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Ask Amy: Parents respond to a hotline call

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

Dear Amy: Six years ago, my two adult stepdaughters confronted us with their “concerns” that their mother and I knew that our 17-year-old son smoked marijuana.We did know about his pot use and clearly explained the steps we were already undertaking in getting him the help he had recently requested.Our stepdaughters immediately alerted DCFS.A conviction would have destroyed our professional careers and seriously damaged our family’s future.Agonizing months later, our case was dismissed, and the charges were characterized as unfounded.This betrayal led to familial estrangement from the stepdaughters.Our now 23-year-old son is doing well, and my wife understandably wants her offspring back in our lives.I have encouraged my wife to pursue reconciliation. I do not share this interest. (Independently, neither does our son).My wife is pressuring me to partake in the perilous voyage of reconciling with her daughters. I would prefer being keelhauled.Please share your reflections on this poss...

The Balkans – the next big thing in renewable energy

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

The countries of the Balkan region, apart from Romania, which shows similar indicators to Greece, have experienced their own "green" revolution in recent years, but are still far from being considered saturated markets.The numbers speak for themselves, as can be seen from the data presented at the recent Renewables Balkans conference held in Bucharest, and these numbers highlight the great opportunities that exist for Greek energy companies if they set the right goals, if they avoid mistakes and if they hurry. In Bulgaria, the most developed of the seven countries, installed capacity from renewable sources reached 5.2 GW last year, equal to 40% of that of Greece, which currently stands at 12GW. In Croatia, the capacity is 3.6 GW, in Serbia 3.1 GW, followed by Albania with 2.5 GW, Bosnia with 2.1 GW and in the last places, Montenegro and North Macedonia with 0.8 GW each.Western Balkan countries are experiencing a "boom" in solar energy investment, but their grids are lagging behind. ...

Romanian care homes depict a frightening reality

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

The medical staff from Floreasca and Gerota emergency hospitals in Bucharest, who evaluated and treated the people brought from the three asylums in Ilfov county, stated that it was the first time they had faced such cases of starvation and neglect in such a dimension. According to the doctors, the patients were not only elderly, there were also young people with mental illnesses among them. A doctor likened the cases of neglected people in asylums to the atrocities of Nazi extermination camps.Investigators revealed that some of the patients ended up eating their shirt buttons and beads because of continuous starvation.. According to the report with the arrest proposals made by the DIICOT prosecutors, a 600-page document, Romanian state officials from various agencies, with duties in the field of social assistance, covered up abuses in nursing homes and protected their owners.The state gives up to 1000 euro per month per person to be taken care of in these social centres. Very littl...

49ers-Commanders preview: Championship form can resurface on road

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers were last seen in Washington doing celebratory belly slides on FedEx Field’s sludge and proclaiming themselves “2019 Mud Bowl Champions.”That was a few months before they’d become NFC champions. They return Sunday with championship aspirations, more so of the Super Bowl variety, but a NFC title would suffice along the way.Conditions should be chilly but not rainy or muddy when the 49ers (11-4) face the Commanders (4-11) in the penultimate game of the regular season.It could be the 49ers’ final road game until Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. Or maybe not. Monday night’s 33-19 humbling loss to the Baltimore Ravens narrowed the 49ers’ window to securing the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, but that is still very viable and will be detailed below in this weekly game preview.TOP STORYLINES1. HEALTH UPDATES: None of Monday night’s injuries appeared too serious, but they do command further attention when they involve quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder ...

Bridge: Dec. 27, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

“When New Year’s Eve arrives,” Unlucky Louie told me, “I’m raising my left leg at midnight.”“What for?”“To start the new year off on the right foot,” Louie said solemnly.Let’s hope Louie fares better in his penny game next year. When he was declarer at today’s four spades, he took the ace of clubs and let the ten of trumps ride. East produced the king and returned a club. Louie won, led a trump to dummy and ruffed a club.Louie next led a heart to dummy’s king, a disaster: East took the ace and queen and led a heart to West’s jack. Down one.ONE CHANCELouie may be in for a long year. He gave himself one chance for the contract when two were there. After Louie ruffs the third club, he should finesse with dummy’s queen of diamonds. He can discard a heart on the ace and lose only two hearts and a trump.If East had the king of diamonds, Louie would have a second chance. He could pitch a heart on East...

Live updates | Israeli forces raid a West Bank refugee camp as troops expand the Gaza offensive

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, killing at least six Palestinians, Palestinian health authorities said Wednesday. The Israeli military also expanded its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to the densely populated urban refugee camps in the central part of the territory.Residents reported shelling and airstrikes in the tiny, cramped enclave, including the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the southern city of Khan Younis and the southern town of Rafah, where tens of thousands have sought refuge in recent weeks. Much of northern Gaza was pounded to rubble weeks ago.More than 20,900 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead. About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, with around 240 people taken hostage. Israel says it aims to free the m...

El fabricante de automóviles propiedad de Toyota detiene la producción en Japón después de admitir que manipuló las pruebas de seguridad durante 30 años

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

(CNN) — Daihatsu, el fabricante de automóviles japonés propiedad de Toyota, detuvo la producción nacional después de admitir que falsificó los resultados de las pruebas de seguridad de sus vehículos durante más de 30 años.La marca, mejor conocida por fabricar automóviles de pasajeros pequeños, detuvo la producción en sus cuatro fábricas japonesas a partir del martes, incluida una en su sede en Osaka, dijo un portavoz a CNN.El cierre durará al menos hasta finales de enero y afectará a unos 9.000 empleados que trabajan en la producción nacional, según el representante.La medida se produce mientras Daihatsu lidia con un escándalo de seguridad cada vez más profundo que, según Toyota , “ha sacudido los cimientos mismos de la empresa”.La semana pasada, Daihatsu anunció que un comité independiente había encontrado evidencia de manipulación de las pruebas de seguridad en hasta 64 modelos de vehículos, incluidos los vendidos bajo la marca Toyota.Como resultado, Daihatsu dij...

El Gobierno de López Obrador alista su “megafarmacia”, un plan que genera dudas entre especialistas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

(CNN en Español) — El Gobierno de México se prepara para inaugurar una “megafarmacia” que, según el presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador, contará con todos los medicamentos existentes y podrá surtir en 24 horas a las instituciones públicas de salud que lo requieran. Sin embargo, el plan genera dudas entre especialistas consultados por CNN, que cuestionan que vaya a funcionar como el Ejecutivo promete.López Obrador habló de la megafarmacia durante sus conferencias diarias de las últimas semanas. En la del 27 de noviembre dijo que para ponerla en marcha su administración compró almacenes de las tiendas departamentales Liverpool —ubicados en el municipio de Huehuetoca del central Estado de México— por los que, dice, pagó alrededor de 2.000 millones de pesos, unos US$ 117,6 millones.“Estamos hablando de como cinco zócalos techados, imaginen, para tener todos los medicamentos —expuso el presidente—. Ya nos entregaron las instalaciones, ya se acordó que se paga totalmente en febre...

WEATHER WHIPLASH ON THE WAY

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

Happy Wednesday, South Florida!Hopefully everyone was able to dry off after Tuesday mornings on and off rain event. The afternoon finally cleared up in South Florida and we got to enjoy some warm, but pleasant sunshine on Tuesday afternoon. This morning was a little bit different as South Florida woke up to dry conditions, however, areas of patchy dense fog was an issue for some, especially across the upper keys where a dense marine fog advisory had been issued all day Tuesday. One thing South Florida did notice this morning was that temperatures were no longer in the 70s but comfortably in the 60s. And once the low clouds and fog lifted, South Florida saw a stunning sunrise on this last Wednesday of 2023. Today will be a little different than the previous days, because a weak front cleared South Florida yesterday and behind it temperatures will be a bit more comfortable today. And although this weak front won’t bring a significant change in our weather, most may be able to feel th...

Fishermen investigating something shiny led to ‘miracle’ rescue of Indiana man trapped in crashed truck for days, police say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:18:22 GMT

(CNN) — Something shiny near a creek and a case of curiosity led two Indiana fishermen Tuesday to a 27-year-old man who had been fighting for his life for days alone in a mangled truck – a discovery that state police are hailing as a miracle.Mario Garcia and his son-in-law Nivardo Delatorre were scouting Salt Creek near the northwestern Indiana city of Portage for potential fishing holes and getting ready to call it a day when something shiny in the distance caught their attention, Garcia said at a news conference held by state police. Curious, they went to explore it and realized it was a vehicle wreck.The wrecked pickup truck was under Interstate 94’s bridge over the creek. Garcia moved an airbag out of the way and saw what he thought was someone dead in the driver’s seat.“The moment I touched the shoulder, he swung around – he woke up,” Garcia said.Startled, but focused on helping the young man, Garcia asked Delatorre to call for help and the pair stayed with the m...