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Howie Carr: Panic ends with a whimper

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

On March 16, 2020, a national COVID-19 emergency was declared for 15 days – to flatten the curve.And now, a mere 1,135 days later, the 15-day national emergency is finally over, with a statement signed behind closed doors at the White House and this terse official statement from the White House:“On Monday April 10, 2023 the President signed into law: H.J. Res. 7, which terminates the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”And, er, that was about it.No ticker tape parades. No massive celebrations in Times Square with sailors grabbing young women and kissing them. No honking horns. No two-hour specials on state-run TV networks with Dr. Anthony Fauci reminiscing about the Good Old COVID Days.So this is how the Panic ends, to paraphrase the poet, not with a bang but a whimper.You couldn’t call it V-C day, because the Red Chinese flu is still around. But then, the scam was never about COVID. It was about Trump, and getting rid of him. But that was years ago now – it just se...

Trudeau’s chief of staff set to testify in foreign interference probe

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

A committee tasked with studying alleged foreign interference in Canada’s last two elections is set to hear from the prime minister’s chief of staff today.Katie Telford is scheduled to be a witness at the procedure and House affairs committee this afternoon, to talk about what she knows about Chinese meddling in the 2019 and 2021 elections.Previous witnesses in recent months — including the head of Canada’s spy agency and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly — have revealed little, citing national security laws that limit what they can say.The Conservatives have been working to get Telford to answer questions for weeks, with MP Michael Cooper saying calling her the second most powerful person in the Liberal government.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s had many conversations with Telford about foreign interference over many years, because it’s an issue that needs to be taken seriously.Trudeau has appointed David Johnston as a special rapporteur to advise government on what it ...

Nuggets enter playoffs healthy for first time since bubble

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Not since Jamal Murray was dropping 50 points on the Utah Jazz back in the NBA’s bubble in 2020 have the Denver Nuggets entered the playoffs as healthy as they are now.Murray missed the team’s last two trips to the postseason after tearing up his left knee on April 12, 2021, and back surgery kept Michael Porter Jr. out of last year’s playoffs, as well.Without two-thirds of Denver’s star power on the bench, Nikola Jokic shouldered the Nuggets’ playoff fortunes in 2021 and ’22, and that burden proved too heavy even for a two-time NBA MVP.He did lead the Nuggets past Portland in the opening round two years ago with a starting lineup that included Austin Rivers and Facundo Campazzo. But that was followed by a four-game loss to Phoenix in the second round and a first-round exit last year when Denver lost to the championship-bound Golden State Warriors.Those truncated playoff runs are a big source of doubt for national pundits and prognost...

Global stocks rise after US inflation cools

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets rose Friday after U.S. inflation eased in March and China reported unexpectedly strong exports.London and Frankfurt opened higher. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong advanced. Oil prices rose.Wall Street futures were lower, giving up part of Thursday’s gains after U.S. inflation at the wholesale level slowed more than expected.Asian markets were “taking cues from a solid rally on Wall Street,” said Anderson Alves of ActivTrades in a report.In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.2% to 7,862.09. The DAX in Frankfurt advanced 0.2% to 7,843.38 and the CAC 40 in Paris was 0.2% higher at 7,497.61.On Wall Street, the future for the benchmark S&P 500 index was off 0.2%. That for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3%.On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 1.3% after government data showed prices paid to U.S. producers in March rose at their slowest rate in more than two years.The Dow advanced 1.1%. The Nasdaq jumped 2% to 12,166.27.In A...

US energy secretary says G7 can lead global emissions cuts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

OTARU, Japan (AP) — Wealthy nations can lead by example in cutting carbon emissions, though much faster action is needed to stem global warming, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press. Granholm and other senior energy and environment officials from the Group of Seven advanced economies are in Hokkaido in northern Japan this week for meetings on climate change, energy security and related issues.“That’s what we hope to do is lead by example,” Granholm said after touring the world’s first and only liquefied hydrogen carrier, a ship that showcases Japanese efforts to transform heavily polluting coal into emissions-free hydrogen power. At the G-7 summit in May last year, member nations set a common goal of achieving a fully or predominantly decarbonized electricity supply by 2035.The fact that carbon emissions are continuing to rise despite massive investments in cleaner energy is “very disappointing,” Granholm said. But she noted t...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Can the boss at my job MAKE his staff work out?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Corinne and it's about work and working out. Here's her email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime, I'm writing because I think my boss has gone overboard in what he is requiring from his staff. About two months ago, the boss thought it would be good to do a team building exercise. So he paid for everyone to get an app that tracks their daily exercise. That sounds fine, but it's actually being required to participate. That means everyday, you have to write down in the app what exercise you do. Then the boss checks everyone's app at the end of the week and if you haven't participated, you get called out for it in front of everyone, and it's clear the boss is upset about it. I feel like this is a BIG overstep, but I'm the only one who wants to do something about it. The rest of my "team" which is about 9 people says it's easier to just fake the exercise y...

Ask Amy: Legacy employee contemplates retirement

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

Dear Amy: I have worked for the same company for more than 30 years, and I am ready to retire in a few months.They have no idea that I am contemplating retirement.What would be an acceptable length of notice to provide them?Is it just like getting a new job and providing the standard two- or three-week notice, or should I provide them more notice since it is a retirement?I should note that when others in the organization have hit the 25 and 30 year work anniversaries, there were parties, speeches, and gifts given.I suspect these same employees also received certain benefits I have not been given.However, when I hit my 25- and 30-year work anniversaries, there was nothing. No one in the organization acknowledged it. I said nothing, but it really hurt my feelings.I have received perfect performance reviews for the last 10 years, so I know they are happy with my work.Do I owe them more than a two-week notice?— Ready to GoDear Ready to Go: My research on this topic indicates that ...

Italy proposes crackdown on 'eco-vandals' damaging monuments

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

The Italian government proposed stiffer penalties on Tuesday (11 April) for those who damage monuments or heritage sites. This was in response to protesters who targeted artwork and other landmarks calling for stronger climate action."Those who commit these acts must also assume financial responsibility," Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said following a cabinet meeting. He proposed fines up to €60,000.Both houses of parliament must approve the bill.Climate protesters have blocked traffic in recent months and thrown paint or other defaced monuments, buildings famous and paintings in galleries.They also targeted the "Barcaccia", the famous fountain that sits in front of the Spanish Steps in Rome, as well as the Italian Senate and Milan's La Scala Opera house. They also sprayed orange paint on Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.They blocked a bridge connecting Venice and the mainland in December.Sangiuliano, Culture Minister, stated that cleaning the Senate would cost approximately 40,00...

Italian lawmakers urge policy changes to support Iran’s pro-democracy opposition

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

A multi-partisan group of Italian senators and members of parliament held a conference on Wednesday to express support for Iranian protesters and pro-democracy activists, and to call for changes in Italian and European Union policies toward the Islamic Republic. The conference coincided with the release of a statement, signed by a majority of Italian senators, “supporting the Iranian people in their struggle for a secular and democratic republic.”Both the statement and conference made explicit reference to the National Council of Resistance of Iran as the prospective guarantor of that future system of government. The lawmakers also pointed to a “ten-point plan” for transition to this system, authored by Maryam Rajavi, the individual designated by the NCRI to serve as transitional president when the current regime is overthrown.In advance of the conference, former Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, now head of the Senate European Union Affairs Committee, led an Italian delegation in meet...

Deadly clashes in Karabakh can trigger new conflict escalation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:14 GMT

The ongoing tensions in the Karabakh region between Azerbaijan and Armenia threaten post-conflict stability and reconciliation. The unwillingness of Armenia to sign a post-war peace treaty with Azerbaijan recognizing the territorial integrity of both states increases future conflict risks in the region. During the post-war period, several deadly clashes happened in the Karabakh region and at the Azerbaijani-Armenian border - writes Shahmar Hajiyev, Senior Advisor at the Center of Analysis of International Relations.The end of the long-lasting war between Armenia and Azerbaijan opened up new opportunities for both countries to start economic cooperation and reconciliation. After signing the November Declaration and agreeing to a ceasefire, the key challenge became a post-war peace treaty between two South Caucasus countries. However, all recent developments show that Yerevan is seemingly unable to accept that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, as it is recognized in UN resolutions.It is...