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Zelenskyy visits Bulgaria, Czechia and draws support for Kyiv’s NATO membership bid

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the capitals of Bulgaria and the Czech Republic on Thursday, discussing military aid and receiving assurances of support for Ukraine’s entry into NATO after i ts war with Russia is over.Czech President Petr Pavel said it is in the interest of his country and Ukraine that soon as the war ends negotiations about NATO membership begin. “I’m convinced that Ukraine will be part of NATO,” Zelenskyy said in Prague, adding that an “ideal” result of next week’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania would be an invitation for Ukraine to join the alliance.Earlier Thursday, during a brief visit at the invitation of Bulgaria’s new pro-Western government sworn in a month ago, Zelenskyy also discussed European integration and bilateral energy cooperation. Talking to reporters after the meetings, he defended Ukraine’s right to fight Russian aggression and to seek help to do so.“Occupiers came to our land, killed, torture...

State leaders celebrate federal dollars for more broadband

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) -- Access to broadband continues to be an issue in some communities across Colorado and the nation. Some leaders are trying to bridge the divide among communities through federal funding.Colorado got a big investment to get everyone in the state connected to broadband. State leaders are celebrating a move that will bring more internet to more people across the state: a broadband access allocation of $826 million."We are going to have over 99% of Colorado homes connected with broadband in about three and a half years thanks to these resources," Gov. Jared Polis said at a press conference Thursday, where he discussed plans to use the funding to help meet his goal of connecting most homes by the end of 2027. Study: Colorado one of the top states for tech workers The resources were made possible with funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access and Development, or BEAD, program that passed inside the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law...

Outdoor Colorado: Where dinosaurs dared to tread

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

MORRISON, Colo. (KDVR) -- In Colorado, you will find tracks from many types of animals throughout the state. Even some that are 150 million years old.There is great wildlife history here in Colorado. Bison, elk, and bighorn sheep to name a few. But before that, we had some big animals. Really big animals. Even if you do not see them or hear them, you can always tell where they have been by their tracks. “The ones that swim don’t leave tracks. The ones that fly don’t leave it when they’re in the air. But most animals on the ground, they leave tracks of some sort,“ Kermit Shields, Dinosaur Ridge geologist, said. Kermit Shields is a geologist. He has been at it for just under thirty years. Now he volunteers at Dinosaur Ridge. “Some people say that if you find the bones from an animal, you see how they died. But if you see the tracks, you can see how they live,“ Shields said. And a lot of dinosaurs lived right here. Outdoor Colorado: The life of a park ranger Shields interprets the di...

Secret Service investigation into cocaine found at White House expected to conclude next week

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

(CNN) — The Secret Service is expected to conclude its investigation into a bag of cocaine found in the West Wing early next week, a federal law enforcement official told CNN – regardless of whether a suspect is identified.As of Thursday afternoon, investigators had yet to receive results of the DNA or fingerprint analysis, but had already begun reviewing visitor logs and security camera footage.This timeline reflects the current progress of the investigation, but law enforcement investigations are fluid and that timeline could shift.The official reiterated that it may be difficult to identify a culprit given how many people walk through the entrance near where the bag of cocaine was found.CNN previously reported that cocaine was found in a cubby near the ground floor entrance to the West Wing where staff-led tours of the White House pass through on their way into the building. Those tours typically only occur on weekends.Visitors entering the West Wing for ...

Wu announces free summer swimming lessons for children across Boston

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

Mayor Michelle Wu made a splash Thursday to promote swimming safety in Boston.The mayor unveiled a new initiative, Swim Safe, at the newly renovated Paris Street Pool in East Boston.The city is also partnering with the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs in Roxbury and Dorchester to provide free swimming lessons this summer. Children’s Hospital Boston donated 1,000 personal floatation devices for small children swimming at city beaches.An additional $500,000 from the city budget will provide free swimming lessons to an additional 500 children.Wu said it’s imperative for everyone to learn how to swim so they can safely enjoy the summer.“The relief that comes from feeling like you can be around water, go to a pool, is immeasurable, and so part of our commitment to making Boston the best place in the country to raise a family means making all of Boston’s natural beauty and resources safe, affordable and accessible for all of our residents,” Wu said at the event.

‘A big one in New York’: Chicago Cubs will close the 1st half vs. the Yankees after settling for a split in Milwaukee

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

It really doesn’t take much for Chicago Cubs fans to get excited.A couple of late-inning wins in Milwaukee, including a game Tuesday that Justin Steele declared “was drunk,” helped alleviate some worries over the Cubs’ post-London slump.And with Marcus Stroman on the mound Thursday for the series finale against the Brewers, the outlook was suddenly sunnier as the Cubs prepared for a three-game series against the New York Yankees.The bright lights of New York, the aura of Yankee Stadium and a reunion with former Cubs legend Anthony Rizzo made it a perfect way to head into the All-Star break, during which Stroman, Steele and Dansby Swanson were selected for the game in Seattle.But a Cubs comeback fell short Thursday in a 6-5 loss to the Brewers — after a five-inning outing by Stroman and 16 strikeouts by the offense — leaving them a season-worst eight games behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds.“It’s a big one in New York,” s...

Wu announces investments in water safety, free swimming lessons

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

Mayor Michelle Wu jumped into the issue of water safety this summer in an announcement of the city’s Swim Safe initiative — then dove into East Boston’s newly renovated BCYF Paris Street pool.“Today in Boston, we have an opportunity to ensure that every pool, every beach, every body of water in Boston is safe for all of our families and young people to cool off and have fun,” Wu said, standing at a podium in front of the pool in a striped bathing suit Thursday.The Swim Safe initiative is comprised of a series of investments in water safety this summer, officials announced, including free swimming lessons for young people, free life jackets at open water locations, and lifeguarding incentives and training programs.The announcement follows the drowning death of a 4-year-old child who wandered away from his guardian at Castle Island in May.Swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by nearly 90%, Wu said.Officials also emphasized that water safety is...

Ben & Jerry’s stock melts down

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

It’s Bud Light 2.0. Or more precisely, $2.5 billion.That’s the drop from its market capitalization before the cookies and cream hit the fan on July 4 after the Vermont-based brand slammed the U.S. over “stolen Indigenous land.” A call to boycott the pint-sized ice cream behemoth quickly followed.The stock in Unilever PLC, the Dutch owner of Ben & Jerry’s, slipped to $51.31 a share, a 77% drop, at market close Thursday.The fireworks were off over the Fourth when Ben & Jerry’s posted, “This 4th of July, it’s high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it.”The post is still up. It goes on to state: “We need to start with Mount Rushmore. Long before South Dakota had become a state, long before the faces of four American presidents were blasted into the side of Mount Rushmore, that mountain was known as Tunkasila Sakpe, the Six Grandfathers, to the Lakota Sioux — a holy mountain that rises up from the B...

Francisco Alvarez navigating ups and downs of rookie season: ‘It’s the biggest jump in professional sports’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

PHOENIX — If the Mets are going to right the ship that is the 2023 season, they’ll need more performances like the ones they turned in this week in Arizona. And they’ll need more home runs like the ones they’re getting from Francisco Alvarez.It’s hard to believe there was a time when moments like the one he faced Wednesday night in Phoenix once looked too big for him. It’s also hard to believe that last month he fell into a slump. Rookies are prone to stops, starts and extreme highs and lows as they learn to hit the game’s most elite pitching and navigate the Major Leagues for the first time. Those pitchers are more adept at adjusting to hitters and rookies aren’t as adept at making their own adjustments to counter.Last month, Alvarez went 15 games without a home run. Over that span, he hit only .111 with a .317 OPS, only one extra-base hit, four walks and 15 strikeouts.“He’s a 21-year-old catcher making adjustments on the ...

Matt Poitras, Brett Harrison are Bruins’ centers of attention

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:28:52 GMT

The pipeline that was supposed to produce the next top Bruins’ center has barely produced a trickle in the last decade.Tyler Seguin was dealt away in a still controversial trade. Ryan Spooner never took the next step. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson returned home to Sweden and hasn’t played since 2021. It’s still anyone’s guess what Jack Studnicka will be, but the B’s decided it was time to move on.Could Matt Poitras and Brett Harrison be the ones to finally reopen the B’s centerman spigot? There’s no question they need some infusion of talented youth at the pivot position. Whether or not Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci retire this summer, the end of the line is in sight.To think either Poitras or Harrison could or should contribute to the 2023-24 Boston Bruins would seem a stretch. But if they continue on their promising paths they set for themselves in the Ontario Hockey League, then they may not be too far away, given the opportunity that s...