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Ukraine makes clear it won’t accept second-class EU membership

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

France and Germany may be drawing up plans for a multispeed EU, but Ukraine is making quite clear it doesn’t want to be fobbed off with second-tier membership. Kyiv is aiming to become a “fully fledged candidate for full fledged membership” of the European Union, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told POLITICO as he vowed to take his country into the EU within the next two years. Shmyhal made the pitch for full EU membership as the debate about enlargement heats up, ahead of a series of key meetings in the coming months. France and Germany have been pushing for an alternative option to full EU status, based around four different concentric circles of membership. This could constitute the framework for gradual integration. Shmyhal, however, made clear Ukraine would not be putting up with the go-slow version.“We are performing all the maximum efforts to ensure that Ukraine would become a fully fledged member of the European Union. This is of critical importance for all Ukrainia...

UK confirms electric vehicle quotas for 2024

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

LONDON — U.K. automakers will be forced to sell a strict quota of electric vehicles (EV) from next year, after a government announcement Thursday. Britain’s Department for Transport confirmed the details of its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires that 22 percent of all new cars and 10 percent of all new vans sold next year must be zero-emission.This quota will increase gradually until it hits 80 percent in 2030, before all new cars sold are required to be zero-emission vehicles in 2035.Manufacturers will be fined if they miss these targets, although the fine levied on vans that exceed the quota next year has been reduced from £18,000 to £9,000, government documents show, apparently in response to industry lobbying. It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week watered down several of the U.K.’s short-term environmental targets, including delaying the ban on sales of new combustion engine vehicles, which had been set to kick in from 2030.Car companies hav...

T Trying To Discern When, How GLX Tracks Got Too Narrow

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

The track problem that prompted the MBTA to dramatically slash speeds on stretches of the Green Line Extension that are less than a year old “certainly is unusual,” General Manager Phil Eng said Thursday.Eng told MBTA overseers the rails on parts of the Green Line Extension now appear slightly too narrow for trains to run safely at typical maximum speeds. Those conditions only appeared on a recent inspection, not prior scans, Eng said, adding that crews are still trying to determine how long the issue has been present.He said although it’s uncommon for tracks to narrow over time, “that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen.” At one point, Eng called the development “unacceptable.”“You would typically expect the gauge to widen, and that can be, over time, wear on the rail, wear on the ties and just the use of the track,” Eng said at an MBTA Board of Directors meeting. “What I understand is the tolerances that resulted ...

Fran Drescher ‘looking forward’ to talks resuming between actors’ union and Hollywood studios next week

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

(CNN) — SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher is gearing up to resume negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers next week.Talks will resume between the actors’ union and studio representatives on Monday, two and a half months after the more than 160,000 members of the guild went on strike and one week after the Writers Guild of America and the AMPTP reached a tentative contract agreement.“We’re happy WGA came to an agreement but one size doesn’t fit all,” Drescher told CNN on Thursday. “We look forward to resuming talks with the AMPTP.”SAG-AFTRA negotiators will meet with several executives from AMPTP member companies to work out new television and theatrical contracts, according to the union.SAG-AFTRA and the WGA have both sought contract changes related to streaming residuals and artificial intelligence. Actors are also asking for better relocation expenses for actors working out of state or country and limited long breaks between te...

Treasurer cites ‘serious allegations’ of impropriety for suspending pot boss

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

After weeks of silence, the state treasurer has finally explained her reasoning for removing Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien from her $181,722 post atop the pot board.O’Brien, who was appointed by Treasurer Deb Goldberg last year, was unceremoniously suspended, with pay, by Goldberg in mid-September. Until Thursday, no reason was given, except veiled assertions by the current acting chair to reference the state law governing why a commissioner might be removed.Now we know why.“Several serious allegations were made by a Commissioner and CCC staff about the Chair’s behavior and the CCC initiated an investigation, hiring an outside law firm. The law firm undertook an investigation and has returned with a report. According to the CCC’s employee handbook, suspension with pay is the only allowable remedy at this point, as the findings are being reviewed and action is considered,” Goldberg said in a statement.Goldberg went on to say there is little else she can do at this...

Green Line Extension narrow tracks ‘certainly is unusual,’ MBTA GM Eng says

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

A stretch of track that have narrowed on the Green Line Extension, forcing trains to near crawling speeds, “certainly is unusual,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said Thursday morning.A public dashboard shows multiple slow zones on the brand new tracks where trains are required to run at 3 mph, the average walking speed for any given person. The transit agency said the speed restrictions were put in place after it found that tracks along the brand new extension narrowed.Eng said as trains run over tracks the space between them typically widens.“We need to investigate what took place between when the previous runs that did not indicate any narrow gauge to the recent ones that resulted in the speed restrictions,” Eng said at a board meeting in Boston. “It is not typical but I would not say it’s impossible. But at the same time, not typical.”The new speed restrictions on the $2.3 billion Green Line Extension were met with outcry from local of...

Brooks Robinson public memorial service scheduled for Monday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

The Orioles will be hold a public memorial on Monday for Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, the team announced Thursday.Fans will have the opportunity to honor Robinson beginning at 10 a.m. at Camden Yards.Robinson died Tuesday at the age of 86. Through much of baseball’s Golden Age, Robinson was a poster boy for the national pastime, a symbol whose visage was even captured in a 1971 Norman Rockwell painting.For nearly a quarter of a century, Robinson was a face of the city. He went on to serve as a coach, broadcaster, special adviser and community liaison for the team after his playing days.Complementary parking will be available in lots A, B and C, and fans can enter the ballpark through Gate E. The lots will open at 8:30 a.m., and entry to Camden Yards will begin at 9 a.m. The event is not ticketed.Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Constance and Brooks Robinson Charitable Foundation at 2 Railroad Ave. in Glyndon. ()

Michael Gambon, veteran actor who played Dumbledore In ‘Harry Potter’ films, dies at age 82

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

By SYLVIA HUI (Associated Press)LONDON (AP) — Michael Gambon, the Irish-born actor knighted for his storied career on the stage and screen and who went on to gain admiration from a new generation of moviegoers with his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died. He was 82.The actor died on Wednesday following “a bout of pneumonia,” his publicist, Clair Dobbs, said Thursday.“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside,” his family said in a statement.While the Potter role raised Gambon’s international profile and found him a huge audience, he had long been recognized as one of Britain’s leading actors. His work spanned TV, theater and radio, and he starred in dozens of films from “Gosford Park” and “The King’s...

Top 8 San Diego area suburbs for first-time homeowners: study

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The American dream is still alive in the suburbs of San Diego, according to a new study by Today's Homeowner.As the cost to live in the region climbs with increased gas prices and soon-to-be water rate hikes, being a first-time home buyer can be tough in the local market. To help those looking to purchase their first house, the research team at Today's Homeowner, which gives expert advice on home improvements, conducted a study to find the best suburbs in America. The top public high schools in San Diego County, according to Niche In doing so, the researchers compared 583 suburbs of the largest U.S. cities by population across 11 metrics spanning these four categories: affordability, inventory, job opportunities and livability. Some things that were taken into consideration include the down payment-to-income ratio, homes for sale per 100,000 residents, median household income, and percentage of households with children, among other factors.Here's the top eight San Die...

Tropical Storm Rina forms in the Atlantic Ocean, trailing Tropical Storm Philippe

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:32:11 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Rina formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said, as forecasters continued to monitor Tropical Storm Philippe that was also at sea.Rina had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was centered 1,190 miles (1,915 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for the storm, and there were no hazards affecting land. The storm was traveling north-northwest at about 10 mph (17 kph).Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Philippe was moving slowly across the Atlantic at 2 mph (4 kph). Maximum sustained winds were about 50 mph (85 kph), with little change in strength expected over the next several days.Philippe was centered 560 miles (895 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. There were no watches or warnings in effect, however forecasters advised interests in the Northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to monitor the progress of the sto...