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Biden sets new rules restricting US investments in China

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

President Joe Biden on Wednesday will establish new rules limiting American investments in high-end Chinese technology sectors — a long-awaited effort meant to stop U.S. capital from financing Beijing’s military development.The move represents the first time the U.S. government has sought to impose broad investment rules on U.S. firms overseas — an escalation of the economic conflict with China that is likely to earn a sharp rebuke from Beijing. Until now, U.S. firms have largely been given free rein by Washington to develop business in other countries, except for limitations on a narrow list of military-related goods. But national security officials in both the Trump and Biden administrations have warned that U.S. investors have been financing Beijing’s military advancements by funding Chinese firms that turn around and give their technology to China’s military.The executive order, which will be implemented by the Treasury Department, will prohibit some investments in Chinese firms...

From Barbra Streisand to Sly Stone, superstars have books on the way

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

Screen stars and literary stars will share the shelf space at bookstores in the coming weeks.Some of the biggest names in publishing — and biggest names, period — will hit bookstores in the coming weeks.Here are eight to watch for. It all starts with a door-stopper that is destined to cause some pulled muscles.Barbra StreisandThe “Funny Girl’s” memoir, “My Name Is Barbra,” is big in every way you can think of. Its press run is 1 million copies, a huge number at a time when only a few books each year sell that many copies. It’s, gulp, 1,040 pages. And it’s priced at $47, gargantuan even considering inflation. The octogenarian EGOT, who said she’s been jotting down notes since 2009, officially announced her autobiography in 2015. It was supposed to be published two years later, but people who need people to tell us the stories of their lives will finally get Streisand’s when “My Name” hits stores Nov. 7.John GrishamHow ...

Matthew Lopez branches into movies with “Red, White & Royal Blue”

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

A celebrated, award-winning gay playwright, Matthew Lopez  now tackles movies, adapting and directing Friday’s gay rom com “Red, White & Royal Blue.”Streaming on Prime Video, “RWRB” spotlights a romance between the UK’s closeted Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), fourth in line for the throne, and Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez)  First Son of America’s first female president (Uma Thurman).“Very early in life I had access to theater. So theater was where I started,” Lopez, 46, said in a Zoom interview of his landmark 2-part gay epic “The Inheritance” which won him a raft of awards including the Tony, Olivier and Evening Standard’s Best Play.  “But I always knew I wanted to make films and that when the time was right, I would.”What convinced him Casey McQuiston’s bestselling novel was the right vehicle was the character of Alex whose father is Mexican and mother white.Alex, Lopez said, “was drawn hopefully, positively and sympathetically. That was a really big draw for m...

Editorial: Time for lofty left in Mass. to open manses to migrants

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey has gotten a taste of Texas life, and she didn’t even have to take one of her many trips out of the state.As the Herald reported, Healey declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts Tuesday as local emergency shelters fill up with an ever-increasing number of migrants arriving from other countries and surging housing costs hurt residents already here.She is the latest governor to send out an SOS to respond to migrants fleeing unstable conditions in their home countries. The Democratic governor called for the federal government to step up funding, among other requests.According to Politico, when asked about Healey’s announcement Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has already hit the wall with migrant surges overwhelming city shelters,  was happy to have another partner pressing the White House for intervention.“Democratic governors and mayors, mayors in Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, here in New York, El Paso, Brownsville, all of the mayors have be...

Great style finds to make a dorm look dazzling

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

It’s that time of year again – the college students are returning, U-Hauls and all.And if you’re one of them, or are sending a child off to college, you know that turning a drab dorm into a comfortable, welcoming space is of primary importance.The very good news is that decorating options have seriously leveled up. There are tons to choose from, in terms of cool gadgets and organizing systems, affordable essentials and comfy textiles, as well as fun furnishings to add style and personality, and make a kid feel happy and in his or her element.Here are a few ideas to start the year off right.Get things rolling by setting a unique background with peel and stick wallpapers — from cool trompe-l’œil red brick patterns like Bryanna Pell & Stick Brick Wallpaper ($1.20 per sq. ft. on wayfair.com) that has the vibes of a cool city loft, to the bountifully ornate and colorfully patterned Ottoman Wallpaper ($188; anthropologie.com), which makes the place feel like some kin...

Lucas: Biden’s Trump attacks echo Putin’s playbook

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have a lot in common.Both are professional politicians who will seek re-election in 2024.Biden, 80, will be seeking a second four-year term. Putin, 71, is seeking to remain president of Russia as long as he wants.Both have used their positions to get rich, although judging from their summer vacation homes, Vlad has left Joe on the beach.Putin has a fabulous, if garish, Versailles-like vacation home in Sochi, overlooking the Black Sea.Biden has a much more modest vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.But what really makes them political soulmates is how they treat their opponents. They want to shut them up. And the best way to do that is to gag them and send them to prison.Putin, who operates as a dictator, raids their homes, has them arrested and then sent to prison. It is what he did to political opponent and major dissident Alexei Navalny.Biden raids his opponents’ homes (Mar-a-Lago), has them arrested, and pra...

Jack Flaherty grinds through first Camden Yards start, but Orioles’ bats, bullpen lacking in 8-2 loss to Astros

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

Jack Flaherty came to the Orioles at the trade deadline with the reputation of a competitor. Shintaro Fujinami arrived known for a dynamic repertoire but an inability to harness it consistently.Both of Baltimore’s pitching acquisitions showcased those traits in Wednesday’s 8-2 loss to the Houston Astros. In his Camden Yards debut, Flaherty battled through five innings, twice leaving the bases loaded after doing the same in the final frame of his team debut last week in Toronto. Fujinami, meanwhile, displayed the same erratic pitching that has plagued him in an up-and-down tenure with Baltimore, issuing three straight two-out walks in the eighth as the Astros broke open what had been a one-run game.The Orioles (70-44) were also quiet offensively, going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Left fielder Austin Hays provided Baltimore’s lone jolts with a home run — his first since starting last month’s All-Star Game — for two runs in the fourth i...

Gallery: Sox beat the Royals 4-3

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

The Boston Red Sox sneaked a win tonight against the Kansas City Royals

Tee Thursday: Pre-round prep will help your game

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

To tweak a line from the Bay State’s own Meghan Trainor, when it comes to setting yourself up for a great golf round, it’s all about that prep, ‘bout that prep; no trouble.Now that I take my game seriously, I no longer toss my clubs into the car and zip to the course last-minute, just in time to tee off. Rather, I plan ahead, think through my upcoming round and take steps to set myself up for my best chance at success.It takes time, but I’m finding it’s worth it. Teaching pros agree, saying it’s not just about stretching out muscles and warming up your swing (which is important); it’s about easing into a positive, ready and confident mindset.And we all know one thing is for sure: Golf is very much a game of the mind.Here are some steps I take to be ready for a round.The day(s) before: Once I’ve chosen a course and set a tee time, I do some research to get to know the course as best I can before I arrive.I study the scorecard (most, if not all, are available online). How many super l...

DeVaan: Young people can’t sit on sidelines with Social Security

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:45:20 GMT

If young Americans had a nickel for every time they were advised to start saving for retirement ASAP, well… they wouldn’t have to worry about retirement. But many young workers are finding it impossible to put aside even a fraction of their paychecks.Why? Skyrocketing apartment costs are one factor. With a down payment for a home increasingly out of reach, most young people rent — and rents have never been higher than in recent years.Americans aged 18 to 29 are also twice as likely as any other adults to shoulder student debt, according to the Education Data Initiative. The end of the pandemic moratorium on student debt payments this fall will be crushing, leaving young people with even less disposable income to set aside for their retirement.Younger workers are also heavily represented in low-wage jobs. In 2020, those under age 25 made up less than 20% of hourly paid workers but 48% of those earning the federal minimum wage or less.Even if low-wage workers have a 401(k) retirement ...