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Israel launches a ground operation in Lebanon. North Carolina residents raise questions over disaster responseNorth Carolina residents are only beginning to pick up the pieces after Helene roared through the western part of the state, causing devastating flooding and catastrophic damage. At least 49 people have died and dozens of others are missing in western North Carolina, which includes hard-hit Asheville. But some North Carolina residents are criticizing what they view as a lack of preparation for the storm. In recent weeks, Israel has launched attacks using exploding pagers and walkie talkies, unleashed heavy bombings in Lebanon and killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Persons: Vance, Tim Walz, Helene, Roy Cooper, ”, Deanne Criswell, Sara Legatski, “, Hassan Nasrallah, Read, Sen, JD Vance, Donald Trump’s, Walz, Kamala Harris ’, Vance’s, —, Biden, Harris, longshoremen, Carter, Jimmy Carter, Claudia Sheinbuam, Pete Rose, League Baseball’s, Sing, Jon, Adrian Velazquez, Gadiel del Orbe, del Orbe, — Sandra Lilley, Elizabeth Robinson Organizations: NBC, Asheville . North Carolina Gov, FEMA, Spokespeople, Reuters, AFP, Getty Israel, Lebanon's, Israel Defense Forces, Minnesota Gov, CBS, Getty, Vance’s Yale Law, Democratic Party, International Longshoremen’s Association, United States Maritime Alliance, Workers, League, Sing Sing, del, Vanderbilt University Locations: Asheville , North Carolina, Israel, Lebanon, North Carolina, Carolina, Asheville ., Asheville, Florida, Buncombe County, didn’t, Beirut, Ohio, New York, Springfield , Ohio, East Coast, Gulf Coast, Georgia, NYPD, Kentucky, Spain

Learn morePeacock is NBC's streaming service, making it the best choice for fans of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "New Girl," and this year's Olympics. New and returning subscribers can get a whole year of Peacock Premium for only $20. In our guide to the best streaming services, we recommend Peacock as the best service for NBC fans. AdvertisementHow to get the Peacock dealScoring this deal on NBC's Peacock is as easy as signing up and checking out. It's amongst the cheapest streaming services you can choose from at the moment — but keep in mind that this tier is ad-supported.

Persons: Peacock, NBC's Organizations: Business, NBC, Olympics, Recreation

☆ I'm a professional declutterer. Here are the 5 things you need to throw away right now from your kitchen.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Julia Williamson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I help my clients get rid of things they don't need or use anymore. AdvertisementAs a professional declutterer, I work with clients, helping them get rid of things they don't want, need, or have too many of. Pull them all out, see what's useful and what isn't, and ditch the things you're unlikely to use. If you're convinced you need them all, try this: put half in a box and hide it away for a few months. Happily, you can fill them with all the other stuff you're getting rid of.

Persons: —, you've Organizations: Service, IBM

This black market for foreign currencies is among the signs of the economic woes plaguing Algeria. In the oil-rich North African nation, business owners are rumored to be dumping their assets and scrounging up euros on the black market so their wealth isn't stuck. The government estimates roughly $7 billion worth of foreign currency trades hands on the country's black market. Traders are intimately aware that the gap between the official and black market exchange rate can narrow or widen by the day. The growing chasm between the official and black market rates meant fewer euros are getting into the country, he said.

Persons: isn't, Belamane, Nourdine Sadaoui, Hicham Safar, “, ”, Abdelmajid Tebboune, Karim Allam Organizations: Associated Press, Traders, “, Bank of Locations: ALGIERS, Algeria, Algiers, Mecca, Europe's, Lebanon, Nigeria, Bank of Algeria, Ukraine, Europe, Russian

☆ Ukraine Aid Bill Faces Hurdles in the House Amid G.O.P. Opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Catie Edmondson | Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A buzz saw of Republican opposition in the House is threatening to kill the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine and Israel that the Senate overwhelmingly passed early Tuesday, leaving proponents of the emergency aid legislation scrounging for unorthodox ways to push the bill over the finish line. Hours before the Senate approved the bill in a lopsided 70-to-29 vote, Speaker Mike Johnson suggested he would not allow the aid package to receive a vote on the House floor. The measure would provide an additional $60.1 billion for Kyiv — which would bring the total U.S. investment in the war effort to more than $170 billion — as well as $14.1 billion for Israel’s war against Hamas and almost $10 billion for humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Palestinians in Gaza. “House Republicans were crystal clear from the very beginning of discussions that any so-called national security supplemental legislation must recognize that national security begins at our own border,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement on Monday night, adding: “In the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters.”Earlier this month, Mr. Johnson rejected a bipartisan border bill crafted in the Senate, saying the crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border needed to be more severe.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Mr, Johnson Organizations: Kyiv, Hamas, Republicans, Senate Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, “, U.S, Mexico

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are nearing collapse under the Israeli blockade that cut power and deliveries of food and other necessities to the territory. Israel's offensive has devastated neighborhoods, shuttered five hospitals, killed thousands and wounded more people than its remaining health facilities can handle. The medical center is still treating hundreds of patients in defiance of an evacuation order the Israeli military gave Friday. A shortage of surgical supplies forced some staff to use sewing needles to stitch wounds, which Abed said can damage tissue. When Israel cut fuel to the territory's sole power plant two weeks ago, Gaza's rumbling generators kicked in to keep life-support equipment running in hospitals.

Persons: Nidal Abed, Abed, ” Abed, doesn’t, ” Mehdat Abbas, ”, Khan Younis, Mohammed Abu Selmia, ___ DeBre Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Associated Press, Al Quds Hospital, World Health Organization, Health Ministry, United Nations, Nasser Hospital, Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s Locations: DEIR, Gaza, Gaza City, Al Quds, Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem

Cheap, second-hand, and purloined weapons comprised Hamas’ deadly makeshift arsenal that fueled a devastating, multi-pronged attack on Israel over the weekend. CNN analyzed dozens of photos and videos of Hamas militants during the surprise assault to identify the weapons used to kill at least 1,200 people in Israel. In previous battles with Israel, Hamas was known to have fired rockets made of old water pipes, the researcher noted. BulldozersPhoto-illustration: CNN/Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa/ReutersSeveral experts who spoke to CNN emphasized the ad hoc nature of the Hamas attack. In some videos, Hamas militants can be seen driving Israel Defense Forces (IDF) vehicles and using Israeli weapons that were likely taken during the initial fighting.

Persons: presumedly, ”, Mike Lyons, Lyons, “, Oren Ziv, ” Lyons, John Spencer, toted, Stephen Biddle, “ It’s, they’re, Spencer, Saddam Hussein, “ They’re, Din, ” Ali Baraka, Frank McKenzie, Jack Guez, David Benson, ” Benson, Biddle, ” Spencer, Paragliders, Sean Elliott, ” Elliott, –, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, — Organizations: CNN, US State Department, US, Urban Warfare, Modern, Institute, ” AK, toted AK, Columbia University, Hamas ’ Telegram, AK, ” Rockets, Telegram Hamas, Israel’s, ’, Hamas, Hamas National Relations, US Central Command, Nova, Industry & Regulatory, Experimental Aircraft Association, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Israel, Iran, Gaza, Egypt, Soviet, West, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, British, Jihad, Lebanon, Russia, Kalashnikovs, Sderot, Kfar Aza, Beit Lahia, Palestinian, Spain

☆ Putin is 'scrounging around' for low-quality weapons by doing a deal with North Korea, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A State Department spokesman mocked Vladimir Putin for seeking weapons from North Korea. Putin was "scrounging around" for low-quality weapons in doing the deal, said Matthew Miller. Putin appeared to strike an arms deal with North Korea's Kim Jong Un at a summit this week. The Russian president appears to be seeking weapons supplies from North Korea that can be used to attack Ukraine. Analysts said the North Korean weapons Putin seeks, such as rockets and ammunition, are ageing and inaccurate, but such are Russia's problems supplying front line troops in Ukraine that Putin wants to get hold of them anyway.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Matthew Miller, Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Miller, Kim Organizations: Department, North, Service, US State Department, UN Security Council, Korean, UN Locations: North Korea, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Vladivostok, Russian, Russia

☆ McCarthy Is Under the Gun as the House Returns for a Spending Fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Carl Hulse | More About Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s job is on the line as the House returns on Tuesday to confront a funding impasse that could lead to a government shutdown or a challenge to the California Republican’s hold on the top post in the House. Far-right Republicans are refusing to back a measure to keep the federal government funded past Sept. 30 without substantial spending cuts and stringent new border policies that stand little chance of becoming law. They are also threatening to depose Mr. McCarthy should he turn to Democrats for assistance in scrounging together the votes he needs to avoid a shutdown. “Stay tuned,” Mr. Gaetz said on Monday night when reached for comment, declining to elaborate. Members of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus were also planning a public event on Tuesday to vent their discontent with the spending landscape.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy’s, Mr, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Biden Organizations: Republicans, Florida Republican Locations: California, scrounging, Florida

☆ The airline lost his bags. He crossed the Atlantic to find them
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Flying over, they had a 90-minute layover in London, which should have been enough – British Airways recommends an hour between flights. Plenty of travelers these days are packing tracking devices into their bags, meaning that they can see where their “lost” bags are when airlines drop the ball. Each day, buying clothes and toiletries when needed, the family logged into British Airways’ lost luggage system to see where their bags were. Searching for her own lost bags in Florence airport, she had seen theirs and, after noting details on the tags, wanted Bunce to know they were there. The British Airways system still told them that the bags had not been traced, but now they had a lead.

Persons: Brett Bunce, Bunce, Gwyn, Carolina, Bel Paese, she’d, Sandra Shuster, “, ”, Anne Johnson, Tim Clayton, Corbis, it’ll, ” Keen, He’d, you’d, he'd, Brett Bunce Bunce, – they’d, “ I’m, Aleandro, you’re Organizations: CNN —, British Airways, London Heathrow, United Airlines, Baltimore, Staff, Getty, American Airlines, Florence Peretola Airport, ”, CNN, FedEx Locations: Italy, Florence, Miami, London, Rome, Naples, Heathrow, Denver, Chicago, Colorado, Carolina, we’d, cobblestones

☆ The Desperate Hunt for the A.I. Boom’s Most Indispensable Prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Erin Griffith | More About Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In particular, Mr. Paoli needs a type of chip known as a graphics processing unit, or GPU, because it is the fastest and most efficient way to run the calculations that allow cutting-edge A.I. He’s tried making Docugami’s A.I. “I think about it as a rare earth metal at this point,” Mr. Paoli said of the chips. More than money, engineering talent, hype or even profits, tech companies this year are desperate for GPUs. The hunt for the essential component was kicked off last year when online chatbots like ChatGPT set off a wave of excitement over A.I., leading the entire tech industry to pile on and creating a shortage of the chips.

Persons: Jean Paoli, Paoli, he’s, He’s, Mr

OTTAWA, June 28 (Reuters) - Debris from the tourist submersible destroyed in an implosion that killed the five people aboard were recovered along with presumed human remains and brought ashore on Wednesday for examination, the U.S. Coast Guard said. U.S. medical professionals also "will conduct a formal analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident," the Coast Guard statement added. Footage also showed a shattered piece of the Titan's hull and machinery with dangling wires being taken off the ship at St. John's, where the expedition to the Titanic had begun. [1/6]A view of the Horizon Arctic ship, as salvaged pieces of the Titan submersible from OceanGate Expeditions are returned, in St. John's harbour, Newfoundland, Canada June 28, 2023. Among the dead was Stockton Rush, the submersible pilot and CEO of U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, which owned and operated the Titan.

Persons: David Hiscock, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate, Ismail Shakil, Steve Gorman, Deepa Babington, Leslie Adler Organizations: OTTAWA, U.S . Coast Guard, Canadian, Coast Guard, Guard, Canadian Broadcast Corp, OceanGate Expeditions, REUTERS, Canada's Transportation, Stockton Rush, Expeditions, Thomson Locations: St, John's, Newfoundland, Canada, U.S, North, British, Ottawa, Los Angeles

☆ Germany is finally focusing on defending NATO, but its military 'lacks almost everything' it needs to do it, a former German general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That's the warning from a former German general who argues that Germany must refurbish its badly neglected armed forces — though this will take years to accomplish. Today, the German military is just 183,000-strong, and it can't meet its recruiting goals. In 2020, German defense spending was only 1.4% of GDP, well short of 2% goal that NATO members have pledged to hit by 2024. "Armament procurement concentrated on armored transport vehicles rather than on battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles," Vad writes. RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty ImagesDespite years of calls by France for pan-European defense, coordinating German defense procurement with other EU states — each with distinct military needs and political priorities – is difficult.

☆ House Republicans, Grasping for Votes, Alter Debt Limit Plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Catie Edmondson | Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders on Wednesday were scrounging for the votes to pass legislation to raise the debt ceiling while cutting spending and unraveling major elements of President Biden’s domestic agenda, after a late-night haggling session in which they revised their fiscal plan in an effort to win over holdouts in their ranks. The measure, which would cut federal spending by nearly 14 percent over a decade, would undo some of Mr. Biden’s clean energy tax credits and his student loan cancellation plan and impose stricter work requirements for federal nutrition and health programs. It would be dead on arrival in the Democratic-led Senate and at the White House, where Mr. Biden’s advisers have warned that it would draw his veto. But Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose reputation and influence were on the line in the steepest test he has faced since winning his post, has described the plan as a way to strengthen his hand as he seeks to force a debt confrontation with the president. In a closed-door meeting with Republicans in the basement of the Capitol on Wednesday morning, Mr. McCarthy pleaded with his conference to back the measure so he could open negotiations with Mr. Biden, according to a person who attended the session and described his remarks on the condition of anonymity.

☆ Don’t Call It a ‘Cut’: G.O.P. Tries to Rebrand Its Plan to Reduce Spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — In 2011, as a wave of populist fervor swept through Congress, delivering a restive class of anti-spending Republicans who had no appetite for raising the debt limit, House G.O.P. leaders rallied their members around a bill with a blunt, snappy slogan: “Cut, Cap and Balance.”The phrase neatly encapsulated the unequivocal nature of the conditions Republicans were demanding in exchange for allowing the government to avoid a debt default. Their legislation — a purely symbolic measure that had no chance of enactment — would have slashed spending deeply enough to cut the deficit in half within a year, imposed austere caps on future federal spending, and required that Congress amend the Constitution to require a balanced budget before raising the debt limit. Now, as another group of Republicans resists raising the debt ceiling, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has presented a list of spending demands that he hopes to push through the House along party lines as soon as Wednesday. Mr. Biden has been calling on Republicans for months to raise the debt ceiling without conditions to avoid a catastrophic default that could come as soon as this summer.

☆ Chartreuse, a green herbal liqueur, has skyrocketed in popularity. But monks make it and they refuse to meet demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chartreuse, a centuries-old liqueur, is made by the Carthusian order of monks in the French Alps. In 2019, the monks capped production to lower their environmental impact and focus on prayer. "It used to be something you could rely on being available, so I never really paid much attention to it," Joshua Lutz, a loyal lover of the liqueur, told the Times. According to the New York Times, the Carthusian monks implemented a production cap in 2019, in order to limit their environmental impact, and focus more strongly on solitude and prayer. Michael K. Holleran, a former monk who oversaw Chartreuse production in the 1980s, told the Times.

☆ I've lived with my husband for 5 years—he does all the cleaning. Here's how we split chores to avoid fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Alexandra Hayes Robinson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On Sundays, he asks me to leave the house so that he can commence on what he calls "Deep Clean Day." A majority of women (59%) say they do more chores than their partner, while 6% say their partner does more, according to a Pew Research Center survey. But in the five years that we've lived together, Brian has always preferred to do the cleaning. How we split household choresWe came up with our division of chores together by asking four questions: What do we each enjoy doing? And it doesn't need to, because we assign ourselves to the tasks that we can stand, and avoid the ones that we dread.

☆ The US Navy's struggle to keep ships in fighting shape is leading sailors to 'cannibalize' more parts from other ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Shortages of spare parts is driving US sailors to take more and more parts from other ships. The spare parts shortage only exacerbates an already dismal Navy maintenance situation, with overburdened and understaffed shipyards unable to perform necessary overhauls on schedule. The study listed a cascade of causes for the shortage of spare parts: "Parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources, and material shortages are common issues." Likewise, militaries have long cannibalized equipment during operations when spare parts may not be available. Steaming hours have also declined for Navy ships, though by how much isn't clear, as the Department of Defense has classified the data.

☆ Citi/AAdvantage cardholders can now book American Airlines flights with Citi Flex Pay, but it may cost you more then it's worth
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Tessa Campbell | Personal Finance Reviews Fellow | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Book your American Airlines flight with your Citi/AAdvantage credit card and select Citi Flex Pay to spread payments over time. Hinterhaus Productions/Getty ImagesCiti/AAdvantage cardholders can now use Flex Pay for large American Airlines purchases. Now, with your eligible Citi/AAdvantage credit card you can book any American Airlines flight (must be worth $75 or more), and pay down the large purchase in smaller, equal monthly payments. Earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles with no annual fee Check mark icon A check mark. How to pay for your flight with Citi Flex PayCiti/AAdvantage cardholders can choose the Flex Pay option at checkout either on aa.com or through the American Airlines app.

☆ Amazon's retail business is scrounging for spare change ahead of a tough holiday sales season by asking sellers for lump sums of cash and limiting inventory
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The company has also instituted inventory and restock limits on third-party sellers. Amazon's representative said the new restock limits were intended "to ensure a successful holiday season." "Restock limits are designed to create more capacity for sellers who are using space efficiently," the person added. Another seller said he estimated that in two weeks he wouldn't have any more inventory left in Amazon warehouses because of Amazon's inventory and restock limits. Amazon sellers have said they are feeling increasingly squeezed by the e-commerce giant's fee structures.

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