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AP photos of Kashmir’s mental health clinics show the invisible scars of decades of conflict

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — After consulting with several doctors in the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aayat Hameed was advised to seek help from a mental health expert for her bouts of unspecified anxiety, random palpitation attacks and occasional but strong suicidal thoughts. A psychiatrist diagnosed her with acute depression.On a recent hot summer day, Hameed was among scores of other patients visiting a mental health clinic in Srinagar, where she had been undergoing rounds of counselling along with prescription medication.“I realized seeing a psychiatrist or reaching out to someone you trust really helps to deal with suicidal thoughts and depression,” Hameed said. She’s already recovered about 40% over a course of her one-month treatment, the young student added.For over three decades, Kashmiris have been living through multiple crises. Violent armed insurrections, brutal counterinsurgency, unparalleled militarization and securitization, and unfulfilled demands for se...

Shooting at Louisiana high school football game kills 1 person and wounds another, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

PORT ALLEN, La. (AP) — A shooting during halftime of a high school football game Friday night in Louisiana left one teen dead and a man wounded, police said.The shooting at Port Allen High School near Baton Rouge killed a 15-year-old boy, while a 28-year-old man suffered unknown injuries, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Landon Groger said, according to a WAFB-TV report.A medical helicopter and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene to transport the victims to hospitals, police said.No arrests were made immediately after the shooting, Groger said.The shooting happened during halftime of a game between Port Allen and Brusly High School. The remainder of the game was canceled, WAFB reported. Port Allen is on the western shore of the Mississippi River across from Baton Rouge.The Associated Press

Family in central Mexico struggles to preserve the natural way of producing intense red dye

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO TEPEYACAC, Mexico (AP) — One family in central Mexico is struggling to preserve the production of cochineal dye, an intense, natural red pigment so prized that, after gold and silver, it was probably the most valuable thing the Spaniards found in Mexico after the 1521 conquest.For centuries, red clothing — along with purple — had been a sign of power and wealth because it was rare and expensive. An indigenous Mexican process deriving the pigment from insects gave the Spanish empire a new source of red dye.Some of Mexico’s most picturesque and imposing colonial cities, like Oaxaca, were essentially built on the wealth derived from cochineal dye, also called carmine, and known as “grana cochinilla” in Spanish. It was much prized by the Spanish nobility, and it would go on to dye, among other garments, the British empire’s ‘Redcoat’ military uniforms, before it began to be replaced by synthetic dyes in the 1800s.Obtaining the dye the old fashioned way is slow, tedious and...

Children hit hardest by the pandemic are now the big kids at school. Many still need reading help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

They were the kids most disrupted by the pandemic, the ones who were still learning to write their names and tie their shoes when schools shut down in the spring of 2020. Now, they’re the big kids at elementary schools across the United States. Many still need profound help overcoming the effects of the pandemic. To catch up, schools have deployed a wide range of strategies. And among some incoming fourth-graders, there are encouraging signs of gains. But as this generation progresses, many will need extra reading support that schools are not as accustomed to providing for older students. Beyond third grade, fewer teachers each year know how to help students who are lacking key foundational reading skills, said Elizabeth Albro, an executive at the U.S. Department of Education’s independent research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences. “ Middle and high school teachers aren’t expecting to have to teach kids how to read,” Albro said. Nationally, students suffered deep learning se...

As Taiwan’s government races to counter China, most people aren’t worried about war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As People’s Liberation Army fighter jets from China sped toward Taiwan on Friday, life on the self-governing island carried on as normal. Andy Huang, a restaurateur in Taipei, said he has become desensitized to military threats from the mainland.“I’ve been hearing about China invading for 30 years,” he said. Taiwan’s government is racing to counter China, buying nearly $19 billion in military equipment from the U.S, and extending military conscription for men to a year starting in 2024. But many on the island say they don’t feel the threat. That may be partly due to the nuanced views many Taiwanese hold of China. While polls indicate most people on the island reject reunification, many say they are attracted to their much larger neighbor’s dynamic economy, and its shared language and culture. Others are simply numb to hearing about the threat in their backyard.Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory, and its actions in recent years have led some to fear it i...

Texas AG Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial is in the hands of Republicans who have been by his side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Billionaires, burner phones, alleged bribes: The impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is going to test the will of Republicans senators to oust not only one of their own, but a firebrand who has helped drive the state’s hard turn to the right for years. The historic proceedings set to start in the state Senate Tuesday are the most serious threat yet to one of Texas’ most powerful figures after nine years engulfed by criminal charges, scandal and accusations of corruption. If convicted, Paxton — just the third official in Texas’ nearly 200-year history to be impeached — could be removed from office.Witnesses called to testify could include Paxton and a woman with whom he has acknowledged having an extramarital affair. Members of the public hoping to watch from the gallery will have to line up for passes. And conservative activists have already bought up TV airtime and billboards, pressuring senators to acquit one of former Pres...

Biden heads to Florida to see Idalia’s destruction. But he won’t be seeing Gov. DeSantis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is heading to Florida on Saturday for a firsthand look at Hurricane Idalia’s destruction, but he won’t be seeing the state’s Republican governor and 2024 presidential hopeful, Ron DeSantis, who suggested such a meeting could hinder disaster response efforts.“We don’t have any plans for the governor to meet with the president,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said in a statement. “In these rural communities, and so soon after impact, the security preparations alone that would go into setting up such a meeting would shut down ongoing recovery efforts.” Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning along Florida’s sparsely populated Big Bend region as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread flooding and damage before moving north to drench Georgia and the Carolinas. But Biden’s visit to see its effects threatened to be engulfed by political clashes since DeSantis’ statement came hours after the president himself earlie...

Chicago area headed for five consecutive days of 90s, including several potential record breakers. “Moderate” weekend humidities to surge next week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

It’s DRY HERE as we head into September, 2023, and we have NO RAIN currently anticipated into mid-next weekIt hasn’t rained a drop officially in Chicago at O’Hare in 15 days (since 0.20” fell back on August 17).Frank Wachowski notes we finished August in NEAR RECORD TERRITORYMuch of the Chicago area is in an “abnormally dry” state with western counties in a state of MODERATE DROUGHT according to the latest DROUGHT MONITOR WHICH CAME OUT YESTERDAY. It’s going to be interesting to see how our drought status changes with next week’s DROUGHT MONITOR release.August finished with LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OUR NORMAL RAINFALL--just 1.33” versus the “normal” for August of 4.25.”Check out how widespread the dry weather was across the Corn Belt and central and northern Midwest.August ranked 25th driest of the past 153 Augusts dating back to 1871. That places the month among the driest 16% of all Augusts on the books here--particularly striking, because August has historically been Chicago’s second ...

Westlake flexes its muscle on defense, shuts out Converse Judson 47-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sophomore quarterback Rees Wise entered the game in the second half to throw his first two touchdown passes of his career and he ran for another in a Westlake 47-0 blowout win Friday over Converse Judson.It started out as a bit of a defensive struggle, but after the Chaparrals built a 17-0 halftime lead, the home team poured it on the second half to outscore the Rockets 30-0.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we need your help to do it. Email the score of your game to [email protected] and we'll get it on our websiteWestlake head coach Tony Salazar said being able to get his younger players in the game and have them take varsity snaps was a goal even against a solid Judson program."We've got to build our depth and we hope it's a long season," Salazar said, "so the young guys will come in handy later on."Wise provided a bit of a spark in the second half with his first career touchdown toss. He fired a pass to Brody Wilhelm who hau...

Texas high school football scores for Saturday, Sept. 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:01:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Wires got crossed and the defenses forgot to show up out in Liberty Hill on Friday. The Panthers and Hutto both lived in each others' end zones and it was Liberty Hill who recovered an onside kick late to clinch an 82-80 win over the Hippos. Liberty Hill running backs Ben Carter and Noah Long combined for nearly 700 rushing yards and nine touchdowns while Hutto quarterback Will Hammond accounted for 10 touchdowns. It was absolute mayhem out there Friday night.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we need your help to do it. Email the score of your game to [email protected] and we'll get it on our websiteDripping Springs took care of San Antonio Wagner 35-14 and Vandegrift topped Cedar Park 41-17. Lake Travis and Cibolo Steele engaged in a 6A Top 15 battle with the No. 12 Cavaliers coming up with a 20-10 win over the No. 11 Knights.Scores from the KXAN viewing areaBrentwood Christian 50, Somerville 22Brownwood 56, Marble Falls 7Burne...