Briefly Springfield

By AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U. S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future.

Miami Hurricanes star quarterback Cam Ward capped his stellar regular season with the ACC’s top individual award. In his one season with Miami, Ward earned ACC Player of the Year and offensive player of the year honors. The announcement comes a day after Ward and 16 other Miami players earned All-ACC honors. Ward is the first Hurricane to be named the ACC Player of the Year.

By Rich Thomaselli, TravelPulse (TNS) If you thought New York was just a concrete jungle, it’s clear you never got out of the city. The entire state is a playground, especially in the winter. Related Articles Travel | Election results are impacting travelers’ 2025 international trip plans Travel | Crazy cleaning fees have pushed once-loyal Airbnb travelers back to hotels Travel | 4 secrets for eating better on cruises: tips from top chefs Travel | Cruise lines line up Black Friday, Cyber Monday deals Travel | Carnival Cruise Line to offer 10 sailings celebrating America’s 250th birthday For instance, did you know that New York has a world-class mountain?

Books, like socks, give themselves away behind holiday wrapping. Nothing more so than a coffee table book. Or a beloved classic in hardcover. I’m not saying giving these are bad ideas. I’m saying the surprise is the gift itself. Choose well. Shock. Fascinate. Warm a cockle. It’s not easy, but what follows should ease the deliberation.

Belgian endive leaves are an inviting vessel to hold a wide assortment of flavorful fillings. I like to call these appetizers “boats,” and stuff them with a mix of parsley, green olives, toasted walnuts or pecans, and feta cheese. Pomegranate molasses adds a lovely sweet-sour spark to the mix. It’s sold at Middle Eastern markets and in many natural food stores.

Amy Nicholson | (TNS) Los Angeles Times Maria Callas seized fame as the voice of Tosca, Medea and Carmen, opera’s eternally doomed heroines. If opera still commands audiences a century from now, perhaps it will sing of Callas, a fighter who survived the Nazi occupation of Greece, a heckling at La Scala, a media hazing on multiple continents and a humiliating public affair only to be hobbled by her own coping tools: sedatives and starvation. “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie, is director Pablo Larraín’s latest effort to build his own canon of 20th-century tragediennes.