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France tells EU Commission to rethink American choice for top job

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

French ministers lashed out Thursday at the European Commission for picking a U.S. professor for a top antitrust job overseeing U.S. Big Tech firms.France’s Europe Minister Catherine Colonna said she was “astonished” by the choice of Fiona Scott Morton as chief competition economist, “which deserves to be reconsidered by the Commission.”Digital Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the Commission should rethink the hire, which raises “legitimate questions” at a time when the EU is rolling out ambitious digital enforcement legislation.Some Commission officials earlier questioned the appointment and how it was made earlier this week without wide consultation and without any in-depth discussion of Scott Morton’s previous consulting work for Big Tech firms. Pressure is now growing on EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager over the appointment.French Secretary for Europe Laurence Boone swiftly joined her government colleagues, saying she’d ta...

Manchester police arrest suspect after learning he returned to crime scene less than 24 hours after shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

Police in Manchester, New Hampshire, say they have made an arrest in connection with a shooting on Front Street that left a victim with non-life-threatening injuries.Anthony Barahona, 26, was taken into custody a day after authorities spent hours searching for him, warning the public at one point that he was considered armed and dangerous.Barahona was arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred around 3 p.m. at 389 Front Street. Police said a 34-year-old victim was later hospitalized and treated while they continued to look for the shooter. The 26-year-old Manchester resident was named a suspect soon afterwards. In an update Thursday morning, Manchester PD said Barahona was apprehended after police learned he had returned to 389 Front St.“Police again set up a perimeter, deployed a drone, and searched for Barahona,” the department stated. “He was located hiding inside, on the second floor of the house.”According to authorities, the 26 year old is now...

Man accused of trying to open jet’s door, attacking crew, found not competent for trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

A man charged with attacking a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and attempting to open an airliner’s emergency door on a cross-country flight in March is not currently competent to stand trial, a federal judge ruled.Magistrate Judge Judith Dein, basing her decision on a mental health evaluation of Francisco Severo Torres and her own observations in court, determined Wednesday that further treatment is warranted, according to court records.“The Court hereby finds … that the defendant is presently suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense,” Dein wrote in her decision.She also wrote that she denied a request by Torres to be freed so he could “further investigate the conspiracy which eventually led to his actions on the plane.”Torres, of Leominster, Massachusetts, is ...

Hollywood actors join screenwriters in historic industry-stopping strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leaders of a Hollywood’s actors union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, said at a news conference that the union leadership voted for the work stoppage hours after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers representing employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others.“A strike is an instrument of last resort,” he said. Union leaders said at a news conference that they voted unanimously for a strike to begin at midnight. Outside Netflix’s Hollywood offices, picketing screenwriters chanted “Pay Your Actors!” immediately after the strike was announced.It&...

Released by Washington Nationals, Junior Martina finds home with Windy City ThunderBolts. ‘The hunger is still there.’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

In his first season with the Windy City ThunderBolts, infielder Junior Martina is a long way from his home in South Holland.No, not the one in the south suburbs about 10 miles from the T-Bolts’ home at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. Martina lives in Voorschoten, South Holland, in the Netherlands.“Baseball has taken me a lot of places around the world,” Martina said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”Martina got in on the fun Tuesday as the T-Bolts hosted a new event — the Frontier League skills competition, held a day before the league’s All-Star Game.Martina participated in the precision hitting contest. Batters had to hit four targets around the field before capping it off by hitting a pitch into center field for a teammate to catch, stopping the clock in the timed competition.Martina completed the challenge in 2 minutes, 10 seconds but finished last among the four competitors. Craig Massey of the Florence Y’alls won the event with times of...

Cool as a cucumber: Beat the summer heat with these refreshing cold soups

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)When it comes to humble, ho-hum vegetables, cucumbers often find their way to the top of the list.Available in every grocery store produce aisle, no matter what the season, the long, green members of the gourd, or Cucurbitaceae, family of plants is so ubiquitous that the average American will eat more than 8 pounds of cucumbers each year, either raw in salads or bathed in brine as pickles.Yet to dismiss the fruit as nothing more than a reliable, crunchy base for a salad or sandwich, or a crisp green garnish on a bowl of noodles, is to deny yourself of one of the most versatile culinary ingredients.A trio of cold cucumber soups. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)For instance, cucumbers can be blended into smoothies, thinly sliced and filled with cream cheese and salmon as a roll-up finger food, or stirred together with yogurt, garlic and lemon into the Greek dressing tzatziki. They also can add a colorful garnish to certain cock...

Hot Property: Penthouse provides stunning views

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

We’ve found the epitome of refined city living in a sun-drenched penthouse duplex at 350 Columbus Avenue, Unit 6.The distinctive, sought-after red facade endemic of South End/Back Bay architecture brings with it the location’s many (many, many) attractions, including tons of nearby restaurants, coffee shops, and local hangouts.For anyone working in the city center, you couldn’t ask for a better homebase and for commuters, there’s the train and — sit down for this — a garage space for those needing to hop on the Pike.Immaculately renovated, it showcases a roomy open concept living area adorned with custom finishes. The space is bathed in natural light, thanks to a bank of bay windows and a skylight. Built-in cabinetry for your books and curios and a gas fireplace serve as a warm backdrop for a quiet night in.A granite and stainless steel kitchen has a convenient breakfast bar and breakfast nook and comes complete with pantry and washer dryer.If being in the heart of the city isn’t en...

Bruce Cassidy brings Stanley Cup to Milton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

A desert-tanned Bruce Cassidy arrived in the Glover Elementary School parking lot in Milton with his prized (albeit temporary) possession – the Stanley Cup – raised over his head and the Bruins’ goal song “Kernkraft 400” playing over the loudspeakers.“I didn’t script that,” said a laughing Cassidy afterwards.No, Cassidy did not come to Milton on Thursday to rub salt in the wounds of the B’s or their fans – there were more Bruin jerseys in the crowd than those of Cassidy’s new team, the Vegas Golden Knights – but rather to help out friends who are kicking off their new charity. And, of course, talk a little hockey.The charity is the newly formed foundation in the name of Cassidy Murray, who was killed in a water-tubing accident at the age of 13 in March 2022 and who was a close friend of Bruce Cassidy’s daughter Shannon.As they continue to work through their own grief, the Murrays have started the nonprofit dedicated to expanding “educational opportuniti...

Child suffers ‘life-threatening injuries’ after shooting in Boston: Police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

A child was transported to the hospital with “life-threatening injuries” after a report of shots fired in Mattapan Thursday afternoon, according to police.Boston Police responded to the area of 35 Fessenden St., in Mattapan for a reported shooting at around 2:05 p.m.The person who was shot was transported to the hospital with “life-threatening injuries,” a Boston Police spokesperson said.The shooting victim is a child, according to a police source. The age of the juvenile was not immediately available.Massachusetts State Police helped with establishing a perimeter around the scene following the shooting.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Boston Police make arrest tied to Mattapan mass shooting, recover loaded gun Crime & Public Safety | Crime Briefs: Girl, 13, shot in Dorchester, Boston Police Department says The Boston Police spokesperson said, “It’s a very active investigation.”Developing…

Hollywood actors to go on strike beginning Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:59 GMT

Union leadership representing film and television actors voted to go on strike beginning Friday after negotiations with Hollywood studios and streaming services failed to produce a deal. "We are the victims here," said Fran Drescher, the former "Nanny" star who is now president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, at a news conference Thursday. "We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us."Actors will join members of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike since early May, essentially bringing all Hollywood production to a halt. SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, left, and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland speak during a press conference announcing a strike by The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists on Thursday, July, 13, 2023, in Los Angeles. This marks ...