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☆ They Want to Become Nuns and Priests. Student Debt Holds Them Back.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Sejla Rizvic | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It wasn’t until after college that Kendra Baker began to consider becoming a nun. A few hours later, her father opened his eyes. “He’s relearned to walk, talk, drive — he can eat normally,” Ms. Baker, 25, said. “Not God’s booming voice saying, ‘Kendra, go to the convent now.’ But just very gentle,” she said. Only one thing was preventing her from joining: her student loan debt.

Persons: Kendra Baker, Ms, Baker, “, ‘ Kendra, Carmelite Organizations: Roman Catholic, Western Washington University Locations: Seattle, Los Angeles

☆ Middle East Crisis Israel’s Military Presents Civilian Evacuation Plan for Gaza’s Combat Areas
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

A man set himself on fire on Sunday afternoon outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. A U.S. Air Force spokeswoman, Ann Stefanek, confirmed on Sunday night that the man was an active-duty airman. The man was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. No embassy staff members were injured, and all were accounted for, according to Tal Naim, a spokeswoman for the embassy. The New York Times could not confirm who was behind the account that posted the video, but the video featured a man walking toward the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

Persons: Ann Stefanek, Vito Maggiolo, Tal Naim, “, ”, dousing, Sean Hickman Organizations: Embassy, Metropolitan Police Department, U.S . Air Force, U.S, Secret Service, New York Times, Air Force, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Israel, International Locations: Washington, U.S, Gaza, Texas, Israel, Atlanta

☆ A man set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, the police said.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Aishvarya Kavi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A man set himself on fire on Sunday afternoon outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Officers with the U.S. Secret Service extinguished the fire outside the embassy, in northwestern Washington, around 1 p.m., said Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman with the city’s fire department. The man was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. No embassy staff members were injured, and all were accounted for, according to Tal Naim, a spokeswoman for the embassy. The New York Times could not confirm who was behind the account that posted the video, but the video featured a man walking toward the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

Persons: Vito Maggiolo, Tal Naim Organizations: Embassy, Metropolitan Police Department, U.S, Secret Service, New York Times Locations: Washington

But that outburst of direct democracy has been limited to just half the states. About 167 million people live in 25 other states where such direct democracy is not currently an option. The number of ballot measures seeking to restrict the initiative and referendum process dipped in 2016 and has since risen. Measures seeking to restrict direct democracy peaked from 1995 to 2004 but significantly outpaced those seeking to expand direct democracy throughout the entire period of 1960 through 2022. Californians have considered 391 ballot initiatives — approving 137 of them — following campaigns that in recent years have cost tens of millions of dollars.

Persons: ”, John Matsusaka, Daniel Smith, Todd Donovan, that's, it's, Matsusaka, Michael Smith, ” Donovan, It's, it’s, ” Matsusaka Organizations: Initiative, University of Southern, South, University of Florida, Western Washington University, REPUBLICAN PUSHBACK Republican, Republican, Democratic, BIG, Oregon, Voters, Emporia State University, Referendum Locations: Maine, Ohio, University of Southern California, South Dakota, Mississippi, Alaska, Wyoming, Illinois, Florida, Arizona , Arkansas , Ohio, Arizona, Oregon, California, Kansas

A Washington state senator was arrested at a Hong Kong airport on charges of possessing a locally unregistered firearm, his office said on Monday. Jeff Wilson, a Republican who represents parts of southwestern Washington State, discovered the weapon on his flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong when he reached into his briefcase for a piece of gum, his office said in a statement. Baggage screeners in Portland, Ore., had failed to notice the unloaded pistol in his briefcase before he departed for his trip, letting it pass through airport security, according to his office. When he landed at Hong Kong International Airport, he told customs officials there about the gun. Mr. Wilson was arrested on Friday night, then released on bail on Sunday, his office said.

Persons: Jeff Wilson, Wilson Organizations: Republican, Hong Kong International Airport Locations: Washington, Hong Kong, Washington State, San Francisco, Portland ,

☆ Strike by 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers enters third day
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Healthcare workers strike in front of Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers go on strike from October 4 to 7 across the United States, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 4, 2023. Kaiser has said its hospitals and emergency departments have remained open despite the walkout, staffed by doctors, managers and "contingency workers." In any case, Lucas said the striking workers will all return to their jobs by 6 a.m. on Saturday, 72 hours after the strike began, because healthcare workers by law must give advance notice of 10 days of any intent to go on strike. However, the union on Friday warned of another strike if "Kaiser executives continue to commit unfair labor practices and bargain in bad faith." The Kaiser strike has idled more than 75,000 employees, union officials said.

Persons: Kaiser, Julie Su, Caroline Lucas, Lucas, Steve Gorman, Ahmed Aboulenein, Bhanvi, Bill Berkrot, Robert Birsel, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Permanente, REUTERS, Kaiser Permanente, District of Columbia, Labor, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions, Kaiser, Union, Unions, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: United States, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Kaiser, California , Oregon, Washington, , Colorado, Virginia, California, Las Vegas, California , Colorado , Oregon, Hawaii , Georgia, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

[1/7] Healthcare workers strike in front of Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers go on strike from October 4 to 7 across the United States, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 4, 2023. Kaiser said its hospitals and emergency departments remained open, staffed by doctors, managers and "contingency workers." They are represented by the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. The Kaiser labor coalition, made up of eight unions representing medical professionals and support staff, insists the company needs to hire 10,000 new healthcare workers to fill current vacancies. Kaiser nationwide employs 68,000 nurses and 213,000 technicians, clerical workers, and administrative staff, alongside its 24,000 doctors.

Persons: Kaiser, Christina Andersen, Michael LeRoy, Ahmed Aboulenein, Bhanvi Satija, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Permanente, REUTERS, Rights, Kaiser Permanente, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, District Columbia, Kaiser, Labor, Tenet Healthcare, SEIU United Healthcare Workers, SEIU, University of Illinois, D.C, Thomson Locations: United States, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Kaiser, California , Oregon, Washington , Colorado, Virginia, Claremont , California, California, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, Washington, California , Colorado , Oregon

[1/7] Healthcare workers strike in front of Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers go on strike from October 4 to 7 across the United States, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 4, 2023. "After six months of bargaining with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, including a marathon effort that went through last night and into today, our bargaining sessions unfortunately ended without a settlement," Kaiser said. They are represented by the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. The Kaiser labor coalition, made up of eight unions representing medical professionals and support staff, insists the company needs to hire 10,000 new healthcare workers to fill current vacancies. Kaiser nationwide employs 68,000 nurses and 213,000 technicians, clerical workers, and administrative staff, alongside its 24,000 doctors.

Persons: Kaiser, Christina Andersen, Michael LeRoy, Ahmed Aboulenein, Bhanvi Satija, Bill Berkrot, Navaratnam 私 Organizations: Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Permanente, REUTERS, Rights, Kaiser Permanente, Reuters, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, District Columbia, Kaiser, Labor, Tenet Healthcare, SEIU United Healthcare Workers, SEIU, University of Illinois, D.C Locations: United States, Los Angeles , California, U.S, California , Oregon, Washington , Colorado, Virginia, Claremont , California, California, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, Washington, California , Colorado , Oregon

☆ Kaiser Permanente, union negotiations continue as strike begins in Virgina, Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Kaiser Permanente health care center is pictured in Anaheim, California, U.S., October 3, 2023 as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers could go on strike from Oct. 4 to Oct. 7 across the United States. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Kaiser Permanente FollowOct 4 (Reuters) - Healthcare workers launched a planned three-day strike at Kaiser Permanente facilities on Wednesday, even as the union and the company said talks were continuing. Strikes have begun in Virginia and Washington, with additional strikes set to begin later in the day on the West Coast. Union officials said the planned strike against Kaiser, one of the nation's leading not-for-profit healthcare networks and managed-care organizations, would mark the largest strike ever in the U.S. medical industry. Staffing levels have been a major sticking point, with the union insisting Kaiser needs to hire 10,000 new healthcare workers to fill current vacancies.

Persons: Mike Blake, Kaiser, Ahmed Aboulenein Organizations: Permanente, REUTERS, Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, West Coast . Union, D.C, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Thomson Locations: Anaheim , California, U.S, United States, Virginia, Washington, West Coast, California , Oregon, , Colorado, California , Colorado , Oregon

[1/2] A Kaiser Permanente health care center is pictured in Anaheim, California, U.S., October 3, 2023 as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers could go on strike from Oct. 4 to Oct. 7 across the United States. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Kaiser Permanente FollowWASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Kaiser Permanente appeared headed for a labor clash with 75,000 of its healthcare workers as union leaders said contract talks had stalled on Tuesday, leaving the two sides hours away from a threatened three-day strike in several states. Kaiser said its hospitals and emergency departments would remain open in the event of a strike, staffed by doctors, managers and other non-union "contingency workers." As of Tuesday, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said the healthcare giant had yet to offer acceptable terms to address severe staffing shortages, or to embrace adequate improvements in pay and benefits sought by the workers. Staffing levels have been a major sticking point, with the union insisting Kaiser needs to hire 10,000 new healthcare workers to fill current vacancies.

Persons: Mike Blake, Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser, Caroline Lucas, Hilary Costa, Ahmed Aboulenein, Steve Gorman, Bill Berkrot, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kaiser Permanente, Permanente, REUTERS, D.C, Union, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions, Kaiser, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Thomson Locations: Anaheim , California, U.S, United States, California , Oregon, Washington, , Colorado, Virginia, Georgia, Hawaii, California , Colorado , Oregon, Los Angeles

☆ Why some salads may be unsafe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Kirsi Goldynia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Even harder to contend with is the fact that the food products most susceptible to contamination are often those we eat for their health benefits – produce items. “Produce led the list; about 46% of the foodborne illness that we saw in the US could be attributable to produce. But you bring up a really great point that the processing of packaged meats may actually protect the products from pathogens. I think water is going to emerge as a huge issue. I think we’ve got systems in place that do a good job of making sure that consumers are getting good products.

Persons: Dr, Catherine Donnelly, Listeria, ”, Donnelly, “ Produce, ” That’s, –, ” Donnelly, I’m, we’ve, Edwin Remsberg, they’re, there’s, Barack Obama’s, Bridget Bennett, Vibrio, Facebook There’s Organizations: CNN, Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences, University of Vermont, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, “, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, US Department of Agriculture, Getty, Bloomberg, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Western Washington, Cronobacter, Michigan, KFF, Vermont, hydroponics

☆ ‘Swift Quake’: Taylor Swift Fans Shake Ground During Seattle Concert
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Chang Che | More About Chang Che | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I shake it off, I shake it off,” Taylor Swift sang. A Taylor Swift concert in downtown Seattle last weekend shook the ground so hard, it registered signals on a nearby seismometer roughly equivalent to a magnitude 2.3 earthquake, seismologists said. “It’s certainly the biggest concert we’ve had in a while,” said Mouse Reusch, a seismologist at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, which monitors earthquake activity in the Pacific Northwest. “We’re talking about 70,000 people and all the music and paraphernalia associated with the concert.”The so-called “Swift Quake” recorded a maximum ground acceleration of roughly 0.011 meters per second squared, said Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, a seismologist at Western Washington University. Seismologists use acceleration to measure ground vibrations, which are then converted to the more conventional Richter scale, the common measurement for earthquakes.

Persons: ” Taylor Swift, Taylor, seismologists, “ It’s, we’ve, ”, “, Jackie Caplan, Auerbach Organizations: Northwest Seismic Network, Western Washington University Locations: Seattle, Pacific Northwest

CNN —Taylor Swift fans are in their record-breaking era. The “Swift Quake” has been compared to the 2011 “Beast Quake,” when Seattle Seahawks fans erupted after an impressive touchdown by running back Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch. The ensuing celebration was detected on the same local seismometer as the Swift concert, Caplan-Auerbach told CNN. Seismograms compare seismic activity from the 2011 'Beast Quake' with activity recorded during one of Taylor Swift's July concerts in Seattle. While the magnitude difference between “Beast Quake” and “Swift Quake” is only 0.3, Caplan-Auerbach said the Swifties have the Seahawks fans beat.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Lumen, Jackie Caplan, Auerbach, ” Lynch, Caplan, Taylor, Auerbach “, they’re, Swift, “, ” Caplan, Taylor Swift's, Taylor Swift, ”, Chloe Melas Organizations: CNN, Lumen Field, Seattle Seahawks, Western Washington University, Facebook, Seahawks, “ Locations: Seattle, Pacific, Pittsburgh, Santa Clara, Northern California, Los Angeles, Mexico City

☆ July supermoon: When and how to see the buck moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Amaya Mcdonald | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This month’s moon is also known as the buck moon. Names like hot moon refer to summer weather while terms like raspberry moon and ripe corn moon signify the best times for harvesting fruit and other crops. There will be two supermoons in August, including a blue moon, which will be the closest moon to Earth this year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Here are the full moons remaining in 2023, according to the Farmer’s Almanac:● August 1: Sturgeon moon● August 30: Blue moon● September 29: Harvest moon● October 28: Hunter’s moon● November 27: Beaver moon● December 26: Cold moonLunar and solar eclipsesPeople across North, Central and South America will be able to see an annular solar eclipse on October 14. Only part of the moon will pass into shadow as the sun, Earth and moon will not completely align.

Persons: ”, Shannon Schmoll, it’s, Schmoll, Isaiah J, Downing, Alpha Capricornids, Perseids, Orionids, Leonids, Geminids, Ursids Organizations: CNN, Michigan State University, “, Western Washington University ., USA, Sports, Meteor, Aquariids, Alpha Locations: North, Central, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, South Africa

☆ Don't think you have enough money to invest in real estate? Here's how 4 investors got started with less than $10,000 upfront.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They used strategies like buying with an FHA loan and partnering with someone to split the costs. Wanot isn't the only successful property investor Insider has spoken with who got started without much cash. Dominic Kosteris bought a modest starter home even though he could have afforded moreReal estate investor Dominic Kosteris and his family. Sean Allen bought out-of-state in a more affordable market and invested with a friendLos Angeles-based real estate investor Sean Allen and his fiancé. Becoming a property investor all started with a conversation with his friend back in 2013.

☆ Two charged in Christmas Day attacks on Washington substations that cut power to 14,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Two men have been charged in the Christmas Day attacks on four power substations near Tacoma, Washington, that left about 14,000 homes and businesses without power, officials said Tuesday. While federal authorities have long said the country's power grid is vulnerable to terrorists domestic and foreign, the suspects may have been motivated by the spoils of burglary, prosecutors said. The federal public defender's office for Western Washington didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The attacks appeared to successfully target the substations' high-side switches, devices that can connect or disconnect a potent power source, authorities said in court filings. The Graham and Elk Plain substations are operated by Tacoma Power; the Kapowsin and Hemlock substations are operated by Puget Sound Energy.

The Buffalo Airport, which has been closed since Dec. 23, was expected to reopen on Wednesday morning, according to a tweet. A little more than 1,400 energy customers in New York state were without power Wednesday morning — amounting to only 0.02% of the state — according to PowerOutage.us. Storms to batter the West CoastMeanwhile, a total of five separate storm systems will impact the West through next Monday. Oregon State Parks announced emergency closures for Ecola and Cape Meares because of high winds and the potential for falling trees. Colusa and Mendocino counties had 650 and just over 700 power outages as of Wednesday morning, respectively, according to PowerOutage.us.

☆ How to earn more money and increase your income through side hustles, according to 5 early retirees and entrepreneurs who have done it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insider spoke with entrepreneurs and early retirees about the lucrative side hustles they started. Below, Insider rounded up various side-hustle ideas from entrepreneurs and early retirees who found ways to diversify their income. Shan Shan Fu started selling face masks on Amazon and turned it into a robust e-commerce businessShan Shan Fu sells socks and tights (including the ones pictured) online. Courtesy of Shan Shan FuWhen the Covid-19 pandemic sent the US under lockdown in the spring of 2020, Shan Shan Fu had a lot of free time after work. She launched her e-commerce company, Millennials In Motion, in April 2020 and immediately started making money.

☆ Next winter storm brings threat of tornadoes, blizzard conditions and flooding early next week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Allison Chinchar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Back-to-back-to-back systems will make their way across the United States over the next few days, with the last – and largest – storm bringing heavy rain, blizzard conditions and the potential for tornadoes. Along the coast, heavy rainfall and gusty winds will hammer the area with 1 to 2 inches of rainfall expected through Friday … before the main event arrives. Flash flooding, blizzard conditions and tornadoes possible next weekA blockbuster storm looks to be taking shape in the West for this weekend into early next week, threatening flash flooding, blizzard conditions and tornadoes. “As the system moves into the Plains early next week, a spring-like storm system develops,” Myers said. That threat is also increasing across the southern Plains and Gulf Coast region.

☆ Full ‘cold moon’ shines bright and eclipses Mars in a rare event
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —December’s full moon, also known as the “cold moon,” will shine bright in the night sky this Wednesday, peaking at 11:08 p.m. December 7 also marks the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission launch — the last time humans set foot on the moon. Moon observingThe full moon will make its way across the sky starting at sunset. It was the final mission of NASA’s Apollo program and brought the number of humans who have walked on the moon to a grand total of 12. Apollo 17 was the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program.

A Washington state man who called Buffalo, New York, grocery stores threatening to shoot Black people a month after a racist mass shooting pleaded guilty to a hate crime Monday, prosecutors said. George called multiple grocery stores on June 19, June 20 and June 21 and threatened to shoot Black customers, the U.S. attorney’s office for Western Washington said in a statement. George pleaded guilty Monday to a count of interstate threats and a count of interference with a federally protected activity, which is a hate crime, prosecutors said. In the calls to the Buffalo stores, George said he was nearby and had assault rifles, and he threatened to shoot Black people, according to a plea agreement. In one of the calls, George said he could "pick people off" from a parking lot.

Ransomware hackers hit MercyOne in early October, part of a larger breach that caused hospitalwide outages at multiple health systems, according to The Des Moines Register. CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit health system based in Chicago, oversees 140 hospitals in 21 states; it was not clear how many of them hospitals were affected, and it declined to share the number. For Rachel Cupples of Western Washington, the CommonSpirit Health ransomware attack meant delaying important surgery for weeks. Like some other CommonSpirit Health hospitals that were affected, hers announced it was having trouble scheduling new patients. Parsi and Cupples said they blamed the hackers, not the hospitals, for their pain caused by delayed care.

☆ A real estate investor who is financially independent from his 25-unit portfolio that he built in 4 years shares his best advice to rookie investors and how to 'find good deals'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Real estate investors agree that a key to succeeding is networking with the right people. Knowing very little about real estate investing at that point, Mark told her he'd think about it. He agreed, called up a real estate agent he knew in the area, and told her he wanted to invest in real estate. "The best way to network, no matter where you live, is to find a local real estate meet-up group." Anyone can use it to connect with real estate investors and find events to attend.

Seattle and Portland, Oregon, were first and second, respectively, in the global ranking of places with the poorest air quality, according to IQAir, a Swiss company that measures air pollution. Air quality issues have persisted for about a month because of the prolonged fires burning west of the Cascades. That’s what’s been contributing to the persistent air quality issues we’ve had." Sports and other outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest have been called off due to the poor air quality. The problem is worst in the West, where rising air pollution levels due to smoke have reversed decades of improvements in overall air quality.

☆ How to build wealth from real estate investing, according to 7 couples and individuals who have done it
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

With patience and the right strategies, real estate investing can be a path to financial freedom. Several people who have used real estate to build wealth told us how they got started. Insider spoke to individuals, including Zuber, who have used real estate as a tool to build long-term wealth. When he was in high school, "I found online that 90% of all millionaires became so through owning real estate." From that point on, he decided that real estate would one day be his path to wealth.

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