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US beefs up campaign to ensure accurate animal welfare claims on meat, poultry packaging

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it hopes to weed out false or misleading animal-welfare claims on meat and poultry packaging with new guidance and testing.The claims __ such as “pasture-raised,” “humanely raised,” and “raised without antibiotics” __ are increasingly popular with consumers and allow producers to charge a premium. Perdue “free range” chicken breasts with no antibiotics sell for $5.78 per pound at Walmart, for example; store brand chicken breasts without those claims sell for $2.79 per pound.Both meat producers and animal welfare advocates say the USDA isn’t adequately substantiating the claims or ensuring they meet consumer expectations. The USDA lets producers define some terms, including “humane,” which can lead to widely varying conditions for animals. Other claims like “free range” are clearly defined by the USDA, but some producers are skirting requirements.The USDA must approve all animal welfare claims on meat and poultry labels before product...

Grichuk’s 2-run double in 10th lifts Rockies over Red Sox 7-6

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Randal Grichuk lined a two-run double in a three-run 10th inning and Colorado held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday night, giving the Rockies their second straight win at Fenway Park.Jurickson Profar added a sacrifice fly in the 10th and as the Rockies improved to 13-21 on the road. They had lost eight of 10 away games before arriving in Boston.“It was a good team win. A lot of guys in a lot of different spots helped out,” Colorado manager Bud Black said.With an automatic runner on second, Justin Garza (0-1) walked Nolan Jones starting the 10th and Grichuk lined the first pitch he saw down the left-field line and Profar boosted the lead to 7-4.“It was good to see Randal get the big hit there,” Black said. “I know he’s been frustrated a couple different times over the last couple of weeks with some opportunities. He’s too good of a player not to contribute and get some big hits for us. And I still think there’s more to come.”Rafael Devers led off the bottom ...

Sun to Storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

We wake up to more low clouds and locally dense fog this morning as temps hover near 60 degrees to kick off the day. The fog and clouds do clear quicker than yesterday and temps will shoot up to near 80 by early this afternoon as sunshine breaks out from mid morning to mid afternoon. So it’ll be a warm day overall, albeit, a bit cooler at the coast, 70-75 there. While a large portion of the day turns out to be dry, we will have to keep an eye to the sky. Late afternoon and early evening thunderstorms break out and push west to east across New England. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could be locally severe with quarter size hail and strong wind gusts to 60mph. Certainly something to monitor later today. Obviously, cloud to ground lightning will be a risk to those outdoor activities and localized downpours will lead to slow down on the roads and ponding in poor drainage areas. The timing of the storms favor 4-6pm in central Mass and 6-9pm across ea...

Chicago Bears: Breaking down the team’s growing number of options in stadium search

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

Since the Chicago Bears hit a financial roadblock in their proposed move to Arlington Heights, other municipalities have been vying in a sort of roulette to attract — or in Chicago’s case, keep — the team.Naperville, Rockford, Chicago and, most recently, Waukegan have placed themselves in the running to land the white whale of the NFL — though some officials concede the team may be using them for leverage in negotiations with Arlington Heights.The franchise, a founding member of the league, valued at $5.8 billion by Forbes, is looking for a new home. Team officials hadn’t been planning an immediate move from Chicago’s Soldier Field until Arlington International Racecourse went for sale in 2021. They jumped at the chance and closed the deal to buy the property for $197 million this year.But Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi raised the valuation of the 326-acre property to nearly the sale price, which would have quadrupled the taxes to about $16 mill...

German government presents 1st national security strategy to address growing threats

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The German government said Russia is the greatest security threat “for the foreseeable future” and advocated a balanced approach to China as it unveiled its first comprehensive national security strategy on Wednesday.The strategy was part of an effort to address what Germany viewed as growing military, economic and social risks to the country.Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the new strategy, which his three-party governing coalition pledged to draw up when it took office at the end of 2021, has gained added importance since Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has heightened anxiety in Germany about the preparedness of its own armed forces, prompting Scholz to announce a “turning point” on military spending. It has also raised questions about how Germany responds to hybrid threats from disinformation, cyberattacks and economic pressure from major powers such as China.“Three things are important,” Scholz told reporters at a news conference in Berlin, alongsi...

Russia steps up aerial strikes on Ukraine, killing at least 6 amid Kyiv counteroffensive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and shelled the eastern Donetsk region early Wednesday, killing at least six people and damaging dozens of homes, regional Ukrainian officials said.Russian forces have stepped up aerial strikes in their nearly 16-month war, a Ukrainian military spokesman said, while the country’s armed forces have reported limited gains in the early stages of a counteroffensive to take back the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory that is under Russian control. In Odesa, three food warehouse employees were killed in a strike that also damaged homes, shops and cafes in the city’s downtown, the regional administration said on Facebook. Another 13 people were injured.Search teams were looking for possible survivors under the rubble of the warehouse, it said.The attack on the port city, launched from the Black Sea, was the second in a week and involved four Kalibr cruise missiles, three...

Police investigating spray attack in Japanese department store restroom, suspect at large

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Police in the western Japanese city of Osaka said Wednesday they are searching for a suspect who sprayed an unknown liquid on several women inside a department store, causing pain to their faces and eyes.One of the victims was 85-year-old woman who was sprayed inside the ladies room on the 9th floor of the Hankyu Department Store in Osaka, a local police official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. The woman complained of pain in the cheek and was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.At least six other people also had the unidentified liquid sprayed on their faces and had eye sores and other minor irritation, but none of them was seriously injured, police said.Police are searching for the suspect, believed to be in their 30s. Kyodo News reported that the suspect is believed to be a woman.Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press

It might seem tempting to not pay your student loans. Here’s why that’s a bad idea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — After three years, the pandemic-era freeze on student loan payments will end in late August.It might seem tempting to just keep not making payments, but the consequences can be severe, including a hit to your credit score and exclusion from future aid and benefits.More than 40 million Americans will have to start making federal student loan payments again at the end of the summer under the terms of a debt ceiling deal approved by Congress.Millions are also waiting to find out whether the Supreme Court will allow President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan to go ahead. But payments will resume regardless of what justices decide.That means tough decisions for many borrowers, especially those in already-difficult financial situations.Experts say that delinquency and bankruptcy should be options of last resort, and that deferment and forbearance — which pause payments, though interest may continue to accrue — are often better in the short term. WHAT HAPPENS IF I ...

Edmunds Compares: 2023 Kia EV6 GT vs Tesla Model Y Performance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

The electric car market is speeding up as consumer interest in EVs grows and a steady stream of new models arrive to fill different niches. Speed is the operative word when it comes to describing the 2023 Kia EV6 GT and Tesla Model Y Performance. These vehicles blend the acceleration and agility of a sports car with the packaging of an electric SUV. They also maintain a practical side thanks to their roomy second rows and a long roster of tech features. The automotive experts at Edmunds put these performance-themed EVs to the test to determine which is the better buy. PERFORMANCEThe Tesla Model Y Performance name provides an obvious hint that speed won’t be in short supply. The Performance trim sits above the base and Long Range versions of Tesla’s most popular model. Tesla doesn’t provide official horsepower ratings for the Model Y but the output is certainly prodigious. At Edmunds’ test track, the all-wheel-drive Model Y Performance needed only 3.7 seconds to zing its way from zer...

Russian court sends an associate of Kremlin foe Navalny to prison for 7 1/2 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:24 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Russia on Wednesday convicted an associate of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny on extremism charges and sentenced her to 7 1/2 years in prison, the latest step in a yearslong crackdown by the Kremlin on opposition activists. Lilia Chanysheva, who used to head Navalny’s office in the Russian region of Bashkortostan, was found guilty of calling for extremism, forming an extremist group and founding an organization that violates rights. The charges against Chanysheva, who was arrested in November 2021, stem from a court ruling earlier that year that designated Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his regional offices as extremist organizations. In addition to the prison sentence, Chanysheva was fined 400,000 rubles (about $4,700). Her trial was conducted behind closed doors and she has maintained her innocence, rejecting the charges as politically motivated. Navalny himself is facing a new trial on extremism charges that c...