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Mathews: Newsom’s “Campaign for Democracy” should start in California

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing a good thing by launching “Campaign for Democracy” against authoritarian governors who are limiting freedom in Republican states like Alabama and Florida.But what he’s campaigning for is not democracy.If democracy were his mission, he’d be campaigning in California — because our state has a deficit of it.Newsom’s “Campaign for Democracy” — the name he’s given to a series of events in Republican states and to the political action committee paying for them — isn’t just a misnomer. It’s part of an epidemic of leaders who portray whatever they are doing as “democracy,” and their political opponents as a threat to it.To understand the problem, let’s start with a definition: Democracy is everyday people governing themselves.But Newsom’s campaign has little to do with getting together with your neighbors to practice self-government. The governor instead is leading a large national media campaign to confront sins of politicians with whom he disagrees.On the Campai...

Customers shred electricity bill plans backed by PG&E, other utilities

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

OAKLAND — A prominent Bay Area energy economist is warning that forthcoming changes to the way PG&E and other power companies in California bill customers could leave many people with sticker shock.The plan, enabled by state legislation and revealed recently by PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, envisions the addition of a monthly charge for all residential customers that receive electricity services from one of the three power utilities along with ongoing charges based on how much electricity people use each month.Ahmad Faruqui, an economist who has consulted with all three of the utilities involved in the revamp and who has testified in proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which oversees them, doesn’t like the idea of grafting on a new fixed income-linked fee to the existing system of electricity charges.“Right now, monthly bills are totally based on energy consumption and user behavior,R...

Hallan en el Mar de China Meridional una embarcación que naufragó en la Segunda Guerra Mundial con 1.000 prisioneros

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

(CNN) — Hallan un barco mercante japonés que se hundió durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial mientras transportaba a más de 1.000 prisioneros de guerra, en la mayor pérdida de vidas en el mar de Australia.El Montevideo Maru fue descubierto frente a la costa noroeste de la isla Luzón de Filipinas a una profundidad de más de 4.000 metros (13.000 pies) en el Mar de China Meridional, confirmó el viceprimer ministro de Australia, Richard Marles, en un video que publicó este sábado desde su cuenta de Twitter.Una vista lateral de estribor del barco de pasajeros japonés Montevideo Maru, que se hundió en 1942 después de ser torpedeado por un submarino de la Marina de EE.UU. mientras transportaba a más de 1.000 prisioneros. (Australian War Memorial)El descubrimiento puso fin a “uno de los capítulos más trágicos de la historia marítima de Australia”, dijo.El buque transportaba aproximadamente 1.060 prisioneros de alrededor de 16 países, incluidos 850 miembros del servicio australiano, desde ...

Muere a los 89 años el comediante australiano Barry Humphries, mejor conocido por su alter ego Dame Edna Everage

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

(CNN) — El comediante australiano Barry Humphries, mejor conocido por su personaje drag Dame Edna Everage, murió a los 89 años.“Fue completamente él mismo hasta el final, nunca perdió su mente brillante, su ingenio único y su generosidad de espíritu”, dijo su familia en un comunicado, según el Sydney Morning Herald.El primer ministro de Australia, Anthony Albanese, rindió homenaje en un tuit, llamándolo “un gran ingenio, satírico, escritor y absolutamente único”.El artista había sido readmitido en el hospital este miércoles por complicaciones luego de una cirugía de cadera el mes pasado, informó el Sydney Morning Herald. Humphries tuvo un reemplazo de cadera luego de una caída en febrero.Humphries realizó una gira por el Reino Unido en 2022, entonces con 88 años, contando las historias de su vida e inspiraciones en un set llamado “El hombre detrás de la máscara”.Nacido en Melbourne, Australia en 1934, Humphries creó el personaje del ama de casa Edna Eve...

Greece’s legislative election confirmed for May 21

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

The Greek president on Saturday approved a request by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to dissolve the country’s parliament, Reuters reported.The parliament will officially be dissolved on Sunday, paving the way for national elections on May 21.Mitsotakis asked for parliament to be dissolved on April 23. It had already been closed for Orthodox Easter.“I hope we have a calm and fruitful pre-election period, for the good of the country,” President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said, according to Reuters.Mitsotakis announced new elections for May 21 in March. His government’s term expires in July. “Elections are a great celebration of democracy,” Mitsotakis told local press in a statement, adding that he hoped elections would be free from poison. This is a thinly veiled jab against rival party Syriza after he accused them of vulgarity and toxicity in a statement on Friday.The vote will take place under a new proportional representation system in the 300...

NYT: Mass. Air National Guardsman leaked intel for over a year

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman posted sensitive, leaked information to a much larger chat group months earlier than previously thought, the New York Times reported.Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested last week at his home in Dighton, Massachusetts. Court documents allege he shared classified information to a Discord group of about 50 members starting in December. The Times is now reporting that a profile matching Teixeira’s began posting secret intelligence days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, over a year ago. This information was posted in a chat group with about 600 members.The Justice Department declined to comment on the latest report.

Elon Musk’s Twitter begins purge of blue check marks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

  (CNN) — Elon Musk’s Twitter on Thursday began a purge of blue verification check marks from users who have not signed up for its subscription service, with the checks disappearing from the accounts of journalists, academics and celebrities.The blue checks even disappeared from the accounts of some of the most well-known and widely followed people on the social network, including Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Bill Gates, Pope Francis, former president Donald Trump and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.Some government agencies — including the official account for US Citizenship and Immigration Services and accounts for some state Customs and Border Patrol offices — also lost their blue checks, which weren’t immediately replaced by the gray checks Twitter has designated for government accounts.The initial rollout of the change appeared to be fairly glitchy, as blue checks disappeared and reappeared on some accounts. Some other high-profile legacy verified accounts al...

Cooler and cloudy today, rain tomorrow

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

7Weather- Today is the better day of our weekend to get outside, and it’s Earth Day, so why not enjoy the outdoors! We’ll keep a lot of clouds around with an increasing breeze and cooler temperatures. Tomorrow, even cooler with rain and a wind that gets gusty for some.Clouds gathered overnight keeping our lows in the 40s. We’ll continue to see overcast skies. Similar to yesterday, we have an east/southeast wind. That onshore wind will pull from the cool Atlantic water (46°) and push inland. Towns along the coast and north of Boston will stay cooler. The breeze will pick up this afternoon. It’ll feel a few degrees cooler than what your temperature reads if you’re around the city today and this evening. You’ll likely want a thicker jacket!This evening we’re still dry. There could be a spot shower, especially farther inland ahead of the band of showers. The line of showers we’re watching to our west is to slow to move in. Waking up tomorr...

Mike Lupica: Jalen Brunson the game-changer the Knicks need as they aim to end playoff drought

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

There was that moment, on a night out of the past at Madison Square Garden, at this big, loud basketball time in the city when the Knicks are finally trying to do something at this time of year, when Jalen Brunson did a Clyde thing. Which figured, just because of the occasion.It was in the second quarter, and it ended the 10-2 run when the Knicks were turning the game, and the night, their way for good. It was Brunson, the guy the Knicks needed even more than they knew, against Donovan Mitchell, the guy they had tried so hard and so mightily to get before they got Brunson.And Brunson stole the ball.The most complete point guard the Knicks have had since Walt (Clyde) Frazier picked him pickpocket clean. Donovan was trying to make a move to his left and Brunson flashed out, and now the ball was in his hands and going the other way, the play ending with Brunson actually making a silky dunk to make the game 36-27 for the Knicks.Brunson had started slowly on Friday night the way his team...

Pete Alonso homers again, Joey Lucchesi delivers career performance as Mets blank Giants, 7-0

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:08:42 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The Mets had a likely hero and an unlikely one in their 7-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Oracle Park.Pete Alonso hit his 10th home run of the season to pad his league lead and set a new franchise record for the most home runs through the months of March and April. The two-run dinger was his second in as many nights and it came off right-hander Anthony DeSclafani in the fifth inning to put the Mets up by four. Alonso also hit a two-run single in the ninth for his second four-RBI night in a row, and his 23 is tied for the league lead.The unlikely hero was Joey Lucchesi, who was called up earlier in the day to make a start in place of the injured Carlos Carrasco. The left-hander blanked the Giants (9-13) for seven innings to become the first Mets starter to even reach the seven-inning mark this season.“He was lights out,” Alonso said.Lucchesi, who grew up across the bay from San Francisco in Newark and played college ball at nea...