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Massachusetts House lawmakers unveil bill aimed at tightening state gun laws

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A bill that would ban individuals from carrying a gun into a person’s home without their permission — and require key gun components be serialized and registered with the state — was unveiled by Massachusetts House lawmakers Thursday.The bill would create new laws that bar firing guns at or near homes and outlaw carrying firearms while intoxicated. It would also prohibit carrying firearms in schools, polling places and government buildings.The proposal includes an enhanced system to track firearms used in crimes to help curb the flow of illegal guns into the state. It would also modernize the existing firearm registration system while increasing the availability of firearm data for academic and policy use, lawmakers said.The bill is in part a response to a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.“While the Commonwealth annually ranks as one of the safest states in the entire country from gu...

George Santos’ former campaign treasurer pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

(CNN) — The former campaign treasurer for New York Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by committing one or more federal offenses.Nancy Marks, a veteran GOP operative, oversaw the campaign’s finances for the Long Island Republican before being dismissed after a series of filing abnormalities led to allegations of wrongdoing against her and the candidate.The case against Marks has the same court docket number as listed for Santos’ case – an indication that the charge against her is directly related to her work for the scandal-tarred House freshman. Her decision to plead guilty – implicating Santos in at least one crime in the process – offers a fresh reminder to voters in the competitive 3rd Congressional District, which could be key to Republicans retaining their narrow House majority next year, of the breadth of Santos’ alleged wrongdoing.Marks’ attorney, Raymond Perini, said his client does not have...

Dianne Feinstein, longtime California senator, remembered at funeral service

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

(CNN) — Mourners gathered on the front steps of San Francisco City Hall Thursday to remember the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein at a funeral service.Political leaders celebrated the life of the longtime California senator, who died last week at 90, at the afternoon memorial, highlighting her character and her legacy as a trailblazer for women in politics.“Dianne, the women of America have come a long way, our country has come a long way and you helped move the ball forward and our nation salutes you,” said Kamala Harris, the United States’ first female vice president and a former California senator.Feinstein was born in San Francisco and was the first female mayor of the city, a position she held for 10 years. She later served in the US Senate for more than 30 years.San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Feinstein’s granddaughter Eileen Mariano also spoke at the memorial. In pre-recorded rema...

Creative Danvers carves out 2-1 field hockey win over Swampscott

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

SWAMPSCOTT – With the driver’s seat in a dramatic Northeastern Conference title race somewhat on the line Thursday, the No. 17 Danvers field hockey team unveiled its creativity on corners to complete a 2-1 comeback win over Swampscott and remain unbeaten in conference play.Gabby Griffin-Fetsch assisted Bobbi Serino on both goals for the Falcons (9-1-2, 9-0-1 NEC), matching the team’s goal total from the previous four games combined.Each goal came on corners with at least two passes after the Big Blue (5-5, 5-4 NEC) took a 1-0 lead late in the third quarter, helping the Falcons maintain a slim lead over Gloucester (7-1-2, 7-1-2) and Masconomet (6-2-2, 5-2-2) in the conference standings.They still need to face both teams again, so this was a big comeback.“We’ve been kind of in a scoring drought and my main takeaway from that game is when we want to score, we can,” said Danvers head coach Kristen McCarthy. “In terms of the NEC, I love how close it is this year and how competitive...

Hot Property: Go to it in Cotuit

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

Snugly tucked along the picturesque shores of Shoestring Bay, 750 Santuit Road in Cotuit ushers you into a world of coastal familiarity and contemporary cool factor.The property boasts five generously appointed bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and more than 2,800 square feet of turnkey living space.As you step inside, you’ll be immediately captivated by this gateway to the quintessential Cape Cod lifestyle with a few architectural surprises along the way to keep things interesting. With a mid-century modern touch, featuring clerestory windows and vaulted ceilings, this home seamlessly blends classic Cape Cod charm with modern luxury.The open floor plan of this home blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living, allowing you to savor every moment of the property’s natural beauty. The first-floor primary en-suite offers direct access to your own private mini-resort—an in-ground heated gunite pool, surrounded by a generous deck area that’s perfect for entertaining or soa...

Ontario man pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in 1983 deaths of Toronto women

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

A Moosonee, Ont. man has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of two Toronto women who were killed within months of each other in 1983.Toronto police confirmed with CityNews 680 that 61-year-old Joseph George Sutherland has been sentenced to life in prison following his guilty plea in the deaths of 45-year-old mother of four Susan Tice and 22-year-old aspiring fashion designer Erin Gilmour.The Toronto women were sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed within months of each other in 1983.Joseph George Sutherland, pictured. Photo: Handout.For decades, their killer eluded authorities but advances in science and genetic genealogy led investigators to a suspect they believed was responsible, identified as Sutherland, who was arrested and charged in November 2022.Sutherland had been living in Toronto at the time of the murders but was residing in Moosonee, Ont. — roughly 850 kilometres north of Toronto — when he was taken into police custody. Autho...

B.C. and Ottawa applaud NAFTA decision on U.S. softwood lumber duties

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Officials in Ottawa and British Columbia have welcomed a ruling under the North American Free Trade Agreement that found elements of the United States’ calculation of softwood lumber duties are inconsistent with its own law.A statement from Mary Ng, Canada’s minister of international trade, says the government is pleased that the NAFTA dispute panel agreed with its challenge of American’s so-called “dumping determination.”Under the U.S. Tariff Act, the Department of Commerce determines whether goods are being sold at less than fair value or if they’re benefiting from subsidies provided from other governments.Ng’s statement says the duties on Canadian softwood lumber are “unwarranted” and “the only fair outcome” is for the U.S. government to revoke them right away.The statement says the NAFTA panel directed the U.S. Department of Commerce to review key aspects of its dumping determination.B.C. Forests Minister...

Advocate, artist, grandmother: National leaders and family gather to honor Feinstein’s legacy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein was toasted Thursday at a memorial service as a leader with uncommon integrity and a defender of American values — as well as a talented artist and a grandmother who gave crooked haircuts in her kitchen.President Joe Biden, who sent recorded remarks, was among the short list of speakers who praised Feinstein at the private memorial service outside San Francisco City Hall. Vice President Kamala Harris, herself a product of San Francisco politics, and other national leaders spoke in person to send off the first female mayor of San Francisco and longest-serving woman in the U.S. Senate. “She was always tough, prepared, rigorous, compassionate. She always served the people of California and our nation for the right reasons,” Biden said. “God bless a great American hero. She was something else, and she was a dear friend.”The service marked the end of two days of events in the city that launched Feinstein’s political career amid tra...

Millions of children are displaced due to extreme weather events. Climate change will make it worse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

Storms, floods, fires and other extreme weather events led to more than 43 million displacements involving children between 2016 and 2021, according to a United Nations report. More than 113 million displacements of children will occur in the next three decades, estimated the UNICEF report released Friday, which took into account risks from flooding rivers, cyclonic winds and floods that follow a storm. Some children, like 10-year-old Shukri Mohamed Ibrahim, are already on the move. Her family left their home in Somalia after dawn prayers on a Saturday morning five months ago. The worst drought in more than 50 years scorched the once-fertile pastures the family relied on, leaving them barren. So, bundling only a few clothes and some utensils into sacks, they moved to a camp in the capital Mogadishu, where Ibrahim, who dreams of being a doctor, is now going to school for the first time. That’s a plus, but the camp lacks proper shelter and sanitation, and food is scarce. “We need some...

NYC mayor to residents of Puebla, Mexico: ‘Mi casa es su casa,’ but ‘there’s no more room’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:38:00 GMT

PUEBLA, Mexico (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams brought a mix of messages to central Mexico’s Puebla state Thursday, trying carefully to walk the line for a city known for welcoming migrants from around the world, but currently struggling with an influx of asylum seekers.Inside Puebla’s ornate state congress building, decked floor-to-ceiling in cream-yellow Portuguese tiles broken only by Greco-Roman columns, Adams focused on the ties binding his city and a Mexican state that has sent some 800,000 of its people to New York over the years.But later, talking to reporters, Adams again returned to the refrain that he has carried on his Latin America trip: New York is “at capacity.”“We are neighbors. We are familia. Mi casa es su casa. Your struggles are my struggles,” Adams said inside the legislative chamber shortly after state Gov. Sergio Salomón Céspedes dubbed him “Mayor of Puebla York.”Migrants “are our future and we cannot lose one of them,” Adams said...