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New Mexico congressman in swing district seeks health care trust for oil field workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A bill aimed at compensating oil field workers and immediate relatives for uninsured medical costs related to air pollution and heat-related illness has been introduced by a first-term congressman from New Mexico.Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez said Wednesday his bill would require that oil and natural gas companies nationwide pay into a trust that provides reimbursement to workers for health costs associated with ailments linked to methane and smog, including respiratory problems such as asthma.Workers would be eligible to seek reimbursement for costs not covered by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, he said. A full draft of the bill as introduced Wednesday was not immediately available.Vasquez said the proposal is an outgrowth of concerns he has heard from oil field workers in southeastern New Mexico — and his observations about extensive profits and executive compensation among major petroleum companies. New Mexico is the nation’s second-larges...

Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over plight of 120,000 people in Nagorno-Karabakh facing food crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Wednesday over the plight of the 120,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Armenia says are blockaded by Azerbaijan and facing a humanitarian crisis.Armenia asked for the meeting saying Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia since July 15, had left its people with dwindling food, medicine and electricity.Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, but the region and substantial territory around it came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces who were backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. Azerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020, and the Russian-brokered armistice left the Lachin Corridor as Nagorno-Karabakh’s only connection to Armenia.At the council meeting, many countries urged Azerbaijan to i...

Armored vehicle robbed at Lansing Chase Bank ATM, FBI says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

LANSING, Ill. — An armored vehicle was robbed at a Chase Bank ATM in Lansing Wednesday morning, according to the FBI.FBI officials said three armed, thin male suspects approached a person who was accessing the ATM outside the Chase Bank at 16767 Torrence Avenue, where they verbally demanded money from the ATM with guns displayed.Photos of a person being robbed by three armed suspects at a Lansing Chase Bank ATM Thursday morning (Courtesy: FBI)The FBI describes one suspect as wearing black pants, a black hoodie, white tennis shoes, and black gloves, while describing a second suspect as wearing black pants, a green hoodie, a backpack, gloves, and white tennis shoes, and a third suspect as wearing black pants, a gray hoodie, tennis shoes, black gloves, and a black mask. ‘Jersey Shore’ DJ Pauly D, White Sox Liam Hendriks to host ‘Be The Match’ tailgate event No injuries were reported from the robbery and the suspects are considered still at-large.Anyone with information that can aid t...

Illinois, fresh off bowl trip and 8-win season, has 'unfinished business' as opener draws near

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

By most measures, the 2022 season was a good one for the Illinois football team.The Illini finished 8-5 in coach Bret Bielema's second year after 10 straight losing seasons, placed second in the Big Ten West, played in a bowl game for the first time since 2019 and had four NFL draft picks.Losing four of the final five games, including the ReliaQuest Bowl against Mississippi State, left a sour taste.“We’ve got a lot of unfinished business,” Bielema said. “But I like where we’re at. I love the influx of talent. I’ve never felt more engaged with our roster. I like the way the players are being developed and coached, and the way the players are reacting to our coaches."Receiver Isaiah Williams said this is the most confident team he’s been on in his five years at Illinois.“But we also have a chip on our shoulder,” he said. “We had a good season last year, but we left a lot of wins out there.”Williams came to Illinois as a quarterback. He switched to receiver after the 2020 season and ha...

Northwestern coach says he's 'really confident' Wildcats will be cheered at home despite scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern interim coach David Braun says he's “really confident” the Wildcats will hear more cheers than jeers, at least at home. He expects a warm reception for the first game at Ryan Field despite a hazing and abuse scandal that has also engulfed other men's and women's teams at the school.“I certainly hope that this community, our alumni, all those that are associated with Northwestern University and Northwestern athletics will come out and show full support for 103 young men that have worked their butts off over the course of the last four weeks and have come together to do something really special,” Braun said Wednesday. “To be honest with you, I'm really confident that that's exactly what's gonna happen."Northwestern opens the season with a Sunday afternoon game at Rutgers on Sept. 3, and hosts UTEP six days later.The Wildcats know they could be in for some pointed taunting when they go on the road this season. How they'll be received at home is also i...

How Vivek Ramaswamy went from biotech millionaire to GOP candidate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

(NewsNation) — Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, is now the youngest major Republican presidential candidate after acquiring a significant fortune during his twenties and thirties.On the campaign trail, he focuses on "anti-woke" policy. Ramaswamy has said the United States has become a place full of “victims” and that the country has lost its purpose and its focus on faith, patriotism, hard work and family. How Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing — delicately — to win over Trump supporters Born in Ohio to immigrant parents from India, he earned a biology degree from Harvard University and then finished a J.D. at Yale Law School. Ramaswamy has no prior experience in politics. He spent his twenties investing in pharma companies at hedge fund QVT Financial and made partner when he was 28, Forbes reports. Forbes estimates his net worth is at least $630 million. He has accumulated a fortune thanks to his biotech firm Roivant Sciences, which he launched nine years ago. Ramaswamy joined NewsNation on Monday n...

Lawsuit says Brita misled users about ability to filter out 'forever chemicals,' more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles claims that water filtration company Brita allegedly misled users about the ability of its popular products to remove a number of hazardous contaminants from tap water, including "forever chemicals," or PFAS, which may cause cancer.The proposed class action suit claims that Brita, by "falsely, misleadingly, and deceptively marketing" their products "sought to take advantage of consumers' need for safe and clean drinking water." Drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals, study finds The lawsuit alleges that while Brita claimed their filters would reduce numerous contaminants, including mercury, chlorine, lead, benzene, copper "and more" for "cleaner, great-tasting water," the company mislead consumers by omitting some of the "highest risk, notorious, or prevalent contaminants," such as PFAS, arsenic, nitrate and uranium, among others.PFAS, which have been linked to a number of serious il...

Amid wildfire aftermath, should you travel to Maui?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON) -- The fires on Maui have created a chaotic situation. At this point, recovery crews are sifting through the ashes to locate bodies and to determine the extent of the damage, both to life and property. This has led to a bit of chaos when it comes to whether or not you need to travel to Maui for a holiday or vacation.So, should you continue with your plans and go to Maui? Continuing coverage of the Hawaii fires The best answer is that it depends on where you are going.According to the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, there is a great deal of chaos swirling around both the short-term and long-term impacts of the fires. "There’s still too much uncertainty to accurately assess the condition of the affected areas, let alone the state of the visitor industry or the status of specific hotel properties and attractions," said Mufi Hannemann, President and CEO of HLTA. Where will Maui students, teachers go? As of Wednesday, Aug. 16, Maui County officials p...

Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the state

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- Kyle Rittenhouse, the right-wing activist who was famously acquitted of killing two Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020, is stepping up his involvement in Texas politics.Already this year, he’s rallied with a Texas secessionist movement leader, endorsed ultraconservative midterm candidates, and railed against Texas gun control legislation and the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton.Now, Rittenhouse is creating a nonprofit in the state — with help from well-connected, far-right political actors.In a July 23 filing with the Texas secretary of state’s office, he described “The Rittenhouse Foundation” as a nonprofit that “protects human and civil rights secured by law, including an individual’s inalienable right to bear arms” and “ensures the Second Amendment is preserved through education and legal assistance.”The foundation’s directors are Rittenhouse, Texas Gun Rights President Chris McNutt and Shelby Griesinger, treasurer for Defend Texas Liber...

Hoosic Valley to form committee to transition to new mascot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:52:58 GMT

HOOSIC VALLEY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- As students go back to school in a month, one school district is looking for help with its logo. Hoosic Valley Central School District has chosen "Hawks" as its new mascot, and now the district is asking for help in several areas of the name change. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The district is looking to form a committee of 20 people consisting of students, staff, and community members. The committee will be responsible for logo design and rebranding.Additional information, including the committee sign-up survey, can be found on the district's website.