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Narrow tracks on MBTA’s $2.3B Green Line Extension under investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

The MBTA has slowed travel to a crawl on its brand new $2.3 billion Green Line Extension after discovering the tracks on stretches of the new line are too narrow.The speed in some spots along the affected lines, which bring service to Union Square in Somerville and Tufts-Medford, has dropped to 3 miles per hour, according to the T’s slow zone dashboard.T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said track inspectors performed a “regularly scheduled” scan of the Green Line Extension tracks and found areas where the width between the rails “was slightly out of the limits of the regular track standards.”The tracks were constructed and opened under the Baker administration, Pesaturo said, adding “the track gauge has always been narrow, but up until recently, did not require mitigation.”“The T has been conducting regular inspections and, in the past three months, has detected areas where the track condition has progressed to the point of requiring speed restrictions to ensure the safety of riders and crew...

Winner of last month’s $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot claims prize in Florida

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

By FREIDA FRISARO (Associated Press)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The winner of last month’s $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot — the third-largest in U.S. history — has come forward to claim the prize, officials said Wednesday.In all, Mega Millions has had five prizes of more than a billion dollars.Under a new Florida law, the winner’s name remains anonymous for 90 days from the date the prize was claimed, which was on Sept. 25, lottery officials said in an email. The lottery did not confirm whether the winner took the lump sum or the annuity, and did not specify the estimated lump sum amount.In Florida, winners have to claim the lump sum within 60 days of the drawing. They have up to 180 days if they choose to go with an annuity, which is paid out in 30 annual installments. The jackpot is also subject to federal taxes. There’s no state income tax in Florida. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, a town along th...

GOP debate live updates: Trump set to take Michigan stage as rivals prep in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

Republican presidential candidates are looking for breakout moments and voters' attention when they meet Wednesday night in Simi Valley, Calif., for the second primary debate. It starts just an hour after the 2024 front-runner headlines an event in Michigan.Seven candidates, all polling well behind former President Trump, met the Republican National Committee (RNC) criteria to participate: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.Trump, meanwhile, is again not joining the debate. Instead, he will be at an 8 p.m. event near Detroit meeting with current and former union workers amid their ongoing strike against three major automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.The debate starts at 9 p.m. on Fox Business Network. Find out how to watch it here.And follow along here through the ...

Newsom signs law to protect doctors who mail abortion pills to other states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Wednesday that aims to stop other states from prosecuting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in places where the procedure is banned.California already has a law protecting doctors who provide abortions from out-of-state judgements. But that law was designed to protect doctors who treat patients from other states who travel to California.The new law goes further by forbidding authorities from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into doctors who mail abortion pills to patients in other states. It also bans bounty hunters or bail agents from apprehending doctors and pharmacists in California and transporting them to another state to stand trial for providing an abortion.Other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have similar laws. But California's law also bars state-based social media companies — like Facebook — from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, warrants or ...

Francona’s beloved scooter stolen, stripped as Cleveland’s manager gets ready to say goodbye to game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona made it to the home finale, his last managing the Guardians before retirement.His beloved scooter didn’t get there.Just hours before Cleveland fans saluted the popular manager, who is leaving baseball after 11 seasons with the club, Francona revealed that the celebrated motorized scooter he rode to and from Progressive Field for the past several seasons was stolen for the second time.“The hog has been officially put on ice,” Francona said, using the pet nickname for his ride before Wednesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. “It got stolen again, but this time they stripped it.”Francona said the two-wheeled vehicle was swiped about 10 days ago. It was first stolen in January but recovered by Cleveland Police.“Been in mourning,” he said. “They got it in the clubhouse under a blanket. Looks like they took a baseball bat to it.”The 64-year-old recently hopped on a substitute electric scooter, but the ride wasn’t the same. ...

Burkina Faso’s junta says its intelligence and security services have foiled a coup attempt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A coup attempt against Burkina Faso’s military government has been thwarted by the country’s intelligence and security services, authorities said Wednesday.“Officers and other alleged actors involved in this attempt at destabilization have been arrested and others are actively sought,” junta spokesman Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo said in a statement without providing details.The statement said the coup attempt happened on Tuesday.Burkina Faso is one of a growing list of West African countries where the military has taken power, citing the failed promises of elected governments. It experienced its second coup in 2022 with soldiers ousting Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after he helped overthrow democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré early in the year.Capt. Ibrahim Traore was named as the transitional president and the junta set a goal of conducting elections to return the country to democratic rule by July 2024.Ouedraogo sa...

Virginia Democrats warn Republicans will ban abortion; GOP says their rhetoric is fearmongering

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Republicans stepped up their criticism this week of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in this year’s critical legislative elections. A recent flurry of Democratic-sponsored ads and mailers in battleground districts expected to determine political control of the General Assembly have warned that Republicans would use a newfound legislative majority to ban abortion, including in cases where the pregnancy resulted from rape or a mother’s life was at risk. Virginia, currently under divided political control, now allows elective abortions in the first and second trimesters and is the only Southern state that has not implemented new restrictions since the end of Roe v. Wade. In their messaging, Democrats have cited recent strict bans enacted in other GOP-led states, along with Republican candidates’ legislative records, past public statements and news articles, to bolster their claims. Republ...

Bank records show accused killer was in the same city on day a B.C. girl was killed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

VANCOUVER — A senior investigator at Vancouver City Savings Credit Union saysa bank account registered toIbrahim Ali shows transactions in Burnaby, B.C., on July 18, 2017, the same day a 13-year-old was murdered in a city park. Rick Mihic told Ali’s first-degree murder trial in B.C. Supreme Court that there were three purchases made from Ali’s account that day, including one from a Freshslice Pizza and two others from a Chevron.However, he testified he wasn’t able to tell the address of the businesses or the time the purchases happened from the records.Ali has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of the teen, whose name is under a publication ban.The girl’s body was found in Burnaby’s Central Park early on July 19, 2017, just hours after her mother reported her missing.Crown attorney Isobel Keeley said in her opening statement in April that the court would hear evidence showing the murder was random, but cellphone and bank records prov...

Winnipeg man pleads guilty to manslaughter over death of Saskatchewan RCMP officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

REGINA — A Winnipeg man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a Saskatchewan RCMP officer. Alphonse Stanley Traverse pleaded guilty to the charge in Regina Court of King’s Bench for his role in Const. Shelby Patton’s death.RCMP have said the 26-year-old Mountie was hit by a vehicle in 2021 in the town of Wolseley, east of Regina, after stopping a suspected stolen truck. Traverse also pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a motor vehicle. He is expected to make a another court appearance in January for sentencing. Marlene Velma Louise Pagee of Winnipeg is also facing one count of accessory to murder after the fact over Patton’s death.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2023.The Canadian Press

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law to protect doctors who mail abortion pills to other states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:18 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Wednesday that aims to stop other states from prosecuting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in places where the procedure is banned.California already has a law protecting doctors who provide abortions from out-of-state judgements. But that law was designed to protect doctors who treat patients from other states who travel to California.The new law goes further by forbidding authorities from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into doctors who mail abortion pills to patients in other states. It also bans bounty hunters or bail agents from apprehending doctors and pharmacists in California and transporting them to another state to stand trial for providing an abortion.Other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have similar laws. But California’s law also bars state-based social media companies — like Facebook — from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, warran...