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Holtz Children Hospital creates pop-up toy store to spread holiday cheer to young patients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

A local children’s hospital is spreading holiday cheer with presents for their young patients.Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami created a pop-up toy store on Friday. Parents and guardians were able to pick out some free gifts for their children who are forced to spend the holiday season receiving critical care at the hospital. “We do so many events around the holidays, so they don’t feel like they’re missing out on all of the Santa Claus visits and the elves and the parties,” said Stephanie Epstein, a music therapist at Holtz Children’s Hospital. “It allows us to connect with our patients and families in a very different way, but a very significant way.”The hospital teamed up with members of City of Miami Fire Rescue. Firefighters wrapped the gifts while parents enjoyed hot chocolate, holiday music and Christmas snacks.

Tampa woman pushes through tough times after doctors find tumor on spinal cord

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

A car crash isn’t the type of thing you’d expect to be a blessing in disguise. A Tampa Bay cancer survivor said her visit to the doctor for back pain stemming from an accident ended up saving her life. Britta Devitt said it all started with a trip to the doctor’s office.“I was having back pain, so I went to go see a doctor, and they were doing some treatment,” she said. “They did an X-ray, and things look OK.”But Devitt was still having neck pains, so her doctors told her to get an MRI.It was during the MRI that Devitt was told she had a tumor on her spinal cord. Devitt was placed under the microscope for hours, as doctors worked to fully remove the tumor. But one thing was on Devitt’s head. As an avid dancer and a runner, she had been training for an upcoming marathon before this, and she knew her journey was far from over.“I asked my neurosurgeon, ‘Hey, I have a marathon coming up in November.’ I remember he took a...

We are once again at war in the Middle East

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe.It was February 1991, and the crew of the British frigate HMS Gloucester was scrambling, trying to knock out an Iraqi Silkworm missile heading toward the USS Missouri — a World War II-era battleship recommissioned by former United States President Ronald Reagan.The extreme jolt from the firing of a salvo of Sea Dart missiles was alarming. And by the time I scurried sleepy-eyed to the deck, I’d missed the first successful engagement of a missile by another missile during naval warfare.Today, 32 years later, such interceptions are now a dime a dozen in the Red Sea. And whether the West wants to admit it or not, thanks to the Hamas attacks on southern Israel and Iran’s response to Israel’s self-defense, it is at war in the Middle East once again.We should all breathe a sigh of relief that missile interceptions have so far prevented the sinking of a Western warship or merchant vessel — something that would accelerate the out-of-sight co...

The first nail-biter election of 2024: Taiwan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

TAIPEI — 2024 will be a bumper year of elections around the world, but one of the first votes on the calendar will also be one of the most hotly contested and consequential: Taiwan, where there are vital strategic interests at play for both the U.S. and China on January 13. If the campaign started with expectations in the U.S. that the ruling, pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), whose top brass are frequent and welcome guests in Washington, would stroll to victory, the final stages of the presidential and legislative race have turned into a nail-biter. Chinese President’s Xi Jinping’s Communist Party leadership, increasingly assertive in its claim that democratic Taiwan is part of China and keen to see the ruling party in Taipei ousted, is trying to swing the election through a disinformation campaign of hoaxes and outlandish claims on social media. And the tactics may be working. The latest polls for the first-past-the-post presidential race on the My Formosa ...

Judges get dragged into Spain’s toxic politics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

MADRID — Spain’s latest political turmoil is extending a years-long battle between the two main parties over appointments of top judges. In recent months, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez secured a new term by offering an amnesty deal to Catalan separatists in exchange for political support. This was met by outrage from the right-wing opposition, many in the judiciary and prominent lawyers, who have warned such a move could be seen as unconstitutional. Now, this antagonism is feeding into a paralysis in the judiciary’s governing body.For years, Sánchez’s governing Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the Popular Party (PP) clashed over judicial appointments and reform. The two have vied to control the judicial authority and as a result, the entire judiciary, with appointed judges labeled “conservative” or “progressive,” and their political allegiance public knowledge.The PP, in particular, has delayed efforts to reach a deal on new appointments, demo...

POLITICO’s quiz of the year 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

POLITICO’s quiz of the yearHow well do you remember 2023?By Ali Walker and Paul Dallison<p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Which of these European commissioners did not step away from Ursula von der Leyen’s top team this year?</span></strong></p>Jutta UrpilainenYlva JohanssonMariya Gabriel<p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Von der Leyen joined Mark Rutte and Giorgia Meloni on a trip to which country to strike a deal to limit migrant departures?</span></strong></p>AlgeriaTurkeyTunisia <p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">A European Parliament staffer says he suffered a near-death experience after eating soup containing which unadvertised ingredient bought at a canteen in Strasbourg?</span></strong></p>PeanutsShrimpChili<p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">National capitals dashed EU pl...

Bruins thumped in Winnipeg, 5-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

The Bruins left Boston on Thursday with the feeling that being on the road and away from the holiday distractions of home would help them focus on the task at hand.That was the theory, anyway.The reality was that the B’s played arguably their worst game of the season in Friday against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre, dropping a 5-1 decision that was as lopsided as the score indicated. The B’s now have to turn it around to face a hot Wild team in St. Paul on Friday.Though the B’s had been much more competitive in their previous two games, both overtime losses, it was the B’s third straight loss and one that, if it came at a different point in the schedule, might precipitate a message-sending call-up from Providence.The B’s got only token pressure on Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck when it mattered and, even then, it was of the one-and-done variety. The power outage is getting concerning. They have been held to one goal in three of their last fi...

Sandwich edges Norwell in state hockey final rematch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

BOURNE – In a key early South Shore League matchup, Sandwich and Norwell faced off in a rematch of last season’s Division 4 state final in which the Clippers prevailed 4-3 in overtime for the program’s first title.While the drama was just as good the second time around, chalk the sequel up to revenge.The Blue Knights (4-1; 2-0) avenged the heart-breaking loss in a 2-1 victory over the defending champions in the first round of the Gormley Cup at Gallo Ice Arena.Senior Chris Cardillo put Sandwich out front on a short-handed goal at 7:02 of the first period. Cardillo picked off a turnover in the neutral zone and went in untouched for the game’s first goal.Sophomore Ty Creighton followed up at 13:51 with a goal out front after a scrum produced three shots on net with Creighton’s tally finally finding the back of the twine on Norwell goaltender Mike Dalia.“There were a lot of implications in this game, two great teams in Division 4, obviously with the state championship last year going t...

Papelbon doubles down on Verdugo criticism: ‘You’re not a superstar, you can’t pull this’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

Like many of the great former Red Sox players of the first two decades of this century, Jonathan Papelbon is deeply concerned with the current culture.“There’s no question about that, there’s been a lapse in that culture,” the six-time All-Star closer and franchise all-time saves leader told the Herald by phone on Friday.But while the offseason has been a slow and disappointing one for Boston thus far, Papelbon believes they’ve already made a significant improvement, addition by subtraction:He’s glad they traded Alex Verdugo.When Verdugo gave his first media availability as a Yankee this week, he spoke about being “very, very excited” to work with his new manager, Aaron Boone. “I’ve seen the way (Boone) has his players’ backs. The one that really gets out to me is he’s like ‘these guys are savages and he’s yelling at the umpire,” the outfielder said. “That’s something I want to see out of my head coach, I want to see some f...

Minor injuries after shots fired during car theft in Brampton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:11:08 GMT

Police are searching for two suspects after shots were fired during a theft at an automotive business in Brampton.Police say they were called to an auto body shop on Blair Drive in the area of Steeles Avenue East and Highway 410 for reports of shots fired late Friday night.They found one person suffering from superficial injuries, however, it’s not known if the injuries were caused by gunfire.Police say two suspects fled the scene in a high-end vehicle. No descriptions have been provided at this time.