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Special counsel rips apart Trump’s plea to delay Mar-a-Lago classified documents trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

(CNN) — Special counsel Jack Smith told a federal judge Thursday that there was no reason to postpone scheduling a trial date in the classified documents case against Donald Trump, in a court filing that aggressively rejected the reasons the former president and his co-defendant gave for why the trial should be delayed.The Smith team, which is seeking a mid-December trial date, accused the defendants of giving a “misleading” picture of the amount of evidence that has been handed over by prosecutors to the defendants in the case. Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta cited the need for more time to go through the evidence as a reason for pushing back setting a trial date.The prosecutors also railed against the suggestion by Trump’s and Nauta’s lawyers that it would not be possible to seat a fair jury before the 2024 election, as Trump is running to return to the White House.“Our jury system relies on the Court’s authority to craft a thorough and effectiv...

Margot Robbie, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more actors react to SAG-AFTRA strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

(CNN) — Fran Drescher, president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced during a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday that the union representing Hollywood actors will go on strike.“It’s official @sagaftra has voted to strike. We will be joining the @wgawest @wgaeast on the picket lines starting tomorrow,” Yvette Nicole Brown wrote in a post on her Instagram page on Thursday as news of the strike became official.She added, “In preparation we all got together last week to create our signs. I was on sticks! When you’re out there without a splinter thanks to the perfectly placed duct tape, think of ya girl! #UnionStrong.”The official strike declaration comes after SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee’s talks with major studios and streaming services about a new contract failed, even after the original deadline to make a deal was extended by weeks and a federal mediator got inv...

First responders, MSP trained to transport K9 units under Nero’s Law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

First responders, including the Massachusetts State Police and local departments, received new training Thursday in Fitchburg on how to air transport K9 units, which is recently allowed under Nero’s Law.Teams worked individually to learn the latest techniques to stabilize and load the dogs on the helicopters. The air ambulance transports are made possible by Nero’s Law, passed in 2022, which allows ambulance providers to transport police dogs injured in the line of duty to medical facilities.“The quicker that we can get them to the specialized care they need at the specialized vet is going to be for a better outcome for that dog,” said Stacy Cicio, life flight nurse.Nero was injured in 2018 when Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon was killed on the Cape. Nero was rushed to the animal hospital in the back of a police cruiser and survived. At the time, K9 officers were not allowed to get EMS transport. Nero’s Law changed that.“It’s personal for me,” said state Rep. Steven Xiarhos, who is...

Tracking storms tonight and tomorrow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

It felt hot and humid today! Highs reached the upper 80s/near 90°. It’s been dry, but tonight a cold front will bring scattered storms across the region. We keep unsettled weather in the forecast tomorrow. The weekend will bring more storms, but also some breaks to get outside.A Flood Watch is up for tonight for areas outside of I-495 and portions of Norfolk and Bristol counties. Storms could produce heavy rainfall leading to localized flooding. This comes after the ground is already pretty saturated from recent rain. The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of New England with a slight to moderate risk for excessive rainfall. The moderate category is targeted for eastern New York and southern Vermont after this week’s historic rainfall. A moderate risk means numerous flash floods are likely within that region. Showers and storms along and ahead of a cold front have been advancing across New York state this afternoon. The line will break apart as it moves e...

Flood warning, watches in Massachusetts with more heavy rain on the way: ‘Turn around, don’t drown’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

More flood warnings and watches are in effect for the Bay State, as heavy downpours are again on the way following the recent deluge of rain that wreaked havoc on parts of the region.The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for southeastern, central and western Massachusetts — alerting residents of the potential for flash flooding, at least through the Friday morning commute.Flood warnings continue for parts of the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts, which rose after the recent rain that hammered Vermont and the western part of the Bay State.“Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding,” the National Weather Service wrote in its flood warning alert. “Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” NWS added. “Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars t...

Feeling the heat: Sriracha prices soar amid shortage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

NEW YORK — It’s not just you. Sriracha is hard to come by these days — at least for one popular brand.The shortage of Huy Fong Foods’ Sriracha, the beloved red hot sauce packaged in those green-capped bottles, isn’t new — with the company pointing to a scarcity of chile pepper supply for several years now. And as frustrated fans continue to face store shelves missing the Huy Fong name, third-party resellers are punching up prices.Huy Fong Sriracha, which used to go for under $5 or $10 a bottle, is now selling for shocking amounts in some listings posted to sites with vast third-party marketplaces — including Amazon, eBay and Walmart. Many are simply sold out.For those still in stock, prices range depending where you look. On Thursday morning, for example, ads for a single 17-ounce bottle on eBay stretched from around $20 to a whopping $150 — contrasting significantly with the price tags of other hot sauce brands, which don’t appear to have the same level of s...

BC hires Todd Interdonato as new head baseball coach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

Athletic Director Blake James on Thursday announced that Boston College has hired Todd Interdonato as the ninth head baseball coach in program history.Interdonato was a fixture at Wofford for 18 seasons, 16 as head coach and two as an assistant. Interdonato guided the Terriers to 455 wins since assuming control of the program in 2008. Interdonato led Wofford to eight 30-win seasons in the last nine years and back-to-back 40-win seasons in 2022 and 2023 that included three consecutive Southern Conference regular season titles.Interdonato replaces the popular and successful Mike Gambino, who left to become the head coach at Penn State. Nittany Lions Athletic Director Patrick Kraft worked with Gambino when he was the AD at BC for two seasons.“I have no doubt that he will elevate our baseball program to unprecedented heights and we cannot wait for him to get started,” said James.RICH THOMPSON

Hollywood on strike: Actors join screenwriters in historic stoppage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Leaders of a Hollywood’s actors union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, said at a news conference that the union leadership voted for the work stoppage hours after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers representing employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others.“A strike is an instrument of last resort,” he said. Union leaders said at a news conference that they voted unanimously for a strike to begin at midnight. Outside Netflix’s Hollywood offices, picketing screenwriters chanted “Pay Your Actors!” immediately after the strike was announced.It’...

Massachusetts House votes to boost market-rate housing program for Gateway Cities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

House lawmakers voted Thursday to boost the annual cap of a housing production program that supporters have hailed as one of the best ways to create market-rate units in Gateway Cities, matching a proposal from their Senate counterparts that was floated earlier this year.But House Democrats decided to expand the program in a different legislative vehicle than the Senate, using a roughly $700 million spending package released Wednesday to increase the annual cap for the Housing Development Incentive Program’s instead of a tax relief bill locked up in negotiations.The program provides two tax incentives to developers who decide to undertake new construction or “substantial rehabilitation” of properties for sale or lease as multi-family, market-rate residential housing, according to the state.The program has already been used to create more than 2,600 units at an average cost of just over $23,000 per unit, and by boosting the annual cap from $10 million to $30 million, an additional 12...

Revolution deal Latif Blessing to Toronto for Marc-Anthony Kaye

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

The New England Revolution on Thursday acquired midfielder Marc Anthony-Kaye from Toronto FC for midfielder Latif Blessing and a 2023 international roster spot.Kaye, 28, is a 6-1, 170-pound MLS All-Star who competed for the Canadian National Team. He has played six MLS seasons for LAFC, Colorado and Toronto with 138 regular season appearances and 128 starts. Kaye has recorded 15 goals and 23 assists and is described as a versatile midfielder.Blessing developed an emotional bond with the Revolution because team management was involved in bringing his wife and daughter from their native Ghana to the United States. Blessing made 15 appearances with 14 starts and registered one assist.RICH THOMPSON