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ECB set to take its foot off the brake in Athens

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank is set to end a year-long sequence of interest rates hikes this Thursday and usher in a policy pause that is expected to stretch well into next year.The base case for all 85 economists in a recent Reuters survey is that the pause will ultimately come to represent the start of a plateau for interest rates, as a weakening economy removes the need for further hikes. The bank raised its key deposit rate to a record 4 percent in September with a 10th straight hike — by far the most aggressive tightening of monetary policy in its 25-year existence. With the Eurozone economy now expected to stagnate or even contract in the second half of this year, the majority of economists expect the ECB’s next move to be a cut — albeit not until the third quarter of next year. Against that backdrop, President Christine Lagarde is expected to play for time at her regular press conference after the meeting. That’s partly because uncertainty over the outlo...

Boston College has score to settle with UConn

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

The Boston College Eagles have an opportunity to close an open wound when they host the UConn Huskies in a regional rivalry clash on Saturday (noon) at Alumni Stadium.BC is riding high after winning its third straight with last Saturday’s 38-23 victory over Georgia Tech in an ACC match in Atlanta. The Eagles improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC while the Huskies are 1-6 after a 24-21 loss at South Florida.The situations were reversed last season when the bowl-bound Huskies humiliated the Eagles 13-3. BC would lose nine games in 2022, but the Eagles’ season bottomed out in all three phases at UConn.“We talked about it and last year there was a feeling nobody was proud of playing there and playing the way we did,” said BC middle linebacker Vinny DePalma.“I think it is a great opportunity for us with the chance to redeem ourselves and we are going in the right direction now. On paper it is a little bit of a trap game for us. But this is about as important of a game as this team h...

Schram: How terrorists & media misfired on Gaza

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

When the globe-shaking, protest-inciting, summit-shattering history of this past week is finally written large, history’s ultimate chroniclers may conclude it all started with “The Misfire Heard ‘Round the World.”But they’ll only be half right. Because the history of this literally incredible week – a week of lies and snafus – was really ignited by not just one but two misfires.FIRST MISFIRE: U.S. military and intel experts have concluded that a Palestinian terrorist rocket misfired after being aimed at Israel from inside Gaza, apparently launched by a group called the Islamic Jihad.The misfired terrorist rocket quickly plummeted and exploded in the parking lot of Gaza’s al-Ahli Arab Hospital, killing masses of Palestinian civilians. And the tragedy was instantly (see also: predictably) exploited by Hamas, the terrorists who rule Gaza. Hamas had just committed mass atrocities in Israel, knowing that would goad Israel into a massive retaliation that would kill many of Gaza’s Palestin...

Editorial: Herald endorses Erin Murphy in at-large race

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

It’s been a busy, dysfunctional year for the Boston City Council, one marked by budget bickering, fractious meetings and continued potshots against police.The council is split between those who use their position to serve the people of Boston, and those who leverage the public podium to advance an agenda.As the Nov. 7 election for At-Large seats looms, the Herald will be endorsing candidates who align with public service and policies that keep the city safe and growing.First up, Councilor Erin Murphy.Murphy, 53, has been a steady voice of support for the Boston Police Department and the vital work they do, Murphy was one of five on the council who voted in favor of grant funding for the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, first in September and again at the beginning of this month.As Boston has been besieged by gun violence, especially this summer, it would seem that boosting the BPD’s intelligence arm with improved tech aimed at fighting crime, gangs and terrorism woul...

Ravens rookie RB Keaton Mitchell ‘week to week’ after suffering hamstring injury vs. Lions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

Ravens rookie running back Keaton Mitchell could be out for at least one game, coach John Harbaugh said Monday.The speedy undrafted back out of East Carolina suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s blowout win over the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium and did not return. The injury is not considered severe, however, Harbaugh said.“It will be week to week,” he said of Mitchell’s status, adding that he has an “outside” chance to play Sunday against the Cardinals in Arizona but that it’s possible he could return Nov. 5 against the Seattle Seahawks.Mitchell played 12 snaps Sunday, the majority of which came on special teams.But he also got the first offensive touch of his career, catching a short pass over the middle from quarterback Lamar Jackson that he turned into a nifty 9-yard gain in the second quarter. He logged two snaps on offense after playing exclusively on special teams in his NFL debut against the Tennessee...

Author dives into legacy of film critics Siskel & Ebert

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

Matt Singer has written the Ultimate Geek History of one of the movies’ – and television’s – most dysfunctional couples with “Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever” (Penguin).For those who remember Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert on their highly rated and influential weekly show that was all about film reviews, “Opposable Thumbs” hits at the heart of the duo’s trademark Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down verdict on each film.“Their influence is still felt today,” said Singer, 42, a film critic and film writer for decades.  “I watched the show growing up and it absolutely was the thing that really got me first interested in movies.”But did these two Chicago film critics – Siskel reviewed for the Chicago Tribune and Ebert, the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, was at the Chicago Sun-Times — really “change movies forever”?“You know, they had this very contentious relationship. They fought all the time. They were legitimate rivals and competitors that ...

Dear Abby: Dad loves to cook, but food is horrible

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

Dear Abby: My husband loves cooking for the family. Unfortunately, he’s a horrible cook. My kids hate what he prepares, so most of the food goes in the trash.I have had many conversations with him about this, begging him not to do it and telling him if he wants to cook, he should make something for himself. His reply is always, “I’m not forcing you guys to eat my food. You are welcome to eat something else.” But when we do that, he sulks and ruins everyone’s day, so we end up giving in. I don’t know how to get through to him about this. — Tastes Bad in the EastDear Tastes Bad: You can talk till you’re blue in the face, and your husband still won’t get the message because he doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t CARE about the waste.Of course, you and the kids could explain EXACTLY what you don’t like about what he has prepared, and offer suggestions about the seasoning, etc., which might help him. And perhaps you ...

San Diego among top 20 worst city for renters in 2023: study

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With homebuying at all-time high prices, many people have settled for renting.Renter-occupied housing units have increased to 44 million in 2022, which is up from 40 million 10 years ago, according to Forbes Advisor. However, renting during this time is also a pricey alternative in some U.S. cities. Forbes Advisor recently conducted a report analyzing the 96 big U.S. cities across 23 metrics, including rental prices, sizes, affordability, amenities and neighborhood features. San Diego ranked as the No. 14 worst city for renters in 2023.The average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego is $2,012.00, per Forbes Advisor. The report found that 52.78% of households spend 30% of their income or more on rent, compared to the study average of 50%. Woman rescued from East County cave after spending 16 hours stuck San Diego placed the third-highest in rental prices for one-bedroom apartment while two-bedroom apartments ranked ninth-highest, the study said.America...

Donald Trump expected back at civil fraud trial with fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen set to testify

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Cohen once proclaimed he’d “take a bullet” for Donald Trump. Now, after breaking with the former president amid his own legal troubles, the fixer-turned-foe is poised to testify against his old boss Tuesday as a key witness at the civil fraud trial that threatens to upend Trump’s real estate empire and wealthy image.Trump is expected to be in court for the highly anticipated testimony, detouring from his usual campaign haunts to the Manhattan courtroom for a sixth day this month. Cohen scrapped their expected showdown last week, citing a health issue. Cohen has said it will be his first time seeing Trump in five years.Trump attended the trial for two days last week — having planned the trip when it was expected that Cohen would be testifying. Trump was also in court for the trial’s first three days in early October. The trial wasn’t held Monday because of issues related to an apparent COVID-19 exposure. Trump is expected to testify lat...

Georgia prosecutors are picking up cooperators in Trump election case. Will it matter?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:10 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Sidney Powell was present for a now-infamous December 2020 meeting at the White House where participants hatched far-fetched schemes to keep Donald Trump in power and was so tied to the then-president that he once considered naming her a special counsel to probe claims of election fraud.Kenneth Chesebro was part of a small coterie of advisers who prosecutors say prodded Republicans in battleground states to submit slates of fake electors who would falsely assert that Trump, not Democrat Joe Biden, was victorious.Yet rather than continue to stand behind Trump, the two lawyers cut deals last week with prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, agreeing to plead guilty and cooperate instead of face trial in the indictment that charged them, the ex-president and 16 others with illegally plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The deals ensure the cooperation of two witnesses who could presumably offer insider accounts of the desperate scheming to help Trump remain president —...