expense and time and bother of litigation for a dollar,” said Tre Lovell, a Los Angeles lawyer who handles many celebrity cases. “But she wanted to turn this into a positive as a way of saying ‘I’m not going to get taken advantage of,’ and ‘I’m a good person.’” The ...

EPA approves California plan to phase out sale of diesel-powered trucks starting in 2024; other states likely to follow

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — EPA approves California plan to phase out sale of diesel-powered trucks starting in 2024; other states likely to follow.Source

New York court officials say former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at Manhattan courthouse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York court officials say former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at Manhattan courthouse.Source

Best exercises to strengthen your core

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:32 GMT

While sculpted abdominal muscles are often featured in advertisements, social media posts and magazine articles, there is more to strong abs than good looks. Strong abdominal muscles are key to increasing core strength and endurance, improving posture, reducing low-back pain and enhancing sports performance.In addition, a strong core is essential for proper stability and mobility, which helps with performing activities of daily living like lifting heavy objects and recreational activities like swinging a golf club.Stated simply, core conditioning should be part of any well-rounded workout program.[READ: Muscle Recovery After Workouts.]The Best Ab ExercisesTo determine which exercises most actively engaged the abs, research sponsored by the American Council on Exercise looked at seven popular exercises. The traditional crunch was used as the standard against which all other exercises were compared.— Yoga boat pose— Stability ball crunch— Decline bench curl-up—...