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Eurocrats’ travel freebies trigger new outrage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

Calls are mounting for the European Commission to come clean over how much free travel its officials have accepted from lobbyists and law firms, after POLITICO found staff in one department took dozens of paid-for trips. EU competition officials went on 150 missions that were “totally or partially paid by third parties” last year, the Commission said in response to a POLITICO request for access to documents. Of those, 23 missions were funded at least partly by law firms, consulting companies and industry groups. The revelations sparked concerns among politicians and transparency campaigners, who fear relations are already too close between industry lobbyists and EU officials responsible for regulating some of the world’s biggest companies and most valuable business deals. “This is deplorable,” René Repasi, a German S&D member of the European Parliament, told POLITICO. He said the risk that staff took paid-for trips from firms that may be working for companies the Commissio...

Shohei Ohtani goes deep while Clarke Schmidt fails to do so again in Yankees loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

Exactly 100 years after Babe Ruth christened the original Yankee Stadium with the ballpark’s first home run, a different two-way sensation went deep in the Bronx.Yankees’ fans dreaming of Shohei Ohtani in pinstripes got an up-close look at the damage he can do at the modern Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night when the Angels’ superstar — and impending free agent — made quick use of his left-handed power in the series-opener. Ohtani lined a Clarke Schmidt hanger over the right field wall in the first inning, giving Los Angeles a near-instant lead in a 5-2 win.The two-run homer also spelled the start of another rough night for the right-handed Schmidt.Schmidt failed to complete four innings of work for the third time in four starts this season as the Halos tagged him for four earned runs. Schmidt struck out five and didn’t allow a walk for the first time this year, though he did hit a batter. Either way, the Angels’ six hits did enough to force an...

Mets Notebook: Carlos Carrasco lands on IL with elbow inflammation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES — The Mets built a team around starting pitching depth, but it seems that a week can’t go by without some of that depth being lost.Right-hander Carlos Carrasco was placed on the injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Sunday, with elbow inflammation. Carrasco, who last started Saturday in Oakland against the A’s, experienced elbow soreness and swelling after throwing Monday in Los Angeles. He was sent back to New York for further imaging and the Mets called up right-hander Jeff Brigham from Triple-A Syracuse.The Mets are encouraged by Justin Verlander’s progress in Florida, but he’s still about two weeks away from a return. They’ll have to find someone to take his start Friday in San Francisco since Brigham is a reliever and they’ll be getting another reliever back Wednesday when Tommy Hunter comes off IL.The Mets are playing whack-a-mole with the pitching injuries.“We’re considering everybody,” manager Buck Showal...

Ralph Yarl armed only with ‘Black skin,’ family lawyer says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

By MARGARET STAFFORD and JIM SALTER (Associated Press)KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — As Ralph Yarl struggled to come to grips with being shot after going to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers, the white Kansas City, Missouri, homeowner who shot the Black teenager turned himself in and was released on bond Tuesday.Andrew Lester, 84, surrendered at the Clay County Detention Center a day after being charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He posted bond Tuesday afternoon. Some civil rights leaders urged a hate crime charge, but Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said first-degree assault is a higher-level crime with a longer sentence — up to life in prison.Lee Merritt, an attorney for the Yarl family, said the case should qualify as a hate crime.“Ralph Yarl was shot because he was armed with nothing but other than his Black skin,” he said. As Yarl recovered from his wounds, supporters, civil rights leaders and politician...

Cavs even series at 1-1 after embarrassing Knicks, 107-90

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

CLEVELAND — A disastrous quarter for the Knicks ended with an energized crowd chanting together, “New York sucks, New York sucks.”And at that moment, it was impossible to argue. The Knicks stunk.Their first half ended with one cringy possession after another. They were outscored, 15-4, over the final three minutes. They committed nine turnovers just in the second quarter. Josh Hart picked up a technical foul. Darius Garland, a dominant force Tuesday, carved up New York with the precision of a LASIK laser.The deficit hit 20 at the break and the Knicks never recovered in a Game 2 107-90 blowout defeat Tuesday, knotting up a series that shifts to MSG for the next two games.The Cavs vowed to get more physical after getting bullied in Game 1. They followed up. Cleveland punished the Knicks, winning the hustle game while holding Tom Thibodeau’s squad to just 60 points through three quarters. Julius Randle drew blood in the second quarter on his arm. He was thrown h...

Toronto renoviction report says ‘displacement is the primary objective’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

A new report claims to confirm that evictions of tenants for the purpose of renovations — or renoviction — has less to do with refurbishing housing and more to do with hiking rent — something many Toronto tenants have long held as fact.The report by housing advocate Philip Zigman and community legal worker Cole Webber is based on more than 160 buildings in Toronto where tenants have or are currently facing renoviction.Zigman says interviews with tenants and public statements made by landlords make it clear that renovictions are simply a money grab.“The same landlords who are proposing to completely gut and renovate a unit are completely neglecting the property until people move out or doing everything they can to evict tenants with other eviction notices, with other kinds of pressure, harassment, intimidation,” he says.“It’s so obvious that this is not being done out of a sincere interest in improving the living conditions of existing tenant...

Panel: Seattle police should apologize for protest violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Police Department should “offer a sincere, public apology” for its violent response to people demonstrating after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a panel of officers, citizens and accountability experts concluded in a report released Tuesday. In its fourth and final review of the Seattle police response to the months of racial justice protests in 2020, the city’s Office of Inspector review panel found officers and commanders repeatedly failed to recognize the difference between the throngs of protesters exercising their First Amendment rights and the few troublemakers, The Seattle Times reported. Police also , according to the report.Panelists — who included community members, police accountability proponents, and police officers and commanders — also acknowledged the “longstanding trauma and fear” many have of law enforcement as a result of racism and discrimination within the department.The police actions that caused the protests, a...

Lightning crush Maple Leafs 7-3 to take Game 1 in Toronto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

Brayden Point had two goals as the Tampa Bay Lightning easily won Game 1 of their best-of-seven series, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night.Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists, while veteran winger Corey Perry netted a goal and two assists of his own, including firing seven shots on net.The Maple Leafs were in a hole early on after Tampa Bay scored three goals in the first period to take a commanding 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Toronto settled down, scoring back-to-back goals in the second to make things interesting. But the Lightning quickly answered, courtesy of a Point power play marker.Tampa would eventually run away with it, leading to head coach Sheldon Keefe opting to replace starter Ilya Samsonov with backup Joseph Woll to open the third.In his first playoff start with the Leafs, Samsonov gave up six goals on 23 saves. Ryan O’Reilly, William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok scored for Toronto, while Mitch Marner added three assists...

Trapped by fighting, Sudanese look for ways to survive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — For the last three days, Howeida al-Hassan and her family have been hunkered down in the first floor of her home in the Sudanese capital, sleeping on the floor as sounds of airstrikes and gunfire surround them.This is the life of millions of Sudanese trapped in their homes since violence suddenly erupted over the weekend between forces loyal to the country’s top two generals. Civilian life has come to a standstill as tens of thousands of heavily armed fighters from the military and its rival, the Rapid Support Forces, battle it out in densely populated residential areas.For many, food supplies are already dwindling as going out to restock has become too dangerous. So sharing among neighbors has become essential. On social media, posts are appearing giving information on pharmacies and grocery stores that are still open and able to deliver essential goods to those trapped. Others post phone numbers or addresses for their homes, offering to take in anyone caught out...

Ukrainian woman in Chicago: 'I must go home'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:44 GMT

CHICAGO — Halyna Didula came to Chicago from Ukraine several months after Russia invaded her country. She is a Fulbright Scholar studying social work. But the war back home is never far from her mind.“I live in two realities,”Didula said.  The differences became even more strikingly – and sadly – clear last month when she went home to attend her sister’s wedding. Dimitriy, Didula's sister's fiancé Dimitriy Pashchuk, was on the frontlines but expected to be able to return to western Ukraine for the ceremony and celebration. Instead, as family and friends arrived in anticipation of the ceremony word came that Pashchuk had been killed in combat.  More Coverage: WGN Investigates It’s a war that a medical condition would’ve allowed him to sit out.  “He said ‘I should go. I cannot live here while my friends or other men are out on the front line defending their families,'” Didula said. “(He said. 'I have my fiancée. I have you and my sister and my mother and my fath...