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MEPs to grill Dutch climate commissioner pick Wopke Hoekstra on October 2

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

STRASBOURG — EU lawmakers will grill Wopke Hoekstra, the former Dutch deputy prime minister who is in line to be the EU’s commissioner for climate action, on October 2, a spokesperson for the European Parliament confirmed Thursday.The fiscal hard-liner will face a grueling three-hour ordeal in front of lawmakers from the environment, industry, foreign affairs and development committees in Strasbourg, who will likely be eager to probe his lack of experience in climate policymaking and the fact he worked for oil giant Shell.The following morning, MEPs will also subject Commission Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič to questions about his expanded portfolio as Green Deal chief in another three-hour hearing. This will come just days after Slovakia holds an election where Šefčovič’s social democratic Smer party — and its controversial pro-Russian populist leader Robert Fico — are on track to win.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has li...

EU digital chief in Beijing next week for tech, AI talks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová will visit China next Monday and Tuesday to discuss technology issues like artificial intelligence, amid a looming trade dispute over an EU investigation into Chinese state subsidies of electric cars. Jourová, who took over the digital portfolio earlier this month, is heading to Beijing to meet China’s Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing as part of an EU-China High-Level Digital Dialogue — a meeting meant to lay the groundwork for a bilateral EU-China Summit later this year.“We will discuss artificial intelligence, the acceleration of which requires a clear commitment to uphold universal human rights,” Jourová said in a statement to POLITICO. She said the Commission wanted to “keep channels of communication open” and she would explain the EU’s “approach to technology security, as part of our economic security strategy.” The meeting comes as EU-China tensions run high, following Commissi...

State police identify man killed in early morning crash in Milton, NH

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

New Hampshire state police have identified the 55-year-old Sanbornville man who was killed in an early morning crash on the Spaulding Turnpike in Milton on Thursday.Troopers responding to a reported crash on the Exit 18 northbound on-ramp around 1:30 a.m. found a 2022 GMC Sierra that had been going the wrong way toward the highway when it when off the road and down an embankment, according to state police.Michael Riley was pronounced dead at the scene.The cause of the crash remains under investigation.Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Matthew Dushame at [email protected].

Detroit automakers and auto workers remain far from a deal as end-of-day strike deadline approaches

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

By TOM KRISHER and DAVID KOENIG (AP Auto Writers)DETROIT (AP) — With a deadline looming just before midnight Thursday, the United Auto Workers union and Detroit’s three automakers remain far apart in contract talks, and the union is preparing to strike.In an online address to union members Wednesday, union President Shawn Fain said General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have raised initial wage offers, but have rejected some of the union’s other demands.“We do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifices and contributions our members have made to these companies,” he said. “To win we’re likely going to have to take action. We are preparing to strike these companies in a way they’ve never seen before.”The union is threatening to strike any company that hasn’t reached a agreement by 11:59 p.m. Thursday. But the strikes would be targeted to a small number of factories per company. It would be the first time in the...

Lufthansa Airlines to expand nonstop flight service from San Diego

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Traveling to Germany from San Diego will soon be easier.Lufthansa Airlines is expanding flight service from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC) in Munich, Germany by a whopping 70% next spring.Lufthansa currently serves SAN-MUC three times a week, however, it will expand to five days per week starting April 2024. Come June 2024, the airlines will transition further to daily service. Peso Pluma receives death threats ahead of Tijuana concert, officials say “Munich has been one of the most popular international destinations for travelers,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. “Seeing Lufthansa expand its service frequency to daily flights next year will provide even more opportunities for leisure and business travel and will support continued economic growth in both regions.”Lufthansa previously offered nonstop flights to Frankfurt, Germany, but that service wa...

Space guacamole -- coming to an orbit near you, thanks to SDSU researchers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Space guacamole -- it's an out of this world snack that may soon nourish astronauts occupying the cosmos.Thanks to researchers at San Diego State University, space travelers may no longer have to jones for the popular avocado-based dip so many enjoy.With the help of funding from NASA, those researchers are working to develop "a tasty algae-enhanced guacamole" that they say could help to sustain astronauts on long-term missions.SDSU was one of 15 institutions selected to receive funding from NASA under a program that supports researchers in devising innovative new technologies for use in space exploration. SDSU, UCSD among top public colleges in US: Forbes When asked why guacamole came to mind when brainstorming a new food creation for astronauts, the researchers pointed to microalgae and its many benefits.As explained by the SDSU researchers, the biomass of microalgae is a rich source of essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Since it...

Power is restored in Nigeria after nationwide outage caused by electrical grid failure

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria experienced a nationwide power outage for about 10 hours Thursday after the country’s electrical grid collapsed due to a fire, authorities and the nation’s electricity distribution companies reported.The grid has collapsed multiple times in recent years, and the latest outage affected all of Nigeria’s 36 states and the capital city of Abuja before electricity was restored in most parts of the country.A fire in one of the country’s power plants led to “sharp drops in frequency” that resulted in grid failure early Thursday, Adebayo Adebulu, Nigeria’s minister of power, said on X, formerly known as Twitter.“The fire has been fully arrested, and over half of the connections are now up and the rest will be fully restored in no time,” Adebulu said Thursday afternoon.The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which supplies electricity to southeastern Nigeria, earlier issued a statement announcing a “total system” collapse. “Due to this developme...

Europe’s central bank hikes interest rates again even as threat of recession grows

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank piled on a 10th straight interest rate increase Thursday, pressing forward in its fight against stubbornly high inflation that has been plaguing consumers even as worries grow that higher borrowing costs could help push the economy into recession.The increase of a quarter-percentage point comes as central banks around the world, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, try to judge how much anti-inflation medicine is too much — and what’s the right point to halt their swift series of rate rates before the economy tips into a downturn and people lose their jobs.The decision raises the ECB’s benchmark deposit rate to 4%, up drastically from minus 0.5% just a little more than a year ago and the highest it has been since the euro was established in 1999.“Future decisions will ensure that the key ECB interest rates will be set at sufficiently restrictive levels for as long as necessary,” the bank said in a statement, adding that it will keep...

Applications for US jobless benefits tick up slightly

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week ticked up modestly after falling to the lowest level in seven months the week before, as companies continue to retain employees despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool the economy.U.S. applications for jobless claims rose by 3,000 to 220,000 for the week ending Sept. 9, the Labor Department reported Thursday.Jobless claim applications are seen as representative of the number of layoffs in a given week.The four-week moving average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell by 5,000 to 224,500.The Federal Reserve is well into the second year of its battle against inflation, having raised interest rates 11 times since March of last year. At 5.4%, the Fed’s benchmark borrowing rate is at the highest level in 22 years.The Fed’s rate hikes are meant to cool the job market and bring down wages, which many economists believe helps to ease pressure on price growth. Though some measures of inflation have retr...

An Airbnb, Vrbo or other rental host ghosted you. Now what?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:12 GMT

Lauren Gumport was en route to a vacation on the island of Chios, Greece, in July, where she was set to stay in an Airbnb for five nights with her best friend.But upon her arrival in Athens to connect to her flight to Chios, she received a WhatsApp message from someone stating that their dad owned the Airbnb property, but that they managed it. The son said they’d be out of town — and that their dad didn’t speak English — but that Gumport would still be able to check in with the dad.Gumport, who works for the travel insurance company Faye, is no stranger to stories of travel mishaps. She sensed something was off but forged ahead with the Chios flight. When she arrived at the meeting spot near the Airbnb, no one was there.“It was hot and not in a touristy area, so it didn’t feel great,” she says. “We were exhausted from the flights and just wanted to drop our bags, so that was frustrating.”She had an international cell phone plan, so after 15 minutes of waiting for the owner,she calle...