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EU set to announce Ukraine accession talks by December

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

The European Union is gearing up to open negotiations with Ukraine on its future accession to the bloc with a formal announcement expected as soon as December.According to three diplomats with knowledge of the plans, leaders are preparing to give Kyiv the green light to begin formal talks on joining the 27-country bloc before the end of the year. Ukraine is at the heart of a major new push to expand the EU to as many as 35 countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual address to Parliament last month that Ukraine’s future was “in the Union.”EU countries granted Kyiv status as a candidate for EU membership in June, and the Commission is due to issue a “progress report” on how well Ukraine and other aspiring members are meeting the bloc’s conditions for joining in November, according to an EU official who spoke to journalists on Tuesday.Once the progress report has been adopted, the Commission will make a statement...

EU’s wannabe climate chiefs made to sweat as MEPs play tug-of-war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

STRASBOURG — The EU’s climate leadership hopefuls failed to impress lawmakers as their confirmation hearings descended into a political tit-for-tat among the Parliament’s two largest groups.After interrogating Wopke Hoekstra and Maroš Šefčovič for more than three hours each, MEPs on Tuesday decided to postpone their confirmations to the European Commission’s top climate jobs until both candidates answer more questions in writing. The fates of Hoekstra, a former foreign minister of the Netherlands who hails from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), and Šefčovič, a Socialist who is already an executive vice president of the Commission, became entangled after the two groups threatened to vote down each other’s candidates, flexing the limited muscles the Parliament possesses to scrutinize future commissioners. Šefčovič’s future is part of a “political game now,” said the Socialists’ chief negotiator Tiemo Wölken. “After they realized that Hoekstra didn’t perfo...

Trial for man accused of killing New Hampshire couple in 2022 gets underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

The trial for a man charged in the 2022 shooting deaths of a New Hampshire couple got underway Tuesday morning, a year after authorities tracked down and arrested the suspect.Appearing in court during opening statements, Logan Clegg, 28, faces charges in connection with the deaths of Djeswende and Stephen Reid, who authorities say were shot to death in April of last year while out on a hiking trail.The retired couple were initially reported missing after they left their home in Concord for a walk on April 18. Their bodies were found days later, setting off an investigation that ended when police arrested Clegg in Vermont in October that year.According to an affidavit following his arrest, police honed in on Clegg after reviewing witness statements and other evidence – including a reported encounter officers had with a man named “Arthur Kelly” at a tent site the day before officials found the victims nearby.Police later found the tent torched while “Kelly,” believed to be Clegg givi...

Winchester police investigating after pet dog shot and killed while out on walk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

State and local police are investigating the shooting death of a dog in Winchester after an owner told authorities his pet was shot and killed while out on a walk.The Winchester Police Department told 7NEWS that officers were first alerted Monday night around 6:30 p.m. and responded to a wooded area off of Sussex Road.According to authorities, arriving officers spoke with a pet owner who said he was walking his dog off-leash when he heard a gunshot and found his pet had been hit.He said that while speaking with a concerned neighbor, he then heard another gunshot in the distance, 15-20 minutes after the first round was fired.Winchester PD said officers searched the scene and surrounding area for over two hours, calling in Massachusetts State Police as well.Police continued to monitor the area overnight and were still processing the scene Tuesday afternoon, with additional patrols operating in the area.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest u...

Boston Bill Targets 250 Liquor Licenses For Neighborhoods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Legislators grilled Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and other city officials for more than an hour Monday over a home rule petition that would dramatically expand the volume of liquor licenses in low-income, marginalized communities, raising concerns about whether the legislation could ultimately accelerate gentrification and harm entrepreneurs of color.Proposals from Rep. Christopher Worrell and Sen. Liz Miranda (H 3741 / S 2380), which build upon local approval from the Boston City Council, would gradually add 250 targeted liquor licenses in 10 ZIP codes in Mattapan, Roxbury and Dorchester, among other neighborhoods.The scarcity of available liquor licenses, plus the nearly $600,000 price to buy a license from an establishment that’s going out of business in Boston, has contributed to the racial wealth gap and disproportionately concentrated restaurants and bars in wealthier hubs of the city, according to city officials and state lawmakers who voiced their support for the bill...

Bill O’Brien takes share of blame for Patriots offensive struggles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Coming off an offensive performance like Sunday’s, it would be easy for people to start pointing fingers and blaming each other for everything that went wrong. Mac Jones in particular would be ripe for criticism for his numerous miscues and poor decisions, but offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said the performance wasn’t all on Jones and that he and the coaches deserved their share of blame as well.“We’re all in it together, we’ve got to do a better job of coaching up some things with him a little better, he’s got to do a better job of making good decisions for us, he knows that. He takes a lot of ownership, you guys saw that after the game, he blames himself,” O’Brien said. “The game wasn’t lost because of one guy, the game was lost on our part because of how poorly we played and coached in the game. Mac is here today, he’s working very hard to get back on the right track and we have a lot of belief in Mac....

How much can you borrow with a home improvement loan?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Meaghan Hunt | Bankrate.com (TNS)A home improvement loan can be used to fund renovations and projects on your house or property. And while a complete kitchen remodel or new flooring throughout your house can be a substantial undertaking, there are several types of home improvement loans available to help homeowners finance these projects.But as with any loan, terms and rates will depend on which type of home improvement loan you choose.How much home improvement loan can you get?Like with many personal loans, the amount you qualify for will depend on your credit score, current debts and income. Although it can be hard to ballpark what a large project will cost, you need to have a good idea of your budget before submitting any loan applications.The maximum amount of money you can get will also depend on what type of home improvement loan you apply for.•Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) are based on the equity you’ve built in the property and allow you to borro...

Massachusetts House to consider requiring pay ranges on most job listings during Wednesday session

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

House lawmakers plan to consider legislation Wednesday that would require businesses with at least 25 employees to list a salary or hourly wage range on a job posting, a move that advocates argue would primarily help women and people of color boost their pay.The bill would put Massachusetts in line with 10 other states across the country, including Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut, for requiring pay disclosure but also place the commonwealth ahead of the curve with annual aggregate demographic and pay reports compiled by the state from federal forms.Advocates cheered the House’s plan to take up the bill after the chamber’s Ways and Means Committee made clear Tuesday morning they were advancing a version of the legislation originally co-sponsored by Sen. Patricia Jehlen and Rep. Josh Cutler, co-chairs of the Labor and Workforce Development Committee.Pay disclosure is necessary “to “level the playing field for all workers, close persistent gender and racial wage gaps, and help ...

Matt Poitras is making a strong push for a Bruins’ roster spot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

The Bruins are giving Matt Poitras every test available to them to see if the slick-passing 19-year-old is ready for a National Hockey League season.The latest? He was in the B’s lineup in the second half of a back-to-back coupled with a plum assignment in what would be a top six centerman role. After playing in Monday’s game in Philadelphia, picking up a helper in the B’s only goal of the game, Poitras was set to get right back at it on Tuesday at the Garden against the Washington Capitals, this time playing on a line with Brad Marchand and Trent Frederic.It seems like Poitras has at the very least earned a longer look-see. While the preseason is winding down and opening night is just a week away, coach Jim Montgomery said that the nine-game window in the regular season teams are allowed to test out players who aren’t eligible for the AHL like Poitras could be helpful, though he didn’t definitely say that’s the way the club is going.Poitras certa...

US Rep. Cuellar of Texas is back at work after being carjacked by 3 armed attackers near the Capitol

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was back at work on Tuesday after being carjacked the night before by three armed attackers less than a mile from the Capitol. Cuellar said he was “good” and even joked about the frightening experience. He said the robbers “came out of nowhere, and they pointed guns at me.”“I looked at one with a gun, another with a gun, and I felt one behind me,” he said. “They said they wanted my car, and I said, ‘Sure.’ You got to keep calm under those situations, and they took off.”Cuellar’s chief of staff Jacob Hochberg released a statement Monday night saying: “As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement.”Monday’s carjacking was the second assault on a member of Congress in the District of Columbia this year. In February, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was assaulted in her ...