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Athletes will be eligible to compete in the female category for world ranking competitions such as the World Championships only if they clear a one-time gene test in a bid to protect the integrity of women’s sport, World Athletics said on Wednesday. The once-in-a-lifetime test for the SRY gene, which helps in determining biological sex, can be conducted via a cheek swab or blood test. The testing protocol will be overseen by member federations, and the new regulations come into effect on September 1, ahead of the September 13-21 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. “It is really important in a…

Kilito Chan | Moment | Getty ImagesKaty Punch has worked as a librarian in North Carolina for more than a decade — a stretch of time that makes her eligible to get her federal student debt excused under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.PSLF, which President George W. Bush signed into law in 2007, allows certain not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 120 payments, or 10 years.However, recent changes to the student loan system have made it difficult, if not impossible, for public servants to access that relief.Under the Biden administration, Punch, like millions…

German mountaineer Laura Dahlmeier, who went missing two days ago while attempting to scale Gilgit-Baltistan’s Laila Peak (6,096 metres), was confirmed dead on Wednesday, according to officials. Mountains in the north of Pakistan are a popular destination for adventure tourism, with many climbers aiming to summit prestigious peaks such as K2 and Nanga Parbat. However, rough terrain and harsh weather conditions create a challenge, frequently causing deaths and injuries. She was climbing in alpine style with her partner, Marina Eva, also from Germany. Dahlmeier was at an altitude of approximately 5,700m when she was hit by the rock on Monday…

BASSETERRE: Australia completed a 5-0 sweep of the West Indies in their Twenty20 international series with Ben Dwarshuis’s bowling paving the way for a three-wicket victory in Basseterre, Saint Kitts on Monday. Mitchell Owen top-scored for Australia with 37 off 17 balls, while Cameron Green (32), Tim David (30) and Aaron Hardie (28 not out) all made valuable contributions as the visitors reached their target of 171 with 18 balls to spare. The win sealed the first T20 series sweep by an Australian men’s team in the West Indies, and saw them end the tour with a perfect 8-0 record…

SINGAPORE: Katie Ledecky claimed a sixth 1,500 metres freestyle title and a record-extending 22nd world championships gold medal in Singapore on Tuesday as Romanian rocket David Popovici added the men’s 200 crown to his Paris Olympic triumph. There was also gold for Australia’s backstroke queen Kaylee McKeown, who foiled American rival Regan Smith once again to claim the 100 title in a thriller, while South Africa’s Pieter Coetze clinched the men’s race. Unbeaten in the 1,500 since the age of 13, world record holder Ledecky came home ahead of Italian Simona Quadarella with Australian Lani Pallister winning bronze at the…

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) reacts, on the day where a potential government shutdown looms during the holidays, after a spending bill backed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump failed in the U.S. House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 20, 2024. Nathan Howard | ReutersSen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Monday introduced a bill to send tariff rebate checks to American families, which would be similar to the stimulus checks sent during the Covid-19 pandemic.If enacted, the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 would provide “at least” $600 per adult and dependent child, or $2,400 for a family of…

Dowell | Moment | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump’s blanket tariffs scheduled to begin on Aug. 1 could soon bring higher prices on certain foods, according to some experts.Tariffs are a tax imposed by foreign nations, paid by domestic companies that import goods or services. U.S. consumers are expected to pay higher prices via companies negatively impacted by the trade policy.One of the goals of Trump’s tariffs is to drive demand for American products. But certain items, such as Brazilian coffee, aren’t produced domestically. Other imports, like bananas, have limited U.S. production, which wouldn’t meet American demand, according to a Tax…

Joshua WaiteCourtesy of Northwestern Mutual Name: Joshua Waite Firm: Waite Financial Group / Northwestern Mutual Location: Peoria, IL Total Value of Policies: $1.1 billion Background: Joshua Waite grew up in a small farming town outside Peoria, Illinois—just a mile from the family farm where his grandfather, one of his childhood heroes, helped shape his values of hard work, humility, and integrity. After earning a finance degree from nearby Bradley University, he joined Northwestern Mutual in 2003, where his father had long been a policyholder. Although he describes himself as a natural introvert, Waite found success in sales by asking thoughtful…

The trickle down from the Fed’s benchmark interest rate appears most obvious in credit cards, although by the numbers it’s a very slight change. The average rate for credit card balances had been steadily increasing since the Fed began raising rates in 2022 until it finally crested just below 21% last fall, according to Bankrate. Since then, rates have nudged downward and have been hovering around 20.1% for the first half of 2025.Auto loans have also seen very little movement in the first half of 2025, and 30-year fixed rate mortgages, whose rates are more closely tied to the yield…

Lorrie BaldeviaCourtesy of AssuredPartners Name: Lorrie Baldevia Firm: AssuredPartners Location: Seattle, WA Total Value of Policies: $6.3 billion Background: Lorrie Baldevia describes her connection to insurance as deeply personal. The eldest of five children, she lost her father in a tragic construction accident at age 12 in Guam. Her mother raised the family on her own and was able to do so thanks to a life insurance policy—an experience that would ultimately shape her career. “It gave us a kind of financial security we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she says. Baldevia moved to the United States at 17 on a…