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Overspending in Office of Homeless Services could prompt change to Philly's contract process
PHILADELPHIA —Philadelphia has for decades allowed some city departments to grant contracts to nonprofits without going through the usual competitive bidding process.
But following intense scrutiny of overspending in the city's Office of Homeless Services through its contracts with charities, the practice is now under threat — government ...Read more
Hamas says truce deal being studied in 'positive spirit'
Hamas is studying a proposal for a temporary cease-fire with Israel in a “positive spirit,” as international pressure mounts on the two sides to reach a deal and end a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
The Iran-backed militant group plans to send a delegation to Egypt “as soon as possible” to continue negotiations, according to ...Read more
US warns Georgia risks ties to west over 'Kremlin-Inspired' law
The U.S. warned Georgia that it’s risking relations with NATO and the European Union by pressing ahead with a “foreign agent” law that has sparked massive protests.
The ruling Georgian Dream party’s “Kremlin-inspired” legislation and “anti-Western rhetoric put Georgia on a precarious trajectory,” State Department spokesman ...Read more
NYC pushes new bus and bike lanes with congestion pricing coming
NEW YORK — With congestion pricing expected to reduce motor vehicle traffic in Midtown and lower Manhattan, city officials are planning for 37 new projects to expand bus, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, according to a report released by the NYC Department of Transportation Thursday.
The report comes on the heels of last week’s ...Read more
For immigrant workers who die in US, a body's journey home is one last struggle
BALTIMORE — Nearly two decades after Maynor Suazo Sandoval left Honduras seeking American prosperity, he will finally make the long-awaited trip home.
Suazo Sandoval was a month from his 39th birthday when he and five other highway workers fell to their deaths March 26 as the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.
His return soon to Central ...Read more
Maryland early voting for 2024 primary begins Thursday
BALTIMORE — Early voting for Maryland’s presidential primary election begins Thursday, and elections officials are preparing to implement a new method of quashing misinformation about the deluge of mail-in ballot requests they received this year.
“The weather is complying nicely for the week ahead for early voting,” said Maryland State ...Read more
'I've been terrified.' Student fears triggered by Israel-Palestinian conflict skyrocket
The UCLA Muslim student wears sunglasses, a kaffiyeh scarf and face mask to avoid recognition on campus. She's asked to move her classes online to prevent others from knowing her route and following her. She will speak only on the condition of anonymity to protect herself and her future as an aspiring nurse.
But her caution has not helped her ...Read more
'I've been terrified.' Student fears triggered by Israel-Palestinian conflict skyrocket
The UCLA Muslim student wears sunglasses, a kaffiyeh scarf and face mask to avoid recognition on campus. She's asked to move her classes online to prevent others from knowing her route and following her. She will speak only on the condition of anonymity to protect herself and her future as an aspiring nurse.
But her caution has not helped her ...Read more
Russians who fled abroad return in boost for Putin's war economy
As many as a million Russians fled abroad in the first year of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. Now thousands are returning home, delivering a propaganda victory to President Vladimir Putin and a boost to his war economy.
With the war still raging, and the man who started it about to assume another six-year term in power, many Russians are ...Read more
Saudi Arabia steps up arrests of those attacking Israel online
Saudi Arabia has stepped up the arrest of citizens for social-media posts related to the Israel-Hamas war as the kingdom signals a readiness to agree to diplomatic relations with the Jewish state — if it commits to Palestinian statehood.
Detaining people for online comments — even those more than 10 years old — and restrictions on free ...Read more
Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them
At an auction in England in 2011, one of John Lennon’s teeth sold for just over US$31,000.
How much are your teeth worth?
Teeth are amazing little miracles. They light up our smiles, we use them to speak and we chew with them more than 600 times at every meal.
Yet, in a society where 1 out of 5 Americans ages 75 and ...Read more
How ‘apocalypse’ became a secular as well as religious idea
The exponential growth of artificial intelligence over the past year has sparked discussions about whether the era of human domination of our planet is drawing to a close. The most dire predictions claim that the machines will take over within five to 10 years.
Fears of AI are not the only things driving public concern about the end ...Read more
Massive police operation breaches UCLA pro-Palestinian encampment, makes arrests
LOS ANGELES — Police moved into the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA Thursday morning, where they faced intense resistance and made dozens of arrests.
Officers wearing body armor, helmets and face shields methodically pulled apart the barricade as protesters tried to hold together the assemblage of plywood and metal fencing. Flares arced ...Read more
Mandatory reporting laws meant to protect children get another look
More than 60 years ago, policymakers in Colorado embraced the idea that early intervention could prevent child abuse and save lives. The state’s requirement that certain professionals tell officials when they suspect a child has been abused or neglected was among the first mandatory reporting laws in the nation.
Since then, mandatory ...Read more
Geopolitics and the winner of this season's 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
TAIPEI, Taiwan — To hundreds of thousands of fans around the world who watched this season's finale of the hit reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race," the final plea for victory from one of the contestants wasn't especially memorable.
"It would mean a lot to be the first East Asian queen to win the crown and to be able to represent my country," ...Read more
Long-awaited Chicago policy doesn't do enough to protect migrating birds, advocates say
CHICAGO — Annette Prince peered between glossy downtown buildings: ”There’s a bird in that grate.”
Sure enough, sitting very still in the rain was a tiny white-throated sparrow, so drenched you could barely make out its canary-yellow face markings. The bird was too dazed to move — an easy target for the hungry seagulls that were ...Read more
California crime victims' groups are pressing state lawmakers to restore funding. Here's why
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California crime victims groups and state lawmakers are pushing for $200 million in ongoing funding amid fears of impending deep federal funding cuts for victims’ services.
Dozens of organizations across California including Sacramento’s WEAVE and Sacramento LGBT Community Center, Yolo County’s Empower Yolo and ...Read more
Meet the homeless LA immigrants who built their own home in a gentrifying area
LOS ANGELES — In a city of multimillion-dollar houses and celebrity estates, Cesar Augusto’s home stands apart.
The walls consist of discarded fencing and wood paneling repurposed by Augusto, a tarp serves as a roof, and the front yard is the industrial backdrop of a city’s flood channel.
Balanced on a thin slice of land between the 110 ...Read more
Monthly payments of $1,000 could get thousands of homeless people off the streets, researchers say
LOS ANGELES -- A monthly payment of $750 to $1,000 would allow thousands of the city's homeless people to find informal housing, living in boarding homes, in shared apartments and with family and friends, according to a policy brief by four prominent Los Angeles academics.
Citing positive preliminary results of pilot studies in several cities, ...Read more
California deficit could halt raises for disability workers. They say Newsom 'breaking a promise'
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities say Gov. Gavin Newsom is reneging on a scheduled raise for the workers who care for their loved ones, and advocates warn of potential lawsuits if disability services become harder to get.
Citing California’s budget deficit, the Democratic governor wants...Read more
Popular Stories
- Meet the homeless LA immigrants who built their own home in a gentrifying area
- Mandatory reporting laws meant to protect children get another look
- Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them
- How ‘apocalypse’ became a secular as well as religious idea
- Long-awaited Chicago policy doesn't do enough to protect migrating birds, advocates say