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Groups to sue federal officials over manatee protection

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Several conservation groups announced Tuesday that they’re planning to sue federal wildlife officials, citing a failure to protect the West Indian manatee following record death rates in recent years.The Center for Biological Diversity, Harvard Animal Law & Policy Clinic, Miami Waterkeeper and Frank S. González García filed a notice of their intention to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The notice is required by law before suing a federal agency.The legal notice follows a November petition urging FWS to reclassify the species from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The conservation groups said FWS was required by law to determine within 90 days whether the petition presents substantial information indicating the reclassification may be warranted. No findings have been issued yet, even though more than 150 days have gone by, the groups said.“I’m appalled that the Fish and Wildlife Service hasn’t responded to our urgent r...

DeSantis immigration bill approved by Florida GOP lawmakers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Legislature on Tuesday approved a sweeping immigration bill pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, bolstering the Republican’s controversial migrant-relocation program as he prepares to announce a presidential run.The GOP-controlled House gave the proposal final passage on a party-line vote with Republicans in support. It passed the Senate last week and now moves to the governor’s office to be signed into law.DeSantis, who is expected to launch his presidential candidacy in the coming weeks, has made immigration a top priority and has espoused hard-right positions on undocumented immigration geared toward winning support among Republican primary voters.The bill provides $12 million for DeSantis’ migrant relocation initiative, which drew national attention last year when the governor flew a group of South American migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, a move intended to protest federal immig...

Cannabis products lead to multiple students at Dorchester school being taken to hospital

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

At least four students at a Dorchester school were taken to a hospital after they ingested cannabis products Tuesday morning, according to school officials and parents.First responders were called to the Henderson K-12 Inclusion School on Croftland Avenue sometime after 11 a.m. for the incident.In a letter addressed to the school community, Head of School Stephanie Sibley said the three middle school students ingested “what appeared to be a cannabis-infused chocolate edible.”“School staff immediately notified BPS Safety Services and Boston Police of the incident,” Sibley stated in the letter. “The families of all students involved were immediately notified and the students were seen by the school nurse. Boston EMS was also notified of the incident, and the students were taken to a local hospital for further medical care. An investigation into this incident is ongoing.”In addition to the middle schoolers, a 15-year-old boy was also hospitalized aft...

‘We lost a lot in there’: Shopping plaza destroyed, four firefighters hurt after fire in Worcester 

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

Four firefighters were hurt Monday after a fire ripped through a building housing several businesses in Worcester, destroying the building, the city’s fire chief said.A day after the fire, the owner of one of the burned businesses spoke about the loss as he looked at the charred debris that once made up his family’s flower store. “We were gearing up to a good year again but now we are out of business,” Edvin Ramirez said. Ramires said he was making a floral delivery Monday night when flames began moving through the Pleasant Street plaza where their business was located. Ramirez’ wife, he said, had just closed up the shop and left. “We thank the fire department because they did a lot of work,” Ramirez said. “They pretty much worked for five hours and they couldn’t save anything.”This fire happened in an area some call “International Corner” because of its many immigrant-owned businesses. Ramirez said he came to the area from Guatemala 20 years ago “trying to live ...

AG: Online Lotto Guardrails Necessary to Avoid “Public Health Crisis”

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

If lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healey move forward with authorizing an online lottery this session, the state’s top law enforcement official is urging proactive action to “prevent a potential public health crisis.”Attorney General Andrea Campbell warned Tuesday that irresponsible gaming could go hand-in-hand with gambling addiction, alcoholism, substance use disorder and poverty as the House pushes with the governor’s support to expand Lottery games onto digital platforms.“We want to make sure from our office’s perspective that it is responsible, that it is fair, and that they are really looking at the technology and making sure that it’s not encouraging folks to bet when they don’t have any money or play when they don’t have any money. Because if we actually are ahead of this and proactive versus being reactive, we can prevent a potential public health crisis,” Campbell said at a breakfast hosted by the Greater Boston Chamber...

Damp and Cool Pattern Continues

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

After a nice day yesterday, cool temperatures and rain made a return to the area today. Through the midday hours we had pockets of downpours, pea-sized hail, and even some thunderstorms. While we keep showers around this evening and tomorrow, we’ll lose a lot of the energy in the atmosphere that fueled those today and keep the showers tomorrow more showery than the heavy rain today.So the first week of May is certainly starting off on the soggy side, but May is typically one of our drier months. Of course this is only week one and doesn’t dictate what’s to follow from here on out. What we need is a pattern change, and thankfully that looks to happen this weekend and next week.Right now, this large cut off area of low pressure is just spinning overhead giving us these showers and parking a cold pool of air on top of us. I said it in yesterday’s blog, but if you missed it, yesterday was our first above average day since April 18th. And now we’re right bac...

Cambridge Matignon School to permanently close 

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

The Cambridge Matignon School will permanently close at the end of the current school year, the school’s Board of Trustees president announced on Tuesday. President Marc-Anthony Hourihan signed the announcement sent to school community members, citing financial challenges as the main reason for the Catholic school’s closure after 75 years of operation. “It is with great sadness that we share the news that The Cambridge Matignon School will permanently close its doors upon the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year,” Hourihan said.“Although we continue to boast an extensive international student program, strong pipeline to top-tier colleges and universities as well as an immensely experienced and educated faculty, we unfortunately are not immune from the financial challenges that go with continuing this expectation of greatness,” he continued, in part. “While all members of our school leadership group have exhausted all options to continue forward, we have not been a...

Late-night TV shows go dark as writers strike for better pay

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

By JAKE COYLE (AP Film Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns.“No contracts, no content!” sign-carrying members of the Writers Guild of America chanted outside the Manhattan building where NBCUniversal was touting its Peacock streaming service to advertisers. Some 11,500 film and television writers represented by the union put down their pens and laptops after failing to reach a new contract with the trade association that represents Hollywood studios and production companies. The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming. “There’s too much work and no...

Joe Mazzulla’s message to Celtics after offense faded in Game 1 loss: ‘Shoot open 3s’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

As Game 1 hit its most critical moments on Monday night, two offensive plays inside the final minute cost the Celtics in their stunning loss to the 76ers. They carried the same theme.The Celtics led by one as the clock ticked under 45 seconds when they had their worst possession of the game. They made five passes and couldn’t find a clean look. It ended when Malcolm Brogdon inexplicably threw a pass straight to Tyrese Maxey as the shot clock expired before the 76ers guard scored a breakaway, go-ahead layup.Two possessions later – after James Harden’s ultimately game-winning 3-pointer – Marcus Smart drove to the basket and tried to find Jayson Tatum underneath, but lost the ball for his sixth turnover. The Sixers then sealed the game at the free-throw line.“Our spacing just got the best of us there,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.A day after the loss, the Celtics continued to process and digest what went wrong. Offensively, those two plays summarized the difference. While the Celti...

Jets decline tackle Mekhi Becton’s fifth-year option: source

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:11:48 GMT

Gang Green has finally decided on the future of its former first-round pick ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline to pick up his option.According to a league source, the Jets have declined to pick up tackle Mekhi Becton’s fifth-year option for the 2024 season. ESPN was the first to report the news of Gang Green’s decision.According to the NFL’s collecting bargaining agreement, teams can exercise an option of a former first-round pick ahead of their fourth season in the league. The salary is determined by a formula by position, playing time, etc.If the Jets had picked up his option, that would have fully guaranteed Becton a salary of $13.5 million for the 2024 season. The 2023 season will be the final year of his contract, which will pay him a based salary of $3.125 million after he was selected 11th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Louisville.The fifth-year option became fully guaranteed with the new CBA in 2020. Before that, the fifth-year option was only guaranteed by...