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Division 3-5 girls basketball preview: St. Mary’s looks to reload

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

They have been arguably the reigning queens of girls basketball in Massachusetts for the last four years but 2023-24 brings a whole new look and a lot of new competition for St. Mary’s in Division 3.The Spartans graduated the talented troika of Yirsy Queliz, Kellyn Preira and Niya Morgan so it may be a down season for the Lynn program. Not so fast, says Jeff Newhall.“Yes, we have a young team but we have some kids who have been in a lot of big games,” Newhall said.Leading that group is freshman Bella Owumi, who has already started nearly 60 varsity games. Freshman Lily Norton steps in to assume the point guard duties while Jillian Roberts also is expected to have a bigger role.The Spartans’ quest for another title is made tougher this season thanks to a realignment of divisions by the MIAA. That reshuffling has turned Division 3 into a deep and talented group.Leading those trying to bounce the Spartans from their perch is reigning Division 2 champion Foxboro. The Warriors retu...

OBF: Imagine if Bill Belichick was visited by the GOAT of Christmas Pass

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

Charles Dickens was the Taylor Swift of his day. He lived at the Parker House in Boston for fivemonths starting in November 1867. His readings of “A Christmas Carol” were the hottest ticketin town. They played a major role in making Christmas a big deal in Massachusetts. The holidaywas banned in the Bay State during the 17th century and not celebrated as an official event there until 1856. We thank him for his inspiration.A cold, wind-swept, snowy Christmas Eve has visited Denver.The Patriots rest aboard Kraft Force One, aloft over the Plains pondering a lost season punctuated even deeper by another listless defeat, this one to Colorado’s equine-themed NFL franchise. After a typically turbulent ascent from Denver International Airport, the Patriots’ 767 won’t stop until it lands at T.F. Green Airport.God willing.2023 has been more arduous than any other year for Ebenezer Belichick and his Patriots. On Christmas Eve, joy has been replaced by relief. Only two more games to go before t...

Edmunds testers seek out the fastest charging electric vehicles

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

How much range an electric vehicle has is a primary consideration for many EV shoppers in determining which one they should purchase. But nearly as important is how quickly an EV can charge at a public fast-charging station. After all, the quicker you can charge your EV, the quicker you can get back on the road and continue driving. One problem, however, is that it can be hard to understand and compare various charging speed claims by automakers. That’s why Edmunds came up with a new independent test to help consumers quickly and easily compare the charging speeds of different EVs.EDMUNDS CHARGING TESTAutomakers use different ways to express how quickly their vehicles charge. Looking at automaker websites, you might see one automaker say its EV can use fast charging to charge from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes, while another touts that its EV can add 100 miles of range in just 20 minutes. It’s nearly impossible to compare these different automaker claims and understand which vehicles are...

EU court annuls approval of French pandemic aid to Air France and Air France-KLM

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Low-cost airlines Ryanair and Malta Air won a court case Wednesday against the European Union’s decision to approve billions of euros in state aid by the French government to Air France and holding company Air France-KLM during the COVID-19 pandemic.Ryanair has filed several court challenges against measures introduced by EU countries to help some airlines weather the fallout of coronavirus restrictions.The bloc’s 27 members must seek approval from the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, when granting financial support to companies. Many countries across Europe did so to help keep their airlines afloat during the pandemic.Back in 2020, French authorities notified the European Commission of an aid measure of 7 billion euros ($7.67 billion), which was supposed to benefit Air France solely, to the exclusion of all the other companies in the Air France-KLM group. A year later, France told the European Commission about plans for 4-billion-eur...

Dutch bank ING says it is accelerating its shift away from funding fossil fuels after COP28 deal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch bank ING announced Wednesday that it is accelerating its phasing out of funding for oil and gas exploration and production activities while it increases financing for renewable energy.ING has faced fierce criticism from Dutch climate activists for its funding of fossil fuel companies.The ING announcement came a week after nearly 200 countries at the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai agreed to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a document that critics said contained significant loopholes.ING said its loans to oil and gas exploration and production activities will be cut by 35% by 2030 and 10 years later “the financed emissions linked to our portfolio will be reduced to zero.” Meanwhile, the bank said, it will raise financing of renewable power generation to 7.5 billion euros ($8.2 billion) annually by 2025 from 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in 2022.“The world needs energy, but still too much of that is coming from fossil fuels,” IN...

News helicopter crashes in New Jersey forest, killing pilot and photographer, TV station says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A news helicopter has crashed in a forest in New Jersey, killing both the pilot and photographer on board, the television station said.“A pilot and a photographer from our news team were in the helicopter when it went down while returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore” on Tuesday night, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reported. “Both crew members were killed.”The station did not release their names pending notification of family members. “Our hearts are just broken for these men. They’re broken for their families,” reporter Katherine Scott said Wednesday morning, reporting from near the scene of the crash.The crash happened sometime after 8 p.m. in woods in Wharton State Forest, in Hammonton, New Jersey, the station said.“New Jersey State Police troopers were able to locate the crash site on the ground. It is very hard to access due to its location in the woods,” the station said.It’s unclear what caused the crash, the station said.WPVI-TV reported t...

How to manage holiday spending when you're buried under student loan debt

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — For Nicole Plauché and her family, Christmas is the time of the year where they can use their preferred love language: gift giving. This year, however, Plauché is worried about how much she can afford to spend on gifts. Her main struggle? Student loan payments.“It just doesn't leave much room for anything outside of just basic necessities,” said Plauché, a 23-year old tech sales manager from Dallas, Texas.Marisa Johnson, 26, has approximately $145,000 in student loan debt from both her bachelor's and master's degrees. Since the COVID-era payment pause ended in October, she's been paying back $300 a month while she waits to see if she'll be enrolled in a new income-driven repayment plan.Nicole Plauché, 23, poses for a photo at her family's home in Highland Village, Texas, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. Plauché graduated from college last year with a business degree and is navigating how to manage holiday spending while paying student loan debt. (AP Photo/LM Otero)Be...

States trashing tons of masks and pandemic gear as huge stockpiles linger and expire

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.Boxes of personal protection equipment maintained by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services are shown stacked in a warehouse in Jefferson City, Mo., on Dec. 1, 2023. (Brad Bashore/Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services via AP)A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how ...

Favorite quick weeknight recipes from 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

We’ve just published our list of the 50 most popular recipes of 2023, and I’d like to compliment you on your excellent taste. The tinto de verano! Dumpling tomato salad with chile crisp vinaigrette! Mochiko chicken! Cacio e pepe and white lasagna! And the banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery in New York, which I think far outshines its famous cupcakes.I’ve picked five recipes from the list to feature, dishes I feel are particularly good for a fast dinner.1. Gochujang Buttered NoodlesGochujang Buttered Noodles. These garlicky, buttery noodles are perfect for when you need a stellar pantry meal lickety-split. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. (James Ransom/The New York Times)These garlicky, buttery noodles are perfect for when you need a stellar pantry meal lickety-split. A packet of fresh or even instant ramen speeds up the meal prep and is ideal when cooking for one (see Tips). Honey and sherry vinegar round out gochujang’s deep heat into a mellowness that’s at once sweet, savory and ...

Sneak peek: Highland Popcorn, which employs people with disabilities, is set to open early next year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

A new nonprofit popcorn shop is getting ready to open in Highland Park next year.Highland Popcorn is set to open late January or early February in the Highland Village Plaza shopping center, with both a retail storefront and a wholesale component to package products for stores like the nearby Lunds & Byerlys. They’ll have butter popcorn, cheese corn, caramel corn and seasonal flavors like peppermint crunch, plus cookies and sodas.The store’s workforce will be predominantly people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said founder Shamus O’Meara.(If you don’t know O’Meara, perhaps you know his son Conor, or at least his voice: The 25-year-old hosts a local radio show called “Conor’s Corner,” on which he talks about sports and life with autism and chats with guests ranging from Vikings player Justin Jefferson to St. Paul City Council member Chris Tolbert.)Although popcorn can be a grab-and-go product, Highland Popcorn is meant to be a space to hang out, O’Meara s...