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Frustration Growing With MBTA And Its “Unusual” Issues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

MBTA officials shed little new light Thursday on the “unusual” rail problems that have slowed the nearly brand-new Green Line Extension almost to a halt, while a growing tide of public frustration is taking aim at Gov. Maura Healey and her hand-picked deputies.Portions of the Green Line Extension’s Medford and Union Square branches cannot safely operate above 3 mph because the tracks now appear slightly too narrow for normal operations, General Manager Phil Eng told agency overseers at a public meeting.Those conditions only appeared on a recent inspection, not prior scans, Eng said, adding that crews are still trying to determine how long the issue has been present.“You would typically expect the gauge to widen, and that can be, over time, wear on the rail, wear on the ties and just the use of the track,” Eng said at an MBTA Board of Directors meeting. “What I understand is the tolerances that resulted in these recent speed restrictions is very mi...

A few showers Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

We had ourselves another nice fall day! Get the umbrella and rain jacket back out. The weather changes tomorrow into Saturday with more clouds and showers. Sunday and early next week looks fantastic!We’ll have more clouds overnight, so temperatures won’t be quite as chilly. We’ll start out in the upper 40s/low 50s inland and upper 50s on the coast. Tomorrow will be a cooler day with more clouds, a northeast breeze and showers…Let’s talk about the wet weather. Tomorrow morning, the shower activity favors western Mass (shown in the first picture of future radar below). The heaviest rainfall amounts will be to our southwest around New Jersey, New York and western Connecticut. There will be a chance for showers throughout the day (the evening radar shown in second picture below). The clouds and rain linger into Saturday. Rain is most likely south during the morning. We’ll get more clearing through the afternoon and evening. The clouds will make for a ...

Biden to announce library in honor of longtime friend John McCain in Arizona

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden on Thursday will announce the construction of an Arizona library in honor of his longtime friend, the late Republican Sen. John McCain.The McCain Library will boast “a new multi-purpose facility to provide education, work, and health monitoring programs to underserved communities in the state,” a White House official said, with funding from the American Rescue Plan in partnership with the McCain Institute and Arizona State University.Biden will be joined Thursday by McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain, as well as Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and members of the Arizona delegation.During his remarks, the president is expected to issue blunt new warnings about ongoing threats to US democracy, sharpening the central argument in his potential rematch with Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked McCain.McCain’s death was deeply personal for Biden, who lost his son Beau to the same cancer McCain was diagnosed with in 2017.Durin...

Bruins notebook: Defenseman Ian Mitchell making a play for a roster spot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

At first glance, the Taylor Hall trade to the Chicago Blackhawks looked like a straight salary dump for the Bruins. They were in salary cap hell and they needed to shed money. Hall’s $6 million price tag solved that issue in one fell swoop.But while gaining cap flexibility prior to free agency was no doubt the main impetus behind the Hall trade, Ian Mitchell hopes the deal (which also included the negotiating rights to Nick Foligno) represents something more to the Bruins than just taking a spoonful of bitter medicine.Mitchell and Alec Regula were the two right-shot defensemen who came in return for Hall. At the very least, the return bolstered the organizational depth at right D, a position that needed it. Mitchell, meanwhile, was one of the defensemen who popped late in the B’s 4-1 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday.A second-round draft pick of the Hawks in 2017 (57th overall), Mitchell was up and down between Chicago and Rockford the last three years, never really gaining any...

Tim Wakefield, wife, both battling cancer after Curt Schilling leaks sad news

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

Former Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield has been diagnosed with brain cancer while his wife Stacy is fighting pancreatic cancer — developments shared publicly without their permission, the organization said in a Thursday release.The statement from the Red Sox comes after Wakefield’s ex-teammate Curt Schilling brought the illnesses to light on his podcast Wednesday night.“We are aware of the statements and inquiries about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield. Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission,” the statement reads. “Their health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease. Tim and Stacy are appreciative of the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”Schilling, on his podcast, acknowledged he never received approval from Wakefield to share the news before proceeding to do so, anyway.“This is not...

Ousted Massachusetts pot boss Shannon O’Brien sues Treasurer Deb Goldberg

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

After weeks of silence, the state treasurer has finally explained her reasoning for removing Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien from her $181,722 post atop the pot board, just hours before the former gubernatorial candidate sued the treasurer over her ouster.O’Brien, who was appointed by Treasurer Deb Goldberg last year, was unceremoniously suspended, with pay, by Goldberg in mid-September. Until Thursday, no reason was given, except veiled assertions by the current acting chair to reference the state law governing why a commissioner might be removed.Now we know why.“Several serious allegations were made by a Commissioner and CCC staff about the Chair’s behavior and the CCC initiated an investigation, hiring an outside law firm. The law firm undertook an investigation and has returned with a report. According to the CCC’s employee handbook, suspension with pay is the only allowable remedy at this point, as the findings are being reviewed and action is considered,” Gol...

Worker dies after being trapped under 8 feet of dirt in San Francisco

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A worker has died after being trapped in a collapsed trench under an estimated 8 feet of dirt in San Francisco, the San Francisco Fire Department said Thursday. Fifty rescuers were on scene to assist in the search and recovery of the person.The incident was reported at a worksite in San Francisco’s Lower Haight neighborhood. An emergency response and technical trench rescue was in progress by 10:35 a.m. Thursday morning at the 1100 block of Divisadero Street. The worker was trapped in the collapsed trench for two hours before they were found dead by fire officials, SF Fire said. Video from SFFD (above) shows fire crews near a hole in the ground with ropes nearby and rescuers digging dirt.At the scene, heavy rescue technicians, trench collapse experts, Department of Public Works crews, the SFFD Medical Director, and search and tracking K-9s assisted in the recovery. Fire officials said specialized tools such as tripods, shoring equipment and a vacuu...

Military police under investigation over handling of sexual assault case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

OTTAWA — The Military Police Complaints Commission is investigating the way officers handled allegations of sexual assault against a soldier who took his own life, the commission announced Thursday. Military police charged Maj. Cristian Hiestand, a flight instructor in a Royal Canadian Air Force flight training squadron, with two counts of sexual assault in November 2021. The complainant alleged that Hiestand sexually assaulted her twice, after they had just ended a relationship. Hiestand died by suicide two months later, and his parents and sister filed separate complaints with the military police, saying they “rushed to judgment” and didn’t take a statement from the accused before laying charges. A military police officer has also filed a complaint alleging the investigating officers didn’t record the woman’s interview even though they could have, and that an off-duty sergeant tried to help with the investigation while intoxicated. The commission deni...

Saskatchewan to use notwithstanding clause over pronoun policy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government will use the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Constitution and pass legislation this fall to ensure the province’s pronoun policy remains in place.More coming.

Catholic Bishops say $30-million reconciliation fund on track to meet new deadline

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:26:23 GMT

OTTAWA — Canadian Catholic leaders say they are almost halfway to their fundraising goals for a reconciliation fund formed after the church failed to meet previous financial obligations.The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops held its annual meeting in Toronto this week, where church leaders were told the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund has raised $11.5 million so far, nearly 40 per cent of its goal. The Canadian bishops made a commitment in 2021 to raise $30 million in up to five years. They expect to raise at least $14 million by the end of the year.The Catholic Church was under pressure to properly compensate survivors under the Indian Residential School Survivor Agreement after it was reported that less than $4 million had been raised out of a $25-million goal.Forty-eight Catholic church entities had signed on to fundraise through “best efforts” as part of the compensation package under the settlement that was struck in 2006 with Ottawa, former residential school ...