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HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — The U.S. government will hold trade talks with Taiwan in a sign of support for the island democracy that China claims as its own territory, prompting Beijing to warn Thursday it will take action if necessary to “safeguard its sovereignty.”The announcement of trade talks comes after Beijing fired missiles into the sea to intimidate Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this month became the highest-ranking American official to visit the island in 25 years.Chinese President Xi Jinping's government criticized the planned talks as a violation of its stance that Taiwan has no right to foreign relations. It warned Washington not to encourage the island to try to make its de facto independence permanent, a step Beijing says would lead to war.“China firmly opposes this,” Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting said. She called on Washington to “fully respect China's core interests.”Also Thursday, Taiwan's military held a drill with missiles and cannons simulating a response to a Chinese missile attack.Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war and have no official relations but are bound by billions of dollars of trade and investment. The island never has been part of the People’s Republic of China, but the ruling Communist Party says it is obliged to unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.President Joe Biden’s coordinator for the Indo-Pacific region, Kurt Campbell, said last week that trade talks would “deepen our ties with Taiwan” but stressed policy wasn’t changing. The United States has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, its ninth-largest trading partner, but maintains extensive informal ties.The U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement of the talks made no mention of tension with Beijing but said “formal negotiations” would develop trade and regulatory ties, a step that would entail closer official interaction.Being allowed to export more to the United States might help Taiwan blunt China’s efforts to use its status as the island’s biggest trading partner as political leverage. The mainland blocked imports of Taiwanese citrus and other food in retaliation for Pelosi’s Aug. 2 visit.Taiwan's Foreign Ministry expressed “high welcome” for the trade talks, which it said will lead to a “new page” in relations with the United States.“As the situation across the Taiwan Strait has recently escalated, the U.S. government will continue to take concrete actions to maintain security and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” it said in a statement.U.S.-Chinese relations are at their lowest level in decades amid disputes over trade, security, technology, and Beijing’s treatment of Muslim minorities and Hong Kong.The U.S. Trade Representative said negotiations would be conducted under the auspices of Washington’s unofficial embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan.“China always opposes any form of official exchanges between any country and the Taiwan region of China," said Shu, the Chinese spokesperson. “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty."Washington says it takes no position on the status of China and Taiwan but wants their dispute settled peacefully. The U.S. government is obligated by federal law to see that the island has the means to defend itself.“We will continue to take calm and resolute steps to uphold peace and stability in the face of Beijing’s ongoing efforts to undermine it, and to support Taiwan,” Campbell said during a conference call last Friday.China takes more than twice as much of Taiwan’s exports as the United States, its No. 2 foreign market. Taiwan’s government says its companies have invested almost $200 billion in the mainland. Beijing says a 2020 census found some 158,000 Taiwanese entrepreneurs, professionals and others live on the mainland.China’s ban on imports of citrus, fish and hundreds of other Taiwanese food products hurt rural areas seen as supporters of President Tsai Ing-wen, but those goods account for less than 0.5% of Taiwan’s exports to the mainland.Beijing did nothing that might affect the flow of processor chips from Taiwan that are needed by Chinese factories that assemble the world’s smartphones and consumer electronics. The island is the world’s biggest chip supplier.A second group of U.S. lawmakers led by Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, arrived on Taiwan on Sunday and met with Tsai. Beijing announced a second round of military drills after their arrival.Taiwan, with 23.6 million people, has launched its own military drills in response.On Thursday, drills at Hualien Air Base on the east coast simulated a response to a Chinese missile attack. Military personnel practiced with Taiwanese-made Sky Bow 3 anti-aircraft missiles and 35mm anti-aircraft cannon but didn’t fire them.“We didn’t panic” when China launched military drills, said air force Maj. Chen Teh-huan.“Our usual training is to be on call 24 hours a day to prepare for missile launches,” Chen said. “We were ready.”The U.S.-Taiwanese talks also will cover agriculture, labor, the environment, digital technology, the status of state-owned enterprises and “non-market policies,” the U.S. Trade Representative said.Washington and Beijing are locked in a 3-year-old tariff war over many of the same issues.They include China’s support for government companies that dominate many of its industries and complaints that Beijing steals foreign technology and limits access to an array of fields in violation of its market-opening commitments.Then-President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods in 2019 in response to complaints that its technology development tactics violate its free-trade commitments and threaten U.S. industrial leadership. Biden has left most of those tariff hikes in place.

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Visitors review new Asus computer products at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan

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The U.S. government will hold trade talks with Taiwan in a sign of support for the island democracy that China claims as its own territory.

Trade Talks With Taiwan Cause Friction With China

NEW YORK (AP) — One skyscraper stands out from the rest in the Manhattan skyline. It's not the tallest, but it is the skinniest — the world's skinniest, in fact.The 84-story residential Steinway Tower, designed by New York architecture firm SHoP Architects, has the title of “most slender skyscraper in the world” thanks to its logic-defying ratio of width to height: 23 1/2-to-1.“Any time it’s 1-to-10 or more that’s considered a slender building; 1-to-15 or more is considered exotic and really difficult to do,” SHoP Architects founding principal Gregg Pasquarelli said. “The most slender buildings in the world are mostly in Hong Kong, and they’re around 17- or 18-to-1.”The 60 apartments in the tower range in cost from $18 million to $66 million per unit, and offer 360-degree views of the city. It's located just south of Central Park, along a stretch of Manhattan’s 57th Street known as “Billionaires Row.”At 1,428 feet, the building is the second-tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere, second to the nearby Central Park Tower at 1,550 feet. For comparison, the world’s tallest tower is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which stands at 2,717 feet.Steinway Tower is so skinny at the top that whenever the wind ramps up, the luxury homes on the upper floors sway around by a few feet.“Every skyscraper has to move,” Pasquarelli said. “If it’s too stiff, it’s actually more dangerous — it has to have flexibility in it.”To prevent the tower from swaying too far, the architects created a counterbalance with tuned steel plates. And while the exterior has the de rigueur reflective glass, it also includes a textured terracotta and bronze facade that creates wind turbulence to slow the acceleration of the building, Pasquarelli said. About 200 rock anchors descend at most 100 feet into the underlying bedrock to provide a deep foundation.Steinway Tower has a long history as the former location of Steinway Hall, constructed in 1924. JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group bought the building in 2013, and now they're looking to the future.“What I’m hoping is that 50 years from now, you’ve only known New York with 111 West 57th St.,” Pasquarelli said. “I hope it holds a special place in all future New Yorkers' hearts.”

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One skyscraper stands out from the rest in the Manhattan skyline. It's not the tallest, but it is the skinniest.

New York Officially Claims The Title Of The Home Of The 'World's Most Slender Skyscraper'

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YouVersion, a top-rated mobile Bible app, is rolling out new features to help churches grow and encourage discipleship. 

Looking For A Church? YouVersion Launches New Features To Help Churches Connect With People

Rosalynn Carter, the second-oldest U.S. first lady ever, turns 95 Thursday on a birthday that will be marked not just with cards and best wishes, but with butterflies.The wife of former President Jimmy Carter, 97, has a fascination with butterflies dating back to childhood, when she was entranced by the colorful insects flitting around her mother's flowers in Plains, Georgia, longtime friend and neighbor Annette Wise said.That interest led to the formation of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, which was established in the southwest Georgia town after the former first lady grew concerned about the future of butterflies, which are crucial to the pollination of flowering plants.“She read an article in 2013 about the decline in monarchs and decided she wanted to do something about it,” Wise said.Wise said she helped Carter establish a garden featuring native milkweed, a prime habitat for monarch butterflies, at the home she shares with the former president, her husband of 76 years, but the public can't visit it because of Secret Service security concerns. So Wise planted another garden nearby that could be open to visitors, and that helped lead to the butterfly trail, which includes 76 public and private gardens around rural Plains.The butterfly trail will use Carter’s birthday to promote an annual statewide count of butterflies, the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, set for Friday and Saturday, Wise said.Last Saturday, at an event held in honor of the former first lady’s birthday, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter made one of their first public outings in awhile for the dedication of a new butterfly sculpture that's part of the trail and is on property next door to where she grew up. The former first lady, using a walker, flipped a switch to illuminate the artwork at nightfall.“They’re not getting out too much. COVID is a real concern, and their ages, too,” Wise said.Bess Truman, the wife of President Harry Truman, is the only first lady to have outlived Rosalynn Carter, according to The National First Ladies Library. Truman, who was first lady from 1943 until 1953, died in 1982 at the age of 97.Jimmy Carter, who will turn 98 on Oct. 1, is the oldest living U.S. ex-president. Photos showed him seated in a wheelchair and smiling during the sculpture dedication.

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The former first-lady's birthday will be marked not just with cards and best wishes, but with butterflies.

Happy Birthday Rosalynn Carter, 95 Years Young

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You might be surprised to hear plain Fritos chips scored better than a bagel too.

Study Suggests Ice Cream Is Better Option For Breakfast Than Multigrain Bagels

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Perhaps nothing feels as good as helping a struggling child or teen. A local police department is doing just that with the help of a team of volunteers.

Wings To Fly Program Helps Young People Explore Bright Futures In Aviation

CLEVELAND – If you’ve noticed you feel better after giving your partner a hug, you’re not alone.In fact, a small study reveals that it can actually help women reduce their stress.“What’s happening on the inside when we receive a hug is there is a release of oxytocin. That is that feel good chemical that when it’s released, we feel bonded to those around us,” explained Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist for Cleveland Clinic. “There’s also a decrease in cortisol, the stress hormone that pumps through our body when we feel stressed or overwhelmed.”The study examined 76 men and women who were romantically involved and found hugging helped as a stress buffer for women.Interestingly, it didn’t seem to have the same impact on men.Dr. Albers said hugging can also be a great non-verbal way to connect.Instead of reassuring your partner through words, a hug can offer the same kind of support and feeling of reassurance.She said it’s important to make sure your hugs don’t feel routine or like a chore – you should be present in the moment.And for it to be effective, it needs to be between five and ten seconds long.“Be mindful that not everyone enjoys hugs, so if this is someone around you, a friend or family member, know that touching their hand or rubbing their back can be just as effective as giving a warm hug,” Dr. Albers advised.She said another tip is to ask the individual first if they need a hug or are okay receiving a hug before actually doing so.&nbsp;

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A psychologist discusses the benefits of hugging and how it can help with your mental health.

Benefits Of Hugging For Mental Health

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Each day, Nate Evans spends several hours woodworking for a purpose.

Iowa Teacher Builds Furniture For People In Need

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A man on vacation came across a surprise in an order of clams: a purple pearl! 

Man Finds Rare Purple Pearl Inside Clam At Restaurant

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There are 25 blimps left in existence as of 2022, and only half of them are in use.

There Are Only 25 Blimps Left On Earth, Here's Why

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Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. - John 11:25

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

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Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

John 11:25 (NLT)

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