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Union Pacific Railroad in tentative deal with union on paid sick leave

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — United Pacific railroad has reached a tentative deal with a major union regarding paid sick leave.The railroad and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers said that the deal reached over the weekend provides up to eight paid sick leave days to around 5,900 railroad employees.While all Union Pacific employees receive some form of paid leave, the proposed agreement will provide the union members an additional five paid sick days annually, prorated for 2023. Starting next year, they also will have the ability to convert up to three paid leave days for use as paid sick time.If ratified by workers, Union Pacific, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, will have paid sick leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions, making it the second railroad in the industry to to do so.Last month Norfolk Southern was the first major North American freight railroad to reach deals to provide paid sick time to all of its workers.Othe...

Israeli troops kill alleged Palestinian gunman as West Bank violence persists

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

JERUSAELM (AP) — Israeli troops shot and killed an alleged Palestinian gunman during new unrest in the West Bank Monday, as a wave of violence in the occupied territory showed no signs of slowing.The Israeli military said troops stopped a motorist in Deir Nidham, a town west of Ramallah, to question him. It said the man got out of his car, threw a grenade and fired shots toward soldiers, who then opened fire. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that a 33-year-old man had been killed, but gave no further details.The death comes during a major spike in violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Last week, Israel concluded a fierce two-day offensive that used rare air power and hundreds of troops in what was designed as a crackdown against militants.But the operation in the Jenin refugee camp was followed by more bloodshed, including a shooting by a Palestinian assailant that killed an Israeli soldier. A Israeli military raid killed two militants, while a third Palestinian was...

Denver council to vote on pandemic relief checks for some parents

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Monday is the last city meeting for the current Denver City Council members. One of their final issues to vote on is allocating another round of pandemic checks for some Denver residents.The goal is to help with basic needs like housing, food, utilities, bills, transportation, childcare and/or healthcare for people who were not eligible for federal pandemic relief. Denver renter priced out of his 20-year home amid rising rent The council members are weighing a proposed contract with a nonprofit called Impact Charitable to provide Denver residents with one-time, direct cash assistance. People could receive $1,000 for the first child and, potentially, an additional $500 for households with multiple children.This would total $3 million through June 30, 2024.  Who is eligible for the pandemic relief checks? The resolution states the payments will be made to the head of household, who is not eligible for federally funded public benefits, and with at least one ch...

Putin hosted Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin at the Kremlin after short-lived mutiny

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin days after the commander led a short-lived rebellion, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence held by both men.The three-hour meeting took place on June 29 and also involved commanders from Prigozhin’s Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine — where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops — and of the revolt itself. The Wagner forces pledged loyalty to Putin, according to Peskov.The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month in order to demand a change of defense minister, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case aga...

The huge blob of seaweed headed for Florida has shrunk by 75%

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

(CNN) — Florida vacations are back on, sans stinky seaweed.The record-breaking mass of stinky seaweed that began appearing on Florida’s iconic beaches this spring, known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Seaweed Belt, shrunk in the Gulf of Mexico by 75% last month, according to scientists from the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab.The seaweed, which smells like rotten eggs and emits toxic gases when it comes ashore, proved a nuisance for Florida beachgoers in the spring – which is also the start of the Sunshine State’s tourist season. In April, the seaweed set a record, with scientists identifying 3 million tons of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea.And while scientists expected the mass would shrink in June, last month’s dramatic decrease in the Gulf of Mexico was “beyond expectation,” according to a bulletin from the Optical Oceanography Lab.“Very little Sargassum was found by the end of June in the Straits of Florida and along the east coast of Florida,” the b...

Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld ‘most likely’ won’t run in 2024

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

Top Dutch European Parliament member Sophie in ‘t Veld is facing the end of a two-decade parliamentary career after Volt, the party she just joined, rejected her candidacy for the 2024 European election.Last month, in ‘t Veld quit her Dutch liberal party D66, citing policy disagreements, and joined Volt, a federalist movement with parties in all EU countries. But after making the switch, she needed a special dispensation to become a Volt candidate for 2024 as she had not been a party member for the requisite three months.Last week, the Dutch board of Volt rejected her request. “We have received a lot of WhatsApp messages, e-mails, calls, Workplace messages and letters in which Volt NL members shared their concerns about how we would deal with the possibility of granting dispensation,” Board co-Chair Rob Keijers wrote to members in a letter shared with POLITICO.“It’s their decision. There’s not a whole lot I can do about it,” in ‘t Veld told POLITI...

Thanks to viral megatests, a ‘cold’ may not be so common anymore

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

(CNN) — Got a stuffy nose and a cough? If you go to an urgent care or ER, chances are that you may be able find out exactly what type of germ is making you sick, thanks to newer tests that don’t look for just one pathogen at a time but sometimes screen for 18 to 20 viruses and bacteria.Use of these so-called multiplex tests has become more common in recent years. They were especially handy last fall and winter, when the US was contending with surges of at least three respiratory infections at the same time: Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus and the flu.They help doctors in busy settings make faster diagnoses, but experts say they can also be a mixed blessing. On one hand, you may be able to identify exactly which virus or viruses are making you sick. On the other, it may not do you or your doctor much good, since most viruses don’t have any specific treatments.And it can add to patient angst. If it’s no longer just a cold, it’s adenovirus or bocavirus – what exactly do...

Erdogan says Turkey could approve Sweden’s NATO membership if Europeans ‘open way’ to EU membership

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

By KARL RITTER and SUZAN FRASER (Associated Press)VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday introduced a new condition for approving Sweden’s membership in NATO, calling on European countries to “open the way” for Turkey to join the European Union.The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing to a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital added new uncertainty to Sweden’s bid to become the alliance’s 32nd member, which Turkey initially blocked saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.It was the first time that Erdogan linked his country’s ambition to join the EU with Sweden’s efforts to become a NATO member.“Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. “I am makin...

These trails are closed due to excessive heat warning

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Several hiking trails in the Cleveland National Forest are closed due to extreme heat in the forecast.Starting Monday, the San Diego River Gorge, Cedar Creek Falls, Three Sisters Falls and Eagle Peak trails were closed due to excessive heat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced. Excessive Heat Warning issued for these areas in San Diego County The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for San Diego County deserts and mountains beginning Tuesday morning and lasting through Sunday. The NWS forecasts dangerously hot conditions with temperatures that could reach 117 degrees in the deserts and 101 degrees in the mountains. People in these areas are advised to keep out of the sun, drink lots of fluids and seek air conditioning.

AFN chooses interim national chief ahead of annual meeting

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:12:27 GMT

The Assembly of First Nations has appointed a new temporary leader as the advocacy organization tries to forge a path forward after the tumultuous tenure and ousting of its national chief.Joanna Bernard, who is the regional chief for New Brunswick, has been chosen as the interim national chief until a new one is elected in December.“It is crucial that the Assembly of First Nations resume its important work of advancing First Nations’ priorities,” Bernard said in a news release Monday. The decision comes ahead of this week’s annual general assembly in Halifax where hundreds of Indigenous leaders are set to gather for the first time since former national chief RoseAnne Archibald was ousted from the organization’s helm. Archibald has said she may attend the meeting, scheduled to take place Tuesday through Thursday, and is asking for chiefs to reinstate her.Archibald was voted out during a special chiefs assembly on June 28 that also dealt with a human resources ...