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Federal team sent to ‘assess’ migrant situation to visit Boston Tuesday, Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

A Department of Homeland Security team tasked with “assessing” the migrant situation in Massachusetts plans to visit Boston Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Healey administration.The trip comes as migrant arrivals have surged in Massachusetts, pushing an emergency shelter system already overburdened with the number of local homeless families into crisis mode. Skyrocketing housing costs and long processing periods for work authorizations have slowed both local families and migrants’ ability to exit temporary housing.The Biden administration said last week it was sending a Homeland Security team to “assess  the current migrant situation and identify ways to improve efficiencies and maximize our support for communities that are addressing the needs of migrants.”“We look forward to having the DHS team visit Boston this week to better understand the challenges the city and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are facing, and to make response recommendations as to how we continue to w...

Chicago Bears secondary could get some help this week — and it won’t have to defend Justin Jefferson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

The Chicago Bears could receive a boost in the secondary this week just in time for an NFC North matchup against the Minnesota Vikings — though the Bears won’t have to face star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.The Bears designated nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon to return from injured reserve Monday, one day before the Vikings reportedly decided to put Jefferson on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Gordon had surgery on his broken hand after the season opener and missed the last four games. The Bears now have 21 days to put Gordon back on the 53-man roster.Coach Matt Eberflus declined to delve into injury updates Monday as the Bears returned to Halas Hall from their mini-bye following Thursday’s 40-20 victory over the Washington Commanders. The statuses of safety Eddie Jackson (foot) and cornerback Jaylon Johnson (hamstring) also will be worth monitoring this week after both missed extended time in the last month.But Eberflus did speak of the value of getti...

Former MLB All-Star Steve Garvey announces run for U.S. Senate in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

After months of speculation, former Major League Baseball All-Star Steve Garvey makes it official, telling Inside California Politics he is entering the U.S. Senate race as a Republican. His announcement comes 10 days after the death of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who held the seat since the early 90s. As her replacement, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Democratic strategist Laphonza Butler. Schiff, Porter lead in Senate race, but nearly one third of voters undecided, poll shows Garvey, 74, is a 17-year MLB veteran who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, winning MLB’s National League "Most Valuable Player" award in 1974 as a member of the Dodgers.In a Berkeley IGS Poll from early September, when he had yet to join the race, he garnered around 7% of respondents’ votes, as much as James P. Bradley, another Republican candidate, and Rep. Barbara Lee, one of three leading Democratic candidates for the seat.  Despite previous losses, Senate ca...

Newsom signs bill to ban hidden fees in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Hidden fees, which sellers use to mislead customers with an artificially low headline price before imposing additional unavoidable charges later in the buying process, will no longer be allowed in California.Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 478 (SB 478) that will ban hidden fees, or "junk fees," in the state starting on July 1, 2024, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release Saturday.“These deceptive fees prevent us from knowing how much we will be charged at the outset. They are bad for consumers and bad for competition. They cost Americans tens of billions of dollars each year," Bonta said.Bonta added that these fees "hit families who are just trying to make ends meet the hardest." California campsite reservation bill signed by governor. Here’s what changes it makes "And, because a growing list of websites, apps, and brick-and-mortar businesses are using them, they penalize companies that are upfront and transparen...

The future of electric vehicles looms over negotiations in the US autoworkers strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

WAYNE, Mich. (AP) — On the picket lines at a Ford factory west of Detroit, many striking workers don’t think the electric vehicle revolution is coming for their jobs — at least not in the near future.But just in case, they’re backing United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain’s quest to unionize EV battery factories at Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis, matching a breakthrough concession made by General Motors last week.So far, neither Ford nor Stellantis has agreed to the change, which would pull employees at all 10 U.S. battery factories proposed by Detroit automakers into national contracts with the UAW, all but assuring they’ll be unionized.Fain also wants workers at the plants to make top UAW assembly plant wages, which now are $32 per hour. With the UAW strike now in its fourth week, EVs and their potential impact on job security have become central to union negotiations with the automakers. Contract talks are likely to determine whether those plants — mostl...

Finnish president says undersea gas and telecom cables damaged by ‘external activity’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish President Sauli Niinistö says damage to an undersea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia appears to have been caused by “external activity.”Finnish and Estonian gas system operators on Sunday said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector pipeline after which they shut down the gas flow.The Finnish government on Tuesday said there was damage both to the gas pipeline and to a telecommunications cable between the two NATO countries.“The damage to the underwater infrastructure has been taken seriously and the causes have been under investigation since Sunday,” Niinistö said. “The state authorities have been kept closely informed of the situation.”“It is likely that the damage to both the gas pipeline and the telecommunications cable is the result of external activity,” he said. “The cause of the damage is not yet clear and the investigation is continuing in cooperation between Finland and Estonia.”Niinistö ...

The Supreme Court rejects an appeal from former coal company CEO Don Blankenship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Tuesday from former coal executive Don Blankenship, who argued that major news outlets defamed him by calling him a “felon.”The justices left in place an appellate ruling against Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy. He served a year in prison on a misdemeanor charge after he was found guilty of conspiring to violate safety standards at a West Virginia mine before an explosion in 2010 that killed 29 men.Justice Clarence Thomas, while agreeing with the court’s action Tuesday, repeated his call for the court to overturn its landmark 1964 libel ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan.The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s determination that CNN, Fox News and 14 other outlets sued by Blankenship did not act with “actual malice” amid coverage of his unsuccessful 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, even if they failed to meet journalistic standards.The high court had previously turned away Blankenship̵...

Toronto’s alcohol in parks pilot ends with few official complaints. What’s next?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

Toronto’s pilot project that allowed residents to drink alcohol in certain parks has wrapped up with only a few complaints, according to the city.The two-month trial allowing for the consumption of alcohol at a list of 27 city parks began on Aug. 2 and concluded on Monday.Between Aug. 2 and Sep. 24, the city says they only received two complaints related to alcohol in the parks included in the pilot. No charges were laid.“The City has found that people complied with the guidelines set out by the Alcohol in Parks pilot program and the number of complaints received was low,” reads an email from city staff.During the same time period, the city received 28 complaints related to alcohol in non-pilot parks. One person was charged.City council will now direct staff to report the results to the Economic and Community Development Committee in the spring of 2024.“The evaluation will assess the impact of the pilot for park users and the neighbouring communities,” ...

Hurricane Lidia takes aim at Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta resort with strengthening winds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Lidia took aim Tuesday at Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta, and forecasters said it could have winds up to 105 mph when it hits land later in the day or early Wednesday.The hurricane is expected to sweep over a spit of land before hitting the bay where Puerto Vallarta is located, which could cushion the blow somewhat.Local authorities cancelled classes in communities around the coast. The expected impact comes one day after Tropical Storm Max hit the southern Pacific coast, hundred of miles away, and then dissipated. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Lidia had winds of about 85 mph (140 kph) early Tuesday, but was expected to strengthen to about 105 mph (170 kph) before making landfall. Lidia was centered early Tuesday about 235 miles (380 kilometers) west-southwest of Puerto Vallarta, and was moving east-north-east at about 13 mph (20 kph).The hurricane center warned of possible flash flooding and storm surge from the hurricane.The...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill expanding conservatorship law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:21 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — More Californians with untreated mental illness and addiction issues could be detained against their will and forced into treatment under legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.The new law, which reforms the state’s conservatorship system, expands the definition of “gravely disabled” to include people who are unable to provide themselves basic needs such as food and shelter due to an untreated mental illness or unhealthy drugs and alcohol use. Local governments say current state laws leave their hands tied if a person refuses to receive help.The law is designed to make it easier for authorities to provide care to people with untreated mental illness or addictions to alcohol and drugs, many of whom are homeless. Local government said their hands are tied if a person refuses to receive help under existing law.The bill was aimed in part at dealing with the state’s homelessness crisis. California is home to more than 171,000 homeless people — abo...