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Russian missile barrage slams into Ukrainian cities; 6 dead

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

By HANNA ARHIROVA and ELENA BECATOROS (Associated Press)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A barrage of more than 80 Russian missiles and a smaller number of exploding drones hit residential buildings and critical infrastructure across Ukraine on Thursday, killing six people and leaving hundreds of thousands without heat or electricity.The largest such attack in three weeks also put Europe’s largest nuclear plant at risk by knocking it off the power grid for hours before it was reconnected. Because nuclear plants need constant power to run cooling systems to avoid a meltdown, the latest threat to the Zaporizhzhia plant again raised the specter of a nuclear catastrophe.Air raid sirens wailed through the night as the attacks targeted a wide swath of the country, including western Ukraine, which is far from the front lines. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assault that came while many people slept was an attempt by Moscow “to intimidate Ukrainians again.”The Russian Def...

Don’t forget these 3 tax credits when filing this year

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

A tax credit is among the most satisfying benefits you can turn up when preparing your return.Unlike a deduction, which decreases the income on which you’ll be taxed, a tax credit reduces your overall tax due. The result can mean hundreds of dollars knocked off your bill — or added to your refund.“With a credit, you get a 100% benefit,” says Andrew King, vice president of tax policy and research at Goldman Sachs Ayco Personal Financial Management in Cohoes, New York. “It’s a full recoupment of taxes you’d otherwise have to pay.”Some tax credits apply to a huge swath of the population, while others are specialized to incentivize specific economic activity. Before you file your return, here are some tax credits you may want to review.1. Earned Income Tax CreditThe earned income tax credit, or EITC, is one of the most common income tax breaks, designed to help lighten the burden for middle- and lower-income families.For the 2021 tax year, 4 out of 5 filers claimed this tax credit...

Lauderdale Lakes woman used dead father’s Social Security for Miami Heat tickets, Costco purchases

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

A Lauderdale Lakes woman who used her dead father’s Social Security benefits for tickets to the Miami Heat, shopping trips to Costco and concerts has been sentenced to five months in prison, the Department of Justice said.Terri Lynn Hankerson, 59, also will be required to pay restitution for the theft of nearly $50,000, as well as serve five months of home confinement after she’s released from prison.According to the Department of Justice, Hankerson’s father received his Social Security benefits in a retirement account by direct depost. Hankerson, a joint owner of the account, did not notify the Social Security Administration about her father’s June 2016 death and continued to use the account until the benefits were suspended in February 2020.She used nearly $50,000 at concerts, a local strip club, Miami Heat games, Costco, hotels, bars, and other places, according to the Department of Justice.A federal jury convicted Hankerson after a four-day trial, and the...

WeightWatchers gets into prescription weight loss business

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN (AP Business Writer)WeightWatchers’ stock soared Tuesday after the company said it is getting into the prescription drug weight loss business with the acquisition of Sequence.Sequence is a telehealth provider that offers users access to drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity under the brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy and Trulicity. The drugs all work by the same mechanism: They trigger the release of insulin, block sugar production in the liver and suppress appetite.WeightWatchers offers subscribers meal plans with the goal of losing excess weight. With the acquisition of Sequence, it is tapping into a red-hot market for prescription drugs that address obesity, and broadening what it offers to customers.Shares of WW International Inc. closed Tuesday up 79%.“It is our responsibility, as the trusted leader in weight management, to support those interested in exploring if medications are right for them,” said CEO Sima Sistani said in a prepared statement late...

3 Los Angeles officers wounded, suspect dead in standoff

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three Los Angeles police officers were shot and wounded in a confrontation with a wanted parolee who was found dead hours later after a standoff, police said.The three officers, all senior officers and members of an Los Angeles Police Department’s K-9 dog-handling unit, were hospitalized in stable condition after the shooting that occurred Wednesday in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood near downtown.The three were alert and Mayor Karen Bass said she had a conversation with two of them at the hospital and they asked her about colleagues who were looking for the suspect.“They weren’t concerned about themselves,” she said at a news conference.“Our hearts go out to them for their speedy recovery and also for the trauma that their families are facing right now,” Bass said.Officers were looking for a parolee at large at around 4 p.m. but when they found him he was barricaded in a shed and refused to obey commands to surrender, the department said....

A global mystery: What’s known about Nord Stream explosions

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a major international mystery with global consequences: Who was behind the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year in the Baltic Sea?The answer has broad implications for European energy security but could also threaten Western unity over backing Ukraine in defending itself from Russia’s invasion. Or, it might shatter Russian and Chinese attempts to fix the blame on a hypocritical West. Yet, nearly six months after the sabotage on the Russia-to-Germany pipelines, there is no accepted explanation. And a series of unconfirmed reports variously accusing Russia, the United States and Ukraine are filling an information vacuum as investigations into the blasts continue.A look at the pipelines and what’s known about the explosions.WHAT ARE THE NORD STREAM PIPELINES?The pipelines, known as Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, are majority-owned by Russia’s state-run energy giant Gazprom and used to transport natural gas from Russia to Europe ...

Police seek suspect who carjacked vehicle following 3-car crash

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

Provincial police are looking for a suspect who fled the scene of a three-car crash in North York on Wednesday night by stealing another car.OPP was called to the area of Black Creek Drive and Jane Street around 9:30 p.m. following a three-vehicle crash. A witness who had stopped to help told police her vehicle had been stolen by a man who was involved in the initial crash. “His vehicle was no longer driveable and as he got out of his vehicle he attempted to steal the witness’s vehicle,” said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt. “He was pushed away from the first vehicle, then jumped into a second vehicle that had stopped. There was a 16-year-old passenger in that vehicle, who jumped out before it sped away with the suspect.” Police believe the suspect that was involved in the crash was driving a car that was recently reported stolen. The suspect is described as six feet tall with braided hair. He was last seen wearing a hooded sweater.

Woman who worked at GTA long-term care homes arrested for impersonating nurse

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

Durham regional police say a woman who worked as a nurse at numerous senior retirement and long-term care homes across the Greater Toronto Area wasn’t actually a registered nurse and was using phony documents to apply for more nursing jobs. Twenty-five-year-old Aaliyah-Elizabeth Sampat, of Oshawa, was arrested on Wednesday after police say she was suspected of applying for jobs as a registered nurse with fake credentials. “The suspect had documentation from various governing bodies which she claimed were hers. The suspect is not registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario,” Durham police said in a release Thursday.Investigators add that since 2021 Sampat was employed as a nurse at at least four senior retirement and long-term care residences in the GTA. She’s facing 11 offences including fraud over $5,000, utter forged document, personation with intent and posses identity information with inference of fraud. Sampat remains in custody pending a bail hearing.

Tennessee governor OKs bill to cut Nashville council in half

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican lawmakers and Tennessee’s governor signed off Thursday on cutting Democratic-leaning Nashville’s metro council in half, a move that follows the council’s rejection of efforts to host the 2024 Republican National Convention in Music City. Gov. Bill Lee signed the proposal into law a little less than an hour after the Senate voted to shrink Nashville’s 40-member council. The Republican didn’t issue a statement or warning, but he had previously said that generally he supported council sizes smaller than Nashville’s.The move drew an immediate outcry and is expected to spark legal challenges. Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s administration and others say the change will throw this year’s council elections into chaos, spurring the need to redraw districts after more than 40 candidates already launched campaigns.“This attack on the Constitutional rights of Metro and the people who live here is very dangerous. I...

Rochester concert stampede claims third victim; venue closed

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:32 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A third person has died after being injured in a stampede after a weekend rap concert, police said Thursday.Aisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse was the only person who remained hospitalized following a Sunday evening performance by Memphis, Tennessee, rap stars GloRilla and Finesse2tymes at the Rochester Main Street Armory. She died Wednesday night.Two other women, Rhondesia Belton, 33, of Buffalo and Brandy Miller, 35, of Rochester, also died after being caught up in a crush of concertgoers who surged toward the exits after the show.Police said the stampede may have been triggered by unfounded fears of gunfire. The city revoked the venue’s entertainment license on Wednesday while authorities investigate.The armory’s owner has not responded to numerous emailed requests for comment.The Associated Press