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European Commission proposes steps to make it easier for Europeans to live, work and travel abroad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

The European Commission has proposed concrete steps to further digitalize the c-ordination of social security systems in Europe. In a Communication presented this week, the Commission takes stock of the progress achieved so far in digitalizing the coordination of social security, presents the ongoing initiatives in this area, and proposes future actions to make full use of the benefits that digitalization can provide. EU Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit said: "Millions of people from the EU live, work or study in another EU country. Today’s Communication contributes to simplifying their lives by facilitating their interactions with national authorities and giving them speedier access to their eligible social benefits from abroad such as pensions or healthcare."

Miss Manners: Was I wrong to wear black to the wedding?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband passed very suddenly and totally unexpectedly. Two months later, my cousin had a wedding.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: She took my keepsake T-shirts but never made me the quilt Advice | Miss Manners: Is it OK to trick them into diving with great white sharks? Advice | Miss Manners: What to say to a stranger who wants to touch you Advice | Miss Manners: We aren’t invited to the shower but our co-worker wants gifts from us anyway Advice | Miss Manners: My husband was upset by my request at the restaurant As I was still in mourning, I wore black. Was it improper for me to wear black to the wedding? I was not involved in any aspect of the wedding other than attending.GENTLE READER: Even under the strictest dress codes, Miss Manners assures you, wearing black at an otherwise festive occasion is permitted during mourning. And nowadays you might find the bridesmaids ...

Everything is ‘wonderful’ as Everclear rocks The Fillmore in Silver Spring

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "7fb9d45b-0bd3-4ba9-938c-b5db2cc0a80f"}).render("7755e58261cc456299cd7957cb749faf"); });Hear our full chat on my podcast “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Everclear at The Fillmore (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga...

Rojas leads Dodgers against the Padres after 4-hit outing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

San Diego Padres (67-77, fourth in the NL West) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (87-55, first in the NL West)Los Angeles; Monday, 10:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Pedro Avila (1-2, 2.19 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 38 strikeouts); Dodgers: Gavin Stone (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -170, Padres +144; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Diego Padres after Miguel Rojas had four hits against the Nationals on Sunday.Los Angeles has gone 47-24 in home games and 87-55 overall. Dodgers hitters have a collective .460 slugging percentage to rank second in the majors.San Diego has gone 28-41 on the road and 67-77 overall. The Padres have a 35-12 record in games when they did not give up a home run.Monday’s game is the 11th time these teams match up this season. The Dodgers are up 8-2 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Mookie Betts ranks second on the Dodgers with 75 extra base hits (36 doubles, a triple and 38 home runs). Jason Heyward is 14-for-31...

Rockies host the Cubs in first of 3-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

Chicago Cubs (77-67, second in the NL Central) vs. Colorado Rockies (51-91, fifth in the NL West)Denver; Monday, 8:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Jordan Wicks (3-0, 2.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 13 strikeouts); Rockies: Kyle Freeland (6-14, 5.09 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 91 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -178, Rockies +150; over/under is 11 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies host the Chicago Cubs to open a three-game series.Colorado has gone 29-38 at home and 51-91 overall. The Rockies have a 28-80 record in games when they have given up a home run.Chicago is 77-67 overall and 36-33 in road games. The Cubs have a 37-17 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.Monday’s game is the first meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan McMahon has 29 doubles, three triples and 22 home runs for the Rockies. Nolan Jones is 13-for-38 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs and nine RBI over the last 10 games.Ian Happ has 30 doubles, three triple...

Nationals visit the Pirates to begin 4-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

Washington Nationals (64-79, fifth in the NL East) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (66-77, fourth in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Monday, 6:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Patrick Corbin (0-0); Pirates: TBDFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Pirates -125, Nationals +105; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Washington Nationals on Monday to start a four-game series.Pittsburgh has a 66-77 record overall and a 34-37 record at home. The Pirates are 42-10 in games when they scored five or more runs.Washington has a 64-79 record overall and a 33-36 record on the road. The Nationals are 46-15 in games when they out-hit their opponents.The teams meet Monday for the fourth time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Suwinski has 19 doubles, a triple and 24 home runs for the Pirates. Ke’Bryan Hayes is 10-for-41 with two doubles, a triple and three home runs over the last 10 games.Lane Thomas leads Washington with 24 home runs while slugging .484. C.J. Abrams is 10-for...

Brewers host the Marlins to open 4-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

Miami Marlins (74-69, third in the NL East) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (79-63, first in the NL Central)Milwaukee; Monday, 7:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Jesus Luzardo (9-8, 3.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 181 strikeouts); Brewers: Brandon Woodruff (4-1, 2.30 ERA, .79 WHIP, 55 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -161, Marlins +136; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Milwaukee Brewers open a four-game series at home against the Miami Marlins on Monday.Milwaukee has a 40-28 record in home games and a 79-63 record overall. The Brewers are 57-10 in games when they scored five or more runs.Miami has a 34-37 record in road games and a 74-69 record overall. The Marlins have gone 55-34 in games when they record at least eight hits.Monday’s game is the first time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Christian Yelich has 31 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 71 RBI for the Brewers. Willy Adames is 6-for-36 with a double, a triple, three home runs and 10 RBI...

Mets take on the Diamondbacks in first of 4-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (75-69, second in the NL West) vs. New York Mets (65-77, fourth in the NL East)New York; Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Zach Davies (2-5, 6.81 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 59 strikeouts); Mets: Jose Quintana (2-5, 3.00 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 39 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Mets -142, Diamondbacks +121; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday to begin a four-game series.New York has gone 35-33 in home games and 65-77 overall. The Mets have gone 27-12 in games when they did not give up a home run.Arizona has a 37-34 record in road games and a 75-69 record overall. The Diamondbacks have the eighth-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .323.Monday’s game is the fourth time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Alonso has 16 doubles, two triples, 43 home runs and 103 RBI for the Mets. DJ Stewart is 10-for-37 with two doubles, five home runs and 12 RBI over the last 10 games.Corb...

Ukraine needs to do more to fight corruption, Germany’s Baerbock says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday called on Ukraine to step up its efforts to fight corruption during a surprise visit to Kyiv.Ukraine “still [has] a way to go in the implementation of the anti-oligarch law and the fight against corruption,” Baerbock said on arrival in the Ukrainian capital, the German foreign ministry said in a statement.The German minister praised Kyiv’s “impressive” progress on judicial reforms and media legislation — completed even as Ukraine has spent the last 18 months fending off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion, which has cost thousands of lives. Baerbock also reassured Kyiv that it would get Berlin’s “decisive support” for its European Union bid.“We as the EU must now work quickly to ensure that we are properly positioned for more chairs at the table,” Baerbock said.Ukraine, which was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, aims to join the ...

EU Commission revises eurozone growth forecast down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:00 GMT

The eurozone economy is set to slow down 0.8 percent this year and 1.3 percent in 2024, the European Commission said on Monday in its updated forecast — a downward revision of 0.3 percentage points compared to May estimates.A fall in consumption, banks’ tighter lending conditions as a result of higher interest rates, the economic slowdown in China and related slump in exports all mean that the single currency area is winding down its engines, the EU executive said.“While we avoided a recession last winter, the multiple headwinds facing the EU economy this year have led to somewhat weaker growth momentum than we projected in the spring,” EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Monday in a press conference. Out of the six largest EU countries for which the Commission updated growth estimates on Monday, Germany is the only one set to contract this year — by -0.4 percent — before returning to growth of 1.1 percent next year. France and Spain see a small uptick ...