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Biden declares a major disaster in Florida following Hurricane Idalia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden has formally declared a major disaster in Florida in response to Hurricane Idalia, the White House announced Thursday.“The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor,” the White House said in a statement.Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida Wednesday morning as a powerful Category 3 storm and has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it makes its way up the East Coast, causing flooding, significant property damage and power outages across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.Biden spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by phone earlier Thursday to inform him of the declaration.“This morning, President Biden called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to convey that he has signed a Major Disaster Declaration and ordered all available federal resources to help with the continued response to Tropical Storm Idalia,” the White Hous...

Ex-Proud Boys organizer sentenced to 17 years in prison for plot to keep Trump in power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A former organizer of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years in prison for spearheading an attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.Federal prosecutors had recommended a 33-year prison sentence for Joseph Biggs, who helped lead dozens of Proud Boys members and associates in marching to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Biggs and other Proud Boys joined the mob that broke through police lines and forced lawmakers to flee, disrupting the joint session of Congress for certifying the electoral victory by Biden, a Democrat.“I know that I messed up that day,” Biggs told the judge just before being sentenced, “but I’m not a terrorist.”The judge who sentenced Biggs also will separately sentence four other Proud Boys who were convicted by a jury in May after a four-m...

Election workers have gotten death threats and warnings they will be lynched, the US government says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a dozen people nationally have been charged with threatening election workers by a Justice Department unit trying to stem the tide of violent and graphic threats against people who count and secure the vote.Government employees are being bombarded with threats even in normally quiet periods between elections, secretaries of state and experts warn. Some point to former President Donald Trump and his allies repeatedly and falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen and spreading conspiracy theories about election workers. Experts fear the 2024 election could be worse and want the Justice Department to do more to protect election workers. The Justice Department created the task force in 2021 led by its public integrity section, which investigates election crimes. John Keller, the unit’s second in command, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the department hoped its...

How to compare credit repair options

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

Rebecca Betterton | Bankrate.com (TNS)If you have recently applied for a financial product, you may have been met with higher than normal rates. This, primarily due to inflation, is unfortunately out of your control. But working to improve your credit score through the process of credit repair can mean a higher score and potentially better rates in the future.When choosing which credit repair route — a credit repair company, a credit counselor or through DIY approaches — consider the following factors to ensure the chosen method fits your specific needs.Time availableWhile the process of repairing your credit is not known for its quick speed, there are some options that might be preferred over others if the timing is top of mind. Of the routes, the do-it-yourself approach has the largest time commitment. It will require you to get copies of your reports, review them, file any disputes and adopt healthier spending habits.If you’re looking to save some of your own time, consider a cre...

Timing and cost of new vaccines vary by virus and health insurance status

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By Julie Appleby, KFF Health NewsAs summer edges toward fall, thoughts turn to, well, vaccines.Yes, inevitably, it’s time to think about the usual suspects — influenza and COVID-19 shots — but also the new kid in town: recently approved vaccines for RSV, short for respiratory syncytial virus.But who should get the various vaccines, and when?“For the eligible populations, all three shots are highly recommended,” said Georges Benjamin, a physician and the executive director of the American Public Health Association.Still, there’s no need to get them all at the same time, and there are reasons to wait a bit for two of them. Some people may also face cost issues. Let’s break this down.What’s the price?It depends on the vaccine — and on your insurance coverage.For COVID shots, including the updated ones expected to be available this fall, most people will still be able to get the vaccines for free. People became accustomed to that no-cost availability during the pandemic, but the federal...

At least 74 are dead, many of them homeless, as fire rips through a rundown building in South Africa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By GERALD IMRAY and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME (Associated Press)JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A nighttime fire ripped through a rundown apartment building mainly occupied by homeless people and squatters in Johannesburg early Thursday, leaving at least 74 dead, officials said. Some people threw babies out of third-story windows to others waiting below in the desperate scramble to evacuate, witnesses said.At least 12 of those killed were children, the youngest a 1-year-old, according to city and medical officials, who held a press conference to give an update on the death toll. They said an undetermined number of people were still missing and many bodies recovered were burned beyond recognition.More than 50 people were injured, six of whom were in a serious condition in the hospital. Emergency services officials had earlier warned that the death toll could rise as they continued to search the scene more than 12 hours after the blaze broke out at around 1 a.m.Dozens of bodies recovered by firefigh...

Do this before the redesigned 2024 FAFSA launches in December

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By Trea Branch | NerdWalletFor the first time since 2016, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will not be ready on Oct. 1 for the following academic year. Instead, students have to wait until December to fill out and submit a redesigned application for financial aid — including federal student loans, grants and work-study — for the 2024–25 school year.Nearly 72% of college families didn’t know that the 2023-24 FAFSA became available on Oct. 1, 2022, according to a 2023 study by private student loan lender Sallie Mae. If families aren’t ready to go when the new FAFSA is released this year, they could miss out on vital aid to help them cover college expenses.“We’re dealing with a truncated financial aid season,” says MorraLee Keller, senior director of strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), a nonprofit organization supporting college affordability. Keller says all students should do what they can to be re...

Giancarlo Stanton’s historic home run numbers are flying under the radar for Yankees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

When Giancarlo Stanton pummeled a 425-foot home run during Wednesday’s win against the Tigers, the Yankees slugger quietly achieved MLB history.The solo shot was the 20th home run of the year for Stanton, making him the only player to reach that milestone in 12 different seasons since 2010. He broke a tie with Nelson Cruz, who had done so 11 times over that stretch.The lack of attention around Stanton’s fourth-inning blast was perhaps fitting, considering his prolific power numbers and consistency have frequently been overshadowed by his massive contract and rash of injuries in recent years.Wednesday’s home run was the 398th of Stanton’s career. Only 57 players have hit 400 home runs. Still just 33 years old, Stanton is on pace to eventually join the 500 home run club, which was long considered an automatic admission into the Hall of Fame.Of the 28 players to hit 500 homers, 19 are Hall of Famers. Two others — Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera — ap...

Is Gen Z the generation that knows how to make the most out of travel?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By Holly D. Johnson, BankrateIt’s easy to see why Generation Z (anyone born after 1997 according to Pew Research Center) has a different worldview than those in Generation X and even millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996). The young people who make up Gen Z have never known a world without the internet, phones that tether you to the wall or rapid technological disruptions and discoveries taking place every few years.Gen Z also tends to be more open-minded and understanding of social change, and they seem to think anything is possible because it is. Those in the younger generation seem more inclined to want to get out and explore — even though their parents and grandparents may not have had the same opportunities.In fact, a new Bankrate survey released in July 2023 showed that, this year, younger generations are more likely to travel just for fun than their older counterparts. Specifically, survey results showed 68% of Gen Z respondents planned to travel for leisure this year...

Tropical Storm Idalia heads out to sea as Florida and Georgia begin arduous cleanup process

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:45 GMT

By TERRY SPENCER (Associated Press)PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Idalia headed out to sea Thursday after thrashing parts of Florida and Georgia with punishing rains and destructive winds, leaving residents to begin the arduous process of clearing fallen trees, restoring power and picking through the debris of devastated homes.Thus far, authorities have only confirmed only one death, that of a man hit by a falling tree in Georgia. But the storm’s ferocious winds shredded homes in Florida’s Big Bend area, where Idalia roared ashore as a major hurricane. As many as a half-million customers were without power at one point in Florida and Georgia as the storm ripped down power poles.After pounding Florida, Idalia swung east, flooding many of South Carolina’s beaches and leaving some in the state and North Carolina without power before heading back into the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters said the weakened storm should continue heading away from the U.S. for several days, although of...