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Brussels must trim €13B from proposed budget increase, EU capitals say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

BRUSSELS — EU countries want the Commission to cut at least 20 percent, or around €13 billion, from its proposed midterm budget increase, according to two EU diplomats.The EU executive had asked in June for €66 billion in additional funds from national capitals to cover unexpected spending, arguing the bloc’s coffers have been depleted by multiple crises, from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine.But member countries have broadly rejected approving that increase in full, agreeing that the Commission must trim the headline figure by at least 20 percent, according to the diplomats, who like the other diplomat quoted in this piece, were granted anonymity to discuss backchannel communications. “You can’t ask only one group of member states (the net contributors) to make a sacrifice, while another group reaps most of the benefits,” a third diplomat said. “That would undermine a sense of fairness and solidarity in the Union.”The clock is ti...

Former President Jimmy Carter expected to attend wife’s memorial service

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

(CNN) — Former President Jimmy Carter is expected to attend the memorial service for his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, on Tuesday, his grandson told CNN.Carter’s grandson Jason Carter told CNN his grandfather is planning on traveling to Atlanta to attend the tribute service for the former first lady.A tribute service for Rosalynn Carter is scheduled to take place Tuesday at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at the Emory University campus. President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are expected to attend.Other expected guests include former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as former first ladies Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.Rosalynn Carter died peacefully at her Plains, Georgia, home on November 19 at the age of 96, two days after the Carter Center announced she was entering hospice care at home. Jimmy Carter, who ...

The ‘doctor of nursing practice’ will see you now

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

Anna Claire Vollers | (TNS) Stateline.orgWhen Vernon Langford sees patients, he typically wears a white lab coat with his title — “Dr.” — and his credentials as a nurse practitioner stitched on the front.“My credentials are on any jackets I have, the shirts I wear. If I have a name tag, it’s on that,” said Langford, who works as a primary care provider in Seminole County, Florida. He holds a doctorate of nursing practice, the highest degree available in his field. Like a Ph.D., it confers on him the “Dr.” title, but he says he explains to patients what that means, and how his role and education differ from that of a physician: “When I meet anyone, I want to make sure I’m educating them about who I am.”A Florida bill lawmakers considered this year would have barred Langford and others with similar credentials from using the “Dr.” title in clinical settings. The bill was amended to exclude nurse practitioners before it reached the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who vetoed it wi...

5 questions to ask before you buy now, pay later for the holidays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

By Jackie Veling | NerdWalletShoppers gearing up for the 2023 holiday season won’t have to look hard for a convenient way to pay for all those presents.“Buy now, pay later,” a type of payment plan that divides the total cost of your purchase into smaller installments, is offered at most major retailers, including Walmart, Target and Amazon. It’s expected to fuel $17 billion in online holiday spending this year — up almost 17% from 2022 — according to forecast data from Adobe Analytics, an analytics and measurement tool from software company Adobe.The short application, immediate approval decision and no hard credit check can make buy now, pay later seem like a no-brainer financing option, but experts say it’s risky. Ask yourself these five questions before opting in.1. Does this plan charge interest?While most shoppers will encounter zero-interest, pay-in-four plans — which divide the cost of your purchase into four equal installments with the first due at checkout, and the remainin...

Masconomet football coach Gavin Monagle announces his retirement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

Masconomet football coach Gavin Monagle announced his retirement early Monday afternoon. He met with his team to inform them of his decision.“I’ve been blessed to have had tremendous players, coaches and school support at Savio and Masconomet,” Monagle said in a brief text to the Boston Herald.Monagle began his coaching career at Savio Prep in 1993 and spent 11 years there. The highlight was the 2000 team which went 10-1-1 and won a Super Bowl title. He stepped down from Savio following the 2003 season.Monagle served as an assistant coach at Masconomet for seven years under Jim Pugh before taking over in 2015. He won seven games three times, most recently in 2022, ending his career with 104 wins.GAVIN MONAGLE THROUGH THE YEARSSAVIO PREP1993 – 1-8-11994 – 3-7-01995 – 4-6-01996 – 8-2-01997 – 9-2-01998 – 3-7-01999 – 8-3-02000 – 10-1-1 (SB-W)2001 – 6-5-02002 – 0-11-02003 – 7-4-0Totals – 59-56-2MASCONOMET2015 –...

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter buys Vernon Hills mansion for $1.2M

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. on Oct. 10 paid $1.2 million for a five-bedroom, 7,399-square-foot mansion in Vernon Hills.A Florida native and standout at the University of Florida, Dexter, 22, was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.Built in 2011 and located in Vernon Hills’ Gregg’s Landing area, Dexter’s new house has 4½ bathrooms, a formal living room with a fireplace, a great room with a fireplace, a mudroom and a kitchen with Italian onyx countertops, Bosch built-in appliances and a wet bar. Other features include a fully finished third-floor office and a finished English lower level, a wine storage room, a family room and a workout room “fabulous enough for a pro athlete,” according to listing information.Outside on the 0.49-acre property are an outdoor fireplace, a gas fire pit, a two-level wraparound patio, a sprinkler system and professional high-end uplighting in the landscaping.The agent who r...

Boston woman accused of setting a fire at a Massachusetts police station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

A Boston woman who was waiting for a ride at the Westboro police station is accused of starting a fire in the station’s lobby, according to police.Theresa Abichaker, of West Roxbury, has been arrested and charged in connection with setting a fire at the Westboro police station Sunday evening.Abichaker had been waiting in the station’s lobby for a ride after she was involved in a motor vehicle crash, police said.Following the fire in the station, police officers looked at surveillance video and saw that Abichaker had “intentionally set a clothing donation box and its contents on fire,” police said in a statement.After a search, which included police K-9 units and police drones, Abichaker was found and taken into custody. She has been charged with: burning of a public building (three counts); attempt to burn a public building (three counts); vandalize property; and fire negligence.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Westborough defends Div. 2...

Experience snow at these places within driving distance of San Diego

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

SAN DIEGO — While the weather outside in San Diego rarely gets frightful in the winter, one does not have to travel far to enjoy fresh snow.There are plenty of places within driving distance of the city that are perfect for those that want to experience the magic of the season as other parts of the country do — with blankets of snow on the ground.If you are looking to take a day trip with loved ones this holiday season, here are a few destinations in Southern California that will make you feel like you are in a legitimate winter wonderland. ‘I’ll be doing this as long as I can’: Why Knob Hill light display in San Marcos isn’t on this year JulianTrip Length: About 1.25 hoursLocated in the county, Julian is one of the easiest day-trip options for San Diegans looking to experience some fresh snow. There are plenty of small snow-play spots around the town, as well as on the journey east towards it. However, it may be a little early in the season to see a whole lot of powder on the gro...

Brazil’s Lula picks his justice minister for supreme court slot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil said Monday that he chose Justice Minister Flávio Dino to fill an empty seat on the country’s top court. Many allies of the leftist leader hoped he would pick another woman to replace Minister Rosa Maria Weber, who stepped down in September after turning 75, the age limit for the nation’s Supreme Federal Court justices. Weber’s departure as chief justice left one remaining female jurist on the 11-person court. The Brazilian Senate is expected to vote before the end of the year on Dino’s nomination, which requires a simple majority for confirmation. Dino, 55, governed the impoverished state of Maranhão between 2015 and 2023 before becoming Lula’s justice minister. He is a former federal judge and was seen for many years as one of the most vocal adversaries of former President Jair Bolsonaro.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dino imposed curfews and movement restrictions that angered the far-right leader.As justice...

Woman’s decades-old mosaic of yard rocks and decorative art work may have to go

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:30 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Iris Logan was having a hard time growing grass in the front yard of her St. Paul, Minnesota, home, so she covered the space with stones, statues and decorative art. More than 30 years later, it’s something of a local landmark.But to a city inspector, it’s a nuisance. Logan, 70, has been given notice to clean up the “planters, wood, metal cans, large rocks and miscellaneous debris” cited after a recent inspection, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The City Council will take up the matter Dec. 6.Logan says the city’s actions forced her to create the mosaic in the first place because workers on a road repair project dug so deep around one of her trees that its roots were exposed. She brought in bricks and dirt, planted flowers and added stones — and just kept adding.”I’m a rock lover,” said Logan, a former cotton sharecropper from Mississippi. “I’m not going to lie. If I see a rock I like, I try and roll it in my car on a two-by-four.”Logan ...