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Billionaire Rob Hale surprises UMass Boston graduates with $1,000 and a challenge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

 BOSTON (WBZ) — UMass Boston graduating seniors got a surprise they likely won’t forget during their commencement ceremony on Thursday.Speaker Rob Hale surprised all 2,523 graduates with two envelopes apiece.One of the envelopes included $500 as a gift to the outgoing students. The second envelope for each graduate was $500 to give to a person or organization in need.“For us the greatest joys we’ve had in our life has been the gift of giving. So each of you is getting $1,000 cash right now,” Hale told graduates, prompting screams of excitement from the crowd.Hale is CEO of Granite Telecommunications, which he founded in 2002. He was among 10 people from Massachusetts on the 2023 Forbes billionaires list with a net worth of about $5 billion.

Deputy faces criminal charges after man catches fire following taser deployment at gas station

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – A startling incident at a Florida gas station has resulted in a law enforcement officer facing criminal charges. Deputy David Crawford of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office finds himself under scrutiny after a man caught fire when the deputy deployed his taser while attempting to make an arrest. However, the man’s lawyer argues that the punishment does not match the crime.The chain of events unfolded when deputies were in pursuit of Jean Barreto Baerga, who was allegedly driving recklessly, including driving toward oncoming traffic. The pursuit led them to a Wawa gas station where they confronted Baerga. Aware of the potential risks, the deputies decided to employ a taser.Eyewitnesses recalled the chaotic scene as Crawford fired the taser, causing Baerga’s body to ignite in flames. The desperate cries for help filled the air as onlookers scrambled to douse the fire and prevent further harm.Remarkably, the only parts of Baerga’s ...

ChatGPT boss vows not to leave Europe

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

The man behind popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT said his company OpenAI had no plans to leave Europe, after previous comments sparked criticism in the EU capital. “Very productive week of conversations in Europe about how to best regulate AI! We are excited to continue to operate here and of course have no plans to leave,” Sam Altman tweeted Friday. On Wednesday, Altman reportedly said OpenAI could consider leaving the bloc if the EU’s upcoming legislation on artificial intelligence — known as the AI Act — is too stringent. Members of the European Parliament have added last-minute requirements to the text to regulate generative AI systems such as ChatGPT. The legislation now needs to be negotiated with representatives of EU countries before it becomes final. The EU’s Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton had criticized Altman’s original comments: “There is no point in attempting blackmail — claiming that by crafting a clear fr...

Belgium swaps convicted terrorist to free aid worker jailed in Iran

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

Iran has released Olivier Vandecasteele, a Belgian humanitarian worker who had been detained in Iran for more than a year, in exchange for convicted terrorist Assadollah Assadi, who had been imprisoned in Belgium.“Olivier Vandecasteele is on his way to Belgium,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday. “If all goes as planned, he will be with us tonight.”Vandecasteele is expected to land at the Melsbroek military base between 9 and 9:30 p.m. Friday night, the Belgian government said during a press conference.The authorities confirmed that the Belgian aid worker had been exchanged for Assadi, but without using a controversial bilateral agreement which would allow Iranians convicted in Belgium to serve their sentence in Iran, and vice-versa.Instead, the government used an article from the Belgian constitution that gives it the power to rule over foreign policy matters, making the exchange possible.No ransom was paid to free Vandecasteele, the Belgi...

Encinitas coastal bike lane controversy stirs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

ENCINITAS, Calif. -- Highway 101 above the famous Swami’s Beach surf spot in Encinitas is undergoing a major change. Four bike paths and a protected walking pathway have been created, but the parallel parking spaces on the east side of Pacific Coast Highway have been shut down. What’s the forecast for Memorial Day weekend? “What we are putting in is going to be safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, and people who are coming to the beach,” said Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz. Local surfers are frustrated with the idea of altering an area that always struggles with parking.“What they’ve done is they’ve kind of made a war on surfers. You’re going to see a lot of guys really upset,” said Paul Ambrogio, a longtime Swami’s surfer. The bike lanes can seem complicated and it may take some time for people to get use to the new system. For example, FOX 5 witnessed a driver driving in the protected biking lane. While some complain of the loss of parking, the mayor says technically there is more...

Stock market today: Tech lead more gains in early trading on Wall Street

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street, led by more gains in technology stocks as another chipmaker reported strong demand related to artificial intelligence. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in the early going Friday, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.4%. The Dow rose 80 points, or 0.3%. Marvell Technology jumped 23% after the chipmaker said it expects AI revenue in fiscal 2024 to at least double from the prior year. That follows Thursday’s report from fellow chipmaker Nvidia, which gave a big forecast for upcoming sales related to AI. Treasury yields rose after another tick higher in inflation.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street followed world markets modestly higher early Friday, lifted by optimism that Congress and the president will strike a deal to unlock a vote for lifting the U.S. government’s debt ceiling and avert a potentially calamitous default.Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 each rose...

Poland’s lawmakers to decide on contentious laws regarding top court and targeting opposition

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish lawmakers on Friday were weighing two contentious draft bills — on the work of a top court and on Russia’s alleged influence in Poland — that may affect Warsaw’s chances of obtaining European Union recovery funds and the outcome of fall parliamentary elections.Critics say that the two draft laws on which votes are planned violate Poland’s constitution and are clear examples of how the right-wing ruling party, Law and Justice, is using the law to its own ends.The government’s policies, especially in the judicial system, have already put Warsaw at odds with the EU, which says they go against the principles of rule of law and democracy. The two drafts to be voted on Friday could add to the rift.The lower chamber, or Sejm, was debating a bill, proposed by the ruling party, that lowers the required quorum of the Constitutional Court. It is intended to speed up work on legislation that is stalled by divisions inside the court, which has been put under po...

Why Texas’ GOP-controlled House wants to impeach its Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — After years of legal and ethical scandals swirling around Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives has moved toward an impeachment vote that could quickly throw him from office.The extraordinary and rarely-used maneuver comes in the final days of the state’s legislative session and sets up a bruising political fight. It pits Paxton, who has aligned himself closely with former President Donald Trump and the state’s hard-right conservatives, against House Republican leadership, who appear to have suddenly had enough of the allegations of wrongdoing that have long dogged Texas’ top lawyer.Paxton has said the charges are based on “hearsay and gossip, parroting long-disproven claims.”Here is how the impeachment process works in Texas, and how the 60-year-old Republican came to face the prospect of becoming just the third official to be impeached in the state’s nearly 200-year history:THE PROCESSUnder the Texas ...

Céline Dion cancels ‘Courage’ world tour dates citing medical condition

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

Céline Dion has cancelled her “Courage” world tour due to ongoing health woes related to a rare neurological disorder. The Quebec-born songstress says she’s not ready to return to the stage for European and U.K. tour dates that had been set to run from August through October, and in March and April 2024. The 55-year-old Canadian icon postponed and cancelled some shows last December when she announced she had been diagnosed with “stiff person syndrome,” a condition commonly marked by severe muscle rigidity and spasms.In a statement posted to her social media, Dion says “even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again.” The statement says Dion’s medical team continues to evaluate and treat her condition. Dion closed her statement saying, “I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again.” This report by The Canadian Pres...

After yearslong delay, DEA revokes license of wholesale drug distributor over opioid crisis failures

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:13:20 GMT

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stripped one of the nation’s largest drug distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers Friday after determining it failed to flag thousands of suspicious orders at the height of the opioid crisis.The action against Morris & Dickson Co. that threatens to put it out of business came two days after an Associated Press investigation found the DEA allowed the company to keep shipping drugs for nearly four years after a judge recommended the harshest penalty for its “cavalier disregard” of rules aimed at preventing opioid abuse.The DEA acknowledged that the time it took to issue its final decision was “longer than typical for the agency” but blamed Morris & Dickson in part for holding up the process by seeking delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its lengthy pursuit of a settlement that the agency said it had considered. The order becomes effective in 90 days, allowing more time to negotiate a settlement.DEA Adm...