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Sen. Tuberville releases Senate holds on confirming hundreds of military nominations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

(CNN) — Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama on Tuesday released the bulk of his holds for Senate votes to confirm military promotions, allowing for the quick confirmation of hundreds of nominees.The Senate confirmed hundreds of top military nominations by voice vote on Tuesday evening, hours after Tuberville announced his decision. He told his colleagues in a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill that he would release the promotions for three-star nominees and below, the vast majority of the nominees.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the floor to celebrate the confirmations, and to attack Tuberville’s hold as an “unsuccessful and risky strategy” that caused significant harm to military readiness, service members and their families.“Today, hundreds – hundreds – of military families across the country can breathe a sigh of relief,” Schumer said. “The Senate has now unanimously confirmed hundreds of military confirmations that were held up for 10 months by a sing...

Patriots star Matthew Judon hosts annual coat drive in Boston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon was off the field and on center stage Tuesday, giving back by hosting a karaoke coat drive. Judon hosted the event in Boston, partnering with the organization Bridge Over Troubled Waters to pass out more than 250 coats to teens in need.“I just love karaoke and singing, as y’all can tell, is really a part of my life,” he said. “So, [we’re] just trying to get them in here just for a good time — a short time — and give them something that they can take home and wear throughout the harsh winter in the Boston area.”Judon sang and spent time bonding with teens, knowing this is not exactly an easy time of year for most.“[We want to] make sure that they know they are not left out and they are not forgotten and nobody is overlooking them and people still care about them,” he said.“I just love singing,” Judon continued. “It just calms my spirits and soul.”Tuesday afternoon’s event took place at Viva Karaoke in Boston. An annual event, Ju...

Boston College easily gets past Central Connecticut State, 82-68

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

Boston College recorded its seventh straight victory over Central Connecticut State with a merciless 82-68 beatdown before a sparse crowd of 3,118 on Tuesday night at Conte Forum.BC improved to 6-3 overall and 4-1 at home, while the Blue Devils dropped to 3-5. The Eagles resumed non-conference play after falling 84-78 at home to North Carolina State in the ACC opener for both schools last Saturday.The Eagles wrap up a three-game homestand against longtime regional rival Holy Cross on Friday at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils entered the match after completing a Patriot League sweep with consecutive wins over Army and Holy Cross.BC shot 50 percent from the floor with nine treys, 31 rebounds, 18 assists and a staggering 46 points off the bench. Graduate center Quinten Post led the way with 13 points and six boards. Guards Mason Madsen and Donald Hand Jr. combined for 31 points and Elijah Strong added nine points off the bench. Allan Jeanne-Rose and Jayden Brown scored 19 apiece for CCSU.“...

City council begins annual break down of residential, commercial property tax rates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

City councilors once again brought up the Boston’s annual property tax decisions Tuesday morning, weighing out how much residential and commercial property owners will pay.“This is a really important process that we’ve got to go through every year — we do go through every year — and it provides significant tax savings to the residents of our city,” said Boston’s Commissioner of Assessing Nicholas Ariniello at a Ways and Means Committee hearing on the property tax order Tuesday.The proposal would distribute the tax burden so that commercial property taxpayers bear the the maximum tax burden allowed by state law and residential owners would pay the minimum.This system, also enacted last year, creates “substantial protection and savings for homeowners,” the order states. Last year, the commercial rate was $24.68 per $1,000 of real estate value, and the residential rate was $10.74, Ariniello said. A single tax rate for both would hav...

Harvard University blasted at Congressional hearing as antisemitism rises after Hamas terrorist attacks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

Harvard University’s president and other school leaders were put on blast by Congress members at a Tuesday hearing after antisemitism has spiked on college campuses in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.The leaders of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania testified in front of Congress following repeated reports of Jewish and Israeli students being threatened and assaulted on campuses since the Oct. 7 terror attacks.Harvard has been at the epicenter of these campus clashes, with dozens of student groups blaming Israel for the Hamas terrorist attacks and then continued pro-Palestinian protests with students chanting antisemitic phrases. Classes were recently disrupted by such protests, and the Cambridge campus is now facing a federal civil rights investigation for antisemitism.“I have sought to confront hate while preserving free expression,” Harvard President Claudine Gay testified on Tuesday. “This is difficult work, and I know that ...

Biden administration pledges $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the US West

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

By ADAM BEAM and KEN RITTER (Associated Press)SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday said it will give more than $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the U.S. West, injecting new life into long-stalled projects hailed by supporters as the future of public transportation but bemoaned by critics for their high price tags and lengthy construction times.U.S. senators from California and Nevada said the federal government will give $3 billion for a planned privately-owned route between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area plus another $3.1 billion for an initial segment of California’s publicly-funded effort to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.The money is a fraction of the total cost to build the routes. But it signals the Biden administration’s commitment to high-speed rail, a mode of transportation commonplace in Europe and Asia but bypassed in the U.S. and its car-obsessed culture.“The federal governme...

Taliban’s abusive education policies harm boys as well as girls in Afghanistan, rights group says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban’s “abusive” educational policies are harming boys as well as girls in Afghanistan, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Wednesday.The Taliban have been globally condemned for banning girls and women from secondary school and university, but the rights group says there has been less attention to the deep harm inflicted on boys’ education.The departure of qualified teachers including women, regressive curriculum changes and the increase in corporal punishment have led to greater fear of going to school and falling attendance.Because the Taliban have dismissed all female teachers from boys’ schools, many boys are taught by unqualified people or sit in classrooms with no teachers at all.Boys and parents told the rights group about a spike in the use of corporal punishment, including officials beating boys before the whole school for haircut or clothing infractions or for having a mobile phone. The group interviewed 22 boys along with five paren...

Some advocates call for stronger protections under new Ontario puppy mills law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

As the Ford government proposes a new law to crack down on puppy mills across Ontario, there are calls to beef up the protections contained in the legislation.“I have been speaking with many members of the animal welfare community, of the rescue community, and everyone is very disappointed with this inadequate legislation. So I anticipate a very, very big push to amend this bill to better protect animals,” Camille Labchuk, a lawyer and the executive director of the advocacy group Animal Justice, told CityNews.“We’re encouraged that the government introduced it in the first place. It shows that they are sensitive to the fact that people are demanding change and an end to puppy mills, so I really hope that we’ll be able to have some collaborative discussions.”Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner introduced the Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act (PUPS) Act at Queen’s Park on Monday. Government officials said the PUPS Act aims to stop pup...

Maduro orders the ‘immediate’ exploitation of oil, gas and mines in Guyana’s Essequibo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday ordered the country’s state-owned companies to “immediately” begin to explore and exploit the oil, gas and mines in Guyana’s Essequibo region, a territory larger than Greece and rich in oil and minerals that Venezuela claims as its own.The announcement came a day a day after Maduro got the victory he sought in a weekend referendum on whether to claim sovereignty over the region.Maduro said he would “immediately” proceed “to grant operating licenses for the exploration and exploitation of oil, gas and mines in the entire area of our Essequibo.” He also ordered the creation of local subsidiaries of Venezuelan public companies, including oil giant PDVSA and mining conglomerate Corporación Venezolana de Guayana.Maduro’s announcement comes a day after Venezuela’s electoral authorities announced that the five questions with which the government wanted to claim sovereignty over Essequibo were approve...

New Mexico governor proposes $500M to treat fracking wastewater

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:26:42 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico would underwrite development of a strategic new source of water by buying treated water that originates from the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling, and help preserve its freshwater aquifers in the process, under a proposal from the state’s Democratic governor.The initiative from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced Tuesday from the international climate conference at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, would set water purification standards and purchase treated water that originates from oil fields as well as the state’s vast natural underground reservoirs of brine. It requires legislative approval.The idea is to create a government-guaranteed market for the commodity — treated water — and attract private enterprise to build desalinization and treatment facilities, securing new sources of water for industrial applications. The administration hopes to make the water available to businesses ranging from microchip manuf...