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La politique, ce n’est pas seulement pour “gonfler son carnet d’adresses”, estime François Hollande

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

Pas touche à la Haute autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique : c’est, en substance, le message d’anniversaire adressé par le président François Hollande aux détracteurs de l’institution qu’il a fait naître il y a dix ans, dans les remous de l’affaire Cahuzac.L’organe de la déontologie des responsables publics, bâti sur les cendres d’institutions qui avaient failli à prévenir l’un des plus retentissants scandales politiques de la décennie, a pris du relief depuis sa création “extrêmement douloureuse”, selon les termes de François Hollande, qui a donné une interview exclusive à POLITICO. La soixantaine de collaborateurs de la Haute autorité sont en effet chargés de veiller au contrôle des mobilités vers le privé des ministres et de leurs collaborateurs, à la transparence des déclarations d’intérêts des élus avant et après leur mandat, ou encore à la bonne tenue d’un registre des activités de lobbying. Ils pourraient même, à terme, se mêler de contrôler les conflit...

En France, la culture du pantouflage fait de la résistance

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

“Est-on allés trop loin dans la régulation des conflits d’intérêts ?”, s’interrogeait Cédric O en préambule d’une tribune, publiée en janvier dans Le Monde. Avec cette ode au pantouflage, l’ancien secrétaire d’Etat au numérique s’est fait le porte-voix d’un discours de plus en plus fréquent dans les couloirs des ministères : la culture de la transparence et les mesures visant à prévenir les conflits d’intérêts ne seraient pas un remède, mais un poison pour la vie politique.En creux, c’est aussi une remise en question directe de l’action de la Haute autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique (HATVP), qui publie aujourd’hui son rapport annuel et fête ses dix ans d’existence.Conçue comme une réponse au scandale de fraude fiscale déclenché par l’ancien ministre du Budget Jérôme Cahuzac, la HATVP exerce un contrôle en trois temps des responsables politiques. Elle examine leurs situations patrimoniales, doit prévenir les situations de conflits d’intérêts au moment de leur prise...

Chicago White Sox offense picks up Lucas Giolito with a 5-run 4th in a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

The Chicago White Sox had just taken a three-run lead.They needed a shutdown inning in the fifth. Lucas Giolito did just that, striking out Taylor Ward and Mike Trout and getting Shohei Ohtani to fly out to right.Giolito was the winning pitcher as the Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Tuesday in front of 22,135 at Guaranteed Rate Field.But he gave credit to the offense.“The real story is that the offense did such a wonderful job picking me up,” Giolito said. “The first inning I give up a run, put us in a hole. They immediately answer back, tie it up, it’s a brand-new game. The fourth inning, I give up two and then they immediately answer back.“They prevented (shutdown innings) from happening twice, which gets the momentum directly back to our side, so all the credit to them. I didn’t pitch well enough to deserve a win next to my name. They just did their thing and I was able to kind of grind through five innings.”Romy Gonzalez playe...

Mary Ann Esposito’s best baked beans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

What is a summer cookout without baked beans? Just another cookout. Make yours the talk of the town with these slightly spicy beans.Summer’s Best Baked BeansINGREDIENTS2 cups dried navy beans1 Vidalia onion studded with 10 whole cloves2 whole bay leaves1 meaty ham bone3 cups water2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard1/2 cup molasses2 cups ketchup½ cup sweet pickle juiceSalt to tasteGrinding black pepper½ teaspoon cayenne pepperDIRECTIONSPlace beans in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate overnight. Next day, drain and rinse them.Place the beans, onion, bay leaves and ham bone in a bean pot or other heavy duty oven pot like a Dutch Oven.In a bowl mix together the water, mustard, molasses, ketchup, pickle juice, salt and cayenne and black pepper. Pour over the beans and ham bone.Cover pot and place in 325F preheated oven for 2 ½ hours or until beans are tender but not mushy.Remove ham bone and onion; scrape any meat off bone and add to the beans; remove the cloves from th...

Cure summer boredom with family crafts to make together

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

Things seem to slow down in summer. Come summer, the hurried pace that dominates much of the year takes a backseat to vacations, lounging around the pool, diving through ocean waves, and setting up tents at campsites near or far. When the weather is accommodating, there’s a seemingly endless list of ways to enjoy time spent outdoors.But as everyone knows, Mother Nature tends to be a bit unpredictable during the hazy days of summer. Thunderstorms can roll in quite suddenly, or rain may persist for a few days as the atmosphere attempts to right itself after an abundance of steamy days.Keep a list of craft ideas at the ready to make the most of time spent inside or out. The following are a few ideas.Friendship braceletsThere have been different iterations of friendship bracelets for every generation. With some general craft supplies, such as embroidery thread, beads, plastic lanyards, or other jewelry-making materials, kids can make and share a variety of friendship bracelets.Sea...

Frazier: Lack of civic education spells failure for future

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

\Disastrous. There’s no other word to describe the state of civic education in the U.S. In the wake of the latest test results released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress it would be hard for anyone to conclude otherwise.According to the NAEP, just one in three eighth grade students can describe the structure or function of government. On the whole, barely more than one out of every ten students scored at or above the proficient level.The good news is that the horrendous results have already caused an appropriate level of panic — headlines covering the dismal results demonstrate popular concern that we’re sowing the seeds of our own democratic demise by leaving the next generation the keys to a governing system they don’t understand.Assuming that this panic increases the educational resources paid to civics, the question is how to introduce students to a system that is undergoing a troubling bout of partisanship and gridlock.Do we emphasize how our democr...

Murphy: Floating recovery hospital an idea well worth launching

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

The state Senate has backed a proposal to explore converting a decommissioned ship to provide mental health and recovery services, and I say it’s a good first step.The Senate plan calls on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s naval construction and marine engineering program to examine the feasibility of a floating hospital to address urgent mental health needs, which would help us address the situation at Mass and Cass.And I support it, because we need to do something. There are people suffering at that intersection, people are suffering across every neighborhood in our city, and to do less than our level best to alleviate that pain is beneath us. Using a ship is the least we can do.I know firsthand the feeling of getting a phone call that Long Island was being shut down while a loved one was being cared for there. While my family was lucky enough to emerge from that trauma, others have had a tougher time. And the chaos and worry of those few hours is lived daily by the love...

Editorial: Safety shouldn’t be stuck in T ‘slow zone’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

“Slow zones” are not just speed restrictions in place until track repairs at made, they’re part of the MBTA’s mission statement.T riders have followed – and endured – the beleaguered transit agency’s torturous saga of accidents, derailments, delays, special panels, probes and scathing safety reports. We need to trust that actions are being taken in a timely manner and the T is pulling up its collective socks.Shutting down subway lines for repairs was one such move, and while it put a kink in many commutes, it was a visible testament to the agency taking steps to improve safety.However, the MBTA has always had a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as Federal Transit Administration Chief Safety Officer Joe DeLorenzo learned first hand.As the Herald reported, DeLorenzo wrote to MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng that the agency’s work plan, intended to address right-of-way violations that led to five near-misses and left one empl...

Hayden Wesneski is back from Iowa to bolster a Chicago Cubs bullpen that threw 4 scoreless innings in a 2-1 win vs. the Tampa Bay Rays

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

The Chicago Cubs’ long-term outlook on right-hander Hayden Wesneski hasn’t changed.They believe in his ability to be a big-league starter and potentially an impact arm in their rotation down the line.But the Cubs need more out of their struggling bullpen and are looking to Wesneski to bolster it. They recalled the 25-year-old from Triple-A Iowa before Tuesday’s 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays and optioned right-hander Michael Rucker.Manager David Ross isn’t defining a role for Wesneski in the bullpen. Multi-inning use or one-inning appearances both could be in play.“We’re trying to get the most talented pitchers we can down there,” Ross said. “He’s going to go out and do him, so I don’t worry about the heart rate, and he’s been in the bullpen before in big moments.“The reason why guys start is usually they’re the best pitchers and have the best stuff to go multiple innings. That stuff could tick up....

Knicks, Scott Perry parting ways after six seasons: reports

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:24 GMT

The Knicks and general manager Scott Perry are parting ways, according to reports.Perry had been GM for the team for six seasons and reportedly will explore other options, as his contract is expiring.Perry was hired by ex-Knicks executive Steve Mills in 2017. Mills was later replaced by Leon Rose in 2020 and the current executive retained Perry as general manager.Perry was part of a front office that helped build a team that achieved its first postseason series win in a decade and just the second postseason series win since 2000. He helped sign RJ Barrett to a $120 million extension last summer, which ended a 23-year streak of the Knicks failing to sign a rookie to a second deal.Perry was also a part of the Knicks signing Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, who turned out to be one of the NBA’s most impactful free agent signings last summer. ()