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DeSantis signs death penalty, crime bills as 2024 run looms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned capital punishment in such cases.DeSantis, a Republican, also signed two other components of his criminal justice legislative package during a ceremony at a policing museum in a city outside Orlando.https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1653100659493724174The governor, who is expected to announce a run for president in the coming weeks, has leaned into an aggressive conservative agenda on crime and other issues ahead of his expected candidacy as he seeks to bolster support among the Republican base.The signings came as DeSantis has faced widespread criticism over his battle with Disney and marked his first appearance after an overseas trade mission, with the routinely on-message governor returning to practiced rh...

Woman taken to hospital after equipment falls at Harvard T stop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

A woman was taken to an area hospital Monday after a piece of falling electrical equipment hit her at the Harvard MBTA station, according to Cambridge fire officials. Officials said the incident happened Monday afternoon when the approximately 200 pound piece of equipment fell on the station’s Red Line inbound platform.The equipment had been suspended from a pole within the station and hit a woman in her late 20s as it came down, officials said. Officials said the woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The scene was clear as of around 5:15 p.m., though debris could still be seen on a Red Line platform roped off with caution tape. This incident follows a matter of weeks after a ceiling panel fell on a platform at Harvard station on March 1. Officials said the panel served to boost the aesthetics of the station and absorb noise, adding that it weighed between 20 and 25 pounds. The T later released video of the incident, showing the panel narrowly missing a ...

New images show pipe bomb found in truck of man accused in Weare, NH explosions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

New images show a pipe bomb that investigators said they found in the truck of a man accused in connection with two explosions in Weare, New Hampshire last week. Dale Stewart, 54, of Webster, New Hampshire has been charged in the case and already appeared in Hillsborough County Superior Court in New Hampshire last week, where he pleaded not guilty. Stewart is now expected to appear in federal court on Wednesday to face additional charges. Authorities outlined allegations against Stewart in a federal criminal complaint, which included photos of the alleged bomb officials said they found in Stewart’s truck. Officials said the first explosion went off on Wednesday night last week. A second explosion followed on Thursday morning, injuring a passerby, officials said. The man who was injured is expected to be okay.Investigators said they were able to track Stewart down and search his vehicle. Officials said explosive devices in this case were made of PVC pipe and fille...

Unsettled Start to May

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

Spring in New England… if you know, you know. We’ve spent the last 12 days below average in Boston, our last above average day was April 18th! We broke that trend today, but only for a day as we head back in the other direction for the rest of this week.It was nice to see the sun back today after a very gray and wet weekend. Saturday wasn’t too bad with the rain showers holding off until Saturday evening. But starting Saturday evening until the rain ended this morning, we had some pretty impressive totals across the area — some towns approaching 4″ of rain! There were localized downpours especially overnight last night which is why some of these totals varied from one side of town to the other. Take Beverly for example, the airport reported 3.03″ of rain with another report of 3.88″. Either way, it was a soaker for everyone across New England.Despite the last two days being quite a soaker across New England, the month of April actually broug...

Norwell man arraigned on motor vehicle homicide, manslaughter charges related to deadly 2022 Marshfield crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

An 18-year-old man from Norwell was arraigned Monday on charges related to a deadly 2022 crash in Marshfield that left a teenager dead and another seriously injured.James Croke was arraigned as a youthful offender in Plymouth Juvenile Court on Monday on one count of Motor Vehicle Homicide and a count of Manslaughter by Motor Vehicle, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.Authorities said Croke, then 16, had been driving at the time of the crash on March 20, 2022, when Marshfield police were called to an incident involving a car that had crashed into a tree at 172 Forest Avenue.Police and firefighters arrived to find the vehicle’s three male occupants, including Croke, who was removed from the wreck and taken to South Shore Hospital before being re-routed to a facility in Boston.One passenger, 17-year-old Nicholas Wanderley of Norwell, was pronounced dead at the scene while another 16-year-old occupant was hospitalized with serious injuries.RELATED: ...

Another bank crumbles: First Republic seized by feds, sold in fire sale to JPMorgan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

NEW YORK — Regulators seized troubled First Republic Bank early Monday, making it the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history.The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. then promptly sold all of its deposits and most of its assets to JPMorgan Chase in a bid to end the turmoil that has raised questions about the health of the U.S. banking system.It’s the third midsize bank to fail in less than two months, following Siloicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The only larger bank failure in U.S. history was Washington Mutual, which collapsed at the height of the 2008 financial crisis and was also taken over by JPMorgan in a similar government-orchestrated deal.“Our government invited us and others to step up, and we did,” said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase.First Republic’s 84 branches opened on Monday as branches of JPMorgan Chase, which acquired the bank’s $92 billion in deposits and $203 billion in loans and other securities. The bank’...

Photos: Best and worst looks from the 2023 Met Gala

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

Celebrities began to arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday to walk the red carpet at the highly anticipated 2023 Met Gala.Vogue’s livestream begins at 6:30 p.m. EST.The theme of the annual black-tie fundraiser is once again controversial, with this year’s exhibition “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” honoring the artistic contributions of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. (You can read more about criticism of the Met Gala theme here.)Here are some of the best and worst looks from the 2023 Met Gala.Keep checking back as we’ll continue to update this page as guests arrive.Emma Chamberlain (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)Harvey Guillén (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue )(L-R) Roger Federer and Mirka Federer (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)(L-R) James McAvoy and Lisa Liberati (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)Vittoria Ceretti (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)Nichapat Suphap (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Image...

Kardashians and other celebs get ready for Met Gala

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

By Brian Niemietz, New York Daily NewsThe Kardashians are ready for the Met Gala.Skims tycoon Kim Kardashian posted video to her Instagram story showing a trio of massage beds in a posh hotel room, surrounded by flower petals and candles. On the wall, spelled out in silver letters, are the words “Karl Lagerfeld Met Gala.”Well-heeled celebs including the reality TV star and her clan will descend upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art Monday for the United States fashion industry’s biggest annual party. Tickets, which benefit the museum’s Costume Institute, start at $50,000.Co-chairs include tennis star Roger Federer, “Levitating” singer Dua Lipa and “Vicky Cristy Barcelona″ actor Penélope Cruz.“New York here we come!!!!” Cruz wrote on an Instagram photo showing her in a white gown. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Penélope Cruz (@penelopecruzoficial)Vogue editor Anna Wintour has presided over the Met Gala since 1995. The queen bee fashionista teased to Monday’s festiv...

Two Lawrence men arrested in connection to mass shooting investigation: Police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

Two Lawrence men are facing charges in connection to the investigation into a mass shooting from over the weekend in which an 18-year-old was killed.Saul Enrique Morales Espinosa, 22, and Joshual Ramirez, 20, were arrested Monday on gun charges amid the investigation into the deadly shooting at a Lawrence house party, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office announced.Six people were struck by gunfire at the party early Sunday morning, and Lawrence 18-year-old Desiderio Arias died following the shooting.Espinosa and Ramirez have each been charged with two felony counts: carrying a firearm without a license, and carrying a loaded firearm.Espinosa and Ramirez both pleaded not guilty during remote arraignments on Monday. Espinosa remains hospitalized in Boston with gunshot wounds, while Ramirez remains hospitalized locally, also with gunshot wounds.They were each held without bail, pending a dangerousness hearing next week.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | ...

Star Wars Day is May 4. The author of ‘Star Wars Multiverse’ says these movies are reflections of ourselves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:58 GMT

Michael Phillips | Chicago TribuneDoing anything special for Star Wars Day, other than digging out the old, busted lightsaber in your basement? For old times’ sake?Carmelo Esterrich, Columbia College professor of humanities and cultural studies, knows what he’s doing that day, May 4. When he’s not teaching or writing, the Downers Grove resident is a fitness instructor at the local park district facility. And on Star Wars Day, “we usually do abdominals to the tune of the John Williams music of ‘The Imperial March.’” He laughs a genial sadist’s laugh. “It’s really hard. It makes them scream. So we’ll be doing that.”For several years Esterrich, 57, has taught courses on the myth, meaning, political implications and fan fiction generated by “Star Wars.” He thinks, reads, and analyzes the cultural, political, sexual and historical meaning of the pop mythology born out of the “Flash Gordon” remake to which George Lucas couldn’t secure the rights. The rest is pop cultural and merchandising...