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At least 79 dead after overcrowded migrant vessel sinks off Greece; hundreds may be missing

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and NICHOLAS PAPHITIS (Associated Press)KALAMATA, Greece (AP) — A fishing boat crammed to the gunwales with migrants trying to reach Europe capsized and sank Wednesday off the coast of Greece, authorities said, leaving at least 79 dead and many more missing in one of the worst disasters of its kind this year.Coast guard, navy and merchant vessels and aircraft fanned out for a vast search-and-rescue operation set to continue overnight. It was unclear how many passengers were missing, but some initial reports suggested hundreds of people may have been aboard when the boat went down far from shore.An aerial photograph of the battered blue vessel released by the Greek coast guard showed scores of people covering practically every inch of deck.Greece’s caretaker prime minister, Ioannis Sarmas, declared three days of national mourning, “with our thoughts on all the victims of the ruthless smugglers who exploit human unhappiness.Coast guard spokesman N...

Fox News says it ‘addressed’ onscreen message that called Biden a ‘wannabe dictator’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

By DAVID BAUDER (AP Media Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News appeared to express regret Wednesday for showing an onscreen message that called President Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator” who had his political rival arrested.On the day he was arraigned on federal charges for hoarding classified documents, former President Donald Trump illustrated his continued role as a lightning rod for the media. PBS second-guessed one of its own messages about Trump, and his primetime speech showed a policy change at CNN following the ouster of its former leader.The Fox News Channel chyron appeared beneath split-screen video boxes that showed Trump addressing supporters live in New Jersey, and Biden speaking at the White House earlier in the day.The message read, “Wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested.”Fox said in a statement Wednesday that “the chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed.” The website Mediai...

Bud Light, top US seller since 2001, loses sales crown to Modelo as backlash continues

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

By DEE-ANN DURBIN (AP Business Writer)After more than two decades as America’s best-selling beer, Bud Light has slipped into second place.Modelo Especial, a Mexican lager, overtook Bud Light in U.S. retail dollar sales in the month ending June 3, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting. Modelo controlled 8.4% of U.S. grocery, convenience and liquor store sales; Bud Light fell to 7.3%. It’s a milestone in the months-long sales decline Bud Light has experienced since early April, when critics vowed to boycott the brand after it sent a commemorative can to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer. Bud Light has also faced backlash from Mulvaney’s fans, who think the brand didn’t do enough to support her.Dave William, Bump Williams’ vice president of analytics and insights, said Bud Light has been the top-selling U.S. beer since 2001, and it could still retain that crown this year. He noted that Bud Light’s year-to-date market s...

4 things we learned at Chicago Bears minicamp, including injury issues for WR Chase Claypool

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

Rain pushed the Chicago Bears inside the Walter Payton Center for their first day of minicamp Tuesday in Lake Forest. The team is wrapping up its offseason program with two more practices scheduled Wednesday and Thursday.As head coach Matt Eberflus continues shaping his team in advance of training camp, here are four things we learned Tuesday at Halas Hall.1. Receiver Chase Claypool is dealing with ‘a few things’ health-wise that are preventing him from practicing, coach Matt Eberflus said.Yes, you read that correctly. “A few things.” As in plural. Claypool has been off the practice field the past three weeks with what was originally described as an unspecified soft-tissue injury. Now, per Eberflus, there is more than one thing to keep an eye on. And Claypool’s missed practice time is significant as he tries to take a big leap forward in his first full season with the Bears, develop/ing timing and building rapport with quarterback Justin Fields.“T...

FAA will require secondary cockpit barriers for new planes; ex-FAA special agent says majority of aircrafts ‘still vulnerable to a 9/11 style attack’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

More than 20 years after 9/11, the FAA will require new commercial airplanes to have a secondary cockpit barrier to prevent attacks, but the feds will not mandate airlines to retrofit existing planes.A retired FAA special agent tells the Herald that this means the vast majority of planes remain unprotected and are “still vulnerable to a 9/11 style attack.”“It’s 22 years since 9/11, and the FAA is patting themselves on the back for putting secondary barriers on new aircraft down the road, while the aircraft we’re flying in now doesn’t have that protection,” the ex-agent Brian Sullivan added. “It’s ridiculous.”The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday announced that it will require a secondary barrier on the flight deck of new commercial airplanes, helping protect flight decks from intrusion when the flight deck door is open.A few months ago, the Herald reported about the continued need for secondary cockpit barriers i...

Royal Caribbean cooks up new venues for world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

MIAMI — The Royal Caribbean culinary team has spent more than 500 hours working on its macaroni and cheese, which is getting a starring role among a spate of new dining venues coming to Icon of the Seas when it debuts out of Miami in just over six months.“It’s about consistency,” said Michael Jacobs, lead for culinary operations during a recent tour of Royal’s headquarters where it workshops ideas for everything from attractions to bars to the new dishes set to appear on board its upcoming fleet. “It has to coat the pasta. Each pasta is cut for its own sauce.”A test kitchen full of chefs concur for what turned out to be an unusually long mac-and-cheese-related conversation as visiting media tried samples of a variety of dishes coming to what will be five food hall options within the planned AquaDome Market, itself just a small corner of the massive AquaDome superstructure at the top of the 20-deck, 250,800-gross-ton cruise ship currently under construction in Finland.Icon of the Sea...

Bruins beat: Bruce Cassidy the right man at right time for Vegas, not Boston

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

One of the most torturous hockey seasons for Bruins fans came to a fittingly excruciating end Tuesday night when Bruce Cassidy, fired here a year ago, lifted the Stanley Cup with his new team, the Vegas Golden Knights.Would you like a little more salt for that gaping wound, sir?Cassidy confirmed what we already knew: he’s an excellent hockey coach. And you can bet that no one knew that better than Don Sweeney, the man who ultimately decided to cut Cassidy free back in June of 2022 after five-plus seasons, a .672 winning percentage and one painful near-miss at the Cup in 2019.Timing is everything, and Cassidy’s time was on the Strip, not on Causeway Street. Those who now can’t grip the fact that Sweeney was on to something when he decided to fire Cassidy and eventually hire Jim Montgomery are conveniently forgetting the historic 65-win season that not even the most optimistic Bruins’ fans saw coming. That’s understandable. Regular season success doesn...

Paul McCartney says artificial intelligence made upcoming ‘last Beatles record’ possible

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

Peter Sblendorio | New York Daily News (TNS)A new Beatles song is coming together with a little help from AI, according to Paul McCartney.Artificial intelligence made it possible to turn a decades-old demo recording by John Lennon into “what will be the last Beatles record,” McCartney told BBC Radio 4′s “Today.”“We were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI, so then we could mix the record as you would normally do,” McCartney said. “It gives you some sort of leeway. There’s a good side to [artificial intelligence], and then a scary side. We just have to see where that leads.”McCartney, 80, said the record was recently finished and will be released later this year. He didn’t share the song’s title, though the BBC suggested its likely a Lennon composition, “Now and Then,” from 1978.Director Peter Jackson also employed AI technology when he made the 2021 documentary series “The Beatles: Get Back,” which uses archival footage of the band recording the 1970 album “Let...

Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley finally enjoying healthy offseason: ‘This is as good as I’ve felt since 2019′

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

Lamar Jackson’s injuries the past two years have grabbed the majority of headlines when it has come to Ravens players being sidelined. But he’s not the only significant player who has struggled to stay on the field.Over the last three seasons, left tackle and former All-Pro Ronnie Stanley has played just 18 games, including just six in 2020 and one in 2021.So imagine the 29-year-old’s excitement not having to spend this offseason rehabbing.“The majority of my time the past couple of years has been spent on rehab — 80% of that offseason time, probably, and 20% on training,” Stanley said Wednesday during the second day of the Ravens’ three-day mandatory minicamp. “So, I’ve been able to really put most of my time on training and building and getting stronger, getting more endurance. And just becoming an overall better athlete has been a big difference for me.“This is as good as I’ve felt since 2019, preseason 2020.”...

A louder Lamar Jackson takes greater control of Ravens offense under new coordinator Todd Monken

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:00:27 GMT

Lamar Jackson let Nelson Agholor know he was dissatisfied.The Ravens quarterback expected his new wide receiver to run a different route during the team’s minicamp practice Tuesday, and Jackson spoke out in a way he might not have in past years.In this respect, he seemed to draw inspiration from offensive coordinator Todd Monken, a far louder practice critic than his predecessor, Greg Roman.“Yeah, you could say that. It’s rubbing off a little bit,” Jackson told reporters Wednesday, laughing as he praised Monken’s outspoken style. “Not even talking about [Greg] Roman, when I first signed, when I seen [Monken], I didn’t think he was really that explosive when he was speaking. Even in the meeting room, he’s going to have you laughing and stuff, but he’s dead serious about what he’s saying, and it means a lot, just for him to have that going on with our offense. Everybody’s dialed in and knows what coach is thinking.̶...