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MEPs outline strategy to strangle Hungary’s EU presidency

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

BRUSSELS — Hungary’s stint in the EU hot seat is more than a year away — but a fight over it is already in full swing. Members of the European Parliament floated strategies Wednesday that could be employed to weaken if not entirely slay Hungary’s EU presidency next year, amid an escalating tug-of-war between EU institutions and Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán over backsliding on rule of law.The Parliament this week is expected to vote through a nonbinding resolution that “questions” Budapest’s ability to pull off a successful Council presidency in the second half of 2024. Every six months, a different EU country holds the rotating chair, which grants some scope for influencing broader policymaking across the EU. “It’s about time we start to play hardball,” said Sophie in ‘t Veld, a Dutch MEP from liberal Renew Europe group, at a press conference with four other MEPs of various political families who penned the parliamentary text. The proposal includes ways to “red...

Macron extends olive branch to Eastern Europeans

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

BRATISLAVA — French President Emmanuel Macron sought to mend fences with Eastern Europeans at a conference in Slovakia, telling an audience largely from the region that he wants a more collaborative relationship with ex-Soviet states.“We didn’t listen enough to you, and your calls for your history and painful memories to be acknowledged,” he told an audience at the GLOBSEC security forum in the Slovak capital.“Some said you missed opportunities to stay silent; I say we sometimes missed opportunities to listen to you. That time is over,” he said, referring to a swipe by former French President Jacques Chirac in 2003 that offended Eastern Europeans.“I don’t think there is a western and an eastern Europe, an old Europe and a new one; there is only one Europe … with a will to build unity,” he said.Policy notes that played well with Eastern Europeans included saluting the strength of NATO, acknowledging the experience of many countries formerly under Soviet rule, and supporting a pathway...

Belichick: Pats have ‘moved on’ after losing 2 workout days for NFL rules violation

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots coach Bill Belichick says the team has moved on after losing two days of workouts for violating NFL offseason workout rules.“It’s in the past. We’ve moved on,” Belichick said Wednesday as his team resumed their optional offseason conditioning program.The team announced last week that a scheduled workout that was supposed to be open for reporters to attend had been canceled. Another workout originally slated for this week was also canceled.The violation reportedly was for holding a mandatory meeting that was required to be optional.“Had a good long weekend,” Belichick said when asked what effect the lost workout time had on the team. “The whole situation is in the past and we moved on.”Belichick confirmed the violations occurred over three days of Phase 2 of the nine-week program in which teams are allowed to conduct workouts on the field.The Patriots were originally allotted 13 days of workouts. They will now hold a total of 11, including next month...

Twitter may be worth only a third of its pre-Musk value, Fidelity says

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

Washington (CNN) — A Fidelity fund has slashed its estimate of Twitter’s value amid ongoing chaos at the company, implying the social media platform may be worth only a third of its value compared to when Elon Musk acquired it in October.According to a monthly disclosure, Fidelity’s Blue Chip Growth Fund reported that its stake in Twitter was worth $6.55 million at the end of April.That’s down from the $19.66 million the Fidelity fund said its stake was worth in October as Musk was finalizing the acquisition. The revision implies Twitter may be worth only $15 billion overall, as opposed to Musk’s $44 billion purchase price.Fidelity did not provide a reason for the markdown in its disclosure nor an explanation of how it arrived at its valuation, but the adjustment coincides with widespread public blowback to Musk’s erratic decision-making.Under Musk’s watch, Twitter has laid off much of its staff, lost many of its advertisers and embarked on a troub...

DeSantis plays up his personal side, hits back at Trump in campaign blitz across Iowa

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and WILL WEISSERT (Associated Press)SALIX, Iowa (AP) — Ron DeSantis was making a four-stop blitz through Iowa during his first full day of presidential campaigning on Wednesday, aiming for a personal connection with voters while intensifying his criticism of former President Donald Trump.The Florida governor’s first stop was the floor of Port Neal Welding in Salix, a rural town near Sioux City, in the heart of the most Republican-heavy part of the state. Lining the highway outside the welding shop were metal structures including a towering Jesus, a version of the Statue of Liberty and the Minions.DeSantis talked up his efforts to push his state farther to the right. But he often barreled through his 30-minute speech in workmanlike fashion, left few pauses for applause from the audience of a bit more than 100 people, some wearing caps bearing seed company logos. Trying to position himself as the most formidable alternative to Trump in the crowded Republ...

Boston University president rips graduating students for ‘cancel culture’ after they shouted obscenities at Warner Bros. CEO

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

Boston University’s retiring president has sent a parting shot at his final class of graduating students, calling out the alums for “cancel culture” after one of the most awkward commencements of all time when they booed and shouted obscenities at the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO amid the writers’ strike.BU President Robert Brown on Wednesday gave his perspective about the heated commencement ceremony from May 21, when Writers Guild of America striking union members picketed outside Nickerson Field and grads at the ceremony booed CEO David Zaslav.The graduating students chanted “Pay your writers!” at Zaslav throughout his commencement speech.Brown is now slamming the students “who were appallingly coarse and deliberately abusive to Mr. Zaslav.”“Our students were not picking a fight,” Brown wrote in a post on BU’s website on Wednesday. “They were attempting to implement the cancel culture that has become all too pr...

9 of America’s most charming airports

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

Not every airport needs to be a stressful, chaotic experience. You shouldn’t have to stand in long lines only to dig deep into your budget for an overpriced, bland meal and perhaps end up sprinting to your gate.While some people rightfully detest airports, NerdWallet has rounded up a collection of nine U.S. airports that are enjoyable to spend time in. Some are like a cozy coffee shop, while others have retro vibes that harken back to the golden age of aviation. These airports were chosen for several reasons, some of which might include their unbeatable views, unique amenities, charming atmosphere — or a combination of it all.But NerdWallet also included key details that can impact the airport experience, including on-time arrivals rate, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics data between February 2022 and February 2023. For comparison, the national average on-time arrivals rate is 76.98%.To qualify for this list, airports also had to have fewer than 1.5 million arriving passe...

Summer dessert recipe: S’more pie, please!

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

S’mores have been a much-loved summer treat ever since the official recipe for the sweet but simple combination first appeared in a 1927 Girl Scout guidebook, “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.”They’re often a hot, sticky mess, but roasted marshmallows just go so incredibly well with chocolate and graham crackers, right? The fact that you can make them over a campfire only adds to their crowd appeal.But what if you don’t have a fire pit in your backyard, or aren’t keen about letting your kids cook over hot coals with a pointy stick? Or maybe you just want to impress friends and family with a make-ahead, party-worthy dessert.This decadent pie recipe brings together all the familiar and sugary-sweet flavors of a s’more, only with a bit more flair, which makes it the perfect showstopper for a summer barbecue.Built on a sweet and sturdy graham cracker crust, it pairs a thick and gooey brownie layer crafted with two types of chocolate with a creamy milk chocolate ga...

Government developing cybersecurity certification process for defence contractors

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal government says certain defence contracts will be subject to a mandatory cybersecurity certification process starting in the winter of 2024. Defence Minister Anita Anand made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries annual trade show in Ottawa, which is known as CANSEC.Anand’s speech focused on military modernization, one of her department’s key priorities as it works to finish up the defence policy review that was announced in the 2022 budget. In the day’s second keynote speech, her Ukrainian counterpart revealed that Canada’s updated policy will be released to the public in July. Oleksii Reznikov’s pre-recorded virtual address to the trade show at noon included a call for long-term support from Canada and the Canadian defence industry as his country continues to defend itself against the Russian invasion that began more than 400 days ago.“Ukraine has given a list of th...

Limo company manager sentenced to at least 5 years for New York crash that killed 20

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:57:31 GMT

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (AP) — A former limousine company manager was sentenced Wednesday to at least five years in prison for his role in a crash that killed 20 people in rural New York.Nauman Hussain, 33, was convicted of manslaughter earlier this month after prosecutors argued that he intentionally failed to properly maintain an SUV-style stretch limo, which then failed to brake on a downhill stretch of road in Schoharie, a village west of Albany.The 2001 Ford Excursion was packed with friends out for a birthday celebration on Oct. 6, 2018 when it hit a parked car and trees before coming to rest in a streambed.Judge Peter Lynch sentenced Hussain, who was shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform, to an indeterminate term of 5 to 15 years in prison. The state’s parole board will determine when Hussain will be released after he serves the minimum.Some people who lost loved ones in the crash spoke directly to Hussain in court before the judge announced the sentence. “October 6, 2018...