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EU leaders meet in the shadow of failed Wagner mutiny in Russia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Stitcher .st0{fill:#EB8A23;} .st1{fill:#FAC617;} .st2{fill:#612368;} .st3{fill:#3792C4;} .st4{fill:#C33727;} Acast Our slightly-later edition of this week’s EU Confidential comes to you from on-the-ground at the European Council — where the EU’s 27 leaders are discussing topics ranging from security gua...

Man convicted of fatally stabbing ex-girlfriend at Worcester restaurant sentenced to life in prison

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

Carlos Asencio was sentenced to life in prison without parole Thursday for stabbing his ex-girlfriend in a restaurant four years ago. Asencio, 32, of Derry, New Hampshire, told a judge he didn’t see a reason to sit through his sentencing.“There is only one outcome of what I’ve been sentenced to,” Asencio said. “Therefore, do I have to be in this room when that occurs?”Prosecutors said Asencio tracked Dabrowski’s car to O’Connor’s on July 3, 2019 and when she went to the restroom he stabbed her more than 20 times in her neck and body before being subdued by restaurant patrons and staff.“You invaded her personal space, and you invaded her privacy, and I’m not sure what gave you the right to do that,” Victoria Dabrowski, the victim’s sister, said in court.  “You’re a coward.”The victim’s loved ones told him how his actions have impacted their lives, but the judge allowed Asencio to leave the courtroom and listen virtually from a holding cell.“Amanda wanted to get married. Amanda w...

Kyrie Irving can’t go to Suns without significant pay cut

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

If Kyrie Irving isn’t taking a significant pay cut, he ain’t going to the Phoenix Suns.News broke on Thursday that the former Nets All-Star — as expected — intends to meet with the Suns when free agency begins on Friday at 6 p.m. Given the financial restraints the Suns already face after trading for Bradley Beal, and the more restrictive handicap looming if they do trade for Irving, it’s hard to see Thursday’s news cycle as anything more than a negotiation tactic.Unless Irving is willing to forego the bag and take a pay cut north of $10M to give the Suns flexibility to fill the roster out with veteran’s minimum contracts, a reunion with Kevin Durant out West is difficult to envision.Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade hard caps a team at the tax apron, which is $171M this summer. The Suns are already set to pay Beal, Devin Booker and Durant a combined $130 in salary next season.Irving earned $36.5M in salary last season, and the minimum pl...

Hot Property: A top-tier option in Topsfield

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

There’s a lot to consider when you’re a growing family looking to put down roots. Will you have enough space to spread out? Is the yard big enough for the puppy everyone’s been begging for? Can you accommodate the extended fam when it’s your turn to host Thanksgiving?With a resounding yes to all three of these questions and so much more, 12 Pheasant Lane in Topsfield is a gem — and a big one at that.Boasting more than 4,700 square feet and a 1.23 acre lot, the property is surrounded by tall, mature trees on a sleepy cul-de-sac. It’s the quiet you want at the end of the day while keeping commuter routes and highly coveted Masco schools nearby.There’s a serious commitment to being cozy here — the home features five unique fireplaces including a large brick hearth in the kitchen. There’s a family room, formal living and dining rooms, and a delightful sunroom and screened-in porch. A bright kitchen with tons of storage and a center island enjoys a sunny breakfast nook for casual dining....

On TikTok, knitter Sam Barsky stays a stitch ahead of his social media fans

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

Abigail Gruskin | Baltimore SunSam Barsky recalls first learning of TikTok, the social media app that’s taken off across the globe, during an interview with 60 Second Docs, which produces short documentaries, in 2019.By the following year, Barsky, 48, was uploading TikTok videos of his nature walks and, eventually, of his hand-knit sweaters, which portray landmarks and destinations from Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore.“The first time I talked about one of my sweaters on [TikTok], the video went viral,” he said. “It’s like ‘Wow, I should be doing this normally.’”It’s a familiar tale to those who have tracked Barsky’s decades-long knitting career, which he first shared online on Facebook. Now, he’s amassed a following of more than 241,000 on TikTok (@sambarsky) and 226,000 on Instagram (@sambarskyknitter), and is hopeful his Tumblr page could take off, too.In July, he’ll embark upon yet another digital escapade: producing bite-size videos on YouTube, kno...

Red Sox notebook: Chris Sale begins throwing after second MRI

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

After a spate of losses and injuries, the Red Sox received some much-needed good news on Thursday in the form of a clear MRI for Chris Sale.The results were a green light for the 34-year-old left-hander, who proceeded to throw a baseball for the first time since going on the injured list with shoulder inflammation at the beginning of June.Being ahead of schedule is a welcome change for Sale, who’s spent the last several years trapped in an endless cycle of injuries, recoveries, and setbacks. He said he expected to be out six weeks, and is already throwing after four.“I’m in a pretty good mood today,” he told reporters.Sale last pitched against the Cincinnati Reds on June 1, when his manager, Alex Cora, pulled him after 3 2/3 innings of 1-run ball. The early exit snapped a streak of seven consecutive starts of five or more innings, a span over which he’d begun putting together a promising comeback season.Over his last eight starts of the season (April 18...

The Supreme Court bolsters protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

By JESSICA GRESKO (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday used the case of a Christian mail carrier who did not want to work Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations.In a unanimous decision the justices made clear that workers who ask for accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should have their requests honored unless employers show that doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” to the business.The court made clear that businesses must cite more than minor costs — known as “de minimis” costs — to reject requests for religious accommodations at work. Unlike most cases before the court, both sides in the case had agreed that businesses needed to show more.At issue was a mail carrier in rural Pennsylvania, Gerald Groff, who was told that as part of his job, he would need to start delivering Amazon packages on Sundays. Groff declined, saying his Sundays are f...

Economic growth revised up sharply last quarter

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

WASHINGTON — Showing surprising resilience in the face of higher interest rates, the U.S. economy grew at a 2% annual pace from January through March as consumers spent at the fastest pace in nearly two years.Thursday’s revised figure from the Commerce Department sharply upgraded its assessment of first-quarter growth from its previous estimate of a 1.3% annual rate.Despite the uptick, the government’s third and final report on January-March economic growth still marked a deceleration from the 2.6% annual rate from October through December and the 3.2% growth from July through September. The economy has been slowed by the Federal Reserve’s aggressive drive to tame inflation through a series of interest rate hikes beginning early last year.Yet Thursday’s report on the nation’s gross domestic product — the total output of goods and services — showed why the economy has so far managed to defy expectations of a coming recession: Consumers continue to spend ...

Quick Cook: Caramelized honey lavender apricots on ricotta toast

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

These gorgeous toasts glisten with gemlike stone fruit that has been caramelized and drizzled with lavender-infused honey. Whether on walnut levain or rustic baguette, with creamy ricotta or tangy farmers cheese, this treat beckons at all hours — just have your morning iced coffee or afternoon tea at the ready.You can use any stone fruit, but I like the color and tartness of apricots best, and summer is prime apricot season. Try a version with ricotta and another with farmer’s cheese and see if you can decide which you prefer, because I can’t. Save any extra lavender honey to stir into your tea or even coffee for a delightful flavor.Caramelized honey lavender apricots on ricotta toastServes 2INGREDIENTS5-inch hunk of walnut or plain baguette, halved lengthwise, or 2 slices levain3 tablespoons honey, divided3 apricots, halved and pitted (or substitute peaches or plums)1½ teaspoons culinary lavender buds½ cup ricotta cheese (or use farmer’s cheese for tangier version)Sea salt flakesDI...

Southwest Airlines pilots ask to be freed from mediation. It’s another step towards a strike

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:37 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — The pilots’ union at Southwest Airlines is asking federal mediators to open the way for a strike, saying that big differences remain over pay and other items despite three years of bargaining over a new contract.The request Thursday by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association doesn’t mean a strike is imminent, even though union members voted nearly unanimously in May to authorize a strike.If mediators grant the union’s request, pilots could strike but only after a 30-day cooling-off period, during which the White House could delay a walkout or Congress could impose a settlement on both sides.Southwest opposed the union’s request. Adam Carlisle, Southwest’s vice president of labor relations, said the two sides are meeting regularly and the company has proposed industry-leading compensation and changes in pilot scheduling. He said further mediation will drive negotiators closer to an agreement that helps both sides.The union’s m...