Seeking relief from health-law penalties

Seeking relief from health-law penalties

WASHINGTON

The official sign-up season for President Barack Obama’s health care law may be over, but leading congressional Democrats say millions of Americans facing new tax penalties deserve a second chance.

Three senior House members strongly urged the administration Monday to grant a special sign-up opportunity for uninsured taxpayers who will be facing fines under the law for the first time this year.

The three are Michigan’s Sander Levin, the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, and Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington and Lloyd Doggett of Texas.

Battle persists in Ukraine despite deal

LUHANSKE, Ukraine

Intense artillery exchanges between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists persisted Monday around a strategic town in eastern Ukraine — fighting that threatens to dash a cease-fire deal brokered by European leaders last week.

Under the cease-fire agreement negotiated by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, the warring sides are to begin withdrawing heavy weapons from the front line today. That plan already looks at risk, with the rebels saying they are not satisfied that conditions are in place for the process to go ahead.

Tsunami advisory lifted after quake

TOKYO

A magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan early today, triggering minor tsunamis but no reports of major damage or injuries.

The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted a tsunami advisory two hours after it was issued after the quake, which hit at 8 a.m. Japan time.

Boko Haram issues threat to Chad, Niger

YAOUNDE, Cameroon

The Nigeria-based extremist group Boko Haram on Monday threatened neighboring countries Niger and Chad, warning the fighters were prepared to carry out suicide bombings in the countries sending troops to help fight the militants.

The warning came as leaders from Niger and other countries in the region gathered in Cameroon’s capital to finalize plans for a joint offensive against the militants who have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.

Study: Meditation might help sleep

LOS ANGELES

Older people who have sleep problems found more relief from a mindful-meditation program than from a conventional sleep-education program, researchers reported.

In the sleep study, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, scientists used 49 people in Los Angeles 55 and older who had expressed moderate sleep complaints. They were split into two groups, one of which was taught to meditate and the other given behavioral sleep education. The meditators slept better and had better results in related issues such as depression, based on results of a standard measure of sleep quality.

Man sends flowers even after death

CASPER, Wyo.

A Wyoming man who died last year from a brain tumor is keeping Valentine’s Day special for his wife — even in death.

Shelly Golay of Casper received a bouquet of flowers two days before Valentine’s Day.

She initially thought her children had sent them.

But after contacting the flower shop, she learned that her late husband, Jim, had arranged before his death last summer for flowers to be sent to her every Valentine’s Day until she, too, dies.

Combined dispatches