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‘A powerful speech:’ Downtown Crossing hosts reading of Frederick Douglass Fourth of July speech

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

“What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass asked in a historic speech nearly 200 years ago, and Boston readers asked the same again to a crowd gathered in Downtown Crossing early Tuesday afternoon.“This Fourth of July is yours, not mine,” recited a young kid from Douglass’s words to the large crowd gathered around on the Downtown Crossing stairs and plaza. “You may rejoice, I must mourn.”The event, hosted by businesses in the area and emceed by WCVB’s Rhondella Richardson, featured a reading of the famous speech by numerous community members, along with a selection of musicians and performers.The speech, delivered originally to citizens in Douglass’s hometown Rochester, New York, on July 4, 1852, recalls the history of the country’s founding while reminding listeners of the brutal realities of slavery and calling for emancipation.“My only goal is you take something away and you spread the message ...

Green Line Extension shutdown for 6 weeks is ’cause for alarm,’ Somerville state reps write to MassDOT, MBTA

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

The shutdown of the new Green Line Extension for six weeks is “cause for alarm,” Somerville state representatives wrote to MassDOT and MBTA this week as they raised several concerns about the service disruption for T riders during the middle of summer.Last Thursday ahead of the holiday weekend, the MBTA announced that Green Line service between Lechmere and Union Square stations will halt for 42 days from July 18 to Aug. 28. This is due to MassDOT repair work on the Route 28 Squires Bridge, which crosses over tracks near Union Square station.The Somerville reps — Mike Connolly, Christine Barber and Erika Uyterhoeven — on Monday wrote a letter to MassDOT Secretary Gina Fiandaca, the MBTA board and MBTA GM Phillip Eng about yet another travel nightmare for the region.The state reps said they’re concerned that the alternative travel bus options will not be enough during the six-week service disruption.“We want to make sure that we’re serving th...

Red Sox Notebook: Nathan Eovaldi admits he misses Boston

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

The Texas Rangers’ three-game series at Fenway Park will conclude with a resounding exclamation point.Ahead of Tuesday’s series opener, Nathan Eovaldi confirmed that he’ll take the mound for the finale on Thursday.“I’m definitely excited, obviously. I had this (series) on my schedule,” the former Red Sox star told reporters on Tuesday morning. “To be able to start this one, I mean, I was super excited.“I was excited just to be able to come back here alone, but to be able to pitch in front of the fans again, it’ll be awesome.”The last time Eovaldi pitched against the Red Sox, he was a New York Yankee. That was on Aug. 10, 2016, his last game of the season before needing Tommy John surgery for the second time.While his arm recovered, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in February 2017. At the following summer’s trade deadline, they dealt him to Boston, and he immediately cemented himself as a crucial member of that recor...

‘It’s meaningless basically’: One-time grocery rebate gets underwhelming reception

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

The federal government’s grocery rebate kicks in this week, but the one-time payment is being criticized by some who feels it’s too little too late for those who qualify.“It’s just a one-time payment?” one person CityNews spoke to on Tuesday in Ottawa asked. “It’ll help me with groceries for one month. And then it’s back to I guess as if we didn’t have it.”Canadians who earned less than $32,000 a year, and households that earned less than $38,000 on their 2021 tax return would qualify for the one-time payment.A single person living alone would get up to $234, while a couple with four kids could get up to $628.Devon Ford doesn’t qualify, but he says his family of four would devour that money pretty quickly.“It would be used immediately and it would feel pretty good and then it’d kind of be like inheritance, just essentially would never be available again.”Another person said in the long-term “it...

4 people, including a baby, died crossing the Rio Grande into Texas over the holiday weekend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — An infant was among four people who died while crossing the Rio Grande in the Texas border city of Eagle Pass in a 48-hour period over the holiday weekend, authorities said.The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Tactical Marine Unit on Saturday recovered four people from the river, including a woman and baby girl who were unresponsive, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez said on Twitter on Monday.Officials immediately began chest compressions on the woman and baby, and both were taken to the hospital, Olivarez said. Both were pronounced dead at the hospital, he said. The two survivors were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol, Olivarez said.On Sunday, the body of a man was recovered from the river, and on Monday, the body of a woman was found, Olivarez said.The identities of the dead weren’t known because none had identifying documents on them, he said.The bodies were round in the same region where nine migrants died while attempti...

UNESCO reaffirms threats to Wood Buffalo National Park; calls for action on oilsands

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

A United Nations body is affirming earlier findings that Canada’s largest national park remains under environmental threats from dams, oilsands development and climate change.The UNESCO report, issued Friday, is the latest step in reviewing whether the vast Wood Buffalo National Park on the Alberta-Northwest Territories boundary should lose its World Heritage Site status.It says the park shouldn’t be removed from the prestigious list at this time and that some things, such as whooping crane numbers, are improving.But it adds that about half of what makes the park a special place is deteriorating, mostly because of water quality and quantity.The report says upstream oilsands development continues to pose a major threat. It calls for reform of oilsands monitoring, more thorough review for new projects and an independent risk assessment of the tailings ponds as well as clear plans for how they will be cleaned up.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, ...

Former Saskatchewan NDP leader to release book on COVID-19 response

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

REGINA — Saskatchewan’s former NDP leader has written a book on how the province responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.A press release for Ryan Meili’s book, called “A Healthy Future: Lessons from the Frontlines of a Crisis,” says it details how the pandemic worsened problems in health care, elder care, education and social supports.The publisher,UBC Press, says the book also highlights the failings of Saskatchewan and Canada in responding to COVID-19.And it provides details on how governments and people can do better in responding to other health and social crises. The publisher says the book offers a unique perspective, as Meili continued to work as a family doctor during his time as Opposition leader. The book is to launch in late September.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.The Canadian Press<!– Photo: 2023070417078-64a48aee1d8c9213abbcf839jpeg.jpg, Caption: Saskatchewan's former NDP leader is to release a book o...

Fires connected to e-bike batteries spike in Toronto amid increased use

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

As more people embrace e-bikes and other electric modes of transportation as a new way to get around Toronto’s streets, Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop on Bloor Street has seen demand accelerate.“These days it’s probably about 20-40 per cent of our business,” sales manager Brent Robinson told CityNews of the e-biking boom. “One of the biggest things is just they’re more fun. Having that little extra boost allows you to go further and faster with less effort.”But the same batteries giving riders more oomph when they pedal are an emerging fire risk in the city.“We’ve had quite a big increase in lithium-ion battery fires in Toronto,” said Larry Cocco, deputy chief with Toronto Fire Services. “We are seeing a lot of failures.”Fires are uniquely ‘volatile’Lithium-ion batteries give us a lot of a charge in a very small package. The biggest risk is thermal runaway, the rapid self-heating of a cell causing batteries to explode into fl...

Gary Sinise surprises veterans in Chicagoland on 4th of July

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Actor Gary Sinise made his way to the Windy City this Fourth of July to serve up a sweet treat on this warm holiday.Sinise served up Rainbow Cones to veterans at the July 4 celebration at the Edward Hines Jr. Veteran Administration Hospital on Tuesday. 4th of July celebrations across Chicago area for 2023 The event was put on by the Academy Award nominated actor's foundation, The Gary Sinise Foundation, that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans of the military.Sinise and his Lieutenant Dan Band also performed a free concert for attendees.

Alderman: Migrant shot near Back of the Yards high school

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:23 GMT

CHICAGO -- A newly arrived migrant was reportedly shot in the leg Sunday near the Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, according to Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez.According to the Chicago Police Department, a 26-year-old man was shot on the 4800 block of South Hoyne Ave near the Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School just after 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 2.Authorities report that a white-in-color vehicle stopped near the man and an unknown offender began to fire shots towards the 26-year-old. Man shot, killed following altercation in River North The victim sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to a local hospital in good condition.Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) released a statement on Twitter alleging the 26-year-old man was a newly arrived migrant staying with relatives. Lopez stated that the man was asked in English about his gang affiliation, but was unable to answer because he only spoke Spanish. Immediately after, at leas...