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Boston-area COVID data keeps falling, Massachusetts virus cases down 15%

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

Boston-area’s COVID cases and the region’s wastewater continues to fall, as state health officials this week also reported a drop in new virus cases and hospitalizations.In the city, the number of new COVID cases has decreased 20% over the past week. The seven-day average of new virus cases is now 2.4 cases per 100,000.Both of the wastewater counts for the south-of-Boston and north-of-Boston regions are plunging. The south-of-Boston seven-day average is now 219 RNA copies per milliliter, which is down from 463 copies last month. The north-of-Boston average is now 247 copies, a drop from 450 copies.Data from the Boston Public Health Commission’s wastewater surveillance program shows that the number of COVID particles in the wastewater did go up over the past week, but the data remains 38% down over the last two weeks.Related ArticlesHealth | Howie Carr: Panic ends with a whimper Health | Battenfeld: Biden declaration that COVID emergency o...

DeSantis’ signing of abortion law could hurt his White House chances, experts say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

Steven Lemongello and Jeffrey Schweers | Orlando SentinelGov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to sign one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country could cost him voters if he runs for president, political operatives said Friday, and doing it in a private event late at night suggests he’s well aware of that.“DeSantis or any other [presidential] nominee signing a six-week ban is starting with a losing hand,” said David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from St. Petersburg and co-founder of the Forward Party.The governor “knows this is a double-edged sword,” added Mac Stipanovich, a Tallahassee consultant. “He wouldn’t have signed it in private if he didn’t know the consequences.”The bill bans most abortions after six weeks before most women even know they’re pregnant. It provides exceptions for victims of rape or incest for up to 15 weeks but requires they prove it by providing a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other documents.DeSantis’ office se...

Mike Preston: Year away from the game might have given Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. a new perspective | COMMENTARY

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

There was talk of Odell Beckham Jr. arriving in Baltimore on Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti’s private jet, and that his motorcade to The Castle would rival that of any president.But there was a different side of Beckham at his introductory news conference Thursday. He was calm, secure, engaging and at times humorous, a far cry from what we’ve seen on TV or in recent body cam footage.That Beckham was loud, obnoxious, selfish and fined several times by the NFL for touchdown celebrations, improper game attire and various unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.But maybe Beckham, at age 30, has matured, and could become a leader on offense. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith was quickly anointed the leader of the defense soon after he arrived in a trade from the Chicago Bears on Oct. 31 because of his past performance.Can they get that from Beckham? Who knows, but the first step is acknowledging past mistakes, which Beckham did Thursday.“I’ll be honest, I’ve made mista...

Home Showcase: Live large in Osterville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

Picture it: a perfectly symmetrical Cape Cod Colonial on more than an acre of pristine grounds in Osterville’s exclusive Oyster Harbors community.With its tree-lined lot and dramatic, long driveway, 320 Seapuit River Road in Osterville brings all the seaside charm sprinkled with modern updates where they’re called for. Call it a relaxed formality, a home that honors its traditional Royal Barry Wills roots that’s also easy to live in.The marks of a good house on the Cape include lots of nooks and crannies for guests and loved ones to spread out to — a fireplace to cozy up next to, a sunroom for curling up with a beach read, or the perfectly spaced pair of trees for a backyard hammock. Buyers will find all this and more, including lavish outdoor space with a terrace, gardens, and a large Gunite pool to splash around in when you’re not exploring the beach or hitting the links at the tony Oyster Harbors Club.Another calling card of a great Cape retreat is the room where everyone lingers...

New MBTA leader took the job to ‘dig down deeper into safety’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

The derailments, near-misses, and speed restrictions that accompanied MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng’s first week on the job weren’t a deterrent, but rather a reminder of why he was interested in a post that scared off other transit leaders.It’s been a “whirlwind” of a week at the T, Eng told the Herald, “but it’s been one that reminds me and reinforces why I took on this challenge.”“The issues just reiterate that we need to really dig down deeper into safety, how our workforce (policies) work, because at the end of the day, we want everyone to go home to their families,” Eng said. “And at the same time, getting the work done safely and efficiently is important to the public that we serve.”Eng’s first day on Monday was particularly busy. The fourth “near-miss,” involving track employees who were almost struck by trains in the past 30 days, occurred on April 7, but wasn’t reported until Monday. And the first of two derailments involving work equipment took place late that night, wi...

Healing starts in the lobby at this hospital, where volunteer musicians play their passion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

Darcel Rockett | Chicago TribuneIf you happen to walk through the front doors of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, near Chicago, and think you hear the Windows startup music, or the themes for Universal Studios or Warner Bros. being played on the piano, don’t second guess it. Odds are it is Guido Calcagno, registered nurse, warming up to play melodies for patients, staff and visitors.Calcagno is one of the volunteer musicians who play live music for visitors in Good Shepherd’s lobby Monday through Saturday.When volunteer pianist Renee Mullaney is working the 88 keys in the lobby, she has a tendency to keep her eye on the entryway. If she spots a child coming into the hospital, she may play a Disney song or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” If a veteran walks in, she will play a patriotic song. Her reasoning: Hospitals can be scary and intimidating, and if the people recognize a familiar ditty in the air, maybe that one little thing will put them at ease.“Since we’re in th...

Suspicious person with gun report prompts lockdown at Naval Medical Center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Naval Medical Center San Diego near Balboa Park was placed on lockdown after a a suspicious person with a gun was reported inside the hospital, San Diego police confirmed.Initial reports indicated that there was a possible active shooter, however, authorities said that there was no gunfire and no injuries.According to Navy spokesperson Brian O'Rouke, one individual was taken into custody, but no gun was found on their person when they were apprehended. There are no additional suspects at this time, O'Rouke said.SDPD said that they were working with the Navy to clear the campus in response to the suspicious person, but it is unclear what buildings were evacuated.SkyFOX aerial footage showed a heavy police presence around the hospital in response to the incident, with vehicles blocking off Bob Wilson Drive into the medical center.As of 12:30 p.m., the FOX 5 crew on the scene said that authorities have begun letting people back onto the Naval Medical Center campus.Nearby S...

Ontario legislator serves libel notice against Global News over China allegations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

An Ontario legislator says he has served Global News with a notice of libel over allegations of election interference by China.Vincent Ke argues the Global News article by reporter Sam Cooper falsely accuses him of being deliberately harmful to Canadian democracy.The article alleged Ke served as a financial intermediary in a Chinese Communist Party election interference scheme.Ke alleges he has faced hateful and racist threats since the article’s publication and that the allegations in the story have tarnished his reputation.Ke resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus after the allegations surfaced and is sitting as an Independent, but Premier Doug Ford has said Ke can return if his name is cleared.Global News says it is governed by a rigorous set of journalistic principles and is mindful of the public interest and legal responsibility of what it calls “important accountability reporting.”

Low unemployment could boost trend of union organizing in retail, service: experts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

With Canada’s unemployment rate holding near record lows, experts say an increased interest in unions among retail and service workers that began during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue — even as workers face an uphill battle against large, powerful employers. The pandemic was a catalyst for many frontline workers, who union organizers say were spurred to fight for better pay and working conditions in sectors where unionization is uncommon. “When we look at the overall landscape of how things have evolved in the retail and service sector over the last few years, it’s been an extremely challenging time for workers,” said Kim Novak, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518, where a Sephora store unionized last year. Since 2020, there have been union drives at major retailers including Starbucks, Cineplex, Indigo, Sephora and PetSmart. Just this Friday, workers at an Edmonton Starbucks voted to unionize with the United Steelworkers Union, joining peers ...

Man faces over 60 charges for GTA carjackings that ended with stolen Purolator truck

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

A man faces over 60 charges concerning several carjackings across the GTA that resulted in a police officer suffering serious injuries and the province’s police watchdog invoking their mandate.Durham Regional Police were first called to the Consumers Drive and Garden Street area in Whitby around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, where they located a stolen vehicle that was involved in a carjacking in Brampton.Investigators said responding officers attempted to block the vehicle in, and as they approached, the suspect rammed two police cruisers.The suspect vehicle pinned one of the officers exiting their vehicle before fleeing. That officer suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police later located the stolen car abandoned in Whitby.On Tuesday around 12:50 a.m., Durham Regional Police were called to the Lowder Place and Bellwood Drive area in Whitby for reports of a carjacking. It’s alleged that the male suspect approached a couple returning to their residence, brandish...