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Analysis: Maryland climate plan is comprehensive but lacks short-term legislative strategy

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

By most accounts, the Maryland Department of the Environment’s plan outlining the policy actions required to dramatically reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions is innovative and ambitious.But the 98-page document, released during the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s, lacks a cohesive short-term legislative strategy for how Maryland can meet its climate and clean energy goals. More importantly, it does not lay out concretely how the state can begin generating about $1 billion a year needed to implement the plan. That’s leaving lawmakers and environmental advocates scrambling to develop a battle plan less than a week before the 90-day General Assembly session.“There are some parts of the plan that are strong and some parts of the plan that are less developed,” said Josh Tulkin, executive director of the Sierra Club’s Maryland chapter. “The question is, what now?”The plan was released, on schedule, before the end of...

Great Osobor’s 20 points, 14 rebounds lift Utah State over No. 13 Colorado State 77-72

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Great Osobor scored 20 points and had 14 rebounds and Mason Falslev added 18 points to lift Utah State over No. 13 Colorado State 77-72 on Saturday night.Osobor’s final points from the free-throw line — where he was 8 for 8 — made it 69-60 for Utah State with 1:56 left.After trailing most of the game, Josh Uduje capped a 10-0 run with a 3-point play on a follow shot to put the Aggies up 65-57 with 3:57 remaining.Fans flooded the court and engulfed the happy Aggies as they won their 13th straight.Utah State (14-1, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) last won against a ranked team on March 7, 2020, defeating fifth-ranked San Diego State 59-56. Isaiah Stevens led the Rams (13-2, 1-1) with 21 points and eight assists. His late scoring flurry made things interesting but he missed a one-and-one free throw late. Colorado State was 4 for 11 from the line.Nique Clifford had 18 points but fouled out with 1:14 left and Patrick Cartier scored 15 points before fouling out with 1:56 ...

DeSantis’ State of the State address might be as much for Iowa voters as it is for Floridians

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ State of the State address on Tuesday is supposed to be about Florida’s future. Iowa, though, is more likely at the front of his mind.The speech kicking off Florida’s annual legislative session comes exactly a week before Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, and DeSantis has been spending much more time in the Hawkeye State than the Sunshine State in recent weeks.So it won’t be a surprise if his sixth State of the State is as much a message to Iowa voters as it is a forecast of his continued vision for Florida.“He will definitely say the state of the state is strong. He has to at least check that box, but I suspect he’s going to use his State of the State address as his last-ditch effort to pitch to national donors and to voters in Iowa,” House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said. “He’d rather be on the ground in Iowa than he would be in Florida.”It was hardly a secret DeSantis was...

11 killed including 5 children in Russian strikes on eastern Ukrainian town

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

Kyiv (CNN) — Eleven people including five children were killed in Russian S-300 missile strikes on Saturday in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to the local military administration.“Eleven dead, including five children – these are the preliminary results of the strikes on Pokrovsk district. Russians hit the area with S-300 missiles, killing 11 people and wounding 8 others. The main hit was on Pokrovsk and Rivne of the Myrnohrad community,” Vadym Filashkin, the head of the Donetsk region military administration said in a post on Telegram.“The enemy cynically hits civilians, trying to bring as much grief to our land as possible,” he said.Photos posted by the official showed rescue workers searching through the rubble of single story houses and at least one blown out car.Donetsk is on the frontline of the fighting in the east, and is partially-occupied by Russian forces.State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) said search and rescue efforts at the...

Hybrid worker misses touches of old office life

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

I remember them well.One was short and slightly pear-shaped, varying shades of green with the logo of my favorite neighborhood coffee shop. Another was cream-colored and massive, 24 fluid ounces at least. The last, my favorite, was petite and hilarious, adorned with the quip “Whoops, I spent the grocery money on shoes again.”They were the coffee mugs on my desk at work. My trusty delivery system for often-caffeinated hot beverages to fuel me through the work day. The green coffee mug was ideal for everyday use. The massive vessel was clutch on days when I needed an extra jolt. And that petite, quippy cup was just right for a small cup of afternoon tea.Now, they have no home.Like many other American office workers, I no longer have a desk of my own at work. The office arrangement — in which each employee grabs an empty desk on their in-office days, and fully vacates it when they leave — is often referred to as hoteling or hot-desking.Now I, and many part-time-commuting hybrid workers...

Divorced in Nov., yet still filing jointly

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

Q. My husband and I got divorced in November.  Last week he sent me an email reminding me that I agreed to send him my W-2 when I get it.  My neighbor is an accountant. I asked her whether I need to send him my W-2 and she said no and explained that we cannot file jointly now that we are divorced. My husband thinks she is wrong.  What do you think?A. I think your accountant friend is not a divorce lawyer and therefore does not have the full picture.  When people say they are divorced, unless you work in this field or have recently been through a divorce, most people do not understand the difference between a Judgment of Divorce Nisi and a Judgment of Divorce Absolute.  The nisi period is a statutory 90-day mandatory waiting period between the granting of a divorce and the divorce becoming final and absolute.While you probably feel divorced from an emotional perspective and even a physical separation perspective, technically you are still legally married during the nisi period (you c...

Diabetic cat not good treatment candidate

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

Dear Dr. John,Our cat has been overweight for years and came down with diabetes two years ago, at 11. We have treated it with a prescription diet and insulin shots twice a day. The food hasn’t really made much difference in his weight, and we have had to increase the insulin dosing slowly over time. Is this typical? Apparently, there is a new treatment for cat diabetes that does not require daily shots and our question is if that might make sense for our cat? F.C.Dear F.C.,As you have learned, cat obesity or being overweight is a common predecessor to diabetes mellitus in the species. For my entire career, I have urged owners of overweight cats to put their pets on diets to avert diabetes from developing. It is said that almost 2/3 of all cats are overweight! Diabetes, once developed, is not treated but managed and doing so is usually very effective, allowing the cat to live for many happy and healthy years.Various forms of insulin have been used over the years and different practit...

Healthy sips for a healthier new year

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

Well that was a doozy of a holiday run, was it not? We sang, we ate, we gifted, we partied like it was the end of, well, 2023. And now it’s time to pivot to some post-holiday cleansing.Even if you’re not into the idea of doing a dry January and don’t particularly feel like jumping on the rollercoaster of drastic diet change. there are plenty of beverages out there that you can easily sip to boost your health — in many different ways.For example? Let’s start with chaga teas. You may not have heard of these yet, but they’ve been around for eons; people in Eastern Europe have been drinking them for centuries. It’s made from chaga mushrooms, which usually grow on the trunks of birch trees. Studies have found that they may help prevent cancer and slow tumor growth,  can help balance our immune systems, slow inflammation, and possibly even help protect our livers. A great and yummy one to try is from Boom Chaga (boomchagadrinks.com).If better sleep health is on your new year a...

TV Q&A: When will network shows air new seasons?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: What happened to the TV program “So Help Me Todd”?A: First, the series will begin a new season on Feb. 15, the same night that “Young Sheldon” and “Ghosts” resume on CBS. That’s part of a CBS series premiere week kicking off after the Super Bowl on Feb. 11, including “NCIS” on Feb. 12 and the three “FBI” series on Feb. 13.The late start for this and other shows is, as I have mentioned, the result of the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes, which delayed production and release of movies and TV shows. Programs are beginning to return, although the returns will stretch out over several months.For example, NBC has already started a new season of “Night Court,” its “Chicago” series all resume on Jan. 17 and the “Law & Order” bundle starts anew on Jan. 18. ABC begins a new run of “The Bachelor” on Jan. 22 but will not have a new season of “Abbott Elementary” until Feb. 7, “American Idol” on Feb. 18, and “Grey’s Anatomy” on Marc...

Children may be attracted to each other

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:38:24 GMT

Q. My boyfriend and I moved in together last April. We dated for a year prior to deciding to combine our families. I have two daughters, 7 and 16. He has a 12- and 17-year-old son; the oldest is planning to go to college in Hawaii after graduation. Recently I noticed the vibe is a little different between our oldest children and I am concerned they may be attracted to each other. What do we do? What’s good ex-etiquette?A. Ironically, I find parents often categorize kids in two groups. One, my kids. Two, all other kids. And all other kids stretch the truth, sneak out at night, drink alcohol, experiment with drugs and have physical attractions. So they don’t consider that their children, about the same age, may be attracted to each other, and move in together without the proper checks and balances in place.What are some of the pitfalls they may run into? Leaving the kids home alone without adult supervision and the obvious problems that may lead to, the impact their relationship and a...