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German coalition compromise on gas and oil heating includes key exemptions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

Germany’s ruling coalition on Friday evening reached a compromise on a controversial energy bill to ban the installation of new gas and oil-fired heating systems as of the start of next year, but the deal includes important exemptions and phase-in periods. According to the agreement, every newly installed heating system will have to be powered by 65 percent renewable energy starting January 1, 2024.The compromise contains a number of exemptions, introduces transition periods and includes dedicated financial support, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported. The law will “bring about a mandatory switch to renewable heating,” Germany’s economy and construction ministries said. The coalition agreement on the details of the bill — which still needs to be submitted to the federal states for consultation and passed by the cabinet — comes after the government on Tuesday evening reached an agreement on its future climate policy following 30 hours of negotiations. Germany a...

Life and education reach beyond sports at the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

There are famous names on many buildings throughout New York City. Buildings named after politicians, businessmen and philanthropists are numbered in the hundreds.And it’s rare when a building is named after a living, breathing icon.If you were asked to identify the building with Vernon Monroe’s name on it, you might scratch your head.If told his full name was Vernon Earl Monroe, as in Earl “The Pearl,” a few things might click into place.But wait, the Knicks’ Earl The Pearl? He has a building named after him? Where?We remember Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, the dazzling Hall of Famer, with his bag of spins, dips and sleights of hand on the hardwood and a member of the Knicks last world championship squad, teaming with another Hall of Famer, backcourt mate Walt “Clyde” Frazier.So, what is his name doing on a building? Is there a plaque on the side of Madison Square Garden?No. Monroe’s nomenclature is located about 10 miles from t...

Harris seeks billions for climate resilience across Africa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is pushing for $7 billion in private-sector investments to help Africa prepare for the effects of climate change.The announcement comes as she wraps up her weeklong trip to the continent on Saturday. Harris plans to visit a farm outside Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, where workers are using new techniques and technology to grow more produce, part of her effort to demonstrate ways to secure food supplies despite global warming.“The United States is committed to these types of innovative solutions to support climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience,” she said Friday during a news conference with President Hakainde Hichilema.Harris’ trip, which included stops in Ghana and Tanzania, is intended to advance U.S. efforts to make inroads in Africa, where China’s influence runs deep. The $7 billion announcement is the biggest-ticket item that Harris has announced, but more work will be needed to follow through.For example, ...

Pakistani police arrest 8 after deadly Ramadan food stampede

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police on Saturday arrested eight people in the southern port city of Karachi after a stampede killed 12 people at a Ramadan food and cash distribution point a day earlier.Hundreds of women and children rushed to collect free food and cash outside a factory in an industrial area of the city on Friday. Business owners during the Islamic holy month often hand out cash and food, especially to the poor. An initial report from the police says nine women, aged between 40 and 80, and three children, aged between 10 and 15, died in the crush.Police said the eight arrests include the factory manager, who did not tell local authorities about the Ramadan alms giving.“Factory management did not open the inside gate of the factory and, due to the narrow street, the people at the tail of the line pushed elderly women and children,” Superintendent of Police Investigations Dr. Hafeez Bugti told the media during a visit to the site. “As a result, pressure increased...

Cleaning up after storm damage in the Metro East

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

BETHALTO, Ill. -- There is a lot of storm damage in the St. Louis area after high winds and strong storms swept through the area Friday. The Metro East appears to have some of the most damage. FOX 2 reporter Ala Errebhi is at a mobile home park in Bethalto, Illinois, where they are still cleaning up.

Windy and chilly Saturday expected in the St. Louis area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A wind advisory is in place until 1 p.m. and a second cold front is dropping south across the area. Winds will continue to gust at 40-50mph through the morning. Temperatures will also fall to the low 40s. Behind this next front, low clouds will spread into the area mid to late morning and then gradually clear again later this afternoon. Much cooler today, with highs in the 50s, but numbers likely won't pop back into the 50s until sunshine returns. Winds also gradually diminish this afternoon and evening. Mostly clear and chilly overnight with lows in the 30s. For Sunday, sunshine and a big warm-up with highs back into the mid 60s.

Grading the Week: For Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and the NBA, less is more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

Here’s an idea that the NBA should consider: Less NBA.As this week’s slate of Nuggets games illustrated repeatedly — underscoring a theme that’s plagued the league for years during the load management era — you can have too much of a good thing.NBA schedule — FIt began, of course, with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers’ visit to Ball Arena on Monday night.What had been a highly anticipated matchup between MVP front-runners Nikola Jokic and Embiid instead turned out to be a dud after the Sixers opted to sit Embiid at the end of a long road trip with calf soreness.Later on in the week, Jokic sat on back-to-back nights while resting a calf injury of his own, missing a home game against New Orleans on Thursday, followed by a trip to Phoenix the very next night.The biggest losers? The thousands of fans who paid full price to watch the NBA’s best, only to get a smattering of starters and backups.To be clear right off the bat: The Grading the ...

Avalanche Journal: What’s nagging the Avs in playoff-caliber games recently? “Different team last year. Deeper team.”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

Once the Avalanche had faltered early and needed to scramble back Wednesday, it became clear what might nag this team in the playoffs.Fans felt the sinking feeling in their stomachs whenever Nathan MacKinnon’s line skated to the bench for a change.Who’s going to score when the top group isn’t on the ice?That was the feeling of helpless inevitability as the Avs attempted to claw back from down 3-1 in the third period of an eventual 4-2 loss to the Wild. And with the playoffs less than three weeks away, it’s what separates this Avalanche team from last year’s Stanley Cup-winning buzzsaw.The Avs (44-24-6) finished the month of March with a 10-5-1 record, continuing their upward momentum in the West that started in mid-January, but only 1-5-1 against teams that would make the NHL playoffs if the season ended today. (Against the same opponents in February, they went 4-1-2.)During those seven matchups, Colorado averaged 2.43 goals (1.86 at even strength) per ...

SF Giants’ Alex Cobb still feeling effects of knee heading into start vs. Yankees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

NEW YORK — Alex Cobb said his Saturday start against the Yankees was never in doubt, in his mind. But to others, the Giants’ training staff, perhaps?“I think I needed more to prove it to other people, probably,” said Cobb, who will match up against New York right-hander Clarke Schmidt Saturday afternoon in the Bronx (1:05 p.m. PT, FOX).There was some cause for concern, after the swelling in Cobb’s knee, caused by a nasty comebacker in a spring training start, hadn’t subsided after two weeks. It had even moved into his hamstring. He struggled to lift his front leg in his delivery, and his lower leg was bruised black and blue.Cobb made one more spring start after the initial injury, and he believes he tweaked it sometime after that. The hamstring swelling subsided after about five days, allowing Cobb to get in a final tuneup session earlier this week after the rest of the team had broken camp.“It looked pretty ugly,” Cobb said. “But once...

Video game companies mark April Fools’ Day with events and faux products

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:17 GMT

It’s April Fools’ Day and that means, things are going to get a little weird when it comes to your favorite video games and peripheral makers. This is time of year when you read things such as Pokemon appearing in Google Maps or Amazon’s AI assistant for pets.Here are some of April Fools’ Day pranks from video game companies.As an April Fools’ Day prank, HyperX unveiled a headset that lets you stay hydrated. (HyperX) Hyper X: The gaming peripherals maker is adding a new feature to its headsets — water. According to a news release, its HyperX Cloud20 Hydration Headset takes the popular phrase “stay hydrated” to a new level by integrating it into the headset. Its Ngenuity software allows users to customize hydration reminder intervals and check reservoir levels. At least, the art looks cool.Razer: The company is finally living up to its name by creating a razor. They’re calling it the Razer Razer of course. It even has RGB if ...