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3 firefighters hurt, dozens displaced after blaze tears through 3 triple-deckers in Dorchester

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

Three firefighters were taken to the hospital and 30 people were displaced after a fire spread through three triple-decker homes in Dorchester Monday afternoon, officials said. The fire started shortly before 2:30 p.m. Later speaking with reporters, Boston’s fire commissioner said the fire appeared to have started in a basement area of a building at 20 Irma Street before rising through the back of the structure, punching through the roof and spreading to two neighboring buildings. All three buildings were a total loss, the commissioner said. SKY7-HD was over the scene shortly before 3 p.m., showing a large plume of smoke over the area. Numerous fire crews were also spotted pouring water on some of the flames.While heavy fire conditions had been knocked down as of 3:05 p.m., the Boston Fire Department said crews were continuing to chase hot spots.Of the three firefighters who were hurt, officials said one suffered burns while two others were taken to hospitals with ort...

No bail for 20-year-old accused of deadly shooting in Plymouth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

A 20-year-old man accused in connection with a deadly shooting in the Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth last month appeared in court Monday to face a murder charge in the case. John Geovanni Pires Monteiro Macedo pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office announced. The DA’s office said police initially responded around 2:40 p.m. on July 12 after receiving several calls reporting a shooting at the state forest. On scene, the DA’s office said first responders found Robert Aponte-Flores, 25 suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his face, left arm and right collarbone. Aponte-Flores was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, the DA’s office said. A 7NEWS crew in Plymouth observed a major police presence on July 12 after this shooting. In its update this week, the DA’s office said state police secured an arrest warrant for Macedo one day after the shooting. Authorities then arre...

Column: What’s the difference between Eddie Hoffman’s title chase at Grundy and the Chicago White Sox? ‘We want it.’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

When it comes to talking about a track championship that hasn’t yet been clinched, Eddie Hoffman doesn’t bite very often.So it went Friday night at Grundy County Speedway when I asked him about his big points lead and seemingly imminent eighth late model title.I tried to get Eddie to smile about it by suggesting that the White Sox, at 24 games below .500, had a better chance of catching the leaders in the AL Central than anybody at Grundy did of catching him.“Are they really 24 under .500?” Hoffman said. “Yeah, well, we want it. But I don’t know that we should be smiling yet. We still have a little ways to go.“I don’t need the headache. I have enough headaches to think about or worry about a championship. We’re not chasing titles. We’re chasing races. We’re chasing wins. And we’re coming out there to try and have fun, and compete, and learn.”And then he smiled.By the numbers?With four points nights remaini...

Editorial: Israel has its own crisis of democracy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

Authoritarianism can be defined in many ways. A judiciary subservient to the ruling regime is one of them.No one would expect a court in Russia, China, Turkey, Iran or North Korea to mete out true, unbiased justice. In those countries, rule of law is an empty promise. Israel isn’t in the same category, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to weaken his nation’s Supreme Court represents the most ominous threat to Israel’s democracy in its 75-year history.Can Israel save itself from its anti-democratic backslide? Yes it can, provided that a majority of Israelis join forces with civil society and the high court itself to turn back Netanyahu’s reckless, politically expedient gambit.It won’t be easy, but legions of Israelis have already shown they can send a strong message warning Netanyahu how far he has dangerously strayed from Israel’s founding ideals. For months, throngs of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to protest their prime minister’s act...

Musk may need surgery before proposed ‘cage match’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

NEW YORK — Elon Musk says he may need to get surgery before a proposed “cage match” with Mark Zuckerberg.The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to an in-person face-off in late June. It’s unclear if a physical fight will actually end up happening, but Musk and Zuckerberg have continued to fuel interest in the potential match through online jabs at one another — most recently on Sunday, when Musk said the fight would be live-streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.Musk added that the fight’s proceeds would go to a charity for veterans. On his Threads social media account, Zuckerberg responded: “Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?” In a follow-up post, the the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta said he wasn’t “holding his breath” for a fight.“I’m ready today. I suggested Aug 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn’t confirm...

Patriots rookie Malik Cunningham impresses QBs in return to old position

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots rookie Malik Cunningham went back to his roots Monday in practice, seeing his first extended action since the spring at quarterback.Cunningham, a quarterback in college at Louisville, is still listed on the Patriots’ roster as a quarterback despite telling reporters this spring that he had made the full-time switch to wide receiver. Cunningham began practice at wide receiver, beating cornerback Quandre Mosely in a 1-on-1 rep.Deep into 11-on-11s, Cunningham took 15 snaps at quarterback in full-team competitive drills. He went 4-of-7 as a passer with five handoffs, two designed runs and a scramble.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Mac Jones backs offensive line amid growing depth, injury concerns New England Patriots | Patriots extra points: N’Keal Harry gets a new team, Devin McCourty co-hosting preseason broadcast New England Patriots | Patriots training camp Day 12: Matt Judon returns with 3 sacks,...

Saudi giant’s oil profits plummet 40%

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi state-run oil giant Aramco on Monday reported $30 billion in second quarter profit, a nearly 40% decline from the same period the previous year that it attributed to lower oil prices.Total sales stood at just over $106 billion, down from $150 billion in the second quarter of 2022. In an earnings report filed with the Saudi stock exchange, Aramco said the decrease “mainly reflected the impact of lower crude oil prices and weakening refining and chemicals margins.”The company reported net income of $30 billion, compared to $48 billion in the second quarter of 2022, a decline of 37.8%.Aramco nevertheless raised its dividend paid out to investors to $29.38 billion, compared to $18.8 billion in the second quarter of 2022. The performance-based dividend is partly based on the company’s record earnings last year, it said.“Our strong results reflect our resilience and ability to adapt through market cycles,” Aramco CEO Amin N...

Father charged with helping suspect in July 4 shooting obtain gun license asks judge to toss case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois judge heard arguments Monday on a father’s request to dismiss charges accusing him of committing a crime by helping his son obtain a gun license three years before the son fatally shot seven people at a 2022 Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago.The judge said at the hearing in Waukegan, north of Highland Park where the shooting occurred, that he would issue a ruling at the next hearing, on Aug. 28. Robert Crimo Jr.’s lawyer, George Gomez, told the court that his client was charged under an unconstitutionally vague law. He said prosecutors charged Crimo Jr. for “innocent conduct” — signing “a wholly truthful” affidavit helping his son, Robert Crimo III, apply for and obtain a gun license. Charges against parents following mass shootings are rare partially because the cases are difficult to prove, legal experts have said. Crimo Jr. has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of reckless conduct, one for each person killed. Each count carries a maximum ...

Leader of Texas’ largest county takes leave from job for treatment of clinical depression

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat who has built a rising national profile as the leader of Texas’ largest county, announced Monday that she was taking a temporary leave of absence for treatment of clinical depression. In a statement addressed to the county’s nearly 5 million residents and posted on social media, Hidalgo said she checked herself into a facility outside Texas in late July for inpatient treatment. She said she had been coping with depression “for some time” and that it had been undiagnosed until last month. “My experience has been difficult, but I am taking it as an opportunity to be open about my own struggle, my own challenges, and to encourage others, who need help, to seek treatment,” Hidalgo wrote. Hidalgo, 32, said she is hopeful she will be able to resume her normal schedule by early September. In February, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania checked himself into a hospital to receive inpatient treatment for clinical depress...

2 Russian missiles have hit a city in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 5 people, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:12 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two Russian missile strikes hit the city center of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region Monday evening, killing at least five people and wounding two dozen more, Ukrainian officials said.The strikes, which targeted the Ukrainian portion of a region partially occupied by Russia, occurred within 40 minutes of each other, according to Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. The attack damaged nine- and five-story buildings, residential houses, a hotel where foreign journalists used to stay, dining establishments, shops and administrative buildings, he said. Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five people, including a local official of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, were killed and 31 more were wounded by the strikes. Nineteen policemen, five rescuers and one child were among the wounded, Klymenko said. The Suspilne news site, however, cited head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration Serhiy Dobriak as saying that seven peopl...