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How Taylor Swift became the Trojan horse of academia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

(CNN) — Taylor Swift once said that if she were not a record-breaking, hit-making, three-time-Grammy-album-of-the-year winning superstar (our adjectives, not hers), she would’ve liked to have returned to the classroom.“I would have gone to college, and I would probably be involved with a form of business where words and ideas are at the forefront,” she told GQ in 2015. “Such as marketing.”She might be a bit too famous now to sit in on a business class for a marketing degree. But her music and persona have proven ripe for academic dissection on college campuses, amongst Swifties or otherwise.Universities across the US, from Harvard to the University of Texas at Austin to Stanford, are now offering courses on Swift’s body of work and the decade-plus-long discourse her work and life have inspired. It’s a fitting honor for the singer-songwriter, whose stardom and success have reached new heights in 2023.Arizona State this semester offered a course on the psychology of Swift’s songs. At ...

Zac Efron honors ‘17 Again’ co-star Matthew Perry at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

(CNN) — Zac Efron took a moment to honor his friend and “17 Again” co-star Matthew Perry on Monday when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.“I really also want to mention someone that’s not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me while we worked on ‘17 Again’ together,” Efron said during his ceremony speech.Efron described collaborating with Perry as “so much fun and it really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways. It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career and for that, thank you so much Matthew.”“Thinking about you a lot today,” Efron said, appearing to get emotional.Perry died at his Los Angeles home in October. He was 54.Efron played the younger version of Perry’s “17 Again” character in the 2009 rom-com, where Perry’s character is transformed back into his 17-year-old self in a chance to rewrite his life.Perry had even recently expressed his desire to collaborate with Efron again, according to his friend, Ath...

Where is Navalny? Putin’s nemesis goes missing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

Vladimir Putin this week informally kicked off his presidential election campaign by inaugurating two nuclear submarines in Russia’s north ― while his biggest political foe, Alexei Navalny, vanished from the radar.Navalny’s allies say they have been unable to contact the imprisoned opposition politician since Tuesday last week. They say the prison where he was being held in Melekhovo, some 200 kilometers east of Moscow, initially attributed his disappearance to electricity problems, which they suspect was a stalling tactic while Navalny was being moved.On Monday, those suspicions were confirmed when Navalny’s lawyer was reportedly told by prison staff that the opposition politician was no longer there. Navalny’s supporters have been expecting such a development ever since a judge in August sentenced him to an additional 19 years in a “special regime” prison on extremism charges.  But...

Finland to reopen some Russia border crossing points

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

Finland will reopen parts of its border with Russia, two weeks after Helsinki closed the entire frontier following a Moscow-backed increase of undocumented migrants attempting to cross into the EU country. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Tuesday announced that, while most closures would remain, the Vaalimaa and Niirala border crossing points would be reopened from Thursday. This decision will remain in effect until January 14, the Finnish news outlet Helsingin Sanomat reported.At a press conference, Orpo said the risk that Russia will continue instrumentalized immigration is extremely high. “Because of this, the border is being opened gradually,” he said.“Unless we dismantle the restrictions, we cannot verify whether there is a change for the better. If the phenomenon continues, we will close these border crossing points,” Orpo warned.Finland completely closed its eastern border with Russia for two weeks amid accusations that Moscow was drivi...

Suspects apprehended after police chase through Dorchester, South Boston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

One person was in custody Monday night after a police chase that ended in South Boston. According to Massachusetts State Police, at 10:19 p.m. Monday a trooper observed a vehicle potentially connected with a shooting enter Dorchester from Quincy via the Neponset Avenue Bridge. When the trooper activated his lights to stop the vehicle, the driver sped up and fled, going from Morrissey Boulevard to Day Boulevard and on to Castle Island. Both state and Boston police responded to assist in apprehending the suspects.Near Castle Island, the vehicle was damaged by a tire deflation device but continued to travel for a short distance at a slower speed. Two suspects fled on foot before they were apprehended in the area of F and West 1st streets.A firearm and ballistics evidence were found on the ground next to the heavily-damaged car.Boston Police are continuing to investigate the suspects and the vehicle’s possible connection to a shooting that occurred in their jurisdiction. This is a...

Tractor-trailer crash in Bolton temporarily closes I-495 during morning commute

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

Officials say a tractor-trailer crash on I-495 in Bolton closed the highway in both directions for a time during the morning commute Tuesday.The MassDOT advised drivers to seek alternate routes when they announced the closure just after 9:15 a.m.According to officials, the incident involved a tractor-trailer truck that crashed in the highway’s median near Exit 70.Initially closing the left lane on I-495 northbound, both sides were shut down at one point to allow for a Lifeflight helicopter to arrive.By 9:45 a.m., the highway’s southbound side had reopened to traffic while two lanes on I-495 north were still closed.Details on the condition of the driver or what may have led up to the crash have not yet been released.https://twitter.com/MassDOT/status/1734578505529090498

Sununu poised to endorse Haley, hoping to slow Trump’s march to nomination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

(CNN) — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is poised to endorse Nikki Haley at a rally Tuesday night in Manchester, two people familiar with his intentions said, the latest step in his long-running effort to slow Donald Trump’s march to the Republican presidential nomination.Sununu, who once considered a presidential bid of his own, is scheduled to appear with the former South Carolina governor at the first night of a three-day campaign swing in New Hampshire. He has appeared with nearly all of the Republican candidates in recent months, sizing up their chances, but decided in recent days to back Haley and aggressively campaign on her behalf until the New Hampshire primary on January 23.“He’s all in,” a Republican close to Sununu told CNN.WMUR was first to report the Sununu endorsement.

Mariah Carey dines in North End, greets young fans, after TD Garden show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

All she wants for Christmas is… Mamma’s Famous Meatball? Mariah Carey, the unofficial “Queen of Christmas”, dined at Strega North End Monday night following her show at the TD Garden. Carey is currently on her “Merry Christmas One and All” tour. Strega North End owner Nick Varano has reportedly been friends with the singer for many years. After dining, Carey stopped to sign autographs for young fans outside the restaurant before departing.

Statement from the Harvard Corporation in support of President Claudine Gay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

The following statement was issued this morning by the governing boards of Harvard University.Statement from the Harvard Corporation: Our PresidentDear Members of the Harvard Community,As members of the Harvard Corporation, we today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University. Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.So many people have suffered tremendous damage and pain because of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack, and the University’s initial statement should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation. Calls for genocide are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values. President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the University’s fight against antisemitism.With regard to President Gay’s academic writings, the University...

Finland to reopen 2 out of 8 border crossings with Russia after a 2-week closure over migrant influx

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:18 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s government will reopen two out of eight border crossing points with Russia later this week, officials said Tuesday, following a sudden influx of migrants in November.Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Cabinet temporarily closed the entire 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border two weeks ago over concerns that Moscow was using migrants to destabilize Finland in an alleged act of “hybrid warfare.”The Kremlin has denied that Russia is encouraging migrants to enter Finland and has said that it regrets the Finnish border closures.Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April, and many citizens in the country interpret Moscow’s actions as revenge for Helsinki’s decision to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance after decades of nonmilitary alignment and pragmatic friendly ties with Russia.Orpo and Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told a news conference on Tuesday that two southeastern crossing points — Imatra and Niirala — would reopen from Thursday until ...