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Miss Manners: Is there a grandmother contest I’m not aware of?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have three beautiful grandchildren. Many people ask me, “How often do you see your grandchildren?”When I answer with anything but the word “daily,” I am often met with responses such as, “Oh, is that all?” or “Don’t you wish it were more often?”Is there some “grandmother contest” that I am unaware of? I feel as though I’m being judged by how often I see, or don’t see, my grandchildren. I have never thought to ask other people this question, and my husband is never asked.Our kids think we are wonderful parents and grandparents, and we are happy with the time spent with our grandchildren. What is the best way to respond to this question that will not lead to more intrusive questions?GENTLE READER: “The perfect amount.”Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: How can I make them stop being rude about my employee’s hair? Advice | Mi...

Dear Abby: Is it OK to keep our fun going until his wedding day?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I lost my husband of 20 years a little over two years ago. Last year, I moved to another state to be close to family. I rented an apartment, and my best friend moved with me.Shortly after, I met a much younger man. He was immediately interested in me. He’s sweet, kind and very handsome. It took me months to realize that I’m also interested in him.We began spending time together, including bedroom fun. He has told me at least twice he loves me, and I told him the same. His demeanor and expressions match his words, and we agreed for the time being to be friends with benefits.Three months ago, he met someone much closer to his age. But even in front of her he holds me close and tells me he loves me. She has now slapped a ring on his finger and is pushing him for marriage. He keeps saying he’s not ready.We feel that until the day he says “I do,” it’s OK for us to continue our bedroom fun. I’m new to the dating world, and he’s my...

WTOP’s Beer of the Week: Cycle BA SZN Coconut & Caramel Imperial Stout

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 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: "898e7505-7159-4dac-8889-5554c7524bc2"}).render("289c056591544eaeafa77740512b1c0b"); });It’s big and bold, but with some fun thrown in, too.WTOP’s Brennan Haselton is joined by Neighborhood Restaurant Group Beer Director and Food and Wine Sommelier of the Year Greg Engert to talk about Cycle BA SZN Coconut & Caramel Imperial Stout for the latest edition of WTOP’s Beer of the Week.Brewery: Cycle Brewing — St. Petersburg, FloridaDescription: A three-year, barrel-aged stout with coconut and caramel.ABV: 12%Pairing suggestions: Thai food, fried chicken, stews and ramen, and cheesecakeSource

Review: Two women crime reporters track a serial killer in Hulu original film ‘The Boston Strangler’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley reviews 'The Boston Strangler' $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); In 1968, Richard Fleischer (“Soylent Green”) directed an adaptation of Gerold Frank’s 1966 crime book “The Boston Strangler” starring Henry Fonda as a detective tracking down a serial killer played by Tony Curtis.Now, the true-crime story gets retold from the perspective of the two women report...

Cleanup efforts continue after freight train cars derail in Ayer

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

Cleanup efforts continue Friday morning after several train cars derailed in Ayer on Thursday, leaving multiple large containers on their side.Crews remain on scene as of 6 a.m. after working through the night to try to remove what fell off the track. A SKY7 camera previously spotted at least five cargo cars that had gone off the rails Thursday, with some of the large, blue containers they were carrying landing close to a nearby road.According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, no hazardous materials were involved in the incident.MEMA noted on social media that the containers were “reportedly carrying trash/recycling” at the time.In a statement, a CSX spokesperson told 7NEWS the incident happened just before 12 p.m. involving a freight train operated by Springfield Terminals on a line jointly owned with Norfolk Southern.The spokesperson said five rail cars carrying ten containers derailed, adding that there were “no reported injuries to the crew, no hazardous mat...

Hundreds evacuated as Spain’s fire season starts early

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Hundreds of people were evacuated as a major forest fire raged in Spain’s eastern Castellón region on Friday, marking an early start to the nation’s fire season amid bone dry conditions.Ximo Puig, the president of the Valencia region that incorporates Castellon, told reporters the fire had engulfed around 1,000 hectares of land since it broke out Thursday, and was “very early in the spring, very voracious from the beginning.”Emergency services in the region said 600 people in eight towns had been evacuated, including a home for older people in Montan. Puig added that the effects of climate change “are undeniable, so the perspective of firefighting must be considered on an annual basis.”As of early Friday, four helicopters and more than 600 firefighters and soldiers were tackling the fire, as the Spanish military deployed additional support to try to bring the blaze under control.The state weather agency, AEMET, tweeted that “unfavorable weather conditions, especi...

Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia is in talks with Syria to reopen its embassy in the war-torn nation for the first time in a decade, state television in the kingdom reported late Thursday, the latest diplomatic reshuffling in the region. The announcement on state TV comes after Chinese-mediated talks in Beijing saw Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to reopen embassies in each others’ nations after years of tensions. Syrian President Bashar Assad has maintained his grip on power in the Mediterranean nation rocked by the 2011 Arab Spring only with the help of Iran and Russia, which made a historic call earlier in the day to Oman. Saudi Arabian state television aired a report late Thursday, quoting an anonymous official in the country’s Foreign Ministry, acknowledging the talks between the kingdom and Damascus. “A source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed to Al-Ekhbariyah that ongoing discussions have begun with the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commenting on what was ci...

Scattered protests continue as Paris reels from violence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters angry at French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms continued with scattered actions on Friday amid slowed train traffic, rows of trucks blocking access to Marseille’s commercial port and debris still littering the Paris streets following the previous day’s mass demonstrations. Over 450 protesters were arrested in Paris and beyond on Thursday as some 300 demonstrations drew more than a million people nationwide to protest against unpopular pension reforms.Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday that some 441 police and gendarmes were injured as violence marred some marches. He added that 1,000 trash bins were set on fire in the French capital during the previous day’s action. Amid a weeks-long refuse collectors strike, trash bins have become a symbol of the protest.Polls say most French oppose Macron’s bill to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64, which he says is necessary to keep the system afloat.The supply of fuel to P...

World shares fall on banking turmoil, recession worries

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares fell Friday in Europe and Asia as worries over turmoil in the banking sector and recession risks overshadowed gains on Wall Street. Benchmarks declined in most major markets, while U.S. futures were higher. Oil prices fell.Investors are worried that more banks might suffer a debilitating exodus of customers following the second- and third-largest U.S. bank failures in history. That turmoil is clouding the outlook for what the Federal Reserve will do with interest rates after hiking them to market-rattling heights over the last year. The fear is that all the turmoil in the banking industry could cause a sharp pullback in lending to small and midsized businesses around the country. That could put more pressure on the economy, raising the risk for a recession that many economists already saw as likely. Germany’s DAX lost 1% to 15,055.96 and the CAC 40 in Paris also fell 1%, to 7,065.83. Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 1.1% to 7,418.52. The future for the S...

Serbia: 9 migrants found among aluminum rolls in truck

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:01:59 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s customs authorities said Friday they discovered nine migrants hiding among aluminum rolls in a truck headed to Poland from Greece.Customs officers on Serbia’s border with North Macedonia spotted the migrants on Wednesday during a scan that showed human silhouettes in the back of the truck, a statement said.The migrants were young men from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria, the statement added.Serbia lies at the heart of the so-called Balkan land route that refugees and migrants use to try to reach Western Europe and start new lives there. Migrants go from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria, then to North Macedonia and Serbia. From Serbia they move on toward European Union member states Hungary, Croatia or Romania, or they go to Bosnia first and then on to Croatia.Thousands of people fleeing violence or poverty pass through the Balkan region every year. They often face dangers in the hands of people-smugglers who help them cross borders undetected...