Новости за 25.10.2023

Scholastic Inc. will end a widely criticized policy that made it easier for school book fairs not to sell works with racial, disability and LGBTQ+ themes. The children’s publisher angered many authors and educators when it created a separate package of more than two dozen books, labeled “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice,” and gave schools the option on whether to include them. Scholastic had said the policy, which will remain in place for the rest of the year, was a response to the proliferation of restrictions around the country. Читать дальше...

Billions of dollars for a global HIV/AIDS program that's saved millions of lives are in limbo and now the George W. Bush Institute is urging the U.S. Congress to keep money flowing to the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. The program sends billions of dollars to provide HIV/AIDS medication around the globe. Some Republicans say they are opposing the 20-year program because they're worried money may be used to fund abortion services. PEPFAR's director told The... Читать дальше...

Major corporations in water-guzzling industries such as apparel, food and beverage, and tech want to be better stewards of the freshwater resources they use. But a nonprofit that advocates for sustainability said an analysis of 72 companies found that few are close to reaching the targets they have set for themselves by 2030. The nonprofit, Ceres, looked at things including how well the companies protected the quality and quantity of water they used, as well as the ecosystems that supply it. Ceres... Читать дальше...

A judge has reinstated all charges, including a murder count, against a former police officer who shot and killed a driver through a rolled-up car window. Wednesday’s ruling came nearly a month after another judge dismissed murder and other charges against Officer Mark Dial in the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry. The defense asserted that Dial acted in self-defense when he fired through the driver’s side window of Irizarry’s sedan during a traffic stop in August. Prosecutors cited bodycam video... Читать дальше...

Israeli officials are outraged over U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ comment that the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel “did not happen in a vacuum,” calling it justification for terrorism. Israel's foreign minister canceled a scheduled meeting with Guterres while Israel’s Holocaust memorial said the U.N. chief “failed the test.” Israel’s envoy to the U.N. called Wednesday for his resignation, saying Israel must rethink its relations with the world body. The Israel-Hamas war has so far left at least 1,400 Israelis dead... Читать дальше...

Boeing is reporting a loss of $1.64 billion in the third quarter. The company said Wednesday it delivered fewer planes than a year ago, especially its best-seller, the 737 Max. Boeing is lowering its forecast of 737 production for this year. And Boeing is reporting another loss on its contract with the Air Force to build two new presidential jets. Those are 747s that are modified to become Air Force One planes.

It ain’t the Olympics, but a group of Floridians plan to host competitions themed according to the collective antics of the beer-loving, gator-possessing, rap-sheet heavy, mullet-wearing social media phenomenon known as “Florida Man.” The games will poke fun at Florida’s reputation for producing strange news stories involving guns, drugs, booze and reptiles — or some combination of the four. Organizers say the contests planned for next February in St. Augustine, Florida, includes the the self-explanatory beer-belly wrestling contest... Читать дальше...

Amazon is rolling out an independent cloud for Europe as it looks to address strict regulations that companies and those in the public sector face there. Amazon Web Services said Wednesday that its AWS European Sovereign Cloud, which will be located in and operate out of Europe, will have the same security, availability, and performance as existing AWS Regions but will be separate from them. The cloud will let customers keep all metadata they create in the European Union and will have its own billing and usage metering systems.

Michael Cohen will be back on the witness stand to testify against his ex-boss Donald Trump in a New York civil trial over allegations the former president chronically exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings on financial documents. During his first day of testimony on Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump’s company worked to inflate the estimated values of his holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set “arbitrarily.” Trump watched... Читать дальше...

Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, can help pay for Medicare Part A and/or Part B copays, coinsurance and deductibles, but shopping for plans isn’t always straightforward. Shoppers should know that because Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government, plans with the same letter name offer the same Medicare benefits, regardless of company or price. In some cases, a lower-coverage plan isn’t necessarily cheaper — there may be higher-coverage options available for lower premiums. Читать дальше...

The city of Orlando is moving forward with plans to create a memorial on the property of the Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were massacred seven years ago. City leaders agreed Monday night to purchase the property for $2 million. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says they plan a collaborative approach, working with families of the victims to create the memorial. On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen opened fire in the gay nightclub, killing 49 and wounding 53 people. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting... Читать дальше...

BRUSSELS (AP) — Donald Tusk, the opposition candidate who may become Poland's next prime minister, sought to repair Warsaw's ties with the European Union during a series of meetings in Brussels that also centered on unlocking billions of euros in funds that were frozen due to democratic backsliding under the outgoing nationalist government.

Supporting Israel has leapt to a top priority for evangelicals in the leadoff Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa, now less than three months away. That's according to interviews with more than a dozen Iowa conservative activists. Curbing abortion has for decades energized Christian conservatives like no other issue. But the attack by Hamas and Israel’s response have put new pressure on Republican candidates to hew not just to traditional Republican support for Israel but to beliefs rooted in the Bible. Читать дальше...

Waiting is never easy, but it’s worth it for car shoppers who want the most car for their money. The automotive experts at Edmunds have picked five vehicles coming soon that have attention-grabbing exterior designs, increased off-road capability, and high-tech cabins with tons of passenger space. The five choices include full-electrics such as the all-new Kia EV9 and Honda Prologue SUVs, redesigned versions of the three-row Chevrolet Traverse and Hyundai Santa Fe midsize SUVs, and the Toyota Tacoma, which receives a long-awaited redesign.

TAIPÉI, Taiwán (AP) — China anunció el miércoles sus planes de enviar un nuevo telescopio para escrutar las profundidades del universo, mientras se prepara para enviar a la próxima tripulación de tres miembros a su estación espacial orbital.

President Joe Biden is hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a state visit that's intended to deepen the partnership between the two allies. The visit will feature a lavish state dinner at the White House. The leaders are working on economic development partnerships that are intended to bolster Pacific island nations. They're also pushing to arm Australia with U.S.-made, nuclear-powered submarines. The initiatives are intended to counter China's influence in the region, which is one of Biden's top foreign policy goals.

Environmentalists have slammed Malaysia's move to let Australian miner Lynas import and process rare earths until March 2026. That decision reversed an earlier order for a halt to such activities by Jan. 1 after Lynas proposed to remove radioactive thorium from raw material and from over a million tons of waste amassed at its refinery. Activists say the company should have been compelled to prove its proposal could work. And they worry it will generate more waste while the safety of its existing waste hasn't been resolved. Читать дальше...

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak was ruled negligent in its duty of care to passengers in an Australian class-action case Wednesday.

Snow started falling Tuesday in the northern Cascades and Rockies in the first major snowstorm of the season, prompting people to search out their winter coats, boots and ice scrapers after a warm fall in many places. The heaviest snow was expected in central Montana late Tuesday and Wednesday. The National Weather Service warned of hazardous travel on snowy mountain passes and ice on some highways when snow initially melts and then freezes as road temperatures drop. The storm was forecast to come in waves... Читать дальше...

The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners says two officers involved in a struggle that ended with the death of teacher violated the LAPD's policy on use of lethal force. Commissioners on Tuesday adopted findings by the police chief that the officers were “out of policy” when they pressed on Keenan Anderson's windpipe during the Jan. 3 arrest. The chief also said one officer was out of policy for using a Taser six times on Anderson. The commission's vote opens the way for the officers to face discipline. Читать дальше...

As winter approaches, a Vermont ski town that was hit by severe flooding this summer wants to get the word out that its very much open, with only a handful of businesses still rebuilding. Ludlow, home to the Okemo ski resort, was one of the hardest hit communities in Vermont in the July flooding that not only inundated businesses and homes with floodwaters but heavily damaged the town post office and wastewater treatment plant. The Ludlow town manager says more than 90% of the damaged businesses... Читать дальше...

Republicans have chosen Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as their latest nominee for House speaker. Johnson will face a floor vote Wednesday trying to unify the divided Republican majority. He is the fourth candidate Republicans have now nominated to replace Kevin McCarthy. Johnson's nomination came just hours after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, dropped out amid opposition from Donald Trump. Three weeks without a speaker, Republicans are desperate to end the chaos and get back to work. Johnson, who is 51... Читать дальше...

HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu officials on Tuesday introduced a new interpretive plaque for four large boulders in the center of Waikiki that honor Tahitian healers of dual male and female spirit who visited Oahu some 500 years ago.

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and other Japanese automakers are serious about rolling out battery electric vehicles to catch up with the world's frontrunners like Tesla and BYD. It’s a message ringing clear at the Tokyo Mobility Show, which runs through Nov. 5 and where an EV is the star at practically every booth. Journalists got a preview of the concept models Wednesday ahead of the show's opening to the public Saturday. Among them are Toyota’s lean, angular Lexus concept, set to go on sale in 2026, which runs on lithium-ion batteries. Читать дальше...

Vietnamese automaker Vinfast has plunged right into the crowded and hypercompetitive U.S. auto market, gambling that if it can sell its electric vehicles to finicky Americans, it can succeed anywhere. So far, that gamble has yet to pay off. But its CEO told The Associated Press in a recent interview that Vinfast chose the U.S. as a proving ground it hopes will win it customers around the world. The company has sold just over 2,000 EVs in the United States so far. It's far from attaining its global goal of selling 50,000 this year. Читать дальше...