NC Governor declares ‘state of emergency’ due to GOP school voucher expansion, tax cuts
T. Keung Hui – May 22, 2023
Kaitlin McKeown
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper declared Monday that “public education in North Carolina is facing a state of emergency” in the face of “extreme legislation” being promoted by Republican state lawmakers.
In a video posted online Monday, Cooper said GOP lawmakers are “starving” public schools and “dropping an atomic bomb on public education” with plans to further cut taxes and increase funding for private school vouchers. He said the public needs to speak out against the changes before they’re adopted in the state budget.
“It’s clear that the Republican legislature is aiming to choke the life out of public education,” Cooper said. “I am declaring this state of emergency because you need to know what’s happening.
“If you care about public schools in North Carolina, it’s time to take immediate action and tell them to stop the damage that will set back our schools for a generation.”
Cooper’s speech comes as Republican legislative leaders are negotiating a state budget deal for the next two years that includes tax cuts and expansion of private school vouchers. The GOP has a legislative supermajority, so it can adopt a spending plan and other legislation without needing Cooper’s support.
The governor will hold public events across the state in the days ahead to call on parents, educators and business leaders to speak against the GOP proposals, the Associated Press reported.
Cooper, who can’t run again for a third consecutive term, has been losing political power. Last week, seven Democrats joined Republicans in passing the Senate budget proposal.
“Meaningless publicity stunts do nothing to improve educational outcomes in our state,” Randy Brechbiel, a spokesman for Senate leader Phil Berger, said in a statement Monday. “The House and Senate will continue working together to put forward budget proposals that address the needs of students and parents.”
‘Our teachers deserve better’
Under the Senate budget, average teacher pay would increase 4.5% over the next two years with the biggest increase going toward beginning educators. The House GOP budget had average 10.2% raises for teachers over the next two years.
Cooper has advocated for 18% raises for teachers over the next two years.
“Our teachers deserve better pay and more respect but the legislature wants to give them neither one,” Cooper said.
The $250 pay raise that the Senate would provide veteran teachers over the next two years “is a slap in the face,” Cooper said. He said the proposed Senate pay raise will not help the state deal with the thousands of teacher vacancies.
‘Cut public schools to the bone’
The Senate GOP budget would also expand the Opportunity Scholarship program so that any family, regardless of its income, would qualify to apply for vouchers to attend a K-12 private school.
Republicans point out that public education spending would grow by several hundred million dollars a year annually in their competing plans. And GOP leaders consider expansion of the private-school vouchers program part of a philosophy to give all children access to education options — whatever the source — to help them succeed.
But an Office of State Budget and Management analysis says the bill could cost traditional public schools $200 million in state funding, rural counties being particularly hard hit.
The Senate budget would also accelerate the tax cuts that Republicans put in previous budgets.
Cooper accused GOP lawmakers of wanting to help millionaires by giving them more tax cuts and making it possible for them to get private school vouchers. Currently, the Opportunity Scholarship program is limited to lower-to-middle-income families.
GOP lawmakers are choosing corporations and millionaires over public schools, the governor charged.
“Public school superintendents are telling me they’ll likely have to cut public schools to the bone — eliminate early college, AP and gifted courses, art, music, sports — if the legislature keeps draining funds to pay for private schools and those massive tax breaks,” Cooper said.
These Science-Backed Supplements May Help Ease Joint Pain, According to Experts
Adele Jackson-Gibson – May 25, 2023
The 10 Best Supplements to Improve Joint HealthYulia Lisitsa – Getty Images
“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.”
We updated this article in May 2023 to add more information about each featured product, based on extensive research done by our team.
Anyone who’s experienced joint pain in their life knows how frustrating it can be. Even the most basic activities can be painful when your joint are stiff, inflamed, and achy. Although the pain can be temporary, like the kind of soreness you might feel after a long day being desk-bound, it can also stem from a chronic condition. In fact, about one in four adults with arthritis, or 15 million people, report experiencing severe joint pain. Thankfully, the best joint supplements might help.
Of course, for some people, relief can come in the form of over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), and naproxen (Aleve), which can help lessen pain and reduce inflammation. However, long-term use of these painkillers can come with unpleasant side-effects.
That’s why many physicians suggest exploring other strategies to find relief. For example, eating a balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, strength training, and maintaining your ideal weight are “the most effective and proven way[s] to improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis,” says Elizabeth Matzkin, M.D., the surgical director of Women’s Musculoskeletal Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Meet the Experts:Elizabeth Matzkin, M.D., the surgical director of Women’s Musculoskeletal Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Thomas Wnorowski Ph.D., a clinical and biomedical nutritionist and the lead researcher of the Neurolipid Research Foundation in Millville, NJ; Jordan Mazur, M.S., R.D., the coordinator of performance nutrition for the San Fransisco 49ers; Valentina Duong, A.P.D., owner of the Strength Dietitian; Kendra Clifford, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and birth doula at Uxbridge Chiropractic Centre in Ontario; Nicole M. Avena, Ph.D., a nutrition consultant and assistant professor of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
In addition to making lifestyle changes, some people turn to supplements to improve the health of their joints. But before you rush to the vitamin aisle of your pharmacy, beware: Not all of these supplements are the joint-relieving panaceas that they claim to be. And with so many options out there, sifting through the supplement aisle is definitely not a walk in the park—which is why we’ve done the work for you and found quality joint supplements recommended by medical pros to ease pain and improve your overall joint health. Before you shop, though, always consult your doctor and do your research to determine what’s best for you.
Ahead, check out expert-recommended supplements to help improve your joint health.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.
Collagen Peptides Powder
“Taking 20 to 30 grams of high-quality collagen [peptides] is a good preventative measure to provide the body what it needs to synthesize collagen, an important protein for joint and ligament health,” says Jordan Mazur, M.S., R.D., the coordinator of performance nutrition for the San Fransisco 49ers. He prefers this brand which has been certified and tested by NSF International and contains 11.9g of collagen peptides per scoop.
Though palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is still being researched, some studies have suggested its potential for improving lower back pain and chronic pelvic pain. Nootropic Depot’s capsules are manufactured in facilities that are GMP-certified, with each capsule containing 400 mg of PEA. There is no recommended dosage for this particular nutrient, but 300 mg to 600 mg of PEA have been shown to be effective in certain cases. If you want to try this supplement, ask your doctor what dosage they recommend.
This nutrient is best absorbed when combined with black pepper (or piperine), which this brand includes. Experts from the Arthritis Foundation suggest that 100 mg daily can help ease osteoarthritis pain. Tribe’s vegan capsules contain 112.5mg per serving. The company also produces its supplements in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) approved facilities.
Joint Collagen Tablets Advanced Formula + Boswellia
This product contains collagen, boswellia, and turmeric—three joint health powerhouses. Nicole M. Avena, Ph.D., a nutrition consultant and assistant professor of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, likes Youtheory’s variety because the company has been in the collagen supplement game for a long time. “Their ingredients are sourced from all over the world to ensure the highest quality, and their products are manufactured in their own facility,” says Avena. Youtheory’s facility is also Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified.
Shop NowJoint Collagen Tablets Advanced Formula + Boswellia$18.17amazon.comProduct Shot ImageMore
Omega Triple Super Strength Fish Oil Capsules
Blackmores’ fish oil contains 540mg of EPA and 36 mg of DHA, making it a solid choice among fish oil supplements. Bonus: This is an Australian brand, which is worth noting because the Australian government regulates “complementary medicines” (aka supplements) as rigorously as they do pharmaceutical drugs. Blackmore also makes their products in GMP-certified facilities, which is another major plus.
Shop NowOmega Triple Super Strength Fish Oil Capsules$41.43amazon.comProduct Shot ImageMore
Super EPA & DHA Supplement
Thorne is a well-respected supplement brand that has had partnerships with the Mayo Clinic and has certifications from GMP and NSF. Its fish oil product “Super EPA” packs a decent serving of pain-relieving goodness: 425mg of EPA and 270mg of DHA per capsule.
Shop NowSuper EPA & DHA Supplement$36.00iherb.comProduct Shot ImageMore
Vitamin D3 Supplement
Nordic Naturals provides 1,000 IU of D3 that is non-GMO and third-party tested. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends adults ages 19-70 get at least 800 IUs a day, which means this supplement’s got you covered.
Longvida comes recommended by Thomas Wnorowski Ph.D., a clinical and biomedical nutritionist and the lead researcher of the Neurolipid Research Foundation in Millville, NJ. It’s a “clean and effective source” of curcumin. This brand provides 400mg of “bioavailable” curcumin per capsule, which means your body will be able absorb most of the nutrients. The Arthritis Foundation says that the best dosage of curcumin to alleviate arthritis pain is 500 mg twice daily, but that amount might vary according to your needs.
Omgea-3 fats typically come from fish, but vegetarians or vegans can still find omega-3 supplements that are suitable with their diet. This pick from Deva is vegan-friendly, providing 500mg of DHA and EPA derived from algae oil instead of fish. The supplements are also produced in an FDA-inspected facility under GMP regulations.
Shop NowVegan Omega-3 DHA EPA$31.69amazon.comProduct Shot ImageMore
Devil’s Claw Dietary Supplement
This vegetarian formula contains 575mg of devil’s claw per capsule. While recommended dosages vary, experts at the Arthritis Foundation suggest adults take 750mg to 1,000mg three times a day. But again, consult your physician before deciding how much to take. Dosage aside, what’s great about Greenbush’s devil’s claw is that it was produced in FDA-inspected plants under GMP guidelines.
Just because a supplement has solid research backing it, that doesn’t mean whatever you find on the shelves of your pharmacy will be effective. For one thing, “products can have a wide range of dosages of their active ingredients,”says Kendra Clifford, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and birth doula at Uxbridge Chiropractic Centre in Ontario. “[But] in order for a supplement to work, there needs to be an effective dosage.”
While you can find general dosage recommendations from reliable sources like the Arthritis Foundation, an effective dose for you really depends on your condition, adds Clifford. A convo with your physician can help you figure out the right amount.
Once you nail that down, it’s time to select the brand. Keep in mind that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering “conventional” foods and drug products. You’ll want to find labels that have stamps of approval from third-party certification programs like Consumer Lab, NSF International, the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), or Good Manufacturing Practice to ensure that there are no harmful ingredients and that the product contains everything it claims to have.
Are joint supplements really effective?
It depends. In many cases, the research is mixed, so there are no definitive answers. For example, glucosamine and chondroitin are often touted for their joint pain-relieving abilities, but according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, these supplements are not much more effective than a placebo in treating arthritis pain. On the flip side, the Arthritis Foundation suggests otherwise and includes both glucosamine and chondroitin on its list of supplements that can help with arthritis symptoms.
The good news is, there are supplements out there that have less conflicting evidence, meaning they may be worth a try.
Which joint supplements have proven benefits?
So far, research shows that the supplements below may help improve joint pain and overall joint health:
✔️ Curcumin: This is the active compound in turmeric that gives the spice its flavor and color. It’s known for its anti-inflammatory effects, as it disrupts pro-inflammatory cells in the body, according to Wnorowski.
✔️ Boswellia: Boswellia serrata or Indian frankincense is one of those dark horses in the world of anti-inflammatories. According to the Arthritis Foundation, it works by blocking the enzymes that turn your food into the molecules that attack your joints. In 2018, researchers who conducted a systematic review of 20 osteoarthritis-relieving supplements found that boswellia extract was a standout for easing joint pain.
✔️ Collagen: One of the keys to preventing joint pain is to protect the cushy cartilage that protects your bones. Cartilage is partially made of a protein called collagen, which “plays a major role in the proper maintenance and strength of joint and ligament health,” says Mazur. A 2014 review suggests that collagen can protect cartilage, relieve pain, and potentially increase the strength of your bones.
✔️ Fish oil: The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil have been extensively studied for their anti-inflammatory effects for many conditions, including arthritis. Some researchers have found that people suffering from osteoarthritis who took 200 mg of EPA and 400 mg of DHA (fish oil’s active ingredients) daily for 16 weeks experienced less chronic pain. Fish oil has also been proven to be an effective treatment for gout, a common but complex form of arthritis where symptoms tend to be more sudden and severe. For an effective fish oil supplement, you’ll want to find a brand that contains a minimum of 500mg of combined EPA and DHA, says Valentina Duong, A.P.D., owner of the Strength Dietitian.
✔️ Vitamin D: It won’t take the place of OTC painkillers, but it is vital for strong bones—including the ones that make up your joints. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium, one of the major building blocks of your bones. It also regulates phosphate, which allows you to contract the muscles that move the bones of your joints.
Many of us need more of this essential nutrient. “Lower levels [of vitamin D] may result in bone, joint, and muscle pain,” says Kendra Clifford, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and birth doula at Uxbridge Chiropractic Centre in Ontario. “Bone aches can often be difficult to distinguish from muscle aches, therefore, vitamin D deficiency can be the direct cause of pain in many individuals.”
✔️ PEA: Palmitoylethanolamide was discovered in the 1950s as a potent anti-inflammatory, and it’s still being studied for its pain-relieving potential. Several studies have found that PEA can assist people with lower back pain and chronic pelvic pain. Clifford has found in her practice that PEA “is very well tolerated and can be used in at risk populations—such as those on a large number of medications—where typical pain relievers have a large number of adverse effects.”
✔️ Devil’s claw: Derived from a plant native to South Africa, this is a popular supplement in France and Germany to treat inflammation, arthritis, headaches, and low back pain. Taking devil’s claw for 8 to 12 weeks can reduce pain and improve joint function in people with osteoarthritis.
How we chose the best joint supplements
We consulted Elizabeth Matzkin, M.D., the surgical director of Women’s Musculoskeletal Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Thomas Wnorowski Ph.D., a clinical and biomedical nutritionist and the lead researcher of the Neurolipid Research Foundation in Millville, NJ; Jordan Mazur, M.S., R.D., the coordinator of performance nutrition for the San Fransisco 49ers; Valentina Duong, A.P.D., owner of the Strength Dietitian; Kendra Clifford, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and birth doula at Uxbridge Chiropractic Centre in Ontario; and Nicole M. Avena, Ph.D., a nutrition consultant and assistant professor of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. We also combed through countless ratings, reviews, and product specs online.
Why trust us
For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.
Mercenary Prigozhin warns Russia could face revolution unless elite gets serious about war
Guy Faulconbridge – May 24, 2023
FILE PHOTO: Funeral held in Moscow for Russian military blogger killed in cafe blast
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, warned that Russia could face a revolution similar to those of 1917 and lose the conflict in Ukraine unless the elite got serious about fighting the war.
Russia’s most powerful mercenary said his political outlook was dominated by love for the motherland and serving President Vladimir Putin, but cautioned that Russia was in danger of turmoil.
Prigozhin said there was a so-called optimistic view that the West would get tired of war and China would broker a peace deal, but that he did not really believe in that interpretation.
Instead, he said, Ukraine was preparing a counteroffensive aimed at pushing Russian troops back to its borders before 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Ukraine would try to encircle Bakhmut, the focus of intense fighting in the east, and attack Crimea, he added.
“Most likely of all, this scenario will not be good for Russia so we need to prepare for an arduous war,” he said in an interview posted on his Telegram channel.
“We are in such a condition that we could fucking lose Russia – that is the main problem … We need to impose martial law.”
Prigozhin said his nickname “Putin’s chef” was stupid as he could not cook and had never been a chef, quipping that “Putin’s butcher” might be a more apt nickname.
“They could have just given me a nickname right away — Putin’s butcher, and everything would have been fine,” he said.
If ordinary Russians continued getting their children back in zinc coffins while the children of the elite “shook their arses” in the sun, he said, Russia would face turmoil along the lines of the 1917 revolutions that ushered in a civil war.
“This divide can end as in 1917 with a revolution,” he said.
“First the soldiers will stand up, and after that – their loved ones will rise up,” he said. “There are already tens of thousands of them – relatives of those killed. And there will probably be hundreds of thousands – we cannot avoid that.”
The defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
UKRAINE WAR
Prigozhin criticised Russia’s post-Soviet policy towards Ukraine and cast the implementation of what the Kremlin calls the “special military operation” as unclear, contradictory and confused.
Russia’s military leadership, he said, had “fucked up” repeatedly during the war. The stated aim of demilitarising Ukraine, he said, had failed.
Prigozhin said Soviet leader Josef Stalin would not have accepted such failure. A cross-border attack into Russia’s Belgorod region indicated the failures of the military leadership, he said, warning that Ukraine would seek to strike deeper into Russia.
Russia needed to mobilise more men and to gear the economy exclusively to war, Prigozhin said.
Wagner, he said, had recruited around 50,000 convicts during the war, of whom about 20% had perished. Around the same amount of his contract soldiers – 10,000 – had perished, he said.
In Bakhmut, Prigozhin said, Ukraine had suffered casualties of 50,000-70,000 wounded and 50,000 dead.
Reuters is unable to verify casualty claims from either side, and neither Russia nor Ukraine release figures on their own casualties. Ukraine has said Russian losses are far higher than its losses.
Prigozhin said Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu should be replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev while Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov should be replaced by Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media.
Asked about his political credo: “I love my motherland, I serve Putin, Shoigu should be judged and we will fight on.”
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alex Richardson)
Ukraine-Russia war: One in five Wagner convicts killed in Ukraine, says Prigozhin
Maighna Nanu – May 24, 2023
Ukrainian tankers ride along the road towards their positions near Bakhmut – Efrem Lukatsky/AP
One in five Wagner convicts have been killed in Ukraine, the chief of the Russian mercenary group has claimed.
Yevgeny Prigozhin said that around 10,000 prisoners he recruited to fight in Ukraine have been killed on the battlefield.
“I took 50,000 prisoners of which around 20 per cent were killed,” Prigozhin said in a video interview published late Tuesday.
Prigozhin said a similar percentage were killed among those who had signed a contract with Wagner, but did not give a precise figure.
Last year, Prigozhin toured Russian prisons in a bid to convince inmates to fight with Wagner in Ukraine, in exchange for a promised amnesty upon their return should they survive.
Convicts are believed to have been used as cannon fodder in Ukraine, accounting for most of Wagner’s losses in the pro-Western country.
03:01 PM
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We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates on Ukraine.
02:59 PM
Ukraine’s main church to switch calendar in move away from Russia
Ukraine’s main Orthodox church said it had decided to switch to a calendar in which Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25, a move that distances it from Russia.
Ukrainian Christians, a majority of whom are Orthodox, have traditionally celebrated Christmas on Jan. 7 alongside other predominantly Orthodox Christian countries such as Russia, which invaded Ukraine last year.
“This question arose with new impetus as a result of Russian aggression,” the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) wrote in a Facebook post announcing the change away from the Julian calendar.
“Nowadays, the Julian calendar is perceived as connected with Russian church culture,” it said.
Ukraine’s main Catholic church, which considers about one in 10 Ukrainians to be worshippers, announced a similar change in February.
02:41 PM
Ukraine in pictures:
A Ukrainian tanker shows a victory sign at his position near Bakhmut – Efrem Lukatsky/APA man boards a train to Lviv during an evacuation effort from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine – VIACHESLAV RATYNSKYI/REUTERSA member of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade ‘Edelweiss’, a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, pets a cat next to artillery shells – OLEG PETRASYUK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock
02:33 PM
Ukraine joining Nato in the midst of a war ‘not on the agenda’, says Stoltenberg
Ukraine will not be able to join Nato as long as the war is going on, the alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.
“I think that everyone realized that, to become a member in the midst of a war, is not on the agenda,” he said at an event organised by the German Marshall Fund of The United States in Brussels. “The issue is what happens when the war ends.”
02:31 PM
Switzerland takes step towards sale of 25 Leopard 2 tanks back to Germany
The Swiss government backed the decommissioning of 25 advanced Leopard 2 battle tanks with a view to selling them back to Germany, a step that could allow Western countries to send more military aid to Ukraine.
Germany had in February asked Switzerland to sell some of the tanks back to arms maker Rheinmetall, which would allow the company to backfill gaps in the armaments of European Union and Nato members.
Germany, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden are among countries sending Leopard tanks to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attack, creating gaps in their own arsenals.
The issue is sensitive for the Swiss authorities. Under its neutrality laws and a separate arms embargo, Switzerland is prohibited from sending weapons directly to Ukraine.
The Swiss military currently has 134 Leopard 2 tanks in service and a further 96 in storage.
02:29 PM
Russia risks revolution unless elite get serious about war, Wagner chief says
Russia could face a revolution and lose the conflict in Ukraine unless the elite get serious about fighting the war, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group has warned.
“We are in such a condition that we could f***ing lose Russia – that is the main problem … We need to impose martial law,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said on his Telegram channel.
With Russian families receiving the remains of their sons who have died in Ukraine even as the children of the country’s wealthiest oligarchs are pictured on lavish holidays, he said, Russia could face turmoil on a scale not seen since the 1917 revolution, when Russians rose up and overthrew the monarchy.
“This divide can end as in 1917 with a revolution – first the soldiers will stand up, and after that – their loved ones will rise up,” he said. “There are already tens of thousands of them – relatives of those killed – and there will probably be hundreds of thousands.”
01:30 PM
Ukraine’s Defence Minister: ‘Glad to host Ben Wallace in Kyiv’
01:02 PM
WHO condemns Russia’s aggression in Ukraine in vote
The World Health Organisation assembly passed a motion on Wednesday condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, including attacks on healthcare facilities.
The motion passed by 80 votes to 9, with 52 abstentions.
The Western-led motion, put forward at the UN agency’s annual meeting, also called for an assessment of the impact of Russia’s aggression on the health sector.
There was no immediate reaction from Russia. Moscow has consistently denied targeting civilians during what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
12:15 PM
Russia will respond to future incursions ‘extremely harshly’, says defence minister
Moscow will respond to attacks on Russian soil “extremely harshly”, Russia’s defence minister has warned, after Russian jets and artillery fought off an armed group that crossed from Ukraine.
“We will continue to respond promptly and extremely harshly to such actions by Ukrainian militants,” Sergei Shoigu told military officials, according to comments published by the defence ministry.
12:14 PM
Russia to give Bakhmut Soviet-era name after capturing city from Ukraine
Bakhmut will be renamed with its former Soviet name, the acting head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has claimed.
The small eastern city is believed to have fallen to Russia in recent days after a long and bloody siege that left it almost completely destroyed.
“Bakhmut had the misfortune to be Ukrainian. Now it’s not Ukraine, it’s Russia. And it’s not Bakhmut — it’s Artemovsk,” Denis Pushilin said in a video posted on Telegram.
It comes as Oleksiy Danilov, a Ukrainian national security adviser, claimed that part of Bakhmut is still under Ukrainian control.
“If they [Russians] believe they have taken Bakhmut, I can say that this is not true. As of today, part of Bakhmut is under our control,” he told CNN. “I can’t say that all of it, but part of Bakhmut is still under our fire.”
10:56 AM
Ukraine in pictures:
Ukrainian serviceman Olexander showers after a swim at a pool in Lviv – Anadolu Agency/AnadoluA destroyed and partially damaged five-storey residential building in AvdiivkaThe 337-metre (1,106-foot) USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier of the US Navy is seen on its way into the Oslo Fjord – TERJE PEDERSEN/AFP
10:23 AM
Older people account for a third of Ukraine’s war victims
Older people have suffered and died at a disproportionately high rate since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a UN report has showed, with some perishing because they were barred from fetching medicines or leaving basements.
The report compiled by UN human rights monitors showed that about a third of the civilians killed in the first year of the war, or 1,346 of 4,187 documented victims, were over 60.
The toll only includes individuals whose age is known and the real number of victims is much higher, the UN says. About a quarter of Ukraine’s population is elderly.
09:49 AM
Pictured: Ukrainian tankers ride along the road towards their positions near Bakhmut
Ukrainian tankers ride along the road towards their positions near Bakhmut – Efrem Lukatsky/AP
09:46 AM
Finland says Russia set to terminate agreement on military visits
Russia has informed neighbouring Finland that it will terminate a bilateral agreement on mutual visits to military installations, the Finnish defence ministry said late on Tuesday.
The bilateral agreement, signed in 2000, provided for one annual Russian assessment visit to Finland and a similar visit by Finland to the Leningrad Military District in north-west Russia, the Finnish ministry said in a statement.
Finland last month joined the Nato military alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drawing a threat from Moscow of “counter-measures.”
The bilateral agreement, last applied in 2019 before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, was among several post-Cold War measures taken to improve East-West relations.
09:00 AM
West sees Russia and China as threat to its dominance, says Lavrov
Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said that the West saw Russia and China as “adversaries” that posed what he called an existential threat to the West’s “dominance”.
“As evidenced by statements made at the recently concluded G7 summit in Japan, the West views Russia and China as strategic adversaries posing almost an existential threat to its dominance,” Mr Lavrov said
08:40 AM
Drone attacks overnight in Russian border region, claims governor
A Russian official in the southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine claimed that the territory was targeted by numerous drones overnight, following an armed incursion into the territory from Ukraine.
“The night was not entirely calm. There were a large number of drone attacks. Air defence systems handled most of them,” governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on social media, adding: “The most important thing is that there are no casualties.”
08:15 AM
Moscow shares ‘staged photos’ of US vehicles allegedly used to attack Russian territory
Moscow has claimed to have captured American vehicles used by anti-Kremlin paramilitary groups during a daring cross-border raid into Russia’s Belgorod region.
Images shared via Russia’s state controlled media outlets appeared to show two damaged US-made Humvees left abandoned in a crater.
Destroyed armored fighting vehicles in the Grayvoronsky district of Belgorod region – RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock
They were pictured close to the Grayvoron border control point, the initial scene of the Belgorod raid.
Pro-Kremlin channels on the Telegram messaging app claimed that two battalions of anti-regime partisans had lost as many as five American vehicles.
However, analysis of the images shared by the Russian government suggests they were staged.
Comment: Belgorod attack: Ukraine has turned Putin’s little green men against him
Yesterday’s cross-border raid from Ukraine into Russia’s Belgorod province by anti-Kremlin partisans known as the Russian Freedom Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps is the largest offensive action inside Russia’s borders since Putin’s invasion began.
The group seems to have struck the frontier post at Kozinka, apparently killing a border guard, before crossing into Russian territory around Grayvoron with armoured vehicles, mortars and artillery support.
This action is unlikely to develop into a significant assault on Russian territory because the Ukrainian army itself remains constrained to operations within its own borders by agreements with military donor nations.
Russian Prime Minister says relations with China at an unprecedented high level
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that ties with China are at an “unprecedented” high level, characterised by mutual respect of each other’s interests and the desire to jointly respond to challenges.
“As our Chinese friends say, unity makes it possible to move mountains,” Mishustin told Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting in Beijing.
Mishustin was the highest ranking Russian official to visit the Chinese capital since the war began.
08:01 AM
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We will be guiding you through all the latest updates on Ukraine.
‘It’s not their money’: Older Americans worried debt default means no Social Security
Peter Charalamboust – May 23, 2023
‘It’s not their money’: Older Americans worried debt default means no Social Security
If the United States defaults on its financial obligations, millions of Americans might not be able to pay their bills as well.
With Social Security and other government benefits at risk amid a political stalemate over the government’s debt ceiling, experts and older Americans told ABC News that the consequences of the impasse in Washington could be dire, including for older Americans who need the money to pay for basic needs such as food, housing or health care costs.
A quarter of Americans over age 65 rely on Social Security to provide at least 90% of their family income, according to the Social Security Administration.
PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks to the White House after landing on the South Lawn aboard Marine One, May 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Fred Gurner, 86, of New York, told ABC News that he uses his Social Security payment for his $800 rent. But now there is real risk that his payment might not come in time in June — when the Treasury Department says the government might not be able to send him the money he counts on.
“It’s very stressful, gives me a heart attack,” Gurner said about how the issue has become politicized.
How are Social Security payments affected by the debt ceiling?
Since 2001, the United States has spent more money than revenue it has taken in overall.
To cover the difference, the United States Treasury issues debt through securities, according to University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business professor Olivia Mitchell. Backed by the United States, those securities are happily bought by investors who see it as a safe guarantee they’ll get paid back with interest.
However, the United States and Denmark are the only two countries to limit the amount of debt the government can issue, known as a debt ceiling, Mitchell noted.
Lawmakers can pass new laws that require government spending, but the debt ceiling will remain in place until lawmakers vote to increase it. That has happened 78 separate times in the United States since 1960.
If that debt ceiling does not increase by June 1, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that the country will not be able to satisfy all of its financial obligations.
Beyond not being able to pay interest and principal on government securities — which economists broadly agree would rattle the stock market and possibly damage the U.S. credit rating — the Treasury would be unable to issue new debt to cover expenses like Social Security, according to Mitchell.
The government projects to spend roughly $100 billion on Social Security in the month of June, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
“It’s going to be pretty tight for people for a while, unless Congress and the president can get together on this problem,” Mitchell said.
When would Social Security payments become delayed?
The Social Security Administration plans to send contributions to beneficiaries on four dates next month — June 2, 14, 21, and 28. Those checks would be the first ones at risk of being delayed, according to Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
“Millions and millions of Social Security beneficiaries are worried about having the income to pay their basic bills,” he noted.
Lynda Fisher, 80, told ABC News that her budget relies on her monthly Social Security check and that a delay would complicate her essential spending, frustrating the 80-year-old who has spent her life contributing to the system.
PHOTO: FILE – House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, speaks with reporters in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, May 17, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)
“I paid into Social Security, and I paid into Medicare,” she said. “And now they’re trying to take it away. It’s not their money, it’s my money that I paid into.”
Richtman is now actively encouraging older residents to save money in anticipation of a delayed Social Security payment, fearing negotiations will not yield a compromise in time to avoid default.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Yellen indicated that certain bills might be prioritized, including interest payments, Social Security and military contractor payments. However, Richtman expressed doubt that such a prioritization would be legally possible.
What does this mean for the future of Social Security?
Some Republican lawmakers have framed the debt ceiling fight as necessary to slow government spending; however, some economists, including Mitchell, see this as a “manufactured crisis” that threatens essential services, retirement savings and the overall economy.
“Every time one of these crises occurs, it’s signaling to the rest of the world, and to American investors that U.S. Treasuries are not as safe as we thought,” Boston University economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff said.
Kotlikoff expressed further concern that the Social Security system will have over $65.9 trillion in unfunded financial obligations over the indefinite horizon, based on the entity’s own report.
However, the debate over the debt ceiling appears unlikely to produce a meaningful solution to the broader Social Security shortfall, though, according to Kotlikoff, Mitchell and Richtman.
When will retirees receive their payments?
Mitchell and Richtman remained optimistic that Social Security recipients would eventually receive their checks once a deal is made, albeit with some delay.
“I’m pretty confident that payments would be fulfilled,” Richtman said. “That’s not much comfort to those people who will not be able to pay for their groceries, their utilities or their rent while they’re waiting to receive a back payment.”
Jimmy Carter, 3 months into hospice, is aware of tributes, enjoying ice cream
Bill Barrow – May 23, 2023
Motorists pass a sign dedicated to former President Jimmy Carter along Jimmy Carter Blvd. on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, in Norcross, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz)
NORCROSS, Ga. (AP) — Three months after entering end-of-life care at home, former President Jimmy Carter remains in good spirits as he visits with family, follows public discussion of his legacy and receives updates on The Carter Center’s humanitarian work around the world, his grandson says. He’s even enjoying regular servings of ice cream.
“They’re just meeting with family right now, but they’re doing it in the best possible way: the two of them together at home,” Jason Carter said of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, now 98 and 95 years old.
“They’ve been together 70-plus years. They also know that they’re not in charge,” the younger Carter said Tuesday in a brief interview. “Their faith is really grounding in this moment. In that way, it’s as good as it can be.”
The longest-lived U.S. president, Jimmy Carter announced in February that after a series of brief hospital stays, he would forgo further medical intervention and spend the remainder of his life in the same modest, one-story house in Plains where they lived when he was first elected to the state Senate in 1962. No illness was disclosed.
The hospice care announcement prompted ongoing tributes and media attention on his 1977-81 presidency and the global humanitarian work the couple has done since co-founding The Carter Center in 1982.
“That’s been one of the blessings of the last couple of months,” Jason Carter said after speaking Tuesday at an event honoring his grandfather. “He is certainly getting to see the outpouring and it’s been gratifying to him for sure.”
The former president also gets updates on The Carter Center’s Guinea worm eradication program, launched in the mid-1980s when millions of people suffered from the parasite spread by unclean drinking water. Last year, there were fewer than two dozen cases worldwide.
And in less serious moments, he also continues to enjoy peanut butter ice cream, his preferred flavor, in keeping with his political brand as a peanut farmer, his grandson said.
Andrew Young, who served as Carter’s U.N. Ambassador, told the AP that he too visited the Carters “a few weeks back” and was “very pleased we could laugh and joke about old times.”
Young and Jason Carter joined other friends and admirers Tuesday at a celebration of the former president along Jimmy Carter Boulevard in suburban Norcross, just northeast of Atlanta. Young said the setting — in one of the most racially and ethnically diverse suburban swaths in America — reflected the former president’s broader legacy as someone who pursued peace, conflict resolution and racial equity.
When the almost 10-mile stretch of highway in Gwinnett County was renamed in 1976 — the year he was elected president — the small towns and bedroom communities on the edge of metropolitan Atlanta were only beginning to boom. Now, Gwinnett alone has a population of about 1 million people, and Jimmy Carter Boulevard is thriving, with many businesses owned by Black proprietors, immigrants or first-generation Americans.
Young, a top aide to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, said Carter began as a white politician from south Georgia in the days of Jim Crow segregation, but he proved his values were different.
As governor and president, Carter believed “that the world can come to Georgia and show everybody how to live together,” Young said.
Now, Georgia “looks like the whole world,” said Young, 91.
Nicole Love Hendrickson, elected in 2020 as the first Black chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, praised Carter as “a man with an exceptional regard for the humanity of others.”
Alluding to Carter’s landslide re-election defeat, Young said he has personally relished seeing historians and others finding success stories as they reassess Carter’s presidency — ceding control of the Panama Canal, developing a national energy strategy, engaging more in Africa than any U.S. president had. Such achievements were either unpopular at the time or overshadowed by Carter’s inability to corral inflation, tame energy crises or free the American hostages in Iran before the 1980 election.
“I told him, ‘you know, it took them over 50 years to appreciate President Lincoln. It may take that long to appreciate you,’” Young said.
“Nobody was thinking about the Panama Canal. Nobody would have thought about bringing Egypt and Israel together. I mean, I was thinking about trying to do something in Africa, but nobody else in Washington was, and he did. He’s always had an idea about everything.”
Still, when Jason Carter addressed his grandparents’ admirers Tuesday, he argued against thinking about them like global celebrities.
“They’re just like all of y’all’s grandparents — I mean, to the extent y’all’s grandparents are rednecks from south Georgia,” he said to laughter. “If you go down there even today, next to their sink they have a little rack where they dry Ziplock bags.”
Most remarkable, Jason Carter said, is the fact such a gathering occurred with his grandfather still living.
“We did think that when he went into hospice it was very close to the end,” he told attendees. “Now, I’m just going to tell you, he’s going to be 99 in October.”
Ron DeSantis is learning that not every state wants to be Florida
Henry J. Gomez – May 22, 2023
Charlie Neibergall
Wherever Gov. Ron DeSantis goes, he brings greetings from “the free state of Florida.” He heralds his “Florida Blueprint.” And he brags about how many people originally from whichever state he happens to be visiting love taking advantage of Florida’s warm weather and low taxes.
But a funny thing has happened as DeSantis travels the country with a “Make America Florida” message that underpins the Republican’s soon-to-launch presidential campaign.
DeSantis has found that not everyone wants to be Florida. And he has encountered spirited pushback from competitive fellow governors and GOP officials who believe that their states have done just as much, if not more, to advance a conservative agenda.
“It’s a lot of fun competing with my colleagues and Republican governors across the country,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has hosted DeSantis in the first-in-the-nation caucus state, said in an interview with NBC News. “But make no mistake, we are competitors.”
Reynolds introduced and interviewed DeSantis at two events in March, making sure to hold up her own record alongside his and frame them as equally accomplished governors. DeSantis, though, emphasized that he enjoys a “special perch” or “unique catbird’s seat” to view how other governors are doing, “because when people visit or move here, they tell me what’s going on in their states.”
After bestowing this authority onto himself, he took some shots at Democratic-led Illinois and proclaimed that Reynolds indeed presides over “one of the best-run states.”
It’s a tricky task — one that has caught attention of DeSantis’ home state reporters at Florida Politics — that in the wrong hands can come off as a magnanimous pander or a condescending pat on the back. And there have been signs in recent weeks that DeSantis recognizes he needs to shift how he talks about Florida, making it seem less aspirational and exceptional and more like an example of Republican leadership that has thrived elsewhere.
Reynolds, who stressed that her rivalry with DeSantis is friendly, brushed aside a question about whether his comments might offend Iowans and then quickly pivoted to her own accomplishments.
“Offend Iowans? Oh no, because I took care of that,” Reynolds said. “Because starting this year, we no longer tax retirement income. I made a deal with Gov. DeSantis. I said, ‘Hey, I’ll let our retirees go down to Florida — maybe a couple of months in January and February when the temperature’s not as good here in Iowa. … He’s gracious when he talks about it.”
DeSantis’ Florida boosterism has also prompted some ribbing in New Hampshire. At a GOP dinner there last month, DeSantis spoke admiringly about that state’s “Live Free or Die” motto before launching into his self-congratulatory story. Before DeSantis left the stage, New Hampshire GOP Chairman Chris Ager playfully jabbed at the governor.
“Instead of people moving to Florida,” Ager said, “maybe you can move up here.”
DeSantis’ spokesperson did not return a request for comment for this piece.
As boastful as DeSantis can be, he also searches for common cause with his audiences. During two stops in Ohio last month he played up his mother’s roots in the Youngstown area and his wife’s childhood in Troy, near Dayton. During that trip, he told a GOP crowd over breakfast in Akron that some parts of Florida are like “Ohio South,” given the number of retirees there.
“And it’s all good, because I’ll tell you, when it came time to get that big victory margin, there were a lot of transplanted people from Ohio who had my back,” DeSantis said, referring to his 19-point re-election margin last year. “So, God bless them for doing that.”
During a speech in South Carolina, DeSantis mentioned how his in-laws now live in the state and how he’s noticed more traffic on the roads there when he and his wife visit.
“Similar to what we’ve seen in Florida over the years with people coming down here,” he said.
But he was unable to resist an attempt at one-upmanship: “Famously — and, as long as I’m around, permanently — we have no state income tax. You guys should try that sometime.”
In Georgia, a compliment quickly gave way to grievance.
“One thing we’re no longer No. 1 in is college football,” DeSantis told an audience during a visit to a gun store in March. “So I just have a little bit of a plea … just stop taking so many of our high school football recruits. Can you give us a little bit of a chance?”
Ager, the New Hampshire GOP chair, said in an interview that he sees nothing wrong with friendly competition — and he wasted little time asserting his own state’s superiority.
“We are clearly No. 1. Gov. DeSantis calls it the free state of Florida. But the Cato Institute … in their whole scoring criteria, New Hampshire came in first last year,” Ager said, referring to a libertarian think tank’s ranking of New Hampshire as the freest state, based on personal and economic freedoms. “So we have some objective criteria from a third party.”
DeSantis himself seems to have softened his pitch a tad. While addressing the Utah GOP’s organizing convention in late April, he called the state, led by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, “one of the best governed, best performing states.” DeSantis then went on to bestow perhaps the biggest compliment he could, even if it kind of came at the expense of a third state.
“I was recently visiting with some folks in Iowa, and people said, ‘Iowa, they’re really the Florida of the Midwest with all the conservative stuff they’re doing,’” DeSantis said. “Well, let me just tell you, maybe this is a little secret, but it might just be that Florida’s the Utah of the Southeast.”
By the time he returned to Iowa this month, DeSantis sounded ready to reconsider.
“I was here in March, and someone kind of took note and they’re like, ‘Man … Iowa’s like the Florida of the Midwest.’ … But I just want to let you know, after watching all the good stuff you’ve done in Iowa, it may be that Florida is the Iowa of the Southeast. So we’ll see.”
For the competitive Reynolds, there’s no question.
“Absolutely,” said Iowa’s governor, who has not endorsed a candidate for president. “Florida is the Iowa of the Southeast, and we’re doing everything we can to continue that narrative.”
Florida flood insurance costs are about to explode. ZIP codes closest to the coast will pay the most
Ron Hurtibise, South Florida Sun Sentinel – May 22, 2023
Events of the past year have convinced more Florida homeowners of the need to carry flood insurance.
Flooding caused by hurricanes Ian and Nicole caught hundreds, if not thousands, of homeowners across the state by surprise, and without flood insurance.
Similarly, many homeowners affected by last month’s historic rainfall in eastern Broward County had no flood insurance and learned tragically that damage caused by water rising from the ground was not covered by their normal homeowner insurance.
It’s not just flood victims who are experiencing hard lessons about flood insurance.
Just as homeowners are realizing the increased risks of going without flood coverage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has released data showing that coverage costs are exploding for properties in coastal areas most vulnerable to flooding.
The cost hikes stem from mandates by Congress to require rates charged by the National Flood Insurance Program, which is run by FEMA, to reflect the cost of flood risk to individual covered properties, and to pay down the program’s deficit, which was $20.5 million as of last November, according to FEMA.
The result is a new risk pricing model called Risk Rating 2.0, which took effect on Oct. 1, 2021, for new NFIP policies and on April 1, 2022, for renewing policies. Rather than set rates solely based on a property’s elevation within a zone on a Flood Insurance Rate Map, the new approach considers more risk variables such as flood frequency, types of flooding, and distance to a water source, along with individual property characteristics like elevation and the cost to rebuild, FEMA’s website states.
Improved modeling, however, is of little comfort to homeowners who will have to pay more for flood insurance at the same time costs of regular multiperil property insurance are skyrocketing.
Recently, FEMA released a spreadsheet that compared average premiums currently and how high they’ll climb under the new pricing model.
For example, homeowners in Boca Raton’s 33432 ZIP code can look forward to a whopping 229% flood insurance premium increase, from an average $950 per policy to $3,128.
In Broward County, the 33305 ZIP code that includes Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods near the Middle River will pay 209% more, from $1,099 to $3,400.
In the 33315 zip code, which includes Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood that was among the hardest-hit by last month’s flooding, average rates will increase by 64% — from $863 currently to $1,420.
These numbers are averages. Within each ZIP code are less expensive homes with cheaper coverage costs and pricier homes that will cost even more to insure.
Unsurprisingly, homes nearest the coast, particularly in low-lying areas, cost far more to insure than homes on higher ground in western suburban cities.
For example, homeowners in Coral Springs’ 33071 ZIP code are looking at a total premium increase of just 17.6% — from $669 to $787.
FEMA says the new pricing model will also drive down the cost of flood insurance for customers with low-risk characteristics. Yet, none of South Florida’s ZIP codes will see average rates decrease, FEMA’s data shows.
Not everyone facing rate increases will have to pay the higher premiums immediately. While homeowners who previously did not carry NFIP flood insurance will have to pay the new higher prices if they want a new policy, price hikes for existing policyholders are capped at 18% a year for homesteaded properties and 25% annually for second homes or investment properties, until they reach the new rates.
If the total increase is 18% or less, affected homeowners will pay it just once — presumably until FEMA raises rates again, whenever that happens.
Few homes have flood insurance, even in Florida
Although Florida has the largest number of NFIP flood insurance policies of any U.S. state — 597,967 of 2.2 million in the U.S., FEMA data shows, the percentage of covered homes remains low.
Florida has 3.8 million detached single-family homes, according to 2020 census figures. The number of FEMA flood insurance policies are just 15.7% of that total. In South Florida’s tricounty region, the percentage is 20.8%.
The actual percentages of homes with flood insurance are likely to be a little different. The above estimates don’t take into account private flood insurance policies, which are increasing but still a fraction of the number of federally-backed policies. And the estimates exclude attached single-family homes, such as townhomes. The percentage also does not include condominiums, which are typically covered by blanket commercial policies.
Experts advise every Florida homeowner to buy flood insurance because flooding can happen throughout the state, as during last fall’s hurricanes.
But many buy flood insurance only when required, such as home loan borrowers with federally backed mortgages who live in high-risk flood zones.
Flood insurance required for some with Citizens insurance
This year, a new set of homeowners are required to buy flood insurance. Customers of state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. who live in high-risk flood zones are required to also carry flood insurance.
That mandate, enacted by the state Legislature and governor last year, took effect on April 1 for new Citizens policyholders and on July 1 for renewing policyholders.
Under the new law, all Citizens policyholders will have to buy flood insurance by 2027.
According to Citizens data, 228,203 of the company’s 1.2 million customers are now required to buy flood insurance. Of them, 105,763 are in Broward, Palm Beach or Miami-Dade counties.
When enacted last year, the law also required condo owners covered by Citizens to buy flood insurance. They were exempted, however, by a new law that was passed during the just-completed spring Legislative session and now awaits the governor’s signature. The change followed complaints that flood insurance is unnecessary for residents on upper floors of multistory buildings and for those covered by commercial policies that cover all units.
Although the mandate remains in place legally, Citizens has stopped sending notices to condo owners telling them they must buy flood insurance at renewal time, Citizens spokesman Michael Peltier said. Once it is signed, condo owners who bought coverage will be able to drop it.
If they bought FEMA coverage, they can request refunds if their policies have not yet taken effect, the NFIP’s website states.
Because the flood insurance requirement for renewing Citizens customers won’t take effect until July 1, Ryan Papy, president of Palmetto Bay-based Keyes Insurance, says it’s still a bit early to gauge the impact.
“There hasn’t been that much sticker shock,” Papy said in an email. “Many (premiums) in Miami-Dade County have gone down.”
But he added, “We do see issues when some clients are purchasing new property.” The difference between a new owner’s premiums and the capped rates paid by the previous owner can sometimes “be extreme,” he said.
Save money on the private market?
Florida homeowners hit hardest by rising NFIP rate hikes might ask their agents to see if they can save money by checking out the private flood insurance market.
Neptune Flood, the nation’s largest private flood insurer with more than 150,000 clients, can save policyholders up to 25% off the cost of comparable NFIP coverage, Neptune spokeswoman Loren Pomerantz said by email.
Private flood insurance satisfies requirements of both federal mortgage guarantors and Citizens, according to Pomerantz and Peltier.
Pomerantz said Neptune’s sales in Florida have increased in recent months. Sales climbed 20% in areas hard hit by Hurricane Ian prior to the new Citizens mandate taking effect. In high-risk flood zones, sales have increased 25% since April 1 compared to the same period last year, she said.
Private flood insurance also offers coverage that far exceeds the NFIP’s $250,000 cap for structural damage and $100,000 limit for personal property damage. “We can cover homes for up to $4 million in building coverage and $500,000 of personal property,” she said. “Additional coverage options not available through the NFIP include pool repair and refill, replacement cost on contents, temporary living expenses and more. This allows a homeowner to adequately cover their property and protect their families in the event of a flood-related loss.”
Country-western music star Brad Paisley steps out of the ranks to support Ukraine | Opinion
Bob Kustra – May 21, 2023
Brad Paisley has always been one of my favorite country-western music stars. His songs have a way of grabbing your attention and holding on long after the song is over. He is not afraid to address social issues in his body of work as he did with songs like “Karate,” about a woman learning martial arts to fight back against a domestic abuser.
Bob Kustra
He sings one of his hits with Alison Kraus, the American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler, called “The Whiskey Lullaby.” It’s a song about the ravages of addiction and how it destroys relationships. It has one of the most haunting and evocative lines ever written for country music. “He put the bottle to his head and pulled the trigger.”
Then there’s “We Danced,” which features a woman returning to a bar that just closed to retrieve the purse she left behind. There’s a guy sweeping the dance floor, cleaning things up and as he holds the purse out for her, he says she must dance with him to get it back. They danced and if there is such a thing as love at first sight, chalk this song up to dance at first sight. They fall in love and live happily ever after, as the saying goes.
Country music fans can have a field day running through Paisley’s songs over his career that seem to set him apart from the guys and gals singing about how to sober up and get their lover back.
Paisley’s politics, like many country-western stars, is tough to nail down. With so much of their music purchased and enjoyed by that red belt of southern states who signed up with Trump, it was no surprise to find Paisley, who has performed at the Biden White House, along with other country western stars supporting Trump in 2016.
One tweet about a Paisley performance reported that he was playing at Jones Beach in New York with tailgaters sporting Trump and Confederate flags everywhere. No shock there. Given the caricature of the Southern Bubba as the archetypal country-western fan, don’t expect Paisley and others in his line of work to be out there challenging the politics of the paying customers of country-western music.
Or did Paisley step out of the red state ranks recently when he penned a song about Ukraine, “Same Here,” about how we share a set of common values with the people of Ukraine? Paisley sings about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “I’ve got a friend across the ocean …A wife he loves and a bunch of dreams…for his country he holds so dear…he prays for peace and freedom.” The song also features Zelensky talking about how he appreciates “the same things — children, freedom, our flag, our soldiers, our people” as Americans.
That was just the first step in Paisley’s support of the war in Ukraine. He watched heart-breaking reports of a war that destroyed lives, demolished homes and sent remaining families into exile or temporary housing. Declaring that he would feel like a coward if he sang about it, but refused to visit the war-torn country, he joined a bipartisan delegation of Congress in Kyiv where he sang his song for the president and sat down for a chat with him.
Paisley also serves as an ambassador for United24, a program to Rebuild Ukraine, the largest rebuilding program in Ukraine since the Second World War. To date, it has raised $337.5 million to help the people of Ukraine rebuild their homes.
Brad Paisley sure seems to be pushing the envelope as he travels to a space in our politics that many of his country-western fans who listen to Trump have not visited. In his recent appearance on CNN’s disastrous town hall meeting, the former president was not exactly on the same page as Paisley when he told the audience that he would end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office yet he would not say who should win the war. He cleared that up on Fox News when he predicted that Putin would eventually take all of Ukraine.
Trump’s Republican critics Sen. Mitt Romney and former Govs. Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson immediately challenged Trump’s confusing and pro-Putin comments. Hutchinson tweeted that Trump reminded everyone tonight of his support of Russia and his willingness to sell out Ukraine, and Romney said Vladimir Putin would be the only person celebrating Trump’s remarks. Given how Trump cozied up to Putin during his presidency, can there be any doubt that he would hand off Ukraine to the Russians overnight?
Paisley is not the first country music star to ride into the political arena. With his visit to Ukraine, his celebrity draws attention to the people of Ukraine fighting for their very existence at a moment when some Americans seem to have lost interest in supporting Ukrainians fighting for their freedom from the Russian autocracy of Putin.
A poll earlier this year by the Pew Research Center showed that the percentage of Republicans claiming we are giving too much to Ukraine increased from 9% in March 2022 to 40% in January 2023. The news last week that Patriot missiles provided by the U.S. knocked out supersonic Russian missiles headed for Kyiv demonstrates the importance of American support for the Ukrainian military.
Kudos to Paisley for his public display of support for Ukraine and Zelenskyy. When it comes to Ukraine’s future, the rise of autocratic governments and the despot Putin, we cannot afford to sit on the fence. Let’s hope Paisley’s message about the values Americans and Ukrainians share will register with the country western crowd, especially those who have been listening to Trump.
As Ukraine begins a counteroffensive against the Russians, this is no time for Americas to falter in support of the Ukrainian people. Perhaps Paisley can make some headway opening the minds and hearts of fans who have taken their cues from a fallen and disgraced leader.
Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio and he writes a biweekly column for the Idaho Statesman. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator.
David Axelrod: After Barack Obama, America will never be the same
David Axelrod – May 20, 2023
In all the years I worked for Barack Obama, I didn’t think enough about the burdens of being America’s first Black president – in part because he bore them so gracefully.
There were bracing moments, of course, like the day, relatively early in his campaign for the White House, when Secret Service agents became a constant presence in his life, given the inordinate number of death threats against him.
There were the overtly racist memes about his citizenship and faith and worthiness, fueled by demagogues and social media, that continued throughout his presidency.
There was the startling outburst from a Southern congressman, who shouted “You lie!” during a presidential address to Congress – an intrusion that has since become more common but back then was a stunning departure from civic norms.
Among Obama’s staff, we dealt with these moments mostly as political challenges to navigate. And while he addressed issues of race, Obama rarely spoke, publicly or privately, about the unique pressures he faced personally.
It took someone else to open my eyes and cause me to think more deeply about the extraordinary burden – and responsibility – of being a trailblazer at the highest of heights in a nation where the struggle against racism is ongoing.
In 2009, Obama was considering nominating Sonia Sotomayor, a highly regarded federal appellate judge from New York, for a seat on the US Supreme Court.
If appointed, Sotomayor would become the first Latina on the nation’s highest court. The president asked me to chat with her and assess how she would hold up under the pressures of the confirmation process and that weighty history.
I met with Sotomayor in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, where she had been spirited for a final round of clandestine interviews. I asked her what, if anything, worried her about the process.
“I worry about not measuring up,” she said, bluntly.
It was instantly clear to me that this brilliant, accomplished judge, who fought her way from poverty in the South Bronx to Princeton and Yale Law School, was talking about more than her own ambitions. As The First, she knew she also would be carrying with her the hopes and aspirations of young Latinas everywhere. Her success would be their inspiration. Her failure would be their setback.
That conversation prompted me to reconsider the unspoken burden the president himself had navigated so well for so long under the most intense spotlight on the planet. The burden was not just racism but the responsibility to measure up, to excel, to shatter stereotypes and to be an impeccable role model in one of the world’s toughest and most consequential jobs.
Watching the episode of CNN’s documentary series “The 2010s” about Obama, I was reminded again of how well he weathered those burdens.
It isn’t that he got everything right. No president does. And there always will be a debate about how much the election of the first Black president contributed to the reactionary backlash that yielded Donald Trump, a divisive and toxic figure who would lead the country in an entirely different direction.
But the history is clear: Obama led the nation through an epic economic crisis and war, passed landmark legislation on health care and strengthened the social safety net, bolstered America’s standing in the world and, in our most painful moments, comforted the nation by speaking eloquently to what Abraham Lincoln called the “better angels of our nature.”
Against the relentless pressure of being First and all the anger and resentment that it may have stirred among some fearful of change, Obama was consistently thoughtful, honorable and poised. He carried himself with the comforting authenticity of a man who knows who he is – and never flinched.
When Obama was considering a campaign for president in the fall of 2006, a small group of friends and advisers gathered with him in my office in Chicago to assess a possible race.
Michelle Obama – perhaps the greatest skeptic in the room at that moment about the advisability of such an audacious journey – asked a fundamental question: “Barack, it kind of comes down to this. There are a lot of good, capable people running for president. What do you think you could contribute that the others couldn’t?”
“There are a lot of ways to answer that but one thing I know for sure: The day I raise my hand to take that oath of office as president of the United States,” he said, lifting his right hand, “the world will look at us differently and millions of kids – Black kids, Hispanic kids – will look at themselves differently.”
Two years later, in Chicago’s Grant Park, where Obama claimed victory, I watched a sea of humanity, including Black parents, with tears rolling down their cheeks, as they held their kids aloft to witness the scene.
Jacob Philadelphia, the son of a White House staff member, touches then- President Barack Obama’s hair in the Oval Office of the White House. – Pete Souza/The White House/The New York Times/Redux
And then there was the iconic photo in the Oval Office of five-year-old Jacob Philadelphia, the son of a White House staffer who was leaving the administration. The little boy, who is Black, stood dressed in a shirt and a tie. He had looked up at the president and asked, “Is your hair like mine?” Obama bowed his head toward the boy and told him, “Go ahead, touch it,” which he did.
It was a moving, spontaneous scene captured by the splendid White House photographer Pete Souza. The moment spoke volumes about Obama, his meaning in our history and the unique responsibly he bore.
As the president bowed his head to this little boy, his unspoken message was clear: “Yes, you are like me. Yes, you can dream big dreams.”
Under extraordinary pressures, Obama more than “measured up,” not just as a president but as a role model. As a First.
And for that alone, America will never be the same.
