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Helping out: How American volunteerism is changing – and why

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniela Fernandez has no trouble attracting volunteers to her group Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Last month, she presided over the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit in Panama, where 77 participants from 45 countries volunteered their time to develop solutions to protect the oceans. The summit focused on participants between 18 and 35, the age group many in the philanthropic sector worry are not volunteering enough. It had to turn away more than 900 applicants.“Young people crave having sustained impact and seeing how their time, their energy and their passion is actually moving the needle,” Fernandez said. “The problem is, a lot of organizations don’t have the process or the tools or the projects that will deliver on that need — that urgency that young people have.”For decades, volunteerism in America has been declining. But according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps survey, it dropped another 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2021. The survey found ab...

To stay out of their heads, goaltenders find ways to unwind

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

DENVER (AP) — To keep his racing mind in check, Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner sometimes turns to the chess board. Anything to unwind and not constantly dwell — even obsess — on stopping shots. In an effort to escape a bit from their high-pressure jobs, goalies take different approaches. It could be picking up chess (Skinner’s move), reading a good book (a novel approach by Colorado’s Alexandar Georgiev ), binging a Netflix show (Carolina’s Antti Raanta ) or just taking the dog for a walk (Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer).The point is to find a way to slow things down to make sure their dreams aren’t haunted by high-speed shots flying at them from the likes of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon or David Pastrnak. Because at this time of year, every save — or non-save — takes on greater importance. Replaying the goals in the mind can become an occupational hazard. “That balance between not being 24/7 hockey is really important for their mental health because they...

Driver stabbed after argument in Mississauga parking lot: Police

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

Peel police are searching for a suspect after a man was stabbed during a fight in Mississauga.Officers responded to reports of a stabbing near Eglinton Avenue West and Ridgeway Drive around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.Police tell CityNews there was an argument between a driver and a pedestrian in a plaza parking lot. The two men allegedly exchanged words before things turned physical and the pedestrian stabbed the driver.Paramedics say the victim was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police later upgraded his condition to serious but stable.The suspect fled the scene on foot before officers arrived. He is described as man in his 20s, five-feet five-inches tall with black curly hair. He was last seen wearing a black sweater and black sweatpants.Anyone with information is being asked to contact police.

WATCH: Middle school wrestler sucker-punched by opponent who lost

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

SANDWICH, Ill. (WGN) — An Illinois middle school wrestler is speaking out after a widely-shared video shows him getting punched by his opponent after a match.Jillian Hill’s 14-year-old son Cooper is a two-time state wrestling champion, competing in the 125-128-pound division. On April 8, Cooper competed in the Beat the Streets tournament at Oak Park High School with his team out of Spar Academy in Aurora. "He had won the match by tech-fall and when they came to the circle, Cooper extended his hand to shake his hand," Hill told WGN. "That’s when the assault happened." Downtown beating witness: ‘They were going to kill that young man’ The video shows Cooper, in an orange singlet, shaking his competitor's hand just seconds before the Maine West student punches him in the face. Cooper immediately fell to the ground."I remember there was this stinging in my face. I balled up and I checked for blood. I looked up to see my stepdad and mom checking me," Cooper said."Cooper has h...

Texas-born princess faces eviction from Rome villa

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

ROME (AP) — A Texas-born princess who lives in a Rome villa containing the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio is facing a court-ordered eviction Thursday, in the latest chapter in an inheritance dispute with the heirs of one of Rome’s aristocratic families.Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi, a widow formerly known as Rita Carpenter, was still holding out at the Casino dell’Aurora on Wednesday night, awaiting what she expected to be the arrival of Carabinieri police in the morning. With her are her Ukrainian housekeeper Olga, and the housekeeper's daughter and two young grandchildren who fled Kyiv last year after Russia's invasion.FILE - Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi shows to journalists some of the paintings displayed inside the Casino dell'Aurora, also known as Villa Ludovisi, in Rome, on Jan. 18, 2022. A Texas-born princess who lives in a Rome villa containing the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio is facing a court-ordered eviction Thursday in the latest...

VIDEO: Music teacher pens STAAR rap for students

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Teachers looking to encourage their students ahead of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR tests need look no further than an Austin music teacher. Lauren Diamond teaches music at the Harmony School of Science in Austin. She wrote and performed "Imma Staar" to get her kids motivated for the STAAR tests. According to the Texas Education Agency calendar STAAR testing calendar released in March 2022, STARR tests will occur April 18-28 for: Grades 3–8 Reading Language ArtsEnglish IEnglish IISTARR tests will occur Apr 25–May 5 for:Grade 5 ScienceGrade 8 ScienceGrade 8 Social StudiesBiologyU.S. HistorySTARR tests will occur May 2–May 12 for: Grades 3–8 Algebra IMathematicsSTARR tests will occur June 20–June 30 for:Algebra IEnglish IEnglish IIBiologyU.S. HistoryJudging by the call and response, seems the students enjoyed the song ahead of taking exams this week.

Trudy Rubin: The Pentagon documents leak will embolden Putin as he tries to outlast Ukraine

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

JERUSALEM — Here’s one of the most maddening aspects of the mindless leak of hundreds of classified documents by a group of young men and boys playing online war games: It may help Russia to emerge the winner in Ukraine, unless the United States takes critical action to prevent that — right now.Of course, the most maddening aspect is that a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman and racist gun collector could obtain highly classified documents, and post them to the 20 gamers in a group called Thug Shaker Central, just to show off to his pals. How can any close ally feel safe sharing secrets with a Pentagon that seems to have learned little about plugging leaks since the troves released by Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden?But when it comes to Ukraine, the documents — some of which were dated as recently as February — provide a bleak Pentagon assessment of how much territory Kyiv can regain in its much-awaited spring counteroffensive. They suggest that with...

DMV launches annual 'no empty chair' campaign

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (WTEN) - Each year, high schoolers across the state look forward to prom and graduation. That's why the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) launched its annual "No Empty Chair" campaign on Wednesday, making sure those memories don't turn meaningless. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "And that's why we're here today," stated Owen McShane, the Deputy Commissioner of the DMV. "To make sure there are no empty seats because of tragedy on the roads."At Albany Medical Center, those tragedies are on full display. One doctor remembered when his neighbor was in a serious crash, saying, "the doctors said he'll never move; he'll never talk again. Why don't you just make him comfortable?" NY firefighters call for benefits to help recruit volunteers That doctor- Kurt Edwards, the Chief of Albany Med's Division of Trauma and Critical Care- warned of a different type of chair. "So, I'm going to talk about, not an empty ...

Ask Amy: Dog parents bark at one another over sitter

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

Dear Amy: Several years ago, one of my neighbors asked if I would give her the name of my long-time (about 13 years at that point) dog sitter/walker.This neighbor said that she and her husband never traveled, so she would use the dog sitter only for occasional walks.I gave her the number.Now the neighbor and her husband have begun traveling and have been booking my dog sitter for a week (or longer periods) sometimes a year in advance, so that I can no longer rely on the availability of the dog walker.This neighbor has also given the name and number of the sitter to another neighbor.I asked them, out of courtesy, to alert me a few weeks before they plan to use my dog sitter and to get a dog sitter of their own if I need my original sitter.They both say they won’t do this. They won’t even allow me to use my dog sitter to walk my dog while they are using the sitter for week-long stays.What is the etiquette in this situation?— Dognapped WomanDear Dognapped: I understand how frustr...

Putin visits military headquarters in Ukraine's Kherson region

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:49:27 GMT

The Kremlin announced on 18 April that Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) visited the military headquarters of Ukraine's Kherson region and Luhansk, which is partly controlled by Russia.Putin was in Kherson to attend a meeting of military commanders. He heard reports from the commanders of airborne forces, the "Dnieper", army group as well as other senior officers about the situation in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Both regions have been declared part of Russia by Moscow.In anticipation of an offensive by Ukraine, Russian troops have reinforced their positions along the Dnipro River on the other side.Putin also visited the national guard headquarters of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk Region, another part that Moscow annexed in Ukraine last year.The Kremlin has not revealed when Putin attended these meetings.