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MBTA announces 12-day closure of Green Line’s B branch for track replacement, additional work

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

The MBTA says for a 12-day stretch of July, rail service for the Green Line’s B branch will be replaced by shuttle buses as crews replace over 2,000 feet of track and make other improvements.“To accelerate critical track upgrades, the Green Line B Branch will be bused July 17-28,” the transportation authority said on Twitter. “During the 12-day full-access diversion, we aim to replace 2,000+ ft of track, update conduits, & repaint crossings to improve service & safety.”https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1671895870474977280During the closure, shuttles will replace trains between the Kenmore and Boston College stations.The announcement came just over a week after a B branch trolley derailed by Packard’s Corner on Monday, June 12, causing extensive delays.During their response at the time, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said the area where the trolley derailed was impacted by a speed restriction, which he said likely prevented ...

The U.S. Coast Guard says debris field has been found near the Titanic during search for submersible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER (Associated Press)The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for a missing submersible with five people aboard, a potential breakthrough in the around-the-clock effort.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic passed the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air could have run out, a grim moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard.The Titan submersible was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic — but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it’s not known if they survived since the sub’s disappearance.Rescuers have rush...

Gary Phillips: How could Hal Steinbrenner not understand Yankees fans’ frustration?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

It’s impossible to know if Hal Steinbrenner spoke with a straight face when he delivered the most perplexing comment from his Wednesday phone interview with “The Michael Kay Show.”But given the Yankees owner’s befuddled tone, it’s fair to assume that Steinbrenner spoke seriously.“I’m a little confused this year, being the third week of June, why they’re so upset,” Steinbrenner said when Kay asked if he’s aware of distraught Yankees fans. “But they’re upset and that’s gonna get my attention, of course.”Steinbrenner’s words came just before a Yankees win, the team’s second in a row. But as baffled as the boss may be, the statement is far more puzzling considering where his team woke up on Thursday.Yes, the Yankees are 41-33 and in possession of the second American League wild card by half a game despite a barrage of injuries, including one to Aaron Judge that has hindered the offense. But t...

Hearing on Boston rent control bill could come in October, early November, staffer says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

The top state senator focused on housing policy is eyeing a fall hearing for a controversial bill authorizing rent control in Boston, a legislative aide told the Herald.A staff member for state Sen. Lydia Edwards, co-chair of the Housing Committee, said the committee is looking at holding a public hearing on the measure “likely” in October or early November. But the staff member stressed the hearing date is “subject to change” and will need final approval from both Democrats who chair the committee, Edwards and Rep. James Arciero of Westford.Arciero did not respond to repeated requests for comment.Rep. Samantha Montaño, a first-term Boston Democrat, filed the bill in mid-March on behalf of the Wu administration and City Council. The Legislature referred it to the Housing Committee in mid-April, where it has since sat quietly for more than two months.It has already received local approval from Boston city councilors and is a signature policy proposal from Mayor Michelle Wu.The bill, ...

Encore casino workers approve strike, set June 30 deadline for new contract

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

Unionized service workers at Encore Boston Harbor approved a strike Wednesday after more than 13 hours of voting and set a June 30 deadline for a deal to come together on a new contract.Nearly 1,000 workers covered by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 casted ballots in Charlestown and nearly all voted in favor of a labor strike scheduled to begin next week, pending any resolution with management at the Everett casino.“Going on strike is not easy for anyone, but the workers have spoken and they are united,” UNITE HERE Local 26 President Carolos Aramayo said in a statement. “They want a better future for themselves, for their families, and for each other. They are not asking for anything outrageous; they simply want Encore Boston Harbor to be the best place to work in Everett. They are ready to do what it takes to win that five-star contract.”The unions’ first contract expired in April, and the two sides have been at the negotiating table since the spring, Aramayo previously ...

Live updates | As oxygen levels on Titan submersible are depleted, there are ways to conserve

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

Follow along for live updates on the submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic.AS OXYGEN LEVELS RUN LOW ON BOARD TITAN, PASSENGERS CAN MAKE MINOR CONSERVATION EFFORTSThe Titan was said to have enough oxygen on board to to last 96 hours, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, meaning they could run out sometime Thursday.But there are ways the five passengers can conserve, said professor professor Hugh Montgomery, director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance at University College London, even as temperatures drop to near freezing.The human body makes every effort to maintain a core body temperature so shivering may increase oxygen demands, he said.“The only effective way to limit O2 demand in this circumstance is not to burn excess energy,” Montgomery said.That means staying immobile or sleeping. Meditation can also slightly reduce oxygen demand by producing less stress hormones, less movement and more relaxed muscles, but such ef...

Supreme Court rules against a man who was given 27 years in prison for having a gun

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a man whose conviction on gun charges was called into question by a recent high court decision is out of luck.The court’s conservatives were in the 6-3 majority against the man, Marcus DeAngelo Jones, who was given a 27-year prison sentence for violating a federal law meant to keep guns out of the hands of people with previous criminal convictions.Jones had argued that he should be allowed another chance to get his conviction thrown out following a 2019 court decision. In that case, the justices ruled prosecutors must prove that people charged with violating federal gun laws knew they were not allowed to have a weapon.Jones tried to reopen his case following the 2019 decision, but a federal appeals court ruled against him. The issue in the case is technical, though important, and involves when defendants can make their claims in court, not the facts of Jones’ case.Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court that peo...

One year after the anti-abortion ruling, the White House keeps a spotlight on the issue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year ago, Democrats suffered one of the most stinging political defeats in recent history as the Supreme Court, which had been methodically stocked with conservative appointees, eliminated the nationwide right to abortion.Unbowed on Saturday’s anniversary, however, it’s the White House, not Republicans, who are calling the most attention to the issue with a cascade of events designed to tap into simmering rage from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “I don’t think people are tired,” Jennifer Klein, the White House point person on gender policy, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think people might be mad. I think there’s a lot of fear out there. But I feel like that turns into power.”First lady Jill Biden met this week with women who were denied abortions even though their health was at risk. Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in an hourlong televised special in Dallas and will travel to North Carolina on Saturday for a speech....

Past deep sea rescues show the challenges of saving those on board

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The desperate search for a submersible that disappeared while taking five people to view the Titanic wreckage has drawn attention to other deep-sea rescues. Those rescue efforts — from a submersible off Ireland to a submarine off the New Hampshire coast — offer some measure of hope for the passengers and their families. But some of those rescues were not as complex as the effort to find the Titan submersible. They were often in shallower waters and, in several cases, were much bigger crafts. Many ended with some, if not all, the passengers on board dying — demonstrating the inherent risk of operating in the deep ocean.___PISCES III SUBMERSIBLEFifty years ago, two British sailors sat trapped in a deep-sea submersible more than 1,500 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, facing an uncertain fate while an international team scrambled to figure out a way to free them.In an incident that echoes the efforts to find and retrieve those trapped in the Titan submersible,...

Maine Legislature vote expands sovereignty for Native American tribes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:51:09 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Native American tribes in Maine took an important step toward greater sovereignty as the state Legislature voted to let most federal laws apply to Wabanaki tribes, putting them on the same footing as other federally recognized tribes across the country.Both the Maine House and Senate approved the bill with enough support Wednesday to overcome a potential veto of the bill.“Today signifies a landmark victory in the pursuit of Wabanaki self-determination,” Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis said Thursday in a statement. The Penobscot are one member of the Wabanaki Nations, which encompasses Indigenous peoples living in what is now Maine.Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has opposed the bill, sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, expressing concerns that it could lead to confusion and lawsuits. Her office had no immediate comment on the legislative action.Tribes in Maine are set apart from the other 570 federally recognized tribes across the country beca...