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Yes, the monarchy is absurd. So why can’t I quit King Charles?

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

For several years, my tactic for navigating debates about the tedious younger members of Britain’s royal family (Did you see the Harry interview? Isn’t William awful?) has been to align myself with their dad.I’m not interested in being pro-this kid or anti-that kid. I’m pro-Charles.That stance usually draws a puzzled reaction, and reasonably so. Who in the United States feels enthusiasm for the new king? Americans who care about him usually dislike him. Far more people are focused on the War of the Sussexes.The funny thing is, I mostly mean it.The monarchy is a silly institution, no matter how hard Netflix tries to convince Americans that it performs a vital social function. But if Britain is determined to invest this web of dysfunctional personalities with quasi-spiritual meaning, then surely it’s better to have a monarch who also cares about some issues that matter.In Charles there is a king who cares deeply about climate change, the most important political issue of our time. Wou...

Pattern Change In Sight!

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

Sight for sore eyes? Or a sore sight to see? Depends on what timeframe I suppose. This morning, we start off murky once again as the damp, drizzly, dreary and cool weather continues. That won’t change much through the morning commute. 17 of the last 20 days in Boston have been in the 50s with the other 3 days between 60-64. Today, we’ll make it 18 for 21 with highs stuck into the 50s. Blah! Now, with that said, there’s some optimism out there this afternoon. Clouds will breaks of some sunshine mid to late afternoon and temps won’t be as chilly as yesterday. Highs max out in the lower 50s at the coast, but run up into the mid 50s to 60 across the interior. We’ll dry out for those little league games tonight and with skies breaking for some sun, a drier pattern commences. Saturday and Sunday look fantastic as high pressure builds in and a pleasant northwesterly breeze kicks in. Temps jump to near 70 for back to back days as sunny to partly cloudy skies w...

April jobs report may point to US labor market’s resilience

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Month after month, the nation’s job market has stood its ground against howling headwinds — rising interest rates, chronic inflation, major bank failures and economic uncertainties across the world.Hiring has gradually slowed, along with pay growth and job openings. Yet by historical standards, the labor market has remained surprisingly strong, with an unemployment rate still hovering near half-century lows.When the Labor Department issues the April jobs report Friday morning, it’s expected to show that the trend has continued: Forecasters surveyed by the data firm FactSet predict that employers added 182,000 jobs last month. Though that would be well off the whopping 472,000 jobs that were added in January, the 326,000 in February and the 236,000 in March, it would still be a respectable gain that would show that many employers still need to fill jobs.The unemployment rate is thought to have edged up to 3.6%, only slightly above a 54-year low of 3.4% s...

Police search for woman who allegedly stabbed a man during apparent road rage incident in Newton

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

A search is underway for a woman who allegedly stabbed a man in an apparent case of road rage in Newton, state police said. The incident happened around 9:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the Daly Rink on Nonantum Road, where police said a man told them the woman got out of her black BMW and stabbed him. Police said the man was taken to an area hospital with a superficial wound.No additional information has been released.

Massachusetts Senate on budget hot seat

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

Senate budget writers who have the next shot at crafting the 2024 state budget say their outlook remains on track despite a massive shortfall in revenues reported in April, which is typically the most significant revenue month of the year.A one-month reversal of Massachusetts’ strong tax figures hit hard on Beacon Hill Wednesday when state officials reported collections for April came in nearly $1.5 billion below original projections for the month and $2.2 billion under collections from the same time last year.But the Senate’s chief budget writer said his chamber has been planning for a decline in revenues given recent forecasts and economic volatility.The Senate has “deliberately been cautious in our spending and revenue projections,” said Michael Rodrigues, a Westport Democrat who heads up the Senate Ways and Means Committee.“While we must be fiscally prudent moving forward, our actions thus far have put us in a strong position as we face this uncertainty,” he said in a statement....

Ukrainian migrant arrives in Boston thanks to an army of volunteers

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

Alina Chernyakova spent weekdays in a bomb shelter in the Ukrainian city of Sumy when Russia first invaded the country last year.The city is less than 20 miles from Russia and was one of the first to be occupied by Russian forces after war broke out. It was a dangerous place to live, Chernyakova said, and her situation was made more difficult because her late husband was dealing with cancer.But on Thursday, Chernyakova landed at Logan and walked into the international arrivals area with a job lined up in Needham and an army of volunteers ready to help her settle into a new life in Massachusetts.Holding a small Ukrainian flag, Chernyakova said “I stand with Ukraine” as she laid eyes on a group of people waiting for her.“I would like to begin in a new way in my life, because I have no job in Ukraine,” she told reporters at the airport. “But the difficult situation may be temporary. I hope it will be okay soon. I hope.”Chernyakova is in line to work as a teacher at Temple Beth Shalom i...

Howie Carr: Jeffrey Epstein’s Harvard tentacles

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

Is there any more depraved and greedy crew of Beautiful People anywhere than the Democrats from Harvard who sucked up to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein before his, uh, suicide in 2019?Talk about greedy — every last one of Epstein’s sycophants couldn’t stop rump-swabbing the Democrat pervert, despite the fact that all of them were already fabulously wealthy and privileged and hated everybody who didn’t have a trust fund like they did.C’mon down, “Dr.” Lawrence Summers, former US Treasury secretary and ex-president of Harvard University.Kudos to the Wall Street Journal, which in addition to running the usual two or three anti-Trump columns and editorials every day, has also this week been running a series of stories about Epstein’s interactions with what passes for the carriage trade these days.State-run media are giving these deliciously gossipy stories a good leaving-alone, for the obvious reason. Professional courtesy.The best tale so far concerns Larry Summer. It’s from 2014, whi...

How (and when) to watch King Charles’ coronation in the US

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

King Charles III’s coronation Saturday will mix of a thousand-year tradition with the streaming age.The pomp and ceremony will be unmissable for U.K. residents, but what about royal watchers across the Atlantic? There are plenty of options to watch the regalia-heavy event that serves as a formal confirmation of King Charles’ dual role as head of state and titular leader of the Church of England — for those willing to wake up early enough.While it might seem odd that Americans might want to tune in, there have been large audiences for previous royal milestones, such as the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 and the weddings of their children, William and Harry.The longevity of the king’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, means that many people alive have never seen a coronation. WHAT TIME DOES THE CORONATION START?Well, first King Charles and his wife Camilla have to get to the ceremony. That begins with a procession to Westminster Abbey, which will get started at about...

Russia’s Wagner boss threatens Bakhmut pullout in Ukraine

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military contractor threatened Friday to pull his troops out of the protracted battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut next week, accusing Russia’s military command of starving his forces of ammunition and causing them heavy losses.Yevgeny Prigozhin, a notorious millionaire with longtime links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed that Wagner had planned to capture Bakhmut by May 9. That day is a major Russian holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.But, Prigozhin said, his force hasn’t received enough artillery ammunition supplies from the Russian military since Monday. Known for his bluster, Prigozhin has previously made unverifiable claims and made threats he hasn’t carried out.Hours before releasing the statement, Prigozhin’s spokespeople published a video of him angrily demanding ammunition from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov.In the video, ...

Ukraine delegate hits Russian at Black Sea summit in Turkey

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:24:09 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Ukrainian and Russian delegates have had to be separated after a scuffle during a meeting of Black Sea countries in the Turkish capital Ankara.Oleksandr Marikovski, a Ukrainian member of parliament, landed several blows to the head of a Russian official after his Ukrainian flag was ripped from his hands during a summit at the Turkish parliament building on Thursday. A video posted on Marikovski’s Facebook page shows him waving the flag behind Russian delegate Ola Timofeeva as she records a video on her phone. A man approaches, grabs the flag and is chased by Marikovski.During a brief altercation in parliament’s hallway, Marikovski grabs the flag back, pushing the man in the face. Others separate the men and plead “please, no fighting.” Marikovski replies: “It’s our flag. We’re going to fight for this flag.”In a caption to his Facebook video, Marikovski wrote: “Paws off our flag, paws off Ukraine, Russian filth!”The outburst happened at the Parliamentary Assembly of t...