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Record Meta fine masks Europe’s privacy struggle

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

Five years and almost €4 billion worth of fines stemming from tougher privacy enforcement and the European Union is still asking if it’s doing enough to protect personal data.Social media giant Meta was the latest to face a big penalty Monday when Ireland’s privacy watchdog fined it a record €1.2 billion euros for privacy violations under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).The blockbuster levy hits at the heart of the technology sector’s ability to transfer data across the Atlantic and orders the company to stop moving Europeans’ data to the United States until Washington provides sufficient checks to keep such personal information safe.For GDPR’s supporters, the fine from Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) serves as a vindication that the EU’s most feared tech law has bite, not just bark. The law, which came into force on May 25, 2018, has prompted businesses — from Big Tech giants to hotel chains, c...

Debt limit deal remains out of reach as McCarthy and Biden plan to meet again

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

(CNN) — The countdown is on, the stakes are high – and there is still no debt limit deal.President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are slated to meet again Monday, following a weekend notable for its lack of progress in trying to reach a deal to avoid the country’s first-ever default on its debt.Negotiations between the White House and the House GOP hit a snag and were put on pause Friday, and representatives of each side spent most of the next two days criticizing the other while defending their own positions.In a sign of a possible thaw, Biden and McCarthy spoke over the phone as the president was aboard Air Force One, heading back to Washington after a shortened trip to Japan. McCarthy told reporters Sunday that the call was “productive.” But that came after Biden had sharply criticized Republicans at a news conference in Hiroshima, where he said he wasn’t able to promise fellow world leaders gathered for Group of Seven talks that the US would not d...

Orioles unveil City Connect uniforms, with colorful interior reflecting Baltimore’s neighborhoods

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

The Orioles on Monday unveiled their City Connect uniforms, paying tribute to Baltimore with a uniform that, like the city, has more to it than what’s visible from outside.With a black uniform featuring much of its color on the interior — which the club noted with pride is a first — the Orioles became the 19th team to participate in the City Connect series, part of a partnership between Major League Baseball and Nike. Orioles players and coaches will first wear the uniforms in a game Friday night against the Texas Rangers.A colorful pastel pattern reflecting the city’s neighborhoods is within the sleeves and collar of the jersey, with a grayscale pattern on the exterior of the sleeves; players can roll up their sleeves to showcase the color. The pastel pattern is also within the caps, which include a white “B” logo taken from the Baltimore script featured on the Orioles’ road jersey, and the tongues of the cleats. The script “B” ...

Murder charge filed in Mansfield slay

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

A Manchester by the-Sea man has been charged with murder in connection with Saturday morning’s cold-blooded killing of a Mansfield man.The Bristol District Attorney’s office on Monday announced the murder charge against  William O’Brien, 22, of Manchester-By-The-Sea for the alleged killing of Samuel P. Waters, 23, of Mansfield  O’Brien had previously been charged with weapons violations in connection with the deadly shooting.The shooting occurred  at 42 West Church St., near Main Street in downtown and the Mansfield MBTA station. The area is heavily residential.Police responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call at at 11:11 a.m.. Upon arrival, they found waters dead at the home.O’Brien, who was already facing charges of carrying an illegal firearm and carrying an illegally loaded firearm, is expected to be arraigned on the murder charges today.

The Nuggets are set up to dominate for years

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

A bit of caution before we delve into the point of this column:Lasting power in the NBA, or any major professional sports league for that matter, is fickle. Injuries happen. Players disappoint. Eyes wander. Owners are forced to sell. Handguns are brandished on Instagram Live. Not too long ago, we were pondering the potential dynasties of the Grizzlies, Suns and Sixers. Now we’re asking if they should break it up.With that being said, the Nuggets, undoubtedly bound for the franchise’s first NBA Finals after handing LeBron an insurmountable 3-0 series deficit, deserve our attention. Not just for the 2023 title, but as the team to beat for the next three seasons.Nikola Jokic, at 28 years old and devoid of any major injuries in his career (playing low to the ground has the benefit of saving ligaments), is already the second best player in the NBA, below only Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is signed until 2028.Three other starters – Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and ...

Bar Ella to succeed Bub's at the Beach in Pacific Beach

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- After serving up drinks for 25 years, it's officially the end of an era for the long-time Pacific Beach staple, Bub's at the Beach.A new business is set to replace the beloved sports dive bar, which permanently closed in mid-April. Soon, the beachside spot will become a more elevated joint called Bar Ella.Tavern at the Beach's General Manager Krista Barrella is the soon to be owner of Bar Ella, named as a play on her last name. Backed by The Verant Group, whose footprint is well-known in Pacific Beach with bars like Sandbar and Mavericks, she's looking to transform Bub's to fit a new vision for the neighborhood spot -- something a little more up-scale and vibrant.The logo for Bar Ella, the new bar replacing Bub's at the Beach in Pacific Beach. (Courtesy of Bar Ella)Remodeling and rebranding is already underway: "It's a super open floor plan right now," she said, "trying to create a separation between what will be the dining area versus the bar area."The renovated space ...

Structure fire nears brush in Jacumba: Cal Fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Firefighters responded to a "well involved" structure fire in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego on Sunday afternoon.CAL FIRE said the blaze was in the area of Carrizo Creek Road in Jacumba, near the Mica Gem Mine. They say the original call came in at 12:24 p.m. Sunday. 5 archaeological site areas in San Diego with remnants of the past CAL FIRE says the blaze extended to a nearby motor home and for a moment was getting closer to a brush area. Shortly before 3 p.m., fire officials confirmed the blaze was completely contained.The structure was a total loss and two sheds were also destroyed, according to CAL FIRE. One person was reported to be displaced as a result of this incident.No injuries were reported in connection to this fire.

UK minister Braverman denies ‘untoward’ meddling over speeding ticket

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s interior minister on Monday brushed off reports that she tried to pull strings after getting a speeding ticket, saying “nothing untoward” had gone on.Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that after being caught speeding last year, she paid a fine and received demerit points on her license. Braverman was Britain’s attorney general at the time.The Sunday Times reported that Braverman had asked civil servants to arrange a private speed-awareness session for her, rather than the usual group course for drivers who commit minor offenses. The newspaper said civil servants refused to get involved. Braverman declined to confirm or deny that she’d asked civil servants to intervene.“Last summer, I was speeding. I regret that. I paid the fine and I took the points,” she said, adding that “I’m confident that nothing untoward has happened.”Braverman is a favorite of the right wing of the governing Conservative Party who has championed the U.K.’s controversial plan to...

Fire razes school dormitory in Guyana, killing at least 20 children, many of them indigenous

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A nighttime fire raced through a dormitory in Guyana early Monday, killing at least 20 students and injuring several others at a boarding school catering to remote, mostly indigenous villages, authorities said.“This is a horrific incident. It’s tragic. It’s painful,” President Irfaan Ali said, adding that his government was mobilizing all resources to care for the children.The fire broke out shortly after midnight in the dormitory building of a secondary school in the southwestern border town of Mahdia, a gold and diamond mining community about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of the capital, Georgetown, the government said in a statement. The fire killed at least 20 students, and injured several others, six of whom were taken to the capital for treatment, the government said.The school serves mostly indigenous children aged 12 through 18, according to National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia. He said it was too early to speculate what might hav...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts in a tight range as talks on avoiding a U.S. default continue

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:06 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are movingly tentatively as Wall Street waits to see whether a pivotal meeting in the afternoon will help the U.S. government avoid a potentially disastrous default on its debt. The S&P 500 was little changed in early trading Monday after coming off its best week since March. The Dow and the Nasdaq composite were also flat. The stock market is near its highest level since August, but it’s been mostly drifting within a tight range for weeks as several big worries weigh. The biggest near-term risk is the possibility of a U.S. default, something that could occur as soon as June 1.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street is trading small gains and losses early Monday as a deadline nears to reach a deal to avoid a federal default.Dow and S&P futures rose less than than 0.1% before the bell. There’s a pivotal meeting set for later in the day at the White House between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCar...