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Facing backlash, McCarthy hunts for GOP votes for debt limit deal in time to prevent US default

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and STEPHEN GROVES (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Under fire from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked strenuously Tuesday to sell fellow Republicans on the debt ceiling and budget deal he negotiated with President Joe Biden and win approval in time to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.Leaders of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus lambasted the compromise as falling well short of the spending cuts they demand, and they vowed to try to halt passage by Congress. A much larger conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, declined to take a position, leaving McCarthy hunting votes. With tough days ahead, the speaker urged skeptical GOP colleagues to “look at where the victories are.” Unhelpfully for Biden, he said of the Democrats on ”Fox and Friends,” “There’s nothing in the bill for them.”A key test was coming late Tuesday, when the House Rules Committee was to conside...

Healey signs bill extending Boston Council election deadlines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

A bill that extends candidate filing deadlines for district councilors in Boston passed through the state Legislature and was signed into law by the governor.Originally submitted by Mayor Michelle Wu, the home rule petition allows candidates additional time to pick up and file nomination papers, June 13 and 23, respectively, and clarifies signature-counting procedures, in light of this month’s federal court ruling that threw out the city’s prior redistricting map.Prior deadlines had already passed for district council candidates, who previously had until May 16 and 23 to obtain and file nomination papers. The Boston Elections Department now has until July 7 to certify signatures, compared to June 27 under the prior timeline, the legislation states.The bill was approved by the House and Senate, and signed by Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the governor confirmed.“We are grateful to the Legislature and governor for their swift action to ensure the Boston Elections Dep...

GM Rick Hahn evaluates the Chicago White Sox 2 months into the season: ‘We’re not playing at the level we’re capable of’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

The Chicago White Sox have had a better May than April.“But then again, it’s tough to get much worse than April,” general manager Rick Hahn said Monday.The Sox went 8-21 in March and April and failed to win a series.They were 14-13 in May entering Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at Guaranteed Rate Field. They’ve won five series but remained 12 games under .500 (22-34).The team knows improvements are needed if it wants to dig out of the big hole.“We are not, obviously, hitting on all cylinders or playing at a level we’re capable of playing as a group,” Hahn said. “It’s good that we are getting healthier, but the fact of the matter is the performance over the coming weeks needs to continue to trend upward, regardless of whether we’re five, six, seven back (in the division), whatever the number is on a given day.“We certainly had some stretches where we were winning series over the course of the last ...

Mike Young, who played 6 seasons for the Orioles in the 1980s, dies at 63

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

Mike Young, an outfielder who played six seasons for the Orioles in the 1980s, died of a heart attack Sunday while visiting his wife’s family in Brazil, the team said. He was 63.“We are saddened to learn of the passing of former outfielder Mike Young,” the Orioles wrote on Twitter on Monday evening. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.”Young played for the Orioles from 1982 to 1987, appearing in 520 games and patrolling all three outfield spots. He was one of Baltimore’s best hitters in 1984 and 1985, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in the former and blasting a career-high 28 home runs in the latter.Across his eight-year career with Baltimore, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Cleveland, Young hit .247 with 72 homers in 635 games.Young, an Oakland, California, native, was drafted No. 11 overall by the Orioles in the secondary phase of the 1980 January draft. He made his MLB debut at 22 years old on Sept. 1...

Ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma to settle opioid claims, protects Sacklers from lawsuits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

By GEOFF MULVIHILL (Associated Press)A federal appeals court cleared the way for the maker of OxyContin to settle thousands of legal claims tied to the opioid epidemic while shielding the wealthy owners of Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, from future lawsuits.Under the plan approved Tuesday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, members of the wealthy Sackler family would give up ownership of Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue, which would become a new company known as Knoa, with its profits being sent to a fund to prevent and treat addiction.Family members would also contribute $5.5 billion to $6 billion in cash over time, or around half of what the court found to be their collective fortune, much of it held offshore. A chunk of that money — at least $750 million — is to go to individual victims of the opioid crisis and their survivors. Payments are expected to range from about $3,500 to $48,000.Tuesday’s decision also protects members of the Sack...

Charlie Baker’s son Andrew ‘A.J.’ Baker reaches plea deal for drunk driving case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

Former Gov. Charlie Baker’s son, Andrew “A.J.” Baker, has struck a plea deal after he was arrested and charged with drunk driving on Interstate 95 earlier this month.The 29-year-old South Boston resident — who allegedly blew a 0.152, almost double the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 — admitted to sufficient facts to warrant a guilty finding in court on Tuesday.The conditions of A.J.’s plea deal include: losing his license for 45 days; mandatory participation in the first-time offender 24D alcohol education program (16 weeks, $250 cost paid by the defendant); $350 in other fees; and the case continued without a finding for a one-year probationary period, ending next May 28.“This is, by far, the most common disposition for first-time offenders,” Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said in a statement.This plea deal was the outcome in 83% of similar cases involving first-time offenders in Essex County during the past year, which ...

Boston Police make arrest in daylight shooting in Roxbury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

Police have nabbed one of the two men they say fired a barrage of bullets on Shawmut Avenue just next to Ramsay Park where children were playing.“We’re pleased today to make an arrest and hopefully send a clear message that this activity has no place in our city — and, more importantly, no place in this country, period,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox at the department’s headquarters Tuesday evening.Machyus Battle, 18, was arrested Tuesday in Cambridge and charged with eight firearms charges connected to the broad-daylight shooting last week where video from the scene became viral. Those charges include carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm — both second offenses for Battle.The other shooter, who is the first one seen in the video, Cox said, remains at large.“Multiple rounds of gunfire were reported near the south-end park where that day families were enjoying a spring, summery day. Boston Police, the officers t...

New England Aquarium exhibits to undergo upgrades, becoming ‘more age appropriate,’ officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

New England Aquarium visitors will soon get the opportunity to learn a whole lot more about the crustaceans, sea turtles and other aquatic species that reside there.A recipient of $2.4 million in federal community project funding, the aquarium will be using that money to upgrade its 45 exhibits, President and CEO Vikki Spruill said during a Tuesday news conference.“These funds enable us to completely modernize our wayfinding and our displays so that they will be more interactive, more accessible, more age appropriate culturally contextualized for our diverse visiting audience,” Spruill said.Each of the 45 exhibits will receive new signage that will identify the species as well as provide information about their habitats, marine mammal distribution, sea turtle rescue and more, Spruill said. She described the project alongside Congressman Stephen Lynch and state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, chairman of Ways and Means.The aquarium will be implementing a new QR code system that will allow vis...

Red Sox notebook: For better or worse, team now the only show in town

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

With the Celtics getting eliminated from the playoffs in lackluster fashion on Monday night, all eyes are on the Red Sox.For the next few months, they’re the only show in town.Is Boston’s baseball team feeling some added pressure now?“They had some great seasons,” Alex Cora said of the Bruins and Celtics. “And obviously, at the end, you know, it didn’t work out for their organizations, for the city, but at one point, we knew that it was us, and we just gotta keep playing good baseball.”The manager didn’t exactly offer a ringing endorsement of his team’s current state.“When you look back, we had some, four horrible series the whole season, and they put us in a spot that, you lose all those games, right?” But the overall thing, it’s been, it’s been OK.“Of course, we can get better, but I don’t think it’s that bad, or it’s that great. It’s kind of like, right in the middle,”...

Nevada becomes latest to enhance penalties for election worker intimidation after statewide exodus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:55 GMT

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Those who harass, intimidate or use force on election workers performing their duties in Nevada could soon face up to four years in prison under a new law signed by the Western swing state’s Republican governor on Tuesday.The law is meant to deter attacks against those in state and local election offices who have faced increased scrutiny for doing their jobs, Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said Tuesday. Threats and initimidation of election workers had ramped up significantly in Nevada and across the country amid falsehoods and conspiracy theories about foul play denying former President Donald Trump victory in the 2020 presidential race.Other states have taken similar steps to better protect election officials in recent years, including Maine, Vermont, Washington and New Mexico. The bill, passed unanimously through both chambers of Nevada’s Democratic-controlled Legislature, was a core campaign promise from Aguilar, who cited an exodus of elect...