5+ min ago (401+ words) There's nothing like a fireplace to set the mood on a chilly evening. Whether you're envisioning the crackle of logs, the convenience of instant flames or a sleek modern design, today's homeowners have four main options: wood-burning, gas, electric and ethanol fireplaces. No fireplace design is more timeless than hearths that burn seasoned logs, filling the room with the unmistakable sights, sounds and scents of a classic fire. For many, no substitute can match the authenticity of crackling wood and the sense of warmth that it creates. That old-fashioned charm comes at a price. Wood-burning fireplaces require chimneys, regular cleaning and occasional chimney sweeping to prevent dangerous creosote buildup. They are less energy efficient than other options because much of the heat escapes through the chimney. Installation is also costly unless your home already has the proper setup. Still, for…...

6+ min ago (571+ words) It's looking more like Massachusetts voters might just get a direct say in how much income tax they pay, and when the state owes them refunds for surplus state revenues. Two business-backed initiatives that would trim the state's income tax rate and increase the frequency of surplus refunds to taxpayers cleared a key procedural milestone last week, with supporters claiming they collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the 2026 state ballot. The Mass Opportunity Alliance, the group behind both bids, announced it collected more than 87,000 signatures for a ballot question that would cut the income tax from 5% to 4%. MOA said it gathered them in time for Wednesday's deadline to submit voter signatures to city and town halls for verification. That's a solid cushion above the nearly 75,000 signatures requirement to advance ballot questions to the next stage. MOA also said…...

32+ min ago (299+ words) Seasons change. Kids grow up. Monsters evolve. Beloved TV series end. "Stranger Things'" fifth and final season kicked off Wednesday after a nearly three-and-a-half-year absence. It's a welcome but bittersweet reunion for fans of the show who've spent the last decade watching a gaggle of misfit kids (now teens) weaponize their nerd skills against supernatural and mortal enemies in the fictional town of Hawkins, Ind. Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Max (Sadie Sink) and their superpowered friend Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) are now poised for a final battle against their mind-bending nemesis, Vecna, when the season's Volume 1 arrives with four new episodes; Volume 2 (three episodes) drops Christmas Day, and the finale arrives Dec 31. "Stranger Things" takes place in the Reagan era, so from its very beginnings parents of Gen Zers could watch…...

46+ min ago (251+ words) Dear Reader: How can you make the most of your year-end performance review? As the holidays reach a frenetic pace, it's important to pause and reflect: Take stock of the past year at work, update your resume, strategize your career and job search goals for the new year and document your year-end performance review. You may want to be proactive to get feedback to make sure you're on track with expectations. It also helps lay the groundwork for goal setting in the new year. According to Gallup data, 80% of workers who said they received meaningful feedback recently (as in, the past week), also said they're fully engaged. The same report also showed the most impactful conversations between a manager and direct report are not long; it's quite the opposite. Around 15 to 30 minutes is ideal for a meaningful conversation. These meetings…...

1+ hour, 9+ min ago (1100+ words) Por NICOLE WINFIELD y ABBY SEWELL Le'n tuvo dos citas clave en Estambul antes de volar a Beirut: una oraci'n en la catedral apost'lica armenia y una liturgia divina con el patriarca ecum'nico Bartolom', l'der espiritual de los cristianos ortodoxos del mundo, cuya invitaci'n para conmemorar un importante aniversario cristiano fue el motivo de la visita de Le'n. Le'n entr' en la catedral armenia envuelto en una nube de incienso mientras un coro masculino cantaba. Alab' el "valiente testimonio cristiano del pueblo armenio a lo largo de la historia, a menudo en medio de circunstancias tr'gicas. Fue una referencia a la masacre de armenios por parte de los turcos otomanos durante la I Guerra Mundial. El papa Francisco hab'a calificado la masacre como un "genocidio, lo que enfureci' a Turqu'a, que niega que haya ocurrido un genocidio. Le'n fue m's…...

1+ hour, 39+ min ago (769+ words) Muchos se inclinaron hacia la escena del incendio y ofrecieron oraciones breves, o dejaron notas escritas a mano entre las flores. El suceso ha provocado grandes muestras de apoyo y condolencias, y miles de residentes de la ciudad han visitado el lugar del incendio para rendir homenaje a los fallecidos y donar suministros a aquellos que lo perdieron todo en las llamas, que comenzaron el mi'rcoles y no se extinguieron por completo hasta el viernes. A'n quedan decenas de personas desaparecidas. Los equipos continuaron buscando el domingo por la tarde en las ruinas de los edificios y sacaron lo que parec'an ser varias bolsas para cad'veres. Los ocho edificios del complejo Wang Fuk Court en el suburbio de Tai Po hab'an sido revestidos con andamios de bamb' cubiertos con redes de nylon para renovaciones, con ventanas cubiertas por paneles de…...

2+ hour, 52+ min ago (182+ words) Los Nuggets, candentes en el disparo, acertaron 22 de 38 triples (57.9%) "encestando diez en la primera mitad y 12 en la segunda para un flujo constante de ofensiva. Tim Hardaway Jr. anot" 23 puntos desde el banquillo y atin" siete de 11 desde detr's del arco. Jokic "quien apenas jug" en el "ltimo cuarto" emboc" sus siete tiros de campo y agreg" diez asistencias y nueve rebotes. Se qued" as" a las puertas de su und'cimo triple-doble de la temporada. Denver ampli" su ventaja a 96-85 al entrar en el cuarto periodo despu's de encestar ocho triples en el tercero. Los Suns redujeron el d'ficit a nueve al inicio del cuarto, pero los Nuggets respondieron con los siguientes 12 puntos para construir una c"moda ventaja de 110-89. Los Nuggets se recuperaron de la derrota sufrida el viernes por la noche ante los Spurs de San Antonio. Los…...

3+ hour, 4+ min ago (19+ words) Associated Press JERUSAL'N (AP) " El primer ministro israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, pide al presidente un indulto por cargos de corrupci'n....

3+ hour, 22+ min ago (612+ words) Say what you will about the Red Sox over the past 25 years. For better or worse, they've always been memorable. The 21st century has been a roller coaster for the Red Sox, whose four World Series championships are more than anyone else over that stretch. But those soaring peaks have come with deep valleys, including 14 seasons without a playoff appearance and six last-place finishes. Whether times were good or bad, the Red Sox have always featured some incredible talent. Now that we're a quarter of the way through the 21st century, it's time to look back at the club's greatest players since the turn of the millennium. For our purposes, we'll be assembling a 26-man roster including a traditional starting lineup, a bench featuring a backup infielder, outfielder, catcher and utility man, and a functional pitching staff including six starters and seven…...

3+ hour, 23+ min ago (217+ words) El portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Oncu Keceli, afirm" que los ataques a los buques Kairos y Virat ocurrieron dentro de la zona econ"mica exclusiva de Turqu'a y "han supuesto serios riesgos para la navegaci"n, la vida, la propiedad y la seguridad ambiental en la regi"n. En una publicaci"n en redes sociales el s'bado por la noche, Keceli a'adi" que Turqu'a mantiene conversaciones con "las partes relevantes para prevenir la expansi"n de la guerra en Ucrania a trav's del mar Negro y para proteger los intereses econ"micos de Turqu'a. Ucrania ha declarado que utiliz" drones navales para atacar los petroleros en r'pida sucesi"n frente a la costa turca del mar Negro el viernes por la tarde. Se inform" que los miembros de la tripulaci"n a bordo de ambos buques estaban a salvo....