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NextGenerationEU: Commission receives Italy's fourth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

Italy's fourth payment request, which is worth €16.5 billion, relates to 21 milestones and seven targets covering several reforms in the areas of social inclusion, public procurement, as well as follow-up measures to continue the implementation of the already adopted justice and public employment reforms. The main investments covered by this payment request are related to digitalisation, particularly concerning the transition of local public administrations' data to the cloud, the development of the space industry, green hydrogen, transport, research, education and social policies.Italy's overall recovery and resilience plan is financed by €69bn in grants and €122.6bn in loans. Payments under the Recovery and Resilience Facility are performance-based and contingent on Italy implementing the investments and reforms outlined in its recovery and resilience plan.The Commission will now assess the request and will then send its preliminary assessment of Italy's fulfilment of the mileston...

Miss Manners: My husband doesn’t understand why I was so mad at his friend

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I invited four couples to be our guests for dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in town. I wanted to use proper place cards, but my husband didn’t want to appear “stuffy.”Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Did I deserve this treatment for being a few minutes late? Advice | Miss Manners: If I’m in the aisle seat, do I have any say over the window blind? Advice | Miss Manners: She claimed she was just kidding. How do I make her see it wasn’t funny? Advice | Miss Manners: My friend claims not to have heard these insulting comments Advice | Miss Manners: We’d go to the wedding but we’re obviously on the bride’s B-list We greeted our guests near the entrance to our private dining room, which was close to the head of the table. One of our guests made a beeline to the other end of the table and sat at what should have been ...

Dear Abby: I’m offended that my friend doesn’t want my medical advice

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I’m part of a group chat with two dear old friends. We are attorneys with lengthy and distinguished careers.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: Am I right that life is too short to stay with my unpredictable husband? Advice | Dear Abby: My husband ruins every vacation. Can I leave him home? Advice | Dear Abby: Why do they think I should give up my barstool for them? Advice | Dear Abby: I shouldn’t have to compete with my son’s clingy girlfriends Advice | Dear Abby: Everyone heard him call his co-worker baby, and I was humiliated Like so many, we started the chat during the pandemic, when I was living abroad and unable to get back to the U.S. We have continued the chat as we live in different states now. We use it to check in with each other daily or share frustrations, opinions and thoughts on current events and life’s challenges.Recently, one of the women wrote that du...

Giants take on the Padres in first of 3-game series

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

San Diego Padres (77-79, third in the NL West) vs. San Francisco Giants (77-79, fourth in the NL West)San Francisco; Monday, 9:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Blake Snell (14-9, 2.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 227 strikeouts); Giants: Logan Webb (10-13, 3.48 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 187 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -117, Giants -102; over/under is 7 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres to open a three-game series.San Francisco is 43-32 at home and 77-79 overall. The Giants have a 37-62 record in games when they have allowed a home run.San Diego has a 77-79 record overall and a 33-42 record on the road. The Padres have a 39-21 record in games when they hit at least two home runs.Monday’s game is the 11th meeting between these teams this season. The Padres hold a 6-4 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Wilmer Flores has 22 doubles and 22 home runs while hitting .285 for the Giants. LaMonte Wade Jr is 9-for-28 with a triple and three...

El premio mayor del Powerball llega a los US$ 785 millones, el cuarto mayor premio de la historia de esta lotería

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

(CNN) — Un bote récord de US$ 785 millones del Powerball está en juego en el sorteo de este lunes por la noche, el cuarto mayor premio de la historia del juego, según Powerball.El afortunado ganador del gran premio podrá elegir entre un premio anual por un valor estimado de US$ 785 millones o un pago único estimado en US$ 367 millones. Ambos antes de impuestos, según Powerball.El gigantesco premio sólo ha sido superado por tres botes anteriores de más de US$ 1.000 millones, según la Asociación de Loterías Multiestatal.Powerball: estos son los números ganadores del premio mayor de US$ 1.080 millones vendido en CaliforniaEl cuarto mayor premio de la historia de Powerball está en juego en el sorteo del 25 de septiembre de 2023: un impresionante bote de US$ 785 millones. (Crédito: Giorgio Vera/AFP/Getty Images)Ha habido 28 sorteos consecutivos sin un ganador del gran premio desde que se ganó un bote de Powerball el 19 de julio, cuando un boleto vendido en California ganó un premio...

Dallas Wings to play the Las Vegas Aces on the road

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

Dallas Wings (22-18, 11-9 Western Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (34-6, 18-2 Western Conference)Las Vegas; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Aces -10.5; over/under is 175.5WNBA PLAYOFFS SEMIFINALS:BOTTOM LINE: The Las Vegas Aces play the Dallas Wings.The Aces have gone 18-2 against Western Conference teams. Las Vegas has a 26-3 record in games decided by 10 or more points.The Wings have gone 11-9 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas is the Western leader with 38.7 rebounds per game led by Natasha Howard averaging 8.0.TOP PERFORMERS: Chelsea Gray is averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 assists for the Aces. A’ja Wilson is averaging 28.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and four blocks over the past 10 games for Las Vegas.Satou Sabally is averaging 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals for the Wings. Arike Ogunbowale is averaging 21.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 40.3% over the last 10 games for Dallas.LAST 10 GAMES: Aces: 8-2, averagin...

This week in business: consumer confidence, inflation updates

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

Checking confidence?The Conference Board on Tuesday releases its gauge of consumer confidence for September.Economists project that confidence fell slightly this month. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index surged in July to 114, its highest level in 24 months and has generally been strong since late in 2022. A reading of 90 or better reflects a healthy economy.Consumer confidence, by month:April 103.7May: 102.5June: 110.1July: 114.0Aug.: 106.1Sept. (est): 105.4Source: FactSetMeasuring inflationThe Commerce Department releases its August snapshot of U.S. consumer spending and inflation on Friday.The personal consumption expenditure price index, a gauge of inflation that’s closely monitored by the Federal Reserve, ticked higher in July and is expected to have edged higher again last month. The Fed has been raising interest rates in a bid to bring inflation back down to 2%.PCE Deflator, annual percent change, seasonally adjusted:March 4.17April 4.29May 3.77June: 2.96J...

Thomas, Sun to face the Liberty

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

Connecticut Sun (27-13, 14-6 Eastern Conference) at New York Liberty (32-8, 16-4 Eastern Conference)New York; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Liberty -8.5; over/under is 161.5WNBA PLAYOFFS SEMIFINALS:BOTTOM LINE: The New York Liberty play the Connecticut Sun.The Liberty are 16-4 in Eastern Conference games. New York is 3-1 in games decided by less than 4 points.The Sun have gone 14-6 against Eastern Conference opponents. Connecticut ranks eighth in the WNBA with 33.6 rebounds per game. Alyssa Thomas paces the Sun with 9.9.TOP PERFORMERS: Breanna Stewart is averaging 23 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks for the Liberty. Betnijah Laney is averaging 16.4 points over the last 10 games for New York.DeWanna Bonner is averaging 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Sun. Thomas is averaging 15.6 points over the last 10 games for Connecticut.LAST 10 GAMES: Liberty: 8-2, averaging 90.1 points, 37.1 rebounds, 22.3 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.9 blocks pe...

Joveljic, Barrios rally Galaxy to 3-3 draw with Austin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Dejan Joveljic scored in the 89th minute, Michael Barrios’ first goal with Los Angeles came in stoppage time and the Galaxy rallied for a 3-3 draw with Austin FC on Sunday night in a match that started three hours late because of a thunderstorm.Austin snaps a club-record four-match losing streak at home in all competitions and ends a three-match skid against the Galaxy with the tie. LA was trying to become the first team to beat Austin four times in a row but will have to settle for a 4-1-1 record in the last six matchups.Alexander Ring staked Austin (9-13-8) to a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when he took a pass from Emiliano Rigoni and scored for a second time this season.Riqui Puig scored the equalizer for the Galaxy (8-11-10) on a penalty kick — his seventh goal of the season — in the second minute of stoppage time after drawing a foul on Austin defender Julio Cascante. But Ethan Finlay answered four minutes later and Austin took a 2-1 lead into halftime...

Deal ‘with the devil’: Meet the Cubans who’ve joined Russia’s war on Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:27:45 GMT

What César really wanted was to get out of Cuba. A bartender struggling to make ends meet in Havana, he tried last year to reach Miami in a rickety boat but was forced to abandon the attempt when he was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard.He’s now preparing a second escape attempt: with a direct flight to Moscow. His ticket has been paid for by a Russian recruiter but it comes with a hefty price tag nonetheless: As part of the deal, he will have to join the Russian army and fight in Ukraine.“If this is the sacrifice I have to make for my family to get ahead, I’ll do it,”  said César, who turned 19 this year and whose name has been changed to protect his identity.“You can be a nuclear physicist and still die of hunger here,” he said. “With my current salary I can barely buy basic things like toilet paper or milk.” He said he hoped he would be allowed to work as a paramedic.The news of Cuban fighters in Ukraine splashed across global headlines earlier this month when Havana annou...