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Max Hastings: Britain needs a King, even if it’s Charles III

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

This Saturday morning, tens of millions of people all over the world will switch on their screens to watch an elderly English couple borne in a rattling coach to Westminster Abbey, where they will be adorned with crowns much bigger than their nation’s modern importance justifies. The Royal Family is an element of Britain that still commands fascination as a gilded soap opera.A cynic might suggest that the absence from the ceremony of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will slightly diminish TV audiences. Had she attended, some people would have watched in order to see whether Prince Harry’s American wife would precipitate a row, or if one of the royals might gain revenge for all the grief her verbal assaults have inflicted on them.As it is, King Charles III’s younger son — the “spare” as he calls himself in the title of his best-selling autobiography — will attend the ceremony but then hasten back to his new home in California, where he and Meghan s...

A sign he’s feeling good: Twins’ Byron Buxton steals two bases

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

CHICAGO — How’s this for a sign that designated hitter Byron Buxton has been feeling pretty good lately? The speedy-but-injured center fielder forced to DH to open the season is once again stealing bases.After not attempting a steal in all of April, Buxton did so twice in as many days against the White Sox during the first two games of the series, and was safe on both attempts.“Feel good, take your chances. Some days you feel better than others,” Buxton said. “So you do what you can to help the team on the days you feel good, and the days you don’t, back up a little bit.”For Buxton, the decision to run appears to rest heavily on how he’s feeling on any given day. He had season-ending knee surgery last season and the Twins have kept him in a strictly designated hitter role this year, out of center field, as they manage his workload.“Some days he’s running well, very well, and other days he’s not,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “On the days he’s not, he’s not going to be stealing bases...

Carrie Fisher gets her Walk of Fame star, on May the Fourth (be with you)

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Carrie Fisher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, a May the Fourth tribute to a beloved “Star Wars” actor that had a touch of stardust.The late star’s daughter, Billie Lourd, wearing her mother’s portrait printed on her metallic dress, accepted the star on behalf of Fisher. She threw glitter, her mother’s favorite, on the newly unveiled star.“My mom used to say you weren’t actually famous until you became a Pez dispenser. Well, people eat candy out of her neck every day. I say you aren’t actually famous until you get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” she said. “My mom is a double-whammy — a Pez dispenser and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame now. Mama, you’ve made it.”Mark Hamill, who played Fisher’s space brother, Luke Skywalker, was also on hand, and recalled meeting the young actor when she was just 19.“She played such a crucial role in my personal and professional life and both would have been far emptier without her. Was she a ha...

St. Paul bedroom invader sentenced for rape, four other cases

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 12½ years in prison for raping a woman and attempting to sexually assault a 14-year-old girl after sneaking into their bedrooms on the city’s East Side in 2021.Dawada Steven Deputie was convicted Wednesday of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of first-degree burglary in connection with five cases filed against him in Ramsey County District Court.Dawada Steven Deputie (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)The 34-year-old had reached a plea deal with the prosecution Jan. 9 that included the 150-month prison term and dismissing six other charges. After confinement, Deputie must serve a statutorily required 10 years of conditional release and register as a predatory offender.According to the charges, Deputie raped the woman May 23, 2021, after they met at a bonfire the night before at a home along Wheelock Parkway west of Jackson Street. After drinking and smoking ma...

Twins’ bullpen holds strong in 12-inning win over White Sox

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

CHICAGO — The Twins’ bullpen tightrope act in the later innings of Thursday afternoon’s game was a sight to behold.Pushed and tested for four straight innings, the bullpen bent but did not break, holding strong long enough for the offense to collect the runs it needed in a wild 7-3 12-inning win over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.“When you see guys not breaking and then the next guy comes in and does the same and you can basically look at the whole group of them down there … it’s an uplifting thing,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.After watching Jhoan Duran, Jorge López, Brock Stewart and Emilio Pagán strand a combined nine runners — including one on third base in three of those innings — the bats, which had provided little help to that point, finally pulled through.When a Jose Miranda groundball bounced past White Sox infielder Tim Anderson and into the outfield to lead off the 12th, Trevor Larnach, the automatic runner, raced home to score, breaking open a game...

Senate votes to reinstate solar import tariffs by repealing Biden's policy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A group of Democrats broke with President Joe Biden and sided with Republicans on a measure to put solar panel import tariffs back in place for four Asian countries. On Wednesday, a Biden policy suffered a rare bipartisan rebuke, when the Senate passed Sen. Rick Scott's resolution to stop the freeze on certain solar panel tariffs.  Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "Chinese companies have been giving everything, they need to dominate the solar market," Scott said. Last year, the Biden administration put the temporary freeze on solar panel tariffs to four countries with the intent to accelerate their clean energy agenda by making those products cheaper. However, some say it's having other consequences. "President Biden's solar emergency declaration is a giveaway to President XI and the Chinese Communist party. It's a massive gift...

Hundreds of pounds of pasta found illegally dumped along NJ creek

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

OLD BRIDGE, N.J. -- It's not your typical case of dumping. A few days ago, pictures of several hundred pounds of pasta dumped in Old Bridge were posted on Facebook.A township spokesperson told PIX11 News about 15 wheelbarrow loads of uncooked pasta were illegally dumped along a creek that winds through a residential neighborhood. They say police were called, and soon after, public works employees removed the mess. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "It's a big waste," said nearby pizza restaurant owner Joe Nemeth, who, like many others online, was caught off guard.He said it's more pasta than he goes through in a couple of weeks."A couple hundred dollars [worth of pasta], maybe close to a thousand, probably," said Nemeth. "Three to four hundred pounds is a lot of pasta."Township resident Nina Jochnowitz heard about the pasta dump from neighbors and was the one who shared the pictures online. She says illegal bulk dumping has b...

Daytime break-ins in Western Massachusetts

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

OTIS, M.A (NEWS10) - A rash of home break-ins in several western Massachusetts neighborhoods. News10s speaking with law enforcement on how they are asking the community to stay vigilant. Three police agencies in Berkshire and Hamden counties say five homes within a five-mile radius were broken into, in broad daylight.  “People are desperate, you know? Desperate times, desperate measures. And they’re taking it to the next level and breaking in during the day,” said Otis Police Department Sergeant, Tammy Weidhass. Law enforcement in Tolland, Otis and Sandisfield are working together to catch those responsible. Sgt Weidhaas says the break-ins occurred on the same day, last week.  Witnesses say all involved the same white box truck with orange markings. “Leading us to believe it was either a U-Haul or a Home Depot box truck. We are being told the box truck has dual rear wheel tires. So, it stands out a little bit,” said Weidhass. Sgt. Weidhaa...

Avalanche’s Cale Makar named Norris Trophy finalist for third consecutive year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was voted a Norris Trophy finalist for the third consecutive year, the league announced Thursday.Makar joined San Jose’s Erik Karlsson and New York’s Adam Fox among finalists for the prize, which will be announced June 26 at the annual NHL Awards in Nashville. Makar has been a finalist in three of his four full seasons in NHL, and he won last season along with the Conn Smythe.Makar, 24, made the cut this year despite missing 22 regular-season games. He finished with 66 points in 60 games, making him second among NHL defensemen in points per game. Karlsson finished with 101 points for the struggling Sharks.Related ArticlesColorado Avalanche | Avalanche Journal: Are Stanley Cup Playoffs proving Colorado’s idle trade deadline to be smart? Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche’s five biggest offseason questions in 2023: Free agency, looming contracts, Gabriel Landeskog’s knee and Valeri Nichushkin Col...

Kids and social media: Here are tips for concerned parents

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:40:09 GMT

By BARBARA ORTUTAY (AP Technology Writer)When it comes to social media, families are seeking help. With ever-changing algorithms pushing content at children, parents are seeing their kids’ mental health suffer, even as platforms like TikTok and Instagram provide connections with friends. Some are questioning whether kids should be on social media at all, and if so, starting at what age. Lawmakers have taken notice. A bipartisan group of senators recently introduced legislation aiming to prohibit all children under the age of 13 from using social media. It would also require permission from a guardian for users under 18 to create an account. It is one of several proposals in Congress seeking to make the internet safer for children and teens.Meanwhile, on Wednesday the Federal Trade Commission said Facebook misled parents and failed to protect the privacy of children using its Messenger Kids app, including misrepresenting the access it provided to app developers to private user ...