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Biden to Ireland’s parliament: ‘I only wish I could stay longer’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

DUBLIN — President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed America’s close alliance with his ancestral home of Ireland, touting a “partnership for the ages” focused on forging peace in the face of rising global challenges.Speaking to a joint session of Ireland’s Parliament, Biden praised the nation for aiding the war effort in Ukraine, striking a defiant tone against “Russia’s brutal aggression.” He commended Ireland as a model for efforts to fight climate change and global hunger, urging it to go even further in pushing for economic and social progress.And he celebrated the historic ties between the U.S. and Ireland that date back to America’s founding, crediting Ireland’s influence for shaping his life and the country he now leads.“The United States has been your closest partner, your most dependable partner and your most enthusiastic supporter every step of the way,” Biden said. “In this moment, the world needs Ireland and the United States, and our limitless imaginations.”Biden’s remarks c...

FBI arrests Massachusetts man in connection with investigation into leaked classified documents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was arrested Thursday in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues, a breach that has raised questions about America’s ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets.The guardsman, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged at his Massachusetts home.He is to be charged under the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to remove or transmit classified national defense information, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.In his brief statement from the Justice Department podium, Garland did not reveal a possible motive, but accounts of those in the online private chat room where the documents were disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology.Even as the investigation continues into the highest-profile intelligen...

Man arrested in Georgia in connection with Malden stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

A Boston man was arrested Thursday in Georgia and after being charged last month with murder in connection with the deadly stabbing of a 79-year-old Malden man. Dion Smith, 33, had a warrant out for his arrest previously in connection to the victim’s stolen car, state and local officials said.Ronald Gilbert, of Malden, was found dead in February, but officials believe he was stabbed more than 30 times in late December. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Malden Chief of Police Glenn Cronin released in a joint statement announcing that Smith was arrested without incident early this morning.Officials announced he was charged with murder on March 15, and said he and Gilbert did not appear to know each other.

Brush fire causes lane closures on I-495 in Middleboro

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

A brush fire prompted lane closures on I-495 in Middleboro Thursday afternoon, state police announced. State police shared word of the closures around 4:50 p.m. Police said crews were on scene with what they described as a “significant brush fire” in the I-495 median in the area. All lanes were shut down on I-495 northborough around the fire. On the southbound side, only the breakdown lane was open to traffic.Police asked drivers to avoid the area. Weather conditions have been ripe for fires in recent days, prompting warnings from experts. Crews have been busy across the state, battling fires in several communities. Speaking earlier this week, officials told 7NEWS they were hoping rain over the weekend would improve conditions. Some showers are now expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday. This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

New Episodes of Superman & Lois Tuesdays at 8

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

Summer-like feel continues tomorrow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

7Weather – Some towns joined the 90° club today! That includes you, Norwood and Fitchburg. High temperatures ranged in the 80s and 70s across most of our area. The summer-like temperatures continue inland tomorrow. Boston’s average highs this time of year are in the upper 50s. It wasn’t just us with the very warm temperatures today. Across the Midwest and East Coast, temperatures soared above average!We’ll hold on to the above-average temperatures into tomorrow morning. It’ll feel warm as you get your Friday going!There will be a wide range in temperatures tomorrow afternoon! The farther you are away from the coast and the influence of the sea breeze, the higher your temperature will be. We’ll see filtered sunshine throughout the day.The weekend will feel and look a bit different. Temperatures will fall back day to day. Saturday starts with filtered sun and temperatures in the upper 40s/near 50°. We’ll see increasing clouds. Temperatures won...

Sen. Tim Scott visits NH after launching presidential exploratory committee 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott was in New Hampshire Thursday, one day after he launched his exploratory committee for a presidential campaign. Scott visited with community members in Manchester. He also spoke with local pastors and Republican leaders as part of his “Faith in America Tour.”“What’s being sold today seems to be the drug of victimhood as opposed to the concept of individual responsibility,” he said. “I want to set the record straight that we are, without question, the greatest country on God’s green earth and we should all be very proud to be Americans and I think the future is incredibly bright.”“The American people, we’re doing just fine,” Scott continued. “We have to get the American government right.”

Ticker: UMass board votes to raise tuition; Jobless claims rise  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

The University of Massachusetts has agreed to increase tuition, room and board next academic year, as leaders on Beacon Hill disagree over creating a “tuition lock” system and how much to invest in public higher education.The UMass Board of Trustees voted during their quarterly meeting on Wednesday to increase tuition for in-state undergraduates by 2.5%, and increase room and board on the Amherst campus by 4.5% and on the Dartmouth and Lowell campuses by 2.7%.Tuition for graduate students is also going up — 2.5% for in-state graduate students at the Amherst, Boston and Lowell campuses, 3.5%  for medical students at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and 2% at UMass Law.As government aid has struggled to keep pace with demand and tuition increases, university-generated financial aid has grown to represent 69% of free aid available for students — $395 million in fisca...

How the Magic are affected by the results of the play-in tournament

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

Even though they aren’t taking part in postseason play, the Orlando Magic and their draft-day plans will be impacted by how the play-in tournament ends.The Chicago Bulls, who may owe the Magic a first-round pick in June’s draft, will match up against the Heat in Miami while the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday to close out the tournament.The winners of each game will become the No. 8 seed for their respective conference’s playoff bracket.The Bulls owe the Magic a first-round pick as part of the March 2021 trade that sent Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to Chicago for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., a 2021 first-round pick (which became Franz Wagner, the No. 8 pick) and a 2023 first-round pick that’s protected for selections Nos. 1-4 in 2023 and 1-3 in 2024.If the pick hasn’t been conveyed to the Magic by 2024, then the Bulls will instead send their 2026 second-round pick and 2027 second-r...

Wicked Gravity: TV Star Cat Runner on climbing, male privilege and being trans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:14 GMT

When Cat Runner climbed to the top of El Diablo — an overhanging limestone wall above the sea — in Mallorca, Spain, he won the eight-episode HBO rock climbing reality show, “The Climb.”Chris Weidner Wicked GravityOn the show, which aired its finale in January, 10 amateur climbers vied for a $100,000 prize plus a one-year PrAna sponsorship. Contestants faced different climbing challenges, including deep-water soloing: climbing without a rope on sea-side cliffs like El Diablo.But Runner’s success, while lucrative, can best be measured by achieving his goal of representing the trans community in a highly visible way.As a teenager, Runner came out as a transgender man. He began taking testosterone but wasn’t allowed to play on the boys’ team in high school sports. In 2015 he underwent top surgery, or, chest masculinization — a procedure to remove breast tissue and contour the chest.Cat on set for The Climb last year in Spain. Photo: courtesy HBO Max“That was the most pivotal moment of m...