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Meta faces record privacy fine for data transfers to the US

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

Meta is expected to face a record privacy fine on Monday when Ireland’s data protection watchdog confirms the social media platform mishandled people’s data when shipping it to the United States, according to two people with direct knowledge of the upcoming decision.POLITICO was not able to confirm the size of the record-setting penalty, which will likely be more than the €746 million fine that Amazon was forced to pay in 2021 for similarly flouting the European Union’s privacy standards, the people added, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about internal deliberations.Ireland’s Data Protection Commission will publish its ruling on Monday; it is also expected to include demands that Meta’s Facebook stop using complex legal instruments to move EU data to the U.S., called standard contract clauses, in the fall. The upcoming decision dates back to revelations in 2013 from Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security ...

UK minister hosted House of Commons dinner for Tory donor without declaring financial links

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

LONDON — A U.K. government minister has apologized after POLITICO found she used House of Commons facilities to host a private dinner for a business group which donates money to her local party — without flagging her financial links.Energy Minister Amanda Solloway sponsored the event in June last year on behalf of Businessfore, an “unincorporated association” with ties to a City insurance firm. Businessfore had given £15,000 to her local Conservative grouping just six months earlier.House of Commons rules state that MPs using taxpayer-funded facilities are expected to declare any existing financial links with the groups they are hosting, and flag such events in advance with parliament’s standards watchdog.But while Solloway included the donation on the register of MPs’ interests, parliamentary records show she did not then highlight the connection when agreeing to host the dinner for Businessfore on the Westminster estate.Responding to a series of questions from POLITICO, Soll...

UK hopes for EU deal to stop post-Brexit carmaker exodus

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. government is pushing to cut a deal with Brussels to avoid a post-Brexit cliff-edge which could severely damage the British auto industry, No. 10 Downing Street confirmed Wednesday.A spokesperson for Rishi Sunak told journalists that “we hope” to cut a deal with the EU to stop an increase in tariffs on British electric vehicles (EVs) being exported to the EU from next year, after Vauxhall’s owner threatened to shut a key factory and as other automotive giants rebuked the existing timeline.In a statement shared with POLITICO Wednesday Ford warned that unless the current trading requirements are extended, the tariff rise would undermine the switch to electric vehicles, add “pointless cost to customers wanting to go green” and hit manufacturers that had invested in the EV transition hardest.“Today the industry does not have sufficient supply of locally-sourced batteries and components to meet demand,” the company said. “Ford is calling for current trad...

Window washer rescued in Brookline after hanging from 12th floor of apartment building

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

A window washer in Brookline is expected to be OK after he was left dangling from the twelfth floor of a building Wednesday morning, according to officials.Authorities said the worker was safely pulled in after first responders were called to Pond Avenue around 9 a.m.“It was a good 20 to 25 minutes of him purely hanging like this,” said onlooker Doug Laf, raising both of his arms.Laf told reporters that from what he could tell from watching down below, the window washer appeared to be able to call for help on his own.“Kudos to that man. Honestly, he was like, he was holding on – I’m pretty sure he called 911 himself – I saw him pull out his cell phone a couple of times and then reach back up – literally from the top floor hanging like this over the window,” Laf said.Brookline firefighters and other first responders rushed to the scene, launching a technical rescue response soon after arriving. Crews from Boston and Cambridge responded ...

READ: The full 161-page Inspector General’s report “An Investigation of Alleged Misconduct by United States Attorney Rachael Rollins”

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

The full report can also be viewed here.An Investigation of Alleged Misconduct by United States Attorney Rachael RollinsDownload

Prince Harry and Meghan pursued in their car by photographers; no injuries in NYC incident

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and DANICA KIRKA (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City police department has confirmed an incident involving photographers and Prince Harry and Meghan but says no injuries, collisions or arrests took place.In confirming Tuesday night’s incident, the police said they had assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex because “there were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging.’“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.″The episode evoked memories of the crash that killed Princess Diana 1997.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were pursued in their car by photographers after a charity event in New York, an incident that the mayor and the couple’s office described Wednesda...

Domingo German’s looming suspension puts Yankees in sticky roster situation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

TORONTO — Domingo German is subject to a 10-game suspension after umpires tossed the Yankees’ starter from Tuesday’s contest against the Blue Jays following a routine sticky substance check.Such ejections come with an automatic suspension, and the Yankees cannot replace German on their roster while the right-hander is sidelined. German can appeal, and thus delay, the suspension, but it’s unclear if he will.German expressed frustrations over a lack of clarity on how to prevent future ejections, and he insisted that he only used rosin against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. But crew chief James Hoye claimed the pitcher had “the stickiest hand I’ve ever felt.”“It’s not rosin. It was definitely not rosin,” the umpire said, per a pool reporter. “Because I’ve felt hands with rosin. That wasn’t rosin. It was extremely sticky. And rosin usually is kind of like a little tackiness. This was sticky, as in my fingers had a ...

What if I can’t afford Medicare?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

At least 1.2 million Medicare beneficiaries pay premiums for Medicare Part B even though they likely qualify to get it for free through a Medicare Savings Program, according to a November 2021 letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS.Those premiums add up quickly. At $164.90 per month in 2023, they’re just shy of $2,000 per year for Part B alone. And there are other premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance to consider, too.Various programs can cover some or all of those costs, but they’re not always easy to find. There are free resources available to help you navigate the specifics of your situation.Medicare Savings Programs (Part A and Part B)More than 10 million Medicare beneficiaries received help paying for their coverage through a Medicare Savings Program in 2019, according to a 2022 data analysis by KFF, a health policy nonprofit.Medicare Savings Programs, or MSPs, help cover costs associated with Medicare Part A and Part B. You qualify for an ...

Scathing DOJ report cites Rollins as leaker in Suffolk DA race, concludes she lied to investigators

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

A bombshell DOJ report concludes U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins improperly used her position by influencing the Suffolk DA’s race by leaking non-public information and broke agency rules by attending a Democratic fundraiser last summer.The report calls her out for attempting to tip the scales in last year’s Suffolk DA’s race — in which Boston Globe ran pre-primary stories leaked by Rollins damaging to then-candidate Kevin R. Hayden who was facing off with City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, who the report identifies as her preferred candidate. The Herald received similar information and refused to publish before the primary, according to the report.“We found Rollins’s conduct described throughout this report violated federal regulations, numerous DOJ policies, her Ethics Agreement, and applicable law, and fell far short of the standards of professionalism and judgment that the Department should expect of any employee, much less a U.S. Attorney,” the report is...

MTS workers strike affecting South Bay Bus Division

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:35:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO --  San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus riders are being asked to plan ahead as dozens of bus operators are on now on strike.As of Wednesday morning, the work stoppage is affecting the South Bay Bus Division with 33% of MTS bus routes being impacted. Police conduct homicide investigation at Campland on the Bay Buses like the one that comes through Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach was delayed as a result. Route 934 is one of many routes on MTS’ list of routes that could impacted.Outside of the MTS bus yard in Chula Vista Wednesday, dozens of employees were holding signs and walking the picket line. They are asking for better working conditions and pay.Negotiations between MTS contractor Transdev and its bus operators have failed so far.At one point, when the strike started Tuesday afternoon, drivers walked away from their buses at the end of their shift and left management to park the buses inside the facility.Union leaders say this strike is expected to last...