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Parents demand accountability at school committee meeting as Brockton district begins year with $14 million deficit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

The Brockton School District is starting with a $14 million budget deficit, and a school committee meeting on Wednesday night was packed with parents and residents demanding answers.“This took us by surprise,” said Tony Rodrigues, a school committee member.“I think it’s a problem that you were surprised about this,” said a resident. “There was a lack of communication.”When the shortfall of funds became public last week, Superintendent Mike Thomas took a medical leave. “I’m the leader of the school district, and you can’t overspend the budget,” Thomas said, “but, I can tell you every dime went to supporting kids.”Thomas told 7News that he spent too much money on staffing, safety and transportation.“Nobody sitting at this table is sitting with 14 million dollars in their pocket,” said Timothy Sullivan, a school committee member.The school board unanimously approved an independent external audit and investigation. Mayor Richard Sullivan said the school’s chief financial officer an...

Tyler Glasnow racks up 14 strikeouts as Rays defeat Red Sox 3-1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

With an exhausted bullpen and James Paxton pushed back to next Tuesday (10 days rest), Alex Cora needed Nick Pivetta to put the Red Sox on his back in Wednesday night’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.Instead, Pivetta became the latest starter to make an early exit. The 30-year-old right-hander lasted just 4.2 innings, giving up a pair of solo home runs and an RBI double before Cora strode out to the mound, forced to go to his beleaguered relief core too soon again.Ultimately, their starter wasn’t the reason why the Rays bested the Red Sox, 3-1.Of course, Pivetta is tired, too. He’s worked every possible role this season, yanked from the rotation, slotted into the bullpen, then called back to make sporadic starts on an as-need basis. Brayan Bello is the only pitcher on the staff with more innings (137) this season.His manager had nothing but high praise for him. “Nick was outstanding,” Cora told reporters. “He pitched with three days rest and w...

As Africa Climate Summit promotes solar, off-grid power ramps up below the Sahara

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

NAIROBI (AP) — A walk through the busy business district of Mombasa Road in Nairobi, or even a rural community in Kisii County, Kenya, highlights something that’s getting attention at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi this week — solar power that is not connected to the grid.With or without the encouragement of government policy, families and businesses are choosing off-grid solar in the face of an unreliable grid. According to the World Bank, the number of so-called minigrids, meaning solar systems that support a cluster of homes or businesses, has grown from 500 in Africa in 2000 to 3,000 today. In Kenya, the price of electricity has risen due to higher fuel costs, driving some to form their own local grids.It’s not just individual homes in Kenya: Solar energy’s reliability and lower cost, despite initial high installation capital, has attracted steel manufacturers and cooking oil factories, who form some of the biggest clients for one Nairobi-based company.CP Sola...

Stock market today: Asian shares fall, tracking a decline on Wall St on fears rates may stay high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

NEW YORK — Shares fell in Asia on Thursday after a decline on Wall Street, where strong economic data revived worries that the Federal Reserve might keep interest rates high for longer than investors had been hoping. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, which has bounced this week on news about Chinese policy changes for the property sector, declined on selling of tech shares. It fell 0.8% to 18,313.73.The Shanghai Composite index lost 0.3% to 3,148.52, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 edged 0.1% lower, to 33,200.85. In Seoul, the Kospi sank 0.7% to 2,544.71. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was off 1.1% at 7,176.70. Shares in most other regional markets fell.On Wednesday, the S&P 500 dropped 0.7%, closing at 4,465.48. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.6% to 34,443.19, and the Nasdaq gave back 1.1% to 13,872.47.Big technology stocks were among the biggest drags on the market. Apple fell 3.6% and Nvidia dropped 3.1%.But several companies made big moves after reporting earnings and o...

A popular climbing area in Yosemite National Park has been closed due to a crack in a granite cliff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A popular rock climbing area in Yosemite National Park has been closed because of a crack that has developed in a massive granite cliff. Climbers recently reported the new crack on the western side of the Royal Arches formation near a climbing route called Super Slide, according to the park’s website. “Subsequent investigation revealed that this crack has partially detached a large pillar of rock, and that cracking was actively occurring,” the website said. An area including several climbing routes was closed Aug. 30. A short section of the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail was also closed, with a detour established. Yosemite experiences many rockfalls caused by natural processes every year, according to the National Park Service. Arcs across the cliff face that gave Royal Arches its name are caused by a type of weathering called exfoliation which causes slabs of granite to fall away. Other famous Yosemite landforms such as Half Dome were also cr...

Magic Johnson meets with Washington Commanders players for the first time

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Magic Johnson talked about how he won five NBA championships as a player, another five as an owner and an Olympic gold medal with the “Dream Team.” He talked about what it takes to win in sports and in business.As he spoke, players and coaches leaned in to hear every word.It was the Basketball Hall of Famer-turned-entrepreneur’s first visit with the Washington Commanders since becoming a part-owner of the NFL franchise, a surprise appearance that overshadowed football for a brief time Wednesday in the hopes of making a lasting impact on and off the field.“It was really cool because when he walked in, it’s kind of like you’re seeing a star,” second-year receiver Jahan Dotson said. “He was basically just giving us words of encouragement, making sure that we stay focused, stay disciplined and different things like that.”Only Washington’s coaches and a handful of players are old enough to have seen Johnson play for the Los Angeles Lakers. But so many have...

Names released of 4 who died in Seattle fire, 3 deaths ruled homicide, 1 suicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has released the names of four people found dead Saturday after a house fire in Seattle and ruled three of the deaths homicides. The medical examiner said Wednesday that Lana A. Stewart, 40, died from multiple sharp-force injuries; Sebastino Ragusa, 7, died from asphyxia from the inhalation of toxic products of combustion; and 4-month-old Valentina Ragusa died from smoke inhalation.Salvatore Ragusa, 48, died from smoke inhalation, and his death was ruled a suicide, the medical examiner said Tuesday. Police are investigating the deaths as an arson-homicide, The Seattle Times reported. A Seattle Police Department spokesperson said Wednesday that investigators are not looking for suspects. The city’s police Arson & Bomb squad is working with the Seattle Fire Department to determine how the fire started.Though Seattle police have not disclosed the relationship between Ragusa and the victims, neighbors have referred to St...

Central African Republic faces humanitarian crisis with 2.4 million people needing aid, UN says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Central African Republic is facing a humanitarian crisis with 2.4 million people in need of assistance and the U.N.’s $534 million appeal only 36% funded, a U.N. official said Wednesday.Mohamed Ag Ayoya, deputy special representative for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country, told a news conference that 10 years of conflict have displaced half a million people within the country while 700,000 have fled to neighboring countries. Mineral-rich but impoverished CAR has a population of 6 million.But Ayoya said CAR has also opened its doors to 38,000 returnees and asylum-seekers from Chad, and more recently to 18,000 returnees and asylum seekers from another neighbor, Sudan, where a conflict between rival generals and their supporters is now in its fifth month.Ayoya stressed that CAR “is not just a humanitarian crisis, it’s also actually a protection and a gender crisis.”In the first six months of 2023, there have been an “extremely high” number of cases of ge...

Fallen CPD Officer Preston becomes 600th name added to Gold Star Memorial Wall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

CHICAGO — A somber ceremony took place Wednesday afternoon at the Gold Star Families Memorial. The names of each fallen Chicago police officer were read, and officer Aréanah Preston became the 600th name added to the memorial wall."Aréanah Preston is a star amongst the stars," said Maria Marmalejo, chairwoman of the Gold Star Families Foundation. "[She] will shine bright for the young woman she was, the life she lived and the sacrifice she made to protect the City of Chicago."A special memorial was held for Preston just hours before the 20th annual candlelight vigil, a ceremony where the Chicago Police Department honors all CPD officers who have died in the line of duty, reading each of their names aloud.Aréanah Preston's name unveiled at the Gold Star Memorial Wall.Preston's mother unveiled her name on the memorial wall, four months to the day the two-and-a-half-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department was killed.Preston was returning to her Avalon Park home from her shift in ...

NEA president vows to transform nation's largest union, putting 'social justice' first

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:56 GMT

CHICAGO -- The leader of the nation’s largest labor union, the three million member National Education Association, visited the Chicago area Wednesday.Nearly 450 kindergarten through eighth grade students have gone back to school and teachers are back to work at Pennoyer Elementary School in Norridge.Becky Pringle, the National Education Association (NEA) President, stopped by Pennoyer Elementary School on Wednesday to celebrate the school finally won a funding referendum after six failed tries.Pringle says she’ll take Pennoyer school’s example of persistence back to Washington as she works to shape the nation’s education policy.The NEA is a power player in shaping federal education policy and Pringle sees it as her mission to transform the union into a vehicle for social justice.“When I became NEA president, what I articulated as a strategic vision was, we would reclaim public education as a common good, as the foundation of our democracy, but we couldn’t stop there" Pringle said. ...