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Referee to remain in charge of Champions League final after apology over far-right event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

Football referee Szymon Marciniak will officiate in the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan after he apologized for speaking at an event in Poland organized by a far-right politician.Marciniak — who refereed the World Cup final between Argentina and France in December — attended the Everest business conference in Katowice on May 29. The event was organized by far-right leader Sławomir Mentzen, who in 2019 used the slogan “We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union” and in 2021 produced a beer named White IPA Matters, which mocked the Black Lives Matter movement. Marciniak’s attendance at the event was first disclosed by the anti-racist organization Never Again and reported on by the Guardian.UEFA, European football’s governing body, said in a statement on Friday that it has “diligently investigated the allegations” and “we unequivocally reject the values promoted by a group linked to this conference....

Celebrate National Donut Day with some local spots named in ‘America’s Greatest Donuts’ list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

Friday, June 2, is National Donut Day and those who want to pick up a pastry in Massachusetts to celebrate have plenty of options, including some spots that recently got national recognition for their baked goods.For a second year, the “Underground Donut Tour” set out to search for what they consider “America’s Greatest Donuts,” with nearly 500 shops nominated for their offerings.According to the donut enthusiast group, that number was cut down to just over 200 vendors, with some 22,000 votes cast to pick the best donut shop overall, as well as multiple other categories.Kane’s Donuts nabbed the “Greatest Gluten Free Donut in America” honor for its chocolate frosted GF donut, while Donut Star in Grafton won “Greatest Croissant Donut in America” for its glazed cronut.Meanwhile, on the South Shore, Donut King was dubbed home of the “Greatest Chocolate Donut in America” for its chocolate coconut donut.If you want to...

Early morning shooting under investigation after police respond to Worcester school property, find victim

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

Worcester police are investigating an early morning shooting that left a victim wounded by a local high school, according to officials.The Worcester Police Department said it was around 3:10 a.m. on Friday when officers were called to the property of Worcester Technical High School for a ShotSpotter activation.Police responding to the scene soon came across a 22-year-old male shooting victim, who officials say was treated at the scene before being taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.Authorities went on to process the scene and determined that “no one involved in this incident had any affiliation with the school,” according to a news release from the department.As police continue to investigate the shooting, Worcester PD asks that anyone with information contact the department anonymously by texting “274637 TIPWPD” along with their message, or by sending an anonymous message via worcesterma.gov/police.Those with info can also call Worcester P...

Challenging June for Chicago White Sox: 7 straight series against teams with winning records, Aaron Judge — and more Shohei Ohtani

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

The Chicago White Sox were looking to end May on a good note.Instead they found themselves trailing by seven runs after four innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.The Sox surrendered five homers — two by Shohei Ohtani — in the 12-5 loss.“If you don’t regroup and come back with some energy (Friday), this thing can linger on, so it’s our responsibility to make sure we nip this in the bud and get back to work and bring some energy against Detroit and hopefully win a series,” manager Pedro Grifol said Wednesday. “But this thing can linger on and we’re not going to let it. I’m not going to let it.”The Sox had a winning month, going 15-14. But they still find themselves 12 games under .500 at 23-35.And plenty of challenges await them in June. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.1. Say goodbye (for now) to the AL Central.The Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros and Angels were the only teams...

US employers added a surprisingly strong 339,000 jobs in May in a sign of economic health

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER (AP Economics Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of enduring strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool.Friday’s report from the government reflected the job market’s resilience after more than a year of rapid interest rate increases by the Fed. Many industries, from construction to restaurants to health care, are still adding jobs to keep up with consumer demand and restore their workforces to pre-pandemic levels. Yet there were some mixed messages in the jobs figures, which also showed that the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, from a five-decade low of 3.4% in April. The government compiles the unemployment data using a different survey than the one used to calculate job gains. The two surveys can sometimes conflict.The increase in the unemployment rate partly reflected higher layoffs, sugge...

Meet the 14-year-old who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee with ‘psammophile’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

By BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press)OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Fifteen months ago, Dev Shah spent a miserable five hours spelling outdoors in chilly, windy, damp conditions at a supersize regional competition in Orlando, Florida, only to fall short of his dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.“Despondent is the right word,” Dev said. “I just didn’t know if I wanted to keep continuing.”Look at him now.Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, first competed at the national bee in 2019, then had his spelling career interrupted. The 2020 bee was canceled because of COVID-19, and in the mostly virtual 2021 bee, he didn’t make it to the in-person finals, held in his home state on ESPN’s campus at Walt Disney World.Then came the disaster of last year, when he was f...

Randy's Donuts giving away free donuts, no purchase required

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Friday marks National Donut Day and a local donut shop that many have raved over will be offering free glazed delights to its San Diego customers.Los-Angeles-originated Randy's Donuts, which officially opened a new location in America's Finest City last month, says one free classic donut will be gifted to everyone who walks through their door from 6 a.m. to noon. Everything you need to know about June’s Strawberry Moon There's no catch or gimmicks with this sweet promotion. A spokesperson for Randy's Donuts confirmed no purchase is required to indulge in one of their classics. From raised to cake donuts, the quintessential shop says customers can pick their favorite. Free donuts from Randy's Donuts for National Donut Day. (Image: Randy's Donuts)"Donut enthusiasts and locals are invited to celebrate the day and capture the momentenjoying the iconic Randy’s Donuts experience, including taking a picture by theoversized 3-D donut sign inside the shop," the shop noted in ...

Rally demands release of Pakistani human rights lawyer taken by armed men in Karachi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of protesters on Friday held a rally in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi to demand the release of a top rights lawyer, after he was abducted by armed men the previous day.Jibran Nasir was snatched from his car by more than a dozen armed men, his family said.Nasir’s wife said the couple were returning home after dining out on Thursday evening when armed men in two white vans intercepted their car in an upscale area.The men took Nasir away but left her unharmed, said the lawyer’s wife Mansha Pasha. She said she did not know who was behind the abduction. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Nasir’s abduction and the police said they were investigating. The disappearance drew condemnation from rights activists who also held a peaceful rally in the city to demand authorities secure Nasir’s release.The incident appeared to be the latest in a recent rash of abductions in Pakistan that rights groups say may be forced disappearance...

Stock market today: Wall Street opens higher after strong jobs report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are rising after an unexpectedly strong report on the job market helped ease worries on Wall Street about a possible recession. The S&P 500 was 0.9% higher early Friday and on pace for a third straight winning week. The Dow was up 270 points, or 0.8%, while the Nasdaq was 1.1% higher. The Labor Department reported that employers unexpectedly accelerated their hiring last month. More importantly for markets, increases for workers’ pay also slowed in May. Investors hope that could mean less upward pressure on inflation, which could allow the Federal Reserve to take it easier on raising interest rates.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street pointed higher Friday ahead of a U.S. jobs market update, one day after U.S. lawmakers approved a deal to avert a government debt default. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% before the bell.Late Thursday, the Senate gave final approval to an agree...

Fort Bragg drops Confederate namesake for Fort Liberty, part of US Army base rebranding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:19 GMT

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (AP) — Fort Bragg shed its Confederate namesake Friday to become Fort Liberty in a ceremony some veterans said was a small but important step in making the U.S. Army more welcoming to current and prospective Black service members.The change was part of a broad Department of Defense initiative, motivated by the 2020 George Floyd protests, to rename military installations that had been named after confederate soldiers.The Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted nationwide after Floyd’s killing by a white police officer, coupled with ongoing efforts to remove Confederate monuments, turned the spotlight on the Army installations. A naming commission created by Congress visited the bases and met with members of the surrounding communities for input.While other bases are being renamed for Black soldiers, U.S. presidents and trailblazing women, the North Carolina military installation is the only one not renamed after a person. Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seid...