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Flynn blasts Lara in open letter, says Bostonians deserve better

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

Council President Ed Flynn blasted his colleague District 6 Councilor Kendra Lara in an open letter Wednesday, saying the people of Boston want to see elected officials demonstrate “maturity and take responsibility as adults.”Flynn’s letter follows Lara’s crash Friday into a Jamaica Plain home while driving an unregistered car while she herself had a revoked driver’s license, according to a police report after the incident. Additionally, Lara’s son Zaire, who was injured, was not in a child seat as required, and the car she was driving lacked a current inspection sticker.Police have summonsed Lara to court on the variety of motor vehicle charges and made a report to the Department of Children and Families in connection with the lack of a booster seat for her child.Lara told police she swerved to avoid a car entering the street from a driveway and then couldn’t brake in time before she crashed into the house, according to a police report. The driver of the second vehicle disputed tha...

Dead body found in Mission Beach: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A dead body was found in Mission Beach Wednesday morning, the San Diego Police Department confirmed to FOX 5.Authorities say a call came in at 6:42 a.m. reporting a possibly deceased individual on 900 West Mission Bay Drive.Upon arrival, SDPD says a man was pronounced dead on the scene. His identity has not been released at this time.Homicide detectives were called in to investigate the incident. Authorities are working to gather evidence and additional information. A media briefing is expected to take place sometime Wednesday morning, police said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Big Bay Boom: Rewatch fireworks over San Diego Bay

Environmental activists arrested at Wimbledon for throwing confetti and puzzle pieces on court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Two environmental activists were arrested at Wimbledon on Wednesday after getting on court and disrupting a match by scattering orange confetti and puzzle pieces on the grass.A woman and a man wearing T-shirts from Just Stop Oil — a protest group that wants the British government to stop new oil, gas and coal projects — made it onto the field of play at Court 18 before being taken away by security.The interruption happened as three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, who is seeded 21st in the men’s bracket, was about to hit a serve in the second set of a first-round match against Sho Shimabukuro of Japan. Before the debris could be cleared from the court to allow the players to continue, action was halted by a rain delay.“Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the grounds,” an All England C...

Hong Kong police arrest 4 men accused of supporting people overseas endangering national security

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested four men they accused of providing financial support to people who fled overseas and are involved in activities endangering national security, escalating a high-profile crackdown on dissidents in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Police said the four are suspected of using companies, social media and mobile applications to receive funds that they then provided to the people overseas. A police statement did not identify the four suspects or the people they allegedly supported.Local media, including the South China Morning Post, said the four are former members of the now-defunct pro-democracy party Demosisto, which was founded by Nathan Law, an activist who is now based in the United Kingdom. The newspaper Ming Pao carried a photo of former Demosisto chairperson Ivan Lam being escorted by police officers.The Associated Press could not confirm the identities of the four, who authorities said are also suspected of making seditious...

3 killed and 10 wounded at Louisiana block party, one of several shootings over July Fourth holiday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Three people were killed and 10 others wounded in a Louisiana mass shooting, one of several across the nation this week as Americans celebrated the Fourth of July.In Shreveport, Louisiana, one of the injured was in critical condition Wednesday after the gunfire late Tuesday night, Shreveport police Sgt. Angie Willhite said. Others who were injured are expected to survive, she said.No arrests have been made. “We are struggling with getting information from those who were present. We’re not getting a lot of cooperation,” Willhite said.The hope is that some potential witnesses who didn’t wish to cooperate at the scene will contact police later, she added.“We’re going to hope for some quick and immediate cooperation that will lead us to the people we’re trying to find,” she said.Other shootings during the holiday period included one in Washington, D.C., that wounded nine people early Wednesday.The Associated Press

Watchdog unveils guidelines to support mortgage-holders under financial stress

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s financial consumer watchdog is warning lenders not to take advantage of Canadian mortgage holders who are facing severe financial stress as interest rates and the cost of living rise.The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says financial institutions need to help provide support to consumers who are facing rising mortgage payments.Mortgage holders with variable-rate loans have faced a higher cost of borrowing as interest rates have marched higher, while those with fixed-rate loans have faced increased costs as their mortgages come up for renewal.In guidelines released today, the federal watchdog did not recommend any specific measures, but says lenders should be guided by the principles of fairness, appropriateness and accessibility.That includes consideration of waiving prepayment penalties, waiving internal fees and costs, not charging interest on interest and extending amortization for the shortest period possible.It says lenders should avoid taking advant...

Bear Grylls goes into the wild with a new batch of celebrities, from Bradley Cooper to Rita Ora

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — For his latest role, Bradley Cooper leapt onto a hovering helicopter, rappelled down a 400-foot cliff and pulled himself across a 100-foot ravine in one of the harshest climates in North America. His reward wasn’t an Oscar nomination or a big box office hit. It was a hug from adventurist Bear Grylls and some words of encouragement. “He smashed it,” Grylls says.Cooper is one of several celebrities — including Benedict Cumberbatch, Cynthia Erivo, Russell Brand, Troy Kotsur, Rita Ora, Daveed Diggs and Tatiana Maslany — who put their survival skills to the test in a new season of Nat Geo’s “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge,” premiering Friday.“I’m really proud of this season. We’ve had incredible guests who pushed the boundaries in terms of terrain and the challenge,” Grylls told The Associated Press. “When there’s real tough weather with fun people, it’s often really compelling TV.”The series pairs Grylls with a celebrity for 48 hours in a harsh enviro...

The gunman in the Danish mall shooting that killed 3 people is sentenced to a mental health facility

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A 23-year-old man in Denmark who opened fire at a mall last year and killed three people believing the victims were zombies was sentenced Wednesday to detention in a secure medical facility.The Copenhagen District Court convicted the man, who was not identified during the trial because of court rules, of murder and attempted murder in the July 3, 2022 rampage at the huge Field’s shopping center on the outskirts of Copenhagen.Three people died — two 17-year-olds and a 47-year-old Russian man — and a total of 23 people were injured, including those who were hurt in the commotion that followed.Prosecutor Søren Harbo welcomed the verdict and said that ”one must not forget that it was a day that affected many people, several of whom are unfortunately still struggling with physical and psychological consequences.” The court found that the man had planned the attack, noting that he had taken a reconnaissance trip to the mall before the rampage. It also ruled that...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts as markets worldwide pull back

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting Wednesday following a rally that had sent it roaring 16% higher for the year so far.The S&P 500 was 0.1% lower in morning trading and edging down from its highest level since April 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 135 points, or 0.4%, at 34,282, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was virtually unchanged.Other markets around the world fell more sharply following the latest discouraging signal from China’s economy. Growth in China’s services industry slowed by more than economists expected last month. It’s the latest evidence showing the world’s second-largest economy is stumbling in its recovery following the removal of anti-COVID restrictions.The U.S. economy, meanwhile, has remained stronger than many investors feared. It’s defied predictions for a recession because of a job market that’s remained remarkably solid despite much higher interest rates meant to bring down inflation. A report on Wednes...

Rain and environmental activists affect play on Day 3 at Wimbledon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Rain is again affecting play at Wimbledon on Day 3 of the grass-court tournament, and two environmental activists halted one match as well.Intermittent showers Wednesday forced matches on the outside courts to be suspended twice, while play in the main stadiums was also stopped for a short time because of the weather.Two Just Stop Oil protestors were arrested after disrupting one match by running onto Court 18 and throwing orange confetti onto the grass, before being led off by security. That stopped the first-round encounter between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro early in the second set, and the rain then came before the confetti could be cleared. The match resumed with the others after the rain delay. The two protestors were arrested “on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage,” the All England Club said in a statement. Wimbledon increased its security in coordination with London police and other agencies for this year’s tournament, in p...