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Tax Package Sails Through House 155-1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Representatives nearly unanimously embraced a compromise tax relief bill Wednesday, one day after the final contours of the long-awaited deal became clear.The House voted 155-1 to accept a conference committee report that would roll out a bevy of tax breaks, credits and reforms worth $561 million this year and more than $1 billion by fiscal year 2027. Rep. Mike Connolly, a Cambridge Democrat who opposed the original legislation the House approved in April, cast the only no vote.Several Democrats and Republicans spoke in favor of the measure before approving it Wednesday, describing it as a way to address both affordability concerns that many residents face and growing concerns that Massachusetts is not as competitive as other states.No one voiced any outright opposition during Wednesday’s session to the bill, which also reshapes a pair of voter-approved tax policies.House Republicans previously criticized a piece of the package that replaces the existing rebate syste...

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returns from record-setting mission in space

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

(CNN) — Record-breaking NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has finally returned to Earth, feeling the pull of the planet’s gravity for the first time in more than a year.Rubio and his two Russian colleagues — cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin — parachuted to a landing in Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-23 capsule at 5:17 p.m. local time (7:17 a.m. ET) on Wednesday.The crew’s arrival marked the end of a long — and unexpected — journey for Rubio, who had been slated to spend only six months aboard the International Space Station. He instead logged a total of 371 days in space following the discovery of a coolant leak coming from his original ride while docked to the orbiting outpost.Rubio’s stay set a new record for the longest a US astronaut has ever spent in microgravity. He also became the first American to log an entire calendar year in orbit.His record-breaking mission also marked other notable firsts for Rubio: This was his first journey to space after being sel...

With government shutdown looming, Carter library moves up birthday celebration for 39th president

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

(CNN) — The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum has moved up planned festivities for the former president’s 99th birthday amid the possibility of a government shutdown by the end of the week.Some events will now be held on Saturday instead of Sunday, the Carter library said. Although activities remain scheduled for Sunday, absent a breakthrough in negotiations in the House of Representatives, government funding is set to expire at the end of the day on Saturday, September 30 – a day before Jimmy Carter’s birthday. A shutdown could affect some of the country’s most beloved treasures such as museums and national parks and some presidential libraries would close, according to the National Archives and Records Administration’s plans.Tony Clark, the director of public affairs at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, told CNN that although some aspects of the Carter library share spaces with the nonprofit Carter Center, some of it would be clo...

‘Wedding became a graveyard.’ At least 100 killed as fire rips through party in Iraq

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

(CNN) — A fire tore through a wedding hall in Qaraqosh in northern Iraq on Tuesday, killing at least 100 people and injuring 150 others, prompting anger at the lack of safety measures at the venue.Fireworks were set off at the venue in the Hamdaniya district of northeast Nineveh governorate, the Iraqi Civil Defense said, and an investigative committee was formed to identify the cause of the incident.“The hall did not meet safety criteria. Because of the fireworks the ceiling collapsed on the people in the hall,” Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari told reporters on Wednesday.“Justice will be served to those who were negligent,” Al-Shammari added.Nine people were arrested following the fire, the Iraqi interior minister spokesperson Khalid al-Muhanna told CNN. Arrest warrants have been issued for another four, Al-Muhanna said.There were 1,300 guests when the blaze broke out, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command Spokesperson Major General Pilot Tahseen Al Khafaji told CNN.The g...

Fun and interesting things to do in the Cancun Hotel Zone

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Mark Chesnut | TravelPulse (TNS)With its stunning white-sand beaches and clear turquoise waters, the Cancun Hotel Zone has been a vacation hot spot for decades.And while the sand, sea and spectacular array of beachfront hotels may get most of the attention, this sun-soaked strip of Caribbean coast is also home to a variety of interesting attractions, restaurants, nightlife and shopping areas, making it an especially fun place to explore.The beauty of Cancun’s Hotel Zone is that everything is nearby, making it easier for visitors to spend more time enjoying and less time traveling. Rather than relying on private transportation and pricey taxis on long rides, vacationers staying in Cancun can take a quick car ride, hop on a public bus or even stroll to nearby attractions and restaurants. Here are some of the top activities that await in the Hotel Zone.Chichen Itza and Tulum may be some of the Yucatan peninsula’s most legendary Mayan ruins, but travelers without the time or budget to v...

Column: Chicago Cubs’ blown game in Atlanta is a blast from the past — the 1998 Brant Brown ‘Oh, no!’ drop

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Seiya Suzuki’s missed eighth–inning fly ball that sent the Chicago Cubs to a crushing 7-6 loss Tuesday will no doubt go down in infamy.The immediate reaction from Cubs fans watching at home was one of horror, as many flashed back to a similar play on Sept. 23, 1998, at County Stadium in Milwaukee.Like Suzuki, Cubs outfielder Brant Brown had been a key player in their wild-card race. But when a fly ball by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins bounced off his glove with two outs in the ninth inning, bringing home three runs in an 8-7, walk-off loss, Brown felt like his world caved in.“Basically my whole philosophy all year, no matter if I’m starting or coming off the bench, is just to try to contribute,” Brown said that day. “Today wasn’t the best contribution. You just have to go on. Life goes on. It’s not the worst thing that’s ever going to happen to me. Hopefully it is, but you know, it’s just something tha...

The readers have spoken: Brooks Robinson’s fielding clinic in 1970 is Orioles’ top postseason moment

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

The Orioles have been creating postseason memories for more than half a century. With the team poised to make more in 2023, here’s a look back at the most magical moments in franchise history, ranked according to votes received from Baltimore Sun readers in a Sept. 19-25 online poll. No surprisingly Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, who died Tuesday after voting was complete, topped the voting for his wizardry in the field.1) 1970: Brooks Robinson puts on a clinic at third base281 votes in Sun online pollMoments after the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3, in Game 5 to win the 1970 World Series, the Baseball Hall of Fame asks for third baseman Brooks Robinson’s glove. Small wonder. His backhand stabs, diving catches and off-balance pegs foil the Reds and earn Robinson MVP honors. Fittingly, in the final game, he throws out the last batter.“I never saw a man dominate a single event like Robinson in [that Series],” baseball commissioner Bo...

Damian Lillard is being traded from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks, AP source says, ending long saga

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Damian Lillard is being traded by Portland to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday, a deal that ends his 11-year run with the Trail Blazers and a three-month saga surrounding his wish to be moved elsewhere in hopes of winning an NBA title.The seven-time All-Star — a player so elite that he was selected to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team — goes from the Trail Blazers to the Bucks in a three-team deal that sends Jrue Holiday from the Bucks to Portland, Deandre Ayton from Phoenix to Portland and Jusuf Nurkic from the Blazers to the Suns, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because none of the involved teams had announced the agreement.As with all trades, it cannot be finalized until NBA attorneys review the terms and approve the deal.It became known on July 1 that Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade, which he was long speculated to be considering given his...

Gretchen’s table: Hey kids, wanna help make Japanese chicken meatball skewers?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)One way to get kids to try new things at mealtime while also teaching them about nutrition is to hand them a spoon (or bowl or knife, if they’re old enough) and get them involved in making dinner.Sons and daughters are more apt to eat things they’ve had a hand in preparing and, by teaching them to cook, even just a little, you’re fostering life skills that will come in handy once they’re off on their own at college or jobs or wherever life takes them.Also, it’s just fun to carve out a little one-on-one “us” time with your children. I speak from experience when I say they grow up so fast and will be gone in the blink of an eye, almost before you know it.Iron Chef and cookbook author Alex Guarnaschelli, alongside her teenage daughter, Ava, show exactly how fun and inspirational cooking together can be in their new cookbook, “Cook it Up.”In it, they share more than 70 recipes that define their modern family meals tog...

San Diego International Airport advises travelers to 'anticipate traffic delays'

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:36:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO --For those traveling to and from the San Diego International Airport this weekend, traffic delays should be anticipated. Northbound traffic lanes on Interstate 5 will be reduced north of State Route 15 for Caltrans work from 9 p.m. Sept. 29 until 5 a.m. Oct. 2. Six miles of the freeway will be squeezed into one lane. House fire under investigation in Lemon Grove Officials at SAN are encouraging travelers to plan ahead. They are advising flyers to allow more than two hours before your flight departs to allow for potential traffic congestion and delays.Here are some key details to know about this scheduled closure:-- Alternative routes during this timeframe for drivers coming to SAN from the south include taking SR-15 or Interstate 805 to Interstate 8 west and then I-5 south. -- One northbound I-5 lane will remain accessible for limited local and airport traffic. -- I-5 north will be accessible from SR-75 east and the 19th Street, B Street/Pershing drive on-ramps. Four...