New York Times Website hangs computer for two minutes in either Firefox or IE11

WIN7PRO/16G RAM

This is my second time around with this problem. This time it started after the most recent group of windows updates were installed.

After a restart or fresh bootup, The New York Times website hangs IE11 or Firefox for at least two minutes before the data is downloaded and the screen begins to function. It actually hangs the entire computer for those 2-3 minutes. I can move the pointer, but it will not click on anything. I can't bring up task manager during that 2-3 minutes to kill either app. Then the website seems to unlock, paint the page and away we go. And it will work for the rest of the session. But if I restart, then open either of the two browsers and try to to to the NYT, same thing -- hangs for several minutes before it fully appears.

Last time I solved this problem on advice from a tech I know.  Went into IE's internet options/connections/lan settings and unchecked "automatically detect settings." That fixed the NYT
on both browsers. This time, it makes no difference whether it's checked or not checked. Both browsers hand. I have Crome and the NYT seems to work on that, but I use FF as my main browser for the obvious reasons and I rely on that website.

Here's what I've done. Cleared cache and cookies on all browsers and reset IE11. Did this three times to make sure. Flushed the DNS cache; stopped the DNS and let a restart reset it. Have also run full sfc /scannow and chkdsk which actually made several repairs. Then ran both again to be sure.

Called the NYT tech support. They had no clue and reported no problems. This didn't surprise me because on a MacAir/Firefox NYT works fine, as it does on another WIN 7 machine on this house net.

So there must be some setting on this particular machine, some something, that is hanging that site. And again, that site is essential to my business.