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Greek civil servants have stopped work in a 24-hour strike that is disrupting public transport

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s civil servants walked off the job Thursday on a 24-hour strike that disrupted public transport and left ferries tied up in ports.Public sector workers’ unions called the strike to demand the withdrawal of a labor law the government says will increase flexibility in the job market, but that unions decry as an assault on their rights.Athens’ subway was to be shut for the duration of the strike, while the capital’s tram and trolley system was to operate only for part of the day. Doctors and nurses in public hospitals, as well as some teachers, were also on strike.Flights, however, were running normally after participation by air traffic controllers was deemed illegal.Hundreds of striking workers were marching through central Athens in two separate demonstrations. Road closures caused by the protests, combined with the disruption to public transport, snarled traffic in the capital.The Associated Press

First Bob Ross TV painting goes on sale for nearly $10 million

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — What would Bob Ross think?The artist who brought painting to the people, with works completed for PBS viewers in less than a half-hour with little more than a large bristle brush, putty knife and plenty of encouragement, certainly wouldn’t have envisioned one of his works going up for sale for nearly $10 million.But that’s the price a Minneapolis gallery is asking for “A Walk in the Woods,” the first of more than 400 paintings that Ross produced on-air for his TV series “The Joy of Painting.”"A Walk in the Woods," the first painting Bob Ross produced for hic iconic show “The Joy of Painting,” sits on display at the home of Modern Artifact owner Ryan Nelson, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in Wayzata, Minn. Ross was known for his unpretentious approach to painting on his long-running show, “The Joy of Painting,” but now the painting he completed on his first show in 1983 is for sale for nearly $10 million. Minneapolis gallery owner Ryan Nelson calls it the "rookie card" f...

Austin City Council: Future of HealthSouth building, police oversight implementation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council has more than 100 items on its Sept. 21, 2023 meeting. Here's some of what KXAN is watching: Palm District planAustin City Council will vote on whether to move forward with its Palm District Plan -- which covers the Convention Center, Waterloo Greenway, APD's headquarters and the Palm School and Park. The proposed district is highlighted in yellow in the City map below: Palm District Planning (Courtesy City of Austin)"This has been a long time coming," Council Member Vanessa Fuentes said. "At the heart of it is our Palm Park and Palm School which is very important to the Latino community so I'm happy to see that included and to see that move forward." According to the Downtown Austin Alliance, the plan will amend the Downtown Austin Plan to more specifically guide future development in the areas highlighted, which focus on eastern downtown. "We're bringing forward a few amendments on Thursday," said Council Member Zo Qadri. "A lot of Mexican...

Oliver Miller: Teaching math to children the same old way won’t get us out of this mess

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

If ever we needed a wake-up call to improve math learning, especially for historically marginalized students, the latest scores from the Nation’s Report Card and Northwest Evaluation Association provide it.They show math scores hitting the lowest level in decades and pandemic recovery efforts stalling. The trend lines are particularly worrisome for low-income students like mine, whose existing opportunities and learning gaps worsened during the pandemic. The need for a major shift predates COVID-19, but the learning lost during this time more acutely highlights the need for change.I’m guilty of previously using failing instructional methods myself. My early approach to teaching math was a bit like teaching someone to shoot free throws. I thought repetition was everything. If students just practiced the same skills repeatedly and committed them to muscle memory, I figured they’d be ready come “game time.”I modeled how to solve a math problem using a sing...

Trudy Rubin: Biden should resolve the blockage of visas for Iraqis and Afghans who helped our troops

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

There’s a gaping hole in the endless argument over immigration — and it drives me up the wall. It involves a crisis that should have united both immigration hawks and doves in an effort to resolve it, yet you rarely hear it mentioned.Indeed, few Americans are aware that as many as 100,000 Iraqis have yet to receive the visas to which they were legally entitled by an act of Congress — under the so-called P-2 Direct Access Program — because their family members worked for the U.S. military or civilian officials in wartime. This has put their lives at risk up until the present day, from Iraqi Sunni and Shiite Islamists.Former President Donald Trump shut these families out entirely with his travel ban on Muslims. President Joe Biden has barely done better. And while there is lingering sympathy for Afghan military translators left behind by the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, you rarely hear these days about our betrayals of Iraqis.One endangered Iraqi family, whose stru...

Elite Repeat’s new owner couldn’t resist this resale deal: keys to the consignment boutique

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

Ever since Monica Smith found her first bargain at Elite Repeat — a purse, back when she was 14 — she has loved stopping by the consignment boutique in her neighborhood to hunt for fashionable bargains she didn’t even know she needed.In the three decades since then, Smith’s name has become a familiar refrain in the St. Paul shop’s gift card register — her friends and family would often purchase gift cards for her and she’d do the same for them, a cycle that was as constant as birthdays and holidays.Now, the 47-year-old shopper is thrilled with her best secondhand find yet: The key to the store.“I am honored to be the keeper of the key,” said Smith.Elite Repeat’s loyal customer base for women’s designer and on-trend clothing, shoes and accessories, is also thrilled: The purchase, which was finalized recently, means that the resale shop, which closed July 29 after almost 50 years in business, will reopen later this fall...

Serving good patties buried under so-so toppings, Boga has potential. Hopefully they reach it.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

The gyro burger, which includes a double patty with gyro meat, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion, is a signature item at Boga Ice Cream & Burger, pictured Sept. 7, 2023. Boga, run by the owners of Afandina Cafe in Columbia Heights, opened in summer 2023 in the former Dari-Ette Drive-In. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)The Dari-Ette Drive-In left meatball-sub-sized shoes to fill when it closed in 2021.Boga Ice Cream & Burger, the walk-up burger joint that opened in the space this summer, isn’t trying to replicate the sandwiches and Italian classics that were an East Side staple. They’re doing their own thing.Could they become as iconic as the Dari-Ette? They’re not there yet, but if they shore things up a bit, I think they have what it takes.To be clear: They’ve got the basics down. The burger patties themselves are juicy, beefy and flavorful, and the buns are puffy and bakery-soft. The patties are no longer purchased wholesale but rather shaped fresh on-site, which co...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Would you tell your spouse you broke a promise or let it slide?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is about keeping secrets from your spouse. Here's David's email: Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. My wife and I both decided to get healthier a few months back. We were never really big partiers, but we would both drink a few times a week and even vape a little bit. I’ll admit that I was a bigger smoker than her, but we would often do it together. We decided we were getting older, and it was best to try to get healthier, so we decided to put those habits behind us. We both quit cold turkey and did really great for a couple of months. Well, for the last few weeks, I’ve been going to my friend’s house — which isn’t unusual — and I’ve vaped a little bit and have had a couple of beers. Now I’m feeling really guilty and don’t know if I should tell my wife or just try and quit again and keep my indiscretion a secret. What do you think? Thanks so much.DavidPersonally, I...

5 things to know this Thursday, September 21

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Do you remember? The 21st night of September? Turn up the Earth, Wind, and Fire today with their timeless song "September" to commemorate the day! Also, happy National New York Day, Capital Region residents! Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to Meteorologists Jill Szwed and Matt Mackie, we're going to see some great weather this afternoon with sunshine and highs around 70 after a taste of fall this morning. A judge has dismissed the indictment against a Vermont sheriff’s deputy who was involved in an officer-involved shooting in Saratoga Springs in November. Meanwhile, a Troy man was arrested Wednesday in connection to a shooting in Lansingburgh. Gustavo Santana Jr., 27, was arrested in Waterford and charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Thursday morning. 1. Judge di...

Ask Amy: Granddaughter’s life is too messy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:23 GMT

Dear Amy: I’m writing about my 20-year-old granddaughter.She didn’t get along with her father at home, and asked to move in with me.She was having emotional problems and even at one point tried to end her life. She was also diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.You can’t really tell except once in a while, when she says she’s in pain.Because she cried that she was having problems with her dad, I allowed her to temporarily move in.She promptly quit college and her job. She sleeps away most of the day.She has been here for a year. She uses every excuse you can think of not to do anything with her life, although she recently did get a part-time job.She only comes home when she feels like it (a few nights a week). Her bedroom is wall-to-wall clothes, dirty dishes, etc.I always used that room for my other grandchildren to stay over. Now, none of them want to stay with me.I’m 71 years old, have worked all my life, and am now retired and struggling to get by.I love my g...