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Anne Heche is on the mend after suffering injuries in a horrific car crash in Los Angeles. The Six Days, Seven Nights actress' rep told E! News on Aug. 6 that "Anne is currently in stable condition," adding, "Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during this difficult time." The Los Angeles Fire Department said in a Twitter video that in the late morning of Aug. 5, a car was traveling at a high speed and "struck a house, burst into flames and came to rest 30 feet inside the two-story home," setting part of the building on fire and causing structural damage. NBC Los Angeles confirmed Heche was driving her own car, a Mini Cooper. The LAFD said almost 60 firefighters took more than an hour to put out the blaze and rescue the driver, who was treated on the scene and transported to a hospital in critical condition. She was able to speak to the first responders, the organization said. Source

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Hugh Jackman his grieving the loss of his "rockstar" star dog, Dali. The Australian actor took to his social media accounts to share the heartbreaking news that his beloved French Bulldog died just before his 12th birthday. "Dali, our beloved Frenchie, passed away last night. He would've been 12 next month … which I'm told is a long life for this breed," he wrote on Aug. 6, along with a photo of himself smiling alongside the pup. "I always, always called him the ROCKSTAR. Because he was!" In the post, Hugh, 53, also reflected on Dali's "good life" and described him as a dog who marched to "the beat of his own drum" and "was beloved by the whole world." "We will miss him but know he's howling in heaven, ruling the roost and enjoying the all you can eat buffet," he continued. "RIP Dali Rockstar Jackman. We love you." Source

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Katie Holmes and musician Bobby Wooten III are still going strong and look pretty smitten. The two were photographed out together in New York City again just before the start of the weekend, and both were all smiles as they walked hand-in-hand. Katie wore a tan sleeveless jumpsuit and black sneakers while the Broadway star sported a gray T-shirt over a pair of khakis and black shoes as they strolled through Washington Square Park in Manhattan. Their outing comes more than two months after they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Moth's Silver Ball in the city. The event honored singer-songwriter David Byrne, who Bobby worked with on the Broadway recording of American Utopia. Katie, 43, and Bobby, 41, took their romance public in April, when they were photographed showing PDA in New York City. During their day out, the couple strolled through Central Park and visited the Guggenheim Museum. They also spent time with the actress' mom Kathy Holmes.  In May, Katie and Bobby were seen again out in New York City over Mother's Day. Source

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Here comes the high school senior. Ahead of the new school year, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson had her portrait taken and shared a sneak peak of the shots on social media.  "Senior year!!" the 16-year-old captioned the Aug. 5 post, featuring a series of snaps from the school photoshoot, as seen on a laptop. For her formal portraits, Alana wore a traditional off-the-shoulder black top, paired with a white printed pleated skirt and white sneakers. In other pics, the future class of 2023 grad swapped out her top for another black sweatshirt with "SENIOR" written in pink on the front. Alana's sister Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon also marked the milestone by posting pics of the teenager posing in a yellow-and-blue cap and gown. She gushed about how proud she was of the senior. "Today my not so little sister had senior pictures done," Lauryn, 22, wrote on Instagram. "I'm so proud of how far you've come against all odds that have been thrown at you." Source

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Wedding bells are ringing in New Jersey. Teresa Giudice and Luis "Louie" Ruelas are officially married, a rep for the Real Housewives of New Jersey exclusively confirms to E! News. The couple said "I do" in a picturesque ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 6 at the Park Chateau in East Brunswick, N.J. Teresa's four daughters—Gia, 21, Gabriella, 18, Milania, 16, and Audriana, 13—were naturally involved with her special day, serving as bridesmaids, as seen in social media photos.  The bride walked down the aisle in a white mermaid-style wedding gown featuring a sweetheart neckline, styled with long sheer gloves, a sky-high hairdo, sparkling tiara and long veil, while the groom wore a white tux jacket and a bow-tie. All of Teresa's RHONJ co-stars, including Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin and Jackie Goldschneider were all in attendance, except her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, as were fellow Housewives Potomac's Ashley Darby, New York's Dorinda Medley, Atlanta's Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks and Dubai's Chanel Ayan, a source close to Teresa tells E! News.  According to the source, the lavish event—in which Bravo cameras rolled—hosted 220 invited guests and was designed by Preston Bailey and planned by Jessica Rogers. "Teresa is on cloud nine," the insider exclusively shared with E! News ahead of the ceremony. "She wanted a fairy tale wedding and that is exactly what she is getting. Everything is being done with such precision to make this an unforgettable evening." Source

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Pete Davidson is letting his outfit do the talking. On Aug, 6, the former Saturday Night Live star was photographed for the first time since the news broke that he and girlfriend Kim Kardashian split after nine months of dating.  While on the set of his upcoming film Wizards! in Cairns, Australia, Pete was snapped wearing a green trucker hat with the movie's title written on it, teamed with a graphic t-shirt featuring the eyebrow-raising message, "What... I feel like s--t." The day before, sources confirmed to E! News that Pete, 28 and Kim, 41—who were first romantically linked in October 2021—ended their relationship earlier this week and decided to just be friends. The insiders exclusively shared that while the pair has "a lot of love and respect for each other," they found that the long-distance dynamic and their demanding schedules "made it really difficult to maintain a relationship."  Source

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BIRMINGHAM: Olympic bronze medallist India eked out a hard-fought 3-2 win over South Africa to qualify for the men's hockey final of the Commonwealth Games on Saturday. Abhishek (20th minute), Mandeep Singh (28th) and Jugraj Singh (58th) scored for India, while South Africa's goals came from the sticks of Ryan Julius (33rd) and Mustapha Cassiem (59th). Going by form and rankings, it was expected to be a cakewalk for India but it didn't turn out that way, courtesy South Africa custodian Gowan Jones, who dished out a superlative performance under the bar. Had it not been for Jones' brilliant display, the score-line could have been much bigger in favour of the Indians. The Indians were on the offensive from the word go and dominated possession for the majority of the first two quarters. India had plenty of circle penetrations and chances in the first quarter but goals eluded them with Jones standing like a rock in front of the goal. He denied India's star drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh from converting as many as four penalty corners in the first half to keep his side in the game. Jones' anticipation and reflexes were a treat to watch as he pulled off save after save. Not only penalty corners, Jones was also solid in front of the goal from open play as he kept out Shamsher Singh's try from close range in the 10th minute after he was set by Akashdeep Singh. Seconds later Jones pulled off another stunning reflex save to deny Akashdeep. South Africa looked to have got some rhythm in the second quarter and secured three penalty corners in quick succession but India's reserve goalie Krishan Bahadur Pathak was upto the task. The deadlock finally broke in the 20th minute when Abhishek scored with a smashing reverse hit from top of the circle to finally beat Jones. Minutes later, Jones once again came to his side's rescue, blocking Amit Rohidas' fierce shot and then stopping Akashdeep's reverse shot. But the Indian team doubled its lead in the 28th minute through Mandeep, who scored a fine goal after being fed by Gurjant Singh. India secured another penalty corner two minutes after the change of ends but wasted it. South Africa looked more determined after the change of ends and reduced the margin three minutes after restart through Julius who scored off a rebound from a penalty corner. Jones was in top form as he pulled off another fine save off Abhishek in the 38th minute. South Africa were not to be bogged down as they penetrated the Indian circle now and then and secured some penalty corners but failed to breach the defence. In the 41st minute, Jones made another brilliant save to keep out Jarmanpreet Singh's effort from India's sixth set piece. In the final quarter, India tried to play the possession game and focussed on defending as South Africa pressed hard. India's ploy worked perfectly as they managed to hold on to South Africa's forward press. With four minutes to go, South withdrew Jones and India utilised the chance to extend their lead with Jugraj slamming home from a penalty corner. The Africans threatened India when Cassiem scored with a reverse hit to make it 3-2. The Indians, however, managed to hold on to their lead to seal a final berth after the 2014 edition, where they came second best to Australia. India will play the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and England in the final on Sunday. Source

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DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials have been raising alarms for months. The world’s nuclear watchdog agency warned of the extraordinary risks just this week. Then on Friday, artillery duels near a giant nuclear power plant on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine created new safety risks.Explosions in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex at about 2:30 p.m. destroyed electrical transmission lines and posed risks of damaging the plant, forcing engineers to alter the operation of one of its six reactors by reducing power, Ukraine’s state nuclear company, Energoatom, said.Hours later, a second series of three explosions damaged an auxiliary building near one of the nuclear reactors, raising the risk of hydrogen leaks and fire, the company said. President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials blamed Russia for the attacks.“This is the largest nuclear power plant on our continent, and any shelling of this facility is an open, brazen crime, an act of terror,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address. “Russia should bear responsibility for the very fact of creating a threat to the nuclear power plant.”The Russian ministry of defense said it was Ukrainian forces who had shelled the plant, accusing them of an act of “nuclear terrorism.”No radiation was released after the first explosions, the state nuclear company said. But the forced change in the reactor’s operation underscored the rising danger.Fighting has intensified in recent weeks near the nuclear complex, which the Russian military controls and is using as a fortress, even as Ukrainian engineers continue to operate it.For about a month, Russia has used the site to stage artillery strikes on Ukrainian targets without fear of retaliation, since the Ukrainian military cannot fire back without risk of hitting safety equipment, reactors or storage facilities for spent fuel. Ukrainian officials say the Russians aim to disrupt a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the country’s south.After the explosions on Friday afternoon severed a high-voltage electrical line, the plant operators reduced output from one of the reactors. Previously, three of the six reactors at the plant were operational, two were on standby and one was undergoing planned repairs.It was not clear if the reactor whose operation was altered on Friday was shifted to a standby status, said Dmytro Orlov, a former plant engineer who is now the mayor of Enerhodar, where the plant is.“This is an unusual event but not unpredictable,” he said. “Personnel were prepared.” He compared it to the emergency response in the case that an electrical line were damaged by wildfire or another accident.Energoatom, the state power company, released a statement on the Telegram social networking site saying that Russian artillery fire had severed the electrical line. “The Russian military again resorted to provocation,” the company said. It said an industrial space on the complex’s grounds was struck three times, hitting the wiring and a transformer.The statement said the operators reduced output and disconnected one reactor from the electrical grid. “Releases of radioactive substances were not recorded,” the statement said.Hours later, the energy company reported a second attack on Telegram, saying Russians had fired three rocket-propelled grenades that landed near one of the nuclear reactors. The explosions, the statement said, damaged an auxiliary building and a specialized station. “Fire danger is high,” the company said.The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was aware of the reports and seeking further information about the situation.Ukrainian officials say they have few options but to endure the Russian bombardments. In July, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said it had used a precision-guided “kamikaze” drone, which explodes on contact with a target, to destroy a Russian rocket launcher and air defense system located about 150 yards from a reactor, without damaging the reactor itself.The I.A.E.A. has warned of grave dangers from the plight of the plant. Cornerstones of nuclear safety, it said, are being knocked out from the plant even as it continues operating. Among the shortcomings, it said, are a lack of physical security and regulatory oversight, which is in limbo now.Those concerns were echoed by Britain’s defense ministry on Friday. In its daily intelligence update, the ministry said that Russian troops “have likely undermined the security” of the plant by using it as a base to “target Ukrainian territory on the western bank of the Dnipro river.”Fighting around the complex in March had caused a fire that stoked global concerns about a possible nuclear accident. Source

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BIRMINGHAM: Star Indian para table tennis player Bhavina Patel won a gold medal in the women's singles class 3-5 at the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday. The 35-year-old from Gujarat, who had won a silver at Tokyo Paralympics, prevailed 12-10 11-2 11-9 over Nigeria's Ifechukwude Christiana Ikpeoyi to cap off a superb show at the quadrennial event. Bhavina reached the world No. 2 ranking by winning the silver medal in the individual category at the 2011 PTT Thailand Open. Besides, she also won a silver medal in the women's singles class 4 at the Asian Para Table Tennis Championships in Beijing in 2013. In 2017, Bhavina bagged a bronze in the Asian Para Table Tennis Championships in Beijing. Sonalben Manubhai Patel also gave India a medal, claiming a bronze in women's singles class 3-5. The 34-year-old Indian beat England's Sue Bailey 11-5 11-2 11-3 in the bronze medal play-off. However, Raj Aravindan Alagar lost to Nigeria's Isau Ogunkunle 0-3 in the men's singles classes 3-5 bronze medal play-off. Para powerlifter Sudhir had also won a gold medal after scripting a Commonwealth Games record in the men's heavyweight. In para table tennis, classes 1-5 are for wheelchair athletes. Source

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HAVANA — Lightning struck a crude oil storage facility on the northern coast of Cuba, igniting a fire that on Saturday had left dozens of people injured, 17 firefighters missing and prompted the evacuation of some 600 people, according to the authorities.Images of the fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, in Matanzas Province, 60 miles east of Havana, the capital, were shared by the Cuban Energy Ministry on social media and show enormous flames rising from the facility, with plumes of smoke blackening the sky.Military helicopters were seen trying to douse the inferno as dozens of firefighters rushed to the scene. In addition to the 600 evacuees, some 1,300 people fled the area, according to the office of Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel.The fire began at one oil tank during a thunderstorm on Friday evening, according to state news media, and spread to a second tank early on Saturday morning. That tank was estimated to hold some 52,000 cubic meters of fuel oil, or over 13 million gallons.As of Saturday afternoon, there were no reported deaths but 121 people had been hospitalized, according to the president’s office. The 17 firefighters reportedly went missing Saturday morning just as the second tank exploded around 5 a.m. Among those injured was the Cuban energy minister, Liván Arronte Cruz, the president’s office said on Twitter.The base, which stores oil for energy production, is near one of Cuba’s primary power plants. Already, the Caribbean island struggles with widespread power blackouts as a result of chronic fuel shortages and an ailing infrastructure in dire need of maintenance.While the lights are mostly kept on in the capital, in the Cuban provinces where nine million of the country’s 11 million people live, hourslong power cuts have become a grueling part of daily life in recent months. And diesel shortages have motorists waiting in line for days.“It’s a structural problem with Cuba’s electric power system, which has been operating for over 40 years with no scheduled capital maintenance,” said Jorge Piñon, an energy expert at the University of Texas at Austin. “That puts at risk a total collapse of the system with no short term solution.”Cuba’s largest protests in decades were prompted last year in part by power outages, as well as a lack of food and medicine in the country, whose economy has been hard hit by both the pandemic and American sanctions. In Havana, where smoke from the Matanzas fire could be seen on the horizon, residents worried that the blaze could make an already difficult situation even worse. “It looks really terrible because the country is going through a fuel crisis, an electricity crisis,” said Amanda Hernández, 20, a university student. “The explosion is going to make the blackouts even worse.” Like many residents, Ms. Hernández has had to get used to regular power outages in recent months, often for hours at a time. With Dengue fever widespread in the capital, she worries that without electricity she won’t be able to keep the disease-spreading mosquitoes at bay. “We have ‘solidarity’ blackouts as they put it,” Ms. Hernández said. “I’m afraid because I have a baby that needs air and ventilation.” President Díaz-Canel visited the affected area on Saturday along with the country’s prime minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, touring hospitals and meeting with the wounded.“The dawn will be long and filled with anguish, as it was last night,” Mr. Díaz-Canel said on Twitter. “There is no precedent for a fire of this magnitude at the Supertanker Base.”In the past, Cuba has shunned development aid as a matter of national pride. But since the fire, there have been calls from state media and government officials for international assistance. “I deeply appreciate the messages of solidarity and offerings at this difficult time,” said Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on Twitter. “Our foreign policy is activated to receive the help of friendly countries.”Among the countries lining up to help was the United States, with its embassy in Havana tweeting: “We want to make clear that U.S. law authorizes U.S. entities and organizations to provide disaster relief and response in Cuba.” Source

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NEW DELHI: The Indian women's cricket team will have a chance to create history as they will take on Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games 2022 on Sunday. Boxers can also add to India's golden rush with Nitu, Amit Panghal, Nikhat Zareen and Sagar featuring in their respective finals. Here's India's complete schedule of Day 10 at the CWG 2022:Hockey1:30 PM: India vs New Zealand Women - Bronze Medal Badminton2:20 PM: PV Sindhu vs Jia Min Yeo (Singapore) in Women's Singles Semifinal Athletics2:45 PM: Men's Triple Jump Final (Abdulla Aboobacker Narangolintevid, Eldhose Paul, Praveen Chithravel) Boxing3 PM: Nitu vs Demie-Jade Resztan (England) in 45kg-48kg (Minimumweight) Final Badminton3:10 PM: Lakshya Sen vs Jia Heng the (Singapore) in Men's Singles Semifinal Srikanth Kidambi vs Tze Yong NG (Malaysia) in Men's Singles Semifinal Boxing3:15 PM: Amit Panghal vs Kiaran Macdonald (England) in 48kg-51kg (Flyweight) Final Table Tennis3:35 PM: Sreeja Akula vs Yangzi Liu (Australia) in Women's Singles Bronze Medal Match Athletics3:50 PM: Men's 10,000m Race Walk Final (Amit, Sandeep Kumar) Badminton4 PM: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Tan Koong Le Pearly/Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia) in Women's Doubles Semifinal Athletics4:05 PM: Women's Javelin Throw Final (Annu Rani, Shilpa Rani) Badminton4:50 PM: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty vs Chan Peng Soon/Tan Kian Meng (Malaysia) in Men's Doubles Semifinal Athletics5:24 PM: Women's 4x100m Relay Final Table Tennis6:15 PM: Achanta Sharath Kamal/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran vs Paul Drinkhall/Liam Pitchford (England) in Men's Doubles Gold Medal Match Boxing7 PM: Nikhat Zareen vs Carly Mc Naul (Northern Ireland) in 48kg-50kg (Light Fly) Final Cricket T209:30 PM: India vs Australia Gold Medal Match Table Tennis9:50 PM: Achanta Sharath Kamal vs Paul Drinkhall (England) in Men's Singles Semifinal 1 Squash10:30 PM: Dipika Pallikal/Saurav Ghosal in Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Match Table Tennis10:40 PM: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran vs Liam Pitchford (England) in Men's Singles Semifinal 2 Athletics12:10 AM: Men's Javelin Throw Final (DP Manu, Rohit Yadav) Table Tennis12:15 AM: Achanta Sharath Kamal/Sreeja Akula vs Javen Choong/Karen Lyne in Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match Athletics1 AM: Men's 4x400m Relay Final Boxing1:15 AM: Sagar in Over 92kg (Super Heavyweight) Final FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookTwitterInstagramKOO APPYOUTUBE Source

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LONDON — When Barbara Heksel and her family moved into Trellick Tower in 1981, their friends thought they were crazy. Known for its uncompromising Brutalist design and the crime in its brooding concrete hallways, the London public housing project, built in 1972, had earned the tabloid nickname “Tower of Terror.”But for the Heksels, Trellick was an opportunity. It offered a spacious two-bedroom apartment with sweeping views over West London, a major upgrade from the cramped studio where the family had been living.“We’re going to take it and make it our own,” Ms. Heksel, 70, recalled telling her husband when they first saw their place.Ms. Heksel has lived there ever since, relishing a home in a building that has gone from eyesore to icon. Designed by Ernö Goldfinger, the Hungarian-born architect whose buildings, as legend has it, so offended Ian Fleming that he named one of his Bond villains after him, Trellick enjoys a cult status. Its apartments are snapped up as soon as they are listed; its location is near Notting Hill, one of London’s most expensive districts.Now, though, residents fear that Trellick’s success has made it vulnerable. Last year, they narrowly halted the construction of a 15-story tower that developers wanted to build between Trellick and a smaller neighboring block, Edenham Way.“It’s outrageous,” said Molly Berentson-O’Donnell, 26, who grew up on the 16th floor. “Trellick is a stand-alone tower, and I think that makes it iconic. If you build in front of it, you’ll ruin that wonderful skyline.”But for Kim Taylor-Smith, a council member for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which contracted for the new tower, there was little choice. “The feeling was that it was better to have one tall building and a lot of open space,” he explained.Given the dire shortage of affordable housing in London and the valuable real estate occupied by the Trellick, it is almost certain that someone will build on the site in the future. But residents would like their say.“There’s one thing we want, and that’s collaboration,” said Keith Benton, 72, who has lived with his wife on the 31st floor since 2014 and who helped lead the campaign against the new tower project.Residents want to preserve the architectural quirks that have given Trellick its sense of community. The plans for the new building, for instance, would have necessitated the partial, if not total, removal of the estate’s “graffiti hall of fame” — a free-standing wall situated at Trellick’s base that has been a concrete canvas for street artists for more than 35 years.The wall has deep emotional value: A section of it has become a monument to the 72 people who died in 2017 in a catastrophic fire at the nearby Grenfell Tower. Every June, around the anniversary of that tragedy, residents assemble at the wall to hold a “memorial jam.”“After Grenfell, the council promised us that if there was anything in the plans we opposed, they would go back to the drawing board,” Mr. Benton said.Over time, Trellick has become safer and more attractive to prospective buyers; there is even a full-time concierge. But the increasing desirability has worried residents. Many fear the build would only attract more developers to the surrounding neighborhood, spoiling the character of the site.“They claimed it wasn’t, but this is gentrification,” Mr. Benton said of the changing perceptions of the existing building.Concerns about the new tower proposals prompted residents to form a “Save Trellick” campaign last fall. They shared information via social media and took turns standing by the tower entrance with petitions. All told, they gathered more than 3,000 signatures and secured a meeting with local government representatives at Chelsea Old Town Hall in December.Planned in the late 1960s to meet the soaring postwar demand for housing, Trellick was supposed to represent a utopian future in which families could live high above the smog, with every convenience close at hand. Goldfinger’s design included a nursery, a corner store, a pub, a medical clinic and even a nursing home.Today, at 50, Trellick is viewed as an icon of Brutalist architecture, with a striking design that connects a thin service tower — housing laundries, elevator shafts and a garbage chute — to the main block at every third floor by “sky bridges.”The structure enables the duplex apartments to be bigger, maximizing living space and reducing noise in what was to be a “vertical village.” The 217 units are dovetailed, interlocking with Escher-like precision, which means, in Ms. Heksel’s words, that “my upstairs neighbor is really two floors above me.”In 1998, the government granted Trellick landmark status, guaranteeing that the tower would be preserved. “Trellick’s sinister reputation was always exaggerated,” Ms. Heksel said, noting, “it was fashionable to give it bad press.”Five years ago, the local government demolished Trellick’s nursing home, which was not under the same preservation order, arguing that it did not have adequate restrooms.That decision greatly upset residents, who pointed out that Goldfinger had been inspired by the famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier to create a building that catered to a lifetime of needs.“It was beautifully designed, and people loved it,” Mr. Benton said. “Think about it: When you’re old, do you want to move six miles away, where no one can visit you? Or would you like to be near the people you love?”Developers proposed to build the new tower on the nursing home site. In addition to bifurcating the complex, residents argued that it would lead to overcrowding, straining already limited resources.They also said that public consultations on the project were not conducted transparently, leaving many feeling hoodwinked.“It all happened during lockdown,” Ms. Heksel said. “The consultations were done virtually. Many residents are old and not very tech savvy.”The lingering fear among many of the tower’s inhabitants is that they could suffer the same fate as the original residents of another Goldfinger tower, the Balfron in East London. That block is now almost all privately owned, a result of property legislation passed by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1980. The council emptied the tower when it was sold, promising residents the right to return, which proved not to be the case.The drive to build more homes has been fueled by a housing crisis in Britain, particularly in London. In October 2021, around 250,000 were estimated to be on waiting lists for council housing in the city. But Trellick residents say that the local council’s efforts to develop the site around the tower are motivated by profit: For each new unit of public housing built, they note, the council gets 100,000 pounds, or about $120,000, from London’s mayor.In an interview, Mr. Taylor-Smith acknowledged that, “We have a statutory obligation to make sure the books balance each year.”“The only way to pay for improvements,” he said, “is by building new homes.” These improvements include custom-made adjustments to features that are now outdated.Emotions ran hot at the meeting with the local government representatives in December. Residents argued that the designs for the new tower infringed on the council’s own guidelines, which stipulated that additions to an existing estate must be only four to six floors in height and should not require further demolition of buildings.A few weeks later, the plans were withdrawn, with the council promising that any future development would be more of a collaboration.But while the residents won that round, they are not resting easy.“All we’ve ever done is stop them for a couple of years,” Mr. Benton said. “There’s no guarantee they won’t try again. We have to keep focused on what we want.” Source

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The most violent conflagration in more than a year between Israel and Gaza militants extended into a second day on Saturday, with exchanges of rocket fire and airstrikes that destroyed residential buildings, and pushed the death toll to at least 24, according to Palestinian health officials.Palestinian health officials said that among those killed in the strikes were six children, but Israel said some civilian deaths were the result of militants stashing weapons in residential areas, and that in at least one case, a misfired Palestinian rocket killed civilians, including children, in northern Gaza. The current round of fighting, which began on Friday with Israeli airstrikes, has mainly pitted Israel against Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in Gaza. Hamas, the dominant militia in Gaza, has so far stayed away from direct involvement, raising hopes that the conflict will not escalate into a larger war.The renewed tensions highlighted the challenge of preventing flare-ups in Israel and the occupied territories when both the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships are divided and politically weak, international attention is elsewhere and there is little hope of ending the 15-year blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt.“There is no end in sight for this cycle, and no actor seems to wish to construct any more stable alternative,” said Prof. Nathan J. Brown, an expert on the Middle East at George Washington University.The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had struck residences belonging to operatives of Islamic Jihad, which it described as weapons stores. Military officials said that prior warnings were given, and that the buildings were evacuated before the strikes.The head of the operations directorate of the Israeli military, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, said that the two-day operation meant that “basically, the entire security leadership of the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza has been eliminated.”Islamic Jihad confirmed the death on Friday of its military leader in northern Gaza, Taysir al-Jabari, but did not confirm Israeli claims that an airstrike on Saturday had killed its commander in southern Gaza, Khaled Mansour.Following Friday’s airstrike that killed Mr. al-Jabari, Islamic Jihad launched rocket and mortar barrages that sent thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters overnight.On Saturday, Islamic Jihad and other smaller militant groups in Gaza fired rockets at Israeli towns near the territory and cities farther afield in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, sending Israeli beachgoers rushing for cover. Israel said Islamic Jihad had fired 400 rockets over the two days.Israel said it ordered the airstrikes to prevent an imminent attack from Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Earlier in the week, Israel had arrested a senior figure from the group in the West Bank, leading to threats of reprisals. Israel said its airstrikes aimed to stop Islamic Jihad from following through on those threats.On Saturday night, Israel signaled that it was prepared to accept a cease-fire. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, the Israeli military spokesman, said Israel would stop firing if Islamic Jihad stopped first.At least two Israeli soldiers and a civilian were wounded, according to Israeli officials and news reports. But the majority of Palestinian rockets either fell on open areas or were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, according to the military.The only power plant in Gaza halted operations because of a freeze on fuel deliveries from Israel, further reducing power across large parts of the territory. A senior Israeli military official, speaking to reporters on Saturday on the condition of anonymity to comply with army rules, said Israel was liaising with Egypt about how to deliver more fuel to Gaza while under rocket fire.Since an 11-day war in May last year, Israel has persuaded militias in Gaza to avoid violence by offering 14,000 work permits to Palestinian laborers in the territory — the highest number since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.Roughly two million people live in Gaza and most receive no direct benefit from the new permits. But the permits nevertheless provide a crucial financial lifeline to thousands of families in the enclave, where nearly one in two residents are unemployed and only one in 10 have direct access to clean water, according to UNICEF. Wary of losing that concession, particularly while it is still rebuilding military infrastructure damaged during the last war, Hamas has avoided a major escalation all year in Gaza while still encouraging unrest and violence in Israel and the West Bank.Updated Aug. 6, 2022, 2:57 p.m. ETBut Islamic Jihad, which, unlike Hamas, does not govern Gaza, is less motivated by small economic concessions.This is at least the sixth surge of violence in Gaza since Hamas seized control in 2007, prompting Israel and Egypt to begin their blockade. Israel is not prepared to end the blockade while Hamas is in power, and while Hamas does not recognize Israel and refuses to end its armed activities.In the absence of a formal peace process to end the conflict, the repeated rounds of violence in Gaza, as well as intermittent bursts of back channel diplomacy, are considered alternative ways to renegotiate the terms of the Gaza blockade.“Absent anything more lasting, both sides resort to violence not to defeat the other side — much less eliminate it — but just to adjust the terms, and also to play to home audiences,” said Mr. Brown, the Middle East expert.The last two days of conflict in Gaza can be linked back to a spike in violence across Israel and the West Bank several months ago. A spate of Palestinian attacks on civilians in Israel in April and May led to an increase in Israeli raids on the West Bank, particularly in areas where Israeli officials said the attackers and their abettors came from.The Israeli campaign resulted in almost nightly arrests across the West Bank over the past several months, and culminated in the arrest this week of Bassem Saadi, a senior Islamic Jihad figure.The new round of violence also served as a reminder of Iran’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Tehran’s nuclear program is seen by Israel as the biggest threat, Iran also exerts regional influence by providing financial and logistical help to militant proxies across the Middle East, like Hezbollah, in Lebanon, and Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza.The crisis was also the first major test for Yair Lapid, Israel’s caretaker prime minister who took office last month after his predecessor’s government collapsed.The military operation is a risky gambit for Mr. Lapid, a centrist often derided for lacking security experience by his main rival, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister who now leads the opposition.Although it gives Mr. Lapid the chance to prove his security credentials to the Israeli electorate, it also leaves him open to accusations that he is endangering both Israeli and Palestinian lives.In Gaza, mourners were already counting the costs from the two days of fighting.Among the individuals killed since Friday was a 5-year-old girl, Alaa Qadoum. Her relatives wrapped her body in a white shroud and Palestinian flags for burial on Friday. A bright pink bow tied most of her hair back.“Alaa was a fun little girl who did not hurt anyone,” her grandfather, Riad Qadoum, 56, said in an interview. “She was not firing rockets or fighting anyone.”Colonel Hecht, the Israeli military spokesman, said the child’s father was a senior Islamic Jihad commander, but would not say whether he was targeted in the airstrike that killed his daughter.The father was wounded in the same airstrike and is in critical condition, according to doctors at the hospital, where he was being treated. Alaa’s brother was also wounded, the grandfather said. The family would not comment on whether the father was linked to Islamic Jihad.The senior Israeli military official who briefed reporters on Saturday said he was aware of the reports of her death, adding that any civilian deaths would be investigated. But Israel has in the past blamed militants for civilian deaths, saying they often station their rocket launchers and bases close to civilian homes and infrastructure.In a separate briefing for reporters at a military base near the Gaza border in late July, senior Israeli military officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity under army rules, presented maps showing the routes of what they said were parts of a militant tunnel network, including sections running beneath roads around a major university in Gaza.The length and scope of the fighting will partly depend on Hamas’s involvement.Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the political bureau of Hamas, said on Friday that the group was “open to all directions.”But tensions could be compounded in Jerusalem on Sunday, when Jews will mark Tisha B’Av, the commemoration of the destruction of two ancient Jewish temples, on a site now sacred to both Jews and Muslims. Large numbers of Jewish worshipers are expected to visit that site, known as the Aqsa Mosque compound or the Temple Mount. Such visits often prompt unrest that can lead to more rocket fire from Gaza.Raja Abdulrahim, Carol Sutherland and Fady Hanona contributed reporting. Source

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WASHINGTON — In the military, there have already been countless promotion ceremonies this year, held on army bases, aircraft carriers and even, in one case, an escarpment overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.But on Saturday there was one for the history books. Gen. Michael E. Langley, 60, became the first Black Marine to receive a fourth star on his shoulder — a landmark achievement in the corps’ 246-year history. With that star, he becomes one of only three four-star generals serving in the Marine Corps — the service’s senior leadership.In an emotional ceremony at the Marine Barracks in Washington, General Langley, whose next assignment will be to lead United States Africa Command, acknowledged the weight of his promotion. Before Saturday, the Marine Corps had never given four stars to anyone who was not a white man.Referring to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s order that desegregated the Marine Corps during World War II, General Langley listed a slew of Black Marines who went before him. They included Frank E. Petersen Jr., the first Black man to become a Marine Corps general, and Ronald L. Bailey, the first Black man to command the First Marine Division. Both men topped out at lieutenant general.General Langley’s promotion has electrified Black Marines. On Thursday, a slew of them ambushed him when he appeared at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to get new uniforms to take with him to Stuttgart, Germany, where Africa Command is based.“Wait a minute, wait a minute, sir,” General Langley, in an interview, recalled one star-stuck Black major saying. “I just want to shake your hand.”Soon, more Marines — Black and white, men and women — were asking to take pictures with the new four-star general.At Saturday’s ceremony, five officers sat in a row watching the proceedings. They were part of an expeditionary warfare training class at Quantico that the Marine commandant, Gen. David H. Berger, visited on Wednesday. Around 45 minutes into General Berger’s talk to the class, Capt. Rousseau Saintilfort, 34, raised his hand. “How can I be there Saturday?” he asked.“It didn’t click on me at first because everyone was asking questions about amphibious stuff and tactics, and he asked me about Saturday,” General Berger said at the ceremony, to laughter.Capt. Ibrahim Diallo, 31, who came up from Quantico with Captain Saintilfort, said in an interview that “all these friends started messaging me, saying, ‘You’re going to be next.’”“I don’t know if I’m going to stick around that long,” he said, “but just the fact that junior Marines can see this, they will see that no matter what background you come from, you can achieve in the Marine Corps as long as you perform.”For the Marine Corps, the promotion of General Langley is a step that has been a long time coming. Since the corps began admitting African American troops in 1942, the last military service to do so, fewer than 30 have obtained the rank of general in any form. Not one had made it to the top four-star rank, an honor the Marines have bestowed on 73 white men.Seven African Americans reached lieutenant general, or three stars. The rest have received one or two stars, a majority in areas from which the Marine Corps does not choose its senior leadership, like logistics, aviation and transport.General Langley, who oversaw Marine forces on the East Coast in his last posting, has commanded at every level, from platoon to regiment, during his 37-year career. He served overseas in Afghanistan, Somalia and Okinawa, and he has also had several senior staff jobs at the Pentagon and at the military’s Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East.After a New York Times article in 2020 about the dearth of Black Marine generals, General Berger was asked why the corps had not promoted an African American to its top ranks in its entire history. “The reality of it is: Everybody is really, really, really good,” General Berger said in an interview with Defense One. “For every 10 we pick, every 12, we could pick 30 more — every bit as good.”General Langley’s promotion is particularly poignant given that his great-uncle was one of the Montford Point Marines, who were the first Black recruits to join the Marine Corps after it began admitting African Americans in 1942. They trained at Montford Point in North Carolina, which was separate from Camp Lejeune, where white recruits trained.It had taken Roosevelt’s executive order to force the commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, Thomas Holcomb, to open the service to Black men. “If it were a question of having a Marine Corps of 5,000 whites or 250,000 Negroes,” the Marine commandant once said, “I would rather have the whites.”Now, one of the corps’ three senior leaders says things have changed.“Mentally we have learned that there’s greater value in the collective than just the monolithic perception of what the makeup of the Marine Corps is,” General Langley said. He said that his hope was that Black Marines would view the corps as a place where they would not be hampered by a glass ceiling. Source

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WASHINGTON — President Biden finally tested negative for the coronavirus on Saturday, a week after his rebound case emerged, but the White House physician said the president would remain in isolation “in an abundance of caution” until a second negative test.Mr. Biden has been staying away from the Oval Office since he tested positive again on July 30, though he has tried to maintain a public presence through appearances by video from the White House residence. The recurrence of the virus has kept him off the road for political events and delayed summer vacation plans as well.The president has experienced few symptoms during his rebound case, according to Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, the White House physician, and he appeared in relatively good health in his video events over the last few days. “The president continues to feel very well,” Dr. O’Connor said in a memo released to reporters on Saturday.Through the president’s initial bout with Covid-19 and during his rebound case, Dr. O’Connor has never appeared before reporters to answer questions, unlike previous White House doctors under other presidents. The White House has never offered a clear explanation about why. Dr. O’Connor’s daily memos have provided no theories about where and how the president was infected. White House officials have said that those deemed to have been in close contact with Mr. Biden all tested negative.The president was treated with Paxlovid early in his bout with Covid, and while the drug has been credited with great success in suppressing the virus and preventing severe cases and hospitalizations, a number of patients who have taken it have nonetheless tested positive again a few days after the last dose of the five-day regimen.Initial clinical studies found that only about 1 percent to 2 percent of those treated with Paxlovid, which is made by Pfizer, experienced symptoms again. Subsequent studies of patients have found higher rates, though still in the single digits.But some doctors and patients have speculated that the rebound rate could be even higher because of anecdotal experiences and because of the characteristics of the highly contagious Omicron subvariants in circulation this summer. Among those who have had a rebound case after taking Paxlovid is Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser and a leading figure in the response to the pandemic.Mr. Biden has been described by aides as eager to get out of isolation and back on the road as the midterm congressional campaign begins to heat up. As a result of his infection, he has had to cancel a number of planned trips and has limited his contact with aides, advisers and others at a time when he has scored some important victories that he would like to promote.“I wish I were with you in person, quite frankly,” he told Vice President Kamala Harris and several cabinet members over a video feed during an event on Wednesday describing his plans to take action to protect abortion rights. “But I’m getting there.” Source

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WASHINGTON — It sounded like a simple solution to the shortage of monkeypox vaccine: Merely by changing the way doses are injected, the federal government could vaccinate five times as many people with the supply it has in hand.But the approach — injecting one-fifth of the current dose into the skin instead of a full dose into underlying fat — is not actually all that simple, experts say. And some federal officials are concerned about changing the method without more research, even though Dr. Robert M. Califf, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, described the proposal on Thursday as promising.Some outside experts, too, are urging caution. “From a basic science perspective, this should work,” said Dr. Jay K. Varma, the director of the Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response. “But, of course, there are lots of things in life, in science, that we think should work, and then when we actually do them, they don’t.”Stretching out doses of the vaccine, Jynneos, could help the federal government resolve a predicament partly of its own making. Even though it invested more than $1 billion developing the two-dose vaccine to use against both monkeypox and smallpox, the government only has 1.1 million shots on hand, partly because it was slow to order bulk vaccine stocks to be processed into vials.That supply is enough to cover 550,000 people, but about three times as many doses are needed to cover the 1.6 million to 1.7 million Americans who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are at high risk of monkeypox. For now, the virus has been spreading primarily through skin-to-skin contact during sex among gay and bisexual men, the C.D.C. has said.Some federal officials are hoping that by injecting a smaller dose of the vaccine between skin layers, called an intradermal shot, the Biden administration could tamp down the outbreak before it spreads more widely.But some experts argue that this approach has not been sufficiently studied. They also warn that some vaccinators will need training to properly deliver the shots, which could slow vaccination efforts. Otherwise, the government could end up wasting doses, not saving them.Intradermal injection involves carefully guiding a needle into skin layers, a thin space with immune cells. If a vaccinator goes too deep and inserts the dose into fat, the patient might not receive enough vaccine, experts say. But if the needle is not inserted far enough, some of the vaccine could leak back out.“If you’re giving a lower dose and you don’t inject it properly into the skin — you might inject it into the wrong place — you may not be giving a protective vaccine,” said Dr. Phil Krause, who retired as a senior F.D.A. vaccine regulator last year and worked on the agency’s licensing of Jynneos. “If you ask this to be done nationwide in millions of doses, it’s a lot easier for there to be mistakes made in the administration of the vaccine.”On the other hand, the method has a track record. It has been used in polio vaccination campaigns when doses have been limited, as well as for rabies and for tuberculosis skin tests.What to Know About the Monkeypox VirusCard 1 of 7What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a virus similar to smallpox, but symptoms are less severe. It was discovered in 1958, after outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research. The virus was primarily found in parts of Central and West Africa, but in recent weeks it has spread to dozens of countries and infected tens of thousands of people, overwhelmingly men who have sex with men. On July 23, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency.How does it spread? The monkeypox virus can spread from person to person through close physical contact with infectious lesions or pustules, by touching items — like clothing or bedding — that previously touched the rash, or via the respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. Monkeypox can also be transmitted from mother to fetus via the placenta or through close contact during and after birth.I fear I might have monkeypox. What should I do? There is no way to test for monkeypox if you have only flulike symptoms. But if you start to notice red lesions, you should contact an urgent care center or your primary care physician, who can order a monkeypox test. Isolate at home as soon as you develop symptoms, and wear high-quality masks if you must come in contact with others for medical care.I live in New York. Can I get the vaccine? Adult men who have sex with men and who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days are eligible for a vaccine in New York City, as well as close contacts of infected people. Eligible people who have conditions that weaken the immune system or who have a history of dermatitis or eczema are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. People can book an appointment through this website.“It’s not a brand-new concept,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser. “We were thinking about this as a strategy in the event of a paucity of vaccines years ago.”Vaccinators have used special bifurcated needles in smallpox inoculation campaigns that have allowed them to perform intradermal injections more uniformly and cheaply.Dr. John Beigel, an associate director of clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, said a government-sponsored study of Jynneos published in 2015 compared the intradermal approach with the standard injection method and found that it triggered a comparable level of neutralizing antibodies, a measure of the strength of the immune response. The intradermal method caused more redness, swelling and itching, but the standard injection was more painful.Dr. Beigel said that switching to the intradermal method was a better option for preserving vaccine than administering just a single shot, as some jurisdictions are now doing, because research has shown that one shot does not prompt nearly as strong of an immune response.“One dose is not likely to be effective,” he said, adding that the intradermal method “is an acceptable way to go.”Although the 2015 trial involved hundreds of participants, some experts note that it was a single study that was limited in what it measured. Researchers at the N.I.H. had been planning to test the intradermal strategy for Jynneos in a trial that was set to begin in a few weeks. But results were not expected until the late fall or early winter, and that plan is up in the air for now.Dr. H. Clifford Lane, the clinical director of Dr. Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the N.I.H., said that while researchers could glean insight by following people who get vaccinated, a traditional clinical trial would provide a clearer picture.“I can understand doing it as long as it’s very clear why it’s being done,” he said of the intradermal strategy. “The question is: How can we stretch the current supplies without significantly compromising efficacy?”Another question is how well the vaccine will actually work. It was licensed in 2019 for use against both monkeypox and smallpox after studies showed it provoked a stronger immune response than an earlier vaccine. That drug itself was approved because it compared favorably to an even earlier vaccine, federal officials said.Monkeypox is rarely fatal and no deaths have been reported in the United States. Symptoms typically resolve within two to four weeks. But with the outbreak spiraling from eight reported cases in late May to 7,510 now, the administration is scrambling to try to improve the vaccination rate and the availability of tests and treatments.As of now, the outbreak is almost entirely limited to men who have sex with men, with those who have multiple partners considered at particular risk. But five cases involving children have been reported so far On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that an adult working at a day care center had tested positive for monkeypox and that children and other staff members there were being screened.Thursday’s declaration of a public health emergency allowed the federal government to speed up investigations of monkeypox and approve grants, but did not invoke the F.D.A.’s emergency powers. Changing the injection mode would require a second kind of emergency declaration, giving the Food and Drug Administration more leeway to issue emergency use authorizations.Federal regulators can issue emergency authorizations of products when they believe the potential benefits outweigh potential risks. Early in the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration issued the same type of emergency declaration, allowing the F.D.A. to make Covid-19 vaccines available to Americans many months before regulators issued full approvals.Dr. Califf, the F.D.A. commissioner, said on Thursday that regulators would continue to ensure the vaccine was delivered in a safe and effective manner. He said regulators would probably decide in the next few days whether to go with the intradermal strategy, but that it was “looking good right now” — a comment that some outside experts said seemed to get ahead of deliberations by career regulators.Emily Cochrane and Tracey Tully contributed reporting. Source

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WASHINGTON — A divided Senate took a crucial step on Saturday toward approving Democrats’ plan to tackle climate change, bring down health care costs and raise taxes on large corporations, with a test vote that paved the way to enact a significant piece of President Biden’s domestic agenda in the coming days.The measure advanced on a party-line vote of 51 to 50, with all Republicans opposed and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.The action suggested that Democrats, after more than a year of internal feuding and painstaking negotiation, had finally coalesced behind legislation that would provide hundreds of billions of dollars for climate and energy programs, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and create a new federal initiative to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, particularly for older Americans.Much of the 755-page legislation would be paid for by tax increases, which Democrats have said are intended to make the tax code more equitable.The vote put the bill on track to pass the Senate as early as Sunday, with the House expected to give its approval by the end of the week. That would provide a major boost to Mr. Biden at a time when his popularity is sagging, and it would hand Democrats a victory going into midterm elections in November in which their congressional majorities are at stake.“The bill, when passed, will meet all of our goals: fighting climate change, lowering health care costs, closing tax loopholes abused by the wealthy and reducing the deficit,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said on the Senate floor on Saturday. “This is a major win for the American people and a sad commentary on the Republican Party as they actively fight provisions that lower costs for the American family.”The hard-won agreement, which includes the most substantial investment in history to counter the warming of the planet, came after a flurry of intense negotiations with two key Democratic holdouts, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.Just weeks ago, Mr. Manchin, a conservative-leaning Democrat from a red state, had said he could not agree to include climate, energy and tax measures in the domestic policy plan this summer given his concerns that doing so would exacerbate inflation. But he and Mr. Schumer stunned lawmakers in both parties late last month with the news that they had quietly returned to the negotiating table and struck a deal that included those proposals.And on Thursday, Ms. Sinema announced she, too, would move forward after extracting concessions, including dropping a provision that would have narrowed a tax break that allows private equity executives and hedge fund managers to pay substantially lower taxes on some income than other taxpayers do.What’s in the Democrats’ Climate and Tax BillCard 1 of 6A new proposal. The $369 billion climate and tax package that Senate Democrats proposed in July could have far-reaching effects on the environment and the economy. Here are some of the key provisions:Auto industry. Currently, taxpayers can get up to $7,500 in tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, but there is a cap on how many cars from each manufacturer are eligible. The new bill would eliminate this cap and extend the tax credit until 2032; used cars would also qualify for a credit of up to $4,000.Energy industry. The bill would provide billions of dollars in rebates for Americans who buy energy efficient and electric appliances and tax credits for companies that build new sources of emissions-free electricity, such as wind turbines and solar panels. It would also set aside $60 billion to encourage clean energy manufacturing in the United States. It would also require businesses to pay a financial penalty per metric ton for methane emissions that exceed federal limits starting in 2024.Low-income communities. The bill would invest over $60 billion to support low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately burdened by effects of climate change. This includes grants for zero-emissions technology and vehicles, as well as money to mitigate the negative effects of highways, bus depots and other transportation facilities.Fossil fuels industry. The bill would require the federal government to auction off more public lands and waters for oil drilling and expand tax credits for coal and gas-burning plants that rely on carbon capture technology. These provisions are among those that were added to gain the support of Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia.West Virginia. The bill would also bring big benefits to Mr. Manchin’s state, the nation’s second-largest producer of coal, making permanent a federal trust fund to support miners with black lung disease and offering new incentives for companies to build wind and solar farms in areas where coal mines or coal plants have recently closed.Democrats were speeding the bill through Congress under the arcane budget process known as reconciliation, which shields certain tax and spending measures from a filibuster but also strictly limits what can be included.Republicans remain unanimously opposed to the measure and have feverishly worked to derail it, fuming at the resurgence of a plan they thought was dead. Blindsided by the deal between Mr. Schumer and Mr. Manchin, they have scrambled to attack the bill as a big-spending, tax-hiking abomination that will exacerbate inflation and damage the economy at a precarious moment.“Democrats are misreading the American people’s outrage as a mandate for yet another — yet another — reckless taxing and spending spree,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader.He condemned a “tidal wave of Washington meddling” that he said would result from the prescription drug plan, which he said would take “a buzz saw to the research and development behind new, lifesaving medical treatments and cures.”But Democrats have rebranded the transformative cradle-to-grave social safety net and climate plan they once called “Build Back Better” as the Inflation Reduction Act. Operating with a razor-thin Senate majority that gave their most conservative members strong influence over the measure, Democrats have jettisoned hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed spending on domestic programs, as well as many of the tax increases they had pitched to pay for it.Outside estimates have indicated that the measure would not force a huge increase in federal spending or impose substantial tax hikes outside of large corporations, and it is projected to reduce the federal budget deficit by the end of the decade.That did not stop Republicans from arguing that it would be disastrous for the economy and for Americans. Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, branded it the “Manchin-Schumer Tax Hike of 2022.”Republicans spent much of the past week trying to devise ways of slowing or blocking the legislation by arguing that it violated the reconciliation rules. (They did, however, indicate privately that they would refrain from forcing the Senate clerks to read the bill aloud, after a similar maneuver last year prompted an outcry.)Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, and her staff labored into the early hours of Saturday morning to determine whether the bill’s components violated those rules, which require each provision to have a direct effect on federal spending or revenue. Early Saturday, she instructed Democrats to trim the scope of a proposal intended to keep the increase in drug prices from outpacing inflation, saying that a proposed rebate could apply only to drugs purchased by Medicare, not by private insurers.But top Democrats announced that most of the legislation remained intact after Ms. MacDonough’s review, including a plan to allow Medicare to directly negotiate the price of prescription drugs for the first time, restrictions on new electric vehicle tax breaks and a fee intended to curtail excessive emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is commonly emitted from oil and gas leaks.In a last-ditch effort to defeat the measure, Republicans were set as early as Saturday evening to begin forcing a rapid-fire series of votes on politically toxic amendments — an hourslong ritual known as a vote-a-rama that reconciliation measures must survive in order to be approved. In the evenly divided Senate, all 50 members of the Democratic caucus will have to remain united to ward off any changes proposed by Republicans and win final passage.“What will vote-a-rama be like? It’ll be like hell,” vowed Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. Of Democrats, he said: “They deserve this.”Democrats, too, still could change the bill. They are expected to essentially dare Republicans to strip a proposal to cap the cost of insulin for all patients, a popular measure that violates the budget rules because it would not directly affect federal spending.And at least one member of the Democratic caucus, Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont and the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has said he plans to force votes on amendments to improve the legislation.“This is a totally inadequate bill, but it does, to some degree, begin to address the existential threat facing the planet,” Mr. Sanders said in an interview on Friday. “I’m disappointed.”Most Democrats, however, were trying to rally their colleagues to stay united against any amendments — including those that could be offered by fellow members of their caucus — to preserve the delicate consensus around the bill and make sure it could become law.“What I care about is that we get to 50 votes, OK, at the end, and that means we have got to keep this deal together,” Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, told reporters. “What matters is that we’ve cut a deal, and we need to keep that deal intact.”Lisa Friedman, Stephanie Lai and Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed reporting. 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