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Football’s ‘thugs and oligarchs’ run risk of EU money-laundering crackdown

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

BRUSSELS ― The European Parliament thinks football stinks.Concerned that transfers and sponsorship deals might be about as watertight as Manchester United’s defensive line, lawmakers are pushing for governments to back down in their opposition to soccer clubs being included in an EU law cracking down on money-laundering.“Member states refuse to subject football clubs, leagues and agents to the basic rules of due diligence,” said Green MEP Damien Carême, co-leader of the Parliament’s negotiations and a fan of Racing Club de Lens in France. “This is a godsend for thugs and oligarchs, who will be able to carry on with their little business of match-fixing and dubious transfers with complete impunity.”The Parliament’s demands are the latest step in wrangles over an EU plan proposed two years ago to streamline Europe’s safeguards against money laundering across the board, which currently differ from country to country. The talks, between the Commission, Parliament and the Co...

Celtics beat Magic 128-111, remain unbeaten in Boston for the season

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 30 points, Payton Pritchard added 21 off the bench and the Celtics remained unbeaten in Boston this season with a 128-111 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.The victory was the Celtics’ 13th straight in Boston — the second-longest streak to start a season in franchise history. Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn led Boston to 17 home wins in a row to open the 1957-58 season.The Celtics have not lost at home in 20 regular-season games dating to March 5 of last season. (They did lose in last season’s playoffs, including a Game 7 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.)Jaylen Brown scored 18 points for Boston, Derrick White added 19 points and eight assists and Pritchard went 6 of 7 from 3-point range.Jalen Suggs scored 19 points and Goga Bitadze had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who had beaten the Celtics four times in a row. One of them was an In-Season Tournament game in Orlando – Boston’s only loss in the g...

Holiday Helping: Jeremy Reiner’s Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

7News Holiday Helping is back! In this edition, Jeremy Reiner is making his Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue.Order new 2023 recipes from the 7News team to get all of their favorite holiday recipes! Your donation will help Project Bread feed hungry families right here in Massachusetts.Check out other Holiday Helping recipes from the 7News team.

Healey administration announces $372M in federal funding to rebuild Cape Cod bridges

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

(WHDH) — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $372 million in federal funding Friday to rebuild the Cape Cod Bridges.“This is a huge win for Team Massachusetts. Our administration said from day one that we were going to compete aggressively for federal funding to bring home to support crucial infrastructure projects in Massachusetts, like the Cape Cod Bridges project,” said Gov. Maura Healey, in a statement. “We are thrilled that our first application was a success, and we are optimistic that we are in a strong position to bring home the remaining funding. We’re grateful for the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration and for the strong partnership of Senators Markey and Warren and Congressman Keating.” The administration also recently submitted an application for $1.06 billion in grant funding through the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) Large Bridge Project Program for replacement of the Sagamore Bridge. MassDOT is th...

Shorthanded Celtics finally beat Magic with convincing 128-111 victory

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t interested in excuse-making. They were without Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford against the No. 2 team in the East, but he knew he had enough.“Just figure it out,” Mazzulla said pregame.The Celtics had lost four games in a row to the upstart Magic, including an abysmal defeat the day after Thanksgiving last month. They were a code they couldn’t seem to crack. So, of course, they figured it out while shorthanded.Jayson Tatum scored 30 points and Jaylen Brown added 18 for the Celtics, who on the second night of a back-to-back, fired on all cylinders despite unideal circumstances. They were humming offensively and suffocating defensively as they took control in the second quarter for a 128-111 over the Magic on Friday night at TD Garden for their fourth consecutive victory.Without four players – also including Luke Kornet and Dalano Banton – the Celtics received contributions up and down their roster. Derrick White had 19 points and eight assists, Pay...

5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears-Cleveland Browns game — plus our Week 15 predictions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

The Chicago Bears (5-8) will look to extend their winning streak to three games for the first time since December 2020 when they play the Browns (8-5) on Sunday in Cleveland.As kickoff approaches, here’s our snapshot look at the game.Player in the spotlightBrowns defensive end Myles GarrettThe last time Bears quarterback Justin Fields played the Browns in the regular season was his first career start on Sept. 26, 2021. It’s an impossible one to forget.“Just being back in Ohio, first start, everybody excited, and then of course getting sacked too,” Fields said. “Hopefully we can change that going back this weekend.”Browns defensive end Myles Garrett recorded 4 1/2 of the Browns’ nine sacks against Fields, who completed just 6 of 20 passes for 68 yards under then-coach Matt Nagy. Fields lost 67 yards to the sacks.As the Bears return to Cleveland, Garrett, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, still is wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks. He rank...

Federal judge denies cattle industry’s request to temporarily halt wolf reintroduction in Colorado

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

DENVER (AP) — A federal judge has allowed the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado to move forward in the coming days by denying a request Friday from the state’s cattle industry for a temporary delay in the predators’ release.While the lawsuit will continue, Judge Regina Rodriguez’s ruling allows Colorado to proceed with its plan to find, capture and transport up to 10 wolves from Oregon starting Sunday. The deadline to put paws on the ground under the voter-approved initiative is December 31.The lawsuit from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and The Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association alleges that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately review the potential impacts of Colorado’s plan to release up to 50 wolves in Colorado over the next several years. The groups argued that the inevitable wolf attacks on livestock would come at significant cost to ranchers, the industry that helps drive the local economies where wolves would be released.Attorneys for t...

‘General Hospital’ actors win supporting honors at 50th annual Daytime Emmys

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two “General Hospital” actors have won supporting honors at the Daytime Emmy Awards.The late Sonya Eddy won Friday night for her role as no-nonsense head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the venerable ABC show. She died last December at age 55 from an infection after surgery.Robert Gossett, who plays Marshall Ashford, claimed the supporting actor trophy. He also won last year in the guest performer category for the same role. The 50th annual ceremony honoring talk shows and soap operas is the first major awards show to return since the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes ended. It was pushed back from its scheduled June date.To celebrate the awards’ golden anniversary, the previous winner of a category was paired with a long-ago winner as presenters. Attendees sat at tables spread out in a ballroom at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles.Beth Harris, The Associated Press

DC firefighters battle blaze in historic firehouse near US Capitol

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Firefighters in Washington, D.C., on Friday battled a two-alarm fire that started in a three-story former firehouse under renovation near the U.S. Capitol.DC Fire and EMS said one firefighter declared mayday and was rescued. No injuries were reported.The fire began Friday evening in Old Engine Company No. 12, now a landmark historic site along North Capitol Street in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington.DC Fire posted on social media that an adjacent four-story building that is part of new complex attached to the firehouse was also “well involved.” The department said several adjacent homes were evacuated as a precaution, but the fire appeared to be contained as of 9 p.m. EST.The Associated Press

Sacramento councilman charged with illegally hiring workers, wire fraud and blocking federal probe

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:11:25 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Sacramento City Council member pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges that he hired undocumented workers at his local grocery stores, underpaid them and cheated the government on COVID-19 relief funds.Council member Sean Loloee and Karla Montoya, the general manager of Loloee’s four Viva Supermarket stores, entered not guilty pleas to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor, possession and use of false immigration documents, obstruction of agency proceedings and wire fraud. Loloee also pleaded not guilty to charges that he falsified records and took park in a pandemic relief fraud scheme, said a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. Both were ordered released from custody. “Today’s news comes as a shock, particularly since I came to this country as a teenager in 1989 with absolutely nothing and have worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the underserved in both my grocery stores and as a member of the City Council; both o...