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53d9665d5cb9f2a7ad44e8206c3a9e31 | 0.901306 | 7weather
| Snow Closes Schools as Next Round of Arctic Air Moves East | A cold wind was blowing across the steppe, but Sapura Kadyrova didn’t see the point in bundling up. She was waiting to greet her son, who was arriving home from the war in a crimson government-issued casket.
“So maybe I won’t be warm,” Ms. Kadyrova, 85, moaned. “Then just let me die.”
All day long, she and her daughters had been greeting relatives, friends and neighbors who had come to pay their respects to her son, Garipul S. Kadyrov, who was killed near the front line in Klishchiivka in eastern Ukraine.
“In February he would have turned 50, and he promised me he would be allowed to come home then,” Ms. Kadyrova told her guests. “Now I will only meet him in his grave.”
In Russia’s big cities, the war can feel like distant background noise, with the latest iPhones on sale and things looking pretty much the same as before — save for ubiquitous army recruitment posters. While as many as 80 percent of Ukrainians have a close friend or relative who was injured or killed in the war, many Russians in urban centers still feel insulated from it. |
8b97683c4c30b3fad8e3a4c0e6b0e3b1 | 0.662568 | 2culture
| Dear Annie: Put your phone down and watch your kids practice or game | Dear Annie: Recently, I retired from youth sports coaching. I am writing this letter to warn your readers about an alarming trend that I have noticed over the last decade. Namely, parents will attend their kids’ sporting events, but then spend most of the time on their smartphones.
This is very different from seeing people glued to their phone screens in an airport or doctor’s waiting room or other places in which they would not normally socialize. I am talking about the people who are parents or guardians at their kids’ practices or games.
Their actions tell their kids that they and their activities are not important enough to hold their attention. It’s a bad message. The kids do something great and look to the sidelines for parental approval and get nothing. I’ve even had parents approach me after a game to ask me to describe their child’s goal because they missed it.
There is going to be more and more tech. It’s not about the phone, as such. It is about people knowing their role as parents and having the restraint to focus their attention appropriately. Do people own phones or are they owned by them?
— Former Youth Coach
Dear Former Youth Coach: Your letter brings up an important distinction. Staring at a screen is never that healthy, and there is a time when it is especially harmful — when parents are supposed to be watching and supporting their children.
While your physical presence is nice, your attention to the game, and your child, is what matters. If you are just staring at a screen, your kid doesn’t get that reassurance and love they need to do their best. They might wonder why you’re even there or if they are worth your attention.
Children watch and mimic everything. If you want to keep your child off of smartphones, put the phone down and be in the moment. Present but absent parents can cause great damage to their children.
Dear Annie: I am a survivor of the flooding after Hurricane Katrina. One lesson I learned from that horrific experience is that I had lost a lot of “stuff” that I didn’t need to replace. Many of us accumulate far too many worldly goods.
In lieu of exchanging more stuff, my friends now plan outings together and pick up the tab for the celebrant. We have attended jazz concerts, visited museums and watched movies together. We live in New Orleans where there are great restaurants, so we usually include a meal, too. We enjoy each other’s company while having great life experiences. And we don’t accrue more stuff that we have to maintain and store.
— Less Stuff, More Fun.
Dear Less Stuff: I am sorry for all that you had to endure during and after Hurricane Katrina. It sounds like you were able to take a horrible situation and find a silver lining. The memories and experiences that you create with friends and family are priceless, and you see that. Congratulations on enjoying deeper friendships through fun and joyous experiences.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM |
891769999da7b539451d54d95e174825 | 0.709408 | 6sports
| Red Sox dont expect Yankees to trade Alex Verdugo, plan to face him often | There was some speculation late Tuesday that the Yankees might have acquired Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox so they then could use him as part of a package to send to San Diego for superstar Juan Soto.
But ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Yankees intend to keep Verdugo and use him as part of their outfield mix in 2024.
Red Sox officials also feel New York won’t flip Verdugo to another team. Boston understood when it traded him the full impact of a deal with the rival Yankees. It expects to face him 13 times during the 2024 regular season.
The Sox sent the 27-year-old outfielder to the Yankees for right-handed pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice on Tuesday evening.
“I think you always approach these types of things with an appreciation for what trading a player within the division could be,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Wednesday morning. “At the same time, we needed to get back the guys that we liked best. And this package represented just that. So I think at the end of the day, we needed to focus on what makes us better, more so than potentially what we’re trading away, and how it (the return) might fit into that bigger picture.”
Boston and New York won’t meet for the first time in 2024 until June 14 when they play the first game of a three-game series at Fenway Park. The rivals also play six games in July and four games in September.
“It is what it is. If we feel like we can improve trading with the Yankees or the Mets or the Jays or the Rays or Orioles, we’ll do it,” manager Alex Cora said. “It’s about the Red Sox.”
Trades between New York and Boston are uncommon. Former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Yankees GM Brian Cashman actually made two trades. But the Red Sox and Yankees completed just two trades from 1995-2020. Never did former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein trade a player to New York.
Verdugo is eligible for free agency after the 2024 season. He 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). |
ee2d0eab522d9cf6b090a65258fb4c75 | 0.70816 | 1crime
| Red Sox trade Chris Sale to Braves in shocking deal for young infielder | Less than 24 hours after agreeing to sign free agent righty Lucas Giolito, the Red Sox have made a shocking trade involving their starting rotation.
Boston has traded lefty Chris Sale and cash considerations to the Braves in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom, a source confirmed Saturday. ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who first reported the deal, notes that Sale waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the trade. The deal is official.
An important factor in the deal was, as a source said Saturday, that the Red Sox are covering a “good amount” of Sale’s $27.5 million salary for 2024. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier pegs that number at is $17 million. The move gives the Red Sox a significant amount of savings ($8.6 million for competitive balance tax purposes) while netting them a highly regarded young infielder in Grissom, who is likely to take over at second base on a full-time basis and has six years of control remaining.
A trade involving Sale didn’t seem particularly likely before the winter because the Red Sox wanted to add rotation help, not subtract it. Ultimately, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Saturday night, the deal with the Braves made too much sense not to pursue.
“Anytime you trade someone like Sale, who has made such a meaningful contribution to this organization and was obviously an incredibly important part of a World Series winning team, it’s a really tough decision,” Breslow said. “The fact that I wasn’t the chief baseball officer here (during Sale’s prime) didn’t diminish that in my mind at all. So it’s something that I was very mindful of and very thoughtful of, but in the end, I felt like this was the decision that was best for the Red Sox both in the near term and the long term.”
The move ends an up-and-down tenure in Boston for Sale, who was an All-Star in 2017 and 2018 before injuries derailed the final years of his time with the club. In his first two years after coming over in a blockbuster trade with the White Sox, Sale finished in the top four in American League Cy Young voting twice while posting a 3.08 ERA in 84 starts. The Sox then gave him a five-year, $145 million contract extension before the 2019 season, which was a struggle before ending prematurely due to injury. Due to Tommy John surgery and a series of injuries (some of the freak variety), Sale was limited to just 11 starts from 2020-22. In 2023, he posted a 4.30 ERA and recorded 125 strikeouts in 20 starts but missed two months with a shoulder injury. Manager Alex Cora had named him the team’s Opening Day starter for 2024, though that obviously will no longer be the case.
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In 115 starts over seven seasons with the Red Sox, Sale posted a 46-30 record and 3.27 ERA while recording 945 strikeouts in 670 ⅔ innings. His departure leaves a void in what will surely be a different-looking Red Sox rotation in 2023. With Giolito signed, the Sox can pencil him in along with Brayan Bello and a group that includes Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. The money freed up by trading Sale may also be used to add more rotation help via free agency.
Grissom, 22, has 64 games of major league experience with the Braves since debuting last season. The former 11th-round pick has hit .287 with five homers, 27 RBIs and a .746 OPS as a big leaguer and profiles as Boston’s second baseman of the future.
The right-handed hitting Grissom entered 2022 as the No. 12 prospect in a loaded Braves system with scouts excited about his contact ability and arm strength. He debuted that year and played well — including hitting his first career homer at Fenway Park in August — and spent 2023 bouncing between the majors and Triple-A, where he hit .330 with eight homers, 61 RBIs and a .921 OPS in 102 games. Grissom, who has the ability to play every infield position except first base, was blocked in the majors by Atlanta stalwarts Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia and Austin Riley. He won’t have that problem in Boston where second base is wide open; he projects as the starter there with Enmanuel Valdez, Pablo Reyes and David Hamilton moving down the depth chart.
The unexpected Sale trade fills one hole (second base) for the Red Sox while opening up another in the rotation. The club could use its savings from Sale’s contract ($8.6 million) to increase its aggressiveness in the free agent market for starters or dangle a middle infield prospect (Nick Yorke or Marcelo Mayer) in trade talks involving a controllable starter. There’s also still a chance the club adds to its outfield mix; Teoscar Hernández remains available on the free agent market and the Sox do have interest in him.
As a veteran of more than 10 major league seasons and five with the same club, Sale had a full no-trade clause he had to waive to facilitate the deal. Moving to a ready-made contender like the Braves, who play not too far from his home in southwest Florida, likely appealed to Sale.
“He was quite appreciative and understanding of the position and the opportunity to influence the longer term outlook of this team and the chance to go to a team that’s likely to compete for a World Series championship in the NL,” Breslow said. “I think he would probably say it was bittersweet because the organization has meant so much to him. He had very close relationships with the people here and in fact was very mindful of calling that out.
“Those decisions are never easy. Those conversations are never easy. But I’m super appreciative of the way that Chris approached it.”
The Braves will hold a $20 million club option over Sale for 2025. |
8f9ee0f02ef6b16c3f80c654c08cc3e8 | 0.496823 | 4politics
| Rirkrit Tiravanija: Can Pad Thai Diplomacy Change the World? | “Having been labeled as the cook of the art world,” Rirkrit Tiravanija said, “I think people come to see my work expecting to interact.” Indeed, they expect to eat.
The 62-year-old artist is easily the most influential of the loose cadre that rose to prominence in the early 1990s under the banner of “relational aesthetics” — a kind of installation- and performance-based conceptual work that makes spectators feel like participants. Tiravanija’s “untitled 1990 (pad Thai),” in which he cooked and served noodles in the back room of Paula Allen Gallery, is quintessential.
Tiravanija’s early relational pieces — offering curry and tom ka soup, sodas and beers, grass mats and pillows for weary visitors — appeared as museums increasingly promoted the politics of multiculturalism. The relative unfamiliarity of Thai cuisine in the United States was part of the work’s thrust. Thirty years later, there’s nothing unusual about a soup line at an art museum, and institutions heap adjectives like “interactive,” “immersive” and “inclusive” on their exhibitions like sprinkles on ice cream.
Image Tiravanija, left, cooking tom ka soup at his show at Jack Tilton Gallery in New York, 1991. Credit... via Tilton Gallery, New York
For Tiravanija’s largest survey to date, “A Lot of People,” on view at MoMA PS1 through March 4, the organizers tout the activities. An ad for the show reads: “Play Ping-Pong. Taste curry. Make music.” (It’s unclear why you’d want to do these things in a museum.) |
971df2740b383defb7d91e184474d333 | 0.309578 | 2culture
| How Group Chats Rule the World | This kind of communication has been technologically possible for decades now, but for much of my lifetime it had to occur in fixed locations (in front of computers) at fixed times (when you were all online; this was back when the idea of being “online” or “offline” still had meaning). Then smartphones smashed that distinction. In 2008, Apple made it possible to text-message multiple people at the same time, moving limited SMS messaging into their iMessage system — essentially conflating “texting” and “messaging,” collapsing group conversation into a single organized chain. Cell carriers and competitors followed, and slowly, over the next decade, the group chat moved from an occasionally convenient tool — say, something your sister might use to blast big news to a large family group — to a ubiquitous social phenomenon.
My own group chats serve a wide range of purposes, from the purely practical to the highly intimate. There is a taxonomy — not quite a hierarchy, but not not a hierarchy. Some are basically purpose-driven and never meant to last: A new chat might pop up for a wedding weekend, a set of unsaved numbers asking one another questions about the location of a brunch, a fleeting collective of friends-of-friends that loses touch on Sunday night. Some are more or less affinity groups: I am in two separate chats for Grateful Dead enthusiasts, both of which tend to move at the pace of old-school internet forums. (Someone posts a good live version of “Scarlet Begonias,” or a joke about Bob Weir, and we all give it a thumbs-up or a heart or a “ha ha” reaction, iMessage innovations that make even-more-passive communication possible.) Some group chats map almost exactly onto I.R.L. groups of friends and are used for a combination of idle chatter and social planning; one has become such a dominant feature of my social life that it is simply named “The Girls,” as if there were no other girls. (The act of naming of a group chat in iMessage indicates, to some degree, its staying power, no matter how silly the name itself may be.) Thus “The Girls” has become one of the first places any of us would look to make social plans. At least, I think so — it is highly possible that for one or another of us there is another group chat, totally unknown to me, that is more important. |
168439b6896b7a29e9d4428ecd2c1555 | 0.197766 | 3entertainment
| Mass. State Lottery winner buys $100,000 Mass Cash ticket at Roche Bros. | One lucky Massachusetts State Lottery player won big this weekend when they purchased a winning “Mass Cash” ticket worth $100,000 at a grocery store on Cape Cod.
The winning ticket was purchased Saturday — just two days before Christmas — at the Roche Bros. store on Commercial Street in Mashpee. “Mass Cash” tickets retail just just a dollar a play, but can win players $10, $250 or $100,000.
In “Mass Cash,” players select five numbers between 1 and 35 and then mark how many drawings they want to use those numbers for. Players have a 1 in 324,632 chance of matching all five numbers, and if they do, they win $100,000. Drawings take place daily at 9 p.m.
Read more: Will there be a Powerball drawing on Christmas night?
There was also a lucky “Powerball” winner in Massachusetts on Saturday. The player won $50,000 through a ticket purchased Ted’s Stateline Mobil, a gas station on the New Hampshire border in Methuen.
In “Powerball,” players choose five numbers between 1 and 69 and one “Powerball” number between 1 and 26. Each play costs $2, and players mark how many drawings they want to use the same numbers for.
Drawings take place at 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and players can multiply their non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times by marking “Power Play” for an extra $1 per play each drawing.
The Methuen player won $50,000 by matching four numbers and the “Powerball” number on Saturday. They had 1 in 913,129 odds of doing so, winning them the third-biggest prize in the game.
Matching all five numbers wins players $1 million, but they have 1 in 11,688,053 odds of winning this way. Matching all five numbers and the “Powerball” number wins players the jackpot, but they have odds of 1 in 292,201,338 odds of doing so.
Overall, there were at least 253 lottery prizes worth $600 or more won or claimed in Massachusetts on Saturday, including nine in Springfield and five in Worcester.
The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of all the winning tickets each day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.
The two largest lottery prizes won in the state of Massachusetts so far in 2023 were $33 million and $31 million Mega Millions jackpot prizes. The tickets were each sold a week apart.
The $33 million ticket for the Tuesday, Jan. 24 drawing was purchased from a Stop & Shop in Belchertown. The winner came forward to claim the prize on March 1 through the Skylark Group Trust.
The $31 million Mega Millions jackpot ticket was won on Jan. 31. The winning ticket was bought in Woburn from a Gibbs gas station, and the winner claimed the prize on March 8 through S & L Trust. |
2cf4ef3490d180fd03a108549642527d | 0.542724 | 1crime
| 28 people facing charges in connection with brothel bust - Boston News, Weather, Sports | BOSTON (WHDH) - The U.S. Attorney’s office is now seeking charges against 28 people in connection with a brothel bust in the Boston area.
In November, three people accused of operating “sophisticated high-end brothels” in parts of Massachusetts and eastern Virginia were taken into custody following a federal investigation, authorities said.
Officials believe the network had clients who included “elected officials, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, attorneys, scientists and accountants, among others.”
“Pick a profession – they’re probably represented in this case,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said during a news conference in November.
Arrested in November were: Han Lee, 41, of Cambridge, Mass., Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, Mass., and James Lee, 68, of Torrance, Calif.
Investigators allege the defendants rented high-end apartments in the Boston area to be used as brothels. They also say there will be accountability for the buyers who fuel the commercial sex industry.
(Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) |
5c1e3f97d80f7bce42e583e1044c15bf | 0.480855 | 5science
| Western New England University, WPI get $1.1M for advanced robotic welding | SPRINGFIELD — The state has granted $1.1 million to Western New England University for a research and training cluster in advanced robotic welding.
The award will support a collaborative project between the university’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and local industry partners to grow the advanced welding cluster and deliver new highly skilled workers to employers in the region.
Cutting-edge welding technologies have applications in offshore wind, vehicles, aerospace and defense, such as submarines. |
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| Westfield artists find friendly space for discussion, critiques with peers | WESTFIELD — A new group gives artists a chance to meet, discuss their work, get advice, and receive critiques from other artists.
ArtWorks Westfield President Bill Westerlind said the monthly “Artist Sharing & Discussion Groups” are open, friendly and nonthreatening discussion spaces. Their goal is to give artists a chance to talk with each other about art, the challenges they face, and receive critiques in a way that’s not hurtful. |
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| Police: Boston SWAT at the scene of active shooter at building fire in Mattapan | Boston police responded to a report of gunshots in Mattapan Saturday shortly after firefighters were called to the scene to extinguish a fire, authorities said.
Members of the city’s SWAT team were brought in after a suspect opened fire on first responders, who were called to 50 Fairlawn Ave at about 11:35 a.m., according to police.
City data shows there have been 107 shooting incidents in Boston in 2023 with 141 victims through Dec. 24. That is down from the 145 fatal and non-fatal incidents in 2022, according to Boston police data.
The address where the shooting occurred Saturday is just off Cummins Highway.
This is a developing story. |
0eca66dbb33d21dd9712cad40ec5ff78 | 0.785026 | 7weather
| Cold and quiet through Tuesday when next storm systems starts heading our way | It was nice to have sunshine and seasonal temps across the area on Sunday. We will continue with the sunny theme on Monday, but we will also have a drop in afternoon high temperatures.
After starting Monday morning on a cold note (20s to around 30), we will only make it back into the low 40s by the afternoon.
The next storm system starts heading our way on Tuesday with an increase in clouds through the day. Rain will spread into the area after midnight Tuesday night and continue through the day on Wednesday.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
By the time the rain comes to an end, some spots could pick up more than an inch of rain. A lot of folks will be heading to the their holiday destination on Wednesday and with the rain around, expect slower travel times.
Thanksgiving Day will be a cool but dry day. The rain will be gone by sunrise on Thursday and we will see some sun around. Highs will still be down in the 40s and it will stay seasonably cool through the holiday weekend.
Friday will be a dry day as well before we see another chance for some rain on Saturday. |
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| Police investigating after Nativity scene vandalized at Boston Common - Boston News, Weather, Sports | Police in Boston say they are investigating after a Nativity scene on the Boston Common was vandalized early Thursday morning.
The Boston Police Department said it was just before 8 a.m. when they first received a call stating the Nativity scene off of Tremont Street had been vandalized with spray paint.
“At 7:57 AM Officers from District A-1 responded to 139 Tremont St in Downtown for a report of vandalism,” the department stated. “Upon arrival it was discovered that someone had vandalized the base of the nativity scene with graffiti, the incident is currently under investigation and no further information is available at this time.”
An image shared with 7NEWS showed the Nativity scene intact, with “JESUS WAS PALESTINIAN” spray-painted in white on a wooden board at the scene’s base. By 9:30 a.m., the words had been painted over.
No additional details have been released.
(Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) |
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| As Alzheimer's rates rise, Boston researchers find that a multivitamin may improve memory, slow cognitive aging | As the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s grows, a new “exciting” study out of Mass General Brigham shows that taking a multivitamin could help prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging.
The Boston researchers tested the effects of a daily multivitamin on cognitive changes in older adults, as part of the COSMOS trial (COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study).
COSMOS is a large-scale trial testing cocoa extract and multivitamin supplements, run by researchers at Mass General Brigham. Two previous studies in COSMOS suggested that a daily multivitamin has a positive effect on cognition.
COSMOS researchers are now reporting the results of a third study in COSMOS — which focused on participants who took in-person assessments. The results showed a statistically significant benefit for memory and cognition among participants taking a daily multivitamin compared to the placebo.
The study suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may help prevent memory loss and slow cognitive aging in older adults.
“Cognitive decline is among the top health concerns for most older adults, and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential as an appealing and accessible approach to slow cognitive aging,” said first author Chirag Vyas, instructor in investigation at the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“The meta-analysis of three separate cognition studies provides strong and consistent evidence that taking a daily multivitamin, containing more than 20 essential micronutrients, helps prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging,” Vyas said.
The researchers for the study conducted in-person cognitive assessments among 573 participants in the subset of COSMOS known as COSMOS-Clinic.
The scientists found that there was a modest benefit from the multivitamin on global cognition over two years. There was a statistically significant benefit from the multivitamin for change in episodic memory, but not in executive function/attention.
The researchers estimated that the daily multivitamin slowed global cognitive aging by the equivalent of two years compared to the placebo.
“These findings will garner attention among many older adults who are, understandably, very interested in ways to preserve brain health, as they provide evidence for the role of a daily multivitamin in supporting better cognitive aging,” said Olivia Okereke, senior author of the report and director of Geriatric Psychiatry at MGH.
In 2020, an estimated 5.8 million Americans aged 65 years or older had Alzheimer’s disease. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060, according to the CDC.
JoAnn Manson, co-author of the research report and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said, “The finding that a daily multivitamin improved memory and slowed cognitive aging in three separate placebo-controlled studies in COSMOS is exciting and further supports the promise of multivitamins as a safe, accessible and affordable approach to protecting cognitive health in older adults.” |
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| Texas man pleads guilty to threatening Boston doctor over transgender care | Advertisement Texas man pleads guilty to threatening Boston doctor who provided care to transgender people Share Copy Link Copy
Federal authorities in Massachusetts say a Texas man has pleaded guilty to threatening a Boston doctor who is affiliated with the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center and provided care for members of the transgender community. Matthew Jordan Lindner, 39, of Comfort, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Boston's federal court to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communication, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.Prosecutors said Lindner called the Boston-based National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center on Aug. 31, 2022, and left a threatening voicemail that targeted one of the center's affiliated doctors.The U.S. Attorney's Office said Lindner made the call at a time when social media vitriol was being directed at health care providers who served transgender patients and when inaccurate information was being spread online regarding procedures doctors at Boston Children's Hospital were performing for gender-nonconforming children.Authorities claim that in the voicemail, Lindner said, in part: "You're all gonna burn. There's a group of people on their way to handle . You signed your own warrant, . Castrating our children. You've woken up enough people and upset enough of us. And you signed your own ticket."Prosecutors said Lindner continued to try to contact the doctor after leaving the threatening voicemail, including calling the doctor's former medical practice and a university where she was a faculty member."Doctors who serve pediatric patients, including the victim in this case and staff at Boston Children’s Hospital, have dedicated their professional lives to treating children. They should be celebrated for their contributions to so many in their time of need. Instead, this defendant threatened a doctor with violence just for doing her job," acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement. "This conduct is deplorable and sends a chill through the medical community."Lindner was arrested in Texas and charged on Dec. 2, 2022. He was then indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston 13 days later."There is no way to undo the damage Matthew Lindner did to this physician, with his hateful, repulsive, and threatening behavior," stated Jodi Cohen, the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. "No one should have to live in fear of violence because of who they are, what kind of work they do, or what they believe."Over the summer of 2022, doctors and other staffers at Boston Children's Hospital also received violent threats related to its medical care for transgender youth.Boston Children's is home to the first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program in the United States. It became the focus of far-right social media accounts, news outlets and bloggers in early August 2022 after they found informational YouTube videos published by the hospital about surgical offerings for transgender patients.The critics cited the videos and snippets of previous language on the hospital's website to claim that Boston Children's Hospital was improperly performing gender-affirming surgeries, such as hysterectomies, on minors and "young" children. The response was swift and relentless, with a barrage of users demanding the hospital be shut down and calling the surgeries "mutilation," "barbarism," and "child abuse," while accusing its doctors of engaging in malpractice or illegal activity.The hospital said it received "a large volume" of hostile online messages, phone calls and harassing emails, including threats of violence, during that time.The hospital subsequently removed the videos and updated language across its websites to emphasize that to qualify for most gender-affirming surgical procedures, patients must be at least 18 and meet certain criteria, including undergoing intensive medical and mental health evaluations and submitting letters of support.In September, 37-year-old Catherine Levy, of Westfield, faced federal charges in connection with an Aug. 30, 2022, bomb threat against Boston Children's Hospital that also referenced the transgender program. In September of this year, Levy pleaded guilty to one count of making a false bomb threat and one count of intentionally conveying false or misleading information that a bomb was on the way to the hospital.In November, Boston Children's Hospital received a bomb threat via email that referenced the hospital's pediatric and adolescent transgender health program. The emailer also claimed bombs had been placed at the homes of three doctors.Senior U.S. District Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing in Lindner's case for Feb. 6, 2024.The charge of transmitting interstate threats provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. |
36498ca026b2d579d2041d0932a90e30 | 0.874036 | 6sports
| NFL, Peacock prep for first streaming-only playoff game | Editor’s note: This article was written by Ben Fischer and first appeared in Sports Business Journal, the industry’s leading source of sports business news, events and data.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles against the Miami Dolphins during an NFL football game at Deutsche Bank Park Stadium in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. The Dolphins defeated the Chiefs 21-14. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)AP
NBC Sports and the NFL are preparing for another inflection point in the sports industry’s transition from linear TV to streaming on Saturday, when an NFL playoff game will appear exclusively on a streaming service — Peacock — for the first time.
Streaming is not new to the NFL. The first streaming-only NFL game came on Yahoo in 2015, and it’s become routine in the last two seasons under Amazon Prime’s exclusive rights to the “Thursday night Football” package.
But the NFL postseason brings unique value and viewership scale. Also, the prestige of the playoffs makes this a critical test of both the NFL’s long-term efforts to balance streaming growth with the reach-first, broadcast-first approach that’s fueled its growth since the 1960s, and of NBCUniversal’s plan to build Peacock subscriptions with sports.
Consider this: Last year, the least-watched NFL playoff game drew 21.8 million viewers. Even if Peacock is down 30% from that, it will still be enough to become the most-viewed streaming game ever. (As always with the NFL, streaming “exclusive” is a term of art; NFL rules will still require it to be shown over-the-air in the participating teams’ core markets.)
Both NBC and NFL executives say they’ll run back the strategy first implemented on Dec. 23, when NBC Sports aired a 4:30 p.m. ET game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers on the over-the-air broadcast network that aggressively promoted the evening game that aired nationally on NBC-owned Peacock only. While the Peacock game between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers that night drew just 7.3 million viewers, those executives said that gambit was a success.
“That’s a really unique opportunity to use a partner that has, obviously, a very widely distributed broadcast network and use that to promote digital,” said Hans Schroeder, executive vice president and chief operating officer of NFL Media. “We were really excited about that, and wrapping around that is going to be a very broad promotional plan.”
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Schroeder said NFL fans are already well-conditioned around streaming, but “we take nothing for granted, that we need to continue to build that awareness and makes sure fans know where to go at 8 o’clock next Saturday.”
NBC Sports will tap into the full range of NBCUniversal assets to promote the game on Peacock, said NBC Sports President Rick Cordella. “If you watch a platform of NBC Universal, you’re going to come across it, whether it be the ‘Today’ show or other sports programs,” Cordella said.
NBC Sports wants viewers to subscribe to Peacock as soon as possible, but executives understand that many won’t take that step until the final hours. On the Dec. 23 game, sign-ups continued well into the exclusive game window. “I think if you talk about people in any endeavor in life, they don’t do things until they have to,” Cordella said.
NBC paid about $110 million for the wild-card game, with subscription growth as the key metric to evaluate that decision after the fact. Peacock is counting on sports for a boost in the streaming wars. With 30 million subscribers, just a small fraction of market leaders Netflix and Prime Video, the service needs the game to post a big number — and for those people to keep subscribing.
To that end, Peacock is launching a new comedy series “Ted” (a prequel series of the Seth MacFarlane movies about a guy and his come-to-life teddy bear) off the game, and promoting the second season of “The Traitors” reality competition show.
“We’ll look back and say, we acquired a certain number of subscribers that came because we had this NFL wild-card game, and how did these subscribers behave?” Cordella said. “Did they watch content? Did they go and subscribe for multiple months? Did they churn out immediately? Those are the things we’ll look at later this year.”
Like on the Dec. 23 game, the fourth quarter will again air without traditional commercials. Rather, executives said, there will be three longer sponsored content breaks, which Schroeder called part of the ongoing innovation with game production — balancing revenue generation with trying new ways to enhance viewing and prove the value of streaming. |
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| Eras Tour movie: How to stream Taylor Swifts concert movie at home | Taylor Swift is celebrating her birthday with fans as she announces her record-breaking “Eras Tour” film is now available to stream online.
Swift announced on her 34th birthday Wednesday, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” will be available on multiple streaming platforms, with a special surprise.
“Celebrate 34 with me by watching The Eras Tour (Extended Version) including ‘Long Live’ ‘The Archer’ and ‘Wildest Dreams’ at home!” she announced on social media.
The film is available on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Fans can rent the movie for $19.89.
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” takes viewers on a journey of one of her concert performances while on tour.
The tour features songs from her recent 10th studio album, “Midnights,” which launched back on Oct. 21 of 2022. It also will span a wide variety of her discography, including her country roots in “Fearless,” electropop beats from “Reputation,” slow ballads from sister albums “Evermore” and “Folklore” and everything in between.
You can watch the trailer of the film below.
Swift will return with the tour in February of 2024, continuing with international stops.
Taylor Swift’s international tour dates with links to purchase tickets are below: |
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| Baltimore Sues A.T.F. Over Access to Gun Data | The City of Baltimore is suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for blocking access to data on guns used to commit crimes — information it said was essential for targeting gun violence and identifying sellers who flood the city with weapons.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the city’s lawyers argued that the A.T.F. had adopted an overly narrow interpretation of legislation enacted in 2003 by congressional Republicans, at the urging of the National Rifle Association. The law blocked public access to gun trace data collected by the federal government on weapons recovered at the nation’s crime scenes.
The so-called Tiahrt Amendment, named for its sponsor, former Representative Todd Tiahrt, Republican of Kansas, prevents the use of federal funding to release information on traces logged in the federal firearms tracing database — amounting to a blackout on public disclosure.
A spokeswoman for the A.T.F. did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The bureau’s lawyers are skeptical that the legal challenges to the Tiahrt Amendment will succeed in appellate court, according to officials with knowledge of the situation. |
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| Biden Says Its Self-Evident That Trump Supported an Insurrection | President Biden said on Wednesday that it was “self-evident” that former President Donald J. Trump had supported an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, but that the courts would decide whether he should be on the ballot in 2024.
The president was responding to a reporter’s question about the Colorado Supreme Court decision on Tuesday that said that Mr. Trump was disqualified from being on the 2024 ballot in the state’s Republican primary because he was part of an insurrection.
“Not going to comment on it,” Mr. Biden said after landing in Milwaukee for a speech to the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce.
And then he did.
“It’s self-evident. You saw it all,” Mr. Biden said, adding that it would be up to the court to decide whether Mr. Trump was in violation of the 14th Amendment, which says that acts of insurrection can disqualify someone from office. |
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| Brazils Congress Weakens Protection of Indigenous Lands, Defying Lula | The economy is good, but Americans feel bad about it. Or do they?
The more I look into it, the more I’m convinced that much of what looks like poor public perception about the economy is actually just Republicans angry that Donald Trump isn’t still president.
Last year was a very good one for the U.S. economy. Job growth was strong, unemployment remained near a 50-year low and inflation plunged. Some reports I’ve seen suggest that this favorable combination was somehow paradoxical and contrary to economic theory. In fact, however, it’s exactly what textbook economics says to expect in an economy experiencing an improvement in its productive capacity. And I do mean textbook economics. Here’s a figure from one of the leading introductory economics textbooks — OK, Krugman and Wells, seventh edition (forthcoming) — on the effects of adverse and favorable “supply shocks”: |
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| Will Chatbots Teach Your Children? | Sal Khan, the chief executive of Khan Academy, gave a rousing TED Talk last spring in which he predicted that A.I. chatbots would soon revolutionize education.
“We’re at the cusp of using A.I. for probably the biggest positive transformation that education has ever seen,” Mr. Khan, whose nonprofit education group has provided online lessons for millions of students, declared. “And the way we’re going to do that is by giving every student on the planet an artificially intelligent but amazing personal tutor.”
Videos of Mr. Khan’s tutoring bot talk amassed millions of views. Soon, prominent tech executives, including Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, began issuing similar education predictions. |
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| Boston snow storm this weekend: How many inches of snow in Massachusetts, NH? NBC Boston | Our first impactful and widespread snowstorm of the season in southern New England started Saturday evening and continues into Sunday afternoon.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning to different areas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
And it begins! The snow is closing in on most of the area. Snowfall rates overnight could be over 1" per hour in spots near Central MA. and Southern NH. #Boston #newengland pic.twitter.com/U9th9WCDkC — Sydney Welch (@SydWeather) January 7, 2024
There’s a lot at stake with this one, especially along the coastline where the thought process continues to be focused on the relatively mild ocean water and a gusty easterly wind which will develop. This will certainly be a determining factor in terms of snow totals across the area (from coastal to inland communities) which will be greatly impacted by the wind direction which will affect the overall temperatures.
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When does the snow start in Boston?
Right now it looks like the east wind wins out keeping snow amounts low along the coastal plain, but we won’t let our guard down in case there are some subtle changes once the storm gets going overnight and Sunday.
Expect clouds to increase and thicken throughout this afternoon with a few coastal flurries and snow showers developing. Highs reach the mid to upper 30s south, upper 20s north.
New England snow forecast
Snow breaks out from west to east this evening and ramps up overnight with a few communities seeing 1-2” per hour snow rates after midnight. Along the immediate coastline, south shore of Boston, and down over the Cape, rain will mix in and the precipitation which is expected to flip to all rain.
The wind will also ramp up overnight as low pressure develops just south of the New England coast with an east/northeast wind developing gusting up to 40, up to 50 by daybreak over the Cape and Islands. Overnight lows drop into the upper 20s to low 30s inland, mid 30s along the coast, 20s northern New England.
Precipitation is expected to wind down a bit after daybreak with snow inland, mix/rain along the coast with temperatures starting out below freezing inland, above freezing along the coast.
At this time our system will start to pull away from the region which will allow cold air to funnel back into the area via a gusty north wind resulting in a flash freeze on untreated surfaces…we’ll also see another round of precipitation coincide with the cold air moving back in, this is when the coast will start to make up on snow accumulations.
Live radar of the Massachusetts snowstorm
Morning temps start out around 30 inland, 20s north, mid 30s coast, falling back into the 20s in the afternoon via a gusty north wind. Snow pulls out early Sunday night as low pressure exits east. Very cold start to the work week with early morning temps in the teens Monday morning, climbing into the 30s in the afternoon with some sunshine.
The pattern stays active as we will be closely monitoring our next system arriving here by the middle of next week which will likely have significant impacts to the region with heavy rain and gusty winds. Beyond that, another storm possible by the weekend, that one looks a bit colder. More on those in the days to come, one storm at a time…. |
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| Video: Warming trend in Mass. heading into Christmas Day | On a quiet street in Washington Heights, tucked among a collection of yellow-brick apartment houses, a dry cleaner and an Indian restaurant, is an unremarkable building where Henry Kissinger spent his early days in the United States.
The Art Deco building was the Kissinger family’s first long-term home after they arrived in New York City in 1938 as refugees from Nazi Germany. After a short stint living with relatives and staying in a different apartment nearby, the family settled into the 850-square-foot rental on Fort Washington Avenue in 1940. Mr. Kissinger’s mother, Paula, lived in the building until her death in 1998.
Mr. Kissinger, the former secretary of state who reshaped the United States’ approach to the Cold War, died in Connecticut on Wednesday at the age of 100.
By Thursday morning, news of his death had reached the building on Fort Washington Avenue. The neighbors old enough to remember the Kissingers had long since moved away, according to the current resident of the apartment, Alexei Gonzales. Mr. Gonzales said that he had lived in the apartment for 11 years, but had not known that the Kissingers had lived there until about seven years ago. |
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| Education is the best weapon': Suffolk DA launches effort to help residents avoid scams | District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced Sunday the launch of the Suffolk County Fraud Fighters – a multi-agency organization to help Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop residents spot scams and avoid schemes soliciting money.
Hayden said the effort is in response to telephone scams earlier this year where callers claimed to be representatives of Hayden’s office and even prompted one elderly woman in Winthrop to pay out $35,000 in a bitcoin scam.
NBC10 Boston Responds stepped into help a Boston woman recover her life savings.
“We and our Fraud Fighters partners are committed to giving older adults and all other community members the information and awareness necessary to spot a scam before they fall victim to it,” said Hayden. “Education is the best weapon against getting fleeced by their ever-changing schemes.”
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According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Fraud Fighters will hold public presentations throughout the year for residents to stay informed on common tactics used by scammers. The first presentation is scheduled to place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14 at the Kroc Center in Roxbury.
The holiday season is a popular time for shipping scams.
Boston, Revere, Winthrop, and Chelsea police departments have partnered with the Fraud Fighters to provide educational resources. In addition, several units of Hayden’s office will be involved, as well as the U.S. Secret Service.
“We’re going to reach as many people as possible as often as possible, because that’s exactly what the con artists are doing,” said Hayden. “Our goal is to update our presentation whenever they update their scams.” |
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| Inside the News Industrys Uneasy Negotiations With OpenAI | For months, some of the biggest players in the U.S. media industry have been in confidential talks with OpenAI on a tricky issue: the price and terms of licensing their content to the artificial intelligence company.
The curtain on those negotiations was pulled back this week when The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, alleging that the companies used its content without permission to build artificial intelligence products.
The Times said that before suing, it had been talking with the companies for months about a deal. And it was not alone. Other news organizations — including Gannett, the largest U.S. newspaper company; News Corp, the owner of The Wall Street Journal; and IAC, the digital colossus behind The Daily Beast and the magazine publisher Dotdash Meredith — have been in talks with OpenAI, said three people familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential talks.
The News/Media Alliance, which represents more than 2,200 news organizations in North America, has also been talking with OpenAI about coming up with a framework for a deal that would suit its members, a person familiar with the talks said. |
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| Southwick Conservation Commission approves outlay to acquire Middle Pond parcel | SOUTHWICK — The Conservation Commission approved covering the cost of acquiring a parcel of property its owner wants to donate to the town on the Middle Pond of Congamond Lake at its meeting Monday night.
“Here’s my favorite one,” said Commission Vice Chair Dennis Clark about the commission’s agenda item to appropriate the money needed to pay the legal fees and for a survey needed for the town to accept the lot at 13 Berkshire Ave. |
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| Murder suspect in Lawrence McDonalds fatal stabbing held without bail | SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Springfield Police have arrested a man after he pointed a gun at an officer in a Harriet Street apartment overnight.
According to the Springfield Police Department, officers were conducting a follow-up connected to a domestic assault involving a gun and were looking for 30-year-old Joseph Morales-Dejesus when they received permission to enter the apartment he was staying in.
When officers arrived at the apartment Morales-Dejesus walked into view with a loaded large-capacity ghost gun with an extended magazine in hand.
Police said he pointed it directly at an officer before complying and tossing it away from him.
Morales-Dejesus was arrested and charged with the following offenses:
Firearm Violation with Three Prior Violent/Drug Crimes
Firearm-Armed Assault in Dwelling
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Two Counts)
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License
Possession of a High-Capacity Magazine/Feeding Device
Possession of a Firearm without an FID Card - Subsequent Offense
Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card
Threat to Commit a Crime
Witness Intimidation
Authorities also revealed Morales-Dejesus was convicted on firearms charges in 2019, numerous drug distribution charges in 2017 and several domestic related charges in 2020 including assault & battery on a pregnant female.
Copyright 2023. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved. |
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| Israels Landmark Ruling, and a Mickey Mouse Copyright Expires | The New York Times Audio app is home to journalism and storytelling, and provides news, depth and serendipity. If you haven’t already, download it here — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
The Headlines brings you the biggest stories of the day from the Times journalists who are covering them, all in about five minutes. |
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| Patriots put starter on season-ending IR to make room for new CB | FOXBOROUGH — A frustrating season for running back Rhamondre Stevenson has come to an end.
The Patriots placed Stevenson on season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday afternoon to make room for ex-Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson, who Bill Belichick claimed off the waiver wire.
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After hitting the 1000-yard rushing plateau and emerging as an every down back in 2022, Stevenson wasn’t able to find the same success this season. The 25-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain against the Chargers earlier this month, and will finish with 619 rushing yards at 4.0 yards per carry. His totals as a pass catcher dropped across the board, too.
With injuries hitting the Patriots secondary, Belichick opted to claim Wilson, a 25-year-old corner who turned in a strange season with the Cardinals. Wilson started Arizona’s first 11 games and rarely came off the field, but then didn’t see a single defensive snap after a November 19 loss to the Texans. He’d only played special teams for the past month before being cut.
It’s been a revolving door at cornerback for the Patriots in 2023.
Over the course of the season, the Patriots have lost Christian Gonzalez to injury, cut Jack Jones, and placed J.C. Jackson on the non-football illness reserve list. With Jabrill Peppers and Jalen Mills both battling injuries, signing Wilson affords Belichick the flexibility to move Myles Bryant back to full-time safety against the Bills this weekend if he sees fit. |
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| Israeli Mothers Knew Their Sons Would Serve. But They Didnt Expect War. | The six mothers had gathered in a Jerusalem home on a recent Friday to prepare challah, the braided bread that Jews eat on the Sabbath. After they recited a blessing that is part of the ritual, each woman added a prayer of her own.
“I just want everybody to come back alive and in one piece, mentally and physically,” said one, her voice breaking. “May they return in peace,” said another, wiping away tears. “With this challah, I want to bless my three sons who are in the army and all the soldiers,” said Ruthie Tick, who had convened the mothers so they could comfort one another.
Collectively, they had 10 sons serving in the Israeli Army, either in Gaza fighting Hamas in response to the group’s incursion and deadly rampage on Oct. 7, or in the north, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia has been launching missiles at Israel from Lebanon.
No sooner had the women finished praying than a WhatsApp message appeared on Rebecca Haviv’s cellphone. “I’m gonna be without a phone soon,” wrote her son, Adam, a 29-year-old combat soldier on reserve duty. “Love you so much, ma, and will be in touch.” |
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| Two people hospitalized after getting slashed in Cambridge | CAMBRIDGE, Mass — Cambridge Police are searching for a suspect after a violent outburst at a popular restaurant takeout franchise that left two people with stab wounds.
It happened around 7:40 p.m. Thursday at The Halal Guys in the Porter Square Shopping Center.
Workers told Boston 25 News that it began with a man causing a disturbance inside near the register.
They said things escalated when employees tried to get him to leave, and a violent struggle then spilled outside.
Cell phone video captured by a witness shows two workers being slashed as a man in a black hooded jacket swung a sharp object.
“It’s totally crazy. I was trying to figure out what happened,” said Andrew Dobak, who regularly visits the shopping center. “It’s kind of kind of surreal to see the whole parking lot taped off.”
Police said the two people who suffered stab wounds were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Workers told Boston 25 News that the attack left employees shaken up, but they continued serving food throughout the ordeal.
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
©2024 Cox Media Group |
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| Google Loses Antitrust Court Battle With Makers of Fortnite Video Game | Every year after the full moons in late October and November, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef begins its annual spawning — first the coral species inshore, where waters are warmer, then the offshore corals, the main event. Last year, this natural spectacle coincided with the woolly propagation of two new colonies of the Crochet Coral Reef, a long-running craft-science collaborative artwork now inhabiting the Schlossmuseum in Linz, Austria, and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
To date, nearly 25,000 crocheters (“reefers”) have created a worldwide archipelago of more than 50 reefs — both a paean to and a plea for these ecosystems, rainforests of the sea, which are threatened by climate change. The project also explores mathematical themes, since many living reef organisms biologically approximate the quirky curvature of hyperbolic geometry.
Within the realm of two dimensions, geometry deals with properties of points, lines, figures, surfaces: The Euclidean plane is flat and therefore displays zero curvature. By contrast, the surface of a sphere displays constant positive curvature; at all points, the surface bends inward toward itself. And a hyperbolic plane exhibits constant negative curvature; at all points, the surface curves away from itself. Reef life thrives on hyperbolism, so to speak; the curvy surface structure of coral maximizes nutrient intake, and nudibranchs propel through water with frilly flanges. |
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| Boston University police investigating second pair of sexual assaults this week | BOSTON — Boston University police are investigating a second pair of sexual assaults this week that occurred Wednesday night.
A student walking down the sidewalk near 168 Bay State Rd. around 10 p.m. reported they were approached by a person on a bicycle who touched the student inappropriately
“The suspect rode away and the student was able to call BUPD who searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect,” police said in a campus crime alert.
The suspect is described as a white male riding a dark-colored bicycle wearing blue jeans and a dark cap or hooded sweatshirt.
An hour later, around 11 p.m., a student reported that they were approached by a person on a bicycle who touched them inappropriately on the Charles River Esplanade near the Silber Footbridge
“The suspect rode away and the student was able to call BUPD who searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect” officials added.
The suspect is described as a male riding on a black bicycle wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.
The student was not able to provide any further details at this time.
This is the second pair of sexual assaults reported on BU’s campus this week and police say they are unrelated to the ones reported on October 24th.
Police are anyone with information is urged to contact BUPD at (617) 353-2121.
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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| Springfield ends year with $19M in free cash; officials considering spending some on tax relief | SPRINGFIELD — The state has officially certified the city’s free cash, giving officials an additional $19.3 million to spend by the end of the fiscal year.
“We will look at a lot of things, adding to our pension fund and tax relief,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said.
Free cash is money raised throughout the previous year on income generated through different fees, such as from building permits, as well as funds budgeted but not spent for a variety of reasons, like not filling vacant positions.
This year, the city received $19,317,806, but the total includes $1.5 million in opioid funds that came from settlements of suits filed against drug makers in state court. That money must be used to reduce opioid abuse and assist people who are addicted to the drugs, said Patrick Burns, acting chief administration and financial officer.
That means the city actually has $17,796,271 to spend on unexpected expenses, such as replacing a vehicle that breaks down, a road collapse or other needs that come up throughout the year.
Over the past eight years, the amount of free cash the city has received has fluctuated dramatically. Last fiscal year, the city received $67.8 million, but that was out of the ordinary, as Eversource was required to pay a large sum in personal property taxes and interest, which totaled $41.1 million, Burns said.
The money came from a Court of Appeals decision that settled a decade-long dispute over how much the utility should be assessed in property taxes for its utility poles, transformers and other infrastructure.
In 2022, free cash stood at $27.6 million, but in earlier years, the amount has been much lower, ranging from $7.4 million in 2018 to $4 million in 2019.
When Burns made the announcement, City Councilor Tracye Whitfield said she hopes the mayor and the city’s financial team looks at adding some of the money to the tax base to reduce the amount residents and businesses have to pay.
Sarno said he expects to release his recommendation for setting the tax rate within the next week or so, and using some of the free cash to lower the levy will be a serious consideration. Last year, $10 million was set aside to reduce the tax rate, and in previous years, $2.1 million and $1 million were transferred for relief.
He said the city also has tried to help those who need relief the most by lowering the eligibility of tax abatements for low-income seniors to 65 from 70 and increasing the amount they can receive from $500 to $1,000.
“We will look at what is the highest and best use of the funds,” Sarno said.
Although it is not exciting, the mayor said it is also vital to continue to invest money in the city’s stabilization or savings account, which now totals about $68 million, and reduce the pension liability.
The stronger the city’s financial standing is, the better its bond rating, which allows officials to borrow money at a lower interest rate. That is key as the city looks at continuing to replace aging schools, renovate others, upgrade parks and improve other infrastructure, Sarno said. |
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| MTVs Catfish: How to watch new episode for free Nov. 28 | In the newest episode of “Catfish” Eli moved from Alaska to Chicago to be with fellow gamer Boulevard, but upon arrival, he found Boulevard nowhere.
Nēv, Kamie and special guests are serving up freshly caught Catfish as they journey through the dark waters of the internet to peel back the digital masks of scammers, lovers and liars in an all-new episode airing on Tuesday, November 28 at 8 p.m. EST on MTV. Viewers looking to stream the new episodes can do so for free by using Philo, FuboTV, DirecTV and Sling. Philo, FuboTV and DirecTV all offer free trials for new users and Sling offers 50% off your first month.
According to a description by FuboTV, in the newest episode airing on Tuesday, “Shi is convinced his online love Mira also lives in Philadelphia, but after months, she’s dodgy about meeting. When Nev and Kamie discover she might live just five blocks away, they hit the streets of Philly looking for answers!”
According to MTV, the show “tackles the mystery and complexities of dating in a digital world. The hour-long series follows Nev Schulman, whose own online love drama was the subject of the ‘Catfish’ film, and director-filmmaker Max Joseph as they take viewers on a deeply personal journey that goes inside the stories of young people as their online-only romantic relationships collide with first-time, real-life encounters.
Here is a look at the new episodes from MTV Catfish’s YouTube Channel:
How can I watch “Catfish: The TV Show” without cable?
An all-new episode will air on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST on MTV. Viewers looking to stream the new episodes can do so for free by using Philo, FuboTV, DirecTV and Sling. Philo, FuboTV and DirecTV 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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| Expedition Unknown episode 6: How to watch for free on Dec. 20 | Josh helps recover the richest stash of lost treasure in the Americas in the newest episode of “Expedition Unknown” airing on Wednesday, December 20 on the Discovery Channel.
The new season will air a new episode at 9 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Viewers looking to stream the new season can do so by using Philo, FuboTV and DirecTV Stream. All three streaming services offer free trials for new users.
According to a description of the series from the Discovery Channel, intrigued by legendary mysteries and driven by curiosity, Josh Gates is on a mission for answers.`Expedition Unknown’ chronicles his global adventures as he investigates iconic unsolved events, lost cities, buried treasures and other puzzling stories.
In the sixth episode of the new season, Josh helps recover the richest stash of lost treasure in the Americas; deploying cutting-edge technology and an armada of boats, the team dives the Caribbean to bring coins and jewels from the legendary Spanish galleon Maravillas to the surface. Here is a look at the series from Discovery’s YouTube Channel:
How can I watch “Expedition Unknown” if I don’t have cable?
The new season will air a new episode at 9 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Viewers looking to stream the new season can do so by using Philo, FuboTV and DirecTV Stream. All three streaming services offer free trials for new users.
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 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.
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 |
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| Its Getting Hard to Stage a School Play Without Political Drama | Stevie Ray Dallimore, an actor and teacher, had been running the theater program for a private boys’ school in Chattanooga for a decade, but he never faced a school year like this one.
A proposed production of “She Kills Monsters” at a neighboring girls’ school that would have included his students was rejected for gay content, he said. A “Shakespeare in Love” at the girls’ school that would have featured his boys was rejected because of cross-dressing. His school’s production of “Three Sisters,” the Chekhov classic, was rejected because it deals with adultery and there were concerns that some boys might play women, as they had in the past, he said.
School plays — long an important element of arts education and a formative experience for creative adolescents — have become the latest battleground at a moment when America’s political and cultural divisions have led to a spike in book bans, conflicts over how race and sexuality are taught in schools, and efforts by some politicians to restrict drag performances and transgender health care for children and teenagers. |
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| Jayson Tatum injury: Joe Mazzulla provides update on stars ankle | SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jayson Tatum will officially miss his first game of the season when the Celtics take on the Kings on Wednesday. The Celtics star suffered a sprained left ankle in their loss to the Warriors on Tuesday. While Tatum returned to the game, the injury will keep him out of the second game of the back-to-back.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said they’re taking the injury day-by-day for now. There’s no timetable for his return at this point, Mazzulla added.
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“He loves to play,” Mazzulla said. “I’m sure he would do anything to play but it was obviously sore, obviously swollen. You could tell it limited him during the game. He did a good job of fighting through it, but it’s a day-to-day thing and we’ll see how it goes.”
Tatum sprained his ankle a few minutes into Tuesday’s game, which forced him to retreat to the locker room. But he returned to the Celtics bench later just a few game minutes later, and he was ready to play by the start of the second quarter. Tatum ended up playing 41 minutes, but he struggled from the field as he shot 5-for-17 for 15 points.
The Celtics get two days off, so Tatum will get a chance to rest his ankle. They take on the Clippers on Saturday in Los Angeles. Before that, the Celtics will look to bounce back after Tuesday’s loss.
“When you sprain your ankle, you’re not 100%,” Tatum said postgame Tuesday. “So you gotta figure out other ways of what you can do or what feels more comfortable out there. You can’t move how you want to. You still try to figure out other ways to be effective.” |
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| Maine law enforcement knew shooter posed a threat but were concerned about confronting him, video shows | In one video, first obtained by the Portland Press Herald , a discussion between Sagahadoc County Sheriff’s Sergeant Aaron Skolfield and Army Reserve Captain Jeremy Reamer illustrates the fear law enforcement felt about confronting Card, as Skolfield suggested that attempting to seize Card’s guns under Maine’s “yellow flag” law could lead to an escalation.
Law enforcement officers in Maine were aware that Robert Card had access to guns and posed a potential threat but were concerned that approaching him at home would trigger a violent reaction, according to newly released recordings taken just weeks before Card carried out a mass shooting in Lewiston.
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“We don’t wanna throw a stick of dynamite into a pool of gas either and make things worse,” Skolfield said in the call.
The law enforcement checks were initially set off by an incident in July at an Army Reserve training camp in New York, in which Card got into a fight with three other reservists and made veiled threats of violence to others. Card was sent to a psychiatric facility for two weeks, but in September the Army Reserve contacted the sheriff’s department in Maine when one of his fellow reservists worried he was “going to snap and commit a mass shooting.” The fellow reservist said Card had told him he had guns and was going to “shoot up the drill center in Saco and other places.”
A little more than one month later, Card, 40, opened fire on the night of Oct. 25 at a Lewiston bar and a bowling alley, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others. Card was later found dead in nearby Lisbon of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Sept. 16 call happened shortly after Skolfield had attempted to speak with Card at his Bowdoin home, but Card did not answer the door.
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Listen to audio from the videos below:
A second video released to the Press Herald showed Skolfield visiting Card’s father’s home later that morning.
The phone call between Skolfield and Reamer, Card’s Army Reserve supervisor, and the visit with Robert Card Sr. were previously documented in an outside report released last week that examined law enforcement’s response to concerns raised by Card’s family and others about his erratic behavior and cache of weapons. The 97-page report from Michael A. Cunniff, a Portland attorney chosen to conduct the review, found the deputies acted appropriately “under the totality of the circumstances.”
According to the report, Skolfield suspected Card was inside his home even though no one answered. He said Card’s vehicle was parked in the driveway, he saw the curtains move in a window that faced the road, and he thought he heard someone moving around inside.
Skolfield then spoke with Reamer to follow up on the wellbeing check. Reamer asked if the sheriff’s department could document the visit to confirm that Card was “alive and breathing.” Reamer also voiced concern about the safety of law enforcement officers if they made further attempts to ensure Card did not pose a threat.
“I’m a cop myself. ... Obviously, I don’t want you guys to get hurt or do anything that would push you guys in a compromising position and have to make a decision,” Reamer said, according to the video and a transcript.
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“That’s our goal,” Skolfield responded. “I was hoping he was gonna come out. ... I’m sure he saw the cruiser out in the yard.”
Reamer said the Card family had taken responsibility for removing the guns, and Skolfield said he would confirm that with Card’s brother, Ryan. Skolfield referred to the Cards as a “big family in this area,” and said he didn’t want the police visits to their homes to be publicized and would keep information off the police radio.
Skolfield then went to the home of Card’s father, Robert Card Sr., also in Bowdoin. Robert Card Sr. answered the door and their conversation was recorded on the cruiser’s dashcam.
“I understand that Ryan has his weapons, and I just want to make sure that’s the case,” Skolfield says. “Are you familiar with that at all?”
Skolfield told Robert Card Sr. that it was his understanding that Robert Card’s weapons were now in the possession of his brother, Ryan, but the father said he hadn’t spoken with Ryan in a few days. Skolfield said he’d try again later.
“I just wanted to make sure Robert doesn’t do anything foolish at all,” Skolfield said in the video.
Skolfield then went to Ryan Card’s home, but he wasn’t there, according to the outside report from last week. He spoke with Ryan Card on the phone the next day, according to the outside report, and Ryan Card told Skolfield he would “work with” his brother to ensure that he does not have any firearms except for those in the family gun safe at the Card farm.
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The release of the videos comes as the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s department continues to face questions about whether it should have done more to remove Card’s weapons, given the concerns of his family and others who reported that his mental health was deteriorating.
Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry did not immediately respond to a message from the Globe seeking comment Friday night.
In November, Maine Governor Janet Mills convened a task force to conduct a separate independent review of the circumstances that led to the mass shooting and whether law enforcement responded properly to the warnings that Card posed a substantial threat of violence. That panel’s review is ongoing.
Documents obtained by the Globe in late October showed that Card’s wife and teenage son reported to a sheriff’s deputy in May that he was paranoid and hearing voices and had recently picked up 10 to 15 guns that were stored at his brother’s home.
The outside report released last week said Sagadahoc County Sheriff Deputy Chad Carleton spoke with Card’s relatives and the Army Reserve and was told they would seek professional mental health treatment for Card. The report said Cuniff found that “there were insufficient grounds to take Mr. Card into protective custody” and deferring to others to monitor his wellbeing “was objectively reasonable.”
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. |
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| Pope.L, Provocative Performance Artist, Dies at 68 | Pope.L, an uncompromising conceptual and performance artist who explored themes of race, class and what he called “have-not-ness,” and who was best known for crawling the length of Broadway in a Superman costume, died on Saturday at his home in Chicago. He was 68.
The death was confirmed by his gallery, Mitchell-Innes & Nash. No cause was given.
By 2001, when he began “The Great White Way: 22 Miles, 9 Years, 1 Street, Broadway, New York,” as the performance was ultimately titled, Pope.L was already well known in the art world for a career that comprised every medium from writing to photography, from painting to sculpture, and from performance to straight theater.
His abiding themes were the intersecting difficulties and distinctions that he experienced as a Black American and a son of the working class. But the impact of his work came less from the literal sense of its surface contents, which could be difficult to decode, than from its sheer intensity, and from his willingness to say and do things others wouldn’t. Especially when performing, he used his own bodily presence to shock viewers back into their own. |
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| Britains Economy Is Not Working. Here Are 2 Key Reasons. | In the countryside of Cambridgeshire, a British semiconductor start-up was ready to expand beyond its lab and open a manufacturing base. But the company’s ambitions came with unexpected costs to bring enough electricity to the new site. The potential bill? One million pounds.
The company, Paragraf, makes chips using graphene, an ultrathin carbon. Its devices can be used to check for defects in electric vehicle batteries to prevent fires, or work in quantum computers. After acquiring the site in 2023, Paragraf made plans to ramp up its weekly manufacturing capabilities from tens of thousands of devices to millions.
But the cost of increasing the power supply to the location, a result of years of underinvestment in Britain’s electricity grid, is diverting money — and time — from hiring and equipment purchases, said Simon Thomas, Paragraf’s chief executive.
“Our biggest kind of advantage when you’re a company like ours is the pace you can move,” he said. Delays are “not just affecting what you can do now, it’s affecting how successful you’re going to be in the future,” he added. “It’s extremely frustrating.” |
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| Californias Most Iconic Roadside Attractions | But many of our favorite attractions are far less flashy, and a little more personal.
My editor, Kevin Yamamura, a Sacramento native, recalled visiting Casa de Fruta as a child while road-tripping along Highway 152 to visit relatives in Watsonville. He also recommends pulling over at Ikeda’s near Auburn for hamburgers and pie if you’re headed for Tahoe.
Two roadside beacons in particular stood out in his memory along I-80 — for the Nut Tree restaurant complex, whose towering sign with three logos was removed in 2015, and for the Milk Farm, which hasn’t been open since the 1980s but whose cow is still jumping over the moon as drivers pass by.
My colleague Jill Cowan, a reporter based in Los Angeles, mentioned the elephant seals in San Simeon, the James Dean cutout along Highway 46 in Lost Hills, and the In-N-Out in Kettleman City, a favorite among drivers traveling between the Bay Area and L.A.
For me, the highway landmarks that loom largest are those that I’ve seen over and over. When I was a kid, the impossible-to-miss San Onofre nuclear power plant told me we had almost reached San Diego. And on I-5, the grueling Tejon Pass, often called the Grapevine, once signaled that I was well on my way back to college at U.C. Berkeley after a break; nowadays it tells me that I’m on my way back home to San Francisco.
Here are some readers’ favorite stops, lightly edited:
“A few miles south of Madera, in the median strip of Highway 99, stand a palm and a pine — symbolic of Southern and Northern California and much beloved by all who know what they’re driving by. When Caltrans tried to cut them down, a great outcry put a stop to that. When the pine — actually a cedar — was later blown down in a windstorm, a replacement was planted.” — Susan Weikel Morrison, Fresno |
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| Hamas will release 14 Israeli hostages for Israel freeing 42 Palestinians in the second swap | Politics Hamas will release 14 Israeli hostages for Israel freeing 42 Palestinians in the second swap Overall, Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners during the four-day truce, all women and minors. People react as they hear the news of the release of 13 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. Friday marks the start of a four-day cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, during which the Gaza militants pledged to release 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) AP
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Egyptian officials said Hamas was preparing to release 14 Israeli hostages Saturday for 42 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, as part of an exchange on the second day of a cease-fire that has allowed critical humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and given civilians their first respite after seven weeks of war.
On the first day of the four-day cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the about 240 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed from captivity in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.
On Saturday, Hamas provided mediators Egypt and Qatar with a list of 14 hostages to be released, and the list has been passed along to Israel, according to an Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to talk about details of the ongoing negotiations. A second Egyptian official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the details.
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Under the truce agreement, Hamas will release one Israeli hostage for every three prisoners freed, and Israel’s Prison Service had already said earlier Saturday it was preparing 42 prisoners for release.
It was not immediately clear how many non-Israeli captives may also be released.
Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners during the four-day truce, all women and minors.
Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed — something United States President Joe Biden said he hoped would come to pass.
Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and “ensure the deal continues to move smoothly,” according to a diplomat briefed on the visit. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.
The start of the truce Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent as well.
For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again dig through the rubble of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.
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He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew Friday, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. With his sister and two other relatives still missing, he resumed his digging Saturday.
“We want to find them and bury them in dignity,” he said.
The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of humanitarian aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel — just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume — as well as cooking gas, a first time since the war began.
In the southern city of Khan Younis on Saturday, a long line of people with gas cans and other containers waited outside a filling station hoping to get some of the newly delivered fuel.
As he waited for fuel, Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.
“I wish it could be extended until people’s conditions improved,” he said.
For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed to northern Gaza on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area since the start of the war.
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The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City, where much of the fighting has taken place, to a hospital in Khan Younis.
The relief brought by the cease-fire has been tempered, however, for both sides — among Israelis by the fact that not all hostages will be freed and among Palestinians by the brevity of the pause. The short truce leaves Gaza mired in a humanitarian crisis and under the threat that fighting could soon resume.
Amal Abu Awada, a 40-year-old widow who fled a Gaza City-area camp for Khan Younis with her three children earlier in November, ventured out Friday to a U.N. facility looking for food and water, but said there was none available.
“We went back empty handed,” she said. “But at least there are no bombs, and we can try again.”
FIRST HOSTAGES FREED
After nightfall Friday, a line of ambulances emerged from Gaza through the Rafah Crossing into Egypt carrying the freed hostages. The freed Israelis included nine women and four children 9 and under.
The released hostages were taken to three Israeli hospitals for observation. The Schneider Children’s Medical Center said it was treating eight Israelis — four children and four women — and that all appeared to be in good physical condition. The center said they were also receiving psychological treatment, adding that “these are sensitive moments” for the families.
At a plaza dubbed “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, a crowd of Israelis celebrated the news.
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The hostages included multiple generations. Nine-year-old Ohad Munder-Zichri was freed along with his mother, Keren Munder, and grandmother, Ruti Munder. The fourth-grader was abducted during a holiday visit to his grandparents at the kibbutz where about 80 people — nearly a quarter of all residents of the small community — are believed to have been taken from.
The plight of the hostages has raised anger among some families that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to bring them home.
Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenage boys held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. In the West Bank town of Beitunia, hundreds of Palestinians poured out of their homes to celebrate, honking horns and setting off fireworks that lit up the night sky.
The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers, and others who had been arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is currently holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.
A LONGER PEACE?
The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.
Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, said the hope is that momentum from the deal will lead to an end to the violence. Qatar served as a mediator along with the U.S. and Egypt.
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Israeli leaders have said they would resume fighting eventually and not stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israel has set the release of all hostages as the second goal of the war, and officials have argued that only military pressure can bring them home.
At the same time, the government is under pressure from the families of the hostages to make the release of the remaining captives the top priority, ahead of any efforts to end Hamas control of Gaza.
The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead, though the latest number was not broken down. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down.
Rising reported from Bangkok, Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writer Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report. |
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| Man Cleared of Murder After More Than 48 Years in Prison | An Oklahoma man who in 1975 was convicted of murder in a liquor store robbery was exonerated in court on Tuesday after he had spent more than 48 years in prison, the authorities said.
It was thought to be the longest time served by a wrongfully convicted inmate in the United States, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, which tracks the length of sentences for wrongful convictions.
The man, Glynn Simmons, 70, was declared innocent in a ruling by Judge Amy Palumbo of Oklahoma County District Court. Mr. Simmons was released on bond in July after Judge Palumbo agreed during a status hearing to vacate the judgment and sentence at the request of Vicki Zemp Behenna, the Oklahoma County district attorney who had been reviewing his case.
Ms. Behenna, whose office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday, found that important evidence in Mr. Simmons’s case had not been turned over to his defense lawyers. |
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| Snow Closes Schools as Next Round of Arctic Air Moves East | Another blast of Arctic air was roaring across the Midwest on Friday on its way to the eastern United States, where snow was already falling in New York and other areas, some schools were canceled and officials warned of dangerous driving conditions.
The forecast called for up to six inches of snow for an area from Baltimore to central New Jersey, and up to eight inches in parts of the Philadelphia area. A foot of snow could fall in the mountainous regions of the Central Appalachians and along the eastern shores of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan, forecasters said. Elsewhere, a few inches of snow was forecast from Kentucky to Vermont.
Officials warned that snow and plunging temperatures were making roads dangerous. Officials from Indiana to Tennessee reported that trucks were sliding off icy highways and bridges. The governor of Tennessee closed state offices on Friday, citing the hazardous travel conditions. Kentucky’s governor closed all executive branch state office buildings. In Huntsville, Ala., where the roads have been coated in ice and slush this week, the police said they had responded since Monday to nearly 200 car accidents, 37 of which involved injuries. |
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| Lessons From the Past Year of Wordle | People like playing Wordle. In the past year, millions have played the game every day, and then shared, discussed and debated how they tried to win.
For the first time, we’ve analyzed how people played in half a billion of those Wordle games and compared them with the strategies that our WordleBot recommends. Below are four things we learned.
1. Of the top 30 starting words, ADIEU is the most popular but least efficient.
Many, many words have been written about the best opening word for Wordle. Answering this question, in fact, was one of the motivations behind WordleBot’s development. In its robot brain, a handful of words — SLATE, CRANE, TRACE — are best.
For human Wordle players, the most popular opening word by some margin is ADIEU. AUDIO, another four-vowel word, is the fourth-most popular. |
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| Tolkien Estate Wins Court Order to Destroy Fans Lord of the Rings Sequel | It was supposed to be what a fan described as a “loving homage” to his hero, the author J.R.R. Tolkien, and to “The Lord of the Rings,” which he called “one of the most defining experiences of his life.”
A judge in California had another view.
The fan, Demetrious Polychron of Santa Monica, Calif., violated copyright protections this year when he wrote and published a sequel to the epic “Rings” series, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the Central District of California ruled last week.
In a summary judgment, Judge Wilson found “direct evidence of copying” and barred Polychron from further distributing the book or any others in a planned series. He also ordered Polychron to destroy all electronic and physical copies of the published work, “The Fellowship of the King,” by Sunday. As of Wednesday, Amazon and Barnes & Noble were no longer listing the book for sale online.
The saga began in 2017, when Polychron emailed and then hand-delivered a gift-wrapped copy of his book to Simon Tolkien, a grandson of the author, at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. Accompanying the gift was a letter in which Polychron said that he had written “the obvious pitch-perfect sequel” to Tolkien’s fantastical trilogy about Middle-earth and that he “really didn’t have a choice,” according to court documents. He said his goal was “to stick as close to canon as I could.” |
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| Live stream: Celtics 91, Knicks 90 | Joe Mazzulla on the decision to bring Al Horford off the bench: “You don’t make decisions without taking in consideration who he is and what he stands for. I’m not saying he lined up, shit, like raising his hand excited about it. But he’s Al, so we’re grateful for him.” – 5:47 PM |
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| Opinion | Things Have Gotten Pretty Weird With New Yorks Mayor | David Firestone: Hi, Mara, and welcome to a year that’s going to be full of news about Mayor Eric Adams and the long-term health of New York City.
City Hall is playing nothing but defense these days, and it seemed fitting somehow to learn that Adams is considering removing reporters from Room 9, the municipal press room, as well as the press offices in One Police Plaza. Between his personal scandals, the big budget cuts and widespread accusations that he has mismanaged the migrant crisis, there has been very little good news to cover about the Adams administration. Flailing politicians often lash out at the press, and for Adams, who clearly hates the coverage he has been getting, that seems like a substitute for doing a good job.
Mara Gay: Hi, David! I’m glad we’re having this conversation. So many eyes are focused on a hugely important presidential election this November. But what’s happening with the mayor of the nation’s largest city is pretty weird. Embattled by investigations into his campaign and the rest of the problems you mention, David, the mayor seems to be acting in some erratic ways and picking unnecessary fights. This week Adams lashed out in a personal attack against the city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, for supporting a bill he doesn’t like that would require the Police Department to report more complete data on police stops throughout the city.
“He lives in a fort,” Adams said at a police briefing, referring to Williams, who rents a private apartment in a development inside the U.S. Army garrison at Fort Hamilton, in Brooklyn. Williams told reporters later the mayor “sounded like a 5-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.” |
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| Boys Basketball Scoreboard: Angel Castillo, Athol hold off Frontier & more | The Athol boys basketball team defeated Frontier by just two points Thursday night to remain undefeated.
Behind the 50-48 win, Athol moved to 5-0 on the season. |
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| Chipotle is coming to Medfield, Medway and both stores will have drive-thrus | Burrito fans in Norfolk County will be jumping for joy once Chipotle dawns two new locations in the area this month.
The new Chipotle stores are coming to Medfield and Medway. After ordering ahead on the Chipotle app, guests can pick up their food at either location at the drive-thru. Guests won’t be able to order in the drive-thru.
The Medway Chipotle, which will be located at 67B Main St., will open Friday, Dec. 22. The Medfield Chipotle, located at 250 Main St. will be opening later this month. Both will be open daily from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Guests can indulge in all of Chipotle’s classic offerings like the Carne Asada that is available for a limited time.
Both the Medway location and Medfield location are hiring as well. More information about career opportunities can be found online. |
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| Owners of Kenmore Diner in Worcester to retire as restaurant reaches 50 years | The owners of a landmark diner in Worcester are retiring as the restaurant is on track to celebrate its 50th anniversary this month, but the diner has plans to stay open.
James Yantsides, owner of Kenmore Diner on Franklin Street, confirmed to MassLive Monday that he and his wife will be retiring from the restaurant. As the couple plans to visit family in Greece and Cyprus, the diner will stay open, but under new ownership, Spectrum News reported.
“We’ve had some really great customers,” Pauline Yantsides told the news outlet. “It’s like family. It’s emotional, it’s mixed feelings. We are happy and sad, but we’ll be visiting and see the people again.”
James and Pauline Yantsides have been delighting diners ever since they took over Kenmore Diner in 1974, according to Spectrum News. Kenmore earned its stripes as the quintessential classic diner from customers near and far.
“The food is freshly-prepared and everything is consistently well made. The chocolate chip pancake for my kid was one of the best we’ve tried anywhere, and when you consider that it is less than $4, it is in a class by itself,” a Yelp reviewer from Wallingford, Connecticut said in March.
Read More: The Industry in Dorchester has closed to make way for new Mexican restaurant
“I had a ham, cheese, and onion omelette that was also wonderful, came with tasty home fries and buttery toast,” he continued. “The sausages come in quantity and they’re very tasty.”
“Mid-mod decor makes a neat change from the (awesome) standard train car,” another reviewer said referencing the diner’s signature layout. “Great service, food on par with the VERY high standard in Worcester.”
Spectrum News said the couple’s last day at Kenmore Diner will be on Jan. 15. |
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| Gerry Holzman, Master Carver of a New York Merry-Go-Round, Dies at 90 | Gerry Holzman, a master woodcarver who conceived, and toiled for 20 years to build, a merry-go-round that celebrated New York State with riding animals like a beaver, a cow and a pig, as well as portrait panels of citizens like Susan B. Anthony, Grandma Moses and Theodore Roosevelt, died on Dec. 8 at his home in Brunswick, Maine. He was 90.
The cause was heart failure, his daughter Nancy Holzman said.
A former high school teacher, Mr. Holzman was the head carver and fund-raiser of the Empire State Carousel, a whimsical and educational reminder of state fairs and carnivals past. The carousel, which is 36 feet wide and 23 feet high, was built with the help of about 1,000 volunteer carvers, woodworkers, painters and quilters. It is a permanent and popular attraction at the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., where it opened in 2006.
“I’m a real history buff,” Mr. Holzman told The New York Times in 1999, when the carousel was by his estimation “97 to 98 percent done.” “I’m one of these people who truly love New York. This is my whole life.”
The carousel is the signature creation of Mr. Holzman’s late-blooming woodworking career, during which he also restored antique carousel art and carved walking sticks, decorative moldings, signs, plaques, human and animal figures, and religious works. |
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| ESPN BET Massachusetts promo code MASS unwraps $250 Christmas weekend bonus for NBA, NFL | Sports Betting Dime provides exclusive sports betting content to MassLive.com, including real-time odds, picks, analysis and sportsbook offers to help sports fans get in on the action. Please wager responsibly.
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| MassHealth to cover doula services for pregnant, birthing, postpartum people | The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed as moot a dispute over whether a disabled woman could sue a hotel for violating a federal disability law even though she did not plan to stay there.
The woman, Deborah Laufer, had sued hundreds of hotels whose websites did not say whether they had rooms accessible to disabled people, as required by a regulation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She typically asked the hotels to admit they broke the law, fix the issue and pay her legal fees.
“As the sheer number of lawsuits suggests,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for seven justices, “she does not focus her efforts on hotels where she has any thought of staying, much less booking a room. Instead, Laufer systematically searches the web to find hotels that fail to provide accessibility information and sues to force compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
The case before the court, Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, No. 22-429, started in September 2020, when Ms. Laufer sued Acheson Hotels, the operator of the Coast Village Inn and Cottages, a small hotel in Wells, Maine. The question the justices agreed to answer was whether “testers” like Ms. Laufer had suffered the sort of direct and concrete injuries that gave them standing to sue. |
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| My fitness business closed, but it did not fail (Guest Commentary) | In May of 2013 I stood proudly in the entrance of my business to cut the ribbon for its grand opening. Along with me were my proud mother and father, then-girlfriend, former Mayor Dan Knapik and state Sen. Don Humason on the big day for Dynamic Fitness. I will keep the picture of that day for as long as I live, as it was the start of something very special.
I’m no geezer at 38, but at 27 I was a missile of energy and brought that towards my training. I hustled most of my clients from my previous place of employment with the promise I would provide a better and more private place for training. I was quite fortunate to be given the opportunity to inherit a retiring trainer’s (Anette Grace) clients, as well.
By the summer of 2013, I was off to a great start. I offered 45-minute training sessions on a pay-as-you-go system. I trusted in my skill set and didn’t make anyone sign contracts of financial commitment. |
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| All Aboard! This Mass. Christmas train ride is a cant-miss for holiday cheer, according to Yankee | If you’ve already read or watched the Christmas classic “The Polar Express” with your kids, and you’re looking for a real-life holiday train ride, Yankee magazine has you covered.
The travel and lifestyle magazine recently published its list of the 14 best Christmas train rides across the New England region. And, course, one from the Bay State made the cut.
“Picture this: you’re gazing out the window of a train as it chugs along snow-dusted tracks. Fresh, white flakes are falling from the sky and you hold a steaming cup of hot cocoa in your hands,” Yankee’s Katherine Keenan wrote. “The sound of jingling bells fills the air. Sounds pretty perfect, huh? After all, nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like a ride through one of New England’s many winter wonderlands on an old-fashioned steam locomotive — and with many different active, running trains to choose from, there’s festive fun all throughout the region.
Here in the Bay State, the train rides at the Edaville Family Theme Park at the Christmas Festival of Lights will punch your ticket this season, according to Yankee.
The park offers a variety of rides, including its Narrow Gauge Railroad and Mountain Fire Brigade rides, according to its website.
“There are many rides for you to enjoy. Some are outdoors, some indoors, and of course our famous classic steam and diesel trains,” the park asserts on its website.
And if you’re looking to go back in time, be sure to check out the model Edaville Railroad located inside the second floor of the park’s brick building.
There you can “watch these wonderful little engines glide through wonderfully decorated landscapes, each more fanciful and fun than the next,” according to the park’s website.
The Edaville Family Theme Park is located at 5 Pine St, Carver, Mass., 02330. Its holiday celebration kicked off on Nov. 9 and runs until Dec. 31. Tickets for the Christmas Festival of Lights start at $12.95 and you can purchase them here. |
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| To Bolster Russias Army, Putin Eases Citizenship Path for Foreign Fighters | President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has approved a measure that makes it easier for foreigners to acquire Russian citizenship if they enlist in the army amid the war in Ukraine, part of an effort to increase the military’s ranks while also sparing Russians from being deployed to the battlefield.
Under the decree, which the Kremlin published on Thursday, foreigners who sign a one-year contract with the Russian Army or volunteer for “army formations” during what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine can apply for Russian citizenship under a fast-track procedure. The benefits also extend to the recruits’ spouses, children and parents.
Unlike those who go through Russia’s regular citizenship process, such foreigners would not need to live in the country for five consecutive years under a residence permit before applying. They would also be spared requirements to speak Russian and be familiar with the country’s history and basic laws.
A decision on such applications will take only one month instead of the usual three, according to the decree. |
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| Western Mass. Boys Basketball Top 20: Springfield Central earns top spot in first rankings | FOXBOROUGH — After missing 35-yard field goals in back-to-back losses, Chad Ryland’s job security is in jeopardy.
The Patriots worked out five kickers on Tuesday, and according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Bill Belichick told one of them to hang around Foxborough.
“Kicker intel: Matt McCrane stayed in town after being 1 of 5 to work out for the Patriots Tuesday, and was on standby pending another workout(s) Wednesday (possibly Matthew Wright, who was released from Falcons practice squad Tuesday),” Reiss tweeted. “So possibility of 2nd kicker still in play.”
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McCrane has been on five NFL rosters and spent time in the XFL. His only NFL kicks came in 2018, when he went 8-for-12 on field goals and 9-for-9 on extra points with three different teams. Wright, the second kicker Reiss noted as a possibility, has more NFL kicks on his resume, going 40-for-46 with a long of 59 yards with the Chiefs last season.
Belichick was tightlipped about his kicking situation in his Wednesday morning press conference, but on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show Monday, he offered a blunt assessment Ryland’s play.
“Chad’s a very talented player, but this is two weeks in a row we’ve basically missed extra points,” Belichick said. “So it’s not good enough.”
With the most recent miss, Ryland fell to 12-of-18 (66.7%) on the season. There’s nothing he can do about it, but the rookie’s totals look even worse compared to Nick Folk 21-of-22 (95.5%), who remains nearly automatic in Tennessee. |
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| How Andrew Ross Sorkin Gets Business and World Leaders to Open Up | Andrew Ross Sorkin and
Listen and follow DealBook Summit
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music
DealBook Summit includes conversations with business and policy leaders at the heart of today’s major stories, recorded live at the annual DealBook Summit event in New York City.
Leaders are grappling with a critical moment, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, a U.S. presidential election and disruptive changes from artificial intelligence. That was the theme throughout the DealBook Summit, which featured conversations with heads of state, chief executives and others.
Andrew Ross Sorkin of DealBook speaks with Lulu Garcia-Navarro, an audio host with The New York Times Magazine, about his takeaways from the event and how he prepares for his marathon of interviews with individuals shaping the world today. |
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| The Results Are In: These Are the Best Holiday Movies According to Our Instagram Followers | Hey BU Blog | The Results Are In: These Are the Best Holiday Movies According to Our Instagram Followers
Film & TV The Results Are In: These Are the Best Holiday Movies According to Our Instagram Followers It’s time to get watching, BU!
It’s that time of year again, Terriers! As the weather gets colder and the holidays creep up, it’s only natural that you begin your movie-binging. There’s nothing quite like snuggling up with loved ones and indulging in heartwarming films that capture the magic of the holidays! With that being said, it can be time-consuming to find a film that everyone will agree on, so we let the Terriers who follow @bostonu on Instagram do the picking for you. Here’s a list of the top five holiday classics our followers agreed on:
1. Elf
Courtesy of giphy.com
It’s funny, heart-warming, and great for the whole family. Laughing is pretty standard when watching any Will Ferrell movie, no matter what age you are. The comedy follows Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole, as he embarks on a journey to New York City to find his real father, Walter Hobbs. Buddy’s childlike innocence clashes with the bustling and cynical world of humans until he’s able to spread holiday cheer.
Available for streaming on: Max & Hulu (free with subscription)
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Courtesy of giphy.com
🎶 Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight! 🎶
Rudolph, of course, is a holiday classic. The film is right up there with the animated Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman movies everyone knows and loves from their childhood. The film tells the story of Rudolph, a reindeer with a luminous red nose that sets him apart from his peers. Originally shamed for his unique feature, Rudolph discovers that his special ability becomes the key to guiding Santa’s sleigh on a foggy Christmas Eve.
Available for purchase on Amazon Prime ($7.99)
3. Home Alone
Courtesy of giphy.com
Could this be a must-watch holiday movie list without Home Alone? This was Terrier’s most loved holiday movie, winning by a landslide vote. In case you somehow haven’t watched it, the story follows a young boy who is accidentally left behind during his family’s vacation. While home, Kevin must defend the house against a duo of goofy burglars. It’s an original comedy classic!
Available for streaming on: Disney+ & Hulu (free with Premium subscription)
4. Love Actually
Courtesy of giphy.com
This film follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.
The overriding message? The holidays are better when you spend them with the people who care about you, and that’s good enough for us.
Available for streaming on: Netflix (free with subscription)
5. The Polar Express
Courtesy of giphy.com
Cozy up with a cup of HOT… HOT…HOT… HOT CHOC-O-LATE and catch The Polar Express! The film follows a young boy on Christmas Eve who embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
The train conductor, played by Tom Hanks, shared one of the most iconic lines in holiday film history when he said, “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”
Available for streaming on: Hulu, Max, and Amazon Prime (free with subscription)
Happy holidays, Terriers! Let us know if we missed one of your favorites in the comments below. ⬇️ |
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| The Shows May Be Over. But John Mayers Guitar Face Lives On. | During the final show of Dead & Company’s so-called Final Tour on Sunday night, the crowd at Oracle Park in San Francisco swayed and bobbed like the current of a turning river.
People in flower crowns grooved through the shimmying mass on the stadium’s field. A man in cowboy regalia cupped his hands around his ears and two-stepped to the beat. A woman in face glitter who gave her name as Honey Bee regaled strangers with the tale of how she came with a man she had met two days before, who happened to have an extra ticket. Other fans, who were not as lucky, danced on the sidewalk outside of the park.
And onstage, the band’s lead guitarist, John Mayer, leaned back, sucked his lips inside his mouth and scrunched his eyes closed as he wailed on a guitar while playing the song “Althea.” Shortly after his impassioned solo, footage of it started spreading on Twitter.
Mr. Mayer has been a member of Dead & Company, an offshoot of the Grateful Dead, since it formed in 2015. Though he is not the band’s face, the faces he has made while performing — which can cover the full spectrum of human emotion, from despair to sweet relief to sublime pleasure — have for some been almost as unforgettable as the music itself. |
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| Senator spent time with Thanksgiving traditions, judge security bill (Letter) | Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope that dinner on Thursday was spent with loved ones and that amid all the excitement and stress of preparation and travel, everyone also took some time to reflect on what they are thankful for this year. I know for myself that it’s a long list, but at the top of it is my family.
It was a still a busy week in the district ahead of the holiday. Monday morning was the groundbreaking for the Appleton Mills project in Holyoke. This revitalization project will be restoring the currently unused Appleton Mills building to create 88 units of affordable senior housing. As the cost of housing continues to skyrocket, seniors on a fixed income are some of the hardest hit, and this project will go a long way to protecting one of our most vulnerable populations.
On Tuesday, I got to take part in of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions: serving dinner down at the Forum House in Westfield. This organization does amazing work and helps those with disabilities enter and stay in the workforce. They are a great group to work alongside, and I thank them for inviting me to serve their holiday meals. I’m already looking forward to next year. |
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| Mass. weather: Storm overnight Sunday could cause power outages, flooding | Weather 100,000 Without Power In MA With Strong Winds, Flooding Ahead Flooding is possible as strong winds continue to cause major problems for communities across the state on Monday.
A flood watch, wind advisory and flood warning are in effect for parts of the state, with the heaviest winds expected on Cape Cod this morning. (Shutterstock)
MASSACHUSETTS — Heavy rains and strong winds have already caused problems from Cape Cod to western Massachusetts and almost everywhere in between on Monday morning.
At the BlueHill Observatory in Milton, wind gusts reached 76 mph on Monday morning, matching a record peak gust for the date originally set in 1978, according to Chief Observer Matt Douglas. A flood watch, wind advisory and flood warning are in effect for parts of the state, with the heaviest winds expected on Cape Cod this morning.
The watch is in effect until 7 p.m. for areas of the state including Middlesex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Bristol and Worcester Counties. A flood warning is in effect until noon for the West Deerfield River at West Deerfield, which affects Franklin County, and the Deerfield River at Charlemont, which affects the Berkshire and Franklin Counties.
On Cape Cod and areas of coastal Massachusetts, a storm warning is also in effect until 7 p.m. The National Weather Service said hazardous winds will cause hazardous seas that could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. This warning impacts the Cape Cod Bay, Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Rhode Island Sound, Block Island Sound, Massachusetts Bay and Ipswich Bay.
As of 9:30 a.m., the National Weather Service in Boston said that power outages are climbing across the state, with as many as 100,000 residents without power at that time. Eversource is reporting 991 customers without power in Bourne, as of 8:45 a.m.
Officials from the office said the strongest winds in the state will be on Cape Cod this morning into the early afternoon, but will diminish in the hours after midday. A high wind warning in in effect on Cape Cod until 7 p.m. on Monday. Read more: Strong Wind, Heavy Rain Bring Problems To Cape Cod Power outages are also affecting areas away from the coasts, with Framingham having to cancel classes at one school in the city. Read more: Framingham Thayer Campus Closed Due To Power Outage |
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| Pre-Thanksgiving Storm Update: When Will MA See Rain, Wind, Snow? | The North American wolverine received protection from the federal government Wednesday, with conservation efforts to protect the threatened species under the Endangered Species Act coming as a result of climate change, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced.
“Current and increasing impacts of climate change and associated habitat degradation and fragmentation are imperiling the North American wolverine,” Pacific Regional Director Hugh Morrison said in a statement from the wildlife service. “Based on the best available science, this listing determination will help to stem the long-term impact and enhance the viability of wolverines in the contiguous United States.”
The wildlife service updated its 2018 species status assessment for the species in September 2023, the statement said. The assessment evaluated updated information related to climate change, “habitat connectivity, trapping, snow, population density, and impacts on genetic diversity, as well as considered changes in regulatory mechanisms and conservation measures.”
In 2013, the Wildlife Service proposed listing North American wolverines as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but seven years later it was determined to be unwarranted, the statement read. The District Court of Montana allowed for this decision to be vacated and for the species to be reconsidered for federal protection.
Read more: Monarch butterflies listed as endangered by scientists as migrating population faces high rate of decline over last decade
North American wolverines are medium-sized carnivores found within the Northern Rocky Mountains and North Cascade Mountains in alpine regions and boreal forests in the contiguous United States, and tundra of Alaska and Canada.
Wolverines were once found across much of the United States, including in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin,and Wyoming, according to PBS. Hunting and habitat loss both contributed to the species’ population decline.
Read more: Amesbury July 4 fireworks show postponed after protected Bobolinks are found
In recent years, wolverines have been spotted in parts of the country where they are not commonly found. One was seen in California’s Yosemite National Park and two were found in the Golden State’s Inyo National Forest, CNN reported in June 2023. These appearances marked the second time the animals were seen in California in a century.
The fate of the wolverines in New England is a different story. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, wolverines are listed as extirpated, or extinct, from the state. The agency noted that there was one record of one seen in Western Massachusetts before 1835. |
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| QB Corner: Bailey Zappe struggles against Jets, snow | FOXBOROUGH — If Bailey Zappe hoped that the Patriots’ season finale would be an opportunity to add evidence to the case that he is good enough to be a winning NFL starting quarterback, Mother Nature and the Jets had other ideas.
In addition to facing a very good New York Jets defense, Zappe was forced to deal with snowy conditions, including wind, cold and poor footing, Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
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It didn’t go well. Neither team moved the ball effectively in the Patriots’ 17-3 loss to the Jets. In Zappe’s last chance to convince Bill Belichick or whoever else might be coaching the Patriots next year, that he should be considered a viable starting quarterback candidate before free agency and the draft, he struggled. Zappe was 6-for-15 for 48 yards without an interception or touchdown in the first half. He was sacked twice.
Things got worse after intermission as Zappe mixed two interceptions in with his growing collection of incompletions.
He appeared to get lucky in the fourth quarter. After taking a 16-yard sack on a trick play, he was intercepted by Ashtyn Davis, but the safety tried to return the pick and fumbled the ball. The Patriots recovered it to regain possession.
But two plays later Zappe was intercepted again, this time by Tony Adams, ending the Patriots’ comeback chances. Zappe finished 12-for-30 for 88 yards and two interceptions and was sacked seven times.
Zappe finished his second season in the NFL completing 127-of-212 passes for 1272 yards six touchdowns, nine interceptions. He took 25 sacks. Zappe is now 4-4 as a starting quarterback and 2-4.
The Patriots ended Mac Jones’ already disappointing season, with one last moment of indignation. Jones was demoted from Zappe’s backup to the inactive third-string emergency quarterback. Nathan Rourke was upgraded to No. 2, his first time active this season.
Jones finished his third NFL season with 224 completions on 345 passes for 2,120 yards. He threw 10 touchdown passes and was intercepted 12 times.
The once-promising rivalry between him and fellow 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson never materialized. Wilson was also just the third-string emergency quarterback for the Jets. New York will reportedly attempt to trade Wilson during the offseason. |
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| Los cuidadores de Baystate Health brindan consejos para una mejor salud en 2024 | ¿Incluiste una mejor salud en tus propósitos de Año Nuevo?
Los expertos en la salud de Baystate Health sugieren establecer objetivos realistas y priorizar lo que es más importante para usted, dar pequeños pasos y recordar no castigarse si encuentra un revés en sus objetivos de salud para el 2024.
Algunos objetivos que usted debe considerar para su salud y su alma a medida que continúa su trayectoria incluyen:
Mejorar sus niveles de azúcar en la sangre: Hay tres enfoques importantes para mejorar sus niveles de azúcar en sangre al comenzar el nuevo año. Primero, modere su consumo de carbohidratos. No se necesita ningún enfoque dramático. Si antes tomabas dos cucharadas de patatas, ahora toma una y llena el espacio vacío con verduras sin almidón. En segundo lugar, aumente su actividad física. El uso de nuestros músculos empujará el azúcar hacia nuestras células y lo sacará de nuestro torrente sanguíneo. Cuanto más nos movamos y seamos físicamente activos, mejores serán nuestros números. En tercer lugar, una modesta pérdida de peso. Perder entre el 5 y el 10 % de nuestro peso corporal tendrá un impacto dramático en la forma en que metabolizamos el azúcar. Hable con su proveedor de atención médica para personalizar este enfoque para usted. Nosotros en Baystate contamos con especialistas en enfoques de estilo de vida para mejorar la salud metabólica, llamados educadores en diabetes, que pueden brindarle información personalizada adicional.
- Dra. Cecilia A. Lozier, jefa de la División de Endocrinología y Diabetes, Baystate Health
No permita que los problemas de sueño afecten su salud: Los niveles de estrés son más altos hoy en día en el mundo en el que vivimos. Si bien el estrés puede hacer que dormir bien sea más difícil, es importante priorizar el sueño, que es necesario para la salud y el bienestar. La mayoría de los adultos funcionan mejor durmiendo entre 7 y 8 horas y los adolescentes necesitan alrededor de 9 horas. Un sueño de buena calidad es importante para prevenir infecciones y mantener el sistema inmunológico funcionando bien. Los estudios han demostrado que las personas privadas de sueño no desarrollan la misma respuesta inmune después de las vacunas que las personas que duermen bien, por lo que es importante asegurarse de dormir bien por la noche antes de vacunarse contra la gripe o el COVID, por ejemplo. Mantener un horario de sueño regular permitirá que el reloj interno de su cuerpo le ayude a dormir lo mejor posible por la noche. Si usted tiene dificultades para dormir o signos de mala calidad del sueño con ronquidos fuertes, dificultad para permanecer dormido, orinar con frecuencia durante la noche o somnolencia o cansancio durante el día, puede beneficiarse de una evaluación de medicamentos para el sueño en Baystate. Los estudios del sueño están disponibles mediante remisión de su médico o, para obtener más información, llame al 413-794-5600.
- Dra. Karin Johnson, directora médica, Programa Regional del Sueño de Baystate Health y Laboratorio del Sueño del Centro Médico de Baystate, Baystate Health
Mantenerse a salvo del COVID-19 y de las infecciones respiratorias estacionales: mantenerse al día con las vacunas contra el COVID-19, la gripe y el RSV es importante si desea mantenerse saludable en 2024. No es demasiado tarde para recibir estas vacunas, en particular si tiene 60 años o más, tiene un sistema inmunológico débil o tiene condiciones médicas que lo ponen en riesgo de sufrir una infección respiratoria grave. Hable con su proveedor de atención médica si tiene preguntas. Es prudente usar su mascarilla si se encuentra en un lugar público interior o en cualquier área concurrida con poca ventilación.
- Dr. Armando Paez, jefe de la División de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Baystate Health
Mantener a los niños sanos: a medida que nos adaptamos a la “nueva normalidad” de un mundo pospandémico, nuestros niños han enfrentado muchos desafíos que han impactado su bienestar. Los problemas de salud mental, incluido el aumento de las tasas de depresión, ansiedad y autolesiones, resaltan la importancia de asegurarse de que los niños tengan relaciones sólidas con adultos y compañeros afectuosos. Centrémonos en guiar a nuestros hijos hacia una curación y un crecimiento continuo. Además de las expresiones diarias de amor y seguridad, anime a sus hijos a explorar salidas creativas que traigan alegría y fomenten la resiliencia. Las conexiones con el mundo real y el tiempo de pantalla consciente son clave para equilibrar el panorama digital. Como familias, podemos priorizar enfoques de bienestar apropiados para la edad, ya sea mediante el movimiento regular o el fomento de hábitos alimentarios saludables. Adaptar nuestro enfoque garantiza que los niños no sólo estén equipados para enfrentar los desafíos que enfrentan, sino que también estén capacitados para prosperar en un mundo en constante evolución.
- Dra. Amy J. Starmer, MPH, jefa de la División de Pediatría General y Salud Familiar
Controlar su peso: ¿Su propósito de Año Nuevo es comer más saludablemente, hacer más ejercicio o lograr otra meta relacionada con la salud? El nuevo año trae consigo la oportunidad de iniciar un camino hacia el bienestar o, si ya lo has hecho, de mantener hábitos saludables. Sin embargo, puede resultar difícil lograr que estos objetivos se mantengan a pesar de todos los desafíos que nos presenta el año. ¿Cuál es la mejor manera de tener éxito en el logro de sus propósitos de salud? Considere lo siguiente:
1. Sé específico con tus objetivos. En lugar de “Comeré más sano,” considere algo como “Reemplazaré 4 refrescos por semana con agua.” Establecer una meta más específica puede ayudarte a “marcar” si has completado la meta cada día y, por lo tanto, tener éxito a largo plazo.
2. Asegúrate de que tus objetivos sean mensurables. Si su objetivo es perder peso, por ejemplo, establezca una cantidad mensurable con un período de tiempo para alcanzar su objetivo. Por ejemplo, “Quiero perder 10 libras para abril de 2024″ y “hacer ejercicio durante 30 minutos, 3 veces por semana” son objetivos más mensurables que “perder peso este año.”
3. Haga que sus objetivos sean realistas para usted. Por ejemplo, si viaja a diario para el trabajo, “dejar de comer mientras viaja” como resolución puede no ser realista para su estilo de vida. Es posible que se dé por vencido en febrero si ha comprado alguna comida fuera. Esto obstaculiza cualquier progreso que podría haber logrado en un período más largo. En su lugar, pruebe con un objetivo más realista y flexible, como “preparar un almuerzo saludable para conservarlo en un lugar fresco 4 veces por semana.”
Prepárese para el éxito este año haciendo resoluciones que funcionen para usted, que sean específicas y mensurables. De lo contrario, es posible que se sienta rápidamente frustrado por su incapacidad para cumplir y alcanzar sus objetivos.
- Eliana Terry, MS RD CSG LDN, dietista registrada, Baystate Noble Hospital
Dónde buscar atención: si no se siente bien y no puede esperar a una cita regular de atención primaria con su proveedor de atención primaria de Baystate, Convenient Care ofrece atención sin cita previa el mismo día con horarios extendidos que se adaptan a su horario. Baystate Convenient Care brinda atención de alta calidad, conveniente y asequible para lesiones y enfermedades que no ponen en peligro la vida y que requieren atención médica oportuna. Por el contrario, los departamentos de emergencias (DE) ofrecen atención las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana para afecciones agudas o emergencias médicas graves con atención experta. Al decidir si acudir o no a Convenient Care, considere si la enfermedad o lesión pone en peligro la vida y requiere tratamiento médico integral. Si es así, el servicio de urgencias debería ser su primer destino. Sin embargo, algunos síntomas y afecciones comunes no requieren una visita al Departamento de Emergencias. Las ubicaciones incluyen Convenient Care en Baystate Wing Hospital, Baystate Convenient Care Longmeadow, Baystate Convenient Care Northampton, Baystate Convenient Care Springfield y Baystate Convenient Care Westfield. Para obtener más información, visite Baystate Convenient Care.
- Dra. Agnieszka Nicora, directora médica, Baystate Convenient Care
Traducido por Damaris Pérez Pizarro |
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| Gov. Maura Healey just signed a $3.1B year-end spending bill. Here are 3 things to know | The $3.1 billion year-end budget bill that Gov. Maura Healey signed Monday will – among other things –provide immediate financial relief to the commonwealth’s shelter system, and give pay increases to tens of thousands of unionized state employees.
Here are three things to know.
How will the new budget bill help unhoused families?
The 2023 year-end spending bill will immediately infuse $250 million into the state’s emergency assistance program to help it run through the rest of the fiscal year. The bill would also require Healey to spend up to $50 million of the funds on an overflow site to house homeless families by Dec. 31.
The influx of migrants entering the Bay State seeking a place to live has dried up the amount of space in the state’s shelter system. The crisis prompted Healey to restrict the number of people who could stay in the state’s shelter to 7,500 families, pushing those in need to a waitlist.
State officials designated a few conference rooms in the state’s transportation building in Boston to serve as an overnight shelter space until an overflow site has been launched.
Lt. Gen. Scott Rice, who leads the state’s response to the ongoing shelter crisis, has said that he and his team are locating an overflow site to house the hundreds of people stuck on the state waitlist.
What else would the budget bill do?
The bill provides nearly $400 million to fund pay increases in union contracts for tens of thousands of state employees, some of whom are police officers, teachers and/or transit workers.
The bill also shells out $75 million for school districts impacted by special education tuition rate increases; $15 million in disaster relief aid for towns and cities harmed by storms and natural disasters in 2023, and $100 million in pension payments to remove any liability from the 2015 early retirement incentive program, according to the Massachusetts Senate’s office.
What are people saying about the bill?
The bill has been widely praised by advocates and lawmakers.
Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, praised the activism from members of his group to get the bill signed.
“Thousands of MTA members worked alongside colleagues from other unions making phone calls, sending emails, signing petitions, and showing up to events, both on their campuses and at the State House,” Page said. “The solidarity of public-sector workers was beautiful to behold. Legislators felt the heat for their inexcusable inaction.”
Andrea Park, Director of Community Driven Advocacy at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, said that she was “relieved and grateful” that the bill was signed, MassLive reported. Park has been in contact with members of the Healey administration to understand their progress in locating an overflow site.
Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, also praised members of her chamber in getting the bill signed.
“The Senate understands how much of an impact our work has on the residents of the Commonwealth—especially when pay raises for hard-working employees and funding for emergency shelter is on the line,” Spilka said in a statement. “I’m proud of the urgency the Senate has repeatedly shown in getting this bill to the governor’s desk, and I’d like to thank all of my colleagues in the Senate for getting this done, especially Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues and Senate Minority Leader [Bruce] Tarr.” |
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| Despite neighborhood objections, Springfield mortuary to be torn down, replaced with car wash | SPRINGFIELD — The obituary for a century-old funeral home has been written, after the City Council agreed to allow the Sampson family to close one of its locations and turn it into a car wash.
The controversial proposal to sell the Liberty Street Funeral Home to ModWash, a company that has more than 90 sites across the country, drew dozens of Hungry Hill residents who protested the plan, saying traffic that a car wash would add to a congested and crash-prone area that is worsened by the complicated Armory Street rotary.
But John Sampson, owner of the business that began on Bridge Street around 1878, said keeping the Liberty Street Funeral Home simply doesn’t make sense to his company, which is one of the oldest in the city that has continually been run by the same family.
“It is 1% of our business. It is not cost-effective to keep it,” he said, adding he has resisted recommendations to sell for years. “People don’t go there, because it is tiny.”
While the inside of the building is beautiful, there is limited parking. It harkens back to the days when Hungry Hill was a neighborhood full of blue-collar workers who walked to the building for wakes, he said.
Now, most people book funeral services at the Chapel of the Acres on Tinkham Road, which is run by the fifth and sixth generations of the Sampson family. That building, constructed by Sampson’s father, has parking for at least 250 and is large enough to comfortably handle several services at the same time, without having mourners spill outside, which happens at the Liberty Street location.
During Monday’s City Council meeting, Mary Ellen Russell O’Brien said the Hungry Hill Neighborhood Council is opposed to the project, and that there already are huge traffic problems on Liberty Street created by businesses, two nearby schools and the rotary.
“This is not an ideal location for a car wash,” said O’Brien, a neighborhood council member. “This is the least appropriate neighborhood to put a car wash.”
During a meeting with neighbors, developers said they have to serve nearly 400 cars in the 12 hours that it will be open every day to make the business profitable. That means 800 additional cars coming and going daily, she said.
But owners of ModWash said later they anticipate 250 cars a day at least when the car wash first opens.
To build a car wash, the developers needed a zoning variance and a special permit; part of the lot is residential, not zoned for a car wash.
Antonio Dos Santos, the lawyer representing the Sampson family, argued that the property at 710 Liberty is surrounded on all sides by businesses, including a gas station, an auto glass firm, a Dunkin’ and two fast food restaurants.
“I believe the zone change comes down to fairness,” he said. “This is a spot zone.”
The Planning Board and city’s Economic Development Department endorsed the change, saying it fit with the existing neighborhood, Dos Santos said.
After a long meeting, the City Council on Monday approved the variance and permit in 10-3 votes.
The overall plan would have the business with a curb cut on Liberty Street. Other existing entrances will be closed and landscaped over. When asked, John Harter, the traffic engineer, said one curb cut is safer than having multiple.
“We control the site, and the access to it. We really cannot control what happens outside the site,” he said in answer to a question about traffic safety.
The business, which will be the first ModWash in Massachusetts, will operate seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and employ between 12 and 15 people, with half working part-time, officials said.
“I don’t see any reason that this is not appropriate,” City Councilor Victor Davila said.
Several other councilors said they wanted to support the Sampson family, which has long supported the city and understand that it is time for the property to be used for something else.
“Times are changing, and they want to make a change, and I’m supporting that change,” Councilor Kateri Walsh said.
Sampson said the last funeral services will be held in mid-December, and developers said they hope to begin construction in February or March. |
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| Multi family sells for $5.6 million in Springfield | A multi-unit house located at 250 Union Street in Springfield has a new owner. The 55,280-square-foot property, built in 1940, was sold on Nov. 28, 2023, for $5,600,000, or $101 per square foot. This is a three-story house. There is a lone fireplace indoors.
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 |
c37f1e031e6e609df937ee5a269572e0 | 0.237719 | 2culture
| Opinion | Dont Flee the American Southwest Just Yet | But there’s reason for hope. Take Arizona, a state that’s often seen as the epicenter of the crisis because of its steep population growth and the fact that many of the same Arizona counties attracting new residents at a record pace are also the most water starved, experiencing severe droughts far out of proportion to the rest of the country. In spite of this, many environmental experts in Arizona are relatively sanguine about its future because of all the progress it’s made over the last 50 years to conserve its water supply.
Because of a reduction in farmland acreage and better household conservation, Arizona now uses 3 percent less water than it did in 1957, despite having a population that’s mushroomed more than 555 percent since then. Paradoxically enough, the steady march of master-planned communities to the horizon — an Arizona cliché — provides big hydrological savings because of the conversion of water-guzzling farmland into more parsimonious suburban uses, Sarah Porter, the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, told me.
We now use treated wastewater on golf courses and parks. Phoenix is already building a facility to turn wastewater into high-quality drinking water by 2030. And Southwestern cities have an exceptionally simple solution for curbing residential water use: Charge more for it in the summers. After Phoenix started using this powerful incentive, the number of homes with front or back lawns went down from nearly 80 percent in the 1970s to about 10 percent today, according to Kathryn Sorensen, a former Water Services director for the city. “That’s a wholesale cultural change,” she said.
In some crucial ways, Arizona will actually be better able to adapt to climate change than many coastal areas of the country. For instance, the cost of building sea walls for U.S. coastal regions will be at least $400 billion, according to the Center for Climate Integrity, while squeezing water out of a desert landscape is relatively cheap in comparison. The only necessary ingredient is political willpower. Public agencies will capture and bank more stormwater in the ground for aquifer recharge, for example, and they can require residents to cover their backyard swimming pools to cut down on evaporation.
The historic adaptability of the Southwest can be applied in multiple other ways. Cities can reduce the heat-island effect by planting more street trees and even small forests that capture carbon. They can mandate reflective coatings on roofs and asphalt, encourage low-flow showers and toilets and discourage residential lawns, as Las Vegas has done. Tougher zoning codes on the county level can stem the runaway growth of what firefighters call suicide subdivisions built on the edge of drying forests vulnerable to wildfire. |
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| Boston shooting leaves woman with life-threatening injuries | CNN —
A jury found actor Jonathan Majors guilty on two of four counts in the New York criminal case stemming from a domestic dispute with his former girlfriend.
Majors was convicted on Monday of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and a non-criminal charge of harassment as a violation.
He was acquitted on of another assault charge and one count of aggravated harassment.
The trial, which began on December 4, stems from a March 25th domestic dispute involving Majors - who plays a villain in the Marvel cinematic universe - and his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.
Prosecutors alleged Majors “didn’t hesitate to use physical violence” against Jabbari in the March dispute when he grabbed Jabbari’s right hand, twisted her arm behind her back and then “struck a blow” to her head.
Majors’ attorney reiterated his innocence during her closing argument, calling the accusations against him “fake” and alleging that Jabbari was the aggressor in the March dispute.
This story is developing and will be updated. |
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| Mass. landmarks featured throughout trailer for new movie | Watch carefully the new trailer for an upcoming film starring Paul Giamatti, called "The Holdovers," and you're likely to spot numerous Massachusetts settings.Scenes for the movie were filmed in Boston, Worcester, Gill and other communities during the winter of 2022. According to a synopsis from Miramax, the movie is about a curmudgeonly teacher, a student, and a chef who remain at a New England boarding school during the snowy holiday season in 1970. The comedy is directed by Alexander Payne, who also directed Giamatti in "Sideways.""Left to their own devices in the empty school, there are adventures, a little calamity and finally, a semblance of family," the synopsis states. In February 2022, the production brought several old taxis and other dated vehicles to the dead-end outside the Orpheum Theatre, near Boston Common. (Video above) The mustachioed man in a long coat and a hat seen during that production appears to be Giamatti, who is seen in that outfit walking through Boston Common during the film's trailer. At another moment, Giamatti and co-star Dominic Sessa are seen walking up the stairs behind Boston City Hall Plaza, with Faneuil Hall and snowy Boston rooftops in the background. Another local landmark in the trailer is the unique buildings of Northfield Mount Hermon boarding school, located along the Connecticut River in Gill. See the trailer:Not seen in the trailer is the scene shot in Worcester, where the production erected a large Christmas tree during a storm in February. (Video below)The film is scheduled to be released in select theaters on Oct. 27 and in theaters everywhere on Nov. 10.
Watch carefully the new trailer for an upcoming film starring Paul Giamatti, called "The Holdovers," and you're likely to spot numerous Massachusetts settings.
Scenes for the movie were filmed in Boston, Worcester, Gill and other communities during the winter of 2022.
Advertisement
According to a synopsis from Miramax, the movie is about a curmudgeonly teacher, a student, and a chef who remain at a New England boarding school during the snowy holiday season in 1970. The comedy is directed by Alexander Payne, who also directed Giamatti in "Sideways."
"Left to their own devices in the empty school, there are adventures, a little calamity and finally, a semblance of family," the synopsis states.
In February 2022, the production brought several old taxis and other dated vehicles to the dead-end outside the Orpheum Theatre, near Boston Common. (Video above) The mustachioed man in a long coat and a hat seen during that production appears to be Giamatti, who is seen in that outfit walking through Boston Common during the film's trailer.
At another moment, Giamatti and co-star Dominic Sessa are seen walking up the stairs behind Boston City Hall Plaza, with Faneuil Hall and snowy Boston rooftops in the background.
Another local landmark in the trailer is the unique buildings of Northfield Mount Hermon boarding school, located along the Connecticut River in Gill.
See the trailer:
This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Not seen in the trailer is the scene shot in Worcester, where the production erected a large Christmas tree during a storm in February. (Video below)
The film is scheduled to be released in select theaters on Oct. 27 and in theaters everywhere on Nov. 10. |
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| Boy shot in Dorchester; suspect not in custody, police say | A boy was shot in the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday in Dorchester, the Boston Police Department said.
It was around 3 p.m. when a report came in that a person had been shot in the area of Bellevue Street, the department said. |
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| In San Francisco, Tenants Use Labor Tactics to Challenge Their Landlords | Luisa Rodriguez, 38, immigrated to the United States from El Salvador in 2020 with two children, now 9 and 18, and had a third child in San Francisco. The family lives in a small studio apartment on the sixth floor of their building and are charged $1,600 a month. Ms. Rodriguez, who works as a cook, has not paid her landlord since June. Tenants on strike are paying their rent instead to a trust fund that is being held until their demands are met.
Ms. Rodriguez and her children sleep together in two beds pushed against one wall to put as much distance as possible between them and a space where mold has continually appeared.
She showed pictures on her phone of green fuzz on the window frame that stretched down the wall. She said it had spread to clothes in a closet near the window, too, forcing her to throw out items she could not afford to replace.
She showed copies of letters from a doctor at the San Francisco Health Network that told her landlord, “The mold is endangering the health of your tenants,” and asked for immediate action.
Veritas Investments, which owns the building where the Rodriguez family lives, said that workers repaired a crack in the family’s window, used drying equipment to address water intrusion and treated, sealed and painted the window and frame to prevent the mold from returning. |
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| Texas Woman Asks Court to Allow Her Abortion | A pregnant Texas woman whose fetus has a fatal condition sued the state on Tuesday seeking an emergency court order to allow her doctor to perform an abortion, despite the state’s strict bans on the procedure.
The lawsuit is believed to be one of the first attempts in the nation to seek a court-ordered abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, allowing states to make their own abortion laws.
Texas is at the forefront of states that restrict abortion, and has overlapping bans that outlaw abortions from the point of fertilization and allow private citizens to sue others who might help a woman obtain an abortion. The laws allow some exceptions to save the health and life of the pregnant woman, though abortion rights advocates argue that they are unclear, putting women with pregnancy complications at risk.
The vagueness of the exceptions in Texas have prevented doctors from performing the procedure in most cases, lawyers for the woman, Kate Cox, have argued. A decision in her case could force the state to more clearly define what is allowed under the law. |
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| Highest court in Mass. nixes life without parole for adults under 21 | The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled Thursday that sentencing adults under 21 to life without the possibility of parole violates the state’s constitution.
In addition to prohibiting judges from newly issuing such sentences, the 4-3 ruling in Commonwealth v. Sheldon Mattis makes it possible for people who were between the ages of 18 and 20 when they committed a crime that earned them a sentence of life without parole to litigate in the hopes of getting a lighter sentence.
The legal logic behind the ruling
A mandatory sentence of life without parole for minors was already prohibited as a result of a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The following year, the Supreme Judicial Court took this a step further, ruling that sentencing a minor to life without parole in any circumstance violates Article 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights by inflicting a “cruel or unusual” punishment.
In this new decision, the court considered whether the logic of its previous decision applies to “emerging adults,” or people aged 18, 19 or 20. Its conclusion was that it did, meaning that mandatory sentences of life without parole for people in this age range violate Article 26.
Chief Justice Kimberly Budd wrote in the decision that the court looked to several Supreme Court decisions which indicated that “youth matters” when applying the U.S. Constitution’s 8th Amendment. The justices also considered the opinions of 23 retired Massachusetts judges, the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and 17 neuroscientists, she wrote.
“Advancements in scientific research have confirmed what many know well through experience: the brains of emerging adults are not fully mature,” Budd wrote. “Specifically, the scientific record strongly supports the contention that emerging adults have the same core neurological characteristics as juveniles have.”
How the ruling will affect prisoners
While Budd wrote that the judges considered how youth development plays into “diminished responsibility” for crimes, she also emphasized that the decision should not be construed to suggest that people who can now undergo resentencing under the decision should automatically be paroled.
“By providing an opportunity for parole, we do not diminish the severity of the crime of murder in the first degree because it was committed by an emerging adult,” she wrote.
According to WBUR, the decision makes Massachusetts the first state to eliminate mandatory life sentences without parole for people aged 18 to 20, and will affect an estimated 300 people. It is being touted as a major victory for criminal justice reform, The Boston Globe reported.
“We know that a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old are simply not the same person by the time they’re 35. There’s an enormous amount of growth that happens and that you need to have another look,” Lael Chester, director of Columbia University’s Emerging Adult Justice Project, told the Globe.
The case behind the ruling
The case stems from Sheldon Mattis’ first-degree murder conviction in the death of 16-year-old Jaivon Blake, which resulted in a mandatory sentence of life without parole. According to the facts of the case laid out in the ruling, in 2011, when Mattis was 18, he handed a gun to his friend Nyasani Watt, who then shot Blake.
Mattis was convicted under a legal theory known as “joint venture,” which holds that a person is guilty of a crime if they intentionally help someone commit that crime. According to The Boston Globe, Watt was also convicted of first-degree murder, but because Watt was days away from turning 18, he avoided a mandatory sentence of life without parole.
The Supreme Judicial Court reviews all first-degree murder convictions in Massachusetts, and in 2020, it affirmed both convictions. But, the Globe reported, in that decision, the court questioned whether the discrepancy between Watt’s and Mattis’ sentences was constitutional.
Mattis eventually appealed his sentence until his case was brought back up to the state’s highest court, the Globe reported. The court’s decision Thursday means that Mattis’ case will be sent back to a lower court for resentencing. |
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| Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health | Sorry to be a buzz-kill, but that nightly glass or two of wine is not improving your health.
After decades of confusing and sometimes contradictory research (too much alcohol is bad for you but a little bit is good; some types of alcohol are better for you than others; just kidding, it’s all bad), the picture is becoming clearer: Even small amounts of alcohol can have health consequences.
Research published in November revealed that between 2015 and 2019, excessive alcohol use resulted in roughly 140,000 deaths per year in the United States. About 40 percent of those deaths had acute causes, like car crashes, poisonings and homicides. But the majority were caused by chronic conditions attributed to alcohol, such as liver disease, cancer and heart disease.
When experts talk about the dire health consequences linked to excessive alcohol use, people often assume that it’s directed at individuals who have an alcohol use disorder. But the health risks from drinking can come from moderate consumption as well.
“Risk starts to go up well below levels where people would think, ‘Oh, that person has an alcohol problem,’” said Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. “Alcohol is harmful to the health starting at very low levels.” |
0af04b879e0f1a874bf468ae3881ccc0 | 0.732025 | 4politics
| Opinion | The Deification of Donald Trump Poses Some Interesting Questions | Trump’s evolution into a Jesus-like figure for some but not all white evangelicals began soon after he began his first presidential campaign. As David P. Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University, explained by email:
Some of Trump’s Christian followers do appear to have grown to see him as a kind of religious figure. He is a savior. I think it began with the sense that he was uniquely committed to saving them from their foes (liberals, Democrats, elites, seculars, illegal immigrants, etc.) and saving America from all that threatens it.
In this sense, Gushee continued, “a savior does not have to be a good person but just needs to fulfill his divinely appointed role. Trump is seen by many as actually having done so while president.”
This view of Trump is especially strong “in the Pentecostal wing of the conservative Christian world,” Gushee wrote, where
he is sometimes also viewed as an anointed leader sent by God. “Anointed” here means set apart and especially equipped by God for a holy task. Sometimes the most unlikely people got anointed by God in the Bible. So Trump’s unlikeliness for this role is actually evidence in favor.
The multiple criminal charges against Trump serve to strengthen the belief of many evangelicals about his ties to God, according to Gushee:
The prosecutions underway against Trump have been easily interpretable as signs of persecution, which can then connect to the suffering Jesus theme in Christianity. Trump has been able to leverage that with lines like, “They’re not persecuting me. They’re persecuting you.” The idea that he is unjustly suffering and, in so doing, vicariously absorbing the suffering that his followers would be enduring is a powerful way for Trump to be identified with Jesus.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, gave voice to this phenomenon when she protested the filing of criminal charges against Trump. On her way to a pro-Trump rally in Manhattan on April 3, 2023, she told Brian Glenn of the Right Side Broadcasting Network:
Jesus was arrested and murdered by the Roman government. There have been many people throughout history that have been arrested and persecuted by radical, corrupt governments, and it’s beginning today in New York City, and I just can’t believe it’s happening, but I’ll always support him. He’s done nothing wrong.
The more interesting case, Gushee wrote,
is Trump himself. I accept as given that he entered politics as the amoral, worldly, narcissistic New York businessman that he appeared to be. Like all G.O.P. politicians, he knew he would have to win over the conservative Christian voting bloc so central to the party. If people wanted to make him out to be savior, anointed one and agent of God, he would not object. It enhanced their attention and loyalty and his power over and in this group. Lacking any inner spiritual or moral compass that would seek to deflect overinflated or even idolatrous claims about himself, he instead reposted their artwork and videos and so on. Anyone truly serious about the Christian faith would deflect claims to being a savior or anointed one, but he did not have such brakes operating. I do not suppose that he actually believed himself to be any of these things, but others did, and it helped him, and it fed his ego, so why stand in the way?
Certain denominations among evangelicals are more willing to believe Trump is God’s messenger than others. John Fea, a professor at Messiah University in Pennsylvania, wrote by email that
there are evangelicals of the charismatic and Pentecostal variety — the so-called New Apostolic Reformation or Independent Network Charismatics — who believe that Donald Trump is an agent of God to rescue the United States from the atheistic, even demonic, secularists and progressives who want to destroy the country by advancing abortion, gay marriage, wokeness, transgenderism, etc.
“This whole movement,” Fea wrote,
is rooted in prophecy. The prophets speak directly to God and receive direct messages from him about politics. They think that politics is a form of spiritual warfare and believe that God is using Donald Trump to help wage this war. (God can even use sinners to accomplish his will — there are a lot of biblical examples of this, they say.)
But even this group of Christians does not see Trump as the Messiah, Fea wrote: “They will be quick to tell you that only Jesus is the Messiah. They do not believe Trump has special powers, but he is certainly an agent or vessel for God to work through to make America Christian again.”
As far as Trump goes, Fea continued, “he probably thinks these charismatics and Pentecostals are crazy. But if they are going to tell him he is God’s anointed one, he will gladly accept the title and use it if it wins him votes. He will happily accept their prayers because it is politically expedient.”
Robert P. Jones, the founder and chief executive of P.R.R.I. (formerly the Public Religion Research Institute), contends that Trump’s religious claims are an outright fraud:
Trump has given us adequate evidence that he has little religious sensibility or theological acuity. He has scant knowledge of the Bible, he has said that he has never sought forgiveness for his sins, and he has no substantive connection to a church or denomination. He’s not only one of the least religious but also likely one of the most theologically ignorant presidents the country has ever had.
Trump, Jones added in an email, “almost certainly lacks the kind of religious sensibility or theological framework necessary to personally grasp what it would even mean to be a Jesus-like, messianic figure.”
Despite that, Jones wrote, “many of his most loyal Christian followers, white evangelical Protestants, have indeed come to see him as a kind of metaphorical savior figure.” |
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| Record breaking temperatures recorded Tuesday in northern New England | Severe weather will return to Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island Thursday afternoon as thunderstorms are expected to bring heavy rain and potential flash flooding to the region, according to the National Weather Service.
There is also a 2 to 4 percent possibility of a tornado or waterspout Thursday night on Cape Cod or the islands, depending on the weather system’s path, forecasters said.
“In addition to locally heavy rain in eastern MA and RI later today and tonight (Flood Watch in effect), we are watching for a possible brief tornado or waterspout,” forecasters wrote on social media. “The greatest risk area is Cape Cod and the Islands early this evening, but some risk for RI and southeast CT, too.” |
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| South Koreas City of Books | The book city’s mission — to “actively support culture and arts based on books” — can be seen in buildings all over town. Photopia, a serene purple structure curved like an ocean wave, serves as a photography production and processing studio. One publishing company, Dulnyouk, has its headquarters in a towering, geometric structure that resembles the kind of cumbersome transport vehicle found in “Star Wars.” Quaint cafes, where visitors can sip their drinks while reading, dot Paju’s street corners. Everything is designed to preserve and spread a love for books.
At the core of Paju Book City is where Lee works, the Asia Publication Culture and Information Center, a five-story complex that includes an education facility, events hall and exhibition space, and that serves as a social and professional nucleus for local publishers. The center draws almost 10,000 visitors a year.
On the building’s first floor is the Forest of Wisdom, a central library with tens of thousands of books on display and tens of thousands more in storage, according to Lee. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, some more than 25 feet tall, line the walls. Though visitors are not allowed to check out books — fiction and nonfiction, reference texts, picture books and other works — they are welcome to browse the shelves and read in common areas. The seemingly boundless collection means guests include families with children, young couples on dates and groups of older people on social outings. The center includes a hotel for anyone who wants to spend the night. |
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| Credit card skimmers found at grocery store in Sudbury - Boston News, Weather, Sports | SPRINGFIELD — Keely Charles alleges that the police response to her brother’s mental health distress led to his death. After Sterling Lester Chest Jr. pushed an officer in March 2020, police tased him — and he died several days later.
Civil claims of excessive force are pending in court. But a 2020 internal investigation into the incident, obtained by The Republican through a public records request, found officers acted properly. |
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| Polly Wants a Cracker, but She Wants to Make It Easier to Chew | It is the first time that this food-dunking behavior has been documented in parrots — it has also been observed in grackles and crows. And it was a serendipitous discovery for the lab, which typically relies on meticulously planned experiments to test the cockatoos’ renowned problem-solving skills. “But sometimes we get gifted with accidental things that just happen,” Dr. Auersperg said.
Goffin’s cockatoos are known for their ability to use and manipulate objects. In earlier studies, Dr. Auersperg and her colleagues found, for instance, that the birds could open locked puzzle boxes and make their own tools to obtain out-of-reach food.
But the researchers at the Goffin Lab did not typically pay close attention to the birds’ behavior at lunch, said Jeroen Zewald, a doctoral student in the lab and another author of the study. Until, one day last summer, they noticed something curious. An affectionate male bird named Pipin — “the gentleman of the group,” Mr. Zewald said — was dunking his food into the tub of water typically used for drinking and bathing. Two other birds in the lab, Kiwi and Muki, turned out to be dunkers, too, the researchers noticed.
To study the behavior more systematically, Mr. Zewald and Dr. Auersperg spent 12 days observing the birds’ lunchtime behaviors. In total, seven of the 18 birds were observed dunking food at least once, they found. (Still, Pipin, Kiwi and Muki were the undisputed dunkmasters, racking up many more “dunking events” than the other birds.) |
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| Healey outlines ongoing priorities to address housing costs, MBTA in 1st State of the Commonwealth speech | Politics Healey outlines ongoing priorities to address housing costs, MBTA in 1st State of the Commonwealth speech “Today, Massachusetts is more affordable, more competitive, and more equitable than it was a year ago.” Gov. Maura Healey at her inauguration last year.
Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday delivered her first State of the Commonwealth address since taking office last year, highlighting steps taken by her administration during her first year as governor and outlining her agenda to address a range of ongoing challenges in her second year, including the MBTA, housing costs, and climate change.
“We set high goals for our first year in office,” Healey said. “I stood here one year ago and made promises. And because we came together, and we acted with urgency, we delivered results. We met every one of our goals. Today, Massachusetts is more affordable, more competitive, and more equitable than it was a year ago. And the state of our Commonwealth, like the spirit of our people, is stronger than ever.”
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Healey said the budget proposal she will file next week will reflect her administration’s ongoing priorities of lowering the cost of housing and child care, “strengthening schools,” addressing congestion on the state’s roadways and the failings of the railways, helping businesses, and meeting the climate crisis.
“This is the work ahead of us, and there’s no time to wait,” Healey said.
The governor said all the work starts with housing, calling it “the biggest challenge we face.” She said in the year ahead her administration will focus on passing her Affordable Homes Act, which, if passed by the Legislature, would be the largest housing investment in state history and create tens of thousands of new homes.
“This isn’t just a few unlucky people,” Healey said. “It’s the heart of our workforce. It’s the soul of our communities. It’s the future of our state. We have to act and we have to act now, to make it easier for everyone to find affordable places to live.”
During her speech, the governor also announced several new initiatives for 2024, including launching a new early literacy strategy, reauthorizing the Life Sciences Initiative, initiating a new climate tech initiative, and increasing funding for roads, bridges, and the MBTA in the state budget.
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Acknowledging the frustrations MBTA riders have faced in recent years with unsafe conditions, shutdowns, and slowdowns, Healey said there is “still a long way to go” in fixing the system.
“I want to thank T riders for your patience as the work continues,” Healey said. “We are committed to making your commutes better. And I can share with you tonight: our budget proposal next week will offer transformative investments to improve all the ways we get around in Massachusetts. We’ll increase funding for local roads and bridges to record levels, with special investments dedicated to rural communities. We’ll double our support for MBTA operations, and tackle deferred maintenance, to build a system worthy of our economy. And we will establish a permanent, reduced fare for low-income T riders; and continue affordable options at regional transit authorities.”
Watch the governor’s full speech below: |
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| White House Delays a Decision on Banning Menthol Cigarettes | The Biden administration delayed a decision on Wednesday about whether it would ban menthol cigarettes amid intense lobbying from tobacco companies, convenience stores and industry-backed groups that contend that billions of dollars in sales and jobs will be lost.
The proposal has also generated concerns that Black smokers will become the targets of aggressive police tactics, although some Black leaders, top lawmakers and government officials dispute that and say that tobacco companies are financing and fueling those fears.
The plan to eliminate menthol cigarettes has been years in the making. The Food and Drug Administration formally proposed an official rule last year, aimed at reducing health disparities, citing statistics that an estimated 85 percent of Black smokers prefer menthol brands. Black men especially face outsize health risks, including high rates of smoking-related lung cancer and death.
In recent months, dozens of groups have had appointments with administration officials to discuss the proposal. Tobacco companies and convenience store groups fighting the ban have aligned with the National Action Network, founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, to advance the argument about the potential for racial targeting by the police. The group attended a large meeting with tobacco lobbyists and top administration officials on Nov. 20. |
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| Japanese American New Years Food Traditions Transcend Time | Mr. Namba is also fond of eating soba — the more well-known buckwheat version — making special versions with lobster tempura or duck for New Year’s at his Los Angeles restaurants Tsubaki and Ototo.
As with many global New Year’s traditions, the dishes have strong symbolic meanings. Ozoni is associated with good health and good fortune, with the mochi signifying longevity. Soba noodles represent breaking ties with the hardships of the previous year and starting anew, Mr. Pursley said, as well as a long life.
Perhaps the best example of symbolic Japanese New Year foods is osechi ryori, or a box filled with an assortment of traditional New Year’s dishes, each with a specific meaning. Each year, the chef Niki Nakayama serves a version at her restaurant n/naka in Los Angeles. She includes kuromame, or sweet black soybeans, a wish for good health; datemaki, or a Japanese rolled omelet, that looks like a scroll for the acquisition of knowledge; and kurikinton, a vibrant mash of Japanese sweet potatoes flavored with candied chestnut syrup and topped with the golden candied chestnuts, which represent gold and bring economic fortune. |
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| Former Springfield golf pro Kevin Kennedy acquitted of majority of criminal counts by federal jury | SPRINGFIELD — After a weeklong trial and nearly two days of deliberations, a federal jury found former city golf pro Kevin M. Kennedy not guilty of more than a dozen counts of fraud and money laundering.
The panel convicted Kennedy of a single count of tax conspiracy and making a false statement to a bank. Those charges were linked to the construction of two homes Kennedy built in East Longmeadow and on Cape Cod using luxury builders Kent and Jason Pecoy.
The father and son are set to go to trial separately at a later date. Their trial has yet to be scheduled.
This story will be updated. |
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| More snow on the way in Mass. on Tuesday with slippery evening commute | Hazardous road conditions are expected until at least 7 p.m. on Tuesday as scattered snow storms are expected to bring between an inch to three inches of snow to parts of Massachusetts.
Weather forecasters issued a winter weather advisory that will last until the evening with snowy and icy conditions impacting the evening commute, according to the National Weather Service.
“Plan on slippery road conditions,” the National Weather Service said in its winter weather advisory issues Tuesday morning.
About an inch or two of snow already fell overnight on many parts of the state. Below-freezing temperatures brought slippery conditions for morning commuters.
Several school districts have announced school closures.
Mixed snowfall and icy rain are expected to accumulate about an inch to three inches in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This includes Middlesex, Norfolk, and Essex counties.
In western Massachusetts, snowfall is expected to be closer to three to five inches of accumulation. This includes Franklin, Worcester, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.
Parts of upper Berkshire and Franklin counties could see as much as another four to six inches.
The snow in the Boston area, Eastern Massachusetts and the Cape and the Islands is expected to begin turning to a wet mixture of sleet, or ice pellets later on Tuesday morning by 11 a.m.
Snow flurries are anticipated to fall between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the region.
Temperatures will hover around the upper teens to low 20s on Wednesday. Most of southern New England is expected to remain below freezing throughout the weekend, according to CBS News.
Some minimal snowfall is expected to sweep through Massachusetts on Friday evening into Saturday, but it’s not expected to be “high impact,” according to CBS News. |
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| Veterans, Gold Star families celebrated holiday season with senator (Letter) | I hope everyone is staying warm this week. This one was certainly one of the colder ones that we have had so far this season. I just want to remind everyone too that should you be in need of utility assistance or think you might qualify, my staff is readily available to assist.
On Monday, four of my own bills had a hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, related to improving our commonwealth’s public safety systems and supporting our law enforcement officers. This is the just the start of the legislative process and I’m looking forward to continuing to advocate for these bills in the new year.
After the hearing, I was honored to join hundreds of Gold Star families for 12th annual Military Friends Foundation military tree dedication in the Statehouse, as well. The Military Friends Foundation is a wonderful nationwide organization that does incredible work supporting those who have lost a loved one who served in the military. It was a truly special event of recognition and remembrance and a big thanks to this group for organizing, as well as inviting me. |
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| Can He Condemn the Killings Without Causing More Pain? | And then there were the Israeli hostages still being held captive at the center of the conflict. George understood at least a little about what that was like, too. He was the first American ever kidnapped in Gaza, in 1989, when three Palestinian refugees abducted him and demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his life. The extremists held George at gunpoint in a safe house for 29 hours before eventually releasing him unharmed, and then instead of retreating into fear or hatred, George returned to America and devoted his career to helping refugees start new lives and heal from conflict.
“One violation of human rights does not justify another,” he wrote, in another attempt at a statement on behalf of his nonprofit, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, in New Haven, Conn. “It doesn’t matter whether we call it a cease-fire or a humanitarian pause. Let’s not quibble over terminology. The killing must stop.”
Even at the risk of inviting controversy, he felt compelled to speak up on behalf of the people and places he loved. He sent a draft of the statement to his board of directors, but some of them thought it might be interpreted as too political and potentially divisive. A few blocks away, students at Yale University were disrupting the campus by holding concurrent demonstrations in support of either Jews or Palestinians. The head of the local Service Employees International Union had been forced to resign after publicly voicing support for “our comrades” in Gaza. Dozens of companies and nonprofits across the state were being torn apart by internal divisions over a conflict on the other side of the world, and George wanted to protect his nonprofit, IRIS.
He had led the organization as it grew from eight employees in the late 1990s to more than 150. Together they helped to house, clothe, feed, educate, protect and support more than 800 refugees who arrived each year in Connecticut. That work required an annual budget of $14 million, a third of which came from private donors with their own opinions and connections to the conflict in the Middle East. |
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| Will Dyeing the Connecticut River Help Keep It Alive? | They are fighting back with an unlikely weapon: red tracer dye.
The dye will not harm the hydrilla. Instead, it is meant as a test run for herbicides the scientists plan to put into the river next year. They will track how quickly it dissipates in specific areas to decide how much herbicide to use.
Their goal is to find a sweet spot: enough herbicide to kill the hydrilla, but not enough to hurt native plants.
“We’re using that dye as a surrogate to inform us using as little herbicide as possible,” said Benjamin Sperry, a research biologist with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center who specializes in aquatic plants.
The scientists, many of whom work with the Army Corps of Engineers, sometimes start applying the dye before sunrise. It disperses quickly in the water, vanishing to the naked eye. But it leaves fluorescent traces that appear when scientists shine sensors into the water.
At the same time, scientists are studying this new strain of hydrilla — considered genetically distinct from other varieties found in the U.S. — to understand its growth patterns. |
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| Josh Cohens double-double leads UMass mens basketball over UMass Lowell (photos) | AMHERST – After suffering a 10-point loss to Towson on Wednesday, the UMass men’s basketball team was looking to get back to its winning ways when it faced off with its in-state rivals UMass Lowell Saturday afternoon.
With the assistance of a Josh Cohen double-double (25 points, 14 rebounds), the Minutemen achieved their goal, defeating the Riverhawks by a score of 91-77.
“I thought we’ve done what we’ve done at home all year which is play from the jump ball with a presence,” head coach Frank Martin said. “I wasn’t happy with our first two defensive possessions because we gambled … I thought our defense was locked in and pretty good.”
In the first half, both teams traded blows and it appeared that neither could get the edge with the score tied at 18 apiece. Eventually, UMass Lowell pulled away to hold a slim four-point lead.
Unfortunately for the Riverhawks, this was their only lead of the afternoon.
UMass seized the opportunity and took its first lead just over the halfway mark when Cohen picked off a Riverhawks’ pass and sent it back to Keon Thompson, who took and made a 3-point shot.
“We needed a pick me up,” Cohen said. “We set the tone early, we let them back in a little bit. To make that little run at the end, it just pushed us into the half feeling good.”
For the next six-plus minutes, UMass went on a 21-9 run giving the Minutemen a sizeable advantage and a 45-31 lead at halftime.
Cohen, who finished the first half with 19 points and seven rebounds, led the way for UMass. He also had two steals as well in his first 16 minutes on the court.
“It’s awesome, it’s a credit to him and our team,” Martin said of Cohen. “We don’t have selfishness of guys … Guys want to win, he’s a good player. They know the ball gets to Josh, good things happen.”
Overall, UMass finished with a 50-percent (18-for-36) field goal percentage at the end of the first half to UMass Lowell’s 37.5-percent (12-for-32), something Martin was pleased with.
In the first half, it was all Cohen, but after he held to just two points in the first half, Rahsool Diggins dug deep in the second half. Diggins put together 13 more points, finishing with 15 on the day including four coming on a three-point and-one play.
“He kind of challenged me,” Diggins said of what Martin said to him at halftime. “Reminded of how it felt last year when we played these guys, so I just went out there and played my game.”
Diggins was one of four players on the floor for UMass with double-digits as Matt Cross, and Keon Thompson picked up 14 points and 10 points, respectively.
When asked what the difference maker between Saturday’s matchup and Wednesday’s, Martin said the big change was the approach to scoring and where they were scoring from.
The second-year UMass coach said that in the Minutemen’s matchup with Towson on Wednesday, they couldn’t score at the rim. In the team’s matchup with the Riverhawks on Saturday, the team was far more successful.
In addition to getting to the rim, UMass shot well from the free-throw line – going 16-for-20 from the stripe, including going 6-for-9 in the first half alone.
The Minutemen are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 16, when they take on West Virginia University in the first game of the Hall of Fame Classic at the MassMutual Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. |
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| Southwick business is ready to install towns 1st electric vehicle chargers | SOUTHWICK — After two and a half years of planning, Valvoline Express Care will soon offer two charging station for electric vehicles.
“We’re in the oil changing business, so it might seem counterintuitive to install EV charging stations,” said Ken Scharmann, who owns the business at 657 College Highway with his brother Jeff. |
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| As Office Workers Make Their Return, So Does the Lowly Cubicle | Among office designers and architects, cubicles are rarely mentioned. The once-ubiquitous fixture, so popular in the 1980s and ’90s, has become vilified as a sign of the dehumanization of the work force. Design experts today say cubicles are a “hard no.”
And yet cubicles, like scrunchies, are back, spurred by demand from employers and employees alike.
“I frankly thought the cube market was dying,” said Brian Silverberg, who sells refurbished and used office furniture with his brother, Mark, in their store, the Furniture X-Change in North Brunswick, N.J. “We have sold more cubes in the last three years than in the five years before,” he said, adding that 2024 would be “bigger than this year.”
Covid-19 was an amplifier of a trend that preceded the pandemic. But as workers returned to the office after months of working at home, quiet spaces became more important, said Janet Pogue McLaurin of Gensler. “We had seen a drop in effectiveness because of noise interruptions, disruptions and a general lack of privacy,” she said.
Global demand has pushed cubicles and partitions to a $6.3 billion market, which is expected to grow over the next five years to $8.3 billion, according to a 2022 report from Business Research Insights, a market analysis firm. |
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| Armed men arrested after storming an Ecuador TV studio during a live broadcast | Ecuador’s national police chief says authorities have arrested all the gunmen who broke into a TV studio during a live broadcast and threatened the staff.
Police commander César Zapata told the TV channel Teleamazonas that officers seized the guns and explosives the masked intruders had with them. He didn’t say how many people were arrested.
“This is an act that should be considered as a terrorist act,” Zapata said.
The men with their faces covered entered the set of the TC Television network in the port city of Guayaquil and shouted that they had bombs. Noises similar to gunshots could be heard in the background.
The channel broadcast live for at least 15 minutes before the signal was cut off.
While the transmission was on, the men could be seen on camera while some employees laid down on the floor and someone was heard yelling “Don’t shoot!” A video of the situation was posted to X by BNO News.
Another video, also posted by BNO News, showed panic erupting at the University of Guayaquil in Ecuador amid reports of gunmen on campus. Ecuador’s Police said on X, formerly Twitter, that some units were deployed to the media facilities.
Hours earlier, Ecuadorian authorities had confirmed a series of attacks around the country, including explosions and the abduction of several police officers. Police reported four officers were kidnapped on Monday night and remained missing, one in the capital, Quito, and three in Quevedo city.
Separately, agents arrested two people for possession of explosives and as suspects in at least one of the attacks in the South American country.
The government has not said how many attacks were registered in total, but local media reported several, including some in northern cities, where vehicles were set on fire, and others in Quito, including an explosion near the house of the president of the National Justice Court.
Authorities have not said who is thought to be behind the attacks or if the incidents are part an orchestrated action. The government has previously accused members of the main drug gangs for similar strikes.
In recent years, Ecuador has been engulfed by a surge of violence tied to drug trafficking, including homicides and kidnappings.
Ecuadorian authorities reported Sunday that Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito” and the leader of Los Choneros gang, wasn’t in his cell in a low security prison. He was scheduled to be transferred to a maximum security facility that day. His whereabouts were unclear.
Prosecutors opened an investigation and charged two guards in connection with the alleged escape, but neither the police, the corrections system, nor the federal government confirmed whether Macías fled the facility or might be hiding in it.
In February 2013, he escaped from a maximum security facility but was recaptured weeks later.
On Monday, President Daniel Noboa decreed a national state of emergency for 60 days, allowing the authorities to suspend rights and mobilize the military in places like prisons.
The government also imposed a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Monday night.
Noboa said in a message on Instagram that he wouldn’t stop until he “brings back peace to all Ecuadorians,” and that his government had decided to confront crime.
States of emergency were widely used by Noboa’s predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, as a way to confront the wave of violence that has affected the country. The wave of attacks began a few hours after Noboa’s announcement.
Macías, who was convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organized crime, was serving a 34-year sentence in La Regional prison in the port of Guayaquil.
Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence that reached a new level last year with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The gang has links with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.
Experts and authorities have acknowledged that gang members practically rule from inside the prisons, and Macías was believed to have continued controlling his group from within the detention facility. |
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| Police: 76-year-old man extremely confused after driving the wrong way on I-93 during snowstorm | BOSTON — A close call Sunday night after police say an “extremely confused” 76-year-old man drove the wrong way on Interstate 93 in Boston, nearly striking several vehicles during the heavy snowstorm.
The incident began at 9:15 p.m. on Sunday when State Police received about ten calls alerting them of a driver traveling south on the northbound side of the highway. The callers said the driver had nearly struck multiple oncoming vehicles.
Massachusetts State Police working with the state highway department shut down the northbound side of the highway to stop the 76-year-old driver, officials said.
“Mass Highway positioned several plow trucks across the highway north of Exit 11 in Milton to block the wrong-way vehicle from going any further,” said officials. “The wrong-way vehicle, a 2015 Toyota Corolla, rolled to a stop.”
State Police said the driver, a 76-year-old Lynn man, was “extremely confused and stated that he did not know where he was.”
Troopers determined that the man’s condition was a result of underlying health conditions and not impairment.
The man’s name was not released.
The car was towed to the State Police barracks in South Boston where the man made arrangements to be picked up by a friend, police said.
“Troopers spoke to the man’s friend about his erratic operation as a result of his medical conditions,” said police. “A Trooper cited the man for a wrong way violation and issued an immediate threat notice with the RMV to have his license suspended.”
Video posted on Instagram shows the man driving into oncoming traffic Sunday night.
Police: 76-year-old man ‘extremely confused’ after driving the wrong way on I-93 during snowstorm
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| How to prevent pipes from freezing in your home when it's cold | A NASA telescope has captured the biggest solar flare in years, which temporarily knocked out radio communication on Earth.
The sun spit out the huge flare along with a massive radio burst on Thursday, causing two hours of radio interference in parts of the U.S. and other sunlit parts of the world. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it was the biggest flare since 2017, and the radio burst was extensive, affecting even the higher frequencies.
The combination resulted in one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded, Shawn Dahl of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said Friday.
Read more: Dartmouth professor captures images of two dying stars colliding
Multiple pilots reported communication disruptions, with the impact felt across the country, according to the space weather forecasting center.
Scientists are now monitoring this sunspot region and analyzing for a possible outburst of plasma from the sun, also known as a coronal mass ejection, that might be directed at Earth. This could result in a geomagnetic storm, Dahl said, which in turn could disrupt high-frequency radio signals at the higher latitudes and trigger northern lights, or auroras, in the coming days.
The eruption occurred in the far northwest section of the sun. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the action in extreme ultraviolet light, recording the powerful surge of energy as a huge, bright flash. Launched in 2010, the spacecraft is in an extremely high orbit around Earth, where it constantly monitors the sun.
The sun is nearing the peak of its 11-year or so solar cycle. Maximum sunspot activity is predicted for 2025. |
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| Musks Bombshell Warning to Advertisers, and Other Summit Highlights | But over a 90-minute conversation, Musk touched on much more, including what drives him, his fears about artificial intelligence and more.
“Don’t advertise.” Musk accused advertisers of trying to “blackmail” him over his remarks. (Bob Iger, Disney’s C.E.O., had said earlier that being associated with X and Musk was “not a positive” for his company.) After directing expletives at those businesses, Musk then cheekily added, “Hi, Bob, if you’re in the audience.” Linda Yaccarino, X’s C.E.O. whom Musk hired to win back advertisers (and who was at the summit), later posted a more conciliatory message.
“Do you want the best car, or do you not want the best car?” Whether people love Musk or hate him, the mogul boasted about the capabilities of Tesla vehicles and SpaceX rockets.
“A philosophy of curiosity.” Pressed on what drives him, Musk turned contemplative, speaking at length about a difficult childhood and how he has grappled with an existential crisis he first felt at age 12. His answer: Ensure humanity reaches the stars and settles other planets, hence his work at SpaceX. “If you’re a single-planet civilization,” he said, “something will happen to that planet, and you will die.”
“I’m quite concerned that there’s some dangerous element of A.I. that they’ve discovered.” Asked about the recent leadership shake-up at OpenAI, which he co-founded before leaving in 2019, Musk said that he was worried about the speed at which it had been pushing innovation. He predicted that the technology could reach the point of problem-solving like the human brain — so-called artificial general intelligence — in less than three years. (Jensen Huang, the C.E.O. of the A.I. chipmaker Nvidia, reckoned that milestone would take at least a decade.)
“I think I would not vote for [President] Biden.” Musk, who has turned politically conservative in recent years, criticized the president for snubbing Tesla in the company’s green-energy initiatives, despite its leadership in electric vehicles. The billionaire also said that liberals tended to embrace censorship now, anathema to the self-described free speech “absolutist.” But when asked if he would then vote for Donald Trump, Biden’s likely Republican opponent, Musk demurred, saying only, “this is definitely a difficult choice.”
Watch the whole interview, and all the others, here… and read the full coverage here.
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HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING
Henry Kissinger dies at 100. One of America’s most powerful diplomats in recent memory, he helped reshape the world order during the Cold War, including by normalizing U.S. relations with China, brokering détente with the Soviet Union and negotiating the end of the Vietnam War. Kissinger was alternately lauded for his accomplishments and castigated for an approach that abandoned American values when deemed necessary.
The U.A.W. unveils its plan to organize nonunionized automakers. The United Automobile Workers union said it was courting potential union recruits at more than a dozen companies, including Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen, which together employ more than 150,000 workers. Separately, G.M. will cut spending at its Cruise subsidiary after pausing operations there amid concerns about the safety of its autonomous vehicles.
Disney adds two directors as activist investors circle. James Gorman, the outgoing C.E.O. of Morgan Stanley, and Jeremy Darroch, the former head of the British media company Sky, are joining the Disney board ahead of an expected fight with the financier Nelson Peltz. Disney said that Gorman would help with C.E.O. succession planning, a concern of Peltz’s. |
ec128d1c4b3517effa0d92c06df1d57a | 0.371179 | 4politics
| Trump Meets With Teamsters President as Union Weighs 2024 Endorsement | Sean M. O’Brien, the general president of the Teamsters union, sat down with former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday at Mr. Trump’s seaside mansion, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla.
Kara Deniz, a spokeswoman for the union, said the meeting was simply one of a series of meetings the Teamsters plan to have with all the presidential candidates.
But this particular meeting, which the union detailed in a lengthy post on social media that was accompanied by a picture of Mr. O’Brien and Mr. Trump, came at a remarkable moment. At a public hearing in November, Senator Markwayne Mullin, a staunchly pro-Trump Republican from Oklahoma, called Mr. O’Brien a “thug,” a “bully” and a coward, and challenged him to a fight.
President Biden has called himself the most pro-union president in history, as have several leaders of organized labor, and the Teamsters endorsed his candidacy in 2020. In December, Mr. Biden issued an executive order mandating what are known as project labor agreements — which establish fixed work, wage and labor standards at construction sites — for all federal contracts exceeding $35 million. That order was a potential boon to the Teamsters union, which is likely to control transportation at many of those sites and would have to be brought into contract talks as funds from Mr. Biden’s signature domestic achievements start to flow. |
406396f5f32d565ab2275969ce40fa82 | 0.289817 | 2culture
| The World in Stories: 13 Favorite Dispatches From 2023 | Bearing witness, at close range and often at great risk, is the essence of a dispatch, and in 2023, our correspondents filed 80 of them from 37 countries, capturing the human experience from almost every angle: the good, the bad and the wrenching.
In a year marked by conflicts, dozens of dispatches came directly from war zones: from a rare trip inside Gaza, where we saw a city utterly disfigured; from a ravaged Israel kibbutz, where more than 60 people were murdered on Oct. 7; and from the West Bank, where “there’s no such thing as sleeping at night.”
And we got multiple, moving reports from Ukraine, where stoic faces started to crack under the war’s emotional toll. The effects of that war are being felt globally, from Bali, where Russians and Ukrainian expatriates try to get along, to towns in Poland and the Czech Republic upended by the fighting.
In six dispatches from Afghanistan, we explored the aftermath of another war, only recently ended; we also rushed to the remote site of a devastating earthquake that added to the misery of an already battered country. |