save

March 16 (UPI) — Senate Republicans are trying to pass the SAVE America Act this week, as both the GOP and Democrats are gearing up to fight over the election reform bill that would require those registering to vote to show proof of citizenship with passports or birth certificates.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act already has broad public support, but Democrats are strongly against it. Republicans and President Donald Trump want a prolonged fight, forcing Democrats to defend their opposition.

Republicans say it will make elections safer, but Democrats call it a “voter suppression act.”

The bill would force people registering to vote to show proof of citizenship with a passport or certified birth certificate. People who have legally changed their name, including transgender people and most married women, would have a more difficult time.

According to State Department statistics, around half of Americans have a valid passport, and a first-time applicant would have to pay $165 to get one. The University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement said that 2.6 million Americans do not have a government-issued photo ID.

A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll showed that 71% of voters support the SAVE Act.

House Republicans passed a version of the bill along party lines in February. But the Senate needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. Right now, Republicans have a 53-47 majority, and Sen. John Fetterman, I-Pa., who usually votes with the GOP, has said he’s against the bill.

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he wants to bring the bill to a vote to “put Democrats on the record.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told The Hill that Trump wants to see an epic fight, similar to the two-month battle to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

“What I want to do is try to maximize the period of time in which we debate it,” Lee said.

“They faced a 32-vote cloture deficit at the time it came over from the House in March of ’64,” Lee told The Hill. “They were able to close a 32-vote cloture deficit. It took them 60 days, but they got there.”

He said taking a longer time gives lawmakers clarity.

“Debating a bill that continues to get more popular even as people are trying to slow it down and stop it and obstruct it sometimes sharpens the minds of individual lawmakers and makes them more amenable in the end to negotiation,” Lee added. “That’s what we’re looking at here.”

Trump and other conservative Senators want to force Democrats to do a talking filibuster, but Thune has said there just aren’t enough votes to do so. He said the Republicans aren’t unified enough to table potential Democratic amendments.

“The votes aren’t there, one, to nuke the filibuster and the votes aren’t there for a talking filibuster. It’s just a reality,” The Hill reported Thune said last week. “I’m the person who has to deliver sometimes the not-so-good news that the math doesn’t add up but those are the facts and there’s no getting around it.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats are prepared for the battle.

“We don’t yet know what Thune is doing … but we’re prepared for every possible scenario,” Schumer told reporters Sunday.

“My caucus really feels strongly that this would be a horror … one of the worst things that’s happened in the history of this country in terms of allowing people to vote,” he said.

Trump has said he will not sign any legislation until the act passes the Senate.

WINNIPEG, Canada — Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist to lead the Ducks to a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

Alex Killorn and Jackson LaCombe also registered a goal and an assist. Tim Washe also scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal made 12 saves for the Ducks, who extended their lead in the Pacific Division to three points over Vegas.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for the Jets, who saw their three-game win streak and six-game point streak halted.

After a scoreless first period in which Anaheim outshot Winnipeg 8-2, the Jets opened the scoring at 5:04 of the second when Barron notched his 10th of the season, assisted by Elias Salomonsson and Cole Perfetti.

The Ducks quickly flipped the script, scoring three times in less than two minutes. Washe tied it at 6:24 and Poehling gave Anaheim the lead just 14 seconds later. Killorn added the insurance marker at 8:08 to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

The Ducks outscored the Jets 12-6 in three games this year. Dostal has won 13 of his past 15 games.

IF you’re planning your next holiday but you’re on a strict budget, the experts have stepped in to help you save hundreds.

TUI‘s Commercial Director, Chris Logan – who has worked there for 17 years – as shared some of his top tricks to shave hundreds of pounds off your holidays.

One of those is forgetting that Saturday departure.

He explained: “Mid‑week departures offer a sweet spot of value and convenience for travellers.”

“Flying midweek, especially Monday to Wednesday, could save you hundreds on the exact same holiday. 

” For example, this week there’s a deal for a 7-night all-inclusive stay at the 4T TUI Suneo Kenzi Europa in Agadir, Morocco for just £523pp.

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“Travelling on May 4 (Monday) instead of May 3 (Sunday) currently saves you nearly £300 per person.”

Not only that, but travelling just a month out of the busy season can save you loads.

He continued: “May and September offer gorgeous weather without the peak prices. 

“You’ll get balmy temperatures upwards of 20 degrees in destinations like the Canaries and Greece but pay a fraction of the cost.” 

When it comes to what board you want to book, he also advises not always going for the all-inclusive.

He explained: “If you’re not a big drinker, you don’t need to splash out on all-inclusive. 

“Half board could work out as much better value for money. 

“And if you love exploring local restaurants and heading into town for dinner, self-catering or bed and breakfast are your best bets.”

He added: “The best hack is to always scroll down on our holiday pages – there’s a calendar that breaks down prices by departure date, so you can instantly see which days are cheapest.” 

Otherwise TUI has a secret “under £500” page for all holidays that are less than that, if you don’t mind where you travel to,

Chris finished by saying: “The ‘Holidays under £500‘ page brings together all the best deals in one place – you can filter by your local airport, star rating and board type. 

“It’s how customers can find some incredible deals for five-star hotels for under £500.”

One of the cheapest deals we found was seven nights in Greece in May for just £265 each.

Otherwise there are a number of five star holiday packages in Spain, Bulgaria and Tunisia that just come under £500 each.

Chris says his inside advice could save holidaymakers huge amounts on their next trip – but his hacks come with a warning: “Bargain hunters really need to act fast – my biggest tip is to lock in your next trip asap to secure the best rates, as the deals are constantly updating and changing.” 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Adrian Kempe scored his second goal of the game with 1:26 left in overtime to give the Kings a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

With the victory, the Kings moved within a point of Seattle in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Columbus tied the score late for the second straight home game. Kirill Marchenko scored on the power play at 18:04 to force the extra period.

Brian Dumoulin had a goal and two assists. Scott Laughton scored for the second straight game since joining the Kings from Toronto and added an assist. Artemi Panarin also scored. Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for the Kings in the opener of a five-game trip.

Connor Garland scored twice — his first goals since coming to Columbus from Vancouver — and Denton Mateychuk added a goal and an assist. Jet Greaves made 26 saves for Columbus, which has lost two straight at home.

The Blue Jackets are two points behind Boston in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and three points behind the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division.

The Kings killed off a high-sticking double minor to start the game before Dumoulin set up Laughton in front of the net at 6:46 of the first. Panarin made it 2-0 at 14:47 with his second goal since joining the Kings from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

Garland cut the lead in half with 2:25 left in the period, snapping a career-long 24-game scoring drought. Mateychuk tied it with 9:07 remaining in the second period, and Garland’s second goal put Columbus ahead 81 seconds later.

The lead was short-lived as Kempe tied the game with 5:51 remaining in the second period. Kopitar’s assist was his 167th on a game-tying goal, the most in Kings history.

Dumoulin scored with 9:53 left in the third period, but Marchenko tied it with a power-play goal with 1:56 left,

Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who missed 42 games earlier this season due to injury, left in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return.

The game had a rare afternoon weekday start after being rescheduled from Jan. 26 because of a blizzard in Columbus.

Up next for the Kings: at Boston on Tuesday.

Devon Toews scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period, Martin Necas added an empty-netter to go with two assists, and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Kings 4-2 on Monday night.

Toews got free in the slot and converted Nathan MacKinnon’s pass with 4:55 remaining to help the Avalanche (40-10-9) become the first NHL team with 40 wins this season.

MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog each had a goal and an assist. Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves for Colorado, which has won five of seven.

Brandt Clarke had a power-play goal, Angus Booth scored in his NHL debut, and Anton Forsberg made 35 saves for the Kings, who were playing their first game since firing coach Jim Hiller on Sunday and replacing him on an interim basis with D.J. Smith.

The Kings were also missing seven key players because of injury or illness, including medalists from the Olympic hockey tournament at the Milan-Cortina Games in defenseman Drew Doughty, forwards Joel Armia and Quinton Byfield and goalie Darcy Kuemper. Those absences led to the Kings giving three players their NHL debuts in Booth, center Kenny Connors and winger Jared Wright.

With Kuemper ill, the Kings also recalled Erik Portillo to back up Forsberg. Armia was placed on injured reserve before the game.

The Avalanche capitalized early, scoring twice in the opening 10:13 on one-timers from MacKinnon and Landeskog, before the Kings responded with a power-play goal from Clarke late in the first period.

An early whistle wiped out Necas putting in a rebound early in the second, and Booth got to the top of the crease to tip in Brian Dumoulin’s centering pass to tie it 2-all at 8:32.

Anton Forsberg made 29 saves, Alex Laferriere scored in the second period and the Kings beat the Calgary Flames 2-0 on Saturday night to end a five-game losing streak.

Forsberg had his second shutout of the season and 10th of his NHL career, two nights after coming on in relief of Darcy Kuemper in the second period of an 8-1 home loss to Edmonton.

Laferriere scored with 4:24 left in second, putting his own rebound past goalie Dustin Wolf for his 14th goal of the season. Adrian Kempe added his 22nd into an empty net in the final minute.

Wolf made 35 saves. He spent seven years in the Los Angeles Junior Kings youth program before playing major junior for Everett in the Western Hockey League.

The Kings have three games left on a six-game homestand.

Up next for the Kings: vs. Colorado at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.

João Klauss scored two goals two minutes apart in the first 13 minutes — after a score by Lucas Sanabria — and the Galaxy cruised to a 3-0 victory over Charlotte FC on Saturday night.

Sanabria gave the Galaxy (1-0-1) the lead in the eighth minute with an unassisted goal. Sanabria had two goals in 21 appearances as a rookie last season.

Klauss took a pass from Gabriel Pec and scored in the 11th minute, then scored unassisted two minutes later for a three-goal lead. Pec’s first assist this season gives him 24 through his first 64 matches.

Klauss scored the lone goal in a 1-1 season-opening draw with visiting New York City FC. He came over in a cash-for-player trade with St. Louis City in the hopes he’d help ease the loss of superstar Riqui Puig for a second straight season after complications from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. So far, so good for the 29-year-old forward with 28 goals in 81 career appearances.

Novak Micovic needed to make just one save to notch his fourth clean sheet in his 26th career start for the Galaxy.

Kristijan Kahlina made eight saves for Charlotte (0-1-1), which was coming off a 1-1 draw at St. Louis City on a goal by Pep Biel — one of 11 players in the league with double-digit goals and assists last season.

Up next for the Galaxy: at Colorado Rapids on Saturday.

Chris Kreider beat Connor Hellebuyck off a rebound at 4:47 of overtime to give the Ducks a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.

Beckett Sennecke kept the puck and shot on a two-on-one break, with Kreider backhanding the loose puck in at the side of the net.

After Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Ryan Poehling scored third-period goals to give the Ducks a 4-3 lead, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor tied it with 1:22 left and Hellebuyck off for an extra attacker.

Hellebuyck made 35 saves in his first game since backstopping the United States to Olympic gold.

Jacob Trouba also scored for the Ducks, Sennecke had three assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves. The Ducks have won seven in a row at home and 11 of 13 overall.

It marked the ninth multi-goal comeback this season for the Ducks, who became the second team since the 1987-88 season to achieve such a feat through 58 games. No other team has had more than five multi-goal comeback wins this season.

The Ducks won two nights after returning from the break to beat Edmonton at home for coach Joel Quenneville’s 1,000th NHL victory. The Ducks have five games left on a nine-game homestand.

Winnipeg rookie defenseman Elias Salomonsson had his first NHL goal and Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi also scored. Well back in the race for a playoff spot, Winnipeg has a game left on three-game trip before an eight-game homestand.

Up next for the Ducks: vs. Calgary at Honda Center on Sunday.

Pavel Dorofeyev had two goals and the Vegas Golden Knights spoiled Artemi Panarin’s Kings debut by scoring five third-period goals to rally for a 6-4 win Wednesday night.

Colton Sissons, Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith scored three goals in a span of 4:14 midway through the third and the shorthanded Golden Knights overcame the absence of five players who participated in the gold medal game at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday. Ivan Barbashev added a late empty-netter, and Adin Hill made 15 saves.

Vegas played without United States center Jack Eichel and defenseman Noah Hanifin and Canada forwards Mark Stone and Mitch Marner and defenseman Shea Theodore, all of whom are expected to be available when their five-game trip continues against the Capitals in Washington on Friday night.

Quinton Byfield had two goals, Adrian Kempe and Brandt Clarke scored, while Panarin had two assists in his team debut, but the Kings dropped their fourth straight game.

Panarin, who was acquired in a trade from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4, set up the Kings’ opening goal by putting his pass in off Byfield’s skate on the power play late in the first period and had the secondary assist on Kempe’s goal in the second period.

Anton Forsberg made 19 saves for the Kings, who came out of the Olympic break three points out of a wild-card berth.

The Golden Knights found themselves trailing after two periods as Panarin reached the 40-assist mark for the 11th straight season. But they responded with a strong final 20 minutes, including Dorofeyev’s power-play goal with 4:01 remaining that made it 5-3.

Both methods are quicker than the standard three-week service

Realising you need a new passport just before jetting off abroad can cause quite a headache. But fortunately, two surprisingly quick solutions could save your holiday plans.

Both options, available through the HM Passport Office, are ideal for when you’re in a rush for a passport, but believe the standard service, which takes around three weeks, won’t cut it in time. On occasion, the standard process may even take longer than three weeks if additional documents, information, or an interview are required.

Below, the Mirror has delved into two fast-track options available and how much they’ll cost you.

Option 1: One-day premium

The one-day premium service is exclusively for adults renewing their passports. Applicants must apply online and will be required to pay £222 or £235 for a 54-page frequent-traveller passport.

Once the application is submitted, an appointment is arranged, with the earliest available slot coming two days afterwards. Official Government advice adds: “You’ll need to hand in your old passport at your appointment.

“Your new passport will be ready to collect from the passport office four hours after your appointment.”

Option 2: One-week fast track

This second option is similarly open to anyone who needs to renew their passport. However, it is also accessible under the following circumstances:

• You need to get a child’s passport
• You need to change the personal details on a passport (your name, place of birth or gender)
• You need to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport

The fast-track option comes in cheaper, costing £178 for an adult passport (£191 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport) or £145 for a child passport (or £158 for a 54-page frequent traveller passport). However, you can only secure an appointment the day after submitting your application.

The passport will generally land on your doormat one week afterwards. Neither service is available if you’re presently abroad or seeking your very first adult passport.

The Government’s guidance adds: “If you’ve already applied for a passport and have not received it yet, do not pay for an urgent passport. You will not get your passport sooner and you will be charged a £32 admin fee for each additional application.”

For further details, visit the Government’s website.

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The new Channel 5 programme follows the lives of working surgeons and left viewers moved

Channel 5 viewers were emotional as a doctor battled to save an elderly lady in new series The Surgeon.

The TV series, which started on Channel 5 on Wednesday (February 18), shines a spotlight on doctors, with episode one focusing on bowel cancer surgeon Daren Francis. His first patient was a retired nurse named Doris, who worked for the NHS for over 50 years, with the narrator explaining that it was a “life-threatening emergency” after a blockage was discovered in her bowel.

The doctor had to operate before the bowel ruptured, admitting it was “a major operation” with increased risks given that Doris was 88.

Doris had said that she was in “excruciating” pain, with her daughter explaining further: “Mum was very sick and we weren’t sure whether to come or not because mum doesn’t like to be a nuisance. She doesn’t like, you know, I think being a retired nurse, I think she just doesn’t want to be a bother.”

Dr Francis told her: “It looks like the bowel’s blocked with a growth or a little lump. And that, we’ve got to consider is potentially a malignant or a cancerous growth.

“The plan is to take you to the operating theatre, general anaesthetic, you’ll be asleep, and make a cut in your tummy up and down. And then remove that piece of bowel, which is blocking the rest of the bowel.”

He continued: “So if we leave it there, the bowel can get stretched and stretched, and then eventually it could pop. Time is of essence. So we need to get on and do this. Otherwise, we’ll be in trouble.”

The programme then documented the successful operation, with viewers impressed by the surgeon’s skill. At the end of the episode, it was announced that Doris was recovering at home.

One viewer posted on X, which was formerly Twitter: “3 mins in and I am crying already! surgeons are so compassionate, skilled and amazing!”

Another shared a crying emoji as they posted “What a bloke. Skill and perfect bedside manner with patients.”

Someone else remarked: “”The Surgeon on 5 is phenomenal TV. Daren is an incredible human being. Amazing.”

Another impressed viewer said the surgeon was “fantastic”, as somebody else commented: “People talk about miracles but people like Daren create them here and now for people using his phenomenal surgery skills. Awe inspiring.”

“Never get tired of watching programmes like The Surgeon,” posted another viewer. “Skills beyond belief.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

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The Surgeon airs on Channel 5.

Choosing this option when you book your flights could help you save hundreds of pounds, and it’s especially useful during peak seasons such as half-term or the summer holidays

When it comes to booking a flight, we all want to save money, especially when we need to travel during peak times such as the dreaded school summer holidays.

Luckily, there are still some hacks that can help you cut the cost of flights, and Laura Lindsay who works at SkyScanner has offered up some of her expert travel tips. She said: “Last-minute doesn’t have to mean bad value. Whether you’re staying at home or going abroad, the travellers who take the time to shop around and compare deals will get the best prices. Being a little bit flexible could make a big difference in cost, as well as opening up options for destinations and accommodation you may not have considered.”

One of her clever tricks? Look at the school holiday dates for the counties and regions on the border of your own; these dates can differ, which means you might be travelling in your county’s own peak season, but your neighbouring towns might be ‘off peak’, causing a price difference.

For example bargain hunters who live in the north of England can often bag a cheap flight by flying from a Scottish airport. This is because school holidays in Scotland tend to be slightly different, for example, the six-week summer holiday begins early-July and ends around mid-August.

That means if you have a Scottish airport within reasonable travelling distance, you can save a lot of money by flying from Scotland in the last two weeks of August. And on the flipside, Scots can pick up cheaper flights by jetting off in early July from English airports.

In the meantime, check out more of Laura’s money-saving hacks below…

Search ‘everywhere’ for the best prices

Not fussy about where you want to go? On sites such as Skyscanner you can select ‘everywhere’ as your destination and will be able to find the cheapest destination for your dates. This will give you a number of options from city breaks to beach destinations, and you may be able to find an inexpensive hidden gem.

Skyscanner also have a cheapest destinations tool, where you simply choose the month you want to travel and get a list of the ten cheapest destinations for that period. For example, in March the cheapest flights can be found to Milan and Tirana in Albania for city breaks, while those seeking sunshine could find deals for Lanzarote and Marrakech.

Search nearby airports

Another feature on flight comparison sites that’s worth trying is including nearby airports in your search. On Skyscanner you simply tick the box under your destination or departure airport.

If you live close to London, for example, don’t just look at your nearest airport. Searching for nearby airports looks up the cheapest options around the capital, so a short tube journey could save you a lot of money. This works in any area where there are airports nearby, for example, comparing flights from Birmingham and East Midlands, which are just 45-minutes apart.

You can also choose to search nearby airports at your destination. Just make sure you work out how far away the airport will be from your accommodation before you book. Some airports with city names can still be miles away from the destination. For example, Paris Beauvais Airport is actually about 90-minutes from the French capital, so best avoided for a short break.

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