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Beacon Hill beaming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

The tree outside the State House was sparkling last night as the lights were turned on for all to see.Boston, MA – November 11, 2023 People take pictures during a ceremony to light the State House Christmas tree. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)

Will Taylor Swift be in Boston for the Patriots-Chiefs game?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

Nearly seven months after Taylor Swift hit Gillette Stadium for her Eras Tour, the singer may be on her way back.With Swift’s boyfriend NFL tight end Travis Kelce set to play in the Patriots-Chiefs game on Sunday, many have speculated whether the pop star may be in attendance.Swift is currently on a break in her record-breaking Eras tour. The singer most recently performed in Brazil in late November and is set to resume next in February in Tokyo.Though Swift hasn’t made her Sunday plans known, an appearance wouldn’t be too surprising. The Grammy winner was most recently reportedly at the Chiefs-Bills game sitting with Kelce’s mom in Missouri on Sunday.Swift even has a house close by on the Rhode Island beachfront. The 33-year-old singer bought the Colonial-style mansion, called High Watch, on five acres in Watch Hill for nearly $18 million in 2013. The site has since become notable for her yearly Fourth of July parties attended by many celebrities.Swift wrote...

Brain sample from Maine gunman to be examined by BU for injury related to Army Reserves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine — A tissue sample from the brain of a gunman who killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Maine has been sent to a lab in Massachusetts to be examined for signs of injury or trauma related to his service in the Army Reserves, officials said Monday.The state’s chief medical examiner wants to know if a brain injury stemming from 40-year-old Robert Card’s military service could have contributed to unusual behavior he exhibited leading up to the Oct. 25 shootings at a bowling alley and at a bar in Lewiston .A spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office characterized the extra step as a matter of thoroughness “due to the combined history of military experience and actions.”“In an event such as this, people are left with more questions than answers. It is our belief that if we can conduct testing (in-house or outsourced) that may shed light on some of those answers, we have a responsibility to do that,” Lindsey Chasteen, office administrator, wrote in an email.The gunm...

Firefighters search for anyone trapped after corner of Bronx apartment building collapses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

By JOSEPH B. FREDERICK, JENNIFER PELTZ and JAKE OFFENHARTZ (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — Firefighters scoured a mound of rubble to ensure no one was trapped Monday evening after a corner of a seven-story Bronx apartment building collapsed, leaving apartments exposed like a stack of shelves and a convenience store partly buried under bricks and wood.There were no reports of injuries as of early evening and the proprietor of the ground floor shop said the people inside got out safely, city officials said. But firefighters used buckets, power tools and heavy equipment to pick through the debris, while officials kept a watchful eye on the portions of the building that remained standing.“Our main objective is to get to the bottom of that pile,” Fire Department Chief of Department John Hodgens said at a news conference. “We’ll be here until it’s down to the street level, just to make sure if there are any victims under there, hopefully we can get to...

Suspect identified in 4S Ranch shootout that injured SDPD sergeant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

SAN DEIGO — The suspect killed by officers in a shooting at a 4S Ranch shopping center last week that also left a San Diego police sergeant seriously injured was identified by authorities on Monday.Curtis Harris, a 46-year-old San Diego resident, was named by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department as the man shot by SDPD officers overnight Friday. According to SDSO, Harris had an unserved Emergency Protection Order against him tied to a prior domestic violence incident.Authorities were alerted to the incident after receiving a report of the protection order and a possible stolen vehicle around 10 p.m. Thursday. According to SDSO, a description of the suspect in the case was identified through officers' initial investigation, including that he was a felon and known to carry a firearm. San Diego Police investigating string of armed robberies Around 11:30 p.m., officers were able to locate the stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a shopping plaza in the 10500 block of 4S Commons ...

New charge filed against man accused of firing shotgun outside New York synagogue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A new federal charge was filed Monday against a man accused of firing a shotgun into the air outside a synagogue in upstate New York.Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 28, was arrested Thursday after shots were fired outside Temple Israel of Albany. The Iraqi-born U.S. citizen said “Free Palestine” when officers arrested him. He later told investigators that he felt affected by events in the Middle East, according to police officials and court filings.Federal prosecutors initially charged Alkhader with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person — a charge authorities said was related to his admitted use of marijuana.He was charged Monday with conspiracy to make a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. The new charge stems from the recent purchase of the shotgun authorities said he used in the shooting. Alkhader did not think he was eligible to buy a firearm because of a previous protective order, so he gave a friend money to buy the shotgun for him. The unident...

1 arrested, another man wanted in Toronto condo robbery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

One man has been arrested, and a second man remains wanted as Toronto police investigate a robbery that occurred at a condominium in the fall. Police were called to the Bay Street and Adelaide Street West area just before 8 a.m. on Sept. 15 for reports of a break-and-enter in progress.It’s alleged that one suspect assisted the other in gaining entry into a condominium building. Once inside, one of the suspects forced entry into a unit within the building.Authorities said one suspect then stole high-end watches and money. No injuries were reported.On Sept. 19, police arrested 44-year-old Trevor Harwood of Toronto. He was charged with break-and-enter and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Harwood appeared in court on Sept. 20.Authorities have identified the second man as 41-year-old Joel Barnor of Toronto. He’s wanted on the same aforementioned charges.Barnor is described as five-foot-eight and 181 pounds with a medium build and black shoulder-length dreadlocks.

Groups want full federal appeals court to revisit ruling limiting scope of the Voting Rights Act

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Progressive advocacy groups in Arkansas on Monday asked a full federal appeals court to reconsider a three-judge panel’s ruling that private groups can’t sue under a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act. The Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Arkansas State Conference NAACP asked for the case to go before the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a panel ruled 2-1 last month that only the U.S. attorney general can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.The groups, which are challenging Arkansas’ new state House districts under the law, told reporters in a conference call that the ruling reverses decades of precedent and would remove a key tool for voters to stand up for their rights if it’s not reversed. It also would put future challenges at the whims of partisan politics, since the president nominates the attorney general.“By jeopardizing private parties’ ability to enforce the act, the panel decision threatens ...

Closing arguments begin in trial of 3 officers charged in Manuel Ellis’ death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — After two Washington officers knocked Manuel Ellis to the ground, punched, choked and shot him with a Taser, he said three words: “can’t breathe, sir,” a prosecutor told the jury during closing arguments Monday. A third officer joined in, holding Ellis face down with pressure on his back until he slowly died, said special prosecutor Patty Eakes, who is working for the Washington Attorney General’s office.Had the officers done what most people would do if someone was struggling to breathe, Ellis would be alive today, Eakes said. “They chose instead to treat him like an animal, in the most dehumanizing position you can imagine,” she said. The Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled Ellis’ death a homicide and determined he died of hypoxia due to physical restraint.Two of the Tacoma, Washington officers — Matthew Collins, 40, and Christopher Burbank, 38 — were charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Timothy Rankine, 34, is charged w...

Hasbro cutting 1,100 jobs amid ongoing slowdown in toy sales

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Toy maker Hasbro said Monday it is cutting about 1,100 jobs, or 20% of its workforce, as the malaise in the toy business extends through another holiday shopping season.The nearly century-old Rhode Island-based company behind Monopoly, Play-Doh and My Little Pony toys disclosed the layoffs in a memo to employees published in a regulatory filing. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.The company said that the reductions are on top of 800 job cuts that have been taken so far in 2023 as part of moves announced last year to save up to $300 million annually by 2025. As of year-end 2022, the company said it had 6,490 employees. Holiday shopping survey reveals stressful trend among US consumers Like many toy companies, Hasbro is struggling with a slowdown in sales after a surge during pandemic lockdowns when parents were splurging on toys to keep their children busy. Last holiday season, many toy companies had to slash prices to get rid of merchandise due to wea...