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Rep. Matt Gaetz, Progressives Jointly Call for U.S. Military to Leave Somalia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

A measure to withdraw most U.S. troops from Somalia, just months after the Biden administration sent them back there, is expected to garner support from far-right Republicans and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus when it comes up for a scheduled vote on Thursday.The author of the War Powers Resolution, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, tweeted this week that Somalia, in the horn of Africa, “is not a vital national security concern.” Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. — the chair and deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is comprised of more than 100 members of Congress — have confirmed they will vote yes on the measure, according to sources familiar with their thinking. “Members of Progressive Caucus leadership will all vote for the Somalia war powers resolution,” said a congressional staffer. “House progressives remain principled in their commitment to upholding the constitutional authority of Congress’s sole powers o...

‘Blood on your hands’: Montana lawmaker’s words not unusual

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The swift punishment brought down on Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, began over words that others in American politics have used without hesitation or consequence: saying opponents have “blood” on their hands. The governor of Texas. A GOP congressman in Florida. A city councilwoman in Denver. Just in the past few years, they are among the elected officials who have chastised colleagues in government with the same pointed rhetoric almost word for word — accusing them of bearing responsibility for deaths — over everything from immigration policy to gun laws. None faced blowback, let alone retribution. But not Zephyr, who on Thursday began legislative exile after Montana Republicans barred her from the state House floor a week after saying those who voted to support a ban on gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands.“I don’t remember until now that there’s been a controversy over that cliche,” said Republican Lou Barletta, a...

Mexico has “unprecedented appetite for baseball” after WBC

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Major League Baseball is heading south of the border again to play a regular season series. After previous stops in Monterrey, Mexico City will be the host this time, and the timing seems perfect.The San Diego Padres will play against the San Francisco Giants next weekend at the Alfredo Harp Helu (AHH) Stadium in the country’s capital, where fans are eager to watch more baseball after Mexico’s deep run at the World Baseball Classic.Bolstered by Cuban defector Randy Arozarena and Mexican-born big leaguers like Julio Urías and Jose Urquidy, Mexico made it to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Japan. The journey included a stunning victory over the United States in Phoenix with tens of thousands of Team Mexico fans on hand.“Those two weeks of the World Baseball Classic are probably the ones where everybody was talking about baseball across the country more than ever before,” said Horacio De la Vega, the president of the Mexican Baseball League. “Clearl...

Nuevo y poderoso fármaco para perder peso podría recibir aprobación de las autoridades de salud

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

Mientras que un número creciente de estadounidenses con sobrepeso claman por Ozempic y Wegovy, medicamentos que celebridades aseguran les hacen perder peso, un medicamento aún más poderoso está a punto de alterar el panorama del tratamiento.Tirzepatide, un medicamento de Eli Lilly and Co. aprobado para el tratamiento de la diabetes tipo 2 bajo la marca Mounjaro, ayudó a personas con sobrepeso u obesas a perder el 16% de su peso, más de 34 libras a lo largo de 17 meses, dijo la empresa este jueves.El estudio de última etapa de la droga para la pérdida de peso se suma a pruebas anteriores de que participantes no diabéticos perdieron hasta el 22% de su peso en ese período con inyecciones semanales del medicamento. Para un paciente típico que recibía la dosis máxima, eso significaba perder más de 50 libras. Investigación: 10,000 soldados del ejército de EEUU enfrentan la obesidad tras la pandemia ¿Se hereda la obesidad? La respuesta no es tan sen...

Andreeva, 15, wins again at Madrid Open; Murray loses

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

MADRID (AP) — After another impressive victory at the Madrid Open, Mirra Andreeva patiently took photos with some fans who looked young enough to be her classmates in high school.Moments earlier, the 15-year-old Russian had been raising her arms by the net to celebrate her win over a top-20 opponent.Andreeva, a day after defeating 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez for her first tour-level win, beat 14th-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (6), 6-3 to advance to the third round on Thursday.“Yes, I’m a bit surprised but also everyone was telling me they are playing the same level as you, they are just more consistent,” Andreeva said. “Their mental level is different but the game-level is almost the same.”In the men’s draw, two-time Madrid champion Andy Murray lost his first-round match in straight sets to qualifier Andrea Vavassori.With her win over Fernandez, Andreeva became the third-youngest player to win a main-draw match at a WTA 1000 tournament, behind Coco Gauff a...

Zoonomia: Genetic research reveals all we share with animals

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

By comparing the genetic blueprints of an array of animals, scientists are gaining new insights into our own species and all we share with other creatures.One of the most striking revelations is that certain passages in the instructions for life have persisted across evolutionary time, representing a through line that binds all mammals – including us. The findings come from the Zoonomia Project, an international effort that offers clues about human traits and diseases, animal abilities like hibernation and even the genetics behind a sled dog named Balto who helped save lives a century ago. Researchers shared some of their discoveries in 11 papers published Thursday in the journal Science.David O’Connor, who studies primate genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the studies tackle deep questions.“It’s just the wonder of biology, how we are so similar and dissimilar to all the things around us,” said O’Connor, who wasn’t involved in the research. “It’s the sort of thing...

3 high school seniors arrested in deadly rock-throwing crime spree

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Three 18-year-olds have been arrested in connection to the rock-throwing crime spree in Jefferson and Boulder counties that killed a 20-year-old woman. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has announced the arrest of three suspects in a case that has grabbed the attention of many in the metro area as well as nationally. Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, JCSO said they arrested Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak. The three men are all 18 years old and were taken into custody at their respective parents' homes in Arvada. Joseph Koenig was arrested in connection to the deadly rock-throwing crime spree that killed a 20-year-old Arvada woman. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)Nicholas Karol-Chik was arrested in connection to the deadly rock-throwing crime spree that killed a 20-year-old Arvada woman. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)Zachary Kwak was arrested in connection to the deadly rock-throwing crime spree that ki...

Austria sticking to veto on Schengen expansion, foreign minister says  

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

Austria will maintain its veto on the extension of the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone to Bulgaria and Romania until Vienna sees a “sustained decline” in asylum seekers, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said in an interview.Asylum applications in Austria (not including Ukrainians) nearly tripled last year to about 110,000 — the highest per-capita rate in the EU — prompting the government to block the Schengen area’s expansion in December.“What’s important to us, to be perfectly frank, is that the numbers go down and there has to be a sustained decline,” Schallenberg said, calling the veto a “warning signal“ to Brussels. “One must understand that when we’re seeing over 100,000 asylum applications every 12 months, it is difficult for us as Austria to just let this dysfunctional system roll along.”Schallenberg declined to define a timeframe for when Vienna might lift its veto on Schengen’s expansion, but with refugee arrivals continuing to rise — the EU’s asylum agency recorded...

Guardsman in leak case wanted to kill a ‘ton of people’: US

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The Massachusetts Air National guardsman accused of leaking highly classified military documents kept an arsenal of guns and said on social media that he would like to kill a “ton of people,” prosecutors said in arguing Thursday that 21-year-old Jack Teixeira should remain in jail for his trial.But the judge at Teixeira’s detention hearing put off an immediate decision whether he should be kept in custody until his trial or released to home confinement or under other conditions. Teixeira was led away from the court in handcuffs, black rosary beads around his neck, pending that ruling.The court filings raise new questions about why Teixeira had such a high security clearance and access to some of the nation’s most classified secrets. They said he may still have material that hasn’t been released, which could be of “tremendous value to hostile nation states that could offer him safe harbor and attempt to facilitate his esca...

EPA: Machine gun range could harm Cape Cod drinking water

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft determination Thursday that a proposed machine gun training range at a National Guard base could pose a threat to Cape Cod’s drinking water, potentially creating a public health hazard for more than 220,000 year-round residents.There are no reasonably available alternative drinking water sources for residents should the Cape Cod aquifer become contaminated, the agency said.“We have studied the proposed machine gun range very carefully because EPA recognizes the need for our armed forces to maintain readiness and provide training to service members,” EPA Regional Administrator David Cash said in a written statement.“However, the risk of irreparable damage to the only drinking water source on Cape Cod is too significant,” he added.The agency said it will accept public comment on the proposed machine gun range through June 26, and will hold a public hearing on May 24.The Massachusetts Army Natio...