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Cold War with China would ‘betray’ Britain’s national interests, UK foreign secretary warns

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

LONDON — Britain must engage with China rather than isolate Beijing in a “new Cold War,” the U.K. foreign secretary will say Tuesday in a warning shot to Tory China hawks.James Cleverly will set out the U.K.’s approach toward China in a long-awaited speech on Tuesday, weeks after the government’s updated Integrated Review of defense and foreign policy described relations with the emerging superpower as an “epoch-defining and systemic challenge.”Cleverly is expected to set out a three-pronged approach for relations with Beijing — limiting Chinese involvement in sectors deemed critical for national security; strengthening ties with Indo-Pacific allies; and — most controversially — engaging with China directly to promote stable relations.And in a message to the increasingly outspoken China hawks within his Conservative Party, the foreign secretary will warn against an era of open confrontation with Beijing that might harm the U.K.’s economic interests and limit the West’s ab...

Markey, Pressley announce new push for fare-free public transit across the country 

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

Local elected leaders have launched a new push for public transportation at no cost to riders across the country as they re-introduce the “Freedom to Move Act.” Senator Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley recently discussed the legislation, which would bring in government funding to support free rides, at an event at Ruggles station in Boston on Monday. The move comes as Boston already has an experiment in place using federal funds to eliminate fares on three local bus routes. Officials say ridership on buses went up by 35% with the elimination of fares. The move has also put more money in the pockets of riders including Connie Forbes, who recently discussed her free public transit rides. “You just get on the bus and you put yourself into a seat, you’re done,” Forbes told 7NEWS. “Instead of having to figure out where to put the money in the meter or tap your card.““This is actually saving us a bit of money to go towards something essential like food,...

Brockton mother seeks help finding stolen handicap accessible van

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

A mother in Brockton has shared a plea for help after the handicap accessible van she uses to help her son get around was stolen over the weekend. Sandra Tavares’ son was left with severe disabilities, including the loss of his legs, after a car crash in 2016. He is wheel-chair bound and needs the van to get from place to place. Tavares’ said the van was a gamechanger for her family when they got it a few years ago. Now, with the van stolen, she said their lives have been turned upside down. “My son is not a little baby that I can carry around and we have a lot of doctors appointments and we depend on that van,” she said. Tavares said she went to run a quick errand Saturday morning when she realized she forgot her wallet. She said she left the van running and went back inside for what she said was a couple minutes at most. In that time, she said someone got in the van and took off. Tavares spent years waiting and saving up money before she got the van i...

Local lawmakers discuss classified documents leak as questions remain

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

Questions remain more than a week after the arrest of a 21-year old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of sharing classified documents thrust the town of Dighton into a national spotlight. As the discussion continues, a New York Times article on Friday claimed Jack Teixeira had been sharing sensitive information for longer and on a larger scale than originally thought. Speaking on Monday, local lawmakers shared their reactions. “Of course I’m concerned,” Rep. Seth Moulton said at an event in Lynn. “I mean, any time something like this happens, until you get to the very bottom of it, you don’t know how broad it can be and how many lives this criminal has put at risk.”The Times said Teixeira began posting secret intelligence days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last.SKY7-HD was then overhead earlier this month when federal agents arrested Teixeira at his mother’s home on April 13. Ayanna Pressley was in Boston on Monda...

Yankees Notebook: Aaron Boone unsurprised by Joey Gallo’s success

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

MINNESOTA — Joey Gallo struggled while playing under Aaron Boone in New York, but the Yankees manager is far from shocked that the slugger has had some success over his first 12 games with the Twins.Gallo, who missed some time with a right intercostal strain, was slashing .235/.350/.706 with five home runs and 11 RBI entering Monday’s series-opener between the two teams. He strictly played the outfield for the Yankees, but the Twins had him at first base and batting seventh at Target Field.“He’s obviously got a ton of power,” Boone said before the game. “He’s already hit some home runs this year. He’s a guy that typically controls the strike zone. So I don’t think it’s surprising to us necessarily that he’s having some success here.”Gallo, who signed a one-year, $11 million contract with Minnesota in the offseason, didn’t appear by his locker when the Twins’ clubhouse was open to reporters Monday.The...

Millionaire’s tax money will be exempted from rebate law under House plan

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

The state House began deliberations over their $56 billion fiscal 2024 spending proposal on Monday by rejecting a Republican plan to include money from a newly enacted millionaire’s tax along with the rest of revenue when calculating mandatory taxpayer rebates.“This is a simple amendment, but one that we feel is still very important,” state Rep. Kim Ferguson said. “The amendment removes the exemption of the millionaire’s tax revenues deposited into the education and transportation fund from counting toward allowable state tax revenues under Chapter 62F.”Representatives will likely spend most of this week arguing over exactly how and where to spend billions in state revenues during fiscal 2024, before the spending package is sent to the Senate for revision and, eventually, to Gov. Maura Healey for her veto or signature.Before any vote on the budget itself can occur, lawmakers must first dispense with the over 1,500 amendments that representatives have filed to the original pack...

Bruins notebook: Taylor Hall has provided much needed scoring depth

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

As the Bruins steamrolled their way toward the playoffs, winning their last eight games on the record-breaking run, it was anyone’s guess what to expect from Taylor Hall come playoff time.After suffering a lower body injury in Vancouver on Feb. 25, he missed most of the rest of the regular season, returning to play just three of the last four games. He went scoreless in all of them and, even before his injury, he’d had an inconsistent season from a production standpoint.But in this playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Hall has shown some of the flashes that made him a Hart Trophy winner five years ago when he was with the New Jersey Devils. Hall leads the B’s in scoring with 4-3-7 totals in the four games, including his 2-2-4 afternoon on Sunday.It was in Game 1, in which he actually did not get on the scoresheet, that Hall showed he was ready to contribute. He twice made strong defensive plays that he immediately turned into 2-on-1s with his speed.“Taylor&...

Markey, Pressley take another shot at expanding fare-free public transportation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

Public transportation is a public good, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley argued Monday, announcing the reintroduction of their national “Freedom to Move” fare-free transit legislation.“To truly create world class public transportation across the United States and to advance justice and equity, we need to make public transit free,” Markey said at a press conference outside the Ruggles T station Monday afternoon. “And that is why I am proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley today to reintroduce our ‘Freedom to Move Act.'”The act, first introduced in 2020, would provide $25 billion competitive grants over five years to support state and local efforts to implement fare-free public transportation systems, the sponsors said, as well as investing in public transportation safety, quality and equity efforts.Advocates pointed to results from fare-free programs throughout Massachusetts. Using pandemic relief funding, Boston made bus routes 23...

Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon let go from Fox News, CNN in bombshell media shake-up: ‘Two very different firings’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

The cable news world was flipped on its head Monday as both Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon were ousted from their respective roles at Fox News and CNN in a bombshell media shakeup.The departure of the polarizing Carlson from Fox News came a few days after Fox’s massive $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems — and in the wake of Carlson’s private texts coming to light because of that defamation suit over the network’s false election fraud claims. Also, Carlson had been named in a discrimination lawsuit filed by a Fox News producer who was fired.CNN soured on Lemon following his comments a couple of months ago about presidential candidate Nikki Haley, stating on air that women in their 50s are no longer in their prime.“Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon are two very different firings,” Tobe Berkovitz, associate professor of Advertising emeritus at Boston University, told the Herald on Monday.“Carlson went because he besmirched Rupert Mur...

AP source: Rockets hire ex-Celtics coach Udoka as new coach

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:43:51 GMT

By KRISTIE RIEKEN (AP Sports Writer)HOUSTON (AP) — Ime Udoka has been hired as the new coach of the Houston Rockets, a source familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.Udoka led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season, then was suspended for this season after the disclosure of an inappropriate relationship with a female Celtics employee.The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team had not officially announced the move.He replaces Stephen Silas, who was fired after three seasons.The Rockets had the worst record in the previous two seasons and finished tied with the Spurs for the second-worst record this season, earning another lottery pick in this year’s draft.The 45-year-old Udoka led the Celtics to a 51-31 record in his one season in Boston. The Celtics finished the regular season on a 26-6 run and beat Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Miami in the playoffs before falling to Golden State in six games in the NBA Finals.Udoka wasn’t drafted and ...