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Mobile betting launches tomorrow in Massachusetts

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

The wait for mobile betting in Massachusetts is almost over, as betting apps get set to go live Friday morning. While sports wagers are in the spotlight, other topics are also on the table.Experts have said the apps that have been approved in Massachusetts will be taking bets from people who are aged 21 or older on awards shows such as the Academy Awards as well as the sports bets that have been made physically at casinos since in-person sports betting launched in Massachusetts back in January. This, experts say, could open many doors for those who wouldn’t typically bet on sports but who still want to test their luck. “[T]hat’s the secret sauce right there,” Bill Speros, a senior betting analyst at Bookies.com said. Speros said the betting is a win-win for some parties involved, not only getting people to wager on events they wouldn’t normally watch, but also getting people to watch events because they wagered on them. “It drives fan engagement through the...

Nets rally from down 22, fall short in loss to Bucks

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

Stars or no stars, the Nets remain one of the more resilient teams in all of basketball.That much became clear as they clawed back from down 22 to make it a tight game down the stretch before the Bucks pulled away for a 118-113 victory over the Nets in Milwaukee.And it marked the fourth time in the aftermath of the trades that sent Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out West that the Nets have erased a significant double-digit deficit against a quality opponent.The Nets set a new record for largest comeback of this season when they erased the Celtics’ 28-point advantage to secure a 115-105 victory on the road in Boston on March 3.They came back from down 18 to lose in Atlanta on Trae Young’s buzzer-beating, game-winning floater on Feb 26.And in the hours that followed the Durant deal on the night of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, the Nets erased a 13-point deficit to defeat Chicago Bulls, 116-105.Then came Thursday.The Bucks put all their starters on the floor minus their MVP can...

MBTA announces Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines to go only 10-25 mph

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

Better get up a bit early in the morning if you use the MBTA.The agency announced tonight the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines will operate at speeds of 10-25 mph “out of an abundance of caution.”The system-wide speed restriction was implemented following negative findings from the Department of Public Utilities during an inspection of a stretch of Red Line track on Monday.Trains will travel no faster than 25 mph, effective immediately, on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green Lines, the MBTA said.“These actions will add additional travel time for people taking the T,” spokesperson Lisa Battiston said. “The MBTA apologizes in advance for these inconveniences and remains committed to operating the transit system in the safest way possible.”DPU, the T’s state safety oversight authority, issued six violation letters to the MBTA on Tuesday as a result of their inspection of southbound Red Line track between Ashmont and Savin Hill.Inspectors observed multiple trains “oversho...

Bruins cough up lead and lose to Edmonton, 3-2

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

The Bruins held Connor McDavid in check all night, but the Edmonton Oilers found a way to climb out of a hole and beat the mighty B’s without a major contribution from the best player in the world.The B’s coughed up a 2-0 lead and the Oilers scored two third-period goals to snap the B’s 10-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory. It was just the B’s third regulation loss at the Garden.Darnell Nurse gave the Oilers their first lead of the game with a long shot from the left point that found its way through Jeremy Swayman’s pads with 4:49 left in the third period.The B’s took a 2-1 lead into the third period but did not protect it. Patrice Bergeron could not connect on a neutral zone pass to Charlie McAvoy and the Oilers wound up with possession in the Boston zone. From behind the net, Devin Shore fed Ryan McLeod out front for the equalizer at 6:08.After an initial push from Edmonton to start the game, the B’s eventually found their footing and...

China’s Xi awarded third term as president, extending rule

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as president Friday, putting him on track to stay in power for life.The endorsement of Xi’s appointment by the ceremonial National People’s Congress was a foregone conclusion for a leader who has sidelined potential rivals and filled the top ranks of the ruling Communist Party with his supporters since taking power in 2012.The vote for Xi was 2,952 to 0 by the NPC, members of which are appointed by the ruling party.Xi, 69, had himself named to a third five-year term as party general secretary in October, breaking with a tradition under which Chinese leaders handed over power once a decade. A two-term limit on the figurehead presidency was deleted from the Chinese constitution earlier, prompting suggestions he might stay in power for life.No candidate lists were distributed, and Xi and those awarded other posts were believed to have run unopposed. The election process remains almost entirely shrou...

Fiji’s former leader Frank Bainimarama released on bail

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Fiji’s former leader Frank Bainimarama was released on bail Friday after pleading not guilty to a charge that he abused his power as prime minister by stopping a police investigation. Both Bainimarama and the nation’s suspended police commissioner had spent the night in jail after they were arrested Thursday.“I served as Fiji’s prime minister with integrity and with the best interests of Fijians at heart,” Bainimarama told reporters outside the courtroom, adding that he would fight the charge not only for his legacy but also for democracy. The development adds another twist to the volatile political situation on the Pacific island nation, where Bainimarama in December lost a tense election to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Last month, Bainimarama, 68, was suspended from parliament for three years for insulting the president, and this week he resigned from parliament in protest.Bainimarama and Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho each face a ...

Japan parliament OKs Ueda as BOJ chief to tackle inflation

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The appointment for the next head of Japan’s central bank won parliamentary approval Friday, challenging a new monetary leadership with steering the world’s third-largest economy through inflation and other looming risks. The nomination of Kazuo Ueda and his deputies was approved by the upper house of parliament, a day after its approval in the lower house. Ueda hails from a scholarly background unusual for a Bank of Japan governor. He has promised a smooth transition from his predecessor’s “Abenomics” — the ultra-loose monetary policies of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Until recently, the Japanese economy was stuck in deflation, a continuous spiraling down of prices, for decades. “Abenomics” policies centered around zero or negative interest rates were designed to combat deflation. But Japan’s consumer inflation rate hit a 41-year high of 4% in December. The central bank has set a 2% inflation target, but recent data show prices are rising higher than that rat...

2 teens charged in separate online threats to Mississauga, Brampton schools

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

Two teenagers have been charged in connection to separate online threats against high schools in Mississauga and Brampton.Peel Regional Police officers were called to Lincoln Alexander Secondary School in Mississauga around 8:45 a.m. on Thursday to investigate an online threat.Investigators identified a suspect and arrested and charged a 16-year-old female youth from Mississauga with one count of uttering threats.Just over an hour later, police were called to Chinguacousy Secondary School in Brampton for a separate, unrelated online threat. A 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with uttering threats.No injuries were reported in either incident.The youths were released with conditions and are expected to appear in court in Brampton at a later date. The pair were not identified through the Youth Criminal Justice Act.The pair of arrests comes after Peel Regional Police investigated online threats targeting high schools in Mississauga and Brampton, including Chinguacousy Secondary ...

At a glance: Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, history in Germany

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

Several people were killed and injured Thursday night after shots were fired inside a building where Jehovah’s Witnesses met in the northern German city of Hamburg, officials said. The international Christian denomination founded in the United States has a more than 100-year history in Germany. Today, about 170,000 members call the European country home, according to the denomination’s website.The denomination itself dates back to the 19th century. It was founded by Charles Taze Russell, a minister from Pittsburgh. Now headquartered in Warwick, New York, it claims a worldwide membership of about 8.7 million. Members are known for their evangelistic efforts including knocking on doors and distributing literature in public squares.Here is a quick look at the international denomination’s beliefs and their history in Germany:— In Germany, there are about 2,020 Jehovah’s Witness congregations and 170,491 ministers. One in 498 Germans practice the faith, according to the denomination’s we...

The Master at Work: Tracking a storm with Tom Skilling

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:00:23 GMT

As WGN TV celebrates 75 years, we’re looking back with a series of stories on the history and the memoriesCHICAGO — Tom Skilling has reported the weather from the peaks of Alaska to the valleys of Southern Nevada. He has chased tornados and testified before Congress. He’s been awarded three honorary doctorate degrees and earned a place in pop culture as a character on Netflix’s animated series Chicago Party Aunt. “He is a legendary weatherman,” Rick Morris, an associate dean and professor at Northwestern University’s School of Communication, said. “He’s really smart.  He knows his stuff.”Skilling’s folksy demeanor, authoritative delivery and reassuring presence have been constants on Channel 9 for for nearly 45 years. He arrived at WGN on 1978 from WITI-TV in Milwaukee. In a WGN press release he was touted as “the top-rated meteorologist on Milwaukee television.”Skilling’s genuine charm and affability have made him one of the most beloved WGN employees in the station’s 75-year ...