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| Boston Red Sox fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, 'signals a new direction' | The Boston Red Sox have fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, the team announced Thursday.
The team said principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, and president & CEO Sam Kennedy notified of Bloom of the decision to let him go.
Bloom was hired by the team in October 2019 – one year after Boston won the World Series – succeeding Dave Dombrowski, after success running the Tampa Bay Rays. Bloom's tenure infamously began with the team unable to re-sign to Mookie Betts to a long-term contract, and he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020.
In his four seasons as chief baseball officer, Bloom helped develop the Boston farm system, including prospect Marcelo Mayer, the No. 4 overall pick in 2021 MLB Draft.
But despite the development of prospects, the Red Sox haven't had successful results on the field, with only one playoff appearance (2021) during Bloom's tenure. Overall, Boston was 267-262 with Bloom and had a slim chance of returning to the playoffs this year, as the Red Sox, at 73-72, are 7½ games behind the final wild card spot at the time of Bloom's firing.
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Red Sox say Theo Epstein is not a candidate
Kennedy quickly squashed speculation about a potential return of Theo Epstein, who helped build the 2004 World Series team that broke an 86-year title drought, saying Thursday that Epstein is not a candidate to replace Bloom.
Epstein, currently a consultant for MLB, most recently worked for the Chicago Cubs, constructing the club's 2016 championship squad that snapped a 108-year drought.
Owner John Henry said while the decision to let Bloom was "not taken lightly, it signals a new direction for our club."
The team also announced general manager Brian O’Halloran was offered a new senior leadership position within the baseball operations department. O’Halloran and assistant general managers Eddie Romero, Raquel Ferreira and Michael Groopman will assume day-to-day operations while the team searches for a new leader of its baseball operations. |
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| Doctor Who Welcomed Its 15th Doctor. Heres How He Stacks Up. | With most TV shows, a major casting change is a dreaded event. But for fans of the long-running British series “Doctor Who,” big casting changes are expected, even anticipated. With the show’s latest Christmas episode, which premiered Monday on Disney+, we got acquainted with the newest Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”) — the 15th Doctor and the first Black, openly queer one in series history.
The arrival of a new Doctor, the show’s titular time-traveling, space-wandering alien, is always a buzzy occasion. But although the Doctor typically dies and is regenerated in the final minutes of some climactic episode, it is the one immediately following that truly establishes the new incarnation and what kind of flavor he or she will offer. These first full episodes with a new Doctor, including this year’s Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road,” can reveal a lot about how that Doctor’s tenure will go.
Here’s a look back at the first post-regeneration episodes of every Doctor since the show’s 2005 revival. |
e2f605e6a7ed76f23f10fe6bfcca196d | 0.254035 | 4politics
| Israeli Military Releases New Details on Killing of 3 Hostages | New details released by the Israeli military about the accidental killing of three Israeli hostages in Gaza City include that there was a gap of 15 minutes between the fatal shootings of the first two hostages and the third and that a commander had urged the third hostage to come out of hiding just before he was fatally shot.
Among other new details were that the lookout soldiers who fired the bullets that killed the third hostage did not hear an order to hold fire.
The Israeli army has been under intense pressure from the families of the hostages and the general public to investigate and explain how the three hostages, who had stripped from the waist up to show they were unarmed and were holding a makeshift white flag, could have been shot by Israeli soldiers. The army has taken full responsibility for the Dec. 15 incident and has said that the soldiers involved in the shooting violated the military’s rules of engagement but did not act with malicious intent.
The latest account, released late on Thursday, consists of a 10-bullet statement, accompanied by photos from the ground and air and a map showing locations of significance in relation to the spot where the hostages were killed. It offers new details and adds perspective to previous disclosures, portraying the soldiers involved as having been engaged in intense and prolonged fighting and as extremely wary of Hamas ruses. Just days before the hostages were shot, two senior Israeli commanders and seven other soldiers were killed in a Hamas ambush in the same area, Shejaiye. |
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| Nate Landrebe IDd as man shot, killed by police during New Hampshire standoff | More episodes of Hulu’s “Only Murders In The Building” will air on ABC on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. EST. Episodes 7-9 from season 1 will air back to back starting at 9 p.m. EST.
Viewers can stream the show by using FuboTV or DirecTV. Both streaming services offer free trials.
Since the show is a Hulu original, viewers can also stream the series on Hulu with a subscription and will get their first month free when they sign up. Plans for Hulu start as low as $7.99 a month and give you access to thousands of shows and movies.
According to a description on Hulu, “three strangers share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.”
The show stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
How can I watch “Only Murders In The Building?”
Viewers looking to binge the new season can do so with a Hulu subscription. A Hulu subscription with ads starts at just $7.99 a month and offers a 30-day free trial for new users. A subscription with no ads is $14.99 a month, also with a free trial.
Viewers can bundle Disney+ with Hulu for $9.99 a month or bundle Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99 a month. Viewers can also bundle all three, disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ with no-ads for $19.99 a month or bundle all three streaming services with live TV for $69.99 a month |
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| Hyde Park woman wins $25 million instant prize, 17 years after winning big on another instant ticket - Boston News, Weather, Sports | BOSTON — For the third time in four games the Bruins gave up a lead in the third period. It has led to an overtime loss all three times.
The script in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Wild was a little different than it had been against the Devils and the Rangers but the result was the same. Kirill Kaprizov scored 2:54 into overtime forcing Boston to settle for one point.
The Bruins fell to 19-5-6 and fell behind the Rangers for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Boston hits the road for a game at Winnipeg on Friday before a rematch with Wild on Saturday in Minnesota.
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Former Bruin Marcus Johansson put the Wild on the board first with a power play goal, 7:44 into the game.
David Pastrnak tied the game on the rush as Johnny Beecher fed him just above the slot and Pastrnak ripped a wrist shot by Marc-Andre Fleury with 8:31 left in the first.
His second of the game and 19th of the season beat Fleury and the clock. Pavel Zacha fed him just off the left post and Pastrnak banged it in before Fleury could recover and the buzzer could sound with less than a second left in the first.
After neither team scored in the second, Kaprizov tied the game with 6:48 left. Less than two minutes later Ryan Hartman beat Linus Ullmark (27 saves) through the five-hole to put the Wild ahead 3-2.
Fleury (40 saves) was terrific throughout and especially in the third period, but he couldn’t smother the puck in front of him with the Bruins desperately attacking with a power play and the goalie pulled. After being pushed down in the net-front chaos, Brad Marchand pulled the puck out of the scrum and flipped it through the traffic into the net to tie the game 3-3 with 1:06 left in regulation.
Charlie Coyle nearly won the game moment later, but his backhand hit the post and the game went to overtime.
Here are four takeaways from another overtime loss:
For teams who don’t play very often, the Bruins and Wild have bad blood between them — For the second time in three seasons, Boston and Minnesota played with some nastiness between them.
Jakub Lauko vs. and Connor Dewar squared off for a first-period fight and Lauko came out ahead on all cards. Pat Maroon jumped Parker Wotherspoon in the second period after a hit he didn’t like. He got the instigator penalty and his money’s worth as he took down the Bruins defenseman decisively.
Bruins catch an injury break when Matt Grzelcyk returns — It looked like Charlie McAvoy’s first shift back from injured reserve might be Matt Grzelcyk’s last of the game.
Grzelcyk was on the receiving end of a hard check from Marcus Foligno in the corner behind Linus Ullmark, 1:06 into the game. He got up slowly and skated hunched over to the bench and went down the tunnel to the dressing room.
Between McAvoy’s four-game suspension last month and both defensemen’s respective stints on injured reserve, the Boston University Terrier tandem has been together less than usual, but he returned before the second period.
McAvoy looked shaken up by a Maroon hit in the third period that knocked his helmet off but stayed in the game.
Bruins get one right before and one right after the buzzer — David Pastrnak scored with 0.2 seconds left to end the first period. After a short video to make sure, the goal was confirmed.
Zacha tried to match his feat at the end of the second. His shot did beat Fleury, but the horn had already sounded.
Jakub Lauko wins a fight and nearly delivers a highlight film goal — Moments after the Wild took their first-period lead, Lauko dropped the gloves with Connor Dewar and quickly brought the Wild center to the ground. He waved his arms trying to the crowd as he went to the penalty box.
Lauko nearly fired them up again. With 5:33 left in the first period, he scooped the puck on the toe of his stick behind the net and tried to lacrosse-cradle it into the top corner behind the unsuspecting goalie, but it jumped off his stick early and went wide. |
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| Zipcar expanding EV offerings after Boston pilot | The company, owned by Avis , has been expanding its EV fleet since a pilot program started in Boston in 2022 with just 10 electric vehicles. It added more vehicles in more cities in 2023 and currently has about 300 EVs in its fleet nationwide.
Under an initiative announced in December, Zipcar plans to double its EV fleet in 2024, with at least one-quarter available in economically disadvantaged communities. The expansion will span 10 cities including Boston, Chicago, New York, and Denver. (Some of you may be wondering: Zipcar is still around? Yes, it is.)
Zipcar, the car-sharing company based in Boston, is delving deeper into the electric vehicle market after a successful local pilot program.
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According to the company’s surveys, only about one in 10 customers has ever driven an electric vehicle. So a top priority for the program was addressing drivers’ questions and concerns about charging, Justin Holmes, vice president of policy and marketing, said.
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“What we found is that the best-case scenario is when a member doesn’t have to worry about charging really at all,” Holmes said.
To address the challenge, Zipcar has sought out designated parking spots with chargers (every Zipcar has a specific parking spot where customers pick up and drop off the vehicle). When that isn’t possible, Zipcar staff take EVs to nearby charging stations for a fill-up before a customer picks up a vehicle.
Each Zipcar EV also includes cards for popular charging networks, in case a customer needs to recharge on a longer road trip. That’s similar to the company’s gas-powered cars, which have a special debit card tucked in the sun visor to pay for gas refills.
Zipcar hopes to avoid some of the horror stories that have beset EV programs at traditional car rental companies. Hertz and others ran into problems when they stuck customers with electric cars unexpectedly. That can’t happen at Zipcar, where customers choose to rent a specific, individual car, electric or gas-powered.
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Zipcar also designed an online guide with a series of how-to videos for its EV customers, covering topics like driving dynamics and charging.
College student and Zipcar customer Madeline Mueller had never driven an EV before she tried one from the car-sharing service in November. Going electric was just as easy to rent and drive as a gas-powered car, she said. Living in Somerville, she doesn’t need to own a car right now, but “this experience has me strongly considering electric vehicles if I do move somewhere I require a car,” she said.
Winning over future EV drivers could be an added benefit of Zipcar’s program, according to Ingrid Malmgren, policy director at nonprofit EV advocacy group Plug In America.
“Particularly with something like Zipcar where you may use the same vehicle multiple times, it seems like a great introduction to an electric vehicle,” Malmgren said.
Aaron Pressman can be reached at aaron.pressman@globe.com. Follow him @ampressman. |
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| Opinion | A Green Glacier Is Dismantling the Great Plains | One hundred and fifty years ago on Thursday, the novelist Willa Cather was born in her grandmother’s house in Virginia. Though she drew from her Southern childhood throughout her career, plucking memories like grapes from the vine, it was the swelling prairies of Nebraska — surreal in their expanse, in their commune with the sky, in the almost tidal energy underfoot — that conjured her most enduring works, the bluestem eternal that proved her muse.
“The homesteads were few and far apart; here and there a windmill gaunt against the sky, a sod house crouching in a hollow,” she wrote in “O Pioneers!,” the first in her prairie trilogy. “But the great fact was the land itself, which seemed to overwhelm the little beginnings of human society that struggled in its somber wastes.”
Like so many other certainties of the 20th century, however — American hegemony, ground water, Social Security, fossil fuels — Cather’s “great fact” is now in question. North America has already destroyed more than 60 percent of its native prairie. We’ve plowed the sod, left the topsoil to blow away, traded wildflowers for row crops, switch grass for suburbs, hay meadows for Home Depots. We’ve cleaved it apart with freeways, transmission lines, irrigation canals and oil pipelines. And now the Eastern redcedar tree is hungry for what’s left. |
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| New Years Day shooting in Dorchester claims mans life | A man was fatally shot in Boston on New Year’s Day, according to the Boston Police Department.
Police found the man with a gunshot wound at 34 High St. in Dorchester just before 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, police said in a statement. He was pronounced dead onsite. The man’s name was not released.
This is the second fatal shooting in Dorchester within the past 72 hours in Boston. Curtis Effee, 41, was shot dead near 417 Geneva Avenue shortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, Boston police reported.
Police also announced that two people were arrested in connection with the shooting — Tyreese Robinson, 19, of Randolph and Dasahn Crowder, 21, of Quincy. The two were arrested on warrants with charges of murder near 380 Talbot Avenue in Dorchester, the police said.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned at Dorchester District Court. Meanwhile no arrests have been made in connection with the High Street shooting, which remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is strongly asked to contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. Anonymous tips can be made by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463). |
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de96ae5235538022cce2d977b0f1dc72 | 0.906857 | 7weather
| Heavy rain causes messy commute, leaves thousands of Mass. residents without power | City officials once again gathered around one of the city’s mountainous salt piles to announce Boston is braced for any oncoming winter weather — and they urged residents to do their part.
“Winter doesn’t stand a chance in Boston, because we are ready,” said Mayor Michelle Wu, flanked by a glittering salt pile and large snow plow in the Public Works Yard Wednesday. “And we know that last winter was particularly mild, and so I’m trying not to jinx it today here in front of the salt pile, but we will be prepared for anything.”
The city has 44,000 tons of salt — upping last year by 4,000 tons — and 175 pieces of snow clearing apparatus with 800 more available for snow emergencies, Wu said.
Following a notably mild winter last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association forecasted a warmer-than-average winter for the New England region in their 2023-24 Winter Outlook release. In a report released in October, though, AccuWeather forecasted up to three times higher snowfall in the Boston region compared to last year.
“But preparing for winter isn’t just about streets and public walkways,” Wu said. “It is also about keeping our residents warm and safe.”
The city hosts a number of winter programs for residents, including energy and heating assistance to help get families through the winter. Families can apply to receive assistance with fuel costs, weatherization, system repairs and more through the city of Boston website.
“We know that making it through the winter is very much a team effort, certainly within the city but also with our residents and businesses,” said Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge. “And we need people to do their part and follow the rules that we’ve had for shoveling.”
Residents are responsible for shoveling all sidewalks and curb ramps abutting their property within three hours after snowfall ends or the sun rises, Franklin Hodge said.
Officials also reminded folks the city only allows residents to use “space savers” for parking spaces after an official snow emergency had been declared and up to 48 hours after the emergency has ended — except in the South End and Bay Village, which don’t allow the practice.
People can also pitch in by calling 311 — or using the 311 app — for any snow or winter weather related concerns, like covered fire hydrants and handicap ramps, or questions, officials said. Speakers also encouraged seniors to call at any time, noting the city “stands ready to assist senior homeowners in need of any type of emergency repair.”
Wu encouraged anyone concerned any elderly, unhoused, under-dressed or disoriented people out in winter weather to “please call 911 to make sure that they can get help and support right away.”
The city has 1,030 emergency bed for homeless individuals, said Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon, and an additional 219 for individuals who need less populated facilities and more support because of mental health and substance abuse issues.
As the migrant and shelter crisis grows, the city, state and nonprofit partners are adding beds and warming spaces, Dillon said, and “no one will be turned away.”
Officials also called on residents to be safe by dressing with consideration for the weather and being careful and visible when traveling after dark during the early sunsets.
“We know that getting through the winter here is a community effort,” said Wu. “And we have the strongest community here in Boston one that supports one another from helping shovel snow and dig out cars to checking on our neighbors.”
The city has program application and details guides on subjects like parking, shoveling, losing power and more on boston.gov/winter. |
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| 2 Brockton men arrested in connection with postal worker robbery | Two men arrested on Tuesday are believed to be the masked suspects who attacked a postal worker on Dec. 27, Brockton police announced Wednesday.
Vashid Mashmasarmi, 20, of Brockton, was charged with unarmed robbery, possession of a burglarious tool and receiving stolen property, police said in a statement. Soul Gagnon, 20, of Brockton, was charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm, possession of a large capacity magazine, unlawful possession of ammunition and resisting arrest.
Police said that they received a 911 call from a postal worker at 12:30 on Dec. 27 about being robbed in the Rosemont Square Apartment Complex. The mail carrier was physically assaulted by two men dressed in black and wearing masks and had injuries to their ribs and side, according to police. The mail carrier’s “arrow key,” a master key for mailboxes in a given area, was stolen.
On Wednesday, at around 10:20 a.m., Randolph and Brockton police detectives and a Massachusetts State Police trooper issued a search warrant on a black Acura TL sedan in a parking lot at 984 N. Main St. in Brockton. The Acura had stopped in a parking spot next to the building facing an unoccupied postal vehicle.
When the detectives and trooper approached the car, the driver, Gagnon, did not respond to police demands and reached for his waist, police said. They apprehended him, finding a .40-caliber Glock with a loaded high-capacity magazine and a round in the chamber on his person.
Shortly after, Mashmasarmi arrived and the detectives and trooper executed a search warrant, finding the master key on him, police said.
“Our detectives’ work on this case was phenomenal,” Brockton Police Chief Anthony Marag said in the statement. “They started with little evidence but put together a solid case and made arrests. We’d like to thank Brockton Police, Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their continued assistance in this case.”
Mashmasarmi was arraigned Wednesday in Quincy District Court, while Gagnon was arraigned in Brockton District Court. The investigation into the attack remains ongoing. |
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| Roma Restaurant in Southwick closing after 47 years of being culinary haven | An Italian restaurant in Western Massachusetts known for its pizza will dish the last of its dough at the end of the year.
Roma Restaurant, located at 561 College Highway in Southwick, will close its doors for good on Sunday, Dec. 31, the restaurant said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Dec. 27.
“Victor has dedicated 47 years to creating a culinary haven,” the post said about Roma’s owner Victor Ferrentino. “Wishing him a joyful retirement filled with relaxation and the fulfillment of all his future endeavors. Thank you, Victor, for the legacy you’ve created and the countless moments of joy around your tables.”
Read More: The Industry in Dorchester has closed to make way for new Mexican restaurant
The restaurant, which opened in 1976, was known for its pizza. However, Roma proved to be more than just a pizza shop over the years, with one Yelp reviewer saying the space earned its stripes as Italian restaurant.
“The pizza portion of their menu only takes up a tiny portion of one of the six pages in the menu they have,” wrote Kevin P.
He said he lives in Connecticut but had to show his wife what Roma was all about on their way back from visiting Massachusetts one day in October.
“I grew up in the 70s thru the late 90s (until I moved away after college) in the Granby/Southwick area and Roma’s pizza was a staple in our house,” Kevin wrote. “As a kid, my parents would buy Roma’s party size pie, which has 32 slices and is about the size of two New Haven large pies and twice as thick.”
“Excellent food excellent service the best Franchaises and real expresso martinis,” another reviewer said in February. “Meatball escarole and tortellini soups are a must. This place is a true hidden gem.”
Customers saddened by Roma’s closure took the comments section of the restaurant’s Facebook post to share their memories of the restaurant and congratulation Ferrentino on his retirement.
Read More: Our Community Food Pantry moves smoothly into newly built Southwick facility
“Congratulations on your new chapter,” one person wrote. “Please know that Roma’s presence in our town over the past almost five decades has been a shining star in all of our hearts and stomachs.”
“Thank you for creating a place in Southwick to be talked about for generations,” another person commented. “Enjoy your well deserved time of relaxation.” |
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| National GOP slams Biden for Boston fundraisers | National Republicans took aim at President Joe Biden as he touched down in Boston for a trio of high-dollar fundraisers on Tuesday, including one headlined by singer-songwriter James Taylor.
“Joe Biden is taking the day off to cozy up to his elite donors while Hamas is still holding as many as eight Americans hostage,” Republican National Committee Chairperson Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “His weak leadership has emboldened our enemies, and his misplaced priorities are disgraceful.”
Biden landed at at Boston Logan International Airport at 11:18 a.m., where he was greeted by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, according to pool reports.
There, Biden walked out from behind a blue curtain at 2:02 p.m. and spoke from behind a podium using teleprompters. He opened with comments on Hamas’ treatment of women and girls, according to pool reports.
“Hamas terrorists inflicted as much pain and suffering in women and girls as possible,” Biden said of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
“The world can’t just look away at what’s going on. It’s on all of us... to forcibly condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation,” Biden continued. “Let me be crystal clear: Hamas’ refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal and end the pause in the fighting. Everyone still being held hostage by Hamas need to be returned to their families immediately. We’re not going to stop.”
Tuesday’s marquee event was the James Taylor concert benefiting the Biden Victory Fund. The event is set to be held at the Shubert Theater in Boston’s Theater District, the Boston Herald reported Tuesday.
According to the eventbrite listing for the event, tickets ranged from $50 to $7,500. The listing describes the concert as “an evening with President Joe Biden and special guest James Taylor,” and says it will last three hours, MassLive previously reported.
Taylor, a six-time Grammy Award winner, has several ties to Massachusetts. Not only was he born in Boston, but he spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard as a child and attended Milton Academy.
According to The Boston Globe, Taylor has supported many Democratic candidates over the years, including Hilary Clinton and Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Tuesday’s round of events marked Biden’s second trip to Massachusetts in the last few weeks after celebrating Thanksgiving on Nantucket with his family. |
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| Trump legal team files motion to pause proceedings pending appeal | Lawyers for former President Donald Trump filed a motion Tuesday urging U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to pause proceedings against Trump while his appeal is pending.
The filing comes after Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review Trump's appeal in an expedited manner.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates. |
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| Strong storm with accumulating snow predicted in Mass. this weekend | The first significant snow of 2024 is set to fall this weekend, according to AccuWeather.
The weather forecasting site said a storm from the Pacific will dip over the southern Plains, connect with Gulf of Mexico moisture and encounter cold air in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions over the weekend.
That translates into what the National Weather Service agrees may be accumulating snow.
“There is the potential for a strong storm to bring rain and/or accumulating snow to #SNE (Southern New England) Saturday night into Sunday,” the National Weather Service wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
AccuWeather meteorologists predict major travel disruptions on the roads and at airports on Saturday into Sunday in the Northeast, and recommend travel on Friday rather than late Saturday or Sunday.
For Massachusetts, where there was at least some significant snowfall late last winter — a nor’easter that dumped 2 feet of snow on much of the state — but for areas further south in the mid Atlantic, this could be the first time that more than an inch of snow has fallen in two years.
The National Weather Service warns that it remains uncertain what will fall, and it could still be rain that comes during the weekend.
“This is a Day 6 forecast and not set in stone,” the Weather Service wrote. “Precipitation type and amounts remain uncertain, but accumulating snow is a possibility.” |
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| New study names 10 most dangerous places to drive in Massachusetts | DEDHAM, Mass. — A new study has found the most dangerous places to drive in Massachusetts, with a Bristol County town taking the top spot.
Personal injury lawyers at Jason Stone Injury Lawyers analyzed data MassDOT data from 218 locations in Massachusetts where there have been at least 500 crashes between 2019 and 2023 to determine which areas witnessed the largest percentage of people killed in traffic accidents.
“Driving is usually the most convenient way for people to travel, but while we all try to be safe on the roads, accidents can still happen. Taking precautions is vital wherever you are driving, such as ensuring that your car is in full working order and your driving is distraction-free,” Jason Stone Injury Lawyers said in a statement. “And the data shows that fatal crashes aren’t an inevitability – 11 different towns that were included in the study didn’t have a single fatal road accident over the time period that was measured.”
A mark of 1.59% of people involved in traffic accidents in Berkley die from their injuries, information discovered in the study showed. Since 2019, 1,007 people have been involved in 562 accidents, 16 of whom suffered fatal injuries, resulting in the highest fatality rate in the state.
Next on the list and landing in second place is Sharon with 1.13% of people killed from road crashes. The town has also seen 1,649 crashes, which involved 3,466 people, 39 of whom died as a result.
Townsend ranked third, with 1% of people killed in car crashes over a five-year time frame. In the town, there have been 13 deaths from the 1,306 people involved in the 651 crashes.
Fourth place is a tie between Freetown and West Boylston, both recording 0.95% of people killed. While the towns have the same percentage of people killed, there are numerous differences. Freetown has seen 1,080 crashes, which is almost double what West Boylston has.
Dedham is in fifth place with 0.87% of people killed. The Norfolk County town has seen 1,983 crashes over the last five years, this figure is the largest number of crashes out of the top ten. A total of 4,610 people were involved in those crashes, and 40 of them were killed.
In sixth place is Salisbury with 0.77% of people being killed in traffic accidents, based on 22 deaths from 2,869 people in crashes.
Westport ranked seventh in terms of the percentage of fatal auto accidents with 0.76% of 3,022 people being killed. In the last five years, there have only been six fatal crashes in the town.
Moving down the list at the eighth spot, is Belchertown with 0.73% of people killed. The Hampshire County town has 24.67% of people being injured in various types of crashes.
Looking at the ninth place on the ranking, Sutton sits there with 0.72% of people being killed in car crashes. The town has had a total of 413 people injured in all types of traffic accidents.
Completing the top 10, 0.71% of people were killed in Newburyport. A coastal community nestled in Essex County and a short drive to Boston, the city has seen 1,156 total crashes involving 2,526 people, and out of that total figure, 18 were killed.
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a6c3b98f66e3f74e544199b4f414a58a | 0.259818 | 4politics
| In first State of the Commonwealth, Mass. Gov. Healey goes big. Can she get there? | Analysis | If there’s been a principle that’s guided Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in the year since she took office, it’s the vision of a commonwealth that’s “more affordable, more competitive, and more equitable.”
And as she took the rostrum in the state House chamber for her first State of the Commonwealth speech on Wednesday night, that message had rarely seemed as urgent, but also as difficult to achieve.
Which is not to say she wasn’t going to try.
“Yes, our economy is strong – Massachusetts has more jobs than ever before, and unemployment has been at all-time lows,” Healey told a joint session of the state House and Senate, along with family, guests, and dignitaries, who had crammed into the ornate room to hear her speak.
“But we also know prices are high, and too many families have a hard time making ends meet. Many of us understand what that’s like,” she continued, her voice breaking at points. “I think about my own mom, raising five kids alone. One night, we were sitting around the kitchen table, and I could see she was hiding tears. She quietly asked my brother if she could use his savings from yard work and babysitting to pay the taxes. He was 11.
“People do what they have to do, to get by. I get that,” she said in a speech that stretched to a little more than 56 minutes. “As I see it, government should be there to make life easier, not harder.”
But as Healey and her allies set about that work, two realities were difficult to avoid.
The speech came little more than a week after the Arlington Democrat, confronted with flagging tax revenues, had to trim $375 million from the state budget, implementing a round of reductions that has left few areas of public life untouched.
The commonwealth collected nearly $3.8 billion in taxes last month. That’s $82 million, or 2.1%, less than collections at the same time in 2022; and $138 million, or 3.5%, behind official benchmarks, MassLive previously reported.
Year-to-date collections totaled $17.86 billion, which was $60 million, or 0.3%, ahead of collections at the same time in 2023, but still $769 million, or 4.1%, behind projections, according to the Revenue Department.
Despite those sluggish tax collections, Healey also highlighted the benefits of a $1 billion tax relief bill, which delivers breaks to renters, families, seniors, and businesses across the commonwealth.
“You’ll see the savings when you file your returns in April,” Healey boasted.
It also came as the Democratic administration and the Legislature contend with the spiraling cost of the commonwealth’s emergency shelter system, which is expected to approach nearly $1 billion a year over the next two years.
Healey acknowledged some of those heavy lifts on Wednesday night, telling the audience that she doesn’t “underestimate the challenges we face. Costs are too high for housing and childcare.
“Our schools are the best, but not for every student. Congested roads and slow trains steal our time and our joy. It’s frustrating,” Healey continued. “And while many of our industries lead the world, the competition is only getting tougher.”
The broad contours of Healey’s remarks were public hours before the Harvard-trained, former state attorney general stepped to the microphone, with schools and the economy expected to feature prominently.
And they did, with new initiatives, such as a new state literacy program, increased funding for childcare, expanded mental health funding, and a long-sought and permanent Disaster Relief Resiliency Fund, also making their debut.
Healey touted the programs underwritten by the state’s year-old Millionaire’s Tax, the additional 4% levy on anyone making more than $1 million a year. That includes free school meals, reduced-price community college for tens of thousands of students, and tuition assistance at the commonwealth’s public colleges and universities.
Roxbury resident Danita Mends, who was in the crowd Wednesday night, was among those who benefited from the state’s community college program, known as MassReconnect. Mends took advantage of the program, enrolling at MassBay Community College. Mends has called the opportunity “life-changing,” Healey said.
“Thanks to MassReconnect, student enrollment in public higher education grew last fall for the first time in 10 years,” Healey told lawmakers in remarks prepared for delivery. “That’s a big deal – for students, for employers who will benefit from [a] higher skilled workforce, and for our economy.”
The MBTA and transportation
In a year-end interview with MassLive, Healey argued that the state could not have “a functioning economy without a functioning public transit system,” as she addressed ongoing maintenance and safety issues at the nation’s oldest subway system. Healey has pointed to her appointment of T General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng as a critical first step toward addressing many of those challenges.
Even so, the mass transit agency anticipates an operating deficit running to the hundreds of millions of dollars in the next few years, according to State House News Service. And officials have said it will cost $24.5 billion to make the sweeping repairs needed across the system.
On Wednesday, Healey said she would “double [state] support for MBTA operations, and tackle deferred maintenance, to build a system worthy of our economy,” as well as “establish a permanent, reduced fare for low-income T riders; and continue affordable options at regional transit authorities.”
Finally, to address the state’s long-term transportation needs, Healey said she planned to “appoint a task force of public and private leaders to chart a course for transportation financing in the clean energy era.
“Under my administration, we will not kick this can down the road any longer,” she said.
Healey also highlighted the administration’s successful effort to bring back some $3 billion in federal funding for transportation and infrastructure projects across the country. That included $108 million to advance East-West passenger rail in Springfield, Pittsfield, Palmer, and Worcester, as well as $372 million to begin rebuilding the Cape Cod bridges.
The budget plan the administration will unveil next week also calls for “transformative investments” in transportation, with “special investments dedicated to rural communities,” the governor said.
Housing
Healey has said unraveling the housing knot is the administration’s top priority. It also will be the most challenging. Still, lawmakers have been slow to move on the proposal, even though the front office delivered its $4.12 billion housing bond bill proposal to them last fall.
“We have to act — and we have to act now — to make it easier for everyone to find an affordable place to live in Massachusetts,” she said.
A legislative panel is slated to hold its first hearing on the plan on Thursday, which Healey said will “inject hundreds of millions of dollars into building programs and first-time homebuyer programs.”
The proposal also will “reduce barriers to housing production and give communities the tools to develop more housing where they need it,” Healey continued, specifically pointing to a new state law aimed at encouraging new housing development in communities along the T.
“The truth is, our housing crisis cannot be fixed by 351 cities and towns each going it alone. We are in this together. That’s also why we’re committed to helping towns meet the MBTA Communities Law,” Healey said.
“For Massachusetts to succeed, every community must embrace the opportunity that new housing affords: For the next generation to invest in their hometown,” she concluded. “To help seniors age in place. To keep more talent and customers fueling local businesses. To lower costs and unleash people’s full potential.”
Shelters
Perhaps no public policy has come to symbolize the challenge Healey has faced in crafting a commonwealth that is both more competitive and more equitable than the state’s emergency shelter crisis, which has seen the Democratic administration struggling to find a way to house and provide services to thousands of families — many of them new arrivals.
Healey told lawmakers Wednesday that she’s proud of the way the state has “stepped up with compassion” to approach the crisis, even as she repeated a familiar call for lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to step up and help state governments.
“This is a hard issue, with no easy answers. And I want to be clear: Massachusetts did not create this problem. We will continue to demand Congress take action to fix the border and get us funding to cover our costs,” Healey said.
She also pointed to legal clinics last fall, held in conjunction with federal officials, that resulted in “nearly 3,000 newcomers” obtaining work permits.
As a part of the agreement that led to passage of the supplemental budget, Healey’s office must now provide regular reports to lawmakers on the state of the system. And heading into Wednesday night, one top Democrat already had said the system’s mounting costs were getting harder to support.
Speaking to reporters after Healey’s speech, that lawmaker, state House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, said Healey delivered a “very enthusiastic, very energetic,” speech with “a lot of great ideas, some things we’ve supported.”
Schools and Early Childhood Ed.
On Tuesday, Healey announced plans to pursue about $113 million in new child care spending in her fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, which will also request another $475 million in grants to continue supporting early education providers, State House News Service reported.
On Tuesday, Healey and other officials traveled to a child care facility in Malden, where she recalled meeting “some dedicated early educators – and some very cute kids – having fun and learning important skills in their pre-K classrooms.”
The Democrat also called for universal pre-K access for every 4-year-old in the state, with “access to high-quality, affordable preschool for every 4-year-old in all 26 Gateway Cities,” by 2026. That means “a seat in a classroom for over 23,000 children,” she said.
Healey also announced another new program, “Literacy Launch,” that aims to improve childhood literacy by making “the best reading materials available to more districts,” and by “mandating that educator training programs teach evidence-based instruction.
“Massachusetts is home to the first public school, first college, and first library. We are going to be first in literacy, too,” Healey said. “Every child in this state needs to be able to read and read well – and we’re going to give them the tools to do just that.”
The Republican rebuttal
While they recognized Healey’s grand ambitions, legislative Republicans seized on the challenges facing the state and the difficulties Healey will confront when it comes to delivering them.
In a rebuttal speech, state Sen. Peter Durant, R-Worcester, playing off a well-worn Republican theme, said citizens and policymakers “find ourselves asking some simple, yet familiar, questions: Are we better off today than we were 12 months ago? And are we headed in a direction that will make us better off?
“Unfortunately, for too many families the answer is ‘no,’” Durant said in remarks prepared for delivery on Wednesday night.
Durant’s very presence in the Senate, in fact, is testament to the political challenges that Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have had to navigate, not just among Republicans, but her fellow Democrats as well.
A former state House lawmaker, Durant flipped a seat that opened up when Healey convinced former Democratic Sen. Anne Gobi to join her administration last year.
Durant’s win energized a state Republican Party that largely had been viewed as moribund, and Republicans ended up playing a key role in untangling the policy knot that was last year’s debate over the $3.1 billion supplemental budget that delivered a badly needed, $250 million infusion (with strings attached) to the shelter system.
Republicans, for their part, said they plan to play a vigorous role in the budget debate.
“I think it will be, as usual, the interesting interplay between the House and the Senate. ... Maybe it’s going to be a challenge ... the House may like certain other proposals, the Senate may like certain other deliverables,” House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-20th Middlesex, told reporters after Healey’s speech. “And the question is, are they going to be able to control themselves so that they don’t embrace all the proposals in a way that means that it’s unsustainable ... and unaffordable.”
Flipping the script on Healey, meanwhile, Durant argued that the commonwealth “has become less affordable, our state finances are in trouble, we have a migrant crisis costing us billions of dollars per year, an educational system that is struggling to meet the needs of our students, and a health care system that has hospitals bursting at the seams.”
Policymakers, Durant argued, had to come up with some plausible solutions.
“The governor has put some very lofty goals for us to achieve as a Commonwealth. And we are very eager to work on those goals,” Durant offered. “However, we can’t become a competitive state once again if we have a failed policy on one side of the spectrum that requires billions today and billions more tomorrow.
“We can have a brighter future in Massachusetts if we come together to solve the financial burden taking over our state,” Durant said.
That brighter future also was the one Healey was reaching for Wednesday night. Whether she and lawmakers can get there together, and deliver it to Bay State residents, is an open question. |
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| Country music legend Reba McEntire to sing national anthem before Super Bowl LVIII | Note: Stats Leaders is based on results sent to MassLive. If a player is missing, coaches should email sports@masslive.com.
Take a look at Thursday’s top boys basketball scorers below: |
45154d95d442d62ee3ab87968d93f378 | 0.677135 | 3entertainment
| Boston Ballets The Nutcracker brings classic holiday magic | Twenty years after Jennifer Fisher’s 2003 book appeared, America is still “ Nutcracker Nation ,” the country that’s taken Tchaikovsky’s holiday ballet to its heart. And nowhere more so than in Boston. This year, Boston Ballet is offering 45 performances of its “Nutcracker” at the Citizens Bank Opera House. Meanwhile, the touring “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” will play the Boch Center Wang Theatre Dec. 7. United Dance’s “Extraordinary Nutcracker” will be presented at Cambridge’s Multicultural Arts Center Theatre just after that, and City of Boston Ballet will bring Tony Williams’s “Urban Nutcracker” back to the Boch Center Shubert Theatre starting mid-month.
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The “Urban Nutcracker” is an example of how American versions have branched out: it weaves Duke Ellington into the Tchaikovsky score and adds hip-hop, swing, tango, flamenco, jazz, Broadway, and tap to the traditional ballet vocabulary. Boston Ballet, however, has never strayed far from the scenario of the ballet’s source, E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 novella “Nutcracker and Mouse King.” The time is 1816 or thereabouts; the place is a German town much like Hoffmann’s Nürnberg. Herr and Frau Silberhaus are hosting a Christmas Eve party, and the title character is the nutcracker that their daughter Clara receives as a present from her uncle Drosselmeier. When Clara saves her nutcracker from an army of wicked mice, the toy soldier transforms into a prince, and together they travel to his Kingdom of the Sweets.
There’s a social dimension to artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s current production. We see street urchins begging for hot chestnuts and comforting one another. A chap dances for coins; then everyone enjoys the show Drosselmeier puts on in the picture window of his toy workshop. Clara, in a handsome powder-blue coat and bonnet, buys a posy from a young flower seller. But when the set opens to reveal the opulent, russet-brown Silberhaus drawing room and expensively outfitted party guests arrive, the urchins are left out in the cold.
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Inside, there’s plenty to catch your eye. You might be surprised to learn that a rabbit was part of the original 1892 production in St. Petersburg. Here you first see it winking and waving at Drosselmeier in his shop; then it turns up as the gift Clara’s parents give her older brother. Fritz flings the stuffed animal away in disgust, but it returns in the battle scene, first rescuing Clara’s gingerbread man from the hungry mice and then flattening an entire enemy cohort. Some thought went into the mice’s entrance as well: two of them assume yoga poses and a third replicates Michelangelo’s “Night.” In Hoffmann’s story, Drosselmeier is a watchmaker, so it’s ironic that he should come late to the party and get into a discussion with Clara’s father over who has the more accurate timepiece. At the end of the evening, he bestows his errant watch on a delighted Fritz.
Friday’s opening night saw a number of returnees from last year. Company principal Chisako Oga has played Clara the past three years now, and though I miss the days when Boston Ballet School students had the role, there’s no faulting Oga’s airy jetés, or the way she embraces the nutcracker as if it were a first boyfriend. John Lam has always been one of the company’s best Drosselmeiers, mischievous with the adults but totally at ease with the children. Lawrence Rines Munro and Daniela Fabelo were back as the gallivanting Harlequin and the clockwork Ballerina Doll, and so were a lovable Madysen Felber and Daniel Cooper as the ditzy grandparents who, bored with the stately, evening-ending “Grandfather Dance,” break into a zippy polka that sends them spiraling off in opposite directions.
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Boston Ballet II member Aidan Buss danced Fritz on Friday. Tall and commanding, he was an affectionate brother, followed lively split jumps on his hobby horse with pristine double tours, and even did a nifty double take when he saw the bunny in his gift box. Henry Griffin as the crowd-pleasing Bear got the first applause of the evening when he appeared in a theater box before the show even started. As the life-size nutcracker who leads Fritz’s toy soldiers, Patrick Yocum had the right wooden affect, and he was full of boyish wonder after being transformed into a prince. Jeffrey Cirio and Ji Young Chae brought speed, precision, and power to a mesmerizing Snow King and Snow Queen set against designer Robert Perdziola’s forest of silver birches.
Waltz of the Flowers in "Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker," performed by Boston Ballet. BROOKE TRISOLINI, COURTESY OF BOSTON BALLET
Perdziola’s design for act two is a palace ballroom meant to conjure French “Sun King” Louis XIV and 18th-century artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Highlights here included a fluid, similarly mesmerizing Coffee from Lasha Khozashvili and Lia Cirio that made her upside-down split and the plank lift look easy; a Tea with Felber in total control of her rhythm-gymnastics ribbons; a Mother Ginger (Alexander Nicolosi) with the usual cartwheeling Polichinelle; and a Waltz of the Flowers whose Dew Drop, Lauren Herfindahl, mastered both her Italian and her Russian fouettés and had the phrasing to fill out the music’s slow tempos.
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Boston Ballet in "Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker" Brooke Trisolini, courtesy of Boston Ballet
Yocum’s Nutcracker Prince gave an animated account of the battle, especially in his mime of the Mouse King; Viktorina Kapitonova’s regal Sugar Plum Fairy was a gracious mentor to Oga’s Clara. They brought big, majestic lifts to their Adagio, after which Yocum capped his tarantella variation with neat brisés volés. In her iconic celesta solo, Kapitonova went from pointing the music one moment to playing with it the next, and never mind that her traveling fouettés in the coda might have got a bit derailed.
How “The “Nutcracker” should end is always the question. Some versions simply have Clara heading back home. Boston Ballet’s production finds her back on the drawing-room sofa with her nutcracker, and it’s crowned by her ecstatic discovery, when she wakes, that maybe it wasn’t all just a dream.
MIKKO NISSINEN’S ‘THE NUTCRACKER’
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Choreography by Mikko Nissinen. Set and costumes: Robert Perdziola. Lighting: Mikki Kunttu. With the Boston Ballet Orchestra conducted by Mischa Santora. Presented by Boston Ballet. At: Citizens Bank Opera House, through Dec. 31. Tickets: $25-$400. 617-695-6955, www.bostonballet.org
Jeffrey Gantz can be reached at jeffreymgantz@gmail.com. |
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| Malaysian Prisoners Plead Guilty to Conspiring in 2002 Bali Bombing | Two Malaysian prisoners at Guantánamo Bay pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring in the October 2002 nightclub bombings in the resort island of Bali, Indonesia, that killed more than 200 people.
The guilty pleas were the first step in a slowly unfolding proceeding that began when the men, Mohammed Farik Bin Amin, 48, and Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep, 47, were charged in 2021 — 18 years after their capture in Thailand. Sentencing is scheduled for next week.
The pleas were also seen as a breakthrough for military commission prosecutors, who had been seeking deals to resolve long-running cases against former C.I.A. prisoners. Similar talks with the accused plotters of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, ended last year after the Biden administration declined to consider health care and confinement conditions sought by the prisoners.
Both defendants were held for years in the C.I.A.’s secret overseas prison network. They were transferred to Guantánamo Bay in 2006 for trial at the special national-security court that President George W. Bush set up after the Sept. 11 attacks. While in agency custody, according to their lawyers, they were tortured, along with their accused ringleader Encep Nurjaman, an Indonesian prisoner known as Hambali. |
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| Deadly Paris Knife Attack Revives Terrorism Concerns | Crime & Safety Multiple Bomb Threats Made To Jewish Synagogues In MA Over The Weekend The threats were conveyed through an email message that appears to have been sent from the same email address, police said.
Hundreds of similar threats were received by Jewish institutions across the United States over the weekend, according to police. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)
MASSACHUSETTS — State police are investigating after multiple bomb threats were made to Jewish synagogues and affiliated facilities in Massachusetts Sunday, police confirmed to Patch Monday afternoon.
The threats were conveyed through an email message that appears to have been sent from the same email address, police said. The State Police Bomb Squad responded to three synagogues and a Jewish community center in Framingham, a Jewish cultural center in Tisbury, and a Jewish synagogue in Florence, according to police. Authorities also conducted sweeps of a synagogue in Natick in advance of a planned event there Sunday afternoon.
No explosives or hazards have been located at any site, but the threats are still being monitored by the State Police Commonwealth Fusion Center, police said.
"The State Police Anti-Terrorism Unit is assisting in the investigation into the source of the threats," the department wrote in an email to Patch. "The State Police Hate Crime Awareness and Response Team, a unit that was established several weeks ago, will communicate with religious leaders about follow-up concerns they may have related to the threats."
Hundreds of similar threats were received by Jewish institutions across the United States over the weekend, according to police. See Also: |
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| Man Survives Six Days Trapped in Pickup Truck Wreckage | CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - One person is dead after a 3-alarm fire in Cambridge Tuesday morning.
Officers responded to a 4-story brick building on Chester Street before 5 a.m. after heavy fire was reported in a first floor apartment.
Cambridge Fire Chief Thomas Cahill confirmed one fatality from the blaze; the individual was found dead by firefighters inside the structure.
Authorities said they had to conduct multiple rescues to get residents out safely. They estimated between 30 and 40 people have been displaced by the fire. .
One firefighter was taken to hospital for minor injuries and is expected to fully recover.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
(Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) |
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| House Declares Anti-Zionism Is Antisemitism, Dividing Democrats | Our colleagues in the newsroom mentioned in a story last month how, in Iowa over the summer, he interrupted a 15-year-old who was asking about mental health and the military by making a joke about her age. I was actually there for that exchange. The person had self-deprecatingly mentioned that maybe her question didn’t matter because she was too young to vote, then he cut in to make a joke that this didn’t stop the Democrats from trying to let her vote, just as she was saying she has depression and anxiety and started asking a thoughtful question about mental health and military recruitment. Mental health for young people and military recruitment are huge problems. But he started talking about how the military has requirements for a reason, before finally saying that in his experience, people were still able to serve well and he’d take a look at the issue. In my notes, I just wrote “BAD ANSWER.”
Patrick: All caps. I know you — you’ve seen a lot over the years — that’s bad.
Katherine: So I think the persona is probably part of it. But I also really wonder about the policy platform itself. The idea is supposed to be “getting all the meat off the bone,” as DeSantis puts it, and turning all the stuff Trump talks about into a reality. I think there’s a theory of the case that people just don’t like the idea of stuff being banned by the government, whether that’s about abortion or books or choices for their kids — even if a voter, for instance, might disapprove of abortion as a practice. If DeSantis were in this chat, I’m sure he’d dispute the idea that there’s book banning in Florida, but that’s its own kind of issue in campaigns. If you’re explaining and defending in lawyerly ways, that’s not always what a voter wants to hear.
Or maybe it’s that people who love Trump love Trump and don’t need an alternative. What do you think?
Patrick: DeSantis has a high opinion of himself and started off the race amid great expectations for his candidacy, and I think he’s sort of the classic candidate who doesn’t live up to the billing. He won a big re-election victory in 2022 against a very weak Democratic opponent and looked like a guy who relished picking fights and winning ruthlessly (Disney, educators, pro-choice people, gay and trans kids). Then he got in the race and quickly showed himself to be stiff and awkward and, perhaps worst of all for his brand, a wimp in the face of Trump’s attacks. He got trolled by that plane at the Iowa State Fair; he would say benign things about Trump while Trump would basically label him as a pedophile in high heels. He kept up that weird grin and little feints as Trump executed brass-knuckles, full-Jeb takedowns.
In our most recent Times Opinion focus group, two voters said they were interested in DeSantis early on but found him too conservative and too stilted in the end. Now maybe Iowa Republican caucusgoers will surprise us, but DeSantis came in wanting to beat Trump and now is trying to hang on against Haley. |
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| A Once Despairing Sandwich Shop Owner Sees a Miracle | Joe Faillace looked out the front windows of his sandwich shop this month and barely recognized the neighborhood where he has worked for almost 40 years. There were no tents within view, no emergency sirens, no campfires, no drug users slumped over on his patio or the sidewalk. Instead, he saw customers walking down quiet, clean streets toward his restaurant in time for a lunch rush that now doubles his average daily sales from early in the year.
“The difference over the last six months is something I never believed was even possible,” he said. “It’s an entirely new place. Every day feels like a miracle.”
The transformation is in fact the result of a fractious, litigious and arduous process that has consumed much of downtown Phoenix since Sept. 20, when a Maricopa County judge ordered the city to clear away its largest homeless encampment, a tent city of more than 1,000 residents known as The Zone. The judge ruled that the encampment had become a public nuisance, a place of “lawlessness and chaos” with such high rates of crime that it violated the rights of local businesses, and therefore needed to be removed within 45 days.
The city spent more than $30 million to open three homeless shelters in October and then worked with a team of local nonprofits to clean up The Zone block by block. Outreach workers offered temporary shelter to more than 700 people living in The Zone, and 585 eventually accepted help and chose to move indoors. The city also added 362 transitional beds for longer-term housing and turned a nearby parking lot into a sanctioned camping area with security and portable restrooms; a few dozen people now pitch their tents there. |
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| Third-quarter struggles bog UMass womens basketball in loss to Loyola Chicago | AMHERST – A porous third quarter bogged down the UMass women’s basketball team Wednesday night, as the Minutewomen fell to Loyola Chicago, 79-66, at the Mullins Center.
The Ramblers outscored UMass 24-10 in the third quarter to take a lead they did not relinquish. The third quarter included a 14-0 run by Loyola Chicago.
UMass trailed by as many as 17 points late in the game but did manage to cut the lead to 73-64 with 54 seconds left.
“I was proud of the group that was on the floor for the last five minutes of the game,” UMass coach Mike Leflar said. “That was the team we need to be in terms of urgency.”
Stefanie Kulesza had 17 points, six rebounds and eight steals. Even with the impressive stat line, she did not have much interest in discussing individual statistics after the game.
“I didn’t even realize I had that many steals,” Kulesza said. “It’s not one of the focuses that we have going into each game. If I’m in the position and in the right spot then I’ll get the steal. But that’s not what I was focused on tonight.”
It was the fourth straight loss for the Minutewomen.
“As a coach I am still trying to find ways to get through to this group,” Leflar said. “In terms of what it takes to win and what it takes to be a consistent group. We have to keep fighting and keep believing to take steps forward.”
Kulesza scored 13 points in the second quarter alone, allowing the Minutewomen to take the lead going into halftime. The offense sputtered in the second half. In the third quarter, the Ramblers scored their 24 points on 9-for-12 from the field. UMass went 4-for-13 from the field and turned the ball over five times.
The main problem throughout the game and especially the third quarter was the 26 turnovers for the Minutewomen (3-15, 1-5 Atlantic 10).
“The issue the whole game was handing them the basketball,” Leflar said. “That led to a lack of urgency on the defensive side of the floor. That led to them playing faster than us. I was disappointed with that, and I shared that with our players in the huddle. They were scoring because they were outworking us.”
UMass had four players in double figures: Lilly Taulelei (10 points), Alexsia Rose (10 points), Kristin Williams (15 points), along with Kulesza. Rose led the team with seven assists.
Loyola Chicago (9-8 Overall, 3-3 Atlantic 10) got 22 points from Sam Galanopoulos on 9-for-13 from the floor. The Ramblers had 23 fast break and went 8-for-14 from the 3-point line.
UMass sets its sights on George Mason (12-3, 3-1 A-10) on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Mullins Center.
“Watch the film,” Leflar said. “Show up for the next practice and ready to keep plugging away. My biggest challenge as the leader of the program is to make sure all 13 people are on board to keep pushing forward.”
In the first quarter, the Minutewomen scored early and often inside with 12 points in the paint. The Ramblers countered with some outside shooting including two early 3-pointers by Sophia Nolan.
Ali Berg’s late 3-pointer gave the Ramblers a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
UMass did not score from the outside until the first minute of the second quarter on a Bre Bellamy jumper. UMass went on a 9-2 run in the final minutes of the second quarter to take a 35-33 lead at the half. Kulesza ignited the run and scored 13 points in the frame.
Loyola Chicago went up 48-43 in the third quarter after an Alyssa Fisher 3-pointer. The lead matched the Ramblers biggest of the game. The lead extended to 55-43 with 2 minutes 30 seconds left in the third quarter.
Fisher had 17 points for the Ramblers. |
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| Did that $4 N.H. thrift shop painting really sell for $191,000? Nope. | Local News Did that $4 N.H. thrift shop painting really sell for $191,000? Nope. "We’re crushed.” An illustration by N.C. Wyeth that was purchased at a New Hampshire thrift shop for $4. Press Bonhams
To Tracy Donahue, the whole thing had felt like winning the lottery. And in a sense, she and her husband, Tom, had.
Donahue’s lucky break has been well documented: She strolled into a Savers thrift store years ago, purchased a $4 painting that struck her fancy, and then discovered it was, in fact, a rare and valuable N.C. Wyeth illustration.
When the painting sold at auction in September for $191,000, the Donahues, who live in a modest New Hampshire home and seldom have money for adventures, began mentally allocating how they would spend the windfall on bills and a trip to visit their son in Germany.
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But the person who bid on the painting never paid, a decision that Donahue called her “biggest disappointment ever.”
The Donahues have since retaken possession of their painting from the auction house, Bonhams. All they have to show for their efforts is a new cardboard box, courtesy of the Bonhams shipping department.
“Luckily we didn’t spend a dime beforehand,” Donahue said. “We maybe went out to dinner once or twice, which we wouldn’t have. So, it’s not like actually losing money. But it meant so much.
“We’re crushed,” she added. “I’ve never gotten that close to, you know, hoping for something.”
It is not clear to Tracy Donahue, 56, and Tom Donahue, 58, exactly how their fortunes turned from that heady day when the auctioneer opened the bidding at $150,000. Someone bid immediately; no additional bids followed, and the painting was sold to paddle 6073. (The buyers premium increased the price to $191,000.)
Exactly how often buyers refuse to pay for art they have bid on is hard to quantify. But experts say that, while rare, it does happen. In one high-profile example, Alan Bond, an Australian industrialist and billionaire, struggled to pay for “Irises” — a famed Vincent van Gogh painting — after winning it at auction, and eventually sold the work to the J. Paul Getty Museum.
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Auction houses prescreen potential bidders on very high-value items, but do not typically have enough people to do so for all bidders on the many items they put up each week. Some number of sales do get canceled, experts say. And although a sale may legally be considered final when the hammer falls, it is not fully consummated until the auction house receives its payment. Only in extreme cases, when it makes financial sense, do auction houses sue over a failure to pay.
In its online guide, Bonhams says potential buyers must register and provide a valid credit card or a photo identification before being approved to bid. Some winning bidders are required to upload a government-issued photo ID after an auction, before they can take possession of their purchase, the guide says.
The Donahues said they were told by the auction house that the buyer had 35 days to pay. By mid-October, they were getting worried, and started calling Bonhams. They found the auction house to be frustratingly unresponsive at first, and disconcertingly flippant when someone did finally return their calls and emails.
Tracy Donahue said she was eventually told that the buyer had declined to pay and that little could be done, in part because the buyer lived in Australia.
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Bonhams did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Since the painting did not sell, recently, Bonhams sent the Donahues a new, eight-page contract laying out the conditions for a private sale. Under this consignment agreement, the Donahues would receive no less than $132,750 for the work, assuming Bonhams could find a buyer.
The Donahues said they found the terms unsatisfactory, so they went and picked up the item.
They still have options, said Michael Plummer, a former auction house executive who advises on art transactions. They could put the Wyeth up for auction again or pursue a private sale.
The best thing to do, he said, is to try to move forward. “They shouldn’t give up,” he said.
The Donahues said they have always loved the work and its connection to Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel “Ramona.” The frontispiece illustration was part of a four-image set that Wyeth, father of painter Andrew Wyeth, contributed for a 1939 edition of the book. It shares its title with the book, and portrays the tension between the young protagonist and her foster mother.
The Donahues said they may decide to hand the piece down as a family heirloom. “We didn’t have the money before, we don’t have it now,” Tracy Donahue said.
But they acknowledged that they are still reeling a bit from their experience. They are unsure, they said, of exactly how to move forward or how much their thrift-store find is even really worth.
“Right now,” Donahue said, “it’s worth $4 — and a cardboard box.”
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This article originally appeared in The New York Times. |
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| Prepared for anything:' City braces for oncoming winter weather | Former President Donald J. Trump has long spoken admiringly of police officers who use aggressive force on the job. For years, he has pointed to his unwavering support for local law enforcement, presenting himself as a “law and order” candidate who would help the police tackle violent crime.
But now, as Mr. Trump campaigns again for the White House, he has added a new promise to his speeches on the trail: to “indemnify” police officers and protect them from the financial consequences of lawsuits accusing them of misconduct.
“We are going to indemnify them, so they don’t lose their wife, their family, their pension and their job,” he said during a speech this month in New York.
Legal experts say Mr. Trump’s proposal — which he first raised in an interview in October and has floated five times this month — would have little effect and would largely enforce the status quo. Police officers in most jurisdictions are already protected from being held financially responsible for potential wrongdoing. They also benefit from a legal doctrine that can shield officers accused of misconduct from lawsuits seeking damages. |
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| Polish Truckers Lift Border Blockade With Ukraine | Polish truckers have lifted their blockade of checkpoints on the border with Ukraine after reaching an agreement with their government, putting an end for now to a two-month protest that has delayed tons of goods from reaching Europe and strained the Ukrainian economy.
Under the agreement, reached on Tuesday afternoon, the truckers will suspend the blockade while they hold further talks with the Polish government to reach a final deal by March 1. A few hours later, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service announced that traffic had resumed at the three border crossings that remained blocked.
A free flow of goods “is vital in times of war, especially for the supply of the military and humanitarian goods, for exports and for the functioning of our economy,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, said in a statement welcoming the agreement.
Since the war began in 2022, Ukraine has mainly used overland routes for its exports because of Russia’s attempt to blockade the Black Sea. But Polish truckers have complained about what they see as unfair and cheap competition from their Ukrainian counterparts, threatening their own profits. Starting in early November, they blocked several checkpoints, forcing thousands of Ukrainian trucks to wait for days at the border. |
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| Business Monday ETC: Dec. 4, 2023 | Springfield Technical Community College brought home awards from the District 1 conference of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations held in Boston Nov. 2-4.
The STCC department won four “Medallion Awards” for outstanding work in the categories of Digital Advertisement (one silver), Social Media (two bronze) and Writing (one bronze). |
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| Minnechaug, Noah Brathwaite dominant in PVIAC Week 1 early meet | NORTHAMPTON — Minnechaug junior Noah Brathwaite appeared in mid-season form Sunday, winning all three events in the early portion of the PVIAC indoor track meet at Smith College.
Despite it being the first meet of the season, Brathwaite was ready. |
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| Boston Dynamics wants to ban robots carrying guns | Executives from MassRobotics and Boston Dynamics have asked state lawmakers to advance a bill banning armed robots that, if passed, would be the first-in-the-nation to do so, according to supporters.
The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held Tuesday a hybrid hearing where about 190 people signed up to testify on about 30 different bills with privacy ramifications, from protecting the privacy of 911 callers, to enhancing access to abortion care to banning government use of facial recognition technologies.
The bill in question, "An Act to ensure the responsible use of advanced robotic technologies," seeks to make mounting a weapon on a robotic device unlawful — but includes exceptions for certain circumstances, such as for law enforcement and military use after proper warrants are obtained, or bomb squad officials trying to remotely disarm explosives.
Overall, the bills prohibits the manufacture, sale, use or operation of a robotic device or drone that is equipped with a weapon, or the use of a robot to threaten, harass or restrain people.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
More on this story from Boston Business Journal |
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| Man arrested after guns, drugs, and alcohol found during traffic stop in Springfield | SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A Springfield man was arrested after officers found guns, drugs, and an open container of alcohol during a traffic stop Wednesday night.
Springfield police officers saw a car driving with a headlight out on state street and pulled the car over.
Police identified the driver as 33-year-old Leonard Naylor and immediately saw an open bottle of beer on the floorboard of the car.
Officers began to search the car and found a stolen loaded gun that had been reported missing out of Chicopee and crack cocaine.
Naylor who was convicted of gun charges back on 2020 was immediately taken into custody and now faces even more drug and gun charges.
Copyright 2024. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved. |
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| Why More Chinese Are Risking Danger in Southern Border Crossings to U.S. | Three years to the day that supporters of Donald J. Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s electoral victory, Mr. Trump said yet again that the mob had been acting “peacefully and patriotically.” He called for the release of people imprisoned for their actions that day, and he criticized the congressional committee that investigated the attack as “fake.”
Speaking to crowds of several hundred people at two events on Saturday in Iowa, Mr. Trump,who faces criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, made only passing references to the riot, focusing much of his speeches instead on criticizing President Biden’s policies.
But at his second event, Mr. Trump — who has repeatedly referred to the people serving sentences in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack as “hostages” — called on Mr. Biden to free them. More than 1,200 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, 170 have been convicted of crimes at trial and more than 700 have pleaded guilty.
“Release the J6 hostages, Joe,” Mr. Trump said in Clinton, Iowa. “Release them, Joe. You can do it real easy, Joe.” |
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| Women at Fast-Growing Realty Firm Say They Were Drugged and Assaulted | It was a declaration of eXp’s culture: Work hard, play harder — and build wealth in the process. But in more than 30 interviews with current and former eXp agents, women said the culture has an underbelly. The company’s highest earners are granted star status, and allegations of misconduct are ignored.
In two lawsuits, the first filed in February and the second on Thursday, five women described a yearslong pattern of predatory behavior by two marquee agents. The women said the agents drugged them during alcohol-soaked eXp events, and four of the women said they were then sexually assaulted. Executives ignored complaints about the men for years, acting only after the first lawsuit was filed, agents said.
In addition, current and former agents said the company ignored allegations about other sexual misconduct, and the company has not changed its culture.
eXp Realty has a unique structure — agents are recruited by other agents who then take a cut of their earnings, so everyone is funneling money to people above them. That means there is little incentive to root out high earners even when they are accused of assault, women said.
“Everyone is just a recruiter. They’re not there to sell homes and represent the client,” said Tricia Turner, 53, a Houston broker who left eXp in August. “The ones that grow their teams the fastest are the center of attention for the company and the cheerleaders for the company. And unfortunately, it’s like they can do no wrong.” |
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| Same-Sex Behavior Evolved in Many Mammals to Reduce Conflict, Study Suggests | In more than 1,500 animal species, from crickets and sea urchins to bottlenose dolphins and bonobos, scientists have observed sexual encounters between members of the same sex.
Some researchers have proposed that this behavior has existed since the dawn of the animal kingdom. But the authors of a new study of thousands of mammalian species paint a different picture, arguing that same-sex sexual behavior evolved when mammals started living in social groups. Although the behavior does not produce offspring to carry on the animals’ genes, it could offer other evolutionary advantages, such as smoothing over conflicts, the researchers proposed.
“It may contribute to establishing and maintaining positive social relationships,” said José Gómez, an evolutionary biologist at the Experimental Station of Arid Zones in Almería, Spain, and an author of the new study.
But Dr. Gómez cautioned that the study, published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, could not shed much light on sexual orientation in humans. “The type of same-sex sexual behavior we have used in our analysis is so different from that observed in humans that our study is unable to provide an explanation for its expression today,” he said. |
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| Celtics injury report: 1 starter listed for Spurs game | The Celtics will be much healthier when they face the Spurs at 7 p.m. Sunday to finish off the 2023 part of their season. After missing three rotation players in their Friday win over the Raptors, the C’s only have one starter listed on their injury report.
Jrue Holiday is questionable with a right ankle sprain. He was also questionable ahead of the Raptors game, though he ended up playing. Notably, the Celtics will be at full strength otherwise. That means all of Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford will play after missing Friday’s game.
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The C’s have been beaten up recently, though there fortunately hasn’t been any serious long-term injury. Jaylen Brown missed the Pistons game because of the back contusion he suffered against the Lakers. But he suited up for the Raptors game and put up an impressive night.
The Celtics took care of business as part of their back-to-back against the Pistons and Raptors, winning a pair of close games. They are 25-6 on the season, including a 16-0 mark at home.
Next up for the Celtics are the Spurs, who are 5-26 and last in the West this season. Rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama is coming off a 30-point game against the Trail Blazers, and he’s averaging 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists after going first overall in last year’s draft. But otherwise, it’s been a struggle for the Spurs to put together victories. |
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| The Best Thrillers of 2023 | But why does Gabe seem to be reaching toward the distressed woman — something he had been instructed never to do — as she teeters on the edge, then falls? And why, if Pippa loves her husband as much as she claims, did she once take an online survey called “Is Your Partner a Sociopath?” Hepworth metes out her information slowly and expertly, adding new ingredients to the pot so that instead of the simple broth with which we started we end up with a five-course dinner.
The dead woman, Amanda, narrates some of the chapters from beyond the grave. She wants to make something clear. “Unlike the scores of people who have come to this spot before me,” she says, “I did not come here to die.”
Watching two diabolical women try to outsmart each other while maintaining their placid facades in the library where they work is only one of the many pleasures of Laura Sims’s deliciously unsettling HOW CAN I HELP YOU (Putnam, 240 pp., $27). The book begins with Margo, an outwardly cheerful librarian with a big secret: In her previous job, she was a nurse with a knack for murdering her patients.
With her fake name and new identity, she seems to have gotten away with it. But she can’t escape her insatiable hunger for killing. And with the arrival of a new research librarian, a failed novelist named Patricia who suspects that Margo is hiding something and that it might make a great subject for her next book, Margo’s tenuous grip on sanity begins to slip away. |
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| Ask Amy: I was shocked to read your advice, but heres what happened next | Dear Readers: Periodically, I ask for “Updates” regarding questions which have been published in this space. I am naturally curious about how things might have turned out for people who have received my advice.
This column is devoted to a Q&A that was originally published in 2021.
You can read the original question, followed by my answer. The update follows that.
Dear Amy: My boyfriend of almost three years is very childish. If I do something he does not like, he will try to get me back or even the score in some way.
For instance, I do not want to do a particular act in the bedroom. It makes me super-uncomfortable. No matter how many times I explain this, he says it’s his favorite thing and if I don’t do it, then it’s a deal-breaker. So sometimes I suffer through it, but other times I flat-out refuse.
Well, the other day, I refused.
Now he won’t kiss me. He says that since I won’t do that for him, kissing is off the table until I do it.
How is that fair?
How can we navigate through this without calling it quits?
I want to make him happy, but I also don’t want to do what he’s asking me to do.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated!
– Underperforming in Rhode Island
Dear Underperforming: I wouldn’t describe your boyfriend’s behavior as “childish,” so much as “deeply troubling,” “manipulative,” and “abusive.”
Those are only some words that come to mind. (There are other words, of course, but – they aren’t publishable.)
Couples definitely bargain and negotiate with one another over all sorts of things, including “acts in the bedroom.”
This is not a negotiation. This is … game over.
He is coercing, manipulating, and – I assume – cornering you into doing something you have stated many times that you don’t want to do.
Then, when he is not able to force you to do his “favorite thing,” he punishes you.
This is pretty much the definition of domestic abuse.
Now he is withholding affection. Later, he might punish you in other ways and for other reasons, if you don’t “make him happy.”
This is not love. This is control.
Regular readers know that I rarely say this, but – get out.
I’ll come and get you, myself.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7. Their impressive website (RAINN.org) offers a wonderful “chat” function, available all-hours. You could “gut check” my reaction by calling or chatting online with a counselor: (800) 656-HOPE (4673).
Dear Amy: I’m happy to provide this “update.”
I was really surprised to read your response and I was even more taken aback when I realized that everything you said was true.
I stayed with my now ex-boyfriend until we were a little over three years into our relationship. Sadly, nothing changed. Our relationship actually got worse.
The last straw for me was when he flat-out started verbally abusing me, calling me names and yelling at me – in front of my daughter.
I broke it off right then and there.
It took five months for him to move out, begging me to give him another chance. He never changed his behavior during that time, and was still withholding affection whenever he felt like I needed to be punished.
He tried to “propose” (with no ring), and even cried about our breakup, but when I said no to getting back together, he laughed in my face because he said he’d been lying when he said he was sorry.
Thankfully, after he moved out (which was well over a year ago), I have not heard from him since!
I just want to thank you immensely for helping me to see things clearly!
I am finally FREEEEE!!
– No Longer Underperforming
Dear No Longer: Your “update” is a gift! I’m so glad I didn’t have to come get you – that drive to Rhode Island is a long one.
Dear Amy: I was quite disgusted by your sarcastic tone in your response to “Frustrated in Texas,” when you wrote: " It’s a shame that caring for your dogs and horses is preventing you from caring for an elderly human.”
Humans have choices. Animals don’t. They are helpless.
You owe this person an apology.
– Upset
Dear Upset: Many readers called me out for that line. I maintained that “Frustrated” was using her responsibilities with her animals as a reason not to assist her elderly mother-in-law, who was also helpless.
Regardless, I do apologize for the sarcastic tone.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
©2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
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| PWHL Boston opener gives players and coaches pinch-me moments | LOWELL– The pinch-me moment for PWHL Boston came in many different forms.
For Boston head coach Courtney Kessel, it was the puck drop of the inaugural game between New York and Toronto on New Year’s day. For some players, it was skating out on the ice for warmups. Or seeing young girls with signs like “PWHL 2035 Draft class.” Or coming in for their first shift. Or scoring their first goal.
Theresa Schafzahl scored that first goal, and the puck is headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame. When asked to describe it, she said she blacked out.
“It was special today,” Schafzahl said. “I know it’s a historic moment, it’s the first game we’re ever playing, and it just felt unreal honestly.”
Boston fell behind 2-0 early and lost its first-ever game to Minnesota 3-2 Wednesday night, but you would have never known if you were listening to the crowd when they scored. The entire Tsongas Center crowd gave a standing ovation after Boston’s first-ever goal. Both times Boston put the puck in the back of the net, the “Let’s go Boston” chant drowned out the public address announcement of the goal scorer.
“Personally, that’s something I’ve never experienced,” Schafzahl said. “It’s just incredible to feel all the support – you could actually feel the energy in the crowd and they were chanting every time we scored. It was just amazing, something I’ve never been a part of.”
A crowd of 4,012 – with hundreds of young girls in attendance – gave a rousing ovation when the lineups were announced before the game and when Patrice Bergeron dropped the puck. Four months after the announcement that Boston would receive an original six franchise, the moment was finally here.
Hilary Knight, the captain now on her third professional women’s hockey team in Boston, was announced last, to the loudest cheer of all.
Hilary Knight's introduction.
"It makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck," Knight said. pic.twitter.com/r9K88DPMSd — Connor Pignatello (@c_pignatello) January 4, 2024
“It makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck,” Knight said. “Gives you chills, it’s a really surreal moment to actually have hometown fans, to get us out of our countries. You play anywhere in the U.S., you play in the U.S. team, that’s your home. But to be a part of the Boston legacy and to build something substantial here is an incredible opportunity and one none of us take lightly.”
Kessel admitted some of her players did have some butterflies when they went in the game for the first time. For Schafzahl, it was hard not to notice the people in the stands when she skated out for her first shift.
“It was nerve wracking honestly,” Schafzahl said. “So just getting the jitters out of the way and then also taking a moment and looking up and seeing all those people, it’s hard to not ignore or block out. You’re just playing hockey but I think it’s important to realize, wow, this is actually happening now and being grateful for it and making the most of it.”
When the Boston and Minnesota players were kids, playing professionally wasn’t an option. For even the very best players in the world, making a living solely on hockey is still difficult and no one knows what the future of the PWHL holds.
But the gravity of the moment on Wednesday night, when players actually did step on the ice for the first time, was not lost on Knight.
“It feels magical, surreal at the same time,” Knight said. “Understanding how important visibility is, just the growth of the game and the speed and how it’s evolved. It’s a fantastic time to have a professional league, and to be a part of the first few shifts, you can’t really put it into words.” |
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| First $1 million lottery winner in Mass. of 2024 sold in Quincy | The Massachusetts State Lottery has announced the winning number in its special New Year’s Day Mass Millionaire Holliday Raffle.
The number is 0083128.
The ticket corresponding to that number was sold at American Legion Morrisette Post 294 at 81 Liberty St. in Quincy. That store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
The drawing was the culmination of a series of drawings that began on Friday, Oct. 20. On 11 consecutive Fridays, one $20,000 prize winner was chosen and winners of those prizes remained eligible to win a prize in the New Year’s Day drawing.
Tickets of the raffle began on Monday, Oct. 16, with every hundredth ticket sold across the state getting a $100 cash voucher. Those that won the voucher also were eligible for the New Year’s Day drawing.
Apart from the million-dollar winning ticket, four $250,000 tickets were chosen and six $25,000 winners were chosen.
Read more: RI man loses out to NC woman to become 1st Powerball millionaire of 2024
The $250,000 prize numbers selected were the following, and were purchased at the following stores:
0174696 - EZ Convenience & Vape Shop, 751 Meadow St., Chicopee
0213087 - Poquoy Brook Golf Club, 20 Leonard St., Lakeville
0242866 - Chapin East Variety Store, 830 East St., Ludlow
0077276 - The Country Store, 212 North St., Foxborough
The $25,000 prize numbers selected were the following and were purchased at the following stores:
0510161 - Stop & Shop, 660 Merrill Rd., Pittsfield
0318215 - Mass Lottery Customer Service, 150 Mount Vernon St., Dorchester
0013808 - Andrews Fruit & Produce, 1697 S. Main St., Fall River
0182266 - Bruso’s Liquor Mart, 15 Exchange St., Barre
0008392 - Shortstop General Store, 439 Main St., Hudson
0107958 - Rendezvous Lounge, 473 Riverside St., Dracut
Winners have a year to claim their prizes. Winners of the million-dollar prize and the four $250,000 prizes must claim them at Mass Lottery headquarters in Dorchester. The other prizes can be claimed in Dorchester or at regional centers in Braintree, Lawrence, New Bedford, West Springfield and Worcester. |
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| Pantones Color of the Year for 2024 Is Peach Fuzz | TESTA It reminds me of a pretty blush color. It reminds me of outdoor afternoon gender-neutral baby showers. It reminds me of sweetness. It’s a bit brighter and sunnier than I might have anticipated. Then again, every year Pantone seems to really lean into the idea that color can set the emotional tone for a year. Like, the world is unceasingly dark and gloomy, so here’s a pastel to cheer everyone up.
FRIEDMAN According to the news release, “Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm, offering us a space to be, feel and heal and to flourish, whether spending time with others or taking the time to enjoy a moment by ourselves.” In that sense, Pantone is framing the color as an escape from the dark drama we all expect is coming with the next election. To name one looming global event.
HOLTERMANN It seems that Pantone was the one brand collab that the extremely determined marketing folks at “Barbie” couldn’t lock down. Peach Fuzz is less vibrant, and far more orangy, than Barbiecore pink, which is probably the shade that sticks out most to me from the previous year.
FRIEDMAN Interestingly, the predecessor of Peach Fuzz, Viva Magenta, seemed to presage the “Barbie” juggernaut. Pantone got that right. Now we are supposed to be looking forward, so is this “Barbie,” the next generation? “Barbie” mixed with the sand shades of “Dune: Part Two”?
TESTA Don’t forget the new “Mad Max” movie, “Furiosa.”
ALLEN Barbie pink wrung through a millennial pink rinse? Maybe that’s the hope — that it will catch fire the way millennial pink did. It feels like another rediscovered neutral that’s meant to seep its way into every surface of our lives. |
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| Lynn Commuter Rail temporary platform opens | The first inbound trains on the Newburyport/Rockport Line stopped in Lynn around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, nine months earlier than initially planned. The T announced the accelerated opening in October.
The MBTA opened its temporary Lynn Commuter Rail platform at 11 Ellis St. Monday morning, restoring direct access to Boston and parts north via the Newburyport/Rockport Line. Passengers can board inbound on Ellis Street and outbound via Friend Street, according to the T.
LYNN — A handful of passengers braved heavy wind and rain Monday as they waited for the first few trains to stop in Lynn after more than a year without Commuter Rail service .
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Kenny Amara stood on the platform’s wet concrete waiting for the 7:04 a.m. train, studying a neighborhood map and wiping raindrops from his shoulder bag.
Last week — and for months before then — the 26-year-old took a bus to Wonderland Station, and then the Blue Line into downtown Boston, a lengthy and sometimes unreliable journey, he said. The return of Commuter Rail service means he can sleep a little longer each morning and worry less about finding a seat.
“It’s definitely a lot better,” Amara said. “I’m actually just very excited that this is open. When I heard the news that it was going to open like nine months earlier [than expected], I was like ‘oh my god, finally.’”
The city had been without direct rail access to Boston since October 2022 when the the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority closed the stop due to safety concerns and “potential station deterioration.” During that time, commuters had to use buses, a seasonal ferry that closed weeks ago, and shuttles north to Swampscott Station, from where they would then double back south to Boston.
Lynn resident Hildreth Curran, who stood on the new platform around 7:30 a.m., said locals “feel that we sort of got shafted” when the permanent station closed. She said the announcement was sudden, and the T was initially vague about when a temporary platform would be available.
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Curran spent the last year navigating “buses that didn’t sync with trains” and shuttling to and from Swampscott. She said the loss of direct service added around 30 minutes to her roughly hour-long commute, each way.
But Monday, it was a 12-minute walk from Curran’s home to the platform, followed by a half-hour train ride to North Station. From there, Curran said she could easily walk from to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she works as an administrative assistant. The whole trip would take less than an hour, she estimated.
“I’m thrilled, in spite of how lousy the weather is,” she said, gripping the hood of her poncho in the wind. “My commute is a lot easier.”
Lynn’s Mayor Jared Nicholson said he was grateful for the accelerated timeline and to see rail service return to downtown.
“Our residents want, need and deserve this access,” Nicholson said in a statement Sunday. “Critical work remains to be done, including the station’s garage, but we should also mark moments of genuine progress and this is one of them.”
The project timeline was accelerated thanks in part to the Big Dig. MBTA and Keolis crews reused leftover bridge deck sections as platforms, and redesigned the station’s lighting and other systems to utilize more readily available materials than initially planned.
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The platform’s modular design also allows it to be deconstructed and transported to another station if necessary, according to Keolis, operator of Massachusetts’ commuter rail lines.
MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said the T was “proud to be a vital partner to Lynn’s bright economic future.”
“Through the acceleration of bringing service back to Lynn, we are reconnecting communities and the public we serve,” Eng said in a statement. “By ensuring Lynn is connected to Boston and other major cities, it increases job opportunities, access to essential services, and the vibrancy of its downtown area.”
At a meeting of the MBTA’s Board of Directors earlier this month, state Senator Brendan Crighton, whose district includes Lynn, thanked the T for working to speed the project. “I know our commuters are overjoyed” by the return of service, Crighton told the board.
The reopening follows a weeks-long communication blitz by the T — handing out fliers on trains and shuttles, and a steady drumbeat of on-board announcements by train conductors, according to the agency.
The MBTA has yet to announce a planned timeline or location for a new, permanent station in the city. A T spokesperson said Sunday that “analysis on the permanent station continues.”
Trains will stop at the Lynn interim platform about every half hour on weekdays. On the weekends, trains will pass through about once an hour.
Daniel Kool can be reached at daniel.kool@globe.com. Follow him @dekool01. |
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| The Voice: How far did the contestants with ties to Mass. make it this season? | Two contestants with ties to Massachusetts made their way to the 24th season of “The Voice,” but their time on the show was cut short from continuing on.
Claudia B. and Taylor Deneen are both alums of Berklee College of Music. The two former Boston residents stepped in front of coaches John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire in hopes for a shot to become the next winner of “The Voice.”
On Monday, the competition will feature the remaining competitiors’ top five live performances. Claudia B. and Deneen both passed their blind audition in front of coaches, but have since been sent home.
Here’s what their journey on the show looked like.
THE VOICE -- "The Blind Auditions Part 7" Episode 2407 -- Pictured: Taylor Deneen -- (Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC)Greg Gayne/NBC
Deneen passed her audition of “Redbone” by Childish Gambino with heavy praise as she showed off her vocal range and soulful runs. She earned a chair turn from coaches Legend and Stefani.
Remaining coaches Niall Horan and Reba McEntire said that even though they wanted to turn for Deneen, they could not due to their team being full.
“They were so lucky that they were able to turn. Me and Reba are upset,” Horan said.
“I would have turned around in a heartbeat,” McEntire added. “Your voice is incredible. Your range is astounding.”
Ultimately, Deneen chose Legend as her coach, completing his team for season 24.
“I just know it has to be fate, you know? If he turns around, I have to go with him,” Deneen told MassLive when recalling why she chose Legend.
She then made her way to the battle rounds of the competition. In the battle rounds, coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together.
Deneen performed with fellow contestant AZÁN, singing “Do It” by Chloe x Halle.
Having to pick the winner, Legend chose Deneen to move to the knockout rounds.
“Taylor as a vocalist is just stunning,” Legend praised in an interview after the performance.
Moving on to the knockout rounds, Deneen performed alongside contestants Mac Royals and Brandon Montel. She sang “Sweet Thing” by Rufus.
The winner ended up being Royals, sending Montel home. However, Legend opted to use his save on Deneen, keeping her on his team.
She was eventually eliminated during night three of the playoffs. In the playoffs, artists select their own songs to perform against the other artists on their team. But each competitor gets the stage to themselves.
Claudia B. performs on "The Voice" on Monday, Nov. 12, 2023, on NBC during the knockout rounds.Tyler Golden/NBC
Contestant Claudia B. was the other Berklee alum on the show.
After giving an impressive blind audition performance to “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson, she received a turn from Legend, Horan and McEntire almost immediately.
After her audition ended, the coaches wanted to know more about the artist’s musical background. She shared that she not only plays the keyboard, she also studied jazz music in school, gravitating to a pop R&B sound.
Like Deneen, Claudia B. chose Legend as her coach. Her next appearance on the show was during the battle rounds.
It was a neck and neck battle as Claudia B. and fellow contestant Mara Justine performed “Son of a Preacher Man” during their battle round, receiving praise from all four coaches.
“You have a very strong identity through your voice. That’s something that you can’t really teach somebody and that makes us get to know who you are. You stand out,” Gwen Stefani told Claudia B.
Ultimately, the choice of who moves on to the next round is the two contestants’ coach Legend. He selected Justine to continue.
But when a contestant loses a battle round, it doesn’t always mean their time on the show is over.
With the ability to steal Claudia B. by another coach, Horan instantly hit his buzzer. The contestant from then on would compete under Team Niall.
“I love how pure Claudia’s voice is. There’s no way I’m letting Claudia go home. She’s going to fit right in on Team Niall,” Horan said after the show.
She then moved on to the knockouts, up against contestants Huntley and Noah Spencer. She performed “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones.
Huntley came out on top of the knockout but Horan used his Save on Claudia B., keeping her on Team Niall.
She was eventually eliminated during the playoffs as well.
“The Voice” airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. For those without cable, it can also be streamed on platforms like Peacock and FuboTV. Both platforms offer a free trial for those interested in signing up for a membership.
The season finale will air on Tuesday, Dec. 19 as the winner is announced. |
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| More than 20K still without power in Mass. after storm leaves behind trail of destruction | BOSTON — More than 20,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts are without power Wednesday morning after a strong storm tore through the region with wind-driven rain on Monday.
According to the MEMA Power Outages tracker, there were 22,489 outages across the Bay State as of 6 a.m.
The majority of the outages were restored by Tuesday night, ahead of schedule, utility crews said. The majority of lingering outages remained on the South Shore.
Eversource crews were continuing to restore power to nearly 132,000 customers and clearing 115 blocked roads late Monday night despite the challenging conditions.
“We’ll continue working around the clock to get the power back and shifting crews to our hardest-hit communities,” the company said on social media.
Crews are continuing to make good progress despite challenging conditions, restoring power to 132,000 of our customers and clearing 115 blocked roads since last night. We'll continue working around the clock to get the power back and shifting crews to our hardest-hit communities. pic.twitter.com/5JE3G0VTrt — Eversource MA (@EversourceMA) December 19, 2023
A viewer sent a video of a power line sparking flames near Myles Standish State Forest Monday afternoon.
Myles Standish State Forest Power lines on fire credit Joel Matt
A large chunk of the outages were reported in communities across Southeastern Massachusetts.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at Boston’s Logan Airport on Monday morning due to strong wind but ultimately lifted it.
MEMA's power outages map update 8 p.m.
The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning for Eastern Essex, Norther Bristol, Western Norfolk, Western Plymouth, Eastern Norfolk, Eastern Plymouth, Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Southern Bristol, Southern Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.
Wind advisories were also posted in Northern Berkshire, Southern Berkshire, Western Franklin, Western Hampden, Western Hampshire, Eastern Franklin, Eastern Hampden, Eastern Hampshire Central Middlesex County, Northern Worcester, Northwest Middlesex County, Southern Worcester, and Western Essex counties.
Gusts 50+ mph have already developed. Areas of wind damage, debris, and outages will affect the area. @boston25 #mawx #newengland pic.twitter.com/Frx38bTuT2 — Shiri Spear (@ShiriSpear) December 18, 2023
In addition to the damaging wind gusts, flooding from soaking rain was a concern with the storm.
A flood watch was issued for areas including Central Middlesex County, Northern Bristol, Western Hampshire, Western Norfolk, Southern Bristol, Southern Berkshire, Northern Berkshire, and Eastern Essex counties.
For more visit the Boston 25 Weather Page.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2023 Cox Media Group |
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| People in Business: Jan. 15, 2024 | At a recent Westfield Gas & Electric Municipal Light Board meeting, commissioners said goodbye to Fran Liptak, a member of the board who represented Ward 4. In attendance were Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe, state Sen. John Velis, and State Rep. Kelly Pease, who presented proclamations in honor of his years of service. Liptak has served on the board for 24 years.
He helped with many of Westfield Gas & Electric’s milestones, including the Southwick Pipeline Lateral project, approval and launch of Whip City Fiber, increased funding for the Westfield Warm Program and more proactive reinvestment. He has also been a supporter of the arts through his love for music and performances in the community, as well as being an assistant coach to the Westfield High School Bombers hockey team for many years.
The Ward 4 position will be filled by Bill Parks, who was elected in an uncontested race in November.
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Florence Bank recently announced that Ashley Swett, of Ware, has been named manager of the bank’s Customer Service Center at the main office in Florence. She will oversee the staff responsible for assisting Florence Bank customers who contact the bank via telephone or email.
Swett has 16 years of industry experience and is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies. She holds a certificate in supervision from the Center for Financial Training.
Swett is currently a member of the Holiday Flair in Ware, an annual festival and parade.
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The Loomis Communities, a provider of senior living in the Pioneer Valley, has announced a new executive director for its Applewood Retirement Community in Amherst, Kristen Lamoureux.
Lamoureux has over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and management, most recently serving as Vice President of Recovery Environments at Community Healthlink/UMass Memorial Health where she oversaw residential programs and housing for adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Prior to Community Healthlink, Lamoureux served as vice president at The Arc of Opportunity, where she oversaw programming and support for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Lamoureux began her career as a mental health clinician, working with people of all ages. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Assumption University and her Master of Arts in forensic psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Lamoureux is also a certified executive and leadership coach.
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The Board of Directors of PeoplesBank voted to approve the following leadership changes: Tom Senecal is now chairman of the board and chief executive officer while Brian Canina has been promoted to president and chief operating officer and Hayes Murray has been promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.
The Board of Directors have also approved plans to open banking centers in Glastonbury and Avon, Connecticut, in addition to seeking other opportunities for future expansion.
Senecal joined PeoplesBank in 1995 and has since held positions in finance and commercial lending before being elected as president, CEO and chairman in 2016. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management and attended the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College. Senecal serves on the Massachusetts Bankers Association Board of Directors and is also a corporator for The Loomis Communities and The Horace Smith Fund. He resides in Granby.
Canina joined PeoplesBank in 2009 and served as executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer prior to being appointed to his current position. He is a graduate of Bryant University and formerly served as a certified public accountant. Canina is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and is a recipient of the Wharton Leadership Certificate. Canina is president of the Finance and Accounting Society of New England. He serves on the board of directors for Helix Human Services. He resides in Longmeadow.
Murray has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is a graduate of Gordon College and earned a Master of Science in accounting from Western New England University. Murray also is a certified public accountant. Prior to joining PeoplesBank in 2021, he served as the CFO of a de novo bank in western Massachusetts and spent over a decade in public accounting. Murray is a member of a Finance and Accounting Society of New England. He resides in East Longmeadow. |
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| Live Wire: Enter the Haggis to play two New Years shows | Enter the Haggis, the Toronto-based Celtic rock band, will help locals ring in the new year with two shows at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, on Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 31 at 8:30 p.m.
For almost two decades, Enter the Haggis has blended bagpipes and fiddles with rock rhythms to the delight of there fans everywhere. The bans has appeared on such shows as “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “A&E’s Breakfast with The Arts.” They were also the feature of an hour-long PBS concert special which aired on more than 80 affiliate stations across the United States.
The group’s most recent full-length record reached No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Tickets are $32 in advance at gatewaycityarts.com, and $42 at the door. The Dec. 30 show will be at Race Street Live, and the Dec. 31 show will be in The Divine Theater. Doors open at 7 p.m. |
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| Somerville learns to love the triple-decker, again | [This article, which was originally published for 2017’s winter solstice, has been updated for 2023. Sign up for The Times Space Calendar here.]
On Dec. 21, or Thursday this year, the sun will hug the horizon. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it will seem to barely rise — hardly peeking above a city’s skyline or a forest’s snow-covered evergreens — before it swiftly sets.
For months, the orb’s arc across the sky has been slumping, shortening each day.
In New York City, for example, the sun will be in the sky for just over nine hours — roughly six hours less than in June at the summer solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, before the sun reverses course and climbs higher into the sky. (At the same time, places like Australia in the Southern Hemisphere mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.)
This is a good opportunity to imagine what such a day might look like if we had evolved on another planet where the sun would take a different dance across the sky. You might want to feel thankful for the solstices and seasons we do have, or we might not be here to witness them at all. |
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| Red Sox trade Alex Verdugo to Yankees for three pitchers | Craig Breslow has made his first major trade as chief baseball officer of the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox have traded right fielder Alex Verdugo to the rival Yankees for right-handed pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice.
Verdugo discussed the possibility of potential being traded on the final day of the 2023 season. He’s eligible for free agency after the 2024 season and MLB Trade Rumors estimates he will earn $9.2 million in salary arbitration.
Verdugo batted .264 with a .324 on-base percentage, .421 slugging percentage, .745 OPS, 13 homers, 37 doubles, five triples, 54 RBIs and 81 runs in 142 games (602 plate appearances) in 2023. He led all Red Sox players in defensive runs saved (9).
Verdugo batted .290 with a .348 on-base percentage, .444 slugging percentage and .791 OPS in his first 357 major league games (1,313 plate appearances) from 2017-21. He has a .272/.326/.413/.738 line over his past 294 games (1,246 plate appearances) the past two seasons.
Fitts, a 21-year-old who the Yankees selected in the sixth round in 2021 out of Auburn, went 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts for Double-A Somerset this past season. He began pitching better in 2022 after a late-season promotion to High-A.
Baseball America ranked him New York’s No. 16 prospect and wrote, “The improvement was due in large part to a delivery alteration that allowed him to keep his front side firm so he could better drive the ball down in the zone. The change also helped his velocity increase and made his slider sharper. His four-seamer sat around 93 mph, touched 96 and posted an excellent average spin rate of 2,439 rpms. Fitts backed the four-seamer with his typical nasty slider, which sat in the low 80s and peaked at 88 while flashing plus potential. He rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s changeup that could get to average with increased usage.”
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The Yankees drafted Judice, a 22-year-old, in the eighth round out of Louisiana-Monroe this past June. He has not yet made his professional debut. He’s listed at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds.
Weissert, 28, posted a 4.05 ERA in 17 relief outings for the Yankees in ‘23. He has a 4.60 ERA in 29 career relief outings.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the trade. |
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| Report: Westborough worker crushed to death by semi-truck | A man who was working on a semi-trailer truck in Westborough on Wednesday morning died while he was on the job, the Worcester County District Attorney’s office said.
The local police department, state police and its detectives in the district attorney’s office were investigating the man’s death as of Dec. 27, and the district attorney stated there is no threat to the general public. |
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| Opinion | Train Yourself to Always Show Up | A somewhat obscure text, about 2,000 years old, has been my unlikely teacher and guide for the past many years, and my north star these last several months, as so many of us have felt as if we’ve been drowning in an ocean of sorrow and helplessness.
Buried deep within the Mishnah, a Jewish legal compendium from around the third century, is an ancient practice reflecting a deep understanding of the human psyche and spirit: When your heart is broken, when the specter of death visits your family, when you feel lost and alone and inclined to retreat, you show up. You entrust your pain to the community.
The text, Middot 2:2, describes a pilgrimage ritual from the time of the Second Temple. Several times each year, hundreds of thousands of Jews would ascend to Jerusalem, the center of Jewish religious and political life. They would climb the steps of the Temple Mount and enter its enormous plaza, turning to the right en masse, circling counterclockwise.
Meanwhile, the brokenhearted, the mourners (and here I would also include the lonely and the sick), would make this same ritual walk but they would turn to the left and circle in the opposite direction: every step against the current. |
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| Walgreens pushes Boston store closure to Jan. 31 | The announcement came after fierce community opposition and a day after the Globe first reported on the upcoming closure, as well as community concerns about the gaps in access to health care and everyday items.
Customers of the 416 Warren St. Walgreens in Roxbury will have two more weeks to pick up prescriptions or stock up on health care essentials. The drugstore, which was originally slated to close on Monday, instead will close on Jan. 31, city officials said.
This story was produced by the Globe’s Money, Power, and Inequality team, which covers the racial wealth gap in Greater Boston. You can sign up for the newsletter here .
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“This additional time is going to allow us to work with community members, and make sure folks are set up properly,” said Segun Idowu, the city’s chief of economic opportunity and inclusion. This way, “they won’t experience any interruptions getting their medication.”
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In the meantime, the city is working to help residents find alternative ways to receive medication, like online prescription fills or home delivery, Idowu said.
“We cannot tell a private company not to close their doors,” he said. “But we can work with our state colleagues, hospitals, and these companies to ... come up with a contingency plan.”
While the city can’t reverse the company’s decision, Idowu said the issue does present the city with an opportunity to create a standard, where companies must give an earlier, publicized notice of a closing.
“A lot of these decisions are not made in those two weeks before they close,” Idowu said. “When it comes to a pharmacy and people’s life-saving medications, [customers] need a little bit more time to figure this out.”
However, Idowu said the situation also underscores the dire conditions of the retail pharmacy industry, where shrinking profits are forcing companies to leave communities that rely on these businesses the most.
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“This isn’t just a Walgreens issue, this is happening across the retail pharmacy market,” Idowu said. “Our goal is to figure out what to do to address the issues in the industry overall.”
The neighborhood surrounding the Warren Street store is nearly half Black, and one-third Hispanic, according to census data. Residents age 65 and over make up 15 percent of the population. Almost a third of families live below the poverty line.
Residents, activists, and community leaders have vigorously objected to the store’s closing. A protest Saturday drew more than 30 people. Members of the Communities of Color for Health Equity and Prophetic Resistance Boston delivered a letter on Tuesday to the company’s district office in Marlborough.
A second protest denouncing the upcoming closure is scheduled for Friday in the drugstore’s parking lot at 4 p.m.
The closest pharmacy to the soon-to-close Walgreens is a CVS in Grove Hall, a 15-minute walk, according to city records. There are also four other retail pharmacies that are about 20 minutes away by foot. Two other Walgreens are at least a 40-minute walk.
Statewide, Walgreens owns 224 of the 1,100 retail pharmacies in Massachusetts. Since 2022, 58 pharmacies have closed in Massachusetts, one-third being Walgreens stores.
Tiana Woodard is a Report for America corps member covering Black neighborhoods. She can be reached at tiana.woodard@globe.com. Follow her @tianarochon. |
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| Help! Its Almost 2024 and Travelers Keep Making the Same Mistakes. | Jennifer of Irvine, Calif., wrote in when her American Airlines-operated, British Airways-issued flight between Boston and New York was canceled, forcing her to take a $219 train to catch her connecting flight to Paris. At one point, American told her to go to British Airways; at another exchange, British Airways said to go to American.
Spokeswomen for both British Airways and American confirmed to me that the issuer is responsible in such a case, and noted that Jennifer had received an $18 refund, the value their system applied to that leg of the four-leg, $1,159 itinerary. But she hadn’t even noticed — and when she saw it, was unsatisfied with the amount, which on a good day might get you from Boston to New York on a bus that stops in Hartford. (A spokeswoman for American Airlines noted that more than half the $1,159 was for taxes, which are not refundable.)
Give yourself a time cushion
Alex of Los Angeles wrote about the time he was to fly from Nairobi, Kenya, to Boston, with a nearly 18-hour layover in London, during which he scheduled business meetings. In Nairobi, Alex arrived at the airport only to find Kenya Airways had no record of his reservation, which was booked through Delta using the Chase Travel platform. Uh-oh, middlemen. But those companies reacted admirably to the error, booking him on a different route that got him to Boston only about an hour late. But he has repeatedly requested “compensatory ‘good will’ points for missing the meetings.”
A spokeswoman from Chase said the flight was booked correctly on their end, but is still considering his request for compensation. (Neither of the two airlines responded to me.)
I’d be just fine if they declined. Scheduling anything of even middling importance so tightly in today’s air travel environment is folly. |
d412cb01bb6b42fbf5a658ba5567f669 | 0.345665 | 3entertainment
| A Masterpiece That Inspired Gabriel Garca Mrquez to Write His Own | But at its core, “Pedro Páramo” is a tale of two journeys, or perhaps one journey that unfolds into two. The first is a linear one driven by a Telemachean quest: a man searching for his missing father. The narrator, Juan Preciado, goes to his parents’ hometown after his mother dies, seeking his long-estranged father, Pedro Páramo. He plans to demand reparations. But what he finds is a ghost town. Then he dies. (This is not a spoiler; the story continues after his death as if nothing really happened.) The second journey is Dantesque: a spiraling descent into a kind of underworld. But unlike Dante’s mathematically plotted inferno, with its concentric circles and somewhat navigable geography, Rulfo’s is largely sensory, densely packed with sounds and their endless reverberations.
Many Latin American readers know the opening sentence of the novel by heart: “Vine a Comala porque me dijeron que acá vivía mi padre, un tal Pedro Páramo.” From the beginning, we find ourselves in an unstable space-time that we will question and redefine as we move through the novel. For English-language readers, key differences in two translations of the opening line will help bring this ambiguity to light. The 1994 translation, by Margaret Sayers Peden, reads: “I came to Comala because I had been told that my father, a man named Pedro Páramo, lived there.” The most recent translation, by Douglas J. Weatherford, is: “I came to Comala because I was told my father lived here, a man named Pedro Páramo.” Just as the exchange of “here” for “there” radically changes the story’s spatiality (where the narrator is speaking), the use of “was told” — less removed than “had been told” — shifts its temporality (when the narration happens).
Nothing can fall into place in a novel if the author does not have control over its sense of time, be it linear or fractured. In novels of fractured time, the sequence of events must be governed by a logic of its own, one justified by the book’s central questions. Throughout “Pedro Páramo” — in which a central concern is how the world of the living haunts the world of the dead, and not vice versa, as with most ghost stories — time ebbs and flows in a kind of tidal pattern. It is not quite circular, because circles are closed circuits, but the cadence is similar to something cyclical, to the uprush and backwash of water breaking over sand, over and over again. The dead, tormented by lives they can no longer participate in but which their memories replay, over and over again, produce a steady undercurrent of murmurs, laments, mutterings, chatter, whispers, quiet confessions.
If where and when we are in “Pedro Páramo” is constantly shifting, then sound is the swift and sinuous vehicle that carries us through it. For a class I taught this fall, I asked my students to find the many sonic markers in the novel. (It was a fun experiment, and we shared the results with the sound designers of a forthcoming “Pedro Páramo” film. They wrote back to say they were inspired by our sound lists and wanted to credit the students.)
I was astonished to see how much of the novel is composed of aural details. Still air shattered by doves’ flapping wings. Hummingbirds whirring among jasmine bushes. Laughter. A tap of knuckles on the confessional window. A church clock ringing out the hours, “one after another, one after another, as if time had contracted.” Also sounds we cannot hear, but can almost imagine: “the earth rotating on rusted hinges, the trembling of an ancient world pouring out its darkness.” And of course, the myriad sounds of rain. |
04a2034af95b4bf3c6b35a3190b976dc | 0.826604 | 6sports
| Packers at Cowboys playoff tickets: Where to buy NFC Wild Card round tickets | After Sunday’s wins for the Packers and the Cowboys, the Dallas Cowboys will host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC WildCard round game on Sunday, January 14. Dak Prescott and Dallas won the NFC East after defeating the Washington Commanders 38-10 and the Packers defeated the Bears for the tenth consecutive time 17-9 to make it to the playoffs for their first trip to the postseason since 2021.
The NFC WildCard round will be on Sunday, January 14 at 4:30 p.m. EST. Fans looking to attend this NFL playoff game in person have plenty of options and can shop around at StubHub and *VividSeats.
*New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.*
If you need to travel outside your local area to get to this game, head over to TripAdvisor, VRBO, Marriott or Booking.com for deals on everything from car rentals to airfare to hotels.
Who: Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys
When: Sunday, January 14 at 4:30 p.m. EST
Where: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
Stream: fuboTV (free trial); or Sling; or DirecTV Stream
Tickets: StubHub and VividSeats
Gear: Shop around for jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies and more at Fanatics.com
Sports Betting Promos: NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
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LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — After Dak Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb on a touchdown pass late in the first half Sunday to help the Dallas Cowboys clinch the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the conference, the QB swung his right fist and then ran to the end zone to meet his star wideout for a handshake and a hug.
All the while, thousands of Dallas fans filling the Washington Commanders’ stadium chanted, “Let’s go, Cowboys!”
The mood, the performance and the atmosphere were decidedly improved for Prescott, his club and their supporters compared to a year ago. Unlike in Week 18 last time, when they finished the regular season with a loss at Washington, Prescott, Lamb and the Cowboys did what they set out to do Sunday against the rival Commanders by charging into the postseason with a 38-10 victory.
“Look at last year — the way we came into this place and didn’t finish the season the way we wanted to — to where we are now,” said Prescott, who threw two of his four TDs passes to Lamb and finished 31 for 36 for 279 yards. “The growth. The coaching staff. The players. The accountability. The communication. The transparency. And both sides of the ball holding their own.”
Dallas went 12-5 for the third consecutive year and will host the Green Bay Packers — a team current Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy once led to a Super Bowl championship — on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. EST.
That’s a big deal for a club that went 8-0 in Dallas this season and has won 16 games in a row there.
“The drama of it — I’m sure you guys will love that,” McCarthy told reporters about facing Green Bay.
Last-place Washington (4-13 overall, 0-6 in the NFC East) and expected-to-be-gone Ron Rivera are at the other end of the spectrum after tying a franchise mark for most losses in a season.
Rivera figures he’ll meet with owner Josh Harris on Monday.
“We’ll have a conversation and go from there,” Rivera said.
The Commanders’ losing streak reached eight games. That includes going 0-6 since Rivera fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and made himself the play-caller on that side of the ball.
The good news for the Commanders? Sunday’s result assured them of owning the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft, when they might seek a replacement for quarterback Sam Howell, who was intercepted twice Sunday and led the NFL with 21 picks this season. He also was sacked four times to raise his league-worst total to 65.
Last season, Prescott led the NFL with 15 interceptions, and had 23 touchdown tosses. This season? He topped the league with 36 TD throws to only nine picks.
“He’s playing better than I’ve ever seen him play,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.
And Prescott’s connection with Lamb is truly elite. Lamb’s 13 catches Sunday — on 13 targets — lifted him to an NFL-high 135 receptions.
“I don’t think there’s another quarterback and receiver that has put in much time as me and CeeDee have, going back into the offseason,” Prescott said. “Understanding what I expect of him. Him understanding where I’m going to put the ball. Him understanding the belief that I have in him. I’ve told you I think he’s the best receiver in the game.”
In the season ender last year, also in Landover, the Cowboys came in needing a win for a shot at the division title but lost 26-6 to Washington and Howell, who made his NFL debut that day. Prescott went just 14 of 37 for 128 yards with a pick-6.
Dallas was not at its best early this time.
In the second quarter, Commanders defensive lineman Jalen Harris deflected a pass by Prescott, allowing rookie defensive back Quan Martin to grab the interception, which the Commanders turned into a field goal for a 10-7 lead.
“When we had the turnover, you just saw all kinds of ghosts, Darth Vader, all that kind of stuff. Grim Reaper. Whatever you want to call it,” Jones said. “The main thing is how proud I am of these guys for enduring.”
Indeed, Prescott and the Cowboys soon were back on track, scoring 31 unanswered points.
“Just staying locked in,” Lamb said.
As he spoke, Lamb wore a silver baseball hat with a blue patch featuring a Cowboys star and proclaiming them NFC East champions.
Prescott’s postgame headwear was, instead, a black wool cap — the better, he joked, to brace against the evening’s 40-degree chill.
“Focus is ahead. Simple as that,” Prescott said. “I want something better.”
INJURIES
Cowboys: CB Stephon Gilmore left in the second quarter with a hurt shoulder and did not return. ... RG Zack Martin was a late scratch because of illness; Brock Hoffman started in his place.
UP NEXT
Cowboys: Host Green Bay next week.
Commanders: Likely a complete overhaul of the coaching staff and roster.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Associated Press contributed to this article |
30367c6494dcc3f09855cb43273366dc | 0.48158 | 5science
| New Mass. health standards promise equity in local health | “We’re not necessarily always able to meet those requirements in the ways we would like to,” she said.
Almost four years later, the pandemic’s extraordinary demands have faded, yet Newton’s health department still struggles to keep up with some basic functions. Those include conducting inspections for pools, housing, and restaurants, said Lao, now the city’s director of public health services.
During the worst of the pandemic, Shin-Yi Lao, then Newton’s only public health nurse, at times fell into despair as she juggled testing, contact tracing, and data analysis amid a daily flood of new COVID-19 cases.
Lao is among the health officials eager to see Massachusetts push forward the State Action for Public Health Excellence, a multi-year plan to fund local public health and boost its quality. Two years ago, the Massachusetts Legislature took an important step when it dedicated $200 million in pandemic relief money for training, data management, and shared service agreements. Last month, the state Department of Public Health released Massachusetts’ first detailed performance standards for local health departments. Now it’s up to the legislature to make those standards mandatory, and ensure local departments, regardless of their budgets, have access to the training and assistance they need to meet expectations.
“We should not have our public health dependent on the wealth of our community, or the willingness of our community to invest,” said state Senator Joanne Comerford, a Democrat from Hampshire, and one of the bill’s sponsors.
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While many other states have county public health departments, Massachusetts’ system is uniquely fractured. Most public health responsibilities fall on 351 local departments that are often underfunded, understaffed, and lack experienced workers. Some have just one full-time employee.
“Some more rural areas might not be getting their restaurants or food inspected at all, might not have any qualified staff,” said Bill Murphy, president of the Massachusetts Public Health Association, and Framingham’s public health director. “There are significant inequities all over the place because there’s no standardization.”
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The bill would task the state health department with providing expanded training, professional development, and technical assistance for local departments. Local departments would be required to send the state health department annual reports showing they are meeting standards.
The state health department has already begun offering new training and technical support, a department spokesperson said, but it would need more funding to meet the bill’s mandate.
The bill has both Democrat and Republican sponsors, and is currently under consideration in the House Ways and Means Committee.
Easy access to training is desperately needed, officials said.
Less than a year ago, when Murphy became Framingham’s public health director, half the department’s jobs were vacant.
“We really had to be creative in how we got out there to advertise and recruit and retain a workforce,” he said. “A lot of people entering with no experience in the field.”
Regionalizing some public health functions is a key way for small departments to meet the state standards, Comerford said. About 320 municipalities now participate in shared service agreements, the state health department reported.
Oxford is among six municipalities that share an inspector and a public health coordinator, said Rike Sterrett, the public health director in Oxford, and one of just two full-time public health personnel there. A second inspector is scheduled to start work at the end of November.
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“I just don’t think we could do everything we need to do without them,” said Sterrett.
The coordinator, she said, has become indispensable as Auburn, one of the towns participating in the regional health coalition, has faced a huge increase of emergency shelters for immigrants this year.
Newton’s health department shares a coordinator and epidemiologist with Belmont, Brookline, and Arlington, Lao said. The four communities are in the process of hiring another person to handle programming and inspections.
Shared service agreements also help offset a national decline in public health workers, one exacerbated by the pandemic. Almost 30 percent of workers in eight states, including the New England states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, intended to leave their jobs within a year, compared to less than 13 percent in 2017, a 2021 national survey found. Workers who planned to stay in their jobs dropped from almost 83 percent to 66 percent.
Workers listed poor pay, few opportunities for promotion, and burnout as significant factors in their desire to leave their jobs.
“We have asked our public health work force to do so much with so little, including working around the clock during the pandemic,” said Oami Amarasingham, deputy director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “People are burnt out.”
The push to reform Massachusetts’ public health system predates the pandemic. A 2019 report from a special commission created by the legislature noted 31 percent of the state’s local health departments had budgets of $50,000 or less. The report noted that a lack of training or personnel in a small department can have repercussions beyond one town if there’s a failure to identify a contagious disease, or a threat of food poisoning.
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“Local public health does so much that people don’t realize,” Sterrett said. “When a complaint comes in or something comes in and people are like, ‘I don’t know what this falls under,’ it’s usually local public health.”
Jason Laughlin can be reached at jason.laughlin@globe.com. Follow him @jasmlaughlin. |
194d1ccba39e6ec34d5dcb3b272316cc | 0.99556 | 4politics
| Trump Has Made Claims About Caucus Fraud. What if He Underperforms? | The last time Donald J. Trump participated in competitive Iowa caucuses, he lost narrowly, accused Senator Ted Cruz of Texas of stealing the contest, claimed fraud, demanded that Iowa Republicans nullify the results, and called for a rerun.
While Iowa has a history of troubles with its caucus results, there’s been no evidence of fraud. The 2016 Republican contest was, in fact, the only one since 2008 that had gone off without a hitch.
And yet if Monday night ends with Mr. Trump underperforming expectations, both his history and his rhetoric during this year’s campaign suggest he won’t hesitate to cry foul and refuse to accept the result.
Mr. Trump has already accused Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida of “trying to rig” the caucuses. Laura Loomer, a far-right and anti-Muslim activist whom Mr. Trump last year considered hiring for a campaign post, suggested on social media that “the deep state” was engaging in “weather manipulation” to instigate Iowa’s Friday snowstorm and subzero temperatures to depress Trump turnout on Monday. And Donald Trump Jr. suggested in a Telegram video that “we can’t take anything for granted, or assume that everything is going to be on the up and up. We’ve seen this rodeo before.” |
7dcf7307ab0a8528d4ade679e287ef97 | 0.737498 | 5science
| Its Bill Nyes birthday. Lets celebrate his simple climate change explanations | Sign up for The Meltdown, a weekly newsletter highlighting the latest apocalyptic dramas, debunking climate myths, and sharing sustainability hacks, all while arming you with information to hold polluters and the government accountable. Enter your email to subscribe.
Bill Nye has been the mainstay of widespread, reliable, easy-to-explain science for generations. He was catapulted to fame off the back of his popular science show, Bill Nye the Science Guy, gaining a sort of Mr. Rogers-level status as funny, affable and trustworthy.
The Washington D.C.-born Cornell graduate, who will be 68 on Monday, hosted his science show from 1993 to 1999, but never relinquished his role as the nation’s favorite pop-scientist. He started out as a Boeing engineer before quitting in 1986 to pursue his burgeoning stand-up career. But it wasn’t long before he was able to marry both his passions: science and entertainment.
In later years, he took off the science training wheels and publicly entered into the gritty and sordid world of climate science, often appearing on mainstream TV and even meeting presidents to discuss climate threats. He also had a Netflix show, Bill Nye Saves the World.
There’s no doubt that climate change is already a complicated subject, further muddled by the various oppositional political narratives and the science community’s difficulty in explaining some of the more paradoxical and counterintuitive ways the Earth’s climate systems interact.
Among them: why drought can make flash flooding more likely or why warmer weather can lead to increased snowfall in some regions. Bill Nye’s approach is even more straightforward, as he sticks to the basics.
Here are some of his simple explanations that should help you decode the confusing world of climate change.
1. What is climate change?
Climate change refers to the rapid increase in Earth’s temperature, primarily attributed to human activities since the Industrial Revolution. In the last century, the Earth has warmed by 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit, with significant changes not due to natural Earth’s orbit variations but to human-induced factors. This includes increased greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, leading to trapped solar radiation and a warmer planet.
2. Why are oceans most at risk?
Climate change’s profound impact on oceans includes warming temperatures, which have risen by over 23 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. This warming leads to ocean acidification, with a 30% increase in surface acidification since the late 18th century, endangering marine life like oysters, clams, and corals. Over 1 billion people rely on the sea to find their primary source of protein. Additionally, climate change contributes to rising sea levels, which have increased by 6.7 inches in the last century but doubled over the last decade due to melting glaciers and ice sheets. This results in coastal flooding and disruptions to ecosystems and human settlements.
3. What does melting ice do?
Since 1994, each year, on average, the Earth has lost 400 billion tons from its glaciers. That is the equivalent of an ice cube four miles on every side melting and flowing into the sea. When that ice melts, just like a bathtub, the shores can’t hold all that water and it overflows. 4.
4. How to stop global warming?
Key actions include reducing carbon monoxide and methane emissions, primarily achieved by ceasing to burn fossil fuels. He advocates for transitioning to alternative energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal, and potentially nuclear fusion in the future. These sources would provide ample electricity globally, allowing us to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere eventually. He urges immediate action to begin this crucial process.
While he does believe humans can make some changes through individual actions, he says voting for politicians who believe in climate change is the fastest and most effective way to make a change.
5. How does climate change affect humans and animals?
Climate change has led to water restrictions in regions like California due to reduced mountain snowfall, which traditionally served as natural water storage. This decrease in available water affects agriculture, leading to potential food shortages and higher prices, disproportionately impacting poorer communities.
For animals, climate change is altering their habitats and behaviors. Notably, insects, like certain beetles, thrive in warmer temperatures, causing widespread tree death. This, in turn, exacerbates forest fires fueled by dead trees and milder winters. These fires release more carbon dioxide, exacerbating climate change and destroying ecosystems and wildlife, creating a vicious cycle of environmental damage. |
846ce8e04a08ff582761509576b8079a | 0.402214 | 4politics
| Canadas Foreign Student Surge Prompts Changes, and Anxiety | By announcing this record-breaking target in November 2022, as part of a strategy to plug national labor shortages, Canada signaled that it was headed in the opposite direction from many Western governments that are curtailing migration, as I reported at the time. (As of this week, most foreign students in Britain will no longer be allowed to bring their families, a move that the country’s Home Office said delivered on its commitment to “a decisive cut in migration.”)
In Canada, the surge of overseas students has fanned concerns about the readiness of university and college communities to adequately host them, and about efforts to ensure that their labor and their finances are not exploited. The immigration minister, Marc Miller, recently announced a handful of measures taking effect this month for foreign students.
For the first time since the early 2000s, the government has increased the savings threshold that foreign students must have to qualify for a study permit to about 20,600 Canadian dollars, up from 10,000 dollars. And it will continue, until at least April, to allow international students to work more than 20 hours per week, a policy it had previously walked back.
Without providing details, Mr. Miller’s ministry said it was also looking into ways that it could ensure colleges and universities, which are provincially regulated, accept only as many students as they can assist in finding housing.
“Ahead of September 2024, we are prepared to take necessary measures, including significantly limiting visas, to ensure that designated learning institutions provide adequate and sufficient student supports,” Mr. Miller said last month at a news conference in which he announced the changes. He accused some institutions of operating the “diploma equivalent of puppy mills,” depriving those foreign students of a positive academic experience in the face of outsize hardships and a lack of intervention by provincial governments. |
d3c79673f115007d81f65243f1d11cde | 0.654084 | 7weather
| NOAA rocket to study weather in final stages before April liftoff | Whether you are sober, doing Dry January or trying to cut back on your drinking, there is a shop in Boston where you can taste non-alcoholic beverages before committing to buying a bottle.
If you go to your local liquor or grocery store, you may find some alcohol-free options, but odds are they are limited. Enter Dray Drinks: Boston’s first store dedicated completely to non-alcoholic beverages.
Paying homage to its founders Midwestern roots, the shop is called Dray Drinks “as a play on the phrase ‘on the wagon,’ and because non-alcoholic options are far from ‘dry;’ instead, they’re Dray,” the store’s website reads.
The shop sells everything from wine and beer to ready-to-drink beverages, and customers can try the drinks before they take them home. But free samples are not the only reason people keep coming back to Dray, according to its owner.
“We have hand selected stuff that tastes really good to us, that’s manufactured well, and is not going to be the same thing as you get it in the grocery store for the one month a year that they actually carry it,” said Pat Dooling, owner and founder of Dray Drinks, who added non-alcoholic beverages have a reputation for tasting bad.
“So we convert a lot of people on that,” he continued. “We really show them something unique, something they can’t see anywhere else.”
Dray Drinks, located at 18 Union Park St. in Boston, is the city’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop. Dray is also an online marketplace and community for anyone looking for alcohol alternatives.David Cifarelli
Dray Drinks operates on two principles. The first being a space to showcase non-alcoholic products that often do not get as much shelf space at other stores. The second being space for anyone looking for alcohol alternatives, no matter their reason.
“We don’t sell anything in the store that could be of concern,” Dooling told MassLive Wednesday. “If people come in here, particularly people who are sober and really care about it or for religious reasons, there’s nothing concerning here.”
Upholding that value was important to Dooling, who quit drinking a little more than two years ago. During his journey, Dooling was looking for drinking alternatives so he could still be included in social settings.
“I’m a big food and beverage guy. I generally love that kind of experience and having something that’s like a true adult beverage just without the alcohol,” he said.
“I kind of looked at it and was like, ‘I want to be part of this industry. I want to be part of the change occurring here.’ And then it just sort of became obvious that Boston doesn’t have any of this,” Dooling continued. “That’s what caused me to jump into this sort of store concept specifically.”
Dray Drinks, located at 18 Union Park St. in Boston, is the city’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop. Dray is also an online marketplace and community for anyone looking for alcohol alternatives.David Cifarelli
However, the ultimate goal of Dray Drinks is to help change the narrative around sobriety, which Dooling described as being very black and white.
“From what I’ve seen, we’ve traditionally viewed sobriety, or whatever you want to call it, in really stark circumstances,” Dooling explained. “What we’re really aiming to do is create this broader spectrum [and] bring some of the great stuff from sobriety and recovery out into the open and out to more people.”
Dray Drinks, which officially opened in late November, is located at 18 Union Park St. in South Boston. Dooling, who lives half a block away from the store, said South Boston was the perfect neighborhood to set up shop.
“It’s a great small-business community, incredibly supportive of small local family and founder-owned businesses, which is fantastic,” he said. “It’s also historically a place of really eclectic groups of people coming together, driving change within the neighborhood and the city at large.”
Dooling has also placed an emphasis on community engagement. So far, Dray Drinks has hosted mixology demonstrations, a yoga event and hosted private parties and tastings. The shop has also catered corporate and non-profit events.
Dray Drinks is also affiliated with a non-profit organization called Dray’s Better Days, which supports local alcohol and substance use recovery causes. A portion of the store’s sales goes toward the non-profit.
“We think people value the fact that local businesses are giving back to important local causes,” Dooling said. “It’s kind of the typical one-for-one giving concept in retail and we think consumers really value it.”
The shop posts upcoming events on its website’s calendar in addition to selling its products online. More information can be found by visiting the shop’s website. Dray Drinks is open 12-8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. |
287474ec6565e0167ed211e79bd58b75 | 0.496657 | 4politics
| Canadas House Speaker Apologizes After Ukrainian Who Fought for Nazis Was Honored | The Ukrainian man sitting in the gallery of Canada’s House of Commons was a “hero,” the speaker of the House said on Friday, drawing applause from lawmakers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who had just addressed the chamber during his first visit to Ottawa since Russia invaded his country.
But several Jewish groups responded with outrage, saying that the man, Yaroslav Hunka, 98, had served in a Nazi unit known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, which fought alongside Germany during World War II and declared allegiance to Adolf Hitler.
On Sunday, Anthony Rota, the speaker of Canada’s House of Commons, issued a written apology, saying that he had “subsequently become aware of more information” and took “full responsibility for my actions.”
In remarks after Mr. Zelensky addressed Canada’s Parliament on Friday, Mr. Rota introduced Mr. Hunka as a resident of his district who had fought for Ukrainian independence from Russia and later immigrated to Canada. |
bd1d182b536149e713102397acd12fe8 | 0.501907 | 0business
| See all homes sold in Cape Cod, Nov. 5 to Nov. 11 | The following is a listing of all home transfers in Cape Cod reported from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11. There were 98 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 1,519-square-foot home on Captain Chase Road in South Yarmouth that sold for $645,000.
Brewster
235 Old Chatham Road, Brewster, $299,000, 1,664 square feet, $180 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
149 Fiddlers Lane, Brewster, $350,000, 864 square feet, $405 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
25 Hannah Road, Brewster, $880,000, 1,260 square feet, $698 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
118 Seaway Road, Brewster, $1,100,000, 1,040 square feet, $1,058 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
129 Pond Street, Brewster, $1,110,000, 2,276 square feet, $488 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
131 Owl Pond Road, Brewster, $1,280,000, 2,318 square feet, $552 per square-foot, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
201 Ambergris Circle, Brewster, $1,400,000, 1,897 square feet, $738 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Buzzards Bay
52 Ships View Terrace, Buzzards Bay, $345,000, 864 square feet, $399 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
Centerville
155 Five Corners Road, Centerville, $475,000, 1,764 square feet, $269 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
40 Richardson Road, Centerville, $575,000, 1,366 square feet, $421 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
86 Cottonwood Lane, Centerville, $605,000, 1,144 square feet, $529 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Chatham
76 Orleans Road, Chatham, $600,000, 1,040 square feet, $577 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
41 Earles Way, Chatham, $1,050,000, 1,660 square feet, $633 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Cotuit
49 Windmill Lane, Cotuit, $560,000, 1,694 square feet, $331 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Dennis
40 Compass Lane, Dennis, $649,000, 1,248 square feet, $520 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
31 Gages Road, Dennis, $665,000, 780 square feet, $853 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
42 Scarsdale Road, Dennis, $1,276,000, 1,596 square feet, $799 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Dennis Port
55 Oak Street, Dennis Port, $762,000, 852 square feet, $894 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
15 Beach Pine Road, Dennis Port, $1,000,000, 1,511 square feet, $662 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
East Falmouth
573 Carriage Shop Road, East Falmouth, $315,000, 1,152 square feet, $273 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
82 Ashton Ave., East Falmouth, $368,000, 1,540 square feet, $239 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
88 Candace Way, East Falmouth, $540,000, 1,002 square feet, $539 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
106 Sailfish Drive, East Falmouth, $675,000, 1,288 square feet, $524 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
86 Vidal Ave., East Falmouth, $750,000, 3,733 square feet, $201 per square-foot, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.
22 Mill Farm Way, East Falmouth, $785,000, 2,161 square feet, $363 per square-foot, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
44 Pinewood Drive, East Falmouth, $829,535, 2,268 square feet, $366 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
137 Cairn Ridge Road, East Falmouth, $1,120,000, 2,853 square feet, $393 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
64 Moonpenny Lane, East Falmouth, $2,600,000, 4,064 square feet, $640 per square-foot, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
East Sandwich
4 Wolf Hill Road, East Sandwich, $900,000, 1,994 square feet, $451 per square-foot, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Eastham
1061 State Highway, Eastham, $238,000, 252 square feet, $944 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
310 Windjammer Lane, Eastham, $1,100,000, 2,118 square feet, $519 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Falmouth
110 Dillingham Ave., Falmouth, $550,000, 1,183 square feet, $465 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
47 Two Ponds Road, Falmouth, $705,000, 1,548 square feet, $455 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
60 Oyster Pond Road, Falmouth, $920,000, 2,029 square feet, $453 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
15 Keel de Sac, Falmouth, $1,000,000, 1,516 square feet, $660 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
50 Nemasket Road, Falmouth, $2,500,000, 1,008 square feet, $2,480 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
Forestdale
6 Pleasant Wood Drive, Forestdale, $610,000, 1,512 square feet, $403 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Harwich
62 Long Road, Harwich, $430,000, 1,792 square feet, $240 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
6 Argyle Way, Harwich, $599,000, 1,192 square feet, $503 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
6 Jans Path, Harwich, $650,000, 1,724 square feet, $377 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
6 Tupelo Drive, Harwich, $735,000, 1,192 square feet, $617 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Harwich Port
19 Monomoy Road, Harwich Port, $1,875,000, 2,853 square feet, $657 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Hyannis
800 Bearses Way, Hyannis, $305,000, 1,144 square feet, $267 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
35 Alden Way, Hyannis, $431,200, 654 square feet, $659 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
Mashpee
174 Lowell Road, Mashpee, $365,000, 1,404 square feet, $260 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
17 Windsor Way, Mashpee, $418,000, 1,476 square feet, $283 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
14 Holly Farm Drive, Mashpee, $492,500, 1,428 square feet, $345 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
15 Executive Drive, Mashpee, $510,000, 1,685 square feet, $303 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
17 Valley Road, Mashpee, $539,900, 1,232 square feet, $438 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
18 Chadwick Court, Mashpee, $710,000, 1,615 square feet, $440 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
119 James Circle, Mashpee, $980,000, 2,416 square feet, $406 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Orleans
18 West Road, Orleans, $429,000, 1,198 square feet, $358 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Osterville
151 Hollingsworth Road, Osterville, $1,050,000, 1,428 square feet, $735 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Pocasset
1 Hawthorne Court, Pocasset, $395,000, 1,615 square feet, $245 per square-foot, two bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Provincetown
202A Bradford Street, Provincetown, $750,000, 823 square feet, $911 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
175 Bradford Street Extension, Provincetown, $1,425,000, 1,085 square feet, $1,313 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
27 Pearl Street, Provincetown, $1,795,000, 2,050 square feet, $876 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Sagamore Beach
3 Maria Ave., Sagamore Beach, $875,000, 1,930 square feet, $453 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Sandwich
27 Feake Ave., Sandwich, $250,000, 1,020 square feet, $245 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
18 Nauset Street, Sandwich, $399,000, 1,440 square feet, $277 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
2 Ground Cover Lane, Sandwich, $1,795,000, 3,601 square feet, $498 per square-foot, four bedrooms and five bathrooms.
10 Parsonage Way, Sandwich, $2,550,000, 3,345 square feet, $762 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
South Dennis
19 Nautical Way, South Dennis, $219,164, 912 square feet, $240 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
432 Old Chatham Road, South Dennis, $330,000, 1,023 square feet, $323 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
6 Agnes Road, South Dennis, $601,000, 1,178 square feet, $510 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
South Yarmouth
51 Swift Brook Road, South Yarmouth, $485,000, 864 square feet, $561 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
6 Mercury Drive, South Yarmouth, $500,000, 720 square feet, $694 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
239 Pleasant Street, South Yarmouth, $520,000, 1,525 square feet, $341 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
43 Reflection Way, South Yarmouth, $550,000, 1,544 square feet, $356 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
35 Fairwood Road, South Yarmouth, $637,500, 2,262 square feet, $282 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
100 Captain Chase Road, South Yarmouth, $645,000, 1,519 square feet, $425 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Teaticket
402 Teaticket Highway, Teaticket, $425,000, 1,080 square feet, $394 per square-foot, four bedrooms and one bathroom.
115 Brick Kiln Road, Teaticket, $440,000, 688 square feet, $640 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
24 Montauk Street, Teaticket, $635,000, 1,152 square feet, $551 per square-foot, four bedrooms and one bathroom.
25 Lawrence Street, Teaticket, $950,000, 1,792 square feet, $530 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Truro
125 Shore Road, Truro, $425,000, 424 square feet, $1,002 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
11 Hughes Road, Truro, $450,000, 430 square feet, $1,047 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
54 Highland Road, Truro, $602,555, 1,331 square feet, $453 per square-foot, four bedrooms and one bathroom.
16 Moses Way, Truro, $980,000, 1,729 square feet, $567 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Wellfleet
84 Kelley Way, Wellfleet, $420,000, 1,986 square feet, $211 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
115 Pineneedle Road, Wellfleet, $685,000, 2,528 square feet, $271 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
16 Whimbrel Way, Wellfleet, $720,000, 2,510 square feet, $287 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
422 Old Kings Highway, Wellfleet, $899,900, 1,918 square feet, $469 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
383 Eastwind Circle, Wellfleet, $955,000, 2,883 square feet, $331 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
West Barnstable
410 Cedar Street, West Barnstable, $670,000, 1,663 square feet, $403 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
West Dennis
3 Allain Way, West Dennis, $320,000, 676 square feet, $473 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
17 Bayberry Road, West Dennis, $580,000, 884 square feet, $656 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
28 Shore Road, West Dennis, $710,000, 924 square feet, $768 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
West Harwich
36 Arbutus Ave., West Harwich, $685,900, 1,339 square feet, $512 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
West Yarmouth
21 Yelverton Lane, West Yarmouth, $517,000, 888 square feet, $582 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
57 Town Brook Road, West Yarmouth, $530,000, 1,333 square feet, $398 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
17 Woodcrest Lane, West Yarmouth, $687,000, 1,632 square feet, $421 per square-foot, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Yarmouth Port
46 Rhine Road, Yarmouth Port, $224,400, 912 square feet, $246 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
45 Frances Helen Road, Yarmouth Port, $323,100, 720 square feet, $449 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
44 Mary David Road, Yarmouth Port, $335,000, 720 square feet, $465 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
43 Pompano Road, Yarmouth Port, $750,000, 1,626 square feet, $461 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
450 Route 6a, Yarmouth Port, $899,900, 3,303 square feet, $272 per square-foot, five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
179 Country Club Drive, Yarmouth Port, $1,210,000, 2,954 square feet, $410 per square-foot, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data. See more Real Estate News |
1263b91c8eedd7c7c48fd9cbd57c4e85 | 0.56223 | 4politics
| Yale Condemns Hanging of Palestinian Flag on New Haven Menorah | Yale University leaders, elected officials and clergy in New Haven, Conn., condemned what they called the desecration of a public Hanukkah menorah after a protester briefly hung a Palestinian flag from it over the weekend.
“The placement of a Palestinian flag on the menorah conveys a deeply antisemitic message to Jewish residents of New Haven, including members of the Yale community,” Peter Salovey, the Yale president, said in a statement.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is Jewish, called the incident an act of hate and described his father’s escape from Germany in 1935.
“It may look like a prank,” he said appearing at a news conference in New Haven on Monday. “It may look like a joke. But it couldn’t be more serious because it is the mockery and desecration of a profoundly important religious symbol.” |
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| Single-family house sells for $3.5 million in Wellesley | A spacious house built in 1953 located at 19 Radcliffe Road in Wellesley has new owners. The 3,582-square-foot property was sold on Dec. 15, 2023. The $3,500,000 purchase price works out to $977 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The unit sits on a 0.5-acre lot.
Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby: |
3e821db43bf2852ef27ee4e35b84e2fa | 0.786509 | 6sports
| 2024 Hoophall Classic: Koa Peat, DAndre Harrison lead Perry to dramatic win | SPRINGFIELD ― Koa Peat and D’Andre Harrison led the way for Perry High School (AZ) on Saturday at the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic, but it was Baron Silsby’s buzzer-beating three that gave the Pumas a dramatic victory over Grayson High School (GA), 64-63.
Trailing by two with under five seconds to play, Harrison got the inbound pass from Peat and drove hard to the rack. As the defense collapsed on him, Harrison quickly spun to face the perimeter and found Silsby open on the left side.
Without hesitation, Silsby launched the shot and nailed the game-winning three.
What an awesome team win by Perry Basketball over #9 ranked Grayson (GA)!!!
Down by 2 with 4 seconds left and Barron Silsby shoots a deep three off a D’Andre Harrison pass to give the Pumas the win 64-63 at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, MA!!!@PerryPumaMBB @PerryPumas07 pic.twitter.com/KiHRZO2KMD — Perry High Athletics (@perry_pumas) January 14, 2024
“We were supposed to get Koa (Peat) to come off the handoff,” Silsby said after the game. “But (Harrison) took it (to the rim) and they cut him off and (Harrison) swung it to me - I just had to knock it down and I did.
“(The opposing teams) really focus Koa (Peat) because he’s (our) primary guy, they are going to send maybe two, sometimes three people at him, so I always got to stay ready. He’s a willing passer and (Harrison is) a willing passer too, so I always got to stay ready, read the defense and attack.”
Harrison and Peat finished with a game-high 23 points each. Peat, the No. 4 ranked prospect in the class of 2025, added 10 rebounds and seven blocks to his stat line as well, earning himself the game’s Most Outstanding Player award.
“I feel like I’ve been a really underrated shot blocker, so just showing people that I can defend at the rim,” Peat said.
Harrison, also in the class of 2025, spoke highly of how basketball tournaments and showcases like the Hoophall Classic force each player to elevate their game and how important it is to rely on your teammates when playing against high-level competition.
“This is a great tournament for our team and I feel like I couldn’t (play my best) if it wasn’t for my team,” Harrison said. “My team trusted me (and) gave me the ball.”
For Silsby, the opportunity to play at the Hoophall Classic was a dream come true.
“(Playing at Hoophall) means everything - Grayson is a really good basketball team, so we knew that it wasn’t going to be easy coming in,” Silsby said. “We just had to work (in) that fourth quarter.
“(I) dreamed about these opportunities when I was a little kid. Coming out here, trusting in the work and believing in each other.” |
ef3d8e66b205376c3becc550b75f4452 | 0.487585 | 5science
| Vial to Sponsor the 4th Annual Gene Therapy for Ophthalmic Disorders Conference 2023 in Boston, MA | SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vial , a global full-service CRO providing tech-forward clinical trial management services, announced its participation as a sponsor and speaker at the 4th Annual Gene Therapy for Ophthalmic Disorders Conference in Boston, MA, October 3-5, 2023, at the Hilton Boston Back Bay.
The 4th Annual Gene Therapy for Ophthalmic Disorders Conference is a preeminent event that unites thought leaders from leading biopharma, biotech, and academic institutes working to transform eye disease treatment. Attendees can anticipate engaging discussions on the latest trends, breakthroughs, and opportunities shaping the industry. The conference offers a unique platform for industry stakeholders to network, share insights, and collaborate toward driving advancements in the field of ophthalmology.
Vial's Vice President of Business Development, Dan Gallagher, and Associate Business Development Director, John Sheperdson, will be representing the organization. Gallagher will share insights into Vial's technological advancements and discuss the transformative potential of their solutions in the context of clinical trials.
"I am genuinely grateful for the invitation and excited about the prospect of meaningful conversations that could shape the trajectory of gene therapy for ophthalmic disorders. I'm looking forward to sharing Vial's technology advancements and discussing the transformative potential of our solutions for the future of ophthalmic clinical trials," said Dan Gallagher, VP of Business Development at Vial.
How to connect with Vial at the 4th Annual Gene Therapy for Ophthalmic Disorders Conference?
Book a meeting by emailing John Sheperdson at [email protected]
For more information about Vial and its innovative solutions, please visit Vial's official website .
About Vial: Vial is a next-generation CRO powered by technology that promises faster and more efficient trial execution for less cost. The Vial Contract Research Organization (CRO) delivers on the promise of more efficient trials through its innovative technology platform that powers trials end-to-end from site startup to database lock. Vial's technology platform combines modern, intuitive eSource , EDC , and ePRO into one connected system, streamlining site processes and enabling considerable efficiencies. Vial operates across multiple Therapeutic Areas ( Dermatology CRO , Ophthalmology CRO , Oncology CRO , Gastroenterology CRO , Neurology CRO , Cardiology CRO , Medical Device CRO , Rare Disease CRO , and Digital Therapeutics CRO ). Vial is a San Francisco, California-based company with over 100+ employees.
SOURCE Vial |
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| He was the best: Young man killed by trash truck in Boston was on way to meet his uncle for coffee | BOSTON — A young man who was fatally struck by a trash truck in Boston on Tuesday was on his way to meet his uncle for coffee at a neighborhood Dunkin’ when he lost his life.
Officers responding to a report of a crash involving a pedestrian in the area of Cambridge and Hano streets in the city’s Allston section just after 10 a.m. found a man suffering from life-threatening injuries, according to the Boston Police Department.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Video from the scene showed the Republic Services trash truck and an e-bike roped off with yellow police tape as detectives and a crash reconstruction team gathered evidence.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 17 Allston
It appears the victim, who his uncle identified as 21-year-old Samuel Alvarado, was riding the e-bike when he was struck by the truck.
“Every morning, we stop by Dunkin’ Donuts and drink coffee and eat donuts,” Alvarado’s uncle, Melecio, explained. “I was waiting for him. He never came. A couple of minutes later, I got the call.”
Melecio described Samuel as a “very sweet boy” who loved to play ranchero music on his guitar. He said they also lived together on Hanover Street.
“He was the best. Good person. He was always together with me,” Melecio Alvarado said of his nephew. “He liked to play guitar and sing.”
Samuel Alvarado Handout photo
Alvarado, a native of Honduras, had moved to America and was working at a restaurant as a chef, according to his uncle.
No charges have been filed and the incident remains under investigation, police say.
The trash company tells Boston 25 News they are cooperating with the investigation.
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©2023 Cox Media Group |
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| Quabbin-area towns draw on history in quest for Equity | Six cents for four towns?
A State House book talk this week offered an interesting tale of the four towns that state government took and flooded to create the Quabbin Reservoir -- and it also lent historical context to lawmakers’ push for an added fee on Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water customers.
Bills now before the state House and Senate, respectively sponsored by Rep. Aaron L. Saunders, D-7th Hampden, and Sen. Joanne M. Comerford, D-Hampshire/Franklin/Worcester, seek to add what Saunders called “a dose of equity” for communities around the Quabbin.
The bills are now before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
Much of the watershed is owned by the MWRA and preserved to protect the water source, leaving area towns without economic development opportunities to grow a commercial tax base. Saunders said municipalities need funds for essential services like fire and police departments in towns like New Salem, Wendell, and Ware.
Read More: Boston communities would be made to pay up for use of Quabbin water under new bill
Saunders, of Belchertown, said the proposal would add a minuscule excise charge for ratepayers who get Quabbin water piped in, with the money going back to support basic operations in Quabbin-area municipalities.
“The way that it’s arranged, or proposed to be arranged, is a 5 cent per 1,000 gallon excise on water that’s drawn from the Quabbin. Now what that means in real life is that if you’re the average Boston Water and Sewer ratepayer, you would see approximately a 6 cents per month increase on your monthly water and sewer bill. It’s a tremendously small price to pay for a measure of equity of this magnitude,” Saunders told State House News Service.
The venue Wednesday was a talk by Ware author Elena Palladino, whose quest to learn about her historical home -- built nearly a century ago with salvaged remnants of a house from soon-to-be-flooded Enfield -- led to a 160-page chronicle of three prominent Enfielders who resisted the reservoir’s arrival.
Palladino described the Quabbin’s present-day scenic vista as “beauty born of loss.”
The Legislature in 1938 disincorporated four Swift River Valley towns -- Enfield, Dana, Greenwich and Prescott -- and flooded their former territory to create the new water source for Eastern Massachusetts.
Buildings were demolished and trees were clear-cut after the state either bought the property or took it by eminent domain, pushing families into neighboring towns.
Marion Smith's home in Enfield was amogn those lost when the town was among those flooded to create the Quabbin Reservoir. Smith built a now home in Ware.
“I can tell you, living in Western Mass., that many people who live there still hold onto this feeling of resentment today. Many of the towns around the Quabbin are struggling with aging water infrastructure and other issues,” Palladino said at the conclusion of her State House event.
Saunders and Comerford were in the audience. Comerford took the mic during a question-answer period to tell Palladino that her book’s story was “the soul of the bill” they had sponsored.
“It’s the reason that the state has, I believe, a reason to want to repay these people, these towns, the watershed,” the Northampton lawmaker said. “There’s a 100,000-acre watershed that the remaining towns steward so that Boston can drink clean water ... And I think, like the four towns that came before us, we just want to be seen and understood for that.”
“We worry about a lot of things in Massachusetts, and in the Metro Boston area. We don’t worry about water,” Saunders added. “And 6 cents per-month is a tiny, tiny cost to accommodate that benefit, to not have to worry about water.” |
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| Did Bill Belichick send a message to other NFL teams? | FOXBOROUGH – Bill Belichick wants to continue coaching. It remains to be seen if that’ll still be with the Patriots.
On Monday, Belichick held what might be his final press conference as the head coach of the New England Patriots. One of the biggest takeaways is that Belichick made it seem like he’d be willing to give up his control as general manager to keep coaching in New England.
That seemed like an obvious pitch from Belichick, who’s scheduled to meet with owner Robert Kraft this week. It could also be a pitch for other NFL teams.
“I’m for whatever, collectively, we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” Belichick said. “And, I have multiple roles in that, and I rely on a lot of people to help me in those responsibilities. If somebody’s got to have the final say, I rely on a lot of other people to help. And, however that process is, I’m only part of it.”
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With Belichick, the prevailing thought was wherever he coached next season, he would be the one to run the front office. That’s been the case in New England. Since coming to the Patriots in 2000, Belichick has been the general manager and head coach. As he noted, Belichick has had help from various directors of player personnel such as Scott Pioli, Nick Caserio, Dave Ziegler, and most recently, Matt Groh.
Belichick has an NFL record six Super Bowl championships as a head coach. He’s considered the greatest head coach in NFL history. He’d be an easy sell for any NFL owner looking for an experienced coach.
Over the last four seasons, however, Belichick’s personnel decisions have come back to haunt the Patriots. His roster has lacked elite offensive talent since Tom Brady left. His last All-Pro offensive player was guard Joe Thuney in 2019. His last true offensive Pro Bowl player (excluding Mac Jones, who made the team as an alternate) was Brady in 2018. His last Pro Bowl pass catcher was Rob Gronkowski in 2017. The Patriots last 1,000-yard receiver was Julian Edelman in 2019.
The Patriots offense finished tied for last in the NFL in scoring (13.9 points per game) and ranked 30th in yards (276.2).
“I think we have some things that we can build on,” Belichick said when asked about assembling the 2023 Patriots. “I think there are some things that we need to fix and change.”
What the Patriots need to change is how they built their offense through the draft, free agency, and trades. Belichick’s job as the general manager could be one hang-up for a potential new owner.
However, if Belichick is willing to go to another team and just be the head coach, it would possibly open more jobs. One seems to be the Atlanta Falcons. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, “the Falcons are a team to watch if Belichick is available. They are interested, per sources.”
Falcons owner Arthur Blank fired head coach Arthur Smith on Sunday night but kept general manager Terry Fontenot.
Belichick could also be an option for a playoff contender who ends up looking for a new head coach. Options would include the Dallas Cowboys, whose owner, Jerry Jones, is also the general manager. Could Belichick be an option if Jones fires Mike McCarthy?
The Philadelphia Eagles are in a similar situation. They’ve assembled a great roster under general manager Howie Roseman, but coming off a 14-3 season, they finished 11-6. Philadelphia finished the season 1-5 in their final six games. If they’re looking for a more experienced head coach than Nick Sirianni, Belichick would certainly fit the bill.
On Monday, Belichick was asked if he would be interested in coaching for another NFL team.
“I’m not going to get into a lot of hypothetical situations,” Belichick replied.
The gravity of this situation isn’t lost on Patriots players. Several voiced their support for their head coach on Monday. It’s clear Belichick is still respected and judging by his defense’s performance this season, it’s obvious he’s still a good coach.
The issue, however, has been Belichick the general manager. His willingness to do away with those responsibilities makes it possible he could return to New England, but also makes him an even better candidate for other NFL teams.
“I’m going to do everything I can every day to do the best I can to help our football team,” Belichick said on Monday. “That’s what I’ve always done. It’s never been any different for me in my career. I learned that lesson from my dad growing up. You work for the team that you’re working for and do the best you can for it, until somebody tells you different. So, that’s not going to change.” |
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| Whats Your Biological Age? | If you’ve ever been to a high school reunion, you know that some people seem to age faster than others. Twenty-five years after graduation, one classmate can appear a decade younger than the rest, another a decade older.
“People know that intuitively,” said Dr. Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, “but they don’t understand that it’s a biology that we’re trying to discover.”
Scientists are working to quantify this phenomenon and put a number to a person’s “biological age” by looking at their cellular health instead of how many years they’ve been alive. Some of these measurements are now marketed as direct-to-consumer blood tests. But before you shell out hundreds of dollars to find out how old you really are, make sure you know what you’re paying for. Experts caution that while these tests are interesting in theory, and could be valuable research tools, they aren’t ready for prime-time.
How do you measure biological age?
Researchers define biological age as “the accumulation of damage we can measure in our body,” said Dr. Andrea Britta Maier, co-director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore. That damage comes from natural aging, as well as from our environment and behaviors. |
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| State sues Nazis for being violent goons across eastern Massachusetts | Two men near Portage, Ind., were scouting a creek for potential fishing spots on Tuesday when they spotted a shiny object through the trees. They moved closer and saw that it was a mangled vehicle.
One of the men, Mario Garcia, said that he looked inside, pushed aside the airbag and found what he thought was a lifeless body.
But upon touch, a young man, still alive, awoke.
“He was very happy to see us,” Mr. Garcia said at a news conference. “I’ve never seen a relief like that.”
The driver, Matthew R. Reum, 27, of Mishawaka, Ind., had been trapped in the crumpled 2016 Ram truck for six days, according to the authorities. |
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| Plans for revamped White Stadium include a restaurant with a bar | The group working to bring a women's professional soccer team to Boston will soon file detailed renovation plans for turning the dilapidated White Stadium into a state-of-the-art soccer arena to be shared with Boston Public Schools and the general public - to be opened in time for the start of the 2026 National Women's Soccer League season.
In a "letter of intent" filed with the BPDA this week, Boston Unity Soccer Partners says part of its plans will include new 14,000-square-foot structures in the "Grove area" next to the stadium that will include a restaurant and bar, along with an area to sell souvenirs and related items and an area for "open space community activities."
The new Grove-area facilities will be open year round, the group says, in part for use in public events.
Under an agreement with the city, which owns the stadium, the group and the city will split renovations to the stadium itself. Boston Unity says it will extensively renovate and remodel the grandstand on the west side of the stadium to include not just seating areas but player locker rooms, food preparation and sales areas, a concourse and an area for the media.
In addition to the restaurant, the Grove area will also get a video scoreboard.
The city Public Facilities Department:
Will be providing the soccer playing field and the athletic track and field areas; re-constructing the East Grandstand (and its spectator viewing areas; concourse; lavatories; locker-rooms; office/administrative areas; storage and other related facilities); and rehabilitating certain other areas and facilities on the White Stadium Parcel on behalf of the City.
White Stadium filings and meeting schedule.
Earlier:
Roxbury, Jamaica Plain residents want assurances their streets won't be clogged by suburbanites driving into town to see women's soccer at White Stadium |
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| 2024 Hoophall Classic: Angalace Quinones, No. 1 Central girls basketball prevail in OT (photos) | SPRINGFIELD ― Despite trailing by as many as 11 points late in the third quarter, No. 1 Springfield Central girls basketball came back to defeat Hamden (CT) in overtime, 47-37 on Friday at the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic. |
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| Boundary-busting Boston musicians up for Grammys | Boston musicians, breaking down musical boundaries, are well-represented as nominees for the 2024 Grammys. Nominees appear across a wide array of loose-fitting categories onstage and behind the scenes. Berklee College of Music, Harvard University and the New England Conservatory are the primary local sources of performers, songwriters, engineers and producers, with current faculty and alumni appearing on a diverse set of albums. Jazz and so-called global music are at the center of many nominees. The Banner caught up with three local nominees recently.
A full-time faculty member at the New England Conservatory (NEC), Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol is nominated for, “A Gentleman Of Istanbul,” in the category of Best Engineered Album, Classical. Sanlikol, who also serves as director of NEC’s Intercultural Institute, spoke to the Banner about his unique, eclectic and nearly uncategorizable album.
“This album was inspired by the very fascinating travels of Evliya Çelebi, who was a 17th-century Ottoman intellectual,” Sanlikol said. “I picked him because at the time, Donald Trump was going on about the so-called Muslim ban. All you had then were very stereotypical, outdated images of Muslims.”
Sanlikol, trained as a classical musician, with a career as a jazz pianist, added to his knowledge. Immersing himself in what he terms, “a decade of studies,” he learned to play traditional Turkish instruments: the oud (“a short-necked lute”); and the ney (“a type of flute”). He also studied Sufi dervishes and practiced singing Koranic recitations. All of this combined to create his own interpretations of deep, musical cultures.
“My role as director of the Intercultural Institute is to introduce our students to all kinds of traditional music and cultures around the world,” Sanlikol said.
Over at Berklee, visiting scholar Miguel Zenón, in the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department, is Grammy-nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album for “El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2.,” a collaboration with Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo. Zenón, a composer and alto saxophonist, is originally from Puerto Rico.
“Anyone growing up in Latin American culture would find our melodies familiar,” Zenón told the Banner. “The music is a cultural expression; we are not recreating the songs, we are using a jazz tradition to create our interpretations of them.”
The duo of Zenón and Perdomo create harmonies on the album that wordlessly establish a peaceful space. That space is not nostalgic, but rather is a musical anchor, a legacy of the musicians who helped to establish a Latin American culture that has no national boundaries.
“The album celebrates the Latin American songbook,” Zenón said. “It is the same as the Great American Songbook having songs, for example, by George Gershwin and Cole Porter. The songs on my album are what we grew up hearing with our parents and grandparents.”
In addition to teaching and performing, Zenón established Caravana Cultural, a project based in Puerto Rico that provides free concerts focusing on jazz greats. Performing all over the island, the project has brought the music of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Keith Jarrett, among others, to audiences in recent years.
“Love in Exile,” is another Grammy-nominated album featuring musicians with ties to Boston. Named by The New York Times last week as one of the 10 best in 2023, across all musical categories, it features Harvard professor Vijay Iyer and Berklee graduate Arooj Aftab, along with Shahzad Ismaily. The recording is impossible to define, with its use of jazz idioms, Pakistani and Indian traditions, and synthesizers.
Aftab told the Banner, “On the album, I’d like to think that I am the third instrument. I sometimes follow and build on ideas Vijay and Shahzad put forward, and then at other times I am the idea, the driving force, that we build on. I focus on freedom inside of the tunes, but all three of us are consciously kind of steering the tunes to have a beginning, a middle and an end, so the music can feel graceful and thoughtful and complete.”
The Grammy Awards ceremony takes place Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.
This year’s Grammy nominees bear truth to the adage attributed to the great Duke Ellington: “There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.” And by breaking down borders, these musicians allow us to listen with open minds and hearts. |
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| Its power up time for 700,000 lights at Bright Nights in Springfield (Photos) | Bright Nights went into action Wednesday, with its display of more than 700,000 brightly colored LED lights along a three-mile drive through Springfield’s Forest Park.
On Wednesday, dozens gathered for a lighting ceremony.
The event is a joint venture of Spirit of Springfield and the Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management. |
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| Boston-based State Street Corp. to lay off 1,500 employees, company says | BOSTON — State Street Corp. is laying off 1,500 employees, the Boston-based financial services company confirmed on Monday.
It was unclear Monday at which company locations the layoffs would occur, and how many of the eliminated positions would be based in Massachusetts or New Hampshire.
The global financial services and bank holding company has several locations in the Bay State, including in Boston, North Quincy, Burlington and Cambridge, and also in Nashua, New Hampshire.
The layoffs were announced on Dec. 6 by State Street Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Eric Aboaf during the Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services Conference, State Street spokesman Brendan Paul said in a statement on Monday.
As a result, the company will take a “repositioning charge” of approximately $175-200 million, which includes an expense primarily related to this reduction in workforce, Paul said.
In announcing the layoffs, Aboaf discussed “State Street’s key focus areas aimed at propelling our strategy forward, building market share and positioning the company for long-term success,” Paul said.
“This strategy also includes executing on our multi-year transformation journey to drive increased productivity and create efficiencies,” Paul said.
“While we have added employees in distinct areas and business functions, we must now position ourselves for long-term success and take difficult but necessary steps to further streamline our organization,” Paul said.
“To limit the impact of these reductions, we will continue our focus on internal mobility and redeployment of roles to help match talent with the areas of critical need within the company,” Paul said. “Over the past several years, through our Talent Marketplace, we have significantly enhanced our ability to facilitate internal mobility and increase employee readiness for future roles."
State Street will also “reinvest in growing areas of the business or where there are opportunities to further expand our market share or product offerings, such as our Alpha platform, building out our private markets capabilities and investing in our core custody capabilities, Paul said.
State Street, which is headquartered at One Congress Street in Boston, has operations worldwide.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
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©2023 Cox Media Group |
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| Defense Bill Agreement Angers Hard Right, Posing a Threat to Johnson | But the Democrat-led Senate passed a far more restrained version, and in closed-door talks between the two chambers, House negotiators abandoned almost all of their most extreme policy dictates, including one that would have banned drag shows on military bases. The compromise package, which was released late Wednesday, prompted cries of betrayal by right-wing Republicans, who were further incensed to discover that it included an extension of a warrantless surveillance program many of them believe has been abused to spy on Americans.
Now Mr. Johnson is bracing for a rebellion over the bill on the right that is all but unavoidable. House action is expected as soon as next week, after approval of the legislation in the Senate, which took its first steps on Thursday toward considering it.
Mr. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who was elected speaker in October, is keenly aware that his predecessor was ousted by Republican hard-liners angry that he had cut deals with Democrats, and who believed he had not catered enough to the demands of his conservative base. In theory, he could face the same fate under House rules that allow a single lawmaker to call a snap vote to remove the speaker, though Republicans appear to have no appetite for a repeat of the damaging episode.
Mr. Johnson, a staunch conservative, initially enjoyed a measure of leeway from right-wing lawmakers who always distrusted and disliked former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Last month, many of them argued that the new speaker deserved time to get his bearings, and mostly refrained from criticizing him for working with Democrats to pass a stopgap spending measure to avert a government shutdown that lacked any of the spending cuts or policy changes they wanted.
But their response to the defense bill compromise suggests they are losing patience with Mr. Johnson. |
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| Audit backers clear major hurdle | Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
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| Tyreek Hills family safe after massive house fire | A scary moment unfolded Wednesday when Tyreek Hill’s Southwest Ranches, Fla. house caught on fire while he was at practice. Video footage surfaced of crews battling heavy smoke that was seen coming from the roof.
The Miami Dolphins wide receiver was at practice when the fire broke out. According to the team, Hill was made aware of the fire and left the facility. His family is out and safe.
The cause of the fire is unclear at this time.
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The 9,300-square-foot home features seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms that also includes two guest houses and a full-sized basketball court.
Other images showed firefighters making holes in the roof of the house in order to help better fight the fire. Hill arrived at his home, as shown by helicopter footage from those on scene.
Hill and the rest of the Dolphins are preparing for a crucial Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. The team that emerges victorious will clinch the AFC East title. If Miami can pull out a win, it would be its first division title since 2008. |
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| Even Cows Need Some Holiday Cheer | About 200 carolers had just begun the second verse of the classic Christmas song “The Friendly Beasts” when a little girl let out a squeal of delight. About 20 feet below the balcony, on the floor of the large domed barn, two of the half-dozen dairy cows were butting heads. As the grazing heifers lifted their horns, their playful roughhousing seemed like a display of holiday cheer.
On Saturday, the Churchtown Dairy in Claverack, N.Y., once again hosted a Yuletide tradition: caroling to the herd of 28 cattle that call the cathedral-like barn their winter home. What began a decade ago as a way for the farm’s staff and their families to celebrate the herd has since grown to an annual tradition that brings locals and out-of-towners to the farm’s 250-acre property each December.
This year, preregistration for the two caroling events filled up within hours of going online. Farm staff fielded phone calls from frustrated would-be carolers, some of whom blamed an Instagram post advertising the event for its rise in popularity. |
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| MTV Cribs: How to watch two new episodes on Dec. 20 for free | Jesse Metcalfe, Jenna Jameson, Scotty Pippen Jr. and more celebrities will show off their beautiful homes in two new episodes of “MTV Cribs” airing on Wednesday, December 20 on MTV.
The first new episode will air at 9:30 p.m. EST with the second episode airing at 10 p.m. EST on MTV. Viewers looking to stream the new episodes can do so by using Philo, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Paramount+ and Sling. Philo, FuboTV, DirecTV and Paramount+ all offer free trials for new users and Sling offers 50% off your first month.
MTV Cribs gives viewers a glimpse into the lavish homes, lifestyles and rituals of their fave stars, according to MTV. Here is a look at a trailer for the new season.
In the first new episode will take a look at Jesse Metcalfe’s California crash pad, actor Rumer Willis shows her peaceful crib in Los Angeles and TV personality Jenna Jameson gives a warm welcome into her home in Las Vegas. In the second new episode “Pretty Little Liars” actor Janel Parrish gives an exclusive tour of her stylish modern home, basketball pro-Scotty Pippen Jr. tours his sleek California condo and the whimsical world of Dita Von Teese at her enchanting LA home.
How can I watch “MTV Cribs” without cable?
The first new episode will air at 9:30 p.m. EST with the second episode airing at 10 p.m. EST on MTV. Viewers looking to stream the new episodes can do so by using Philo, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Paramount+ and Sling. Philo, FuboTV, DirecTV and Paramount+ all offer free trials for new users and Sling offers 50% off your first month.
What is Philo?
Philo is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers 60+ entertainment and lifestyle channels, like AMC, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and more, for the budget-friendly price of $25/month.
What is DirecTV Stream?
The streaming platform offers a plethora of content including streaming the best of live and On Demand, starting with more than 75 live TV channels.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers more than 100 channels, such as sports, news, entertainment and local channels. |
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| As Storms Freeze the Midwest, Its Just Rough Out There | High winds and heavy snow turned much of the Midwest into a frosty mess on Friday. Roads and sidewalks across the region became treacherous, forcing some highways to close and grounding thousands of flights.
A mass of frigid Arctic air trailed behind the storm, biting at fingers, reddening cheeks and threatening a dangerously cold holiday weekend.
The storm affected nearly 30 million Americans, according to the National Weather Service, which said that more than a foot of snow could fall in parts of the Midwest by Saturday morning. Officials across the region delivered a drumbeat of similar messages: Avoid the storm. Keep warm. Stay home if you can.
In Franklin, Wis., a 69-year-old man died after snow blowing in his driveway on Thursday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, which is investigating the fatality as a weather-related death. |
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| Cyber Monday sale: JetBlue offering flights out of Boston for as low as $49 | BOSTON — JetBlue is marking Cyber Monday with a sale that offers travelers flights out of Boston’s Logan International Airport for as low as $49.
Logan’s largest carrier is holding a three-day sale for travelers looking to book a flight between January 9, 2024, and March 27, 2024.
Travelers can snag one-way flights to New York, Charlotte, and Richmond for just $49. Other deals include a $59 flight to Baltimore, as well as trips to Florida for $64 and Los Angeles for $69.
There are also discounted one-way flights to Aruba, Atlanta, Austin, Bermuda, Barbados, Denver, Las Vegas, Nassau, New Orleans, Punta Cana, and San Francisco, among many other destinations, included in the sale.
JetBlue noted that the deals are good for Tuesday and Wednesday travel for the lowest available fare.
The airline is also offering travelers up to $750 off flight and hotel accommodation packages with a $99 deposit.
For more information, click here.
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©2023 Cox Media Group |
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| Embrace the Suck | Our new audio app is home to “This American Life,” the award-winning program hosted by Ira Glass. New episodes debut in our app a day earlier than in the regular podcast feed, and we also have an archive of the show. The app includes a “Best of ‘This American Life’” section with some of our favorite bite-size clips, so you can enjoy the show even if you don’t have a lot of time. |
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| Westfield Tech students nearing completion on home build at 64 Mill St. | WESTFIELD - It’s been a year since Westfield Technical Academy broke ground for a new home at 64 Mill St. to be built by students in construction tech, cabinetmaking, electrical wiring, and horticulture, and the house is nearing completion, according to lead construction instructor Matthew Gomes.
The house is a project of the newly formed Westfield Technical Foundation, a non-profit entity set up to benefit the school, enabling WTA to borrow the money to buy the property and build the house from the Polish National Credit Union at zero percent interest. When the home is completed, it will be sold, and proceeds will go back into the school’s programs. |
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| Somers, Connecticut fire: Nearly $125k raised for family of 4 children who died | Nearly $125,000 has been raised for a family of four young children who died in a house fire in Somers, Connecticut earlier this week.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family of the children after the fatal fire Tuesday raised nearly $89,000 of its $70,000 goal as of Saturday evening. The donations will be used to cover funeral costs for the children and aid for the surviving family members to replace essential belongings and secure a temporary place to live, according to Jessica Marie, the organizer of the fundraising site, who said she is a cousin of the family.
Another GoFundMe page set up for the family raised more than $36,000 of its $30,000 goal. Brittany Whiteley, the organizer of the fundraising site and aunt of the children, urged people to consider donating to help the “family as they grieve through this painful time.”
Read more: Neighbors tried to save 4 children killed in Somers fire on Tuesday night
The children were identified on Whiteley’s GoFundMe page as Archer, Benjamin, Genevieve and Lucas Koropatkin. Their ages ranged from 5 to 12 years old, according to Marie’s fundraising site.
The parents have suffered “an unbearable loss,” Marie noted on the fundraising site. They have also been displaced by the fire and have lost all their possessions, according to the GoFundMe page.
“Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a meaningful impact,” the fundraising site said.
Connecticut State Police were called to the scene of the blaze at the two-family home at 44 Quality Ave. in Somers around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2. Neighbors were already outside with fire extinguishers, trying to help the children escape, Somers Fire Chief John Roache said at a press conference Wednesday.
When the fire broke out, there were 11 people inside the home. The four people who lived on the right side of the house were able to escape without injury. However, the fire cut off the escape route of the eight who lived on the left side, including the four children who died, two other children and their adult sibling who was watching them, according to Roache.
Two of the children were brought out of the home quickly, but one was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other died later at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Connecticut. Two more children were found dead inside the home, the fire chief said.
Read more: Woman accused of hitting boy with car in Haverhill charged with drunken driving
The adult sibling and two other children survived the fire. One of the three survivors had serious burns, and the other two suffered minor injuries, Roache detailed.
A litter of puppies also died in the blaze. Three dogs were able to be rescued, according to the fire chief.
It is not clear what caused the fire; however, at this time, there is no reason to believe criminal activity or foul play were involved, Roache said at Wednesday’s press conference. A burned Christmas tree was found in the home, but the ongoing investigation will reveal what happened, the fire chief noted.
The family of the children who died have asked those seeking to help them to send any donations to the town of Somers’ Angel Fund. Donations can be mailed to 619 Main St. in Somers, according to Roache. |
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| Opinion | No Better Time to Be a Catholic | These are general questions, not just Catholic ones, but they are distilled in specific ways in the clash between Francis’s liberalization project and the conservative and traditionalist resistance. And how the world’s largest hierarchical religious institution passes through this crisis, how these questions are fought over and resolved inside a billion-member church, will play a central role in deciding what kind of civilization takes shape in the future — beyond the present era of acceleration and reaction, utopianism and despair.
Like Ashenden, I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and like Ashenden and many others, I sometimes imagined the church under its conservative popes as a bulwark against the crises of late liberalism, a bastion of tradition and (relative) certainty in a time of decadence and dissolution. When I look back at my writings and my feuds early in the Francis era, I can see in them my sense of betrayal that the papacy seemed to be abandoning this mission, that Francis was deliberately bringing a kind of messiness to the papal office instead of being, well, a rock.
But I have come to terms with this change. Whatever papal authority means, the church’s history shows that it’s fully compatible with periods of deep internal Catholic turmoil. This is not exactly pleasant to live through, it raises all kinds of difficult questions for individual Catholics, but it does not somehow make Catholicism the wrong place for a religious believer, a would-be follower of Christ, to be planted. To the contrary: As I have become more doubtful of the church’s certain authority, I have become much more convinced of its importance, its decisive part in revealing God’s intentions and history’s ultimate direction.
This is something that, in their own way, more liberal Catholics have always understood. At various times in the John Paul II era there would be complaints from conservative Catholics, asking: Why, if liberals believe so intensely in moral and doctrinal transformation, if they are so committed to having (for instance) married or female clergy, intercommunion with other Christian churches, acceptance of homosexuality and contraception and even perhaps abortion, don’t they join one of the numerous Christian bodies where those transformations have taken place? Why be a dissenting and disgruntled Roman Catholic when you can just be a faithful Episcopalian or Congregationalist?
The answer, surely, is that the religious-liberal project believes itself to be God’s project, that its tireless advocates believe themselves to be doing the Holy Spirit’s work and that it proves very little about God’s ultimate intentions if a few modestly sized bodies in the firmament of mainline Protestantism embrace the sexual revolution. You will only know and prove that God wants liberalization when liberalization comes to the Church of Rome and its billion-odd Catholics. You can’t be fully vindicated, fully assured of Providence’s favor, unless you change that church. |
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| 92 things to do in Boston this weekend [12 | Add to:
12/29/2023 07:00:00 01/01/2024 23:00:00 America/New_York 92 things to do in Boston this weekend <p>Sunday is 123123 and it’s the final weekend of 2023. End the year on a high note with our picks for 92 things to do around Boston now through Mon Jan 1, 2024 -- and don't forget to <a href="http... Boston, Boston, MA false |
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| Influential Koch network backs Nikki Haley in GOP presidential primary | CNN —
The influential network associated with billionaire Charles Koch will throw its money and influence behind former South Caroline Gov. Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary, the group announced Tuesday.
The decision could dramatically reshape the Republican field – roughly seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses – as Americans for Prosperity Action deploys its vast resources and standing army of conservative activists on behalf of the former South Carolina governor.
The endorsement marks the latest sign that powerful Republican donors are coalescing behind the candidacy of the former US ambassador to the United Nations. She has seen prominent figures join her campaign in recent weeks, particularly after South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott exited the race.
Earlier this year, AFP Action – a political arm of Koch’s network – pledged to back a single contender in the GOP presidential primary for the first time in its history. And it made clear that it would bypass former President Donald Trump in its quest to find what Emily Seidel, a top AFP official, called a president “who represents a new chapter.”
“When we announced our decision to engage in our first ever Republican presidential primary, we made it clear that we’d be looking for a candidate who can turn the page on our political dysfunction – and win. It’s clear that candidate is Nikki Haley,” Siedel said Tuesday. “We can’t keep looking to the politicians of the past to fix the problems of today. Nikki Haley represents a new generation of leadership and offers a bold, positive vision for our future. AFP Action is proud to be endorsing her and we will be doing everything we can to help make her the next President of the United States.”
The former president is the Republican primary’s clear front-runner in both national and early state polling, with Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis each jockeying to emerge as the main Trump alternative.
The network already has spent millions of dollars on advertising in early voting states this year to cast Trump as likely to lose the general election.
One ad, “Unelectable,” described Trump as a serial loser who would imperil Republicans in Congress.
“If Donald Trump is the GOP nominee, we could lose everything,” the narrator says.
In addition to attempting to stir doubts about Trump among the GOP faithful, network officials have said part of their 2024 strategy is to bring a broader range of voters into the GOP primary process to help alter the outcome of early contests.
During his White House tenure, Trump, often sparred with Koch officials, who sharply criticized his administration’s trade and hardline immigration policies. But the network supported the Trump administration on other priorities, including a tax cut bill he signed into law in late 2017 and a criminal justice overhaul. The network also backed his nominees to the US Supreme Court.
This story has been updated with additional reporting. |
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| Two Firsts and Two Fanfares from BSO | BSO Assistant Conductor Earl Lee and alto saxophonist Steven Banks joined the orchestra in works of César Franck, Henri Tomasi, and Tchaikovsky at Symphony Hall Thanksgiving Friday afternoon. For Banks it was a Boston debut and for Tomasi’s concerto its first BSO performance. The Franck must appear new to many Boston audiences, though surprisingly isn’t altogether a BSO rarity. Starting with Gericke in 1901, it was done nearly every ten years up through Monteux in 1920. Since then it’s been revived every second or third decade, most recently under Marek Janowski in 1993.
With the Franck and the Tchaikovsky, showers of fanfares rang out as if to announce what surely could become one of most memorable of subscription concerts.
Even for Franck, according to long-time annotator Steven Ledbetter, “This is a side of Franck that we rarely see” and for his contemporaries, he was only “‘slumming’ in the world of the Lisztian tone poem.” Le Chasseur maudit (The Accursed Huntsman), via Korean Canadian Lee, caught us up in a spook riddled rhythmic ride through the meadows. Trembling strings and stoutly pealing brass heralding the way, Lee, near statuesque at first then becoming ever more engaged in successive demonic crescendos, arms moving further and further outward, shuddered, though with restraint, as he led the full orchestra into the last climax. A thriller of a ride not unlike those we are accustomed to as movie-goers.
Walking onstage Steven Banks already signaled that he would assuredly and magnificently guide listeners in Concerto for Alto Saxophone in E-flat and Orchestra by Henri Tomasi. That the concerto was composed in 1949, premiered by the renown saxophonist Marcel Mule, and only now taken up by the French leaning BSO, is a mystery—the score having Gallic written all over it.
Tomasi’s “exam piece” for the Paris Conservatory skyrocketed with Steven Banks and Earl Lee co-piloting an empathic and super-charged BSO. First, so much can be said about the instrument, its multitudes of highly individualized voices in jazz. A rarer voice in the concert hall, the saxophone in the hands of a Banks furnished an oasis of luxuriant timbre. Next, his direct coursing through Tomasi’s labyrinth of a century of French musings caught hold and never let go. From lyricism to virtuosity came a cover of ineludible velvetiness. Looking backward and forward, Tomasi’s rapturous, often times inscrutable, score took Banks and Lee to ecstatic climaxes, a supersonic orchestra always engaging on equal ground. Both saxophonist and conductor were immensely compelling visually, the former lithely exuding complete rapport with the kinetics of Tomasi, the latter exhibiting sinewy energy powering the BSO.
Yet another first, a real surprise, a supremely ethereal solo rendering of Albert Hayes Malotte’s The Lord’s Prayer. The melody unfolded slowly, purely, one note at a time wafting through a reverent Hall, as though coming from another world; listeners would gradually come to recognize the old standard sung at weddings and church services. This encore, truly a one-of-a-kind.
Following intermission, sharper fanfares rallied from Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Opus 36, Tchaikovsky’s famous work, emblematic especially to those fortunate to have encountered it during childhood. The Boston Symphony orchestra leapfrogged innocents revisiting that music and into what symphony really means. Steadfastly holding our attention to the Tchaikovsky, Lee, as before with the Franck, conducted with close-to-the-body eloquence giving way at extremes, from putting his baton aside to wave on passages of dreamy strings or gliding winds to gyrating about the podium to stir up exhilarating passages of brass or percussion. The instruments of the BSO arose in their full glory. Just what you would have wished for: dizzying speeds from all around the orchestra; catchy solos from the woodwinds; and those spinetingling episodes from trumpets to tuba, cymbals to timpani. The sudden burst of the percussion opening the fourth movement on top of the enticing plucked strings settling into barely heard notes ending the third, just one of uncountable amazements.
David Patterson, Professor of Music and former Chair of the Performing Arts Department at UMass Boston, was recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award and the Chancellor’s Distinction in Teaching Award. He studied with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen in Paris and holds a PhD from Harvard University. He is the author of 20 Little Piano Pieces from Around the World (G. Schirmer). www.notescape.net |
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| Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86 | Entertainment Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86 With his brother Dick, Tom Smothers co-hosted one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in history. Tom Smothers does yo-yo tricks during arrivals at CBS's 75th anniversary celebration Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, in New York. AP Photo/Louis Lanzano, File AP
Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86.
The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” his brother and the duo’s other half, Dick Smothers, said in the statement. “Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
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When “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” debuted on CBS in the fall of 1967 it was an immediate hit, to the surprise of many who had assumed the network’s expectations were so low it positioned their show opposite the top-rated “Bonanza.”
But the Smothers Brothers would prove a turning point in television history, with its sharp eye for pop culture trends and young rock stars such as The Who and Buffalo Springfield, and its daring sketches — ridiculing the Establishment, railing against the Vietnam War and portraying members of the era’s hippie counterculture as gentle, fun-loving spirits — found an immediate audience with young baby boomers. The show reached No. 16 in the ratings in its first season.
It also drew the ire of network censors. After years of battling with the brothers over the show’s creative content, the network abruptly canceled the program in 1970, accusing the siblings of failing to submit an episode in time for the censors to review.
Nearly 40 years later, when Smothers was awarded an honorary Emmy for his work on the show, he jokingly thanked the writers he said had gotten him fired. He also showed that the years had not dulled his outspokenness.
“It’s hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war,” Smothers said at the 2008 Emmy Awards as his brother sat in the audience, beaming. He dedicated his award to those “who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won’t shut up and refuse to be silenced.”
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During the three years the show was on television, the brothers constantly battled with CBS censors and occasionally outraged viewers as well, particularly when Smothers joked that Easter “is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.” At Christmas, when other hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting overseas, Smothers offered his to draft dodgers who had moved to Canada.
In still another episode, the brothers returned blacklisted folk singer Pete Seeger to television for the first time in years. He performed his song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” widely viewed as ridiculing President Lyndon Johnson. When CBS refused to air the segment, the brothers brought Seeger back for another episode and he sang it again. This time, it made the air.
After the show was canceled, the brothers sued CBS for $31 million and were awarded $775,000. Their battles with the network were chronicled in the 2002 documentary “Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”
“Tom Smothers was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades — but was a true champion for freedom of speech, harnessing the power of comedy to push boundaries and our political consciousness,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.
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Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was born Feb. 2, 1937, on Governors Island, New York, where his father, a Navy major, was stationed. His brother was born two years later. In 1940 their father was transferred to the Philippines, and his wife, two sons and their sister, Sherry, accompanied him.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the family was sent home and Maj. Smothers remained. He was captured by the Japanese during the war and died in captivity. The family eventually moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Redondo Beach, where Smothers helped his mother take care of his brother and sister while she worked.
The brothers had seemed unlikely to make television history. They had spent several years on the nightclub and college circuits and doing TV guest appearances, honing an offbeat comedy routine that mixed folk music with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.
They would come on stage, Tom with a guitar in hand and Dick toting an upright bass. They would quickly break into a traditional folk song — perhaps “John Henry” or “Pretoria.” After playing several bars, Tom, positioned as the dumb one, would mess up, then quickly claim he had meant to do that. As Dick, the serious, short-tempered one, berated him for failing to acknowledge his error, he would scream in exasperation, “Mom always liked you best!”
They continued that shtick on their show but also surrounded themselves with a talented cast of newcomers, both writers and performers.
Among the crack writing crew that Smothers headed were future actor-filmmaker Rob Reiner, musician Mason Williams and comedian Steve Martin, who presented Smothers with the lifetime Emmy. Regular musical guests included John Hartford, Glen Campbell and Jennifer Warnes.
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Bob Einstein had a recurring role as Officer Judy, a dour Los Angeles police officer who once cited guest Liberace for playing the piano too fast. Leigh French, as the hippie earth mother in the segment “Share a Little Tea With Goldie,” always appeared to have been drinking something brewed with more than just tea leaves.
The brothers had begun their own act when Tom, then a student at San Jose State University, formed a music group called the Casual Quintet and encouraged his younger brother to learn the bass and join. The brothers continued on as a duo after the other musicians dropped out, but began interspersing comedy with their limited folk music repertoire.
Their big break came in 1959 when they appeared at San Francisco’s Purple Onion, then a hot spot for new talent. Booked for two weeks, they stayed a record 36. Booked into New York’s Blue Angel, they won praise from The New York Times, which described them as “a pair of tart-tongued singing comedians.” But to their disappointment, they couldn’t get on “The Tonight Show,” then hosted by Jack Paar.
“Paar kept telling our agent he didn’t like folk singers — except for Burl Ives,” Smothers told The Associated Press in 1964. “But one night he had a cancellation, and we went on. Everything worked right that night.”
The brothers went on to appear on the TV shows of Steve Allen, Ed Sullivan, Garry Moore, Andy Williams, Jack Benny and Judy Garland. Their comedy albums were big sellers and they toured the country, especially colleges.
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Television first came calling in 1965, casting them in “The Smothers Brothers Show,” a sitcom about a businessman (Dick) haunted by his late brother (Tom), a fledgling guardian angel. It lasted just one season.
Shortly after CBS canceled the “Comedy Hour,” ABC picked it up as a summer replacement, but the network didn’t bring it back in the fall. NBC gave them a show in 1975 but it failed to find an audience and lasted only a season. The brothers went their separate ways for a time in the 1970s. Among other endeavors, Smothers got into the wine business, launching Remick Ridge Vineyards in Northern California’s wine country.
“Originally the winery was called Smothers Brothers, but I changed the name to Remick Ridge because when people heard Smothers Brothers wine, they thought something like Milton Berle Fine Wine or Larry, Curly and Mo Vineyards,” Smothers once said.
They eventually reunited to star in the musical comedy “I Love My Wife,” a hit that ran on Broadway for two years. After that they went back on the road, playing casinos, performing arts centers and corporate gatherings around the country, remaining popular for decades.
“We just keep resurfacing,” Smothers commented in 1997. “We’re just not in everyone’s face long enough to really get old.”
After a successful 20th anniversary “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” in 1988, CBS buried the hatchet and brought them back.
The show was quickly canceled, though it stayed on the air long enough for Smothers to introduce the “Yo-Yo Man,” a bit allowing him to demonstrate his considerable skills with a yo-yo while he and his brother kept up a steady patter of comedy. The bit remained in their act for years.
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Smothers married three times and had three children. He is survived by his wife Marie, children Bo and Riley Rose, and brother Dick, in addition to other relatives. He was predeceased by his son Tom and sister Sherry.
Former Associated Press journalists John Rogers, Frazier Moore and the late Bob Thomas contributed to this report. |
8095ad8ce5db3db3a7c79b474fef03f4 | 0.562359 | 6sports
| Does Bill O'Brien see Mac Jones getting another shot to play this year? | What does Mac Jones need to do to get another chance to play this season? Outside of injury, what would it take for the Patriots 2021 first round pick to start once again?
Those questions were posed to offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien during his media availability Tuesday ahead of the Patriots Christmas Eve game against the Broncos in Denver.
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While some might expect Bailey Zappe to start the rest of the way, O’Brien left the door ajar for Jones to play again.
“I think everybody’s gotta be ready to play, especially in the situation we’re in. I really do,” O’Brien said. “I think that everybody has to be ready to go. Anybody that’s on the 53-man roster has to go out on the practice field and practice well and earn a shot to play. That’s whether you’re a quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, running back or offensive lineman.
“I know you’ve heard that from Bill (Belichick), but that’s the truth. You have to be ready to go, because if you practice really well, you’re going to have a real shot to play. I think that goes for every position.”
Jones lost his job as the starter after being yanked from four games, including back-to-back against the Colts (in Germany) and the Giants. He threw 10 touchdown passes, but also had 12 interceptions.
Zappe has started the past three games. He didn’t put up any points against the LA Chargers, but did do enough to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. As was the case in the Pittsburgh game, Zappe started well against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but fizzled in the second half. He’s thrown killer picks in each of the last two games.
NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses. |
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| Is Starbucks open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024? | You can still get your morning coffee from Starbucks if you have Martin Luther King Jr. Day off from work on Monday, Jan. 15.
The company does observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday, but stores hours may stores run on adjusted hours.
The best way to know when your store will be open is by using the Starbucks app or by visiting our website store locator. People can check if their local Starbucks is open by clicking here. |
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| Congress Approves Sweeping New Protections for J.R.O.T.C. Cadets | Background: J.R.O.T.C. programs have operated with little oversight.
The program has grown over the past century and now serves a half-million students each year, teaching teenagers military history, leadership, life skills and marksmanship. The programs are offered in public high schools, with retired officers or noncommissioned officers vetted by the military acting as instructors.
The New York Times reported in 2022 that at least 33 J.R.O.T.C. instructors had been criminally charged with sexual misconduct involving students over a five-year period, and uncovered other cases that had not resulted in charges or discipline. The investigation showed that instructors had exploited their role as mentors to manipulate and abuse students. The instructors often operated with little oversight, working on the fringes of school campuses and without direct supervision by military overseers.
Some high schools were automatically enrolling students in J.R.O.T.C., keeping them there even when they objected to the classes. At some high schools, in places like Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Mobile, Ala., more than 75 percent of students in a single grade were enrolled.
Military leaders have viewed J.R.O.T.C. as a valuable recruiting tool, as students who encounter the program are more likely to enlist.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee’s panel on personnel, has pushed for changes in the J.R.O.T.C. program. She said that Pentagon officials during questioning had acknowledged a lack of oversight in the program.
“J.R.O.T.C. can be a terrific opportunity for a young person to get a taste of military service, but that only works if our military has an ironclad commitment to make certain that every young person who participates is safe and secure and treated respectfully,” Ms. Warren said on Friday.
What Happens Next: The legislation requires more Pentagon oversight.
The legislation, part of a military spending bill that is expected to be signed by President Biden, requires schools to notify the military within 48 hours of any allegations of misconduct, and to inform students of how to report sexual misconduct. The Department of Defense will be required to produce an annual report on any such allegations and on what was done to investigate them. The Pentagon must also conduct regular inspections of J.R.O.T.C. units.
The legislation requires participating schools to have a process to ensure that students who enroll are doing so voluntarily.
Ms. Warren said she also expected a report from the Government Accountability Office, which has been reviewing J.R.O.T.C. programs. |
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| Ex-Red Sox catcher signs minor-league deal with NL team (report) | Note: Stats Leaders is based on results sent to MassLive. If a player is missing, coaches should email sports@masslive.com.
MassLive is highlighting the top stats leaders for each boys basketball category throughout the season. Take a look at the season’s top performers thus far below: |
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| The Tissue That Connects Our Muscles May Be a Key to Better Health | “We’re still at the very, very beginning” of understanding fascia, said Helene Langevin, the director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the National Institutes of Health. “This is a part of the body which we have neglected for so long.”
What is fascia?
Your body has two forms of fascia: dense and loose. Each type is key to facilitating movement. Dense fascia, made of sturdy collagen fibers, helps give your body its shape. It holds muscles, organs, blood vessels and nerve fibers in place. It helps your muscles contract and stretch, and stabilizes your joints. The more slippery loose fascia allows your muscles, joints and organs to slide and glide against one another like a well-oiled machine.
How does fascia get damaged?
In 2007, an anatomy professor named Carla Stecco at the University of Padova in Italy found that fascia is alive with nerve endings. This means it can be a source of pain. The longer it is damaged or inflamed, the more sensitive it becomes.
When you’re sedentary for a long time, fascia can shorten, become overly rigid and congeal into place, forming adhesions that limit mobility, said David Krause, a physical therapist at the Mayo Clinic. Over time, inactivity can also lead fascia to reshape itself. If you spend most days hunched over a computer, the fascia surrounding your neck and shoulder muscles may change so that your posture becomes curved.
Fascia can also become damaged from repetitive movements, chronic stress, injury or surgery — becoming inflamed, overly rigid or stuck together. And it stiffens with age. |
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| DA: Man killed in fatal shooting at Lawrence nightclub on Christmas Eve | “I believe he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting,” he wrote on Sept. 15.
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Sean Hodgson watched and worried as his best friend of nearly two decades unraveled. His former roommate and fellow U.S. Army reservist’s anger and paranoia were mounting, he had access to guns, and he refused to get help. So Hodgson did the hardest thing of his life: He sent a text about Robert Card to their Army supervisor.
Six weeks later, Card fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston before killing himself. His body was found in a trailer after a two-day search and regionwide lockdown.
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“I wasn’t in his head. I don’t know exactly what went on,” Hodgson told The Associated Press last week in an exclusive interview, his first since the Oct. 25 shootings. “But I do know I was right.”
The series of warning signs about Card have been well documented. In May, relatives warned police that Card had grown paranoid, and they expressed concern about his access to guns. In July, Card was hospitalized in a psychiatric unit for two weeks after shoving a fellow reservist and locking himself in a motel room. In August, the Army barred him from handling weapons while on duty and declared him nondeployable.
And in September, Hodgson raised the most glaring red flag, telling authorities to change the passcode to the gate at their Army Reserve training facility and arm themselves if Card showed up.
“Please,” he wrote. “I believe he’s messed up in the head.”
But authorities declined to confront Card — the clearest example of the missed opportunities to intervene and prevent the deadliest shooting in state history. That’s hard to swallow for Hodgson, who’s pushing back against an independent report for law enforcement that described him as “over the top” and “alarmist.”
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“I did my job, and I went over and beyond it, and I literally spelled it out for them,” said Hodgson, 43, referred to by only his last name in documents related to the case. “I don’t know how clear I could have gotten.”
Hodgson’s account, taken together with law enforcement documents, videos and other interviews, provides the most comprehensive picture to date of potential missteps leading up to the attack.
In replying to AP's questions about the investigation and Hodgson's warning, the Army Reserve said in a statement this week that no one should jump to conclusions until its own investigation and an independent probe by the Army inspector general are finalized.
“Any speculation at this point without having all the details could affect the outcome of the investigation. More details may become available once the investigation is complete,” Lt. Col. Addie Leonhardt, Army Reserve spokesperson, said in the statement. Officials wouldn't comment further.
Sheriff Joel Merry — of Sagadahoc County, where Card lived — didn’t respond to AP’s questions about whether Hodgson’s warning was taken seriously enough but suggested a need for public policy changes. He previously said his office has been “fully transparent” and is cooperating with an independent commission appointed by the governor.
Hodgson said he doesn't know where the failings occurred but believes more could have been done to help his friend and prevent tragedy.
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“I understand he did a horrific thing. I don’t agree with it. But I loved him,” he said. “ I didn’t want any of this for anybody.”
Law enforcement personnel are staged in a school parking lot during a manhunt for Robert Card in the aftermath of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, Oct. 27, 2023. Matt Rourke/Associated Press
For much of their friendship, Card was “the sensible one,” Hodgson said. They met in 2006 in the Army Reserve and became especially close when they both divorced around the same time.
When Hodgson was evicted from his New Hampshire apartment in 2022, Card told him to move to Maine, and they lived together for about a month, he said. When Card was hospitalized in New York in July, Hodgson was the one who drove him back to Maine.
By then, Hodgson said, Card had begun venting to him about his belief that those around him were accusing him of being a pedophile. Hodgson believed some of Card’s complaints were true — a case of mistaken identity stemming from the fact that another Robert Card is on the state’s sex offender registry — and described an incident at the bowling alley when a father snatched his daughter away from Card after he offered the toddler a hello.
“I always believed him. I always stuck by him,” Hodgson said. “I am the closest one to Robert Card. Besides his mother, he pushed everybody away.
“I was the last one he pushed away.”
In September, after a night out at the Oxford Casino, Card began “flipping out,” Hodgson said — pounding the steering wheel and almost crashing multiple times. After Hodgson begged him to pull over, he said, Card punched him in the face.
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“We were having a good night, and he just snapped,” he said.
Hodgson told Card to drop him off at a gas station near his house.
“I love you, and I’ll always be here for you no matter what,” he said he told his friend as he got out of the car.
Hodgson sent his text two days later, telling his training supervisor he feared what Card might do. He didn’t speak to Card after that, he said, though they passed each other at work.
“It took me a lot to report somebody I love,” he said. “But when the hair starts standing up on the back of your neck, you have to listen.”
Watching the videos was gut-wrenching for Tammy Asselin, who became separated from her 10-year-old daughter during the chaos of the bowling alley shooting. Charles Krupa/Associated Press
After his text, Hodgson said, military officials followed up, asking whether Card threatened specific people. He told them he hadn’t. But they didn’t ask for help in approaching Card, he said, even though they drove trucks for the same company and he knew his friend’s schedule and route.
“I could’ve told them when he was at work, when he was at home, what hours he worked,” he said.
Authorities briefly staked out the Army Reserve Center and visited Card’s home. They declined to confront him, fearing that would “throw a stick of dynamite on a pool of gas,” according to video released last month by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office.
In the videos, officials downplayed Hodgson’s warning, suggesting he might have been drunk when he texted at 2:04 a.m. Speaking to police at the training center, Army Reserve Capt. Jeremy Reamer describes Hodgson as “not the most credible of our soldiers” and later tells Sagadahoc Sheriff Sgt. Aaron Skolfield his message should be taken “with a grain of salt.”
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Hodgson, who was unaware of those comments until contacted by AP, acknowledged in a series of interviews that he struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol addiction but said he wasn't drinking that night and was awake because he works nights and was waiting for his boss to call.
Hodgson also acknowledges that he faces two criminal charges, one alleging he assaulted a woman he was dating in 2022 and another alleging that he violated his bail conditions by possessing alcohol last month. He's also in hot water for wrecking a military vehicle last summer, he said. But he said authorities should have taken him more seriously given his relationship with Card, his past training on threat detection and mitigation, and his previous work as a security officer at a nuclear plant.
“That was the most difficult thing I ever had to do, was report him to command, and I did that. And for them to discredit me?” he said. “It pisses me off because all they had to do is listen.”
In a text message this week, Reamer declined to comment on questions from AP and referred them to Army Reserve public affairs officers.
According to the independent review for the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, officers didn’t have sufficient grounds the day they staked out Card’s house to force the issue and take him into protective custody after he refused to answer the door. That step is necessary to trigger Maine’s “yellow flag” law. It allows a judge to temporarily remove someone’s guns during a psychiatric health crisis.
But Stephanie Sherman, an attorney who’s represented several families of survivors of the 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, said police had more than enough information to take to a local judge.
The videos show officers with a disturbingly casual approach to the threat Card posed, Sherman said. She also noted that Skolfield referred to the Cards as a “big family in this area” and said he didn’t want to publicize over police radio that officers were visiting the home.
“It was sort of balancing the safety of the public versus this family’s reputation,” she said. “And that should not be a factor.”
Watching the videos was gut-wrenching for Tammy Asselin, who became separated from her 10-year-old daughter during the chaos of the bowling alley shooting. She said it was the first time she knew for sure that steps could have been taken to prevent the massacre.
“Listening to that interaction between the military and the sheriff, it hurt me to hear the giggle and the laughter in their voice,” Asselin said, a tear running down her cheek. “Because I don’t think they would be giggling and laughing had they been the ones in my shoes that day, not knowing where their daughter was.”
Police tape cordons off the road to Schemengees Bar and Grille as law enforcement officers maintain their presence in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Matt Rourke/Associated Press
For weeks after sending the text about Card to their supervisor, Hodgson said he prayed that it wouldn't come true. But as soon as he heard about the shooting, he called his sergeant.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” he said he told him. “I know it’s Robert Card.”
Hodgson was driving to Massachusetts for work that day. He fielded phone calls to and from multiple law enforcement agencies that didn't seem to be communicating with one another, he said.
He said he told authorities right away that Card likely was headed to the Maine Recycling Corp.
Card had worked there, and it wasn’t far from the boat launch where his car was found after the shootings. His body would eventually be found there, after initial unsuccessful searches that critics said were too cautious.
More than two months later, Hodgson said, he hates that Card “took the easy way out" and isn’t around to answer questions or face the consequences of what he did. It’s not the Robert Card he knew and loved for 17 years, he said, and he struggles with that every day.
Hodgson said he wants people to know he did everything he could to save lives.
“I don’t know how to express to people how much I loved him, how much I cared about him,” he said. “And how much I hate what he did.” |
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| Norman Lear Reshaped How America Saw Black Families | As a birthday present for Tyler Perry last year, a mutual acquaintance arranged for him to meet one of his heroes, Norman Lear. Perry grew up watching Lear’s groundbreaking television shows, and was awed by how several presented a fuller version of Black lives onto American television screens for the first time.
Long ago, Perry had hoped to have a storied career that would emulate a speck of what Lear’s shows such as “Good Times” and “The Jeffersons” displayed: that Black people can share opinions, fall in love, laugh and be fearful just like anyone else.
“Had it not been for Norman, there wouldn’t have been a path for me,” said Perry, whose film and TV empire has made him one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. “It was him bringing Black people to television and showing the world that there’s an audience for us.”
Perry departed his meeting with Lear, who was 100 years old at the time, with a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship of the pioneering television writer and producer who died at 101 on Tuesday. The reality of Lear, a white man, being responsible for bringing a fuller picture of Black lives to American TV screens was a product of the era, when most doors were still closed to Black producers and creators. Some characters in his shows were the source of flare-ups, particularly when some Black cast members complained about stereotypical portrayals, which are still debated today. |
2f1c4d7540d144eb51b23cec5be12173 | 0.801932 | 6sports
| The Westfield News Scoreboard: Bombers bottle up Lions, 77-47 | BOYS BASKETBALL
Westfield 77, Ludlow 47
WESTFIELD - Mario Tinsley scored a game-high 23 points and Patrick Moore recorded 17 as Westfield (3-4) produced four scorers with double-digit figures to win its second straight game, putting to rest memories of an early four-game losing skid. |
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| The Patriots will be without three starters for Christmas Eve game | (NOTE: This story was excerpted from MassLive’s weekly MLB Notebook, written this week by Chris Cotillo in place of regular columnist Sean McAdam. You can read the full notebook here.)
The NESN broadcast booth has undergone a significant amount of change in recent years with Jerry Remy’s death in Oct. 2021 and Dennis Eckersley’s retirement at the end of 2022. In 2024, however, it’s expected to look very similar to how it did throughout the 2023 season.
The broadcast crew is expected to change little next season with the rotating cast of color commentators taking on similar workloads to what they had in 2023, according to multiple industry sources with knowledge of NESN’s plans. There will be only a few minor changes to the network’s approach.
Play-by-play man Dave O’Brien will return for his ninth year in the NESN booth. Alongside him once again will be former players Kevin Youkilis, Lou Merloni, Will Middlebrooks and Kevin Millar in a rotating cast. Youkilis is expected to once again be the primary color analyst after doing 75 games last season while Merloni, Middlebrooks and Millar will cover the rest of the schedule. The exact breakdown of games isn’t known but will be in line with last year, when Merloni did about 40, Middlebrooks had about 30 and Millar mixed in occasionally, sometimes remotely. Three-man booths throughout the year aren’t out of the question.
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Merloni impressed NESN colleagues and viewers with his booth performance last year and could be in line for a heavier TV workload down the road. He’ll also return to the radio side with WEEI where he’s expected to have a major presence in a booth that will once again include newly crowned Hall of Famer Joe Castiglione and Will Flemming. It’s also possible, according to sources, that former Red Sox lefty Rich Hill could get some run in the WEEI booth if he retires or sits out the first half of the season before signing with a club. He’s close with Castiglione and might embark on a media career when his playing days conclude.
It’s unknown if there will be additions to the NESN studio crew alongside Tom Caron, though there will be a large void after the passing of Tim Wakefield, who worked pregame and postgame (and called occasional games) for the network since 2012. Another question is the NESN future of Mike Monaco, who has filled in for O’Brien in recent years but is a known candidate to replace Jason Benetti as the White Sox’ primary play-by-play man. |