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Germany’s Scholz warns against protectionism in China electric car probe

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced skepticism over the EU’s probe into potentially illegal subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles, saying Europe should not be protectionist and rather, should welcome global competition.“The economic model which I favor is to have global competition,” Scholz said during a panel debate at the Berlin Global Dialogue on Thursday, warning against a “protectionist way.”While the European Commission has launched a trade investigation backed by France into China’s support for local brands, there are concerns that such a probe — and the potential anti-subsidy duties that could be imposed — could lead to a full-blown trade war with China. That potentially could be dangerous for German companies like Volkswagen, Mercedes and BASF that are heavily invested in the Asian country.When asked about the risk of such a trade war, Scholz said: “Obviously this will not happen.” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck w...

Kosovo president blames Serbia for monastery attack: Report

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani blamed Serbia and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for the shootout in northern Kosovo that left a policeman and three gunmen dead over the weekend.“Kosovo is under attack,” Osmani told Reuters on Thursday. “The [armed] group simply exercised the intentions and the motives of Serbia as a country and Vučić as the leader.”A group of about 30 heavily armed Serbs stormed a village in an ethnic Serbian-majority region of Kosovo on Sunday, ambushing a police patrol and then taking refuge in a nearby Orthodox monastery. A deadly shootout between the group and police resulted in the death of a Kosovan policeman and three of the gunmen. Two other gunmen were arrested, while the rest fled.Kosovo’s leaders immediately pointed to Serbia, accusing its government of orchestrating the attack and arming the militia group. Vučić denied the accusations, but said the gunmen were local Kosovo Serbs who “do not want to suffer under Kurti’s terror...

Tax Accord Headed To Governor

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

Senators overwhelmingly approved the long-awaited tax relief and reform agreement Thursday, and Democrats then turned back a Republican attempt to amend it before shipping it to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk.The Senate accepted the conference report on a 38-1 vote with Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Marlborough casting the lone vote of dissent. President Karen Spilka of Ashland voted “yes,” which can sometimes be an emphatic sign of support from the chamber’s leader, who often does not cast votes.The House approved of the package 155-1 on Wednesday and kept its informal session open Thursday so that it could take its final enactment vote, ensuring that the bill could reach the governor’s desk by the afternoon.Senate Democrats then rebuffed a Republican attempt to suspend a joint rule and amend the conference report before the last vote necessary to enact it. The bill was enacted and put en route to Healey at 1:30 p.m.The roughly $1 billion tax bill is amon...

Remains found in 1996 identified after New Hampshire officials use modern DNA testing tech

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The remains of a 78-year-old man with dementia who left his home to go for a walk in 1991 and never returned have been identified after New Hampshire authorities used modern DNA testing technology, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday.Benjamin Adams left his home in Canaan that June. After search efforts were unsuccessful, he was listed as a missing person.In November 1996, a hunter discovered some skeletal remains in the woods in Hanover, nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) away. Additional bones were discovered after the area was searched. Due to the vicinity of Adams’ last known location, investigators suspected the remains might be his, the attorney general’s office said in a news release.An out-of-state forensic anthropologist examined the remains in 1997. The examination indicated that the biological characteristics were not inconsistent with those of Adams, but a positive identification could not be made, the news release said.The New...

‘Moonlighting,’ the ’80s Bruce Willis breakout series, will finally begin streaming, on Hulu

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

Carlos De Loera | Los Angeles Times (TNS)Cue the Al Jarreau! Cybill Shepherd hive, rise! Bruce Willis-zens rejoice! Moonlighters, make yourselves known.The popular ’80s ABC dramedy series “Moonlighting” is finally making its streaming debut, on Oct.10 on Hulu.The program, which premiered in 1985, starred seasoned actor Shepherd and up-and-comer Willis. For his breakout role in the show, the “Die Hard” actor nabbed a Primetime Emmy for lead actor in a drama series in 1987.“Moonlighting” ran for five seasons, from 1985 to ’89, and garnered 41 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, winning six.The show also starred Allyce Beasley, Curtis Armstrong and Jack Blessing. Popular guest stars included Mark Harmon, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Bogdanovich, John Goodman and Demi Moore.The series is centered on Maddie Hayes (Shepherd), a former fashion model who loses all her money to an embezzling investment adviser. He did leave her with some failing businesses, one o...

Why green air travel will save US corn farmers from extinction

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

By Kim Chipman and Tarso Veloso, Bloomberg NewsFor U.S. corn farmers, the rise of green jet fuel is their best hope of staving off an existential threat.With battery-powered cars poised to slash gasoline demand by 2040, corn-ethanol makers need to find new markets, and fast. After all, roughly 40% of the country’s output of the grain is used to make the biofuel that’s blended into gasoline.That’s why some producers are betting on a nascent technology that promises to use ethanol to power planes.“It’s a lifeline,” said Patrick Gruber, chief executive officer of renewable fuels producer Gevo Inc., which is building an $850 million plant to make green jet fuel from corn. “It creates an outlet for ethanol and it’s actually huge.”The search for new uses for ethanol represents a pivot for an industry that has been powered by the force of the U.S. government for almost half a century. Even with disputed environmental credentials, the federal government has subsidized corn ethanol as a way ...

McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

By KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A government shutdown appeared all but inevitable as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dug in Thursday, vowing he will not take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running despite House Republicans’ struggle to unite around an alternative.Congress is at a crossroads days before a disruptive federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for many of the federal government’s roughly 2 million employees, as well as 2 million active-duty military troops and reservists, furlough many of those workers and curtail government services.But the House and Senate are pursuing different paths to avert those consequences even though time is running out before government funding expires after midnight on Saturday.The Senate is working toward passage of a bipartisan measure that would fund the government until Nov. 17 as longer-term negotiations continue, while also providing $6 billion...

Pumpkin Spice Tres Leches: a PSL for Hispanic Heritage Month

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

Season creep is creepier than ever. And no, it’s not my imagination. I say this because pumpkin beer was out on the hay bales on Aug. 6.AUG. 6! It’s downright extreme.Now, the most sensible of the food-holiday folk dumped all the pumpkin-related days of honor in October, which makes sense, but even my cravings start to activate earlier than that.Come mid-September, by which time Michael’s has the 40%-off signs out beneath all the Halloween wreaths, lights and craft kits, I am more than ready for that handful of candy corn that reminds me why it only takes one handful of candy corn to decide I can wait a year to have it again. I’m ready to light the Halloween tree and plan the costume. I’m ready to bake pumpkin stuff.I’m also ready to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.Now, imagine if there was one super-recipe that would allow me to scratch both itches simultaneously?Mix it up with autumnal flavors, Hispanic Heritage Month-style. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)Enter my Instagram...

When you think about your health, don’t forget your eyes

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

By Bernard J. Wolfson, KFF Health NewsI vividly remember that late Friday afternoon when my eye pressure spiked and I staggered on foot to my ophthalmologist’s office as the rapidly thickening fog in my field of vision shrouded passing cars and traffic lights.The office was already closed, but the whole eye care team was there waiting for me. One of them pricked my eyeballs with a sharp instrument, allowing the ocular fluid that had built up to drain. That relieved the pressure and restored my vision.But it was the fourth vision-impairing pressure spike in nine days, and they feared it would happen again — heading into a weekend. So off I went to the emergency room, where I spent the night hooked up to an intravenous tube that delivered a powerful anti-swelling agent.Later, when I told this story to friends and colleagues, some of them didn’t understand the importance of eye pressure, or even what it was. “I didn’t know they could measure blood pressure in your eyes,” one of them to...

Bankrate: The best free robo-advisers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:20:24 GMT

Brian Baker, CFA | Bankrate.com (TNS)Robo-advisers are a great choice for investors who want to simplify their investment management at costs below that of traditional financial advisers. In fact, some robo-advisers don’t even charge an annual management fee.Here’s what else you should know about robo-advisers and five that will manage your money without a fee.What is a robo-adviser?Robo-advisers use algorithms to build an investment portfolio for you based on your answers to a handful of questions about your risk tolerance and investment goals. Many robo-advisers also offer other features such as tax-loss harvesting and automatic rebalancing, which can boost your returns and make investing as hands-off as possible.The best robo-advisers have fees that are considerably lower than those of traditional financial advisers and you can typically get started with a limited investment. Some robo-advisers will manage small amounts of money for free, while others don’t charge a management fe...