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Russia to hold presidential election March 17

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

Russia will hold its presidential election on March 17, following a vote in the Russian Senate on Thursday. The election date was approved during a session of the Federation Council — the Russian parliament’s upper house — with 162 senators backing the timing, state-owned newswire TASS reported.President Vladimir Putin, who has been in power either as president or prime minister for 24 years, has yet to formally announce a new presidential bid.But there is no doubt he will run again, and he is more than likely to win, having successfully silenced almost all of his domestic political opposition. If — or rather when — he wins, Putin would remain in power until at least 2030.The Russian leader first became president following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation in December 1999. He also ruled the country during a brief stint as prime minister between 2008 and 2012, as the Russian constitution would not allow him to serve three presidential terms in a row.In 2021, Putin signed into ...

Cold Now, Mild Weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

The chill is certainly in the air this morning with temperatures running in the teens to lower 20s. Both Boston and Worcester start the day off with their coldest temps of the season. A heavy frost is on the ground, and for some, a leftover snowpack from yesterday morning’s snow, where 2.0-3.5″ fell across parts of Plymouth County. Overall, it’s a quiet day, just a bit of an early January feel to the air as we run about 8 degrees below average. Highs do recover into the mid 30s under a mix of clouds and sun. Tonight will be cold, in the 20s, but the bounce back tomorrow is nice as highs nudge their way up into the lower 40s under a mostly sunny sky. Saturday, we’ll step it up another notch and push temps near 50. The trade off is more clouds in place, but it’ll be dry. Sunday, we reach the mid 50s to near 60 by late afternoon. While most of the day is dry, a few spotty showers may develop in the afternoon. However, it’s Sunday night into Monday mo...

Wisconsin fake electors disavow 2020 plot and recognize Biden’s win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

(CNN) — The 10 fake electors from Wisconsin disavowed their attempt to overturn Donald Trump’s defeat in 2020, recognized the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s victory, and pledged not to serve as real electors in 2024 or any election when Trump is on the ballot, or to act as sham electors in any future election, as part of a civil lawsuit settlement announced on Wednesday.This is the latest measure of accountability for the Trump campaign’s seven-state plot to undermine the Electoral College and block the transfer of power. Federal prosecutors indicted Trump in connection with the scheme; the entire faux delegation from Michigan was hit with state charges; and so have three of the 16 fake electors from Georgia.As part of the Wisconsin settlement, the 10 fake electors issued a statement acknowledging that the phony certificates they signed in December 2020 were “used as part of an attempt to improperly overturn” the lawful election resu...

2023 Genesis G80 gets Electrified

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

As the sleeper brand and Hyundai’s upscale brand, Genesis, still tries to squeeze as much out of the review pie as possible, they deliver to Grasso’s Garage their Electrified G80 AWD. Back in 2021, we experienced the G80 and were very impressed with the overall stature, cosmetic aesthetics and comfort all while enjoying that great “cheaper than the rest” price tag. Well, well, well, some good things never change. Our G80 Electrified AWD tester was wrapped in Capri Blue Paint which showed out well and was appealing to the blue lovers such as myself, while other aesthetics of typical EV’s were noticeable.Powering the Electrified G80, a 136 kW front and rear motor with a 87.2 kWh battery which boasts a zero-sixty in just over 4 seconds. As in most EV’s the pickup was great and the quietness was very enjoyable. We noticed 303 miles on a full charge, while as advertised was 282, so that was better than expected. Clearly depending on what interior items you use, such as heat, A/C, etc., c...

Cerullo: As division rivals load up, Red Sox still have lots of work to do

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

The Winter Meetings have come and gone, and right now the Red Sox find themselves marginally improved but still largely in the same place they were on Monday.Two of Boston’s division rivals, however, are on the verge of much bigger leaps forward.The New York Yankees came into the offseason needing two starting outfielders. First they picked up Alex Verdugo and have now reeled in Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade, sending pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and catcher Kyle Higashioka to San Diego to land the three-time All-Star.The Toronto Blue Jays needed a bat. Now they’re reportedly a finalist for Shohei Ohtani, who could make his long awaited decision by the end of this weekend.The Red Sox, on the other hand, needed pitching. They’ve gotten some, but mostly in the form of prospects and depth pieces who could help a little now and maybe more down the road. Greg Weissert, part of the Verdugo return, and Justin Slaten, a Rule 5 pick acqui...

Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine to miss 3-4 more weeks with right foot soreness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

Zach LaVine likely won’t play for the Chicago Bulls again until 2024.The team announced Wednesday that LaVine will require three to four more weeks of treatment to address right foot soreness, which has already sidelined the guard intermittently for the last two weeks.This timeline would place LaVine’s earliest expected return to the court on Dec. 28 for a home game against the Indiana Pacers. But LaVine could remain sidelined until the new year. That leaves little time before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, by when the Bulls are expected to move LaVine as the team approaches a future without their longtime star.The injury occurred during a home game against the Miami Heat on Nov. 20 — just days after LaVine chose not to deny reports that he is interested in a trade away from Chicago.LaVine played through the injury for both games of a homestand against the Heat, then missed one road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He returned for three games but was pulled ...

Gates Foundation takes on poverty in the U.S. with $100 million commitment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (AP) — In recent years, city leaders in Grand Island, Nebraska, observed that many workers and students were walking or biking long distances to their jobs or schools. So when city administrator, Laura McAloon, learned of an opportunity to study the development of a bus system to meet those transportation needs, she jumped at it.The opportunity was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association, a network of local government administrators. And it sent McAloon to Washington along with other local leaders to learn about strategies and policies to lift people in their community out of poverty. The Gates Foundation announced Thursday that it will donate $100 million to expand its work on economic mobility — a move that the country’s largest foundation says is a change in how it operates, putting more power in the hands of grantees and looking to accelerate the speed at which its gifts ...

AP Election Brief | What to expect in Houston’s mayoral runoff election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s down to two candidates in the race to lead the nation’s fourth-largest city. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire will face off in Saturday’s runoff election to be the next mayor of Houston.Whitmire and Jackson Lee, both Democrats, were the top two vote-getters in the Nov. 7 general election, but neither candidate received the vote majority required to avoid a runoff. Whitmire led the 18-person field with 42% of the vote, while Jackson Lee placed second with 36%. The rest of the pack, including one write-in candidate, trailed far behind, with no other candidate breaking the 10% mark.The winner will replace term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner, also a Democrat. In the final debates of the campaign held Sunday and Monday, both candidates discussed their plans to address some of the major challenges facing the city, including crime, infrastructure, affordable housing and its budget. Jackson Lee also addressed a leaked audio recording purported...

Seychelles declares state of emergency after explosion amid destructive flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Authorities in Seychelles declared a state of emergency Thursday after a blast at an explosives store caused “massive damage” in an industrial area also facing flooding amid heavy rainfall, according to the presidency.The blast happened overnight in the Providence area of Mahe, the largest and most populous island of the Seychelles. Providence is located 710 kilometers (441 miles) from Victoria, the Seychelles capital. “Everyone is being asked to stay at home,” the presidency said in a statement. “All schools will be closed. Only workers in the essential services and persons traveling will be allowed free movement.”Emergency services were at work in the area, the statement said. There was no immediate word on any casualties from the blast.Much of East Africa is getting heavy rainfall that has caused deadly flooding.Hundreds have died across the region and millions have been displaced since the heavy rains began in late October.Other East African countries, inc...

‘Not as dire’: Canada’s 2024 food price report released. Here’s what experts are forecasting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:42 GMT

The 14th annual food price report was released on Thursday with a focus on how Canadians are spending less despite inflation, either by reducing the quantity or quality of food, or by substituting less expensive alternatives.In all, Canada’s 2024 Food Price Report predicts an increase of 2.5 to 4.5 per cent in overall food costs in the new year, with a rise across the board.Sylvain Charlebois, professor and director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, says that in 2023, all sections of the grocery sector were impacted by inflation. Charlebois says they expect a “soft landing,” with inflation expected to cool for the new year.“We’re expecting some price wars. Things are tightening up right now for grocers and suppliers,” Charlebois told CityNews. “We’re expecting an inflation rate of 2.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent … but we wouldn’t be surprised if it falls below that threshold.”Charlebois says that wh...