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T Towns Fear Service Levels Will Not Rebound

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

Cities and towns that help fund the MBTA are concerned it will be “impossible” to restore pre-pandemic service levels and that the agency might need to hike fares given the growing shadow of a budget shortfall that officials so far have failed to address.The MBTA Advisory Board, a group that represents municipalities that contribute financially to the transit agency and are served by it, highlighted several red flags in its review of the T’s latest budget proposals, including a sluggish hiring pace.MBTA officials are weighing a $2.72 billion preliminary budget for fiscal year 2024 that would increase spending by nearly 7 percent and use $261 million in one-time funds to close a gap.Even after MBTA budget-writers revised their fare projections downward in the draft budget proposal, the advisory board pondered whether the latest projection is “too optimistic” given that ridership has plateaued on the subways in particular.“Overal...

Supreme Court rules against Andy Warhol’s foundation in a case about a portrait he made of Prince

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

By JESSICA GRESKO (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the 2016 publication of an Andy Warhol image of the singer Prince violated a photographer’s copyright, a decision a dissenting justice said would stifle the creation of art.The high court ruled 7-2 for photographer Lynn Goldsmith. “Lynn Goldsmith’s original works, like those of other photographers, are entitled to copyright protection, even against famous artists,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the opinion for the court.In a dissent, Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision would “stifle creativity of every sort” and suggested the majority needed to “go back to school” for an Art History 101 refresher course. The case involved images Warhol created of Prince as part of a 1984 commission for Vanity Fair. Warhol used one of Goldsmith’s photos as a starting point, a so-called artist reference, and Vanity Fair paid Goldsmith to li...

Kanelstang, a Danish cinnamon twist, is a true coffee mate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

Me, texting 14-year-old: That coffee thing is so good!14-year-old (telling me she’s 14 without telling me she’s 14): It’s not a coffee thing.Okay, fine. It wasn’t a coffee thing.But man, does this thing go beautifully with coffee.And the cinnamon filling — sweet, spice-laden perfection with just the right amount of custard-imbued moisture — was reminiscent of a delight the Publix bakery used to call a “coffee ring.” It wasn’t the same as the prevalent pecan ring, which I still see, but I’m getting off-topic here.The point is the thing was freaking delicious. And so is this. And I’m not hinging my enjoyment of it on the odds of a teenager simply saying “thanks” upon receiving a compliment. And nor should you.A tantalizing cross-section. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)You should just make it, as she/we did.The craving came to her based on the same Ole & Steen pastry you’ll read about where she found the recipe — at ScottCanEat.com. She and her sister enjoyed it immensely on a...

Celtics confident in Game 2 response vs. Heat, but admit they ‘can’t keep relying on that’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

When the Celtics returned to the Auerbach Center on Thursday to review the film from their Game 1 loss to the Heat, nothing surprised them.“It was pretty much what I thought,” Joe Mazzulla said.“It looked exactly like it looked last night,” Robert Williams added. “Long film session. Not much more to say.”It was ugly. After holding a double-digit lead early in the third quarter, the Celtics let go of the rope. The Heat surged with a 46-point period to take control. Almost everything went wrong for the Celtics, who lost their sense of urgency and purpose, and it reflected in every part of their play.This has been a theme for the Celtics, who are unbeatable and dominant for stretches but have trouble staying consistent and locking in for a full 48 minutes. It’s cost them plenty of times this season. It’s alarming that it continues to happen at this stage of the season, in the most important games.“We get tired of doing the little things sometimes,” Marcus Smart said after the loss.“We&...

The safest cities and countries for women who travel alone

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

Mia Taylor | TravelPulse (TNS)Solo travel among women has been growing exponentially over the past decade. During the four years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, searches for the term “solo female travel” had increased six-fold, according to data from the Solo Female Travelers Club. And that search volume recovered in 2022 once the pandemic became less of a concern.But even as women increasingly embark on travel alone, safety remains a top concern. The 2022 Solo Female Travel Trends Survey showed that 65% of women who travel alone worry about their personal safety.A new report from travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) and GeoSure Global, aims to address such concerns. The report identifies the world’s 11 safest cities and countries for women traveling alone. And there’s one country in particular that appears among the top 11 more than any other.The runaway winner of the BHTP ranking is Switzerland. In particular, Basel, Switzerland, nabbed the No...

Heat it up: Tips for eating, growing, and cooking with hot peppers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

Don’t worry if the rest of your family does not appreciate the spicy heat your favorite hot peppers add to entrees, beverages and desserts. Proper pepper selection, care and preparation can help you turn down the heat as needed.Hot peppers’ spicy heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units named for Wilbur Scoville. The level of heat was originally determined by a panel of individual tasters. Chili peppers were ground and added to a sugar-water solution. The solution was continually diluted until the panelist found the solution no longer burned their mouth. Each pepper was assigned a number based on the amount of sugar-water solution needed to reach that point. Today a more accurate less subjective high-performance liquid chromatography method can be used for measuring the pungency of hot peppers.Poblano and Siracha rate between 1,000 to 2,500, jalapenos up to 8,000, cayenne can peak at 50,000, habaneros up to 350,000 and one of the hottest, the ghost pepper, at as much as 2,200,000 uni...

No end in sight for House-Senate squabble over climate policy committee

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

A legislative squabble between two Democrats leading a climate policy committee appears to have no end in sight after the House chair lobbed more bombs at his Senate counterpart during a Thursday morning hearing.Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee House Chair Jeffrey Roy accused Senate Chair Michael Barrett of refusing to work with him, blocking major offshore wind legislation during the previous legislative session, and leveraging internal rules to exert control over what ideas move forward.The dispute between leaders of the committee splashed into public view on Monday, offering a rare look at an intra-party quarrel over behind-the-scenes work. It led the two Democrats to schedule separate hearings this week, a split from the normal procedure of a joint committee, which consists of members from both branches.And if the chairs cannot come to an accord soon, it could spell disaster for hundreds of bills on climate change and renewable energy, which require House-Sena...

Amid DeSantis fight, Disney drops $1 billion Orlando campus plans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

Amid its political feud with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Disney is dropping plans to build a nearly $1 billion corporate campus at Lake Nona that would have brought 2,000 high-paying jobs to  Orlando.In 2021, Disney paid $46.4 million for 58 acres in the neighborhood that it planned to turn into a complex for its creative team, Imagineering, and other jobs. The average salary of the positions was cited as $120,000.But in a memo to employees Thursday, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro attributed the project’s cancellation to “changing business conditions,” without mentioning The Walt Disney Co.’s escalating battle with the governor.“Given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions, we have decided not to move forward with construction of the campus. This was not an easy decision to make, but I believe it is the right one,” his message read.D’Amaro said ...

Two Boston city councilors blast Arroyo for Rollins election tampering connection

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

Two Boston city councilors are blasting Ricardo Arroyo for “eagerly” welcoming U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’ attempts to influence the outcome of last year’s election for Suffolk District Attorney, while another councilor is calling the attacks politically motivated.Councilor-at-Large Erin Murphy said the alleged ethical violations revealed in Wednesday’s Department of Justice report were “disturbing.”She called for “swift and appropriate consequences” for Councilor Arroyo, and joined Council President Ed Flynn in saying that city constituents “have a right to more ethical representation.”Arroyo, in his own statement, said that the bombshell report, while “sad and unfortunate” did not point to any wrongdoing on his part.“Attempts to influence the outcome of an election by a federal official with as much power as U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins are outrageous,” Murphy said in a Thursday statement. “According to the federal report, residents of Suffolk County had their election tampere...

Magnitude 5.1 quake rattles Greek island of Crete but no early reports of damage or injuries

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:09 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 5.1 has shaken the southern island of Crete. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake struck just before 10 a.m. local (1900GMT) Thursday on the island’s southern coast, at a depth of nearly 9 kilometers (5.6 miles).Earthquakes are common in Greece, and Crete is one of the country’s most quake-prone areas. Severe damage and injuries are rare. In 1999, an Athens quake killed 143 people.The Associated Press