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Adam Minter: Farmers are fighting for our right to repair our iPhones

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

The average Tesla-driving, iPhone-using suburbanite isn’t spending a lot of time worrying about tractor software payloads. They should, though.Fixing a broken-down farm tractor used to take just a wrench set and some elbow grease. Now repairs might require a mobile-device interface, online diagnostic tools and secure software updates, too. And that stuff isn’t just sitting around in the barn. It’s mostly held at a shrinking number of manufacturer-authorized dealerships. As a result, simple breakdowns that in the past might have been repaired in hours can now take days or weeks. During busy times, such as spring planting, long delays can harm a farm’s crops and profitability.This spring, at least 11 states are trying to fix this problem. At least one — Colorado — will likely succeed. The solution, known as a right-to-repair law, guarantees that farmers and independent repair shops will have access to the same tools, software and manuals as “a...

Horoscopes April 2, 2023: Michael Fassbender, seize the moment

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Michael Fassbender, 46; Christopher Meloni, 62; Emmylou Harris, 76; Linda Hunt, 78.Christopher Meloni (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images) Happy Birthday: Take the time to get the facts before you act. Time is on your side, and your ability to come to an honest conclusion before you implement change or confront someone will be essential this year. Don’t waste time on people and things that don’t matter to you. Seize the moment and make the most of each day. A positive attitude will promote better results. Your numbers are 3, 12, 21, 28, 35, 44, 46.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Rethink your strategy and revisit experiences that can help you make better decisions. Focus on home, family and taking care of your obligations before someone complains. Research positions that interest you and you’ll find an exciting way to bring in more cash. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make plans with someone who shares your concerns. Getting involved i...

Huge Jan. 6 Funder Is Pouring Money Into the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

The fate of the 2020 presidential election may have come down to one vote. At the Wisconsin Supreme Court, President Donald Trump’s bid to throw out around a quarter million ballots from Democratic strongholds was dismissed — by a 4-3 margin. The decision secured the upper-Midwestern state’s electoral votes for Joe Biden, ensuring his White House win.The decision put the already conservative-leaning Wisconsin court in the sights of MAGA Republicans.This year, with an election for a seat on the court looming on Tuesday, far-right political funders — including those who continued pouring money into attempts to overthrow the 2020 race after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — are putting millions into trying to throw the race to the right-wing candidate.In the days after the attack, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, two of the country’s largest conservative political donors, gave more than $5 million to groups seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The s...

F1 Australian Grand Prix Results

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

SundayAt Melbourne Grand Prix CircuitMelbourne, Australia.Lap length: 5.00 kilometers(Start position in parentheses)1. (1) Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing, 58 laps, 2:32.38.371, 25 points.2. (3) Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 58, +0.179 seconds, 18.3. (4) Fernando Alonso, Spain, Aston Martin, 58, +0.769, 15.4. (6) Lance Stroll, Canada, Aston Martin, 58, +3.082, 12.5. (20) Sergio Perez, Mexico, Red Bull Racing, 58, +3.320, 11.6. (13) Lando Norris, British Indian Ocean Territory, McLaren, 58, +3.701, 8.7. (10) Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Haas, 58, +4.939, 6.8. (16) Oscar Piastri, Australia, McLaren, 58, +5.382, 4.9. (17) Guanyu Zhou, China, Alfa Romeo Racing, 58, +5.713, 2.10. (12) Yuki Tsunoda, Japan, Alphatauri, 58, +6.052, 1.11. (19) Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing, 58, +6.513.12. (5) Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, Ferrari, 58, +6.594.13. (9) Pierre Gasly, France, Alpine, did not finish, 56.14. (11) Esteban Ocon, France, Alpine, did not finish, 56.15. (15)...

Steamy Sunday Sunshine

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

Following a round of some late-day showers in spots across Miami-Dade and Broward, today is expected to be drier with up to a 10-20% chance for rain. There is some patchy fog this morning but that will clear out as the daylight hours of the morning progresses. Expect lots of sunshine this Sunday with highs a touch warmer into the mid to upper 80s, which is well above average. Winds won’t be as strong today and will be out of a variable wind direction.Low temperatures tonight will be slightly warmer, too, bottoming out into the mid 70s at most locations under a mostly clear sky and paired with humid conditions.That humidity will remain on the moderate to high end of the scale to begin the week as it remains rather hot on Monday. Highs once again will reach the mid to upper 80s under a generally sunny skies. The sea breeze is expected to produce some afternoon showers but that is expected to be west of the metro, therefore making for a likely dry day.For the remainder of the wee...

John Kerry won’t say if he uses private email account for Climate business [+See emails]

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

Newly obtained emails on John Kerry’s climate fiefdom raise questions about his stubborn secrecy and possible use of a private email account for official government business.Protect the Public’s Trust, an ethics watchdog group, tells the Herald that new Climate Office emails released through a records request show staffers scrambling to downplay titles and a memo cc’d to a Gmail account that appears to be for Kerry.Kerry’s climate communications office did not respond to Herald questions about the Gmail account and related topics. Protect the Public’s Trust, however, did share all the emails gained through a Freedom of Information Act request.Those documents raise serious questions about how Kerry runs his office and how the Climate crew remains chilly toward transparency. The emails are heavily redacted but do reveal some of the inner workings of the first-of-its-kind agency.One key email shows that on Jan. 31, 2022, a “Manchin discussion/engagem...

NFL notes: There’s a lot riding on Bill O’Brien fixing Patriots QB Mac Jones

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

While Bill Belichick once again avoided endorsing Mac Jones as his starting quarterback Monday at the league meetings, it’s still a good bet Jones will be under center when the Patriots start the 2023 season.Unless the Patriots make a true effort to go after Lamar Jackson, which remains highly unlikely, Jones is the man.Speaking with a few analysts and head coaches at the NFL annual meeting about Jones’ prospects this season, many are expecting the third-year quarterback to blossom.The chief reason?Bill O’Brien.Beyond not wanting to spend the money and the draft capital it would take to land Jackson, the Patriots are passing on the Ravens star quarterback because they appear comfortable enough with the in-house situation. Much of that has to do with new offensive coordinator O’Brien. He’s the X Factor.The expectation is that O’Brien will turn Jones back into a quarterback who can keep the Patriots relevant. And that’s not just the view from Patriots owner Robert Kraft, w...

Howie Carr: Happy Mugshot Day, Democrats! Church of Trump Derangement Syndrome miracles have begun

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

Tuesday will be the holiest of the high holy days in the Church of Trump Derangement Syndrome.Finally, the Prophecy foretold for so long by so many Democrat disciples has come to pass — Donald J. Trump dragged into court, fingerprinted, mug-shot and maybe even handcuffed.Can somebody shout amen?!Every religion looks forward to some sort of end times. What the Rapture is to certain Christians, or the 12th Imam is to Shiite Muslims, the indictment of Trump has been to unhinged Democrats.Hallelujah!The Democrats operate their own propaganda outlet to preach the gospel to the faithful 24/7. But after so many false prophecies, the congregations of MSNBC, CNN, PBS et al. have been drifting away, backsliding.But once Fake News posts the Countdown Clock to Arraignment down there at the bottom of their screens — if they haven’t already done so — their ratings will be vaulting back above not only HGTV, but maybe even the Cartoon Network.Come Tuesday, the NYPD will part the Democrat mobs in fr...

Bulgaria holds 5th parliamentary election in 2 years

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria held its fifth general election in two years Sunday, which political leaders hoped would end government instability and provide a path to overcoming economic woes fueled by the war in Ukraine.Turnout was expected to be low due to voter apathy and disillusionment with politicians, who have been repeatedly unable to cobble together a viable governing coalition. The latest opinion polls suggested the chances for an immediate end to the political stalemate were low, with up to seven groups potentially reaching the 4% threshold to enter a fragmented parliament. According to the polls, populist and pro-Russia parties were likely to increase their representation.Most pollsters see three-time Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s center-right GERB party running neck-and-neck at around 26% with its main rival, Kiril Petkov’s liberal We Continue the Change party, which recently formed a coalition with the right-wing Democratic Bulgaria.After casting his ballot, Boris...

RCMP hopes to gain recruits with 150th anniversary, as N.S. inquiry casts new shadow

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:10:34 GMT

OTTAWA — The RCMP is hoping to boost recruitment numbers in marking its upcoming 150th anniversary — even as the national force’s structure and practices come under damning new scrutiny. The Mass Casualty Commission released it final report last week into the April 2020 shooting rampage that left 22 people dead in Nova Scotia. It named a litany of RCMP fallings and issued a call for the force to “finally” undergo the fundamental changes previous probes have demanded. That finding came less than two months ahead of the Mounties’ 150th anniversary on May 23.Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under federal access-to-information laws show the Mounties have been planning to mark the event since at least last summer — and they say they are not adjusting those plans in light of recent criticisms.Planning documents show that to celebrate, RCMP divisions have been planning to host various gatherings, and thousands of memento cards and special coins have been ord...