Arizona bird lovers should be cautious as avian flu spreads https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/122424_az_avian_flu/arizona-bird-lovers-should-cautious-as-avian-flu-spreads/
Arizona is one of approximately 10 states that have had confirmed cases of avian flu that are being monitored by federal, state and local health officials, and while the risk to the public is considered low, the virus is often fatal to birds and some other animals.
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Immigration drives nation’s population growth https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122424_immigration_population/immigration-drives-nations-population-growth/
A recent immigration surge brought newcomers to every state this year, helping to offset a continued drop in U.S. births while contributing to a national upswing of about 3.3 million new residents.
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The CDC hasn’t asked states to track deaths linked to abortion bans https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122424_cdc_abortion/the-cdc-hasnt-asked-states-track-deaths-linked-abortion-bans/
President Joe Biden in 2022 issued an executive order tasking the federal government with assessing the “devastating implications for women’s health“ of new state abortion bans, but the CDC has not pushed state committees to examine the role new abortion laws have played.
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Republicans’ assignment: Avert a global financial crisis over the U.S. debt limit https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122424_debt_limit/republicans-assignment-avert-global-financial-crisis-over-us-debt-limit/
When Republicans won unified control of government during the November elections, they also won the responsibility to address the country’s debt limit after the current suspension expires on Jan. 1 - a debate that will likely flare tensions between centrist and far-right Republicans.
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'Twas the night before Christmas' helped make the modern Santa – and led to a literary whodunit https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/121721_christmas_poem_mystery/twas-night-before-christmas-helped-make-modern-santa-8211-and-led-literary-whodunit/
The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” better known as “‘Twas the Night before Christmas,” has inspired the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly old man sporting red and a round belly - but the poem has been steeped in controversy, leading to a literary whodunit.
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2024 in review: Tucson Sentinel's top stories of the year https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/122324_2024_review/2024-review-tucson-sentinels-top-stories-year/
Tucson rang in 2024 with an air of familiarity, but with a few new - and old - twists: immigration and asylum issues were back, along with elections, a homeless crisis, and deaths at the jail - while the battle between growth and the environment continued.
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Hanukkah celebrations have changed dramatically − but same is true of Christmas https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/120623_hannukah_changes_op/hanukkah-celebrations-have-changed-dramatically-8722-but-same-true-christmas/
Hanukkah is a minor festival in the Jewish liturgical year, but because of its proximity to Christmas, Hanukkah has been culturally elevated into a major celebration - and the history of both holidays is more complicated than these comparisons let on.
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What’s the point of giving gifts? An anthropologist explains this ancient part of being human https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122023_holiday_gifts_op/whats-point-giving-gifts-anthropologist-explains-this-ancient-part-being-human/
An anthropologist explains the ancient and widespread roots of giving gifts, and the power of the present.
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Biden commutes nearly all federal capital sentences, leaves 3 on death row https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122324_biden_death_penalty/biden-commutes-nearly-all-federal-capital-sentences-leaves-3-death-row/
President Joe Biden commuted the sentences on Monday of 37 death row inmates, citing his conscience as a force behind the decision. He also left the death sentences unchanged for three men charged with hate-motivated mass shootings and terrorism.
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House Ethics Cmte finds ‘substantial’ evidence Matt Gaetz had sex with minor, used illicit drugs https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122324_gaetz_ethics/house-ethics-cmte-finds-substantial-evidence-matt-gaetz-had-sex-with-minor-used-illicit-drugs/
A yearslong investigation into former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz uncovered “substantial evidence” to corroborate allegations that the Republican lawmaker had sex with a minor, used illicit drugs and paid women for sex, according to a House Ethics Committee report.
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How Christmas became an American holiday tradition, with a Santa Claus, gifts & a tree https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/121622_christmas_traditions_op/how-christmas-became-american-holiday-tradition-with-santa-claus-gifts-a160tree/
While Europeans participated in religious ceremonies to celebrate the birth of Jesus for centuries, Christmas trees and gift-giving on Dec. 24 in Germany did not spread to other European Christian cultures until the end of the 18th century and came to North America in the 1830s.
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Despite best hopes, Southwest drought may be here to stay https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/122324_southwest_drought/despite-best-hopes-southwest-drought-may-here-stay/
The Southwestern U.S. may one day see the level of heavy precipitation it last experienced nearly 30 years ago - but while some experts debate when that could happen, others describe the last three decades as a slow and permanent shift to a new normal of hotter and drier conditions.
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Senate committee SCOTUS ethics report highlights key findings — but few results https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122324_scotus_ethics/senate-committee-scotus-ethics-report-highlights-key-findings-but-few-results/
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s probe into the Supreme Court revealed unreported trips and gifts, potential conflicts of interest and other ethical malfeasance - but political opposition prevented lawmakers from making many major strides toward holding the justices accountable.
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Parents are quitting jobs, passing on raises — to qualify for child care https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122324_child_care_struggles/parents-are-quitting-jobs-passing-raises-qualify-child-care/
Most states have child care subsidy eligibility limits that are more strict than the federal income recommendation, and as a result, only a fraction of families — about 10 percent — who are eligible under the federal recommendation actually get assistance.
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Social Security benefits boosted for millions in bill headed to Biden’s desk https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122324_social_security_boost/social-security-benefits-boosted-millions-bill-headed-bidens-desk/
The U.S. Senate approved a broadly bipartisan bill that would increase Social Security benefits for millions of Americans with pensions by ending two of the program’s policies in place for decades — the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset.
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Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122324_trump_health_picks/trumps-picks-top-health-jobs-not-just-team-rivals-but-team-opponents/
Many of Donald Trump’s candidates for federal health agencies have promoted policies and goals that put them at odds with one another or with Trump’s choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, setting the stage for internal friction over public health initiatives.
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For enslaved people, the holiday season was a time for revelry – and a brief window to fight back https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/122324_holiday_slavery_op/for-enslaved-people-holiday-season-was-time-revelry-8211-and-brief-window-fight-back/
During the slavery era in the Americas, enslaved men, women and children enjoyed the holidays - which offered a chance to feast, plot rebellions, or escape - but more importantly, it served as a rare window of opportunity for enslaved men, women and children to reclaim their humanity.
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Obamacare sign-ups lag after Trump election, legal challenges https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122224_aca_signups/obamacare-sign-ups-lag-after-trump-election-legal-challenges/
New enrollments under the Affordable Care Act are on pace to trail last year’s record numbers by as many as a million as the outgoing Biden administration confronts upheavals in the program.
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Elección de Trump y desafíos legales retrasan las inscripciones en el Obamacare https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/122224_aca_signups_esp/eleccion-de-trump-y-desafios-legales-retrasan-las-inscripciones-en-el-obamacare/
Las nuevas inscripciones en el marco de la Ley de Atención Médica Asequible están en camino de superar las cifras récord del año pasado en hasta un millón a medida que la administración saliente de Biden enfrenta trastornos en el programa.
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Christmas playlist: The all-time best holiday songs https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/122224_christmas_songs/christmas-playlist-all-time-best-holiday-songs/
It might not be nearly cold enough in Tucson to gather around the hearth, but here are some holiday songs to warm your heart whether you have a fireplace or not — and some to make you bang your head and play air guitar. With hours of music spread over dozens of songs, these Christmas classics will liven your spirits, even if we're not gathering in festive crowds again quite yet.
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