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Advocates pitch early priorities for Ed Augustus as he starts as new housing secretary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

The former city manager of Worcester starts as the state’s brand new secretary of housing and livable communities Thursday, and advocates are pitching everything from universal housing to zoning reforms as early priorities.Gov. Maura Healey tapped Ed Augustus, a former state senator and city administrator, to work as the head of a cabinet-level secretariat dedicated to housing, building homes, and lowering associated costs. The administration hailed the position as a one solution to the housing crisis plaguing Massachusetts.Augustus should focus on setting metrics for housing production that include affordable and “deeply affordable” units, file a housing bond bill, and create an Office of Fair Housing within the secretariat, said Rachel Heller, CEO of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association.“Massachusetts has the fifth largest racial homeownership gap in the nation. And this needs to be a focus of the administration as well [as] the focus of Secretary Augustus’ work,” Hell...

Mets to honor MLB researcher Sarah Langs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

You might know Sarah Langs for her catchphrase on Twitter: “Baseball is the best!” A researcher for MLB who has made stops at ESPN, SNY and MetsBlog, she has a knack for finding some of baseball’s most interesting and historic stats, while also enjoying all that makes America’s pastime great and all that makes it weird.Now the sport she loves is rallying around her and her battle with ALS. With the month of May being ALS Awareness Month, the Mets and the club’s charitable arm, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, are teaming up with Project ALS to help spread awareness and raise money for research.The Mets are hosting Lou Gehrig Day at Citi Field on Friday, the same day the club begins a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Langs, a proud Mets fan who grew up on the Upper East Side, will be honored by the Mets in a pregame ceremony. The Amazin’ Mets Foundation is making a donation of $10,000 to Project ALS for research in Langs’ name....

Putnam Investments will ‘maintain a significant presence in Boston’ after sale to Franklin Templeton for $925 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

The Boston-based global money management firm Putnam Investments — which over the decades has been a staple in the community with its logo spotted at sports games — has been sold to Franklin Templeton for $925 million, company officials announced on Wednesday.Franklin Templeton has entered into an agreement to acquire Putnam Investments from Great-West Lifeco, Inc., for about $925 million of primarily equity consideration.Founded in 1937 by George Putnam as one of the first balanced mutual funds, Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Munich, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. The investment firm has $136 billion in assets under management, as of last month.Following this sale, Putnam will still “maintain a significant presence in Boston, and Franklin Templeton is excited to establish a foothold in this important market,” a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.“There will be continuity across Putnam’s investment teams, including portfolio management re...

6 things we learned at Chicago Bears OTAs, including QB Justin Fields continuing to impress with his leadership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

The Chicago Bears held their fifth practice of organized team activities Wednesday at Halas Hall, moving through their offseason program with the goal of building continuity and chemistry before training camp.Here are six things we learned from Wednesday’s on-field session as well as interviews with coaches and players.1. Quarterback Justin Fields continues to impress with his growth and leadership skills.Defensive coordinator Alan Williams put his analysis into the Fields progress report Wednesday, indicating he has been impressed with Fields’ ownership of the position and development over the last 14 months.“I see how he has grown from last year to this year, and practice by practice by practice, he’s still growing,” Williams said. “You have to be encouraged when you see those things.”Specifically?“His leadership,” Williams said. “Because that’s what you want in your quarterback. I see good decision making. ThatR...

House on track to raise debt ceiling and avert default, with Biden and McCarthy confident of passage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING, STEPHEN GROVES and FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The debt ceiling and budget cuts package that would avert a federal default headed toward House passage late Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.The hard-fought compromise pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — devastating economic upheaval — if Congress failed to act. Tensions rose when Republican support lagged on a procedural vote in the afternoon, but the package ultimately sailed ahead once Democrats unleashed their votes in a show of bipartisan support. A final House roll call was expected by evening.As debate began, Biden expressed optimism that the agreement he negotiated with McCarthy would pass the chamber and avoid an economically disastrous default on America’s...

Making cocktails to-go permanent and reviving happy hour back on Beacon Hill docket

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

A pair of state lawmakers are separately pushing to make permanent the ability to buy cocktails to-go and revive happy hour in Massachusetts, arguing the measures promote more business in the state in the wake of the pandemic.Sen. Julian Cyr filed a bill that repeals the statewide ban on happy hour approved in 1984, putting in place an opt-in happy hour program for cities and towns. The Truro Democrat said a local option would empower communities to make their own decision on happy hour in a way “that is safe and appropriate.”And with remote work now the norm, bringing back happy hours may draw more people to businesses in local downtowns or Main Streets that have suffered from the loss of clientele over the past several years, Cyr said.“In certain neighborhoods, a happy hour might not make sense. But for other cities and towns, I think it really does. And particularly for these Main Streets, these downtown’s that are really struggling, this is an alluring tool,” Cyr told memb...

MIAA state girls lacrosse tournament pairings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

 GIRLS LACROSSE DIVISION 1SEEDS: 1. Lincoln-Sudbury (16-2); 2. Wellesley (14-6); 3. Westwood (18-3); 4. Walpole (18-2); 5. Reading (19-1); 6. Longmeadow (17-3); 7. Franklin (17-3); 8. Central Catholic (15-5); 9. Chelmsford (14-4); 10. Concord-Carlisle (13-7); 11. Weymouth (14-6); 12. Acton-Boxborough (10-6); 13. Natick (11-7); 14. Winchester (15-4); 15. North Andover (14-6); 16. Hingham (13-8); 17. Algonquin (17-3); 18. King Philip (12-6); 19. Shrewsbury (15-4); 20. Brookline (12-6); 21. Needham (6-12); 22. Peabody (13-5); 23. Westford Academy (11-6); 24. Lexington (12-8); 25. Newton North (6-12); 26. Andover (8-10); 27. Belmont (13-5); 28. Bishop Feehan (12-6); 29. Woburn (8-11); 30. Beverly (13-5); 31. Boston Latin (8-10); 32. Hopkinton (6-12); 33. Quincy (13-7); 34. Haverhill (9-9); 35. Attleboro (12-6); 36. Mansfield (10-8); 37. New Bedford (14-4); 38. Milford (11-7); 39. Doherty (9-8)PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBAGAME 1 – Quincy at HopkintonGAME 2 – Mansfield at WoburnGAME 3...

‘That ‘70s Show’ star Danny Masterson found guilty of 2 rape counts, is led from court in handcuffs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

By ANDREW DALTON (AP Entertainment Writer)LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury found “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson guilty of two out of three counts of rape Wednesday in a Los Angeles retrial in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.The jury of seven women and five men reached the verdict after deliberating for seven days spread over two weeks. They could not reach a verdict on the third count, that alleged Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend. They had voted 8-4 in favor of conviction.Masterson was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, and will be held without bail until he is sentenced. No sentencing date has yet been set, but the judge told Masterson and his lawyers to return to court Aug. 4 for a hearing. The 47-year-old actor could face 30 years to life in prison.His wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, wept as he was led away. Other family and friends sat stone-faced.“I am experiencing a complex array of emotions — relief, exha...

Holiday Bowl sues Pac-12, UC Regents after UCLA pulled out of 2021 game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The organization that runs the Holiday Bowl is suing the Pac-12 Conference and the University of California Regents because UCLA backed out of the 2021 game citing COVID-19 concerns.The San Diego Bowl Game Association is seeking a minimum of $3 million in compensatory damages in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in California Superior Court in San Diego County.UCLA announced less than five hours before it was supposed to kick off against North Carolina State on Dec. 28, 2021, that it was pulling out of the game after three defensive linemen tested positive for COVID-19. How to watch Padres games starting Wednesday, May 31 The 10-page filing comes more than 17 months after negotiations between the bowl organization and the Pac-12 failed to come to a resolution. The filing by the bowl organization alleges “a failure of defendants to accept responsibility and accountability for their conduct, which caused substantial damages to plaintiff.”The bowl game organization says it l...

Iowa judge orders continued probation for teen sex trafficking victim who killed her alleged abuser

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:03:44 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A teenage sex trafficking victim who fatally stabbed the man she accused of abusing her was resentenced Wednesday to probation, telling an Iowa judge that she now has a support system to help keep her on track. Prosecutors agreed that Pieper Lewis should continue her probation rather than be incarcerated. Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham told the judge that her office “sees her as a human being,” that she is vulnerable to revictimization and that there is low risk she will commit more violence. Lewis, now 18, had faced a 20-year prison sentence for the June 2020 fatal stabbing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, who Lewis said she was trafficked to against her will and forced to have sex with multiple times at age 15. She pleaded guilty in September to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury and was sentenced to probation. Polk County Judge David Porter ruled then that Lewis’ charges would have been expunged from her record had she kept to the terms ...