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Trump’s latest policy pitch: A massive birthday party for the nation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

Donald Trump’s latest idea to enshrine American greatness is to throw the country “the most spectacular” birthday bash — one that will last all year.In 2026, the U.S. will celebrate the semiquincentennial: the quarter millennial since its declaration of independence. To commemorate the anniversary, Trump is proposing a blowout, 12-month-long “Salute to America 250” celebration. In a new policy video, Trump calls for a “Great American State Fair,” featuring pavilions from all 50 states, nationwide high school sporting contests, and the building of Trump’s “National Garden of American Heroes” with statues of important figures in American history like Frederick Douglass and Amelia Earhart.“As a nation, we should be preparing for the most spectacular birthday party. We want to make it the best of all time,” Trump said in the new policy video previewed by POLITICO.A birthday celebration for the nation is the type of event that can be described as quintessentially Trump: heavy on patrioti...

Amazon corporate workers stage walkout, citing ‘lack of trust’ in leadership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

(CNN) — Amazon corporate workers staged a walkout on Wednesday to signal a “lack of trust” in the company’s leadership, in what is perhaps the most visible sign of dissent among the e-commerce giant’s office workers in recent memory.On Wednesday afternoon, organizers of the walkout said more than 1,000 corporate employees participated in the event. In an email the night before, organizers had said more than 1,800 Amazon employees committed to join the walkout to call attention to employee frustrations on multiple fronts, including the company’s push to get workers in the office at least three days a week.“We’re here because a lot of Amazonians feel in their gut that something is not right with the company,” Eliza Pan, a former Amazon worker and co-founder of the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice group, said Wednesday at the walkout in Seattle. “And there are a lot of signs of this, such as a rigid, one-size-fits-all return to office mandate.”The main in-person walkout began ...

Man shot at by state trooper for driving to US-Canada border with a sign indicating he had an explosive didn’t have any such devices, authorities say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

(CNN) — A man who was shot at by a Maine state trooper while driving toward the Canadian border with a sign indicating he had an explosive inside his vehicle on Monday did not have any explosives with him, a public safety spokesperson said Wednesday.Police earlier identified the driver as Tony Holford, 42, from Providence, Rhode Island.“Investigators have confirmed that Tony Holford did not have explosives in his vehicle,” Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, told CNN in an email.Holford appeared virtually from Aroostook County Jail in his first court appearance Wednesday.“I never had any dangerous weapon on me at all, there was never no bomb or nothing,” Holford said. “It was all just a lie for attention because I needed help.”The trooper first tried to stop Holford’s vehicle as it was heading north on Interstate 95 at around 10:39 a.m. Monday in Houlton, according to a statement from Maine State Police. The statement did not say why the troo...

Mike Pence to launch campaign for president in Iowa June 7

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his widely expected campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa next week, adding another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in direct competition with his former boss.Pence will hold a kickoff event in Des Moines on June 7, the date of his 64th birthday, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details ahead of the official announcement. He’ll also release a video message as part of the launch.His team sees early-voting Iowa as critical to his potential path to victory and advisers say he plans to campaign aggressively for the state’s conservative, Evangelical Christian voters. The campaign is expected to lean heavily on town halls and retail stops aimed at showcasing Pence’s personality as he tries to emerge from former President Donald Trump’s shadow.The week will be a bus...

Bipartisan bill would allow tribes in Maine to benefit from federal law, stops short of sovereignty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — New legislation would allow Native Americans in Maine to benefit from federal laws despite terms of a land claims settlement, providing help to Wabanaki tribes while stopping short of full sovereignty that they’ve long sought.The bipartisan proposal introduced by Democratic House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross forbids the creation of tribal casinos without state permission and keeps intact existing criminal jurisdictions, removing potential stumbling blocks to allowing tribes to benefit from laws meant to help them.“With this bill, we have the opportunity to right this wrong,” Talbot Ross said Wednesday in a statement, noting that the bill is a step toward greater sovereignty sought by tribes.But the administration of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills opposed the proposal, and her general counsel warned Wednesday that the bill could lead to confusion and litigation.Tribes in the state are governed by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 that stipulat...

Aaron Rodgers limited during Wednesday’s practice, Jets optimistic he can return later this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

Last week during the first OTA practice made available to the media, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers strained his calf.Eight days later, Rodgers was limited during Wednesday’s practice, but Jets coach Robert Saleh said he expects the 39-year-old quarterback to fully participate later this week.“He’s fine,” Saleh said. “He’s just doing a bunch of rehab.”While warming up before practice, Rodgers injured his calf during conditional drills on May 23. It appeared he injured his calf during a drill that involved a medicine ball and a sled with a weight attached to it.He watched practice from the sidelines but told reporters he decided to take a “vet day” last week as he didn’t think the injury was too severe.On Wednesday, Rodgers, for the most part, continued to watch the rest of the Jets players practice from the sideline. At the start of practice, Rodgers and tackle Duane Brown rode stationary bikes off to the side while players...

Nuggets coach Mike Malone is taking his New York City style to the NBA Finals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

Before he could coach the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, Mike Malone had to hide behind trees.The spying in disguise was a necessary part of his duties at Providence College, where Malone, a graduate assistant at the time, was tasked with ensuring players went to class.“We called Mike Malone a Friar, the real Friar,” says Jamel Thomas, a star guard for the Providence Friars from 1995 to 1999. “Because he’d hide behind trees to make sure we’d go to class and s—t.“He was literally behind trees with his hoodie on.”The ‘Friar’ nickname meaning, beyond the obvious connection to Providence, was likely rooted in the ‘Robin Hood’ character, Friar Tuck, who lived in Sherwood Forest. Malone had too much of a spicy vocabulary to be confused with a servant of religion. And while his spying came from a place of support, it might’ve been met by players with more resistance — or perhaps animosity — if it w...

MIAA state softball tournament pairings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

SOFTBALL DIVISION 1SEEDS: 1. Central Catholic (19-1); 2. King Philip Regional (20-2); 3. Taunton (19-1); 4. Wachusett Regional (20-0); 5. Peabody Veterans (17-1); 6. Lincoln-Sudbury (19-1); 7. Bishop Feehan (12-9); 8. Bridgewater-Raynham (17-3); 9. Methuen (13-7); 10. Attleboro (12-8); 11. Woburn Memorial (17-3); 12. Saint Paul Diocesan (14-6); 13. North Andover (13-7); 14. Westford Academy (10-6); 15. Chelmsford (10-10); 16. Arlington (13-7); 17. Reading Memorial (12-8); 18. Hingham (18-2); 19. Franklin (9-11); 20. Newton South (13-7); 21. Marshfield (14-6); 22. Doherty Memorial (10-7); 23. Andover (8-12); 24. New Bedford (11-9); 25. Natick (11-8); 26. Braintree (11-9); 27. Lexington (11-9); 28. Milford (7-13); 29. Concord-Carlisle (13-7); 30. Shrewsbury (8-12); 31. Needham (8-10); 32. Beverly (11-9); 33. Framingham (11-9); 34. Everett (18-2); 35. Wellesley (10-8); 36. Boston Latin (10-10); 37. Medford (14-6); 38. Lynn Classical (12-8); 39. Lynn English (10-10)PRELIMINARY ROUN...

Celtics will do ‘soul searching’ this offseason after alarming patterns led to playoff exit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

The end of each of the last two Celtics seasons saw a celebration and trophy presentation on the TD Garden parquet. But the C’s weren’t present for either of them.Instead, the Celtics were back in their locker room, packing up for the summer while the Warriors celebrated a championship and then, a year later, the Heat stood on a podium at Boston’s mid-court after advancing to the NBA Finals on Monday night.Both instances were a stark reminder of the Celtics’ surprising failures at home, a troubling trend that has haunted them over the last two postseasons. Once hallowed ground, the Garden has become a house of horrors for the Celtics. Over their last two playoff springs, the C’s had a combined 11-12 record in Boston. That’s the most home playoff losses in a two-year span in NBA history.That’s simply unforgivable, especially for a championship contender.“This is difficult because this building for so many years has been so special,” Al Horford said after Monday night’s loss. “It̵...

How Luis Alberto Urrea honors his mother’s WWII service in ‘Good Night, Irene’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:21 GMT

Luis Alberto Urrea is no stranger to historical fiction. The author earned rave reviews for his 2005 novel “The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” which told the story of his great-aunt, Teresita Urrea, the legendary 19th-century curandera, or healer, and folk hero known as the “Saint of Cabora.” A sequel to the novel, called “Queen of America,” was published six years later; it followed Teresita fleeing Mexico for the U.S., where she meets a variety of Americans and immigrants near the turn of the 20th century.Urrea turned to his family history again for his latest novel, “Good Night, Irene,” published by Little, Brown on May 30. The book is inspired by his mother, Phyllis McLaughlin, who served in the Red Cross Clubmobile Service in World War II. The “Donut Dollies” followed American troops around Europe, driving trucks that offered the soldiers comfort in the form of hot coffee and freshly made treats.Related: Sign up for our free newsletter about books, authors, reading and more“Good Nigh...