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Massachusetts Senate approves $55.9 billion budget proposal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Senate approved a $55.9 billion state budget proposal for the new fiscal year on Thursday, setting up negotiations with the House on a final spending plan to ship to Democratic Gov. Maura Healey by July.One focus of the budget is higher education.The Senate budget would let all Massachusetts students, regardless of immigration status, qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities — as long as they attended a high school in the state for at least three years, and graduated or obtained a GED.“Massachusetts will be competitive so long as people from all over the world can come here to fulfill their dreams,” Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka said.The budget would also create a free community college program for nursing students.One item which failed to be included in the final Senate plan is a proposal to allow online sales of lottery tickets. The budget plan approved by the Massachusetts House would allow the online ...

Maryland’s highest court prevents reinstatement of Adnan Syed’s conviction in ‘Serial’ podcast case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

(CNN) — Maryland’s Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the reinstatement of Adnan Syed’s murder conviction while it decides whether to hear his appeal in the long-running, twisted tale.Syed served more than 20 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, before prosecutors dropped all charges last September and Syed was released, years after the case was the focus of the “Serial” podcast.Prosecutors said they found new suspects and unreliable evidence had been used at Syed’s trial.Syed has remained free, but the case has grown even trickier.In February, the victim’s brother appealed the conviction being vacated. The brother said he hadn’t been given adequate notice of a court hearing and he asked an appeals court to reverse the reversal and do the hearing over again to determine whether the conviction should be reversed again.In March, a state appellate court reinstated Syed’s conviction after ruling a lower court had violated the rights...

GOP-led Texas House to vote Saturday on possible impeachment of state Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

By ACACIA CORONADO and JAKE BLEIBERG (Associated Press)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas House of Representatives will vote Saturday on whether to impeach state Attorney General Ken Paxton, an investigating panel announced Friday.The House will consider a resolution calling for Paxton’s impeachment at 1 p.m. Saturday, according to a statement released by the House Committee on General Investigating.The GOP-led committee spent months quietly looking into Paxton and recommended Thursday that the state’s top lawyer be impeached on 20 articles including bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust.Paxton, a 60-year-old Republican, has criticized the impeachment effort as an attempt to “overthrow the will of the people and disenfranchise the voters of our state.” He has said the charges are based on “hearsay and gossip, parroting long-disproven claims.”THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Texas’ Rep...

Home Showcase: Kitchen a highlight in Newburyport beauty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Things that would be difficult to explain to the original inhabitants of the circa-1804 Ebenezer Hale House in Newburyport: three-car garages, cars, the importance of multiple bathrooms for maintaining household peace.Luckily, the 2023 version of the home has been lovingly updated over the years to include all of these things and more.The home, located at 347 High Street, blends antique, Federal architecture with modern updates to the interior floor plan. What we end up with is a home with gravitas, that Old World heft, but with a bright and airy flow that feels fresh and not stuffy. Fans of wide-plank pine flooring will rejoice to find plenty of that here, too.Sited privately way back from historic High Street behind a lush front lawn, the property enjoys close to an acre of land which includes a full bonus apartment suite with a private entrance as well as a delightful garden house retreat with a fireplace.We’re not sure what 1804 cooking was like for the Ebenezer Hale household, ...

Body found floating near Shelter Island: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A body was found floating near Shelter Island on Friday morning, the San Diego Harbor Police Department confirmed to FOX 5. Authorities say they dispatched officers to the area after receiving a call at 8:15 a.m. reporting the deceased. San Diego Fire-Rescue arrived first on the scene. Man found stabbed at Colinas Del Sol Park The body has since been removed from the waters. No description of the deceased was disclosed by authorities.The police department says the San Diego County Medical Examiner is working to identify the individual and determine their cause of death.At this time, authorities say officers didn't find anything suspicious at the scene, however, the investigation remains ongoing.Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Parents described as ‘monsters’ in horrific abuse that killed 10-month-old in England

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

LONDON (AP) — An English couple who fought to get their baby son back from child services and then abused him so severely the 10-month-old was dead just over a month later were sentenced to life in prison for murder Friday in what a judge described as a case of “unimaginable cruelty.”Stephen Boden, 30, and Shannon Marsden, 22, showed no emotion as family members wept and a gasp sounded in the gallery when the sentence was handed down in Derby Crown Court. Finley Boden, who the judge said had been a lovely, happy, smiley baby, died on Christmas day 2020. The final weeks of his life were hell, based on his catalog of injuries: 57 bone fractures, 71 bruises, and burns on his hand, including one probably caused by a cigarette lighter.“They acted together to inflict all his injuries and then hide him away and allow him to die in such an awful way,” a relative wrote in a statement read by prosecutor Mary Prior. “I can only describe you both as monsters for what you have done.”The bo...

Suspect vehicle photo released in shooting at Vaughan recording studio; victim identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

Police in York Region identified the 23-year-old man killed in what they’re calling a targeted shooting outside a recording studio in Vaughan and released a photo of a suspect vehicle sought in the investigation.It happened in an industrial plaza on Creditstone Road, north of Highway 7, just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday.Officers located a man with a gunshot wound to the head, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police identified him as Jayden Pitter of Brampton.A second man, 27, was found with gunshot wounds and rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition. He is listed in stable condition.Police are looking for two suspects who were wearing dark clothing and drove off in a dark-coloured, mid-size SUV.Police said several people were in the area when the shooting took place.“We know there are a number of people who saw and heard what took place,” said York Regional Police Insp. Clint Whitney on Wednesday. “We urge them to contact our investigators.”W...

Jully Black, Bret Hart among Canada’s Walk of Fame inductees who got their stars

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

TORONTO — Movie star Keanu Reeves, singer Jully Black and retired professional wrestler Bret Hart were among the famous Canadians immortalized Friday on Canada’s Walk of Fame.The special ceremony for the new sidewalk stars also recognized actor Graham Greene, entrepreneur Ajay Virmani, singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, track and field athlete Damian Warner and retired senator Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire. Posthumous Walk of Fame stars were also unveiled for Canada’s “first lady of blues” Salome Bey, media mogul Allan Slaight and members of the team that discovered insulin a century ago: Frederick Banting, Charles Best, John Macleod and James Collip. Black, Hart, Virmani and Greene attended the afternoon ceremony in Toronto’s Entertainment District, cheered on by fans, family members and friends.Bey’s family members, along with descendants of Banting and Best, were also there. They are all inductees from the Walk of Fame’s class of 2020/2021.Canad...

Stepfather of murdered Delaware 3-year-old pleads guilty to child endangerment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The stepfather of a 3-year-old girl whose burned remains were found on a softball field several years ago has pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges, according to a plea agreement unsealed Friday by a Delaware judge.Brandon Haas, 41, pleaded guilty in March to one felony count and three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. None of the offenses carries mandatory prison time, although the felony count carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars. Probation is the presumptive sentence for each of the four counts.The plea agreement was unsealed one day after Haas’ wife, Kristie Haas, pleaded guilty to murder by abuse or neglect in the 2019 death of her daughter Emma Grace Cole. Kristie Haas also pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.Kristie Haas, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced July 10, the date her trial was to begin. Sentencing for Brandon Haas, who has been cooperating with pro...

Olymel reducing hog production in Alberta and Saskatchewan, cutting about 80 jobs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:57 GMT

MONTREAL — Olymel says it is cutting about 80 jobs as it reduces its hog production in Western Canada.The company says it is closing five sow units in Alberta and one sow unit in Saskatchewan in a move that will reduce its western sow herd to 40,000 from 57,000.It says the barns will be wound down over the next several months and remain closed until market conditions improve.The company says the closures will result in a net reduction of about 200,000 market hogs annually to its Red Deer, Alta., slaughter plant from company owned farms. However, it says the impact will not be felt until 2024 at the earliest and will be subject to independent hog supply availability.The company says it will work with the affected staff to fill any vacant positions within its western hog operations or find work outside the company. “Over the past two years it is well documented that Olymel has experienced significant losses in the processing of fresh pork as a result of limited market access glo...