Hamas has presented its response to a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza by calling for a phased Israeli withdrawal from the enclave during a four-and-a-half-month truce and a plan to permanently end the war‚ according to a copy of the group’s counteroffer obtained by CNN. The Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza has proposed a three-phase deal‚ each lasting 45 days‚ that would also see the gradual release of hostages held in the enclave in exchange...

Hamas proposed a ceasefire to quiet the guns in Gaza for four-and-a-half months‚ during which all hostages would go free‚ Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war. Israel's government spokesman said Israel was studying the offer intently‚ with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to hold a press conference later on Wednesday. Israel's Channel 13 TV quoted an unidentified official as saying some aspects were not...

President Joe Biden appeared to stumble over naming Hamas when delivering a speech urging Congress to pass the border security and foreign aid bill released this week.  Speaking from the White House‚ Biden blasted former President Donald Trump for the growing opposition toward the $118.3 billion deal‚ which was a compromise by Senate lawmakers and the White House after months of negotiation.  Answering a question after his speech about how a hostage...

The families of more than a quarter of all children living in rural America would benefit from a proposed expansion of  the Child Tax Credit that has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now under consideration in the Senate. The expansion would change the credit’s eligibility criteria to include low-income families who don’t get the full tax credit per child because they don’t pay enough taxes to qualify. The current credit phases in until family earnings reach a...

Having your first baby is a scary experience. Everything is new—you've quite literally never done this before—not to mention an entire human is going to be removed from your body one way or another. Childbirth‚ no matter how your baby leaves your body‚ is not for the weak. But imagine giving birth alone to not just one baby‚ but three‚ all at the same time. Then imagine doing that feat at the age of 14. Shariya Small experienced that scenario in a hospital in Indiana‚ and her nurse Katrina Mullen took note. Small's babies were premature‚ born at just 26 weeks‚ when the average gestation for triplets is 33 weeks‚ according to ReproductiveFacts.org. Due to their early birth‚ the babies‚ Serenitee‚ Samari and Sarayah‚ had to stay in the NICU at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis for more than five months‚ according to Today.com.During their time in the NICU‚ Mullen noticed the young mom visited her babies alone‚ not appearing to have much of a support system. “She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside‚” Mullen told Today.com. The pair got to know each other over the months that the babies were in the hospital‚ but Small continued to be reluctant to open up about her family life. That changed after she found out that Mullen had her first child at 16 and had given it up for adoption. Their experiences bonded the two moms‚ and Mullen began helping to care for the babies and Small by giving her advice and showing her how to properly care for the infants. Eventually‚ Mullen gave Small her phone number before the babies were discharged from the hospital. It quickly became apparent that Small did not have a support system‚ as she called Mullen often asking for advice. Out of concern‚ the nurse went to visit Small an hour away‚ where she was living with a family member. The condition of the home was concerning enough‚ but Mullen became even more worried when she saw how thin Small's son Samari was. It turns out he had to be admitted to the hospital‚ which prompted a visit from Child Protective Services‚ who determined that Small and her three infants would need to enter foster care. She gave the social worker Mullen's information and things began to fall into place.Listen to Small and Mullen explain their unique story below: This article originally appeared on 4.10.23

No matter how long you've skied or snowboarded or how much of an expert you are‚ there's one nemesis on the mountain that poses an underappreciated threat—the tree well. People may think the main danger of skiing through trees is the risk of running into one. But falling into a tree well is a less obvious‚ but still potentially deadly risk due to the possibility of snow immersion suffocation (SIS). Essentially‚ the area around the base of a tree creates snow conditions that are quite different than those out in the open. Air pockets in the snow combined with water vapor rising from the tree base turns the snow into a quicksand-like texture that is nearly impossible to escape from—the more you struggle‚ the deeper in you fall. Skiers and snowboarders die every year from SIS due to falling into tree wells and not being found in time. That could easily have been snowboarder Ian Steger's fate in March 2023 if not for the eagle eye and quick thinking of backcountry skier Francis Zuber.Zuber had just begun a backcountry ski run with a buddy on Mount Baker in Washington State when a flash of red caught the corner of his eye. Zuber's GoPro footage shows him stopping and turning to see a colorful snowboard upside-down next to a tree. “I knew there was somebody attached to it‚ and obviously they were still alive‚" Zuber told Vancouver's City News. "I shout out to the guy…he can’t hear me‚ he’s five and a half to six feet into the snow at that point.” Zuber knew he had to work fast. As the video shows him struggling to make his way back toward the tree through the deep snow‚ we can hear him muttering expletives to himself and calling out to the snowboarder. At first‚ we can't see how Steger is positioned‚ but as Zuber gets closer and starts digging‚ it becomes clear that the snowboarder is completely upside-down‚ with his face buried deep in the snow. Watch the harrowing GoPro footage Zuber shared on YouTube: [Warning: This video contains strong language.]Zuber told the CBC that they estimated Steger had been buried between five and seven minutes‚ "probably at either a third or just the halfway point of his possible survival time in there‚" when he found him. Zuber said Steger hadn't been snowboarding alone—he was with a group of three other riders who were carrying safety equipment including shovels‚ beacons and two-way radios—but as we could see in Zuber's GoPro‚ getting back up a mountain when you realize someone in your group isn't behind you anymore is no small or quick task. Steger and Zuber have since become friends since the March 3 rescue and have even gone skiing together on Mount Baker. Steger told the CBC he just wants to "enjoy being alive." Indeed‚ after a close-call experience like that‚ every moment you have would feel like a gift. This article originally appeared on 4.6.23

News of the Grammys might be circulating all over the web right now‚ but that’s not where you’ll hear about this truly inspiring music story. Thirty-one year old musician and mom Cat Janice had one wish after being diagnosed with cancer: to leave behind a song for her 7-year-old son Loren‚ so that he could collect the proceeds.The D.C.-based singer songwriter first noticed a lump in her neck in November of 2021‚ as she explained on TikTok. Over the next year the lump grew larger‚ prompting her to visit a doctor who confirmed it was sarcoma.Janice continued singing and writing songs throughout her chemo treatments and surgery‚ posting her creations—and her healing progress—on social media.Despite being declared cancer-free on July 22‚ 2022‚ the cancer returned almost a year later. And in January 2024‚ she posted that her “tumors basically tripled overnight‚" leaving her virtually unable to speak‚ let alone sing‚ and living in hospice. @cat.janice #greenscreensticker cannot even believe this happened but I have to keep my head up. I want to leave behind every penny I have for him. Will you please pre save it and stream when it comes out? Hospice has been easier and more time with kiddo but swelling has not stopped :( ❤️❤️ prayers please #cancer #songwriter ♬ Dance You Outta My Head - Cat Janice Knowing she didn’t have much time left‚ Jancie teased out one last song‚ a happy pop tune titled “Dance You Outta My Head‚” kindly asking folks to stream it. That way‚ she could leave her baby boy something when she was gone. Janice got her wish. “Dance You Outta My Head” blew up on TikTok. People not shared videos of them dancing along to the words‚ but also offered words of support and empathy. @kylei.ann I am cryingggg at our spins @Cat Janice ♬ Dance You Outta My Head - Cat Janice "I was once a 7-year-old who lost their mom to cancer‚" someone wrote. "Dancing to spread this song."What's clear is that folks weren't just spreading the song out of charity. Janice created a bona fide banger—infused with joy and that special something that make you wanna move @stephfozzy This message is for you @Cat Janice. I’ll never dance you outta my head.🥹 Thank you. Love you. I’m gonna miss you.🪩💛✨ #catjanice #musiclivesonforever #musicismagic #womensupportingwomen #cancersucks #danceyououttamyhead ♬ Dance You Outta My Head - Cat Janice The song didn’t just go viral online. In a subsequent video‚ Janice shared that she had woken up in the middle of the night to find out “Dance You Outta My Head” had charted #5 in the world on iTunes.In the video’s caption‚ Janice shared her gratitude‚ writing‚ “all of this is because of you guys .I am so lucky to even be alive. Let alone with such a strong family of music lovers by my side. My son and I will forever be grateful. I feel like I can rest in God’s peace from all your love. Just so wild.” And thank you‚ Janice‚ for reminding us all that even during our darkest moments‚ that beauty can be created. That is what art is all about. You can catch the full version of “Dance You Outta My Head” below‚ or you can stream it on Spotify/iTunes. And if you’d like to further support Janice and her family‚ you can find a GoFundMe page‚ where the donations are geared both towards saving her life and Loren’s education‚ counseling and music lessons‚ here.

Even though inflation levels have slowed in the U.S. over the past few months‚ fast food is one industry where prices keep going up. It seems like there’s nowhere to turn when the places where we used to go to for a deal keep getting pricier and pricier.According to CBS News‚ prices at “limited service” restaurants were up 6.2% last year‚ with America’s most popular fast-food joint‚ McDonald's‚ up 10%."Our average pricing level in the U.S. business for the full year will be just over 10%‚" Ian Borden‚ the company's CFO‚ stated in an October 2023 earnings call.If you're still hoping to find a deal on fast food‚ Business Insider created a video that shows all the “sneaky” tricks fast-food chains use to get you to spend more than you intended.Sneaky Ways Fast Food Restaurants Get You To Spend MoneyOne way they get you to spend more money is by having menus that are a "noisy mess of options and categories” that only highlight a portion of what's available. Looking for the value menu? That will be pushed to the corner of the menu so your focus stays on the pricier items on its left side.You'll also notice that the photos of the items are large‚ but the price next to them is comparatively small."Food pictures‚ they light up the brain. Particularly when you're hungry. Large food pictures‚ for a food company‚ are key‚" Hans Taparia‚ a professor of business and society at NYU‚ told Business Insider.The video also reveals that if you do the math‚ value meals really aren't a significant savings."If you buy multiple items on the value menu‚ it won't necessarily be cheaper than a Happy Meal‚" Taparia adds. In the example provided in the video‚ a McDonald’s Double-Quarter Pounder value meal is only 9 cents cheaper than if you purchased the items separately.

An overlooked moment. The post The Shakespearean character at the centre of a Led Zeppelin song first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Carrying the torch. The post Robert Plant’s favourite modern songwriter: “It’s just killer” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.