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Mass. election overseer confident in automatic voter registration as driver’s license law takes effect

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

The state’s top election official said concerns that a new driver’s license law for people without legal immigration status could interfere with the automatic voter registration system are not justified.People without lawful proof of presence in the United States can apply for a driver’s license in Massachusetts starting July 1 so long as they have two documents verifying their identity and date of birth. The law was billed as a way to increase road safety and make sure all drivers on the road are insured.But Republicans who unsuccessfully tried to block the measure last year said Massachusetts residents without legal status could inadvertently be registered to vote through the state’s automatic voter registration system while applying for a license.Secretary of State William Galvin, who manages elections in Massachusetts, said he does not foresee any issues as people start to seek out licenses next month.“Do I think there’s going to be a problem? No, I don’t,” he told t...

PHOTOS: Elementary school students visit Massachusetts State House for Flag Day with Secretary Galvin

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

Secretary of State William Galvin handed out United States flags to students from Southborough’s Margaret Neary Elementary School at a Wednesday morning event inside the State House.Students packed the building’s Great Hall — which features flags from every city and town in Massachusetts — to listen to a short speech from Galvin, who stressed the importance of the U.S. Flag and how it represents the country’s diverse population. The students were also led on a tour of the building by guides from the secretary of state’s office.Secretary of State William Galvin and students from Southborough’s Margaret Neary Elementary School recite the Pledge of Allegiance during a Flag Day event at the State House on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (Chris Van Buskirk/Boston Herald)Secretary of State William Galvin holds up a United States flag as speaks during a Flag Day event inside the State House on June 14, 2023. (Chris Van Buskirk/Boston Herald)

Former Giants wide receiver Homer Jones dead at 82

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

Former Giants wide receiver Homer Jones has died at the age of 82 following a battle with lung cancer, the team announced Wednesday.Jones is credited with the invention of the spike and is known for his speed on the field during his seven-year career.“Homer Jones had a unique combination of speed and power and was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball,” said Giants president John Mara. “He was one of the first players [if not the first] to spike the ball in the end zone after scoring a touchdown and he quickly became a fan favorite. I remember him as an easygoing, friendly individual who was well liked by his teammates and coaches.”The Pittsburg, Texas native spent six seasons with the Giants, from 1964-69, after a brief stint with the Houston Oilers. He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark three times with the Giants from 1966-68 and was selected to two Pro Bowls during that stretch. His 1209 receiving yards and 13 touchdown receptions in the 1967 season l...

Roger Payne, who found out that whales could sing, dies at 88

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

By PATRICK WHITTLE (Associated Press)Roger Payne, the scientist who spurred a worldwide environmental conservation movement with his discovery that whales could sing, has died. He was 88.Payne made the discovery in 1967 during a research trip to Bermuda in which a Navy engineer provided him with a recording of curious underwater sounds documented while listening for Russian submarines. Payne identified the haunting tones as songs whales sing to one another.He saw the discovery of whale song as a chance to spur interest in saving the giant animals, who were disappearing from the planet. Payne would produce the album “Songs of the Humpback Whale” in 1970. A surprise hit, the record galvanized a global movement to end the practice of commercial whale hunting and save the whales from extinction.Payne was cognizant from the start that whale song represented a chance to get the public interested in protecting an animal previously considered little more than a resource, curiosi...

No timetable for Liam Hendriks’ return, as Chicago White Sox taking ‘wait and see’ approach with reliever

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

Liam Hendriks first felt something not quite right in his right elbow around May 4, the day the Chicago White Sox reliever left to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.“It’s been sore for the last few weeks, ever since before my rehab assignment it was barking, but my mantra is to pitch things until I can’t,” Hendriks said Tuesday before the Sox lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 at Dodger Stadium. “It kept getting a little worse and worse and worse until the last couple of outings I wasn’t able to pitch through that pain.“The more I throw, generally the better I feel. And this time, it wasn’t going away. It was lingering.”The Sox placed Hendriks on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right elbow inflammation, the team announced Sunday morning.“Structurally, it’s fine,” Hendriks said. “It’s all good. Or goodish for me. But it’s just a little inflammation that’s sitting on...

Drew Smith’s sticky stuff suspension leaves more questions than answers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

The Mets are officially a man down for the next 10 games.Drew Smith was suspended by MLB for violating the foreign substance rules Wednesday afternoon, shortly before the team hosted the Yankees in the second game of the Subway Series. Smith was ejected before the top of the seventh Tuesday night at Citi Field after failing to pass a check by crew chief Bill Miller. He becomes the second pitcher from the club’s Major League roster to receive a suspension for sticky stuff, and the fourth from the organization this season. Max Scherzer was suspended in April, and Triple-A right-handers Dylan Bundy and Eric Orze were also punished this season.Smith insisted it was only sweat and rosin, which is what Scherzer has maintained he used as well. But four pitchers from one club will either lead people to believe that the Mets are cheating or lead people to believe that the league is out to get the Mets.Manager Buck Showalter sees both sides of the argument but didn’t deny that som...

Red Sox notebook: Hitters have been stuck in the clutch too often of late

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

Despite some messy innings from Kutter Crawford and Justin Garza at the beginning and end of Tuesday night’s 7-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies, it’s not the Red Sox pitching staff which should be fidgeting on the hot seat amidst the team’s recent struggles.Since May 17, the starting rotation owns the fifth-best ERA (3.60) in the Majors, with two earned runs or fewer in 18 of their last 25 games, and the bullpen owns the ninth-best ERA (3.65) since May 16.This stretch of agonizingly close games is almost entirely due to a subdued lineup (and poor defense). Eleven of their last 17 games were decided by one or two runs. Five of their last eight games were decided by one, including each of their previous three, all of which were extra-inning contests.Over their first 13 games of the month, the Red Sox left 103 men on base. They’re averaging 7.83 stranded runners per game, up from 6.88 in May, and 6.6 in April. Conversely, their average runs scored per game has plu...

Sailor on life support after Coronado carjacking

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

CORONADO, Calif. -- It's now confirmed that a man who was critically injured during a car-jacking incident in Coronado over the weekend is, in fact, a sailor for the U.S. Navy.In a statement released to FOX 5 on Wednesday, Public Affairs Officer Teri Heisler says officials at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) were informed by the City of Coronado Police Department that a sailor was a victim in the Sunday incident. Alaska Airlines now offering nonstop flights from San Diego to these cities The servicemember, whose identity has not been released due to privacy laws, suffered life-threatening injuries during the car-jacking, officials confirmed. According to the public affairs officer, the sailor is currently on life support at UCSD Health.The incident occurred in the early morning hours when calls came in to authorities reporting a man on the hood of a moving vehicle. According to the police department, two teenagers allegedly stole the vehicle from the man and he jumped on ...

How the Bell layoffs affect their journalism platform

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

BCE Inc. announced Wednesday that it is cutting 1,300 positions, around three per cent of its workforce, and closing or selling nine radio stations as the company plans to “significantly adapt” how it delivers the news.Here’s a look at who and what’s affected by the cuts to their journalism platform.Fewer JournalistsThe layoffs include a six per cent cut at Bell Media. Many of those who received notices of their termination shared the news on social media throughout the day, including some of Bell’s prominent journalists.As part of Bell’s shift to a more streamlined newsroom across its brands, the company said CTV National News executive producer Rosa Hwang is no longer with the company, effective immediately.The company updated the online profile of several journalists to say they were no longer with the company. Those include CTV National News Ottawa bureau chief Joyce Napier, senior political correspondent Glen McGregor, chief...

Australia to seek to stop Russia building embassy near Parliament House

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:36 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government expects to introduce legislation on Thursday to prevent Russia from building a new embassy near Parliament House on security grounds.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation to be presented to Parliament would extinguish Russia’s lease on the proposed site based on the advice of security agencies.“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk presented by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House,” Albanese told reporters. “We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence.” Albanese said Australia’s government condemns Russia’s “illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.” Albanese said opposition and other lawmakers that are not aligned with the government were briefed on the legislation on Wednesday night and had agreed to pass it through the House of Representatives and the Senate on Thursday.“To be clear, today’s decision is...