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Editorial: Biden’s green slush fund throwing around cash

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

It’s the holiday season, and the Biden administration is in full Santa Claus mode. Never mind the $33 trillion national debt clock whirring upward, the White House is making liberal use of a massive green slush fund to dole out taxpayer-funded goodies to favored special interests.The comically misnamed Inflation Reduction Act contained $400 billion to be dispersed as part of President Joe Biden’s green industrial policy. That’s a fancy phrase for empowering government bureaucrats under crony capitalism to make decisions that should be left to the marketplace.Much of the cash will be funneled through the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. There’s no shortage of outstretched hands.“The agency agreed to a $1 billion loan for Monolith, a company that promises to make hydrogen out of natural gas,” Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal reports. “Sunnova, a solar company, landed a $3 billion loan guarantee. Then there are all the real paupers. General Motors and LG scoope...

TV Q&A: Is it bon voyage for ‘Emily in Paris?’

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: I am wild about “Emily in Paris,” the series on Netflix. Will there be any more seasons? It left us hanging. It’s ripe for more seasons. Help!!!A: Not long after its second season arrived in December 2021, Netflix announced that the Lucy Collins series would be back for both a third and a fourth season. The third season appeared in December 2022. That might make you think the fourth season is around the corner, only the show stalled because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes. With the strikes now settled, Variety reported in November that “Emily” production will begin in January. But Variety also says the show and others are going to have to move swiftly because of the Olympics coming to Paris this summer, which will include bans on productions shooting in the city from June to September.Q: In the “In Plain Sight,” episode when the lead female character is shot and critically wounded, the last scene shows her lying in a hospital bed. Who i...

Mayo Clinic Q&A: What’s going on with my knee?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Dear Mayo Clinic: I was playing a pickup game of football with my kids, took a tumble, and my kneecap made a popping sound. It really hurt, then seemed to get better, but something’s not right. Any idea what might be going on?A: If your kneecap pops or slides to the outside of your knee, you’ll definitely know that something’s going on. Typically, that “something” is a partial or full dislocation, which means the kneecap, also known as the patella, has slipped partly or all the way out of its groove over the knee joint.Dislocation can be caused by a sudden blow, such as taking a hard hit playing a contact sport like football or hockey, or by a chronic condition, such as a stretched ligament. Some people have a particular knee anatomy that makes it more common. In those cases, a dislocation could be caused by something as simple as normal walking or standing up from a chair. With chronic dislocation, it may feel as though your knee is buckling or giving ...

Do I have to go to my ex’s funeral?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Q: What is my responsibility when my children’s mother dies and there is a viewing and formal funeral? Ours was a 10-year marriage that ended in a brutal divorce because of her infidelity and remarriage 20 years ago. We had three children, now all adults with children of their own. I see them often and we are close. Will there will be any adverse effects for my children and if I chose not to attend the services?A. Funeral services are designed to offer respect to the deceased, but more importantly we go to funerals to support those who are left behind. Your kids are most definitely grieving at the loss of their mother, and although you didn’t support your ex-wife’s actions, you certainly want to help your children as they morn her loss. That would be the reason you would go to the viewing and the funeral — not for you or the grudge you hold, but for them. (Good ex-etiquette for parents rule No. 6, “Don’t hold grudges,”)At the funeral you would sit with your children, even if your ex...

The Cape is a great – and cozy – escape in the winter

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Cape Cod is distinctly a summer locale. The beaches, the outdoor dining, the events and that fresh salt air is the reason millions head there every warm week of the year.But here’s something that many don’t know: Cape Cod is downright cozy in the winter months.With inns and hotels that pivot to winter fun, restaurants that embrace local sourcing, to cool experiences that are made for crisp days and/or nights, the Cape is ready for your chilly winter visit.And here’s a bonus; You almost never hit crazy traffic at the bridge this time of year.For an overnight, many of the famed resorts shift to winter mode. This year, the Wequassett Resort (https://wequassett.com/) in Harwich opens in winter months for the first time.Tucked into the shores of Pleasant Bay, you’ll take in winter views from their cozy yet spacious rooms, enjoy seasonal fare and special events – all part of their “Enchanted Winter” calendar.Should you need help in the “dressing for coastal winter” aesthetic, the We...

Fun, engaging Joel loves all animals

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Joel is a funny, intelligent, and loving young man described as engaging and lots of fun to talk with. He enjoys connecting with others, particularly one on one. Joel is the considered voice of reason in his peer and family relationships, always helping to solve problems. He also loves learning new things, especially if it involves animals – and he loves all animals.He is a great advocate for himself and will not hesitate to ask questions. Joel also enjoys playing games on his tablet and solving puzzles. Joel hopes to be a veterinarian or archaeologist one day. Joel is doing very well in school with the support of an IEP and has developed positive peer relationships. He looks forward to visiting his biological family and is very caring towards his biological siblings.Joel will do best in any loving two-parent family constellation with or without other children in the home. He is looking for a family that has a dog or is willing to get a dog. An ideal home for Joel would provid...

Do I have to tell ex I’m moving with our son?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Q. I share a six-year-old son with my ex-boyfriend (we were never married). My son’s father is listed on the birth certificate, but he has never been involved in my son’s life. He doesn’t even pay child support. I did not take him to court for child support because I know that will just make him try to spend time with my son, which I do not think would be a good idea.  He has addiction issues which is why I ended our relationship shortly after our son was born.  I am planning to move to New Hampshire because my mother and sister live there, and they can help me with childcare so that I can work more hours. Do I have to tell my son’s father that I’m moving?A. Since you were never married and it sounds like you have never been to court in connection with your son’s custody or support, by default you have sole custody of your son.  That means you can make decisions for him including where to live.Further, Massachusetts still uses an older law which the rest of the country has moved on ...

Lifetime rolls out first sexy Christmas movie

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Ho ho ho! Lifetime Channel might be on Santa’s naughty list this year.This season’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” lineup of 12 new holiday movies includes “A Cowboy Christmas Romance,” a Christmas flick a la “Yellowstone” that includes a first for the franchise: a steamy sex scene.“We think that there’s an audience out there that’s hungry for grown-up romance, and we’re looking forward to adding some smolder to the usual holiday sugar and spice,” Tia Maggini, senior vice president of scripted content at Lifetime, told Variety.“We love trying new things, and we’re excited about this new ‘first’ for us for a holiday movie.”The movie, starring Jana Kramer and Adam Senn, follows a real estate “closer” who begrudgingly returns to her Arizona hometown just before Christmas. There, she sets out to convince a dreamy rancher to sell his family’s land. Anyone who&#...

Lucy Worsley takes on Agatha Christie in new PBS series

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Lucy Worsley is familiar to PBS viewers for her investigative portraits of legendary royals like Henry VIII and his many wives.  Now, she uncovers in her 3-part Sunday night series, “Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen” the secrets behind the world’s best-selling writer.“She stands out in the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of crime writing,” the 1920 and ‘30s, Worsley, 49, said of Christie (1890-1976) in a Zoom interview from London.  “Two things she can be credited with that were picked up by other writers were the serial killer story with ‘The ABC Murders’ — that’s the first of the genre — and the second is the detective story set in the past, like ‘Death Comes as the End’ set in ancient Egypt. That was unique.”As for the biggest misconceptions about Christie, who is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare?“Where to start?” Worsley asked.  “That’s why she’s so fascinating. To start with a really obvious one, people tend to think of her as ‘a little old lady in...

Dear Abby: Worried about pal’s homeless plight

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:11:44 GMT

Dear Abby: A good friend of 20 years has been homeless for several months. After a short stint of staying in various Airbnbs, she is now mostly living in her car. She has a good-quality, FREE living option available to her. But it would require her to move five hours away, and she doesn’t want to leave her job here. Meanwhile, I have a guest room.Since experiencing homelessness, my friend has stayed with me and my family on three different occasions, each time for about a week. But it’s not a sustainable or long-term option. Long story short, we don’t want a roommate.The last time she stayed with us, my friend turned down an affordable living situation with a roommate because the house was too “gross” for her. I found it frustrating. Housing in our area is expensive, and she works part-time at most. Her talk of getting more work has gone nowhere so far.I know I shouldn’t take on her problems as my own. But it’s hard to wonder about my friend...