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Dozens of animals removed from ‘shocking’ conditions in NH home

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

Several dozen animals were removed from “shocking” conditions in a home in Bedford, New Hampshire earlier this week, the New Hampshire SPCA announced Friday. The animals, including 33 dogs, three birds and a cat, were taken into the care of the New Hampshire SPCA, which is now asking for help from the community.“We are at capacity and in need of support, food donations and adopters,” the organization said in a statement. The NHSPCA said its personnel worked with Bedford police officers to serve a search warrant at the Bedford home on Wednesday. Inside, the NHSPCA said authorities found the house was “full of mold.” The SPCA described an “overwhelming” smell from animal waste and said the dogs were living in wire crates stacked three crates high. The NHSPCA said the crates were inappropriately sized for the dogs inside and said floors in the house were covered in feces.  Officials this week said they had investigated the house where the latest group of a...

Fee-only financial planners vs. fee-based

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

Brian Baker | Bankrate.com (TNS)When looking for a financial adviser, you’ll encounter various compensation arrangements, including fee-only advisers and fee-based advisers. Fee-only advisers and fee-based advisers sound very similar, but they have some major differences, and it could have a big impact on the kind of advice you receive as a client.Here’s what you should know about fee-only and fee-based financial planners.What is a fee-only financial planner?A fee-only financial planner is someone who earns a fee for their services and does not receive commissions on the sale of financial products as additional compensation. The fee may be paid as an hourly rate, a flat fee or as a percentage of assets under management (typically around one percent).Fee-only advisers typically act as fiduciaries for their clients, meaning they put their clients’ interests before their own or their firms’. Certain professional designations such as a certified financial planner (CFP) and a chartered f...

As ranked choice voting gains momentum, parties in power push back

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

By Matt Vasilogambros, Stateline.orgOver the past decade, ranked choice voting has become increasingly popular. From conservative Utah to liberal New York City, 13 million American voters in 51 jurisdictions — including all of Alaska and Maine — now use the system, under which voters rank candidates based on preference, leading to an instant runoff in a crowded race.This year, Democrats and Republicans in power pushed back.Arguing that ranked choice voting is too complicated for voters to understand, Democrats in the District of Columbia and Republicans in states such as Idaho, Montana and South Dakota took steps to prevent adoption of the voting system.Earlier this month, the D.C. Democratic Party filed a lawsuit to block a ballot initiative that would adopt ranked choice voting and allow voters without a party affiliation to cast ballots in primaries. The lawsuit argued in part that ranked choice voting might confuse voters, which “could ultimately suppress the voice and influence...

What is the new ‘Star Wars’ show ‘Ahsoka’ on Disney+ and why should you care?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

Christopher Borrelli | Chicago TribuneAhsoka Tano pilots a flying quesadilla through an unsettled galaxy. As a member of the Togruta species, she is a native of the planet Shili, and not the Togruta colony found on the planet Kiros. (Such an easy mistake to make.) According to Wookiepedia — a product of the semi-sentient human species of the planet Earth — Togruta can be blue, purple, white, yellow or red. Ahsoka is sort of spray-tan hued, though a bit lighter. The Togruta are distinguished by their loyalty and their montrals, which Wookiepedia describes as “cone-like horns” jutting out of their temples, but, to humans, it looks like small octopuses passed out on their heads and the Togruta were totally cool with it.How much of that did you already know?It might matter if you follow the new “Ahsoka” series on Disney+ into the darkest reaches of “Star Wars” lore. To put it in fluent George Lucas: “Ahsoka” is set on the outer rim of the galaxy. But if you come to “Star Wars” every dec...

Nearly half the states now allow in-state tuition for immigrant students

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline.orgWhen Cristian Dubon Solis was getting ready to graduate from a Boston high school in 2020, he started planning to apply to college. It was only then he realized that as an immigrant lacking permanent legal status, he wouldn’t qualify for in-state tuition at Massachusetts state universities, nor for state-sponsored financial aid.With no way to afford a four-year school to pursue his dream major, environmental science, he put those plans on hold.“I took a few gap years afterward,” said the now 21-year-old from East Boston, a community where about half the residents are Hispanic or Latino. Solis now advocates for young immigrants as a student coordinator for a nonprofit group called SIM, which formerly stood for Student Immigration Movement.One of four siblings, Solis came to the United States from El Salvador at age 3. His three younger sisters were born in the U.S., he said. Family and friends didn’t discuss their immigration status, so he never hear...

Energy interests and environmentalists fight Biden oil lease plan from different sides

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan to protect an endangered species of whale by scaling back an auction of oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico is being challenged by the oil industry, even as environmentalists go to court to stop the lease sale altogether.The conflicting federal lawsuits, one filed Thursday in Louisiana by oil interests, the other announced Friday in Washington by the organization Earthjustice, focus on a planned sale of oil and gas leases set for Sept. 27 in New Orleans. As originally proposed in March, the sale was to cover more than 73 million acres. That area was reduced to 67 million acres this week when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced final plans for the sale. The revision, which also includes new speed limits and requirements for personnel on industry vessels, dovetails with measures announced by the administration on Monday to protect the endangered Rice’s whale in the Gulf. The adoption of those meas...

Fire breaks out at Louisiana refinery; no injuries reported

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

GARYVILLE, La. (AP) — Residents within two miles of a south Louisiana refinery were ordered to evacuate Friday after a fire broke out that sent huge plumes of black smoke into the sky, authorities said.No injuries were reported.St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard ordered the mandatory evacuation of those living near the Marathon Petroleum facility in Garyville as a precaution “even though we have been assured that all impacts are contained to the facility.”“There’s a large smoke plume over the area, and we just want to make sure that our residents are safe,” Hotard said during a news conference. “It’s alarming to see what’s going on. I understand residents’ concerns. It’s a little scary. We recommend you take the evacuation seriously in case there are impacts.”Emergency responders said the fire was contained to the refinery’s property, and no injuries have been reported. Air monitoring is also taking place as a precaution, official...

The descendants of a British owner of slaves in Guyana apologize as Caribbean seeks reparations

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The descendants of a 19th-century Scottish sugar and coffee planter who owned thousands of slaves in Guyana apologized Friday for the sins of their ancestor, calling slavery a crime against humanity with lasting negative impacts.Charles Gladstone, a descendant of former plantation owner John Gladstone, traveled to Guyana from Britain with five relatives to offer the formal apology.“It is with deep shame and regret that we acknowledge our ancestors’ involvement in this crime and with heartfelt sincerity, we apologize to the descendants of the enslaved in Guyana,” he told an audience at the University of Guyana.”In doing so, we acknowledge slavery’s continuing impact on the daily lives of many.”Neither Guyana President Irfaan Ali, who on Thursday demanded reparations and lashed out at the descendants of European slave traders, nor other senior government officials were in the audience of a couple hundred students, university staff members and repr...

Appellate judges revive Jewish couple’s lawsuit alleging adoption bias under Tennessee law

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Appellate judges have revived a couple’s lawsuit that alleges a state-sponsored Christian adoption agency wouldn’t help them because they are Jewish and argues that a Tennessee law protecting such denials is unconstitutional. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals ruled that Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram have the right as taxpayers to sue in the case, as do six other taxpayer plaintiffs in the case. The ruling overturns a lower court’s determination in June 2022 that none of them had legal standing. The case can now proceed in the trial court.The lawsuit against the state challenges a 2020 law that installed legal protections for private adoption agencies to reject state-funded placement of children to parents based on religious beliefs.Much of the criticism of the law focused on how it shielded adoption agencies that refuse to serve prospective LGBTQ parents. But the Rutan-Rams alleged they were discriminated again...

Man wanted in alleged armed robbery in downtown Toronto

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:12:48 GMT

Toronto police are searching for a man wanted in an alleged armed robbery in downtown Toronto.Investigators say two people were sitting on a bench in the area of Yonge Street and Adelaide Street East on August 13 when they were approached by a man around 5 p.m. The suspect indicated he had a gun in his bag before grabbing a gold chain from around one of the victim’s necks and fleeing the scene on foot. The suspect is described as being between 25 to 30 years of age with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a light blue and grey hoodie, orange knee length jeans and carrying a black satchel worn across his body with a strap over the right shoulder. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.