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Marchand: Postal Service fails to protect workers from rising crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

Recently, mail delivery has proven a risky endeavor. In early June, New York Post contributor Allie Griffin reported that a “pair of masked muggers violently attacked and robbed a New Jersey postal worker on just his second day on the job.”Two weeks before, two mail carriers were robbed in Portsmouth, Virginia.These are not isolated incidents.  In fact, there were an astounding 500 mail robberies in 2022, and there’s little indication that security is improving. Yet, the U.S. Postal Service refuses to allow the postal police force to conduct patrols and protect mail carriers, instead sequestering them around agency buildings. Postal leadership must protect its workforce and ensure a safe, secure mail system.Amid soaring postal theft, lawmakers have vented their frustration to postal leadership that mail carriers don’t have anyone watching their backs. During a May House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee hearing, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, asked Postmaster General Louis D...

Sweet/tart blueberries stars of luscious parfait

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

There are so many reasons to include blueberries in recipes. Not only are they plentiful in supermarkets and at fruit stands, blueberries often perfectly balance the sweet with the tart in flavor. These little berries also are one of the most antioxidant-rich fruits you can find, plus they are very high in fiber. That makes eating blueberries – whether they’re nestled in pancakes or served atop a slice of cheesecake – a little less indulgent.“Honey-Laced Blueberry Parfaits” can be enjoyed any time of day. Made with tasty layers of blueberries, yogurt and angel food cake, these parfaits are light, flavorful and refreshing. To tailor them for patriotic celebrations, add a few red berries, such as raspberries or strawberries, to embrace a red, white and blue theme. Enjoy this recipe, courtesy of “Cooking Light¨ Fresh Food Superfast” (Oxmoor House) by The Cooking Light Editors.TAG GOES HEREHoney-Laced Blueberry ParfaitsINGREDIENTS1 6-ounce carto...

Fresh berries add taste of summer to salads

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

I love this time of year when there’s a plentiful display of colorful berries. I decided to create a summer salad dinner, adding them to cooked turkey strips.Here are a few tips on selecting and using berries. Strawberries don’t ripen off the vine. Look for bright red ones when buying them. The sweetest raspberries are the darker red ones. Although you won’t be able to tell until you get them home, blueberries should be firm to touch. Look to make sure there is no mold on the berries. They should be washed just before using them.Helpful Hints:You can use any type of berries can be used.You can use any type of salad greens can be used.If cooked turkey breast isn’t available in the meat case, use cooked turkey breast from the deli.TAG GOES HERESummer Berry and Turkey SaladINGREDIENTS4 cups washed-ready-to-eat salad greens3/4 pound cooked turkey breast1/2 cucumber washed, skin on, cut into 1-inch cubes (1 cup)1 cup sliced celery1 cup fresh strawberries cut in half1 cup fresh blueberrie...

Fire up the grill – for pizza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

Grilling can and should be a year-round endeavor. But summer seems to be when we up the ante, becoming self-proclaimed barbecue masters seemingly overnight. We get saucy with new marinades and rubs, boost burgers by experimenting with different meats and accompaniments, and work in our farmers market finds, putting everything from berries and stone fruits to vegetables and cheese over hot coals.This vegetable-heavy pizza recipe uses a pizza pan on the grill. A pizza stone also works great, and we’ve also cooked pizzas (with pre-baked crusts) right on the grates. From “The BBQ Companion” by Oscar Smith (Smith Street, 2023; $24.95), a handy 50-recipe deck that covers everything from seafoods to sides with vegan options, too.TAG GOES HEREBarbecued Mediterranean Pizza with Basil Oil and RicottaINGREDIENTSFor the basil oil:1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil1/2 c. basil leaves2 cloves garlic, thinly slicedFor the pizza:2 zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2-in. slices1 yellow be...

Editorial: Equal justice for Hunter Biden – that’s rich

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

Must be nice.The perks of being a fortunate son were on full display when it was announced Tuesday that President Biden’s son Hunter will plead guilty to federal tax offenses but avoid prosecution on a separate gun charge in a deal with the Justice Department that likely spares him time behind bars.As the Associated Press reported, Hunter Biden, 52, will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement made public Tuesday.The agreement will also avoid prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as he adheres to conditions set by prosecutors. It’s somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time charges are filed in court but not unheard of.True, this sort of deal isn’t unheard of, but it’s not often heard in connection with ordinary people.Hunter Biden is in violation of 18 USC § 922(g) & (n). under the Federal Firearms Laws. According to the Justice Dept., that can carry a pen...

Dear Abby: Husband’s female friend gets a bit too ‘hands-on’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

Dear Abby: I need advice regarding my husband’s friend and how I should handle a delicate situation. My husband has a woman friend. (She has a boyfriend.) They recently helped us move, which we really appreciate. She likes to make sexual jokes, and my husband does, too. I’m not a prude, but I don’t enjoy the kind of flirty vibe she puts out.When they were helping us move, we went out for meals. She and I had privately shared that my husband and her boyfriend would sometimes forget to zip up after using the bathroom. Well, while we were walking to the car, she zipped up my husband’s zipper for him! I laughed it off, but it kind of caught me off guard. Later, my husband told me he thought it was weird, and so do I.Should I tell her it was crossing a line? She seems pretty clueless, but I don’t want it to happen again. — Awkward in the WestDear Awkward: Your husband’s friend appears to have a difficult time understanding boundaries. Because it ...

Canadian aircraft has detected underwater noises in search for missing sub near Titanic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

The US Coast Guard says a Canadian aircraft has detected underwater noises during search for a submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic.As a result of the noises detected by the Canadian P-3 aircraft, search efforts have been relocated. Those searches had not found anything, but are continuing.Rescuers have been racing against the clock because even under the best of circumstances the vessel could run out of oxygen by Thursday morning.In addition to an international array of ships and planes, an underwater robot had started searching in the vicinity of the Titanic and there was a push to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the sub is found.Three C-17 transport planes from the U.S. military have been used to move commercial submersible and support equipment from Buffalo, New York, to St. John’s, Newfoundland, to aid in the search, a spokesperson for U.S. Air Mobility Command said. The Canadian military said it provided a patrol aircra...

With Trump under indictment, House GOP calls on Trump-era special counsel who studied Russia probe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Donald Trump faces a 37-count federal indictment and the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted, House Republicans are using a special counsel’s report to renew their argument that federal law enforcement is tainted by political bias. John Durham, who recently completed his report on the FBI’s investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign, will testify Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee. That’s one day after Durham met behind closed doors with members of the House Intelligence Committee. While Durham produced just three prosecutions — with two acquittals — in a four-year investigation, his report highlighted FBI agents withholding key information from judges and contended the bureau disregarded reasons not to investigate Trump’s campaign. Republicans who control the House say they’re still angry about the 2016 campaign probe, known as “Crossfire Hurricane,” and intend to push new curbs on the FBI in exchang...

Biden-Modi relationship built around mutual admiration of scrappy pasts, pragmatic needs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — No one would mistake them for best of friends.But U.S. President Joe Biden, the son of blue-collar Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who rose from tea seller’s son to premier, have developed a relationship based on mutual respect of their scrappy backgrounds and a pragmatism about the shared challenges their two countries face.Biden is hosting Modi for a state visit this week as he looks to tighten his relationship with the leader of a nation of 1.4 billion that the U.S. administration sees as a pivotal force in Asia for decades to come. The pomp-filled visit will mark the two leaders’ 10th in-person or virtual engagement since Biden became president in 2021. They’re expected to meet again in September in India at the Group of 20 summit.The U.S.-India relationship is complicated. There are deep differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine and India’s human rights record. But the frequent engagement between th...

Modi to start US visit with yoga on the UN lawn, a savvy and symbolic choice for India’s leader

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:08:50 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — There will be plenty of time to discuss global tensions during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. this week. But he’s starting his day Wednesday by highlighting a pursuit of inner tranquility.After arriving in New York on Tuesday afternoon and holding private meetings, the leader of the world’s most populous nation kicks off his public schedule Wednesday with a group yoga session on the United Nations’ north lawn. U.N. General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and many other diplomats and U.N. officials are expected to attend the event. It honors the International Day of Yoga, which Modi persuaded the U.N. to designate in 2014 as an annual observance. The yoga-themed U.N. visit is a savvy and symbolic choice for a premier who has made the ancient discipline both a personal practice and a diplomatic tool. First practiced by Hindu sages, yoga has now become one of India’s mo...