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Markey’s ‘de-escalation’ comments bring boos from pro-Israel crowd

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

Bay State Sen. Ed Markey was booed today for calling for “de-escalation” of the war in Israel and Palestine in a midday Boston rally.The state’s senior senator paused as the crowd at the “gathering in solidarity with Israel under fire” pushed back at his comments.“(Hamas) are violent extremists. They gain support in a crisis. That is why the United States and the international community must keep pushing for diplomacy and the ending of civilian casualties on all sides. There must be a de-escalation of the current violence,” Markey said in a speech, cut off by a wave of loud boos from the tense crowd at the word “de-escalation.”Many public officials, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Gov. Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu, also spoke at the rally in Boston Common early Monday afternoon.U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss pushed back on the de-escalation comments in his own remarks when it was his turn to speak after Markey.  Auchincloss al...

RFK Jr.’s independent run for president draws GOP criticism and silence from national Democrats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

By ALI SWENSON (Associated Press)PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Republicans attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday as the longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist launched an independent bid for the White House, reflecting growing concerns on the right that the former Democrat now threatens to take votes from former President Donald Trump in 2024.The Republican National Committee and Trump’s campaign both took aim at Kennedy’s liberal background while national Democrats stayed silent as Kennedy insisted in a speech in Philadelphia that he was leaving both political parties behind.“Voters should not be deceived by anyone who pretends to have conservative values,” said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung in a statement. He labeled Kennedy’s campaign “nothing more than a vanity project for a liberal Kennedy looking to cash in on his family’s name.”The fiery response exposes the unknowns that lie in Kennedy’s long-anti...

GO Transit station ambassadors being moved onto platforms to help address issues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

If you’ve been out and about on the GO Transit train network over the past year, there’s a chance you may seen staff members sporting bright, neon green vests.In a bid to address customer service, safety and on-time performance issues, Metrolinx launched a program to bring station ambassadors onto platforms at certain stations during peak periods before trains arrive. Workers also have devices that allows them to work outdoors, such as access to the public address system.In years past, these GO Transit staff members typically stayed behind booths inside stations to process ticket sales.Station ambassador Dina Abdou works on the Lakeshore East GO train line and described herself as the “first point of contact” for many coming through the station she is assigned to.“We are essentially ones that help relay information, help answer any inquiries. We are ones that if there are any incidents or emergencies, we do ensure that we employ the correct departments...

Man succumbs to injury in hospital after shooting at Scarborough townhouse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

A man has succumbed to his injuries in hospital after a shooting at a townhouse in Scarborough in September.Emergency crews were called to a townhouse complex at the intersection of Morningside Avenue and Danzig Street, south of Lawrence Avenue East, around 11:15 p.m. on Sept. 24, and a man in his 20s was found at the scene with gunshot wounds.The shooting occurred in the complex parking lot. Police tell CityNews multiple shots were fired.The man was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and on Sunday the victim succumbed to his injuries.Joshua Bernard-Reis, 21, of Toronto, has been identified as the victim.Investigators say they are looking for multiple suspects who fled the area in a vehicle at high speed.The investigation is ongoing.With files from CityNews reporter Carl Hanstke and Michael Ranger

Lawyer makes unconfirmed claim that Tyre Nichols had stolen items in car before beating death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A lawyer for one of five former Memphis officers charged with fatally beating Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop made an unconfirmed claim in court documents that investigators found a hallucinogenic drug and stolen credit cards in Nichols’ car when he was pulled over. A lawyer for Nichols’ family didn’t immediately return a request for comment, while federal prosecutors criticized the court filing in their own document to the court.“The fact that the defendant now seeks to rifle through the deceased victim’s personal effects for new information suggests that he intends to attack the character of the victim at trial and, in so doing, ask the jury to improperly nullify the criminal charges,” federal prosecutors wrote.The defense lawyer for former officer Justin Smith said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s inventory of Nichols’ car showed he had psilocybin, a substance found in mushrooms, when police stopped him Jan. 7 for an al...

Stock market today: Oil prices climb following the latest Gaza war, but stocks rise with rate hopes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices climbed Monday on worries about violence in the Middle East. The stock market was less fearful, though, and flipped from early losses to gains. The S&P 500 rose 27.16, or 0.6%, following some potentially encouraging news on interest rates, which have been dragging Wall Street mainly lower since the summer. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 197.07 points, or 0.6%, to 33,604.65, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 52.90, or 0.4%, to 13,484.24. Stocks perked higher after two officials at the Federal Reserve suggested they may not need to raise interest rates again at their next meeting Nov. 1, because a jump in longer-term bond yields may be helping to cool inflation without further market-rattling hikes by the Fed. That gave stocks some oxygen and helped them erase modest losses from the morning. The S&P 500 had sagged by as much as 0.6% in its first trading after Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, which then formally declared war. T...

Florida settles lawsuit over COVID data, agrees to provide weekly stats to the public

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida will have to provide COVID-19 data to the public again after a former Democratic state representative settled a lawsuit with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration over the decision two years ago to stop posting information on the virus’ spread online.Then-Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith sued after the Department of Health denied his public records request for COVID-19 data in 2021 and announced the settlement Monday. He was joined by the Florida Center for Government Accountability.The settlement requires the department to provide COVID-19 data to the public for the next three years, including weekly statistics on cases, deaths and vaccinations by county, age group, gender and race, Smith said in a news release. The state must also pay more than $152,000 in legal fees to cover the plaintiffs’ legal costs.“All Floridians have a constitutional right to public records and the right to receive critical public health data in a timely ...

Louisiana public school principal apologizes after punishing student for dancing at a party

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

WALKER, La. (AP) — A Louisiana public school principal has apologized and requested leave for punishing a student and questioning her religious beliefs after he saw a video of her dancing at an off-campus party. The 17-year-old student government president and scholarship candidate was videotaped dancing at an off-campus party following Walker High School’s Sept. 30 Homecoming festivities. A hired DJ took the video and posted it on social media. Three days later, Jason St. Pierre, principal of the public high school near the state capital of Baton Rouge, told the student she would be removed from her position with the student government association and that he would no longer recommend her for college scholarships. At a meeting in his office with the assistant principal, St. Pierre told the student she wasn’t “living in the Lord’s way,” her mother said, according to The Advocate. He printed out Bible verses with highlighted sections and “questioned who her friends were and if ...

European Union reverses earlier announcement that it was suspending development aid to Palestinians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union late Monday reversed an earlier announcement by an EU commissioner that the bloc was “immediately” suspending development aid for Palestinian authorities and instead said it would urgently review such assistance in the wake of the attacks on Israel by Hamas to make sure no money was misused.“There will be no suspension of payments” at the moment, a terse European Commission statement said late Monday, five hours after EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi had said that all payments from the development program for Palestinians would be “immediately suspended. All projects put under review. All new budget proposals … postponed until further notice.”No immediate explanation for the reversal was given. A full European Commission statement always trumps a statement from an EU commissioner, but the reversal on a 691 million-euro ($730 million) program capped an embarrassing day at the EU’s executive at a time of extreme geopolitical sensitivities. Since Satur...

Emergency crews respond after possible home explosion in Woodstock

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:52 GMT

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — Emergency crews are on the scene of a possible home explosion in the northwest suburbs on Monday afternoon.Debris and smoke from the home could be seen overhead by WGN TV's Skycam 9 which was over the scene in Woodstock near North Tryon Street and Lincoln Avenue at around 3:40 p.m. In a post on Facebook Woodstock Fire and Rescue officials said that crews were working a natural gas leak in an area along North Tryon Street between Washington Street and West Judd Street. Crews closed the road while working in the area. In the post, officials said St. Mary's Catholic Church was evacuated and surrounding homes were advised to shelter in place. "The safety of the public and every family we serve is our No. 1 value. Nicor Gas crews are onsite working with first responders to safely secure the area and to assist local authorities with their investigation of this incident," an official from Nicor Gas said in a statement on Monday afternoon. ...