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First lady Jill Biden unveils White House holiday decorations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

(CNN) — Complete with 98 Christmas trees, 72 wreaths and 2.8 miles of ribbon, the White House has been transformed into a classic winter wonderland for the holidays.Letters to Santa Claus appear to fly magically in and out of old mailboxes and a vintage train weaves around the base of an 18.5-foot Fraser fir Christmas tree, while all manner of candied treats deck the halls — including a huge gingerbread White House.Unveiling the decorations Monday, first lady Jill Biden said this year’s theme, the “Magic, Wonder and Joy” of the holiday season, was inspired by “childlike marvel and awe.”“Children are unbound by time and inherently know beauty: the rich, colorful mosaic of autumn leaves piled high on an emerald blanket of grass; the mesmerizing rhythm of soft, powdery snow as it falls from a glistening night sky,” said Biden as she welcomed  National Guard and local military families to the White House as the first guests to experience the holiday décor.“The holidays offer a...

Plane will fly from London to New York with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Experts say it’s not a fix

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

(CNN) — For the first time, a transatlantic flight operated by a commercial airline will be powered by 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) — a type of plane fuel that bears the promise of a much lower climate impact than traditional ones.Traveling from London Heathrow to New York’s JFK, the flight, which is meant purely as a demonstration and will not carry any paying passengers (although it will carry scientists and media), is operated by Virgin Atlantic using a Boeing 787, with both its engines running on the fuel.However, while Virgin Atlantic says that using SAF will reduce the aircraft’s emissions by 70%, critics say the flight is little more than a gimmick, and that the kind of SAF used by the plane will do little to clean up aviation’s climate impact.Commercial restrictionsCurrent regulations prohibit airlines from using a blend of more than 50% SAF on commercial flights, as engine manufacturers and aviation authorities work together to ensure that these new fuels are s...

New book ‘Ironman’ shows how Randy Hundley’s career goes far beyond catching for the Cubs and suffering 1969

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

His statistics do not jump out: 3,442 at bats in 1,061 games, 813 hits, 82 home runs, .236 batting average, 381 runs batted in. But baseball is more than cold numbers and Randy Hundley was more than a catcher for the Chicago Cubs.It is not at all odd — especially in light of the ineptitude of our professional sports teams these days — to be drawn to baseball in these winter months. Baseball is the summer game and memories bring warmth and they bring enjoyment because the game is like an ongoing novel, filled with players (heroic and the flawed) and millions of characters who populate the city’s baseball history. We get sights and sounds, feel disappointments and joys, remember goats and black cats, bats juiced with cork, that lively chorus known as sports writers, fans, owners, coaches, managers, umps, broadcasters, vendors, Andy Frains and memorable quotes.My favorite? “I’ve never played drunk. Hungover, yes. But never drunk!” from Cubs’ ce...

Patriots-Giants film review: Bill Belichick is out of options on offense

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

The Patriots stink.On Sunday, they became the first NFL team in 30 years to lose consecutive games where they allowed 10 points or fewer. They scored seven points or fewer for the fourth time this season. And for the fourth time, Bill Belichick benched his starting quarterback.After the game, Belichick said he believed both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe deserved to play. With only a half apiece, Jones and Zappe managed to gave Belichick reasons to never see the field again this year. It’s that bad right now in Foxboro, home to the NFL’s worst quarterbacks room, offense and team.Again, the Patriots stink.Here’s what else the film revealed about Sunday’s loss:Mac Jones12-of-21 for 89 yards, 2 INTs, sackNew England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks off the field after throwing an interception against the New York Giants during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)Accurate throw per...

German-Israeli singer admits he lied when accusing hotel of antisemitism in a video that went viral

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A German-Israeli singer who claimed he had been turned away from a hotel in the eastern German city of Leipzig because he was wearing a Star of David pendant, admitted Tuesday during a defamation trial against him that he had made up the story.The proceedings against Gil Ofarim for defamation and false accusation at a district court in Leipzig were subsequently dropped following his surprising confession, German news agency dpa reported.The 41-year-old Ofarim must pay a fine of 10,000 euros ($10,950), and he apologized to the hotel manager who was a co-plaintiff in the case. “The allegations are true,” Ofarim said during the sixth trial day, dpa reported.“I would like to apologize to you,” he said, addressing the hotel manager. “I am sorry.”The hotel manager accepted the apology, dpa reported.Dpa’s report didn’t say whether he explained why he made up the accusation.Ofarim had accused the Leipzig hotel of antisemitism in October 2021 in a video that quickly...

Latvia’s chief diplomat pursues NATO’s top job, saying a clear vision on Russia is needed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Latvia’s foreign minister on Tuesday staked his claim to the top job at NATO, saying that the military organization needs a consensus builder who is committed to higher defense spending and has a clear vision of how to deal with Russia.NATO is likely to name a new secretary general at its next summit in Washington in July. Former Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg has been the alliance’s top civilian official since 2014. His term has been extended four times during the war in Ukraine.“We’re going to have 32 countries. Keeping 32 countries together on any topic, it’s a big challenge, and we need a consensus builder that can work with any and all allies, to move everyone forward in the same direction,” Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters at NATO headquarters.One of Stoltenberg’s challenges is to help persuade Turkey, along with Hungary, to endorse Sweden’s attempt to become NATO’s 32nd member. NATO officials hope the issue will be resolved b...

Biting wind chill to make for coldest day of the season so far in Toronto, GTA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

GTA residents who’ve held out on unpacking the winter gear will need to finally break out the toques, mittens and parkas on what will likely be the coldest day of the season so far.The temperature is not expected to reach the freezing mark in Toronto, and areas north and northwest of the city are in for another round of significant snow.“You definitely need the extra, extra layers,” says CityNews 680 meteorologist Jill Taylor. “Strong winds out of the west, northwest today.”It’s already the coldest morning this fall so far if you factor in the wind, feeling like -12 in the early morning hours. The actual temperature at Pearson Airport as of 5 a.m. was -5.4 C.The guaranteed high for Toronto on Tuesday is -1 C. The city hasn’t had a high in the minus since March 14.It’s a cold Tuesday morning! Dress for a wind chill near -12 now and near -9 this afternoon. The Guaranteed High today is just -1°C! Snow Squall Warning continues for Newmarket, Geo...

Antisemitic incidents in Germany rose by 320% after Hamas attacked Israel, a monitoring group says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A group tracking antisemitism in Germany said Tuesday that it documented a drastic increase of antisemitic incidents in the country in the month after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The RIAS group said it recorded 994 incidents, which is an average of 29 incidents per day and an increase of 320% compared to the same time period in 2022. The group looked at the time period from Oct. 7 to Nov. 9.Among the 994 antisemitic incidents, there were three cases of extreme violence, 29 attacks, targeted damage to 72 properties, 32 threats, four mass mailings and 854 cases of offensive behavior.Many Jews in Germany experienced antisemitic incidents in their everyday lives and even those who weren’t exposed to any antisemitic incidents reported feelings of insecurity and fear, said RIAS, which is an abbreviation in German for the Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism.RIAS said that 59 reported incidents related to homes or people’s living environmen...

Millennial Money: 5 steps to creating financial boundaries during the holidays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

Marketing ads, family functions and holiday gift-giving culture can make it feel impossible not to spend, or for some, overspend. According to a 2023 survey from NerdWallet, around half of Americans (52%) incurred credit card debt when shopping for gifts during the holidays last year, and almost a third (31%) of them still haven’t paid it off.While giving can be noble, consider setting boundaries when it comes to lending and spending money during the holidays.STEP 1: SET 2024 MONEY GOALSIt can be difficult to rein in your spending during the holidays if you don’t have a reason. Begin the process of mapping out your financial goals for 2024 to help avoid shortsightedness while spending. For instance, if you want to make larger payments on your student loan or save for a down payment on a new car next year, overspending during the holidays could set you back.“Really be brutally honest about what your financial commitments for January and February (are),” says Yvette Murry, a clinical ...

Dutch election winner Wilders taps former center-left minister to look at possible coalitions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:47:37 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch election winner Geert Wilders tapped a former minister from the center-left Labor Party to investigate possible coalitions Tuesday, a day after the far-right leader’s first choice quit amid fraud allegations.Ahead of a meeting that confirmed the appointment of Ronald Plasterk as “scout” to hold talks with political leaders about possible coalitions, Wilders also said on social media that his Party for Freedom, or PVV, known for its anti-Islam, anti-migration platform, “is for everyone.”“The PVV is a broad popular party. The largest in the Netherlands. 2.4 million people voted for us,” Wilders wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said his party represented people of all levels of education as well as “native” Dutch citizens and immigrants, “workers, retirees, young people and the elderly. From the city, the countryside. The PVV is for everyone.”The president of the lower house of the Dutch parliament, Vera Bergkamp, confirmed that ...