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FTC proposes a ban on ‘junk fees’ and says hidden charges push up prices

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday proposed a rule to ban any hidden and bogus “junk” fees, which can mask the total cost of concert tickets, hotel rooms and utility bills.President Joe Biden has made the removal of these fees a priority of his administration. The effort has led to a legislative push and a spate of initiatives aimed at helping consumers. Administration officials have said these additional costs can inflate prices and waste people’s time.“The proposed rule would prohibit corporations from running up the bills with hidden and bogus fees, requiring honest pricing and spurring firms to compete on honesty rather than deception,” said FTC Chair Lina Kahn on a call with reporters. “Violators will be subject to civil penalties and be required to pay back Americans that they tricked.”The FTC proposal is being coupled with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announcing that it will block large banks from charging junk fees in order to provi...

Columbia, Bethlehem battle to draw in state ranked matchup

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

EAST GREENBUSH, NY (NEWS10) -- A battle between state ranked boys soccer teams in Section 2 Class AA took place at Columbia High School on Tuesday night. The 12th ranked Blue Devils played host to the 5th ranked Bethlehem Eagles. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Columbia's Cameron Mingle sent a beautiful through ball to Cody Hamilton, who tallied the game's first goal to give the Blue Devils the lead. Mingle also set up the Blue Devils' second goal, which was shrouded in controversy. Mingle hit a free kick off of the crossbar, which was then headed in by Freshman Aiden Graber. The Eagles argued that the ball not only hit the crossbar of the soccer goal, but also skimmed off of the football crossbar, which is out of play. However, it was ruled a goal and Columbia took a 2-0 lead.The Eagles responded later in the first half, with Marcello Michel finding the back of the net off an indirect kick. It was 2-1 Columbia at the half, an...

Commission publishes template for compliance report under the Digital Markets Act

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

The Commission has published the template for the compliance report that designated gatekeepers will need to submit under theDigital Markets Act (‘DMA').The compliance reports must include in a detailed and transparent manner all relevant information needed by the Commission to assess the effective compliance of designated gatekeepers with the DMA. They must cover all core platform services listed in the relevant designation decision.Designated gatekeepers will need to submit compliance reports within six months from designation and update them at least once per year. The gatekeepers designated on 6 September 2023 will need to submit the first reports by 7 March 2024. The Commission will then publish a non-confidential summary of each compliance report.The Commission has also published (i) the replies to the consultation on the draft template for compliance reports that were received between 6 June and 5 July 2023; and (ii) other relevant templates that designated gatekeepers will n...

EU’s foreign policy chief calls on Israel ‘to respect international law’ while some EU member states want the EU to show more solidarity with Jerusalem

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

"Israel has the right to defend itself, but it has to be done according to the right of international law, humanitarian law. Some decisions are against this international law," declared EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.Speaking in Muscat, Oman, at a press conference following a special informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on the situation in Israel, Borrell“Some of the actions [by Israel]— and the United Nations has already said it — cutting water, cutting electricity, cutting food to a mass of civilian people is against international law so yes, there are some actions that are not in accordance with international law."Earlier, Borrell and EU Foreign Ministers  had a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council member states to discuss about their co-operation "but also about the dramatic moments that we are living since last Saturday, when Hamas attacked Israel, with mass murders of civilians and kidnapping people".In his statement to reporters, Borrell said: "I can say tha...

Horoscopes Oct. 11, 2023: Jane Krakowski, connect with like-minded people

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Matt Bomer, 46; Emily Deschanel, 47; Jane Krakowski, 55; Joan Cusack, 61.Happy Birthday: Look at the big picture and carve a path to help you reach your goal. Put an affordable budget in place and prepare to adjust your lifestyle to fit your dreams, hopes and wishes. Connect with like-minded people and settle into a routine to help you build your desired life. Implement changes that will deter anyone from interfering with your plans. Your numbers are 6, 17, 22, 27, 32, 41, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Assess relationships and determine who is for and against you. It’s essential to align yourself with people who get what you are trying to achieve and distance yourself from those likely to sabotage your efforts. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stay on target, regardless of what others say. A passionate approach will lead to unique ideas that separate you from the crowd. By putting your energy and discipline to good use, you’ll outdo anyone w...

Word Game: Oct. 11, 2023

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — ANALOGOUS (ANALOGOUS: uh-NAL-uh-gus: Similar or comparable to something.)Average mark 30 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 36 or more words in ANALOGOUS? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — BROUGHAM boar bora bough brag burg rhumb roam rough rumba garb grab gram grub guar gumbo harm hoar homburg hora hour humor abhor amourTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Bridge: Oct. 11, 2023

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

“You’re an expert,” Cy the Cynic said to me. “How would you play four spades?”Cy displayed today’s North-South cards.“West leads three high hearts, and you ruff. What next?”“I see at least five trump tricks,” I said cautiously, “four diamonds and a club. If I take the A-K of trumps and a defender discards, I can’t get all four diamonds and must rely on the club finesse. So I take the ace of trumps, unblock the Q-J of diamonds, then lead a low trump. If a defender wins, dummy’s ten is an entry to the diamonds. I’m sure of 10 tricks.”SATISFIEDCy looked satisfied.“Where did this deal occur?” I asked.“Minnie was declarer in a penny game.”Minnie Bottoms, my club’s senior member, wears old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay.“She thought dummy’s jack of trumps was the king,” I laughed.“She made an ex...

Ask Amy: I know my friend took a photo without my permission, but she won’t hand it over

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

Dear Amy: I have a question concerning etiquette.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: Am I wrong to display photos where he is she? Advice | Ask Amy: These are the five reasons I don’t want to go to Paris with my wife Advice | Ask Amy: The neighbors’ girl was crying in the street, and what I saw in the house scared me Advice | Ask Amy: They kept talking during the minute of silence. What should I have done? Advice | Ask Amy: I want to change my children’s names, but one of them may not be happy about it Is it OK for a friend to take a photo of you while you’re eating and to not even let you know?My friend did this. I called her the next day to ask could she send me the photos she took (as I always share photos), but she didn’t send the one she took of me eating.I asked her about that specific photo and she said she couldn’t find it.What do you think?– UpsetDear Upset: No, it is not OK to t...

The 10 most expensive homes reported sold in Alameda, Piedmont and Oakland in the week of Sep. 25

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

A house in Piedmont that sold for $5.5 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Alameda, Piedmont and Oakland in the past week.In total, 21 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2.1 million. The average price per square foot was $762.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Sep. 25 even if the property may have been sold earlier.10. $1.9 million, detached house in the 1900 block of Asilomar DriveA sale has been finalized for the single-family home in the 1900 block of Asilomar Drive in Oakland. The price was $1,855,000 and the new owners took over the house in August. The house was built in 1954 and the living area totals 2,136 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $868. The house features three bedrooms and three bathrooms.9. $1.9 million, single-family home in the 6200 block of Rockwell StreetThe 2,280 squa...

The Gaza Cauldron

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:14:16 GMT

The Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu has initiated a total blockade of Gaza amidst a merciless scorched-earth bombing campaign. The country’s defense minister said Israel will operate with an iron fist in its war against “human animals” following the well-coordinated surprise attacks over the weekend led by Hamas. The unprecedented raids into Israel over the weekend killed scores of both Israeli military and civilians. Hamas has vowed to execute Israeli hostages in retaliation for Israel’s bombing of civilian sites in Gaza. This week on Intercepted, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara joins Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain for a wide-ranging discussion on Hamas’s strategy, Netanyahu’s possible attempt to draw the U.S. into a war with Iran, and the prospects for a wider Middle East war. They also discuss the difference in media coverage of Palestinian and Israeli violence and the deaths of civilians, as well as the Biden administration’s role in the crisi...