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Lucas: The Democratic juggernaut

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

There may not have been a Sen. Elizabeth Warren if it were not for John Walsh.He helped Warren rise from relative political obscurity to a seat in the U.S. Senate.Walsh is the respected, admired, and imitated Democrat political operative who died last week at age 65.At the time of his death, Walsh was U.S. Sen. Eddie Markey’s chief of staff, a position he took after he ran Markey’s successful 2020 re-election campaign, beating off a primary challenge by then-U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III.Markey called Walsh, a one-time Abington selectman and insurance agent, “a political genius” which in many ways he was. Walsh valued grassroots politics and attracting young people to the polls.Before hooking up with Markey, Walsh played a pivotal role in getting the then relatively unknown Democrat Deval Patrick elected as the state’s first black governor in 2006, and then re-elected four years later.In 2006 Walsh guided Patrick to a Democrat primary victory over Attorney General Tom Riley and Chris Ga...

Bruins notebook: Matt Poitras shakes off bad turnover

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

Mistakes can happen to anyone. As it is often said, hockey is a game of mistakes.But when a 19-year-old rookie makes a mistake that leads to a goal against, that can do a job on the player’s confidence.It appears Matt Poitras will be just fine, however.Poitras had his uh-oh moment late in the first period of the Bruins’ 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. Carrying the puck out of the defensive zone, he first avoided J.T. Compher with a nifty move. But once he got over the blue line, Detroit sniper Alex DeBrincat picked his pocket and broke in on a clean breakaway to score to make it 2-0.The B’s never recovered on the scoreboard, but Poitras played well after that, ripping a shot that just missed the net on the next shift and then drawing a penalty late in the second period.“I thought (the response) was great. I told him that on the bench,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “I said, ‘You’re a player that has to carry the puck. You’re going to tur...

Protesters on Nantucket cheer, jeer Bidens after hostage address

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

Seems some in Nantucket decided put their sherry down and head into town to greet President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden as they headed into the Brotherhood of the Thieves restaurant.The White House pool report from Friday afternoon stated: “As POTUS and FLOTUS walked up Broad Street there were large groups of people gathered. Some protesters — maybe a handful — yelled ‘Free Palestine’ and “Ceasefire.'”The pool reporter added, “many other people were cheering.”At 2:42 p.m., the Bidens walked into the restaurant named after a riot on the island in 1842 after abolitionists objected to the town’s continued refusal to integrate the schools. The menu runs from $36 for a lobster roll to $8 for a cup of clam chowder.Before the late lunch or early dinner, Biden spoke about the hostage release in Israel he said a “goal” is to have more people released.“We expect more hostages to be released tomorrow, and more the day ...

Family lunch, some shopping, a Christmas tree lighting: President Joe Biden’s day out in Nantucket

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) — It wasn’t all work and no play for President Joe Biden on Friday on this picturesque Massachusetts island. He spent much of the day in multiple briefings with national security aides, who were updating him as the first phase of hostages were released in Gaza earlier Friday. Biden then delivered brief remarks on the hostage deal, saying it is “only a start, but so far, it’s gone well.”But then the president joined in the traditional Biden day-after-Thanksgiving festivities – lunch with his family, perusing local shops and mingling with the Nantucket crowd as the town Christmas tree is lit.Because of the remarks on hostages, the traditional family lunch happened later than usual. But like always, it was at Brotherhood of Thieves, a cozy bar and grill that advertises itself as an “1840s whaling bar.”Then the president’s shopping outing began.His first stop was just a couple doors down from the restaurant at Nantucket Books, where first lady Jill Biden and daught...

‘Adopt an axolotl’ campaign launches in Mexico to save iconic species from pollution and trout

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Ecologists from Mexico’s National Autonomous university on Friday relaunched a fundraising campaign to bolster conservation efforts for axolotls, an iconic, endangered fish-like type of salamander.The campaign, called “Adoptaxolotl,” asks people for as little as 600 pesos (about $35) to virtually adopt one of the tiny “water monsters.” Virtual adoption comes with live updates on your axolotl’s health. For less, donors can buy one of the creatures a virtual dinner.In their main habitat the population density of Mexican axolotls (ah-ho-LOH’-tulz) has plummeted 99.5% in under two decades, according to scientists behind the fundraiser.Last year’s Adoptaxolotl campaign raised just over 450,000 pesos ($26,300) towards an experimental captive breeding program and efforts to restore habitat in the ancient Aztec canals of Xochimilco, a southern borough of Mexico City.Still, there are not enough resources for thorough research, said Alejandro Calzada, an e...

Union says deal for Vancouver police would make them highest-paid officers in Canada

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

VANCOUVER — A new tentative agreement that would make Vancouver’s police officers the highest paid in Canada is a crucial tool for the city to recruit and retain talent in the face of a major labour crunch, the union representing the officers said.Vancouver Police Union president Ralph Kaisers said the union was happy to see the tentative agreement reached with employers on Oct. 31 after months of negotiations.He said it includes not only higher wages for officers, bringing a first-class constable’s pay to about $122,000 next year, but also better maternity and parental leave benefits.Kaisers said he has talked to a number of female officers, and as many as 22 have considered leaving the Vancouver Police Department for another organization due to maternity benefits.“I do know — not mentioning any names of any organizations — but we did have recruiters from a different organization actually emailing all our young female members, pointing out to them that their mater...

'I’ve only heard incredible things': Bears prepare for Dobbs, Vikings on MNF

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — With Black Friday practices in the books for the Chicago Bears, coaches and players offered praise for their opponent's newly-acquired quarterback, Joshua Dobbs, and gave some insight on how a week of preparation went heading into their Monday night matchup in Minneapolis against the Minnesota Vikings.“I’ve only heard incredible things about the kind of [Dobbs] is, how brilliant he is,” said offensive coordinator Luke Getsy Friday. “I’ve had a lot of friends that have been a part of coaching him in those rooms and they all speak so highly of him.”Dobbs has carried over his success from the Arizona Cardinals to the Vikings since a late October trade landed him in Minneapolis. Statistically, Minnesota is 2-1 in Dobbs' three starts, with the former Tennessee Volunteer completing 63 of his 96 passes (65.6%) for 647 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception, while running the ball 23 times for 131 yards and 3 touchdowns."The way he just extends plays, I think that's just...

Skilling: Will it snow this weekend in Chicagoland?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

A post-Thanksgiving chill gripped the Chicago area Friday with a high temp of just 32-deg—a reading 12-deg below normal and the coldest daytime high of Fall, 2023—and THE COLDEST DAYTIME HIGH in the more than 8 months since a 25-deg high back on March 18!It was 16-deg colder today than yesterday (Thanksgiving) when a high of 48 occurred—AND Friday's average temp was the first to come in BELOW NORMAL after a run of 12 consecutive ABOVE NORMAL DAYS.  November, 2023 is currently running a near 4-deg surplus and the month's opening 24 days have come in 2.7-deg milder than the same period a year ago.The last Nov 24th to be any colder occurred 10 years ago in 2013 when the November 24th high was 27-deg.This day ranks among the 13% coldest Nov 24th's on the book since 1871---ONLY 20 Nov 14th's have been colder in all that time.When the books on this week close at midnight Saturday night, this week will have averaged MARKEDLY COLDER than last week—with an average temp which comes in more th...

Man injured in shooting after argument over Thanksgiving dinner invitation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

CHICAGO -- A man who didn't get invited to a Thanksgiving dinner on the South Side returned and shot the host Friday morning.According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 6700 block of South Eberhart Avenue in the city's Woodlawn neighborhood just before 4 a.m. on Friday. Woman, 2 kids injured in hit-and-run crash on South Side A 44-year-old man was standing in an alley when reportedly his sister's ex-boyfriend shot him in the left leg and hand before fleeing the scene. He was transported to a local hospital in fair condition.No one is in custody at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

Does Austin have enough workers this holiday season?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:17 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — An Austin-based recruitment agency said things are looking better for the hospitality industry with the holidays quickly approaching.Casey Nichik and Todd Gerjes of Talent 512/Patrice & Associates said their business is helping other businesses find the employees they need.Nichik said the company's specialty is finding hospitality employees. She said this time of year, there's an uptick in demand for wait staff and hotel workers."Some of the smaller clients that we have are companies where they get really heavy seasonal influx of private bookings, and dining, and holiday parties. I've seen a lot of activity in terms of front desk staff, support staff, the non full time type of hires," Nichik said.Nichik said the hospitality industry as a whole is nearly recovered from the blow dealt to it by the pandemic which saw many employees leave the industry.However, Gerjes said more people are returning to the field and some to higher wages."We've seen wages increase acros...