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NextGenerationEU: Commission endorses Spain's €163 billion modified recovery and resilience plan, including a REPowerEU chapter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

On 2 October, the Commission gave a positive assessment of Spain's modified recovery and resilience plan, which includes a REPowerEU chapter. The plan is now worth €163 billion (€83 billion in loans and €80 billion in grants) and covers 111 reforms and 142 investments.The modified plan has a strong focus on the green transition, allocating 40% of available funds to measures that support climate objectives. The revised plan includes 30 new measures on climate action, bringing the total green contribution to €65 billion (up from €27.6 billion in the original plan). Spain's REPowerEU chapter consists of a new reform, a scaled-up investment drawing on three existing measures,and seven new investments to deliver on the REPowerEU Plan's objectives to make Europe independent of Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. These measures focus on diversifying away from fossil fuels, notably by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, decarbonising industry and investin...

Harriette Cole: When she acted puzzled about my marriage, it got me thinking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I complain too much about my marriage, and I realize now that my friends are tired of hearing about it.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I’m wondering if his new wife is the reason he won’t see me Advice | Harriette Cole: People say I’m clairvoyant, but in this case it didn’t help me Advice | Harriette Cole: Why should my boss care that I’m bad at parties? Advice | Harriette Cole: I’ll never be OK with my former colleague dating my daughter Advice | Harriette Cole: Should I tell her she’s not burly enough to come on the road trip? At first, I told virtually no one, but over time, I have needed to confide in others to help myself process what I’m dealing with.The problem is that I haven’t left my husband even though my issues haven’t changed over quite a few years. One of my friends asked me the other day if I had decided t...

Miss Manners: My husband doesn’t like my strategy for dealing with his vexatious relatives

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Some members of my husband’s family are always late. Because of this, we have ended up sitting in restaurants for over half an hour, waiting outside a theater, missing the beginning of tours or excursions, going to their place for Sunday dinner at 6 but not eating until 8, etc.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Don’t they know it’s an insulting thing to say to the bride? Advice | Miss Manners: At what age should one start picking up the tab? Advice | Miss Manners: Am I out of line in asking people not to hide during video meetings? Advice | Miss Manners: I confronted the bride about the exclusion, and she got defensive Advice | Miss Manners: I was annoyed by the fuss over the cost of my dinner The relatives who cause these situations have absolutely zero sense of time. We learned long ago not to ride with them to weddings or surprise parties.To get around this, I ...

California condors spotted near Mount Diablo, Morgan Territory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

By Tony Hicks | Bay City NewsWinged visitors alien to the area have been casting their large shadows over Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties.Representatives for the preservation group Save Mount Diablo said they have tracked the paths of six California condors soaring through the skies above Round Valley and Morgan Territory regional preserves, with one even flying a mile or two west of Mount Diablo’s summit.“This is amazing news,” said Seth Adams, Save Mount Diablo’s land conservation director. “This is the first flock of California condors to visit Contra Costa in 100 years, and the first record of one flying west of Diablo’s peaks.”Adams said he’s been “chasing condors” for 40 years, since the recovery program began.In the 1970s, biologists found only a few dozen condors remained in the wild. Lead poisoning in dead animals shot with human-made bullets has been a major factor in the condors’ decline. Condors are s...

Lawsuits target Maryland’s juvenile justice system with claims of child sex abuse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

They were told that no one would believe their claims of sexual abuse.Now, four law firms are representing 50 plaintiffs in cases alleging that from 1962 through 2012, dozens of juveniles — one as young as 7 years old — were sexually assaulted at six facilities in the Maryland juvenile justice system.Sharon Iskra is a partner at Bailey Glasser, one of the four law firms that filed suit.Iskra handles cases of institutional abuse, from group homes to foster care — “anywhere where vulnerable people are victimized,” she told WTOP.The suits come just as Maryland’s new law eliminating the statute of limitations in cases of child sex abuse went into effect. Previously, anyone who wanted to sue for damages in abuse cases had to file by the time they were 38. One of the clients represented by Iskra’s firm is 68 and the abuse in his case dates back to 1962, said Iskra.“He finally has a remedy,” she said.Iskra said while there are 50 plaintiffs now, “We have another 350 or so who’ve called us ...

Strife-torn Myanmar wins first medal at Asian Games. China continues dominance with more than 300

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — Strife-torn Myanmar won its first medal at the Asian Games in China on Wednesday, beating Indonesia to take home gold in men’s sepaktakraw, a popular regional sport also known as kick volleyball. The Southeast Asian nation took two straight sets from Indonesia in the sport with similarities to volleyball, but played only with the feet, knees, head and chest. Myanmar has been overwhelmed by violence since the military seized power in February 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide and the military and police responded with deadly force. That gave rise to armed resistance, which has since turned into what U.N. experts have characterized as a civil war.In comments after the sepaktakraw win, Burmese player Tun Thant Zin said the team was dedicating the gold medal “to our people back home.”“This is our first gold medal in Hangzhou,” he said. “It has been very diffic...

Las reservas de munición occidentales están al “fondo del barril” mientras la guerra en Ucrania se prolonga, advierte un funcionario de la OTAN

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

(CNN) — Los ejércitos occidentales se están quedando sin municiones para dárselas a Ucrania, advirtieron este martes funcionarios británicos y de la OTAN, mientras instaban a las naciones del bloque a aumentar la producción para “mantener a Ucrania en la lucha contra los invasores rusos”.La noticia de una posible escasez de municiones llega después de que el dinero para comprar armas para Ucrania no fuera incluido en un proyecto de ley de gasto provisional que el Congreso de Estados Unidos aprobó el fin de semana para evitar un cierre del Gobierno federal.Nueva incertidumbre sobre el futuro de la ayuda estadounidense surgió este martes cuando el presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, Kevin McCarthy, que abogaba por el apoyo a Ucrania, fue destituido de su posición de liderazgo por colegas republicanos.Los acontecimientos son noticias preocupantes para Ucrania, ya que la guerra con la vecina Rusia está en su vigésimo mes y plantea dudas sobre si Moscú puede sentirse capaz d...

Diamondbacks look to sweep Brewers in NL Wild Card Series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78, second in the NL West during the regular season) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (92-70, first in the NL Central during the regular season)Milwaukee; Wednesday, 7:08 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen (17-9, 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 220 strikeouts); Brewers: Freddy Peralta (12-10, 3.80 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 210 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -130, Diamondbacks +111; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Milwaukee Brewers take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. The Diamondbacks have a 1-0 lead in the series and will advance to the NLDS with a victory.Milwaukee is 92-70 overall and 49-32 in home games. The Brewers have a 68-15 record in games when they out-hit their opponents.Arizona has gone 41-40 on the road and 84-78 overall. The Diamondbacks have the eighth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .408.The teams play Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Diamondbacks lead the se...

Phillies look to sweep Marlins in NL Wild Card Series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

Miami Marlins (84-77, third in the NL East during the regular season) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (90-72, second in the NL East during the regular season)Philadelphia; Wednesday, 8:08 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Braxton Garrett (9-7, 3.66 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 156 strikeouts); Phillies: Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 202 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -155, Marlins +132; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. The Phillies have a 1-0 lead in the series and will advance to the NLDS with a victory.Philadelphia is 90-72 overall and 49-32 in home games. Phillies hitters have a collective .327 on-base percentage, the fifth-ranked percentage in the NL.Miami has an 84-77 record overall and a 38-42 record on the road. The Marlins have a 64-20 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Wednesday’s game is the 15th time these teams square off this se...

The DC area needs more housing, so why might Prince George’s Co. cap new permits next year?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:08 GMT

Officials in Maryland discussed what the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action could mean for minority business owners. At right is Rep. Glenn Ivey, followed by Prince George's County Council member Jolene Ivey and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams. (WTOP/John Domen) Officials in Maryland discussed what the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action could mean for minority business owners. At right is Rep. Glenn Ivey, followed by Prince George's County Council member Jolene Ivey and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams. (WTOP/John Domen) There’s a proposal moving through the Prince George’s County Council that would limit residential building permits in 2024 — and more severely in areas beyond the Beltway and designated transit are...