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Mass General Brigham bringing back mask mandate, as Boston-area COVID wastewater surges and infections rise WWW.BOSTONHERALD.COM Mass General Brigham will be bringing back its staff mask mandate in the new year with local hospitals seeing...

a day after signing Lucas Giolito... Chris Sale will head to Atlanta in exchange for infield prospect Vaughn Grissom, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The Sox will also include $17MM in the deal to cover a big portion of Sale’s $27.5MM salary for the 2024 season, as per the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Sale had a full no-trade clause that he has waived to facilitate the move.

The Knicks are acquiring a precious player: The Raptors are finalizing a trade to send OG Anunoby to the Knicks in exchange for a package headlined by RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski tweets the pick the Raptors are acquiring is a 2024 second round pick via the Pistons, which appears to be atop the second round. According to Wojnarowski, forward Precious Achiuwa is part of the deal to New York (Twitter link). Shams Charania tweets Malachi Flynn is also included in the trade to the Knicks.

I was gonna just post TAPE.

Dear Abby: Our son “Ted” met a young lady, “Gina,” who I really like. She told him she had polycystic ovary syndrome and would have a hard time conceiving. Well, she got pregnant and they ended up, spur of the moment, going to the courthouse to get married. When Gina went into labor, we drove three hours to be with them and stayed in a hotel, only to be told she didn’t want company. She’d had a horrible three-day labor that ended with a C-section. I sort of understand her not wanting to see anybody, but we dropped everything and weren’t able to even see our grandchild. My husband, “Peter,” has a lot of resentment toward Gina and Ted. My problem is, when Peter and I married, I was three months pregnant. He has it stuck in his head that Gina “trapped” Ted into getting married. When Peter and I went through a rough patch, he made that comment about us a couple times. When Ted and Gina come here, which isn’t often, my husband makes no effort to get to know Gina, only to judge her. I try to text or FaceTime them every week or so to check in. I work the night shift, so I sleep during the day and am back up when they are asleep. How can I help my husband to see that they really do love each other and to help make Gina part of the family? — Torn Mother-in-Law Dear Torn: It appears your husband still has some unresolved issues regarding the circumstances of your marriage that he has projected onto your daughter-in-law. Point out to him that this hasn’t escaped your notice, and suggest that if he wants anything resembling a healthy relationship with his son, Gina, that baby AND YOU, he must start talking with a licensed therapist. It may also require some sessions with a counselor who specializes in family therapy, if Ted and Gina are willing. Cross your fingers. If your husband won’t agree to it, go without him. TELL YOUR HUSBAND THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE A SCHEMING TRAMP, IT DOESN’T MEAN GINA IS ONE, TOO. AND REMIND HIM THAT IF HE HAD WORN A CONDOM, NONE OF THIS WOULD EVER HAVE HAPPENED.

She probably needs a few days to read through all the snarky online comments about her new face for the holidays.

Try watching a bit more

Cake Boss Buddy Valastro visits Zum Stammtisch in Glendale as part of a new food travel show

Click on the dots in the upper right corner of your post, and

What is wrong with you that you think Mickey Mouse is a person? He is a rodent. It's in his name, for crying out loud! Homer & Marge are people, like Fred & Wilma or Barney & Betty.

Daughter of Homer & Marge, sister of Bart & Lisa, granddaughter of Abe, niece of Patty & Selma

She was the old biddy best known for voicing the only word Maggie Simpson has spoken in 35 years, right?

Dear Abby: I have been seeing the same man for a year and a half. In the beginning, we were, basically, friends with benefits, and we were OK with that. Having both gone through recent breakups or divorce, neither of us wanted anything serious. However, after six months passed, I started falling for him. He always made clear that if he didn’t want to go down that road, we would break ties, but the way he acted indicated that maybe one day there would be more. After eight months, we found out I was two months pregnant. Our baby changed how we both felt about a relationship, but we had things we needed to work through before going down that road. I started therapy — not for him, but because I knew I needed it for myself and, ultimately, our daughter. We moved in together five months ago. Being together with our daughter has been wonderful. It has made me fall even more in love with him. When I recently told him I want to officially be his lady, he said there are still a few things he wants me to work on — not personality changes, but things like the fact that I’m pushy. I recognize I can be that way, and impatient too, but I feel I wouldn’t be so pushy if he gave me more definitive answers. What do you think about this? — Ready for a Real Relationship Dear Ready PUSHY BROAD: I applaud you for seeing a therapist to work through your issues. Now I think the time has come for you and this man to seek couples counseling to determine whether you can iron out your differences. I am not sure whether you two were really on the same page from the beginning of this relationship. Counseling should help you decide how to move forward now that there is a child involved, because you WILL be co-parenting for a long time, regardless of the direction your relationship takes. HE CAN DEAL WITH HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH A WOMAN WHO IS ‘pushy… and impatient too, but feel[s] I wouldn’t be so pushy if he gave me more definitive answers’ AND THINKS IT’S HIS FAULT HER PERSONALITY FLAWS ARE MAKING HIM HESITANT. Dear Abby: My husband and I own a parrot we take with us pretty much everywhere. He draws a lot of attention and questions from strangers, which I’m usually happy to answer. You might be surprised at how many people own or have owned birds, and many of them love to share their stories about how their parrot or parakeet died. (It’s often from neglect or improper care or breeding.) These stories are often related in a jovial way, as if they should be amusing or relatable. It really upsets me to have to stand there nodding with fake amusement or sympathy. I am tempted to say something snarky, but I refrain. I love birds, and I don’t like being reminded how disposably they are treated. People don’t tend to share graphic stories about dead dogs, cats or children in public. It makes me sad to hear about their dead birds every time I go outside to enrich my own pet’s life. What can I say to stop this unwanted and depressing storytelling before it gets started? — Bird Lover in North Carolina Dear Bird Lover: Try being honest and telling these people that hearing about their experience makes you sad, and why ANNOYING SOMEBODY PSYCHOTIC ENOUGH TO TAKE A BIRD WITH THEM EVERYWHERE IS A STUPID THING TO DO. That should shut ’em up.

You mean from the Sigourney Weaver movies, right? Leave him alone. He's still suffering from what Tony Danza did to him. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!?!? I agree, but also see a little Kate Winslet, too Maybe Madge is just cheap. By now, Cher must get a 'frequent flyer' discount, so everything probably costs less for her.

This could've gone in the FLORIDA thread, but (sadly) this could happen virtually anywhere in the U.S. A 14-year-old Florida teen fatally shot his sister in an argument over Christmas gifts, only to be shot moments later by his own teenage brother, authorities said. The argument started when the brothers, ages 14 and 15, were out shopping on Christmas Eve Sunday with their mother and sister, and got into a spat over who was receiving more Christmas gifts, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a news conference. After shopping, the boys, their mother, their 23-year-old sister Abrielle Baldwin, and Baldwin's two young children, ages 6 and 11 months, went to their grandmother's home in Largo where the argument continued. That's when the 14-year-old brother "stood in the doorway, he took out his .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and he pointed it at [his brother] and told him he was going to shoot him in the head,” Gualtieri said. The 14-year-old tried to get his 15-year-old brother to fight and an uncle ended up separating them and moving the 14-year-old outside into the driveway area. That’s where he found Abrielle carrying her 11-month-old baby in a carrier. She told him: “You all need to leave that stuff alone. Why are you trying to start it? It’s Christmas,” Gualtieri said. The 14-year-old ensued to argue with her, called her “derogatory” terms, and shot her in the chest as she was holding her infant in the carrier, the sheriff said. She fell, and the baby fell too, but was unharmed. The 15-year-old brother then came outside, and brought out a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and exclaimed, "You shot my motherf------ sister!" and shot the 14-year-old one time in the stomach, according to the sheriff's office. The sheriff noted there was an "eight second gap" between the time the 14-year-old shot Abrielle and before he himself was shot. At the time he was shot, he was no longer in possession of his gun, the sheriff said. The 15-year-old then ran, threw his gun in a nearby yard and fled to a relative's house in Clearwater. Abrielle was transported to a hospital and died of her wounds. “She was just a woman going about life doing her thing with her two kids,” Gualtieri said. “Now you got an 11-month-old and a 6-year-old boy, and their mom’s dead.” The 14-year-old was also hospitalized, underwent surgery, and is in stable condition. He will be released from the hospital to the Florida department of juvenile justice. The 14-year-old was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and delinquent in possession of a firearm. The Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney's Office will determine whether or not he'll be charged as an adult. When police located the 15-year-old brother in Clearwater, he made self harm statements and was taken to a mental health facility. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. The .40 caliber handgun the 14-year-old used to shoot sister was recovered, but the .45 caliber gun the 15-year-old used has not been, officials said. Gualtieri said during their investigation and interviews with locals, people said that the two teenage brothers "carried guns all the time." He said that the brothers got their guns by “stealing them from unlocked cars, they’re out in the middle of the night doing car burglaries,” noting both were arrested for committing numerous car burglaries in Oldsmar in May. "These young kids 14, 15 years old routinely carry firearms and this is what happens when you got young delinquents that carry guns, they get upset they don’t know how to handle stuff so they just take out their guns and start shooting each other and one of them kills his sister,” the sheriff said. The 14-year-old has arrests dating back to when he was 12 years old, including minor in possession with a gun, disorderly conduct, grand theft auto, auto burglaries, and battery on a school employee, Gualtieri said. “This proliferation of guns in the streets and guns in this area and guns in the hands of these kids is the worst I’ve ever seen. I don’t think we’ve ever seen it this bad. I really think we need tougher laws to deal with these kids. They are not getting the consequences they should get," the sheriff said. https://www.aol.com/news/florida-teen-accused-fatally-shooting-145013077.html

May I suggest that they may not be able to READ that instruction...

His identical twin sister, Margaret, was a real witch!

Besides, with what would literally every stand-up comic in the country replace his/her 45 seconds about the drug side effects shown in commercials?

Another attack on the New York Post by the conservative @WilliamM

Jack has been feasting at the Buffet lately... Dak Prescott’s ex-girlfriend, Natalie Buffett, dating Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty relatively small feet...

We use a 98-year-old vacuum cleaner — it's also a food processor, veggie peeler, drill and more Nuns fail to block new Atlantic City pot dispensary just feet from convent Dear God! Suspect rams stolen car into police cruisers at Taco Bell drive-thru: 'Kept his foot on the accelerator' Yo quiero Taco Bell, indeed!