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Bordeaux bloodbath! France pays winemakers to dig up vines

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

Even the nectar of the gods is susceptible to climate change and the craze for craft beer.Winemakers in the prestigious Bordeaux region are set to uproot thousands of hectares of vineyards as altered consumer habits and global warming hit one of the crown jewels of the French agricultural industry.Given Bordeaux’s flagship status in the public’s mind, this might seem surprising. Yet a mix of factors — including a decline in red wine consumption, falling demand from China and difficulties in producing wine in an increasingly warm environment — is strikingly transforming wine production in France.Red wine consumption has dropped significantly in the last decades as French drinkers are turning to other, more refreshing beverages such as beer. While high-end Bordeaux bottles such as grand cru still easily find buyers, demand for entry-level mass red wines has been dropping. This has brought prices down to a point that, for many winemakers, tearing up their vineyards and...

Editorial: Boston’s opioid crisis thrives without Long Island Bridge to rehab

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

You can calculate Quincy’s fight to keep Boston from rebuilding the Long Island Bridge in years, or you can count the lives lost to the drug crisis exacerbated by the delay.The bridge closed in 2014 after being deemed unsafe and was demolished in 2015, cutting off access to drug rehabilitation facilities on the island. Then-Mayor Marty Walsh first proposed a rebuild in 2018.As the Herald reported in 2019, “The opioid crisis we’re living goes beyond city lines, and we welcome everyone’s support as we take action to help those suffering find their path to a better life. The Long Island Bridge carried the weight of those in need for more than 60 years and it’s our hope that the island will once again serve as the sanctuary it’s meant to be,” Walsh said.Quincy fought it every step of the way, delaying the project.Imagine if the plan to rebuild the bridge had gone through back then. Even allowing for a few years for construction and fixing up the facilities on the island, we would ...

Orioles activate Aaron Hicks from injured list, option prospect Colton Cowser in swap of center fielders

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

Colton Cowser’s first stint in the majors came to an end Monday, with the Orioles optioning their No. 2 prospect back to Triple-A Norfolk and activating Aaron Hicks from the injured list.The fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cowser appeared in 26 games after his early July promotion, with much of his time coming with Hicks and Cedric Mullins, Baltimore’s primary center fielders, on the IL. But the 23-year-old was unable to capitalize on the playing time, going 7-for-61 (.115) with two doubles, 13 walks and 22 strikeouts. Before Baltimore’s weekend series in Seattle, Cowser said he hoped to “stop thinking so damn much” as he tried to settle into the big leagues.“Colton’s going to be a really good major league player,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Got off to a pretty good start, and then he just kind of got caught in between a little bit in his at-bats. I just want him to go down there and free his mind up. Kind of reset a littl...

Greszler: Raising minimum wage would spike child care costs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

As families are still trying to cope with rising prices and declining real wages, a proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., to increase the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour would drive up costs, especially for child care.According to my original analysis, based on data of child care wages across the states and the economics of child care, a $17 per hour minimum wage would increase child care costs by an average of 20% throughout the U.S., costing a family with two children an extra $4,185 per year.Most families today would be hard-pressed to come up with that extra money, especially considering that wages haven’t kept pace with inflation. Over the past two years, the average worker has received a $4,300 pay increase, but inflation has eroded $7,000 of value, leaving everyday Americans $2,700 poorer.Bad government policies were a primary cause of this decline in real wages. By driving up demand for goods and services through massive government spend...

Pozniak: 911 dispatchers vital, often unappreciated

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

With the words “911 what’s your emergency,” an emergency dispatcher offers reassurance to a call for help.Emergency 911 dispatchers play a critical and oftentimes overlooked role in every community. These highly trained professionals are the first point of contact for people faced with critical emergencies, whether it’s an accident, fire, criminal activity or the recent storms that caused serious flooding. They serve as the vital link between citizens and emergency responders — the skilled, calm and composed voices for callers experiencing fear, stress, anxiety or anger.A new survey by the National Emergency Number Association polled more than 800 emergency call center dispatchers from around the country, including Massachusetts. It found that many dispatchers are experiencing high levels of stress and burnout as a result of a dramatic increase in call volume especially from those experiencing a mental health crisis. Respondents also  reported that they felt undera...

It’s Halloween every day on ‘Spooky Kisses Haunts’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

Halloween may be months away but for Rich Perry and his Amazon series “Spooky Kisses Haunts” the holiday is celebrated every day.“Spooky,” where first season episodes are $2.99 each, guides viewers to the history and locations of some of the country’s most venerable scare sites.Halloween haunted attractions, it turns out, are a nationwide industry. “Spooky” is founded and run by Perry and his wife Beverly, who live in New Hampshire.He explained, “We have a very unique story about how this show was created. My wife and I have both lost prior spouses to cancer. But we found a way to look death in the eye and are now producing a series about the Halloween haunted attraction industry.“Just over a year ago, we were filming demo reels with an iPhone, and now we have a full blown series show streaming on Amazon Prime.“I was working on video production,” he explained, when his first wife died in 2012.  In 2022, remarried to Beverly (whose spouse had also died – the two couples were friends)...

Dear Abby: Hubby’s iffy about a baby, wife’s at a loss

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

Dear Abby: My husband and I have been married 10 years. When we tried to have kids for the first time, we discovered I have polycystic ovary syndrome. We quit trying when the doctor visits became more than we could afford. We tried again after my husband saw a movie that moved him emotionally. Nothing came from that, so we stopped trying again.I always assumed we’d give it a go one last time, but now my husband says he doesn’t want a kid right now and may never want one. He did say that if we wound up pregnant, he’d be fine with it. He also said he’d be terrified at first, but he’d settle into emergency mode and handle it.Abby, I don’t know what to do. I most likely won’t get pregnant without a fertility specialist, but my husband made it clear he’s not into trying to have a baby. He’d only be fine with a baby if it “just happened.” What do I do? –Empty Arms in TexasDear Empty Arms:  Your husband doesn’t s...

Back to school: Here's when students head back to class in San Diego County

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The first day of school has either already started or is soon approaching for schools in San Diego County.Here's a list of schools in each area of the county and their start dates:SAN DIEGOSan Diego Unified School District: Aug. 21CORONADOCoronado Unified School District: Aug. 24SOUTH BAYChula Vista Elementary School District: July 19National School District: July 24San Ysidro School District: July 24Sweetwater Union High School District: July 19South Bay Union School District: July 24 3 San Diego-area spots among top 100 dog-friendly places to eat in US: Yelp EAST COUNTYAlpine Union School District: Aug. 16Borrego Springs Unified School District: Aug. 21Dehesa School District: Aug. 16Jamul-Dulzura Union Elementary School District: Aug. 17Julian Union School District: Aug. 15Julian Union High School District: Aug. 7Lemon Grove School District: Aug. 16Poway Unified School District: Aug. 16Warner Unified School District: Aug. 9Bonsall Union Elementary School District: ...

Number of dead from Maui wildfires reaches 99, as governor warns there could be scores more

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The number of deaths caused by the Maui wildfires stood at 99 Monday, a figure that is likely to increase as search crews comb neighborhoods where flames moved as fast as a mile a minute.The blazes that consumed most of the historic town of Lahaina are already the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. The cause was under investigation.Gov. Josh Green said the search will take time and and asked for space to do it properly. “For those people who have walked into Lahaina because they really wanted to see, know that they're very likely walking on iwi,” he said at a news conference on Maui, using the Hawaiian word for “bones.” “They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish," Green told CBS Mornings in a recorded interview that aired Monday. "And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really.” As cellphone service has slowly been restored, the number of people missing dropped to about 1,300 from over 2,000, Gree...

3 San Diego-area spots among top 100 dog-friendly places to eat in US: Yelp

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:51 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diegans are known for their love of dogs.Yelp recently compiled the top 100 dog-friendly places to eat in 2023, with three local spots making the list.Viewpoint Brewing Company, found along the San Dieguito Lagoon, came in at No. 11. The Del Mar brewery and restaurant offers Boozy Bones treats and doggy bowls to keep your pups full and hydrated. The location also features the Coast to Crest trail, ideal for dog walking after a satisfying meal."This place literally embodies San Diego in restaurant form. Good beer, chill people, a great waterfront view, lots of space, dog-friendly, all in a gastropub!" Yelper Jennifer B. said.The New Zealand-inspired Kairoa Brewing Company, which is a brewpub and rooftop bar overlooking the iconic University Heights sign, ranked No. 20 on the list."Kairoa is one of my favorite spots to go to. The rooftop is wonderful and it is dog friendly! We have been here many times for group gatherings or birthdays. The staff is so friendly a...