Local electoral authorities in Texas have rejected thousands of absentee ballots based on requirements set by the state’s new electoral law, in a worrying jump that could potentially prevent some Texans from voting in Tuesday’s primary.

The state’s Republican-Democrat primaries will be the first elections held since the Republican-led Texas legislature overhauled the state’s election laws. Election officials in the most populous counties have rejected roughly 30 percent of the absentee ballots they have received — more than 15,000 ballots — as of Wednesday, according to The New York Times survey of election data.

The ballots were rejected largely because voters either did not provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, or the numbers they did not match what was on the officials’ file. New identification requirements were put in place by a voting law passed last year, known as Senate Bill 1.

The rejection rate represents a significant increase from past elections, including in 2020, when the rejection rate in the statewide general election was less than 1 percent, according to the data. Federal Election Assistance Commission data. In 2020, officials rejected 8,304 ballots in Texas out of nearly a million votes statewide. Only two counties have already exceeded that number statewide this year: Harris County and Dallas County have rejected more than 8,600 ballots as of Wednesday.

The Times has counted absentee ballot denials in 10 of 13 counties with populations over 400,000. Bexar County, where San Antonio is located, had not yet begun the ballot verification process as of Wednesday, while Tarrant County and Denton County, near Dallas, were delayed by the ice storm.

The total number of rejected ballots is still subject to change. Voters have until Election Day to submit their ballots and up to six days to correct ballot defects, depending on the circumstances of the rejection. For example, in Williamson County outside of Austin, officials initially rejected 514 absentee ballots, but 167 of them have been corrected and counted as of Tuesday.

The rise in rejections in Texas is the first sign that the deluge of new election laws passed across the country last year following the 2020 election is having an impact. On the battlefields of Florida and Georgia, Republican legislatures passed sweeping new voting laws with identification requirements for the absentee voting process that are similar to those of Texas law. Florida and Georgia will hold primaries later this year.

Guide to Texas Elementary Schools

The 2022 midterm elections will begin with the state’s primary on March 1.

Voters across Texas are flooding voter advocacy hotlines seeking advice or expressing dismay that their absentee ballots were rejected and returned after years of absentee ballots with no issues.

The Dallas County Democratic Party Headquarters received calls from voters with various issues regarding their ballots. The party is scrambling to help voters as the election deadline approaches Tuesday, including using text messages to send information about the new requirements to more than 30,000 voters in the county.

“The calls have been almost constant since the last week of January, with first confusion over the application process and then frustration over rejections,” said Christie Noble, Dallas County Democratic Chair.

However, the complications associated with absentee voting have a more limited impact in Texas than in many other states. Texas only allows mail-in voting to voters over 65 or with good cause. While more than a million Texans voted by mail in the 2020 general election, that number is expected to drop this year as turnout regularly drops in the interim.

But as mail-in voting is restricted to older people and voters with disabilities, concerns have risen that initially rejected ballots will disenfranchise voters. Guillermina Nevares lives at home in the Maverick County border area with her husband, Alfonso Nevares Sr., and her 98-year-old mother, who is disabled and recovering from recent surgery.

On all three of their ballots, they omitted the space to include their identification information, suggesting that since their voting statement had been accepted, they were free to vote.

“We didn’t look at the fine print,” said Ms. Nevares, who is also the mother of a former Democratic Party representative. “And there’s so much of it, fine print.

She corrected three ballots and mailed them back. She hopes the information is correct – due to her mother’s condition, they cannot come in person to resolve any issues.

“This is very upsetting,” Ms. Nevares said.

The Texas law also bans voting methods introduced in the 2020 election due to the pandemic, including pass-through and round-the-clock voting, and creates new barriers for those who want to help voters who need help with transfers, for example.

Gov. Greg Abbott, Republican, signed law in september. The move comes after a record turnout in the state, with 11.3 million people voting in the 2020 election, including more than nine million who voted early.

Mr. Abbott’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Previously, the governor’s administration defended the law and blamed the high absentee ballot rejection rate on local election commissions.

The Texas Secretary of State’s office said it was trying to inform voters of the new changes so that no one could return or reject the ballot.

“Over the past month, we’ve been working around the clock to spread the word across multiple channels,” Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the secretary of state, said in an email.

The state has seen abnormally high rejection rates of applications for absentee voting earlier this month as voters struggled with new identification requirements. Now, some voters who have had to correct their statements are starting to get nervous that their ballots won’t be delivered in time for Tuesday’s primary. Others choose to simply vote in person.

Nancy Bryant, 67, lives in Dallas and served as a judge in previous elections. She filled out an application and was approved, so she sent in her ballot. She learned this week that her ballot had been rejected and that county officials were going to mail it back to her for corrections.

But with the primaries fast approaching, Ms. Bryant hadn’t received her ballot as of Friday, and she’s not sure she’ll get it in time to take it to the polls on Election Day. Without her ballot, she may be forced to vote in advance. In any case, her desire to vote by absentee clashed with the reality of the new Texas law and the possibility of an in-person vote.

“If I don’t get it back on time, I’ll have to vote in advance, which hurts me deeply,” Ms Bryant said. “I am a devoted voter.”

Businesses, from big retailers like Amazon to small shop owners on Etsy, are showing their support Ukraine with a flow of new goods – some even using the profits to help the war-torn country.

For the low price of $ 8.18 plus delivery, for example, customers of the Etsy store Winding Road Canada can buy a set of blue and yellow earrings made of polymer clay in the shape of hearts, circles and others – with the proceeds in support of the besieged citizens of Ukraine through the branch of the Red Cross in the country.

“Here are different earrings with a Ukrainian theme,” wrote store owner Sarah. “Wear them and support freedom and peace for Ukraine. All money from sales, except for delivery fees, will go directly to the Red Cross’s campaign for the crisis in Ukraine.

Sarah also said she would “cover the cost of materials while it’s sustainable” and provide customers with proof of donation if requested.

Other small Etsy stores offer products that directly support various groups in Ukraine, such as the National Bank of Ukraine and the Armed Forces.

Many Etsy store owners show their support for your Ukraine as they sell products and donate profits to various Ukrainian organizations, including the Red Cross and the Armed Forces. Winding Road Canada offered earrings for just over $ 8 in many shapes, including hearts, to show support for the Ukrainian people

Canada’s Winding Road owner Sarah has worked hard to create beautiful polymer clay earrings to donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

Retail giant Amazon has also noticed a large influx of Ukrainian-inspired goods, especially T-shirts mixing the American and Ukrainian flags.

Many T-shirts have the caption “I’m with Ukraine”, while a popular item includes a play of works: “Puck Futin” in a defiant statement against the Russian president.

A description of the T-shirt with the inscription I Stand With Ukraine Puck Futin reads: “I Stand With Ukraine Puck Futin design, a perfect idea to express support for Ukraine and its people.”

Another reads: “I stand with Ukraine in a T-shirt to show support and love for Ukraine and the entire Ukrainian people.”

Most shirts range from $ 15 to $ 20.

Retail giant Amazon saw an influx of new T-shirts showing support for war-torn Ukraine this week as Russia forcibly invaded an Eastern European country. Many shirts contained the colors of the country’s flag – blue and yellow – and also featured American flags. A popular shirt also had a play on words to condemn the Russian president with the words: Puck Futin, written in capital letters

Call another Etsy store Shop goods from the USSRowned by a woman named Maxim – who usually sells only watches and jewelry – sells a digital stamp to a Ukrainian girl holding a state flag in a field to help her family.

“My family lives in Ukraine,” she wrote. “My shop for goods from the USSR has to go on vacation for an unknown period. As you know, my country, Ukraine, was attacked by Russia.

“We are limited in our ability to win and send parcels. If you want to support us, please buy this ad. Thank you for your good heart! ‘

The digital download is priced at a low of $ 5.

Call an Etsy store in Washington Freedom 1765 also jumps in the trend, selling a shirt with the Ukrainian flag, the snake from the US flag of Gadsden – known for its phrase “Do not step on me” – with the inscription of Ukraine on “Go yourself” in honor of the brave soldier on Snake Island in Ukraine, to say to an enemy warship, “Russian ship: Get out.”

The reported 13 soldiers on the Black Sea island were bombed by Russian air support and eventually died.

“We honor their self-sacrifice and defiant spirit with this redesign of the Gadsden flag,” wrote store owner Tim. ‘[One hundred] percent of the profits from the sale of this shirt will go to the fund established by the National Bank of Ukraine to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The shirt sells for $ 22.50 plus shipping.

Owner of Ukrainian shop Maxim, whose business had to be shut down due to the inability to supply and export products from the country, offered a cheap digital painting of a Ukrainian girl holding the state flag to help her family in the country.

A small Etsy store played with the Gadsden flag – known for its phrase “Don’t step on me” – by adding the Ukrainian flag and the country’s language on it. The phrase quoting Snake Island soldiers on Friday who told a Russian warship to “fuck off”

The Americans were not the only contingent to use the power of goods to raise funds for the people of Ukraine, as the United Kingdom also showed its support for Amazon.

Some items include hoods and a classic British item: beer beer.

Other ways to donate to Ukraine is through UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, The voice of the childrenInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesand more.

Amazon’s UK site also featured sweatshirts and T-shirts to show support

Britain has also shown its support for Amazon, as beer mugs with the words “I’m with Ukraine” printed on it sold at retail for about $ 20

As the war continues, Western authorities warn that Russia could use savage superweapons that evaporate bodies and crush internal organs if their attack on Ukraine is silenced tonight.

They fear that Vladimir Putin may resort to powerful thermobaric weapons – called “the father of all bombs” – as brave Ukrainians oppose his attempts to take control of Kiev.

There are also fears that units that lag behind the schedule as they face stiff opposition could resort to indiscriminate shelling as terrorist weapons.

Thermobaric weapons – also known as vacuum bombs – are high-power explosives that use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion. They are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed.

A thermobar bomb dropped by the United States on the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 weighed 21,600 pounds and left a crater more than 1,000 feet wide after it exploded six feet above the ground.

Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. In September 2007, Russia detonated the largest thermobaric weapon ever made, creating an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons.

The American version of the weapon is reported to cost more than $ 16 million each.

“I am afraid that if they do not meet their schedule and goals, they will be indiscriminate in the use of violence,” the official said. “They do not adhere to the same principles of necessity, proportionality and rule of law that Western powers do.”

The small contingent of 13 soldiers is said to have been stationed on Snake Island in the Odessa region and defended the territory after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The bomb works by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, making it much more deadly than conventional weapons.

While Russian special forces have reached the suburbs of Kiev, it is believed that the bulk of Russia’s heavy armor is still more than 30 miles from the capital.

Western officials have suggested that Russia will assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his ministers if they take over Kiev.

Russia is launching a massive landing attack to bring thousands of naval forces ashore in Ukraine on Friday as Kiev puts in more aggressive defenses than Moscow ever expected.

In addition, the United States has counted 200 Russian missile attacks so far. While most were fired at Ukrainian military facilities, some hit civilian areas.

A senior US defense official said on Friday that Russia seems to have lost some of its momentum due to the Ukrainian’s fiery resistance.

A woman who helped convict Scott Peterson – and whose jury is at the heart of the review request – says she never lied on the jury’s questionnaire that she was a victim of domestic violence.

Richelle Nice, nicknamed “Strawberry Shortcake” because of her dyed red hair, once received a restraining order against a boyfriend convicted of assault. She failed to disclose this information during the 2004 jury selection process for the high-ranking trial against Peterson, and this is now one of the reasons why his defense team is seeking a retrial.

While she was baked on the stand on Friday by Peterson’s lawyer Pat Harris, Nice claims that although her boyfriend was convicted of assault, he never actually did.

She said her then-friend Eddie Whiteside called the cops in November 2001 after she attacked him in their bedroom during a fight. When police arrived, she said they noticed a cut on her lip caused by her braces and arrested him for assault.

“Eddie never hit me,” she told the court on Friday. “Now or at any time.” Eddie never hit me, so I was not a victim of domestic violence.

However, Nice admitted during her testimony that she did not reveal that she was the victim of her ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend, who cut his tires, broke into their home and threatened her.

Nice’s testimony, which continued on Friday, marked the beginning of a week-long hearing focusing on whether she lied about her domestic violence story in order to join the jury so she could vote to convict Peterson.

Peterson, 49, was convicted in 2004 of killing his pregnant wife, Lachi, and their unborn son, whom the couple planned to name Connor. He has long claimed innocence.

Nice, who testified with impunity, said she never lied deliberately when asked a jury question about whether she or her associates had ever witnessed or been a victim of crime.

Richelle Nice, a juror who helped convict Scott Peterson of killing his wife and unborn son in 2002, is at the center of a request for a retrial. She is pictured in front of the San Mateo County Old Courthouse in Redwood City, California on December 13, 2004.

Nice was accused of lying during the jury selection process, without revealing that she had experienced domestic violence. She is pictured in front of the courthouse after Peterson was sentenced to death on March 16, 2005.

Peterson is pictured in the San Mateo County Courthouse in Redwood City, California on Feb. 25 for the start of a hearing that will determine whether he will receive a new trial.

She replied that she was not a victim, although she issued a restraining order while she was pregnant in 2000 against a woman who then accused her of terrorizing her.

But on Friday, she said in a statement that she was “vicious”, asking for a court injunction for herself and her unborn son.

Asked if she had ever feared the woman would harm her unborn child, she said no.

Her latest statement that she is not worried about her baby’s safety contradicts statements she made while seeking a court order. She then said she was worried the woman could hurt and harm the fetus.

Now she said she was only worried about what might happen if they punched each other.

“She wouldn’t have intentionally hurt my child, but if we were arguing and rolling like mannequins on the ground, then yes, I would be afraid of losing my child by doing such nonsense,” she said.

Nice said on Friday that her boyfriend had been falsely convicted of abusing her and that she was the one who attacked him. In the photo, she arrives for a Peterson hearing in Redwood City, California on February 25, 2005.

“This hearing is critical,” Peterson’s lawyer, Harris, said earlier. “This is his chance to show that she misbehaved and throw away all the work.”

Justin Falconer, another juror before his release, may testify that Nice talked a lot about Connor, calling him a “little man.”

If he were alive today, Connor would be a 20-year-old man.

Peterson’s lawyers said he would also testify that Nice said she had financial problems and that they were joking about a book after the lawsuit and film deals.

To have his sentence overturned, Peterson’s lawyers must show Masulo that Nice misbehaved and did so “out of bias against Scott’s conviction,” Harris said.

Nice said no to a jury questionnaire when asked if she had ever been a victim of a crime or participated in a lawsuit.

Last year, she said in a sworn statement that she did not “feel” victim “in the way the law can define the term” and did not consider the restraining order a lawsuit.

Peterson Lachi’s pregnant wife (pictured) disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002 and was found months later sailing in the Gulf of San Francisco. The mutilated corpse of their unborn son was also found

The jury heard Peterson have an affair with masseuse Amber Frey (pictured), who initially did not know he was married. She stood to testify against him during a trial that attracted international interest

If Peterson gets a new trial, Harris said he could present new evidence that the thieves were nearby on the day of Laci Peterson’s disappearance, that witnesses saw her alive that day, and that her fetus was “alive for at least another five to six days ”based on the examination of fetal remains.

However, prosecutors said Peterson’s lawyers had not provided any evidence to support his claims that he deserved a new trial, as Nice had a “darker motive” to be on the jury “and was essentially a hidden juror”. .

According to Nice’s testimony on Friday, Peterson’s lawyers plan to call witnesses, including fellow jurors and co-authors of their book, We, the Jury.

They also want People magazine reporter Johnny Dodd to testify about the “unusual” 17 letters Nice wrote to Peterson after his conviction and the eight letters Peterson wrote to Nice.

Two directors who worked on the post-trial television documentary “The Assassination of Lacy Peterson” must testify that they noticed a picture of a child wearing pajamas with the caption “The Little Man” on the wall of Nice.

If Peterson gets a new trial, his lawyers told him they could present new evidence that the thieves were nearby on the day of Laci Peterson’s disappearance.

They said they could also prove that witnesses saw her alive that day and that her fetus was “alive for at least another five to six days” based on a study of fetal remains.

Lassie Peterson, 27, was killed when she was eight months pregnant with a son whom the Peterson family planned to name Connor. Investigators said that on the eve of Christmas 2002, Scott Peterson dumped his wife’s body from his fishing boat in San Francisco Bay.

Peterson was eventually arrested after Amber Frey, a masseuse living in Fresno, told police they began dating a month before Lassie Peterson’s death.

She said he told her his wife was dead. Peterson maintained his innocence at all times.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Peterson’s death sentence in December and ordered Supreme Court Justice Anne-Christine Masulo to decide whether Nice had tarnished his trial, he also said “there is significant other circumstantial evidence incriminating Peterson.”

Peterson was sentenced to death in 2005 for the 2002 murder of his wife Lachi and their unborn son Connor. Last December, he was re-sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Her new lawyer had told both prosecutors and defense attorneys that she would cite her right to the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination until she was granted immunity from any prosecution for perjury.

Nice is pictured embracing attorney Gloria Allred after speaking at a news conference following the official sentencing of Scott Peterson in Redwood City, California, on March 16, 2005.

Lawyer Jeffrey Carr said he insisted on immunity to protect his client from things said for sure in last year’s sworn statement, but where she could defend herself on the witness stand.

“Most of its content is true, but not all of it is a matter of how you interpret things,” he told the Associated Press. Sometimes “tongues are more insistent” in the oath than in reality.

“I don’t expect bombs” or “surprises for what she’s going to say,” Carr said. He said he told Niss that “her only duty at the moment is to tell the bloody stone truth.”

Stanislav County prosecutors are arguing with Peterson’s lawyers about the importance of Nice’s refusal to testify without immunity.

“The jury’s refusal to cooperate in investigating her own misconduct may prove her bias,” Peterson’s lawyers said in a lawsuit, adding that “the witness lied under oath is certainly important for credibility.”

But prosecutors said that “if juror 7 exercises his privilege against self-incrimination … no conclusion is drawn as to the credibility of the witness.”

A 22-year-old mother revealed that she thought she was only in her first trimester when she suddenly felt the urge to pee – and gave birth to a full-term baby boy in the toilet.

Tegan Brill from Michigan she is now the proud mother of a one-year-old boy, Owen – but his arrival last February was a major shock.

Brill first suspected she was pregnant a week earlier and took a positive pregnancy test, but assumed she was one month or three months old.

Thinking she still had time to handle the pregnancy, she was confused when she went to use the bathroom and noticed that her “hole was huge” – and quickly pulled out a newborn, wrapping it in a towel while she waited for an ambulance to arrive.

22-year-old Tegan Brill from Michigan is already the proud mother of a one-year-old boy Owen – but last February his arrival was a serious shock

She was not feeling well and went to the bathroom to climb – and suddenly she took out a baby

Brill shared her story in a series of videos on TikTok, explaining why she didn’t suspect she was pregnant for so long.

She insisted she didn’t look pregnant, and at six months she even took a beach vacation, where she wore a swimsuit all the time – and no one noticed that she looked different.

“No one could say, no one knew. “I wasn’t big with a baby bump,” she said. I looked normal.

In fact, at about six and a half months old, she said she remembered thinking that her legs had never looked so skinny and that she looked “damn good.”

What she noticed was that her hair and skin looked “amazing” – which she now knows was caused by the pregnancy, but at the time didn’t give her cause for concern.

Brill insisted there were no signs that she was pregnant, and she still looked rather thin after six months (pictured) when she went on a beach trip with friends.

Brill (pictured at six months) said she kept bleeding all the time and suggested it was her period.

She was even happy with how thin her legs looked at six and a half months (pictured), but a week before giving birth, she told her boyfriend she thought she was gaining weight or getting pregnant.

Eventually, she said, she learned she was pregnant about a week before her son was born.

“I sent a message to my boyfriend and said, ‘Honey, I’m either very fat, I’m fat, or I’m pregnant. He must be one of them, “he said,” Well, take a test and you’ll find out, “she recalled.

Although she gained a little weight, Brill said she continued to bleed for nine months and believed she was menstruating, so she had no idea she could expect it.

“I had a cycle, so there’s no reason to believe I’m pregnant,” she said.

But in light of her weight gain, she decided to take a test – and realized she was pregnant. However, she did not imagine that she could be so far away.

“I thought maybe because we traveled a lot, he lived in Colorado, I lived in Michigan, so I thought I could tell when things were going, and I said to myself, ‘Oh, we’re either a month or three months, “she said.

After staying home from class on Monday, she used the bathroom on Tuesday morning and had terrible cramps – and then Owen was born (pictured immediately after birth)

She called 911 in the bathroom because she couldn’t stand up. The ambulance arrived as soon as she gave birth to her son

Owen was healthy, weighing nine pounds, six ounces

“I was like, not bad. “We have time,” she said. I didn’t know I was nine months old.

Then, one Monday night in February 2021, she felt bad and knew something was wrong.

“I was just like, ‘Wow, I’m not feeling well, guys,'” she said.

At the time, a senior at Hope College in the Netherlands, Michigan, she stayed home from class that day, visiting through Zoom with the camera off.

Early the next morning, she said todayshe had intense stomach cramps and thought she should aka, but when she went to use the toilet, she couldn’t stand it.

At first she thought she had an abortion, but then she took a closer look.

“I literally looked down. My hole was so big, “she told TikTok.

“I did not feel like a normal bastard. I looked down and my hole was huge. I literally felt it and it was hard and I just said to myself, “Um, this is a kid.”

Brill went to the hospital, where he called his mother to announce that she was a grandmother

Brill told Today that he remembers thinking about his son: “You are my miracle. There is no way to be healthy, let alone healthy and sweet, like a miracle.

After moving in with her parents, she finished school while caring for her baby

“I took it out, too.” He didn’t splash in the toilet, he didn’t hit the toilet. I took it out and the whole time I was on the phone with the ambulance, like EMT, 911, because I went to the toilet and I couldn’t stand up.

“So I called all my roommates, I heard all their phones go off … but no one answered because it was seven in the morning.

“So then I called the 911 ambulance and just said to myself, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but someone has to come help me because it’s not normal.

“They came literally five minutes after I brought my child to the toilet. I looked down, saw him coming out, pulled him, wrapped him in a towel, and then the ambulance came.

Owen was healthy, weighing nine pounds, six ounces.

Brill went to the hospital, where he called his mother to announce that she was a grandmother.

Although the birth was certainly a shock, Brill told Today that he remembers thinking about his son: “You are my miracle. There is no way to be healthy, let alone as healthy and as sweet as a miracle.

Monuments around the world are lit in the national blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag in solidarity with the people of Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

The London Eye, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, the Eiffel Tower and the Roman Colosseum were lit up with national colors on Friday night. Vladimir PutinRussian troops advance on the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

The famous Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest, Hungary, Ludwinsburg Palace in Germany and the 16th-century Palazzo Marino in Milan, Italy, were also lit with blue and yellow stripes in solidarity with Ukrainians whose lives were torn apart by the war.

Yesterday, BerlinThe Brandenburg Gate was illuminated with yellow and blue stripes, as well as the front of the 10 Downing Street in London and Flinders Rail Station in Melbourne, Australia.

Russian rockets hit Kiev on Friday as families shrank into shelters and authorities told people to prepare petrol bombs to defend their capital.

Ukrainian forces fought Russian troops in the capital on Friday as the city prepares for possible air strikes overnight. Few expect Ukraine to emerge victorious from what is almost certain to be a protracted, bloody and brutal war – but so far Kiev forces have managed to inflict heavy losses on Putin’s troops.

UNITED KINGDOM: London Eye in London highlighted in yellow and blue in solidarity with Ukraine on Friday following Russia’s invasion

FRANCE: The Eiffel Tower was lit in Ukrainian national colors on Friday. The monument’s operator said the monument would be lit in the national colors of Ukraine “in support of the Ukrainian people” for three nights

HUNGARY: Fisherman’s Bastion, one of the main landmarks of the Hungarian capital Budapest, is lit up in Ukrainian national colors at Buda Castle on Friday

ITALY: Moment of the torchlight procession in solidarity with the Ukrainian people at the Colosseum in Rome on Friday, while the monument is illuminated in blue and yellow

ITALY: Palazzo Marino in Milan, Italy, is lit in the colors of the Ukrainian flag on Friday after the Russian attack on Ukraine

UNITED KINGDOM: Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square, London, illuminated in yellow and blue in solidarity with Ukraine on Friday

GERMANY: Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Germany, is lit in the colors of the Ukrainian flag on Friday

SCOTLAND: The house of St. Andrew in Edinburgh is lit in yellow and blue, the colors of the flag of Ukraine on Friday

A protester stands with a poster as the colors of the Ukrainian flag are projected on Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square in central London on Friday, while the Eiffel Tower is illuminated in a similar way.

UNITED KINGDOM: Wembley Stadium in London illuminated in blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine on Friday

WELSA: The Welsh Government Building in Cathays Park in Cardiff is lit in the colors of Ukraine’s national flag on Friday

UNITED KINGDOM: The London Eye is lit in the colors of Ukraine’s national flag in solidarity with Ukrainians who have been attacked by Putin’s troops

SCOTLAND: The flag of Ukraine flies in front of the house of St. Andrew in Edinburgh, as the building is lit in blue and yellow

Britain: SIS building in London illuminated in yellow and blue on Thursday in solidarity with Ukrainians

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, with the colors of the Ukrainian flag lit up on the historic landmark on Thursday after Putin’s invasion

Brandenburg Gate seen illuminated in Ukrainian flag colors during anti-war protest after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany, on Thursday

The front of 10 Downing Street, the residence of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, glows blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine on Thursday

Liverpool’s historic St. George’s Hall is lit in yellow and blue in support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine on Thursday

Dick Van Dyke proves he doesn’t allow age to slow him down, as he was seen staying active and energetic in the Malibu neighborhood earlier this week.

The Hollywood icon, who turned 96 in December, was spotted on errands with his wife, Arlene Silver, 50, on Tuesday, just days before the couple’s tenth wedding anniversary.

The legend of Mary Poppins and Chiti Chiti Ban Bang seemed stable on his feet and did not need help, as he and Arlene were doing their homework on a windy afternoon in the coastal city.

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Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke was spotted carrying out orders in his Malibu neighborhood earlier this week

At the age of 96, the actor remained active and lively as always and looked stable on his feet during the outing

Wife Arlene Silver, who is 46 years younger than him at 50, accompanied her husband

Dick has been married to his second wife, Arlene, a former make-up artist, since 2012 and will celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary on February 29.

And although he is in the mid-90s, the actor remains good enough to drive and was later spotted driving home in his silver Lexus.

Dick, whose full name is Richard Wayne Van Dyke, appeared dressed and relaxed, wearing a blue sweatshirt, tracksuits, sandals, and a men’s bag, while Arlene wore a black suit with a down jacket.

Last week, the couple celebrated Valentine’s Day, as well as the upcoming decade of marriage, by releasing a charming video of them dancing together.

The 96-year-old national treasure is 46 years older than the former make-up artist, but Dick has proven he can keep up with his wife in the video.

The couple – who will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on February 29 – performed a hilarious cover of Everybody Loves a Lover, a song by Richard Adler and Robert Allen, popular with Doris Day in 1958.

Although in his mid-90s, the actor remained good enough to drive and was later spotted driving home in his silver Lexus.

The Mary Poppins star appeared dressed and relaxed, wearing a blue sweatshirt, pants, sandals and a “men’s bag”

Dick looked healthy and agile and didn’t need help as he and Arlene went about their business on a windy afternoon in the coastal town.

The actor chose to drive alone during a trip on Tuesday

The film and TV legend did not allow age to slow him down and remained quite active as a minor.

Although not old, Dick continued to play in his later years and in 2020 formed a barber quartet called The Vantastix, which also appeared in the music video.

Earlier, he told Parade about performing with the band: “This is my favorite thing to do.

“It’s kind of like my retirement fun. I don’t play golf. I have more fun singing and dancing.

Dick first met Arlene when she was working on the 13th Actors Guild Awards in 2007, where he presented Julie Andrews with a lifetime achievement award.

The couple then married in 2012, with Arlene choosing a red wedding dress.

“This is one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made,” Dick told Parade. ‘She makes me happy. She is very mature for her age, and I am very immature for my age, so that’s right!

He still has it! Legendary Dick Van Dyke has proven that he can still play, sing and dance in a new music video starring and directed by his second wife – Arlene Silver (R) – for Valentine’s Day

Dick Van Dyke is perhaps best known for playing his favorite chimney sweep, Bert, in the 1964 classic with Julie Andrews.

He starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (pictured) The Dick Van Dyke Show along with Mary Tyler Moore and the Carol Burnett Show to name a few

Dick had previously been married for 30 years to the late Margie Willett, which ended in 1984 after a six-year separation.

The couple has four children – son Barry, 70; son Christian, daughter Stacey and daughter Carrie, 60 years old.

Dick also lived with singer and dancer Michelle Triola from 1976 until her death in 2009 from lung cancer.

Dick is probably best known for his memorable roles in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66), Mary Poppins (1964), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and most recently, Mary Poppins Returns (2018).

Last May, Dick received the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Award for Joking The mirror: “I just turned 95, so I’m happy to be everywhere. If I had known I would live that long, I would have taken better care of myself.

In the version of the story we thought we understood, Hank Tank was a hungry, hungry trespasser unfazed by human concerns like doors and manners who broke into dozens of homes to save his 500-pound body.

This is still mostly correct. But in an unexpected twist as the black bear’s story gained international media attention this week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said on Thursday that the bear did not act alone.

According to the agency, DNA evidence collected over the past few months has shown that at least three bears were involved in break-ins reported in the Lake Tahoe region of California and Nevada. Prior to the update, all incidents involved Hank, whose burly build and incredible appetite were seen around the world as a mixture of delightful and intimate, and for those whose homes were taken over, perhaps a little terrifying.

As it turned out, people are not very good at distinguishing between bears.

“Identifying bears simply by their visible physical characteristics can lead to misidentification of bears and therefore confusion to management efforts,” the wildlife department said in a statement.

In good news for Hank, the authorities said he was likely to avoid euthanasia, which was thought possible as he had apparently lost his fear of humans. The department said several bears will be deployed over the coming weeks and months to capture, tag and study them and then release them to more suitable habitats.

The department “does not intend to euthanize the bears trapped during this effort,” the release said.

So far, those who have encountered bears have said that they were wonderful guests, aside from stealing food and the occasional sign of destruction.

“He just sits and eats,” chief executive Ann Bryant said. bear leagueWildlife Rescue in Homewood, California said this week. “He doesn’t attack them. He doesn’t growl. He doesn’t make rude faces.”

People in this area, the natural habitat of bears, have long coexisted with large furry animals. Residents learned leave no food and seal your trash in bear-proof containers.

But residents of the Tahoe Keys, a gated community about 190 miles northeast of San Francisco, have called police about 100 times since July about the bears.

It is not clear how the bears became addicted to human food. Department officials and local police tried to “scare” the bears with paintballs, bean bags, sirens and stun guns, but were unsuccessful.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will remove mask recommendations for 70 percent of Americans, the agency said Friday afternoon.

The Agency has revised the calculations that determine whether an area has a “high”, “medium” and “low” risk from Covid. Previously, only the infection rate was considered, while now the hospitalization rate and hospital capacity will be the most valuable indicators.

According to currently installed indicators, only five percent of U.S. counties are not recommended for a mask by federal regulators.

As the main goal of pandemic mandates is to avoid overloading health care systems, measuring hospital capacity and the degree of acute Covid are the most important, CDC officials explained.

Dr Rochelle Valensky, the agency’s director, said the move allowed Americans to feel safe in removing masks and other restrictions so far, when Covid is not as much of a threat as it was in the past.

This also leaves the door open for employees to return masks and other restrictions in the future at a time when the pandemic situation is becoming more severe, without overreacting to mild cases.

The revised CDC guidelines moved the number of counties in the United States considered “high” or “significant” risk to 30% (right) from 95% (left). The first map is the nation’s counties, according to initial estimates, while the second is a revised version presented by the CDC on Friday afternoon.

The CDC compiles its recommendations for people to live safely with Covid according to the level of risk in their counties.

“Now that the virus continues to circulate in our community, who should focus our indicators beyond the ordinary in the community and focus on protecting people at high risk of serious illness and preventing COVID-19 from overwhelming our hospitals and our health care system, “Dr. Valenski explained during a briefing on Friday.

Dr Rochelle Valensky (pictured) announced on Friday that the CDC will change its calculations of risk levels in each U.S. county to include – and value – hospitalization levels and hospital capacity.

According to revised estimates, now only 28.2% of the American population – living in 37% of the counties – is still recommended to disguise themselves in closed, public places.

These counties are scattered throughout America, but include the entire state of West Virginia and much of its neighbor Kentucky. Oregon and Montana also have large parts of the state classified as “high risk.”

Just under 30 percent of Americans live in a low-risk area, with 39.6 percent of Americans suffering from a “medium” risk of Covid in their communities.

The “essential” categorization has been removed, as if joining a high one.

While state and county officials still have the power to set mandates and regulations for their own jurisdiction, many, especially in the blue states, usually follow the CDC’s guidelines when making such decisions.

For areas that are considered low risk, the CDC recommends that only people be vaccinated, but otherwise they can live their lives safely as usual.

A person living in a place considered to be at medium risk may also live normally, unless he is immunocompromised or has other serious comorbidities in which he must disguise himself in public and talk to his doctor. for other potential solutions to protect.

People in high-risk areas must disguise themselves in all indoor public places, including schools.

The change comes as Covid cases, deaths and hospitalizations in the country’s crater. Omicron is also the lightest, but the most infectious option so far, which means that the high values ​​of cases during this jump are not as dangerous as in the previous ones.

75,549 people register a Covid infection every day in America. That’s a 35 percent drop last week and a 92 percent drop after Omicron’s jump peaked at 800,000 cases a day in mid-January.

Deaths are also finally starting to decline. An average of 1,742 Americans have died from Covid daily, a 20 percent drop in the past seven days and a 30 percent drop at the peak of Omicrons’ jump, when about 2,500 Americans succumbed to the virus each day.

Hospitalizations are usually an unreliable indicator. Studies have found that somewhere between 25 and 50 percent of registered hospitalizations with COVID-19 are actually people who have been treated for another condition but were positive while present.

However, this is a problem for the new CDC indicators, as one of the main figures for their new indicator is not very reliable.

“We spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Valenski said of the potentially incorrect figures.

“Many jurisdictions cannot be distinguished [between people who are hospitalized for Covid or for another reason]it was important for us to recognize

“Second, whether the patient is admitted with Covid or four Covids, they increase the capacity of the hospital and are resource-intensive. [patients]. They require an insulating bed. They require PPE, they probably require a higher ratio of staff. ”

The updated data comes at a time when many states were planning to “return to normal” anyway.

Every state in America, except Hawaii, has either eased its restrictions on masks or set a future date for it. Even though the CDC refused to move in masks until Friday, state and county officials decided to take matters into their own hands when the case fell through.

Valenski notes that the change also opens the door for masks to return in the future.

The agency, which is making a conscientious effort to remove masks when the virus is not as dangerous as it is now, allows employees “the opportunity to reach out to them again if things get worse in the future,” Valenski said.

Isolation and masking at home when a member of the household is infected with Covid can reduce the risk of transmission by 50%

A CDC study published on February 25 found that Americans should isolate and disguise themselves at home after a household member tested positive for COVID-19.

In a study that included Americans in Chicago, Connecticut, Utah and Wisconsin, they found that the risk of transmitting household diseases was nearly 33% lower when people took precautions.

Reinforced and fully vaccinated people who lived with an infected person were less than 45% more likely to be infected with the virus than 64% of unvaccinated people.

When the infected person in the household was isolated, there was only a 41% chance of transmission, compared with a 68% risk for households that did not isolate the infected person.

Wearing a mask at home was also effective, with those who did not use masks likely to spread the virus 69%, compared to 40% for those who used face masks at home.

Researchers believe that taking precautions even after close contact is contagious, it can still prevent infection. Americans are advised to do everything possible to prevent the transmission of the virus.