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DeSantis appointees begin reshaping Disney World’s district

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees on Wednesday began trying to reshape Disney World’s governing body with proposals to eliminate a planning board and prohibit mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccine requirements in an evolving showdown between the Republican governor and the world’s best-known entertainment company.The five new board members of the governing body, which had been controlled by Disney up until February, had on their meeting agenda rules prohibiting anyone from being barred from its offices for not wearing a face mask or not having the COVID-19 vaccine. Also, the agenda includes a resolution asserting the board’s “superior authority” over the district that covers Disney World’s 27,000 acres (10,926 hectares), including two minscule cities.The agenda also pointed to a potential shakeup of the administration’s staff with job descriptions listed for the governing body’s administrator and other key staf...

Hand over $1B of Russian ‘blood money,’ Ukraine tells Shell

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

Oil and gas giant Shell must donate more than $1 billion in unexpected profits from the potential sale of its assets in Russia to help rebuild Ukraine, according to a top Kyiv official.In a letter to CEO Wael Sawan, dated April 18 and seen by POLITICO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s economic adviser Oleg Ustenko called on Shell to share with Ukraine any profits from a potential Russian buyout of the British firm’s stake in a Siberian fossil fuel venture.“If completed, this sale would represent the transfer of more than $1 billion in Russian cash into Shell’s accounts. That would be blood money, pure and simple,” Ustenko wrote.“We call on Shell to put any Russian sale or dividend proceeds to work for the victims of the war — the same war that those assets have fuelled and funded,” he added.Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Shell announced it would exit the Russian market and write off up to $5 billion of assets and investments in the count...

PMQs scorecard: Rishi Sunak tests a new nickname for Keir Starmer amid crime clash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from this week’s session in POLITICO U.K.’s weekly run-through.What they sparred about: After a brief — and somewhat half-hearted — grilling on the state of other public services, Labour’s Keir Starmer neatly segued on to the key focus of controversial attack ads his party has been pushing: crime. Taking aim at the prime minister on sentencing laws and court backlogs, Starmer accused Rishi Sunak of “letting violent criminals go free.”New nickname alert: A prepared Sunak had clearly workshopped a new nickname for Starmer. “That’s why they call him Sir Softie — soft on crime, soft on criminals,” Sunak said, pointing out that Labour voted against the government’s sentencing reforms. Jury’s out on whether that one survives to next week. Biggest elephant in the room: The standards commissioner ethics probe into Sun...

Brussels to propose tariffs on some Ukrainian farm products

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

The European Commission looks set to give in to some demands from Eastern EU member countries and introduce tariffs on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, sunflower and rapeseed, it said Wednesday.The announcement comes as Brussels scrutinizes restrictions imposed by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia on Ukrainian produce in response to a supply glut resulting from Russia’s war of aggression and delays to exports through the Black Sea. Bulgaria also imposed restrictions Wednesday and Romania is considering following suit.In a letter to the five countries, the Commission has proposed “preventative measures” on imports of Ukrainian maize, wheat, sunflower and rapeseed, spokesperson Dana Spinant told a daily briefing. The EU executive envisages imposing customs duties on these products, according to spokesperson Miriam Garcia Ferrer.The Commission proposal will be discussed during a meeting of Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis and ...

Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith dies aged 31

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

(CNN) — Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith has died, his former agent said on Tuesday. Smith was 31. The cause of his death is not yet known.Drew Rosenhaus of RSR Sports tweeted, “Rest in Peace Chris. Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. We will miss you.”Smith’s high school alma mater also posted about his passing. “Rest in Peace to a West Rowan Legend!,” West Rowan Football’s account wrote on Twitter. “Chris was a better person than he was player! The impact he had on those around him will be remembered forever!”Smith played in the XFL, a professional football league, as recently as Sunday when his Seattle Sea Dragons team defeated the St. Louis Battlehawks 30-12 in St. Louis.“Chris was a powerful presence in the locker room,” the XFL said in a statement to CNN. “Loved and admired by his teammates and the coaching staff. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire...

Vermont man convicted by jury of kidnapping woman and son

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A 45-year-old man was convicted by a jury Tuesday of kidnapping a woman and her 4-year-old son by forcing them into her car outside a New Hampshire mall and bringing them to Vermont while he was searching for his estranged wife.The Vermont office of the United States Attorney said the federal court jury returned the guilty verdicts against Everett Simpson on two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interstate car theft. The case went to the jury earlier Tuesday.“Although the harms suffered by Everett Simpson’s victims are indelible, today’s across-the-board guilty verdict represents a significant step in holding Everett Simpson responsible for the heinous crimes he committed on Jan. 5, 2019,” the statement said.Simpson faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and could be sentenced to life. Sentencing will come at a later date.Simpson admitted before the jury on Monday that he left a Vermont drug treatment center shortly after he was dropped off there on ...

New Hampshire lawmakers debate parents’ rights, trans youth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Parents seeking more control over schools and those trying to protect transgender youth converged at the New Hampshire Statehouse on Tuesday as lawmakers again took up what has become a national debate.Both the New Hampshire Senate and the U.S. House passed legislation last month to create a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” similar to those that already have been enacted in multiple states.While the federal bill has little chance in the Democrat-run U.S. Senate, the New Hampshire version could prevail. Republicans hold a thin majority in the House, and, according to the state GOP chairman, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu supports it.Much of the debate has focused on provisions to require school officials — when asked by parents — to disclose that a child is using a different name or being referred to as being a different gender. Ahead of a public hearing on the bill Tuesday, supporters attending an outdoor rally held signs reading “PRO PARENT ANTI SECRETS” and “...

How Giancarlo Stanton’s absence could impact Anthony Volpe, DJ LeMahieu

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

Life without Giancarlo Stanton means different looks for the Yankees lineup.With the designated hitter/outfielder suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain over the weekend, Aaron Boone said that he’s more open to configurations that feature Anthony Volpe in the leadoff spot and DJ LeMahieu in the middle of the order. Tuesday’s series-opener against the Angels had the rookie Volpe hitting first and playing shortstop, while LeMahieu batted fifth and manned third base.The Yankees also used the two in those slots on Sunday, the day after Stanton hurt his hammy.“You could see that some, yeah. That’s certainly possible,” Boone said Tuesday before the game. “I potentially like that.”Already accustomed to moving around defensively, the versatile LeMahieu has been the Bombers’ go-to leadoff man since his first season with the team in 2019. Volpe, meanwhile, has mostly hit ninth to begin his big league career, though the 21-year-old has led off...

How Dansby Swanson’s 5-minute routine helps the Chicago Cubs shortstop — and other infielders — stay ready on defense

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

Nearly three hours before first pitch, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson trekked from the outfield batting cages to the grass in front of the visitors dugout at Oakland Coliseum.He signaled to major-league coach Jonathan Mota, who already had two practice mitts ready for Swanson on top of a white towel, his blue Fungo bat laying adjacent.Over the next five minutes, Swanson progressed through a sequence of defensive drills and fielded roughly 55 hops off Mota’s Fungo. He incorporated a small tan glove and a black flat mitt to force precision, centering the ball to field it cleanly. The smaller surface doesn’t leave much room for error. Movements must be short with clean footwork. The short hops simulate the last hop an infielder could see off ground balls in a game.The drills help create confidence for different types of plays an infielder could encounter. It turns in-game reads into second-nature adaptability when a ball takes a tough hop.“It really gets you in...

Clayton Kershaw reminds Buck Showalter of Orel Hershiser after Dodgers ace dominates Mets for win No. 200

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES — The Mets were on the wrong end of Clayton Kershaw’s masterpiece in a 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.It was a vintage performance from a future Hall of Fame pitcher.The win was No. 200 for the 35-year-old left-hander. Kershaw (3-1) may not have the velocity that he once had but his command, pitch selection and pace flummoxed the Mets on Tuesday, much the way he’s flummoxed the entire league since his rookie season in 2008.“He threw a lot of strikes and he was missing barrels,” said outfielder Brandon Nimmo. “He got a lot of outs very quickly. He did a very good job and there’s a reason he’s going to be a Hall of Famer. There’s a reason he’s still in the game.”It reminded Buck Showalter of another Dodgers great.“I was thinking about Orel Hershiser,” Showalter said. “If you have command of three you can dominate, if you have command of two you can wi...