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Battenfeld: Michelle Wu’s reputation as liberal hero dented with Nixonian enemies list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s national reputation as a progressive leader took a major hit with the revelation that she compiled a list of vocal critics and sent it to her police department.The Nixonian tactic of keeping an enemies list, which Wu justified as a security measure, might dent her image as a liberal darling in the national media.The popular Democrat, the first Asian American mayor in Boston’s history, might have her sights set on higher office in the coming years, with the possible opening of a U.S. Senate seat or appointment to a Democratic Biden administration.But the enemies list is just the kind of thing that could follow her around the country.The story about the list, first reported by the Boston Herald, went viral among conservative-leaning media outlets and social media sites, which compared her to former President Richard Nixon.Getting lumped in with Nixon, who was forced to resign in disgrace because of the Watergate scandal, is never a good thing in politics.Cri...

Robbins: Brawling Chris Christie shows no signs of backing down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

Last week’s release of the second quarter’s fundraising figures for the 2024 presidential candidates produced two notable news stories.One was that Joe Biden and his associated fundraising arms raised $72 million between his late April re-election launch and June 30th. This financial haul, double what Donald Trump raised in the second quarter, poured 72 buckets of cold water on the “Dementia-Joe-isn’t-supported-by-Democrats” narrative that had gained currency, pushed and peddled by Republicans.And it was similarly unhelpful to the wishful thinking in Republican circles that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the candidate from Pluto, poses a “headache” for the President. This isn’t the case, except perhaps on Pluto.The other news was that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whose uphill battle for the GOP presidential nomination was initially deemed by pundits to be destined for a rapid flame-out, had already collected contributions from over 40,000 donors in the first 35 days of his ca...

Route 28 roundabout: Milton residents, officials say no, but state says yes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

The town of Milton has made its stance clear regarding ways to address safety on what MassDOT has declared as the most dangerous intersection in the state.Residents and officials don’t want the state to go forward with its plans of implementing a roundabout at the intersection of Route 28, or Randolph Avenue, and Chickatawbut Road, which serves as a gateway into Blue Hills Reservation.Instead, the town wants state transportation officials to turn to what they say would be short-term improvements, such as adjusting signal timing or incorporating left-hand turn signals.But even after recent letters from Sen. Walter Timilty and the Select Board that requested the state make such considerations, the Department of Transportation is not budging.“We have evaluated several options and have held numerous meetings with the town, stakeholders, and abutters,” MassDOT spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard said in an email to the Herald on Friday. “Although we appreciate that a roundabout has impacts to...

Dingoes attack a woman jogging on Australian island beach and leave her hospitalized

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A pack of dingoes drove a woman who was jogging into the surf and attacked her in the latest clash between native dogs and humans on a popular Australian island, sparking new warnings Tuesday to visitors venturing out. The 24-year-old woman was attacked by three or four dingoes on Monday while she was jogging on a beach at Queensland state’s K’gari, the world’s largest sand island formerly known as Fraser Island, officials said.The World Heritage-listed national park is home to some of Australia’s purest dingoes, which are also known by their Indigenous name wongari, because domestic dogs have long been banned. Tourists returned to the island after pandemic restrictions were lifted, and have found the dingoes have become less wary of humans. That’s raised the danger to both species, wildlife ranger Linda Behrendorff said.Two passersby rescued the woman from the dingoes after they chased her into the surf, using the same hunting technique they use for...

American national crosses inter-Korean border into North Korea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American has crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea, the American-led U.N. Command overseeing the area said Tuesday. The U.N. Command tweeted that the U.S. citizen was on a tour to the Korean border village of Panmunjom and crossed the border into the North without authorization.It said he is currently in North Korean custody and that the U.N. Command is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident.It gave no further details on who the person is or why he crossed the border.Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.Panmunjom, located inside the 248-kilometer (154-mile) -long Demilitarized Zone, was created at the close of the Korean War. Bloodshed and gunfire have occasionally occurred there, but it has also been a v...

Dozens of refugees bussed to North York church after sleeping on downtown sidewalk for weeks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

A growing group of refugees who’ve spent several days living on the sidewalk outside a downtown shelter office have finally been moved indoors — albeit temporarily.Advocates have stepped in to transport the mostly African asylum seekers to a church in North York. The group was loaded on to several buses on Monday night and brought to the International Revival Church on Chesswood Drive, in the area of Keele Street and Finch Avenue West.There were approximately 140 refugees camped out at the corner of Peter and Richmond streets outside the city’s shelter intake office, including some who were sleeping on the pavement for several weeks. The group was finally able to be moved to a shelter thanks to community organizers and volunteers, including the founder of Paramount Fine Foods Mohamad Fakih, who pledged money to assist in housing the refugees.“We came here two days ago, I came to drop off food but I realized the situation is much bigger than just food,” ...

US deploys nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea in show of force against North Korea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea on Tuesday for the first time in four decades, as the allies warned North Korea that any use of the North’s nuclear weapons in combat would result in the end of its regime.Periodic visits by U.S. nuclear ballistic missile-capable submarines to South Korea were one of several agreements reached by the two countries’ presidents in April in response to North Korea’s expanding nuclear threat. They also agreed to establish a bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group and expand military exercises.The USS Kentucky, an Ohio-class submarine, arrived at the South Korean port of Busan on Tuesday afternoon, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. It is the first visit by a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea since the 1980s, it said.Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup called the submarine’s visit a demonstration of U.S. resolve in implementing its “extended deterrence” commitmen...

Stock market today: Global shares mixed ahead of release of US retail sales and factory data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were trading mixed on Tuesday ahead of the release of U.S. retail sales and factory data. European shares opened higher after many Asian markets retreated. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices advanced. Tuesday will bring updates on sales at U.S. retailers and on factory output. Strong spending by U.S. consumers has been one of the main reasons for the economy’s resilience, driven by a remarkably sturdy job market.This week also will bring a slew of corporate earnings reports that investors are looking to for signs of where profits for U.S. companies are heading. France’s CAC 40 gained 0.2% in early trading to 7,305.28. Germany’s DAX edged up less than 0.1% to 16,080.15. Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.2% to 7,423.32. The future for the S&P 500 was virtually unchanged. That for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher. On Monday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4%, while the Dow added 0.2% and the Nasdaq climbed 0.9%.In Asian t...

Toronto area Metro grocery workers could strike as soon as tonight: Unifor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

TORONTO — Metro grocery store workers in the Greater Toronto Area are gearing up to strike as early as tonight, as bargaining continues between the retailer and some 3,700 employees.Employees at 27 Metro stores in the GTA could strike as early as 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday. Unifor, the national union representing the Metro workers, called a strike vote before bargaining began, garnering 100 per cent support for the job action if a deal cannot be reached.The union says progress has been made since negotiations began June 26, but major wage, benefit and other monetary issues remain outstanding.Unifor national president Lana Payne says the bargaining committee is prepared to negotiate day and night to get a fair deal for workers.She says Metro employees deserve an agreement that addresses affordability challenges and helps workers benefit from the company’s profits. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:MRU)The Canadian Press

Mystery object that washed up on the Australian coast may be space junk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:58 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Authorities were investigating on Tuesday whether a cylindrical object about the size of a small car that washed up on a remote Australian beach is space junk from a foreign rocket.Police had cordoned off the barnacle-encrusted object after it was discovered at Green Head about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the city of Perth late Sunday.The Australian Space Agency said it was liaising with other space agencies to identify the object, which appears to be partly made of a woven material.“The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information,” the agency tweeted. Four things to know about the rapidly changing housing market European Space Agency engineer Andrea Boyd said her colleagues believed the item that washed up from the Indian Ocean fell from an Indian rocket while launching a satellite.“We’re pretty sure, based on the shape and the size, it is an upper-s...