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US agency readies lawsuit that could break up Amazon

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is finalizing its long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, four people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO, a move that could ultimately break up parts of the company.The FTC has been investigating the company on a number of fronts, and the coming case would be one of the most aggressive and high-profile moves in the Biden administration’s rocky effort to tame the power of tech giants. The wide-ranging lawsuit is expected as soon as August, and will likely challenge a host of Amazon’s business practices, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss a confidential matter. If successful, it could lead to a court-ordered restructuring of the $1.3 trillion empire and define the legacy of FTC Chair Lina Khan.Khan rose to prominence as a Big Tech skeptic with a 2017 academic paper specifically identifying Amazon as a modern monopolist needing to be reined in. Because any case will likely take years to wind through the courts, t...

Forget the climate emergency and enjoy your holiday, say Europe’s tourism chiefs

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Politicians have a message for tourists who might be freaked out over roasting temperatures and hellish landscapes of roaring forest fires: Swallow your fears and keep enjoying your holiday.In Greece, 20,000 people were evacuated from Rhodes over the weekend as fires engulfed parts of the island, and British Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell said he “wouldn’t” travel there at the moment. But Greece’s Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni talked down the threat, stressing that only a “small part” of the island had been affected. “There has been no disruption in the airport, and … [only] 10 to 20 percent of the total area of the island [was affected by fire],” she told the BBC’s Today program. “When it comes to hotel accommodation, it’s 15 percent of the total capacity of the island [that was affected].”Her soothing takeaway? “Everybody is safe.” In Italy, where Rome hit a record 46 degrees Celsius in recent days while the north of the country saw floods of ic...

Crisp: No Labels seeks non-existent middle ground

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Who would be hurt most by a third-party presidential campaign by the No Labels movement, President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump? It’s hard to say.No Labels presents itself as a party of the middle ground between the “extremist Far Right and Far Left political tribes,” a refuge for the “exhausted majority” that wants “bipartisan solutions” for America.No Labels has been coy about whether it plans to actually mount a presidential ticket, but at present the most prominent possibility is some combination of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and former Utah Gov. and Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr., one for president, the other for vice president.Hardcore Trump supporters won’t be tempted by either the dependably Republican Huntsman or by the unreliable Democrat Manchin, but the significant segment of conservatives who don’t like Biden and have grown weary of Trump might be.But Democrats have reason to worry, as well; They’ve been burned by third parties before. The most oft-cited ...

Moore: Much of the hot air is coming from Washington

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Baby, it’s hot outside.Right on cue, a New York Times headline links this surge in temperatures to “climate change.”Temperatures have climbed to well over 100 F in Las Vegas, Arizona, much of Texas, and New Mexico in recent weeks. In Phoenix, the heat wave is the worst since 1974.Is The New York Times right? Is this climate change? Of course, yes. The climate on Earth has been changing since the Big Bang created this giant rock orbiting the sun.We had multiple ice ages and heat waves long before we had coal mines, gas-guzzling automobiles and air conditioning. Or human-made CO2 emissions. Or human-made anything. The biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions has been Mother Nature. Forest fires and volcano eruptions have been some of the leading causes of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. The forest fires in California last year and Canada this summer have undone almost all the “progress” in reducing carbon emissions from the green en...

Mary Ann Esposito’s Remoulade Sauce

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Even the most dedicated, diehard cooks will find it challenging to stand in front of a hot stove these days. Fire up the grill but not for long and cook foods that do not take too much time. Eggplant and zucchini slices take but a few minutes. Marinate them in olive oil, herbs, spices and a splash of vinegar after grilling. Great side dish.Garden tomatoes are best right now so grab them, add a dash of salt and a sprinkling of extra virgin olive oil and some fresh snipped basil. Set aside. Grill shrimp in their shell in an oiled cast iron pan for 3 to 4 minutes or until shells turn pink and when cool enough to handle, remove the shells. Make a no-cook remoulade sauce to accompany the shrimp. Grilled clams and mussels in the shell are also fast cooking.Serve eggplant, tomatoes and shrimp with remoulade sauce. Delicious and easy..no sweat!TAG GOES HERERemoulade SauceINGREDIENTS3/4 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons grainy sweet mustard2 tablespoons ketchup2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice or f...

Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas with Corn and Black Bean Salad

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

These Tex-Mex sandwiches are pan-fried and served with a quick Corn and Black Bean Salad. The variety of textures and flavors from the earthy, meaty mushrooms to the soft cheese and crisp tortillas combines to create a tasty, satisfying meal.Helpful Hints:If you prefer, you can use two skillets and make both quesadillas at the same time.A quick way to defrost the corn is to place it in a sieve and run hot tap water over them. Squeeze out extra liquid.Make sure your bottle of dried spice is less than 6 months old.TAG GOES HEREChicken-Mushroom QuesadillasINGREDIENTS1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (1/2-inch thick)1/2 teaspoon ground cuminOlive oil spray1/4 pound sliced, baby bello mushrooms (about 1 2/3 cups)2 cups washed, ready-to-eat spinachSalt and freshly ground black pepper2 8-inch flour tortillas (1 ounce each)*1/4 cup shredded, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (1 ounce)DIRECTIONSSprinkle chicken with ground cumin covering all sides. Heat a nonstick skillet over med...

Editorial: Kamala Harris gets it wrong on immigration

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Vice President Kamala took her anti-GOP act on the road with a Monday visit to a Latino conference in Chicago – unfortunately, she forgot to pack all her facts.Harris told the UnidosUS 2023 Annual Conference that “extremist so-called leaders have a blueprint to attack hard-won freedoms and rights and to do it state by state as part of their national agenda.”“Across our nation, extremist so-called leaders demonize, target and attack immigrants,” she said.As The Hill reported, Harris pointed to a new law in Florida that requires companies to determine an employee’s immigration status and puts penalties on hiring undocumented immigrants. The vice president called it “a law designed to make people live in fear.”In a word, no.The legislation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis makes using E-Verify mandatory for any employer with 25 or more employees, imposes enforceable penalties for those employing illegal immigrants, and enhances penalties for human smuggling.DeSantis did n...

Rustic fruit galette brings bright summer flavor

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Summer desserts should look and taste exactly like the season: bursting with color and full of fresh, sunny flavor. The best ones are also super easy to make, with ingredients that are easy to find in either the supermarket or farmers market, and not wickedly expensive.My go-to when it’s warm outside is always a galette, a rustic, free-form pie that’s basically just pastry dough folded over a filling of fresh fruit mixed with sugar and a little cornstarch to thicken it. Not only is it a beautiful dessert, with the colorful filling peaking through the golden, buttery crust, but it’s super-forgiving for folks who wouldn’t normally attempt a double-crust pie, yet want something more elegant than a crumble.I used last-of-the-season strawberries and new-to-the-season peaches for this first galette of summer, along with fresh blueberries. But you can pretty much use any fruit that strikes your fancy — stone fruits like plums, cherries, nectarines, and apricots work...

HBO’s ‘After the Bite’ spotlights Cape Cod’s shark scene

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Great White sharks and North Atlantic gray seals highlight HBO’s Cape Cod-centric documentary “After the Bite,” streaming Wednesday.“It’s about a community grappling with massive changes to the environment. Issues they are so intertwined with,” director Ivy Meeropol said in a Zoom interview about her sprawling canvas.Those issues include commercial fishing where sharks hunting seals is one threat. There are newly imposed precautions for swimming, scientific research on the seal population, community meetings to diminish the seals’ protected status.“The focus is on the Outer Cape, Provincetown, Wellfleet and Truro. It also stretches to Chatham, which is where the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy ,is based, and where the boat goes out to tag sharks for study.“It’s really a small community with a lot of diverse voices from different sides of issues,” she said. “Not all communities are so tied to the natural environment when massive change is happening. How is the community grappl...

Dear Abby: Boyfriend is great, but only when sober

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:48 GMT

Dear Abby: There is a man, “Gus,” I am completely, madly in love with. The issue is, he likes to drink — a lot. The only thing he wants to do when he’s not sleeping or working is drink. His health is rapidly deteriorating, and he lost his license for 10 years because of drinking and driving.Last weekend, he picked me up and we went to the gas station. When we got there, he was so drunk he couldn’t even pull up to the pump but just parked in the middle. When I told him he was too drunk to be driving, he drove off and left me standing at the gas station and hasn’t spoken to me since. I guess that’s how he decided to end our relationship.He needs to get help, and that’s why I’m writing you. He reads your column every single day and never, ever misses it. I love him. He is my He-Man and the best man I have ever met when he’s not drinking. I’m asking you to please let him know he will always have my heart, that my love for...