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Governor adds focus on systemic racism to pardon process

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

The governor has announced new guidelines around executive clemency that her administration says will help directly address systemic racism in the criminal justice system.In making the announcement, Gov. Maura Healey also said she would recommend two more people for pardons on top of the 11 people she has already caused to be granted clemency with the consent of the Advisory Board of Pardons.“Clemency is an important executive tool that can be used to soften the harsher edges of our criminal justice system. I am proud to release these new clemency guidelines that will center fairness and equity by taking into consideration the unique circumstances of each individual petitioner and the role of systemic biases,” Healey said along with the announcement.According to the governor’s office, for the first time in state history, the governor’s clemency guidelines for petitioners will include her explicit language acknowledging “unfairness and systemic bias in the criminal justice system.”Go...

Nikki Haley firmly in second among early primary voters, still far behind Trump

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

Following some high level endorsements and with the weight of early-primary-state polls behind her, Nikki Haley’s campaign has declared the Republican race a two-person contest.Former President Donald Trump is still the dominant force in conservative politics and it shows in national polling, where he continuously demonstrates majority support among Republican voters. Haley, however, has been steadily gaining ground on her ex-boss where others are flagging.“With Nikki Haley in second place in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, the presidential race is now a two-person race between one man and one woman,” her campaign said Tuesday morning.In most national surveys, Trump leads the full field of Republicans by 46 points while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis still holds second place. Haley has occasionally tied the Sunshine State’s governor in those polls, but averages under 9% to DeSantis’ about 12.5%.However when you boil it down to the states which will first hold their primari...

Patrick Mendoza kept behind bars for alleged North End shooting outside Modern Pastry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

The North End restaurant owner accused of shooting at a man outside a popular bakery over the summer will remain behind bars after a judge decided to take time to determine the suspect’s bail status.Alleged shooter Patrick Mendoza, 54, appeared in Suffolk County Superior Court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to charges related to the July 12 shooting outside of Modern Bakery on Hanover StreetThe incident allegedly involved a man Mendoza is said to have had a long-simmering relationship with. While no one was injured, Modern sustained damage to its window.Mendoza, whose family owns Monica’s Trattoria on Prince Street, has been held without bail since late July after he was charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and assault and batteryA judge took Mendoza’s bail status under advisement Tuesday after hearing debate from a prosecutor and his attorney over whether the long-time North End resident should be released.Assista...

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson requests a trade ahead of today’s 3 p.m. NFL trade deadline

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has requested a trade and the team has given him permission to search for a new home, a source confirmed.The news, first reported by ESPN late Monday night, comes ahead of Tuesday’s 3 p.m. NFL trade deadline — and after Johnson said Thursday that contract extension talks with the Bears have been “slower than expected.” Bears general manager Ryan Poles does not have to extend Johnson before the deadline, but if Poles thinks the Bears will not get a deal done with Johnson in the future, they could try to get draft capital.Johnson, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, has made it known for months he would like an extension from the Bears. When asked last week what he was seeking, he said “security.”“That’s what we play the game for, security,” Johnson said. “A lot of it goes back to respect as well. It’s not just about taking anything as well. You can throw some numbers at ...

State housing chief says 13,000 households could enter emergency shelter if the state found enough units

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

The number of eligible migrant and local homeless households in the state’s emergency shelter system could soar to more than 13,000, a top housing official warned.Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus said the system’s expansion rate is “unsustainable” just as a judge was weighing whether to temporarily pause a Healey administration plan to cap the number of families in shelters at 7,500.Low turnover rates and the push to find enough units to accommodate everyone is behind the high estimate, he added.“At current rates of entries into and exits from emergency assistance shelter, the number of eligible families in shelter would continue to increase to more than 13,000 households in shelter by fiscal year end (if sufficient shelter units could be found to accommodate that many households),” Augustus wrote.He added: “With the average length of stay growing each month (averaging 13.6 months as of the first quarter of fiscal year 2024), the pressure on th...

Ticker: Auto strike settlements loom large; Toyota more than doubles investment and job creation at North Carolina battery plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

From generous pay and benefits to stronger job security, the United Auto Workers union won significant concessions in tentative settlements that have ended their strikes against Detroit’s three automakers.Now, General Motors, Ford and Stellantis are facing sharply higher labor costs, estimated by some analysts at exceeding $1 billion per year, per company. The automakers will try to absorb those cost increases through expense reductions and efficiencies while still aiming to post strong enough profits to please Wall Street.In addition, analysts say, the companies will likely try to offset their cost increases by raising vehicle prices for consumers. How much they’ll be able to do so, though, remains unclear.Toyota more than doubles investment and job creation at North Carolina battery plantRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Toyota will invest an additional $8 billion in the hybrid and electric vehicle battery factory it’s constructing in North Carolina, more than doubling its prior in...

MIAA statewide field hockey tournament pairings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

DIVISION 1SEEDS: 1. Walpole (17-1-0); 2. Andover (15-2-0); 3. Wachusett Regional (13-1-4); 4. Franklin (17-0-1); 5. Acton-Boxboro (13-4-1); 6. Central Catholic (14-2-1); 7. Algonquin (13-2-3); 8. Bishop Feehan (11-5-1); 9. King Philip Regional (14-4-0); 10. Concord-Carlisle (13-4-1); 11. Belmont (14-3-1); 12. Needham (13-5-0); 13. Winchester (13-5-0); 14. Barnstable (13-3-2); 15. Wellesley (10-4-4); 16. Lincoln-Sudbury (8-5-3); 17. Braintree (9-7-2); 18. Arlington (8-8-2); 19. Shrewsbury (6-9-2); 20. Chelmsford (5-9-3); 21. Newton North (12-5-3); 22. Durfee (12-3-2); 23. Natick (6-7-5); 24. Lexington (8-9-1); 25. Brookline (9-7-2); 26. North Andover (6-8-3); 27. Westford Academy (8-8-2); 28. Essex North Shore (10-6-2); 29. Beverly (8-8-2); 30. Attleboro (5-11-2); 31. Methuen (8-5-5); 32. Marshfield (4-4-8)FIRST ROUND – ThursdayGAME 6 – Chelmsford at Winchester, 4:30GAME 12 – Natick at Concord-Carlisle, 4:30GAME 13 – Attleboro at Wachusett, 5GAME 11 – North Andover at Algonquin, 5FIR...

6 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ 112-105 win, including Nikola Vučević leading the offense and an excruciating final minute

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

The Chicago Bulls recorded their most resounding win of the season Monday night, beating the Indiana Pacers 112-105 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to even their record at 2-2.All three of their main stars finished with 20 or more points: Nikola Vučević scored 24, Zach LaVine 23 and DeMar DeRozan 20.Here are six takeaways from the win.1. Nikola Vučević led the offense.The Bulls targeted Vučević from the jump, utilizing pick-and-rolls with DeRozan and Coby White to create better looks for the center in the paint.The Pacers chose to play center Myles Turner in drop coverage, which could have tempted Vučević to settle for outside shots. Instead he continued to drive directly into the teeth of the defense, racking up 24 points despite a slow shooting start.Vučević voiced frustration after the season opener that the Bulls weren’t finding him enough — a consistent complaint since they acquired him from the Orlando Magic at the 2021 tr...

A pilot has been indicted for allegedly threatening to shoot the captain if the flight was diverted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

A pilot has been indicted for allegedly threatening to shoot the plane’s captain if the captain diverted the flight because of a passenger who needed medical attention.A grand jury in Utah issued the indictment against Jonathan J. Dunn on Oct. 18 over an incident that happened in August 2022, charging him with interference with a flight crew, according to federal court records. The Transportation Department’s inspector general’s office said in an email sent Tuesday that Dunn was the first officer, or co-pilot, on the flight and was authorized to carry a gun under a program run by the Transportation Security Administration.“After a disagreement about a potential flight diversion due to a passenger medical event, Dunn told the Captain they would be shot multiple times if the Captain diverted the flight,” the inspector general’s office said.The inspector general described Dunn as a California pilot. It did not identify the airline on which the incident occurred,...

Long Island woman convicted of manslaughter in the hit-and-run death of a New York police detective

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A Long Island woman was convicted on Tuesday of aggravated manslaughter in the death of a New York City police detective killed on the Long Island Expressway.Jessica Beauvais, of Hempstead, was arrested in April 2021 after 43-year-old Anastasios Tsakos, a 14-year veteran of the police department, was struck and killed while assisting officers at the scene of another fatal crash on the expressway in Queens.Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Beauvais, 34, was intoxicated and driving with a suspended license. She fled, but was arrested a short time later.“The defendant had absolutely no business being behind the wheel,” Katz said in a written statement. “Her selfish decision-making and recklessness led to a horrific, senseless tragedy that left Detective Tsakos’ widow to raise their two young children without their father. We are grateful for the jury’s verdict and hope it brings at least some measure of solace to the detective’s loved ones.”The 43-y...