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Should the EU run migrant rescues? The EU’s executive says no, Parliament says yes

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

The EU is sparring over whether Brussels should erect a Europe-wide search-and-rescue operation for migrants following the shipwreck that claimed hundreds of lives near Greece in June. In a tense European Parliament hearing on Wednesday in Strasbourg, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson declined to endorse the idea, putting her at odds with a majority of Parliament. She indicated that migrant search-and-rescue operations fell within the remit of national governments and the EU border agency Frontex played a coordinating role.“We will continue this work, step it up and engage actively with member states for them to take necessary actions,” she told EU lawmakers on Wednesday, before pointedly adding: “Member states should step up on search and rescue.”Parliament wants the European Commission, the EU’s executive, to do more. On Thursday, MEPs are poised to vote on a resolution urging the EU to set up its own migrant rescue mission aimed at saving more li...

UK’s Sunak tries to smooth things out after defense sec urges Ukrainian ‘gratitude’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

VILNIUS — Ukraine’s president has expressed gratitude to Kyiv’s allies “countless times,” Rishi Sunak said Wednesday, as he tried to iron out the diplomatic wrinkles caused by comments from his own defense secretary.Speaking at a press conference on the last day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, the British prime minister said Volodymyr Zelenskyy had expressed gratitude to him personally on multiple occasions. Sunak noted that the Ukrainian people fight for their lives and freedom every day due to Russian aggression.“President Zelenskyy has repeatedly expressed his gratitude to me and to the British people and indeed other allies as well,” Sunak said. “He did it very movingly in parliament when he was in the U.K. earlier this year. He continues to be grateful for our support and our leadership, and the welcome that we’ve extended to many Ukrainian families. I think everyone can see that that’s how he feels.”Sunak was asked repeatedly about remarks made earlier by U.K. Defense Sec...

G7 pledges security deals with Ukraine as its NATO membership remains elusive

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed fresh pledges of weapons and ammunition to fight Russia’s invasion and longer-term security commitments from the West on Wednesday even as he expressed disappointment over the lack of a clear path for his country to join NATO as the alliance wrapped up its annual summit.“The Ukrainian delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for the Ukraine, for our country, for our people, for our children,” he said while flanked by U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders from the Group of Seven most powerful democratic nations.A joint declaration issued by the G7 lays the groundwork for each nation to negotiate agreements to help Ukraine bolster its military over the long term. Zelenskyy described the initiative as a bridge toward eventual NATO membership and a deterrent against Russia.“Our support will last long into the future,” Biden said. “We’re going to help Ukraine buil...

Google hit with lawsuit alleging it stole data from millions of users to train its AI tools

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

(CNN) — Google was hit with a wide-ranging lawsuit on Tuesday alleging the tech giant scraped data from millions of users without their consent and violated copyright laws in order to train and develop its artificial intelligence products.The proposed class action suit against Google, its parent company Alphabet, and Google’s AI subsidiary DeepMind was filed in a federal court in California on Tuesday, and was brought by Clarkson Law Firm. The firm previously filed a similar suit against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI last month. (OpenAI did not previously respond to a request for comment on the suit.)The complaint alleges that Google “has been secretly stealing everything ever created and shared on the internet by hundreds of millions of Americans” and using this data to train its AI products, such as its chatbot Bard. The complaint also claims Google has taken “virtually the entirety of our digital footprint,” including “creative and copywritten works” to build its ...

CW’s newest comedy “Son of a Critch” premieres July 24th

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

Healey Surveys Flooding, Storm Damage in Western Mass.

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

As parts of the Pioneer Valley and Berkshires clean up from Monday’s deluge and the flooding it left in its wake, Gov. Maura Healey is visiting Williamsburg and North Adams on Wednesday morning to see the damage for herself. Healey, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Acting Director Dawn Brantley and local officials gathered at 9 a.m. at the fire station in Williamsburg, which is north of Northampton and west of the Connecticut River. Rep. Natalie Blais, who represents the district just north of Williamsburg, told the News Service on Tuesday that residents of Franklin County were reeling after heavy rainfall washed out roads, flooded basements and swelled the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers. A reporter for 7News tweeted a video of Healey, wearing a green jacket and aviator sunglasses, shaking hands with local officials during the Williamsburg stop. https://twitter.com/julianamazzatv/status/1679120941484322817Healey was originally scheduled to start...

5 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ 2023 MLB draft, including an offensive power infusion and intriguing 16th-round arm

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

The Chicago Cubs’ latest draft class is in the books.The organization has until July 25 to sign their 20 picks, led by their first-round selection Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw.“There’s always a chance that there’s some surprises that crop up between now and the signing deadline and potentially a little leakage in certain places,” vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said Tuesday. “But for the most part, I wouldn’t expect the signing process to be too eventful, in a positive way.”1. A balanced, but college-heavy class.By the time Kantrovitz and the Cubs completed the 20-round draft Tuesday, 17 of their selections came from the collegiate level.Of the college group, it was a nearly even split with nine pitchers and eight position players (six infielders, one catcher and one outfielder). Kantrovitz said the Cubs didn’t necessarily go into the draft planning for a big emphasis on college players, but noted their 2023 bonus pool ...

3 tax prep giants shared ‘extraordinarily sensitive’ data about taxpayers with Meta, lawmakers say

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

By FATIMA HUSSEIN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Three large tax preparation firms sent “extraordinarily sensitive” information on tens of millions of taxpayers to Facebook parent company Meta over the course of at least two years, a group of congressional Democrats reported on Wednesday.Their report urges federal agencies to investigate and potentially go to court over the wealth of information that H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer shared with the social media giant.In a letter to the heads of the IRS, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the IRS watchdog, seven lawmakers say their findings “reveal a shocking breach of taxpayer privacy by tax prep companies and by Big Tech firms.”Their report said highly personal and financial information about sources of taxpayers’ income, tax deductions and exemptions was made accessible to Meta as taxpayers used the tax software to prepare their taxes.That data came to Meta through its Pixel code, which the tax fir...

Domino’s signs deal with Uber Eats in a bid to make more dough

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

By DEE-ANN DURBIN (AP Business Writer)Domino’s Pizza said Wednesday it’s partnering with Uber Eats to make deliveries in the U.S. and 27 international markets.It’s a major reversal for the world’s largest pizza company, which has long said that working with third-party apps didn’t make economic sense because it employs its own drivers. Under the agreement, Domino’s drivers will still make the deliveries that customers order via Uber Eats.Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Domino’s wouldn’t say what percentage Uber Eats will take from each order.The partnership will be piloted in four U.S. markets starting this fall and is expected to be available nationwide by the end of 2023, Domino’s said.Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner said in a statement that third-party delivery operators have reached such a large scale that it makes sense for Domino’s to partner with them. Weiner said Uber Eats will provide access to new customers for Domino...

San Diego among cities where majority of homes cost over $1M: study

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:01:22 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Home prices have edged higher in Southern California in recent months, with the median home sale price dangling below a million dollars in San Diego. That's according to a new study by real estate website Point2, which crunched the numbers to determine which large U.S. cities are selling more high-end homes to prospective buyers. Point2 analyzed active listings as of July 3 to determine median home prices, which were sourced from local multiple listing services (MLSs), realtor associations and reports from local listing portals. How much income is required to afford rent in San Diego? The types of residential properties included in the analysis included houses, townhouses, single family homes, condos, co-ops, manufactured, mobile and apartments.According to Point2, San Diego has the fourth highest median home price when compared to the 30 largest cities in the country. That median price tag rings in at $910,000. The harder truth for those looking to buy a house in San...