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‘Inspiration to the community’: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami celebrate 2023 graduating class

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami held its annual graduation for those who successfully completed their mentorship program and graduated from their respective high schools.On Thursday evening, 276 graduating mentees and 600 high school juniors and seniors of the program joined together at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens to be honored for their achievements, highlighting their resilience and determination. Many who walked the stage were the first in their family to receive a high school diploma. Hispanic students made up 62% of the graduating class. The guest speaker was Victor Fontanez, a 21-year-old self-made motivational speaker, entrepreneur and barber.Fontanez is known by his social media handle Vic Blends, described as the most famous barber in the world and the leading motivational voice of the new generation. For decades, Big Brothers Big Sisters has paired caring role models with disadvantaged children to help shape their future and allow them to reach their ful...

Biden ‘open’ to plan that eases Ukraine’s path to NATO membership

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

President Joe Biden is “open” to removing a big hurdle to Ukraine’s membership in NATO after the war, even if the plan doesn’t specify when Kyiv would join the alliance.According to two U.S. officials, Biden would welcome the removal of a Membership Action Plan, or MAP, for Ukraine’s entry into the military alliance. The MAP requires a candidate nation to make military and democratic reforms, with NATO’s advice and assistance, before a determination of membership can be made. By removing that requirement, Ukraine would still need to make some pro-democracy changes, but alliance members could at any point afterward unanimously welcome Kyiv into the club.Biden spoke about the idea with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who has quietly floated the proposal, in Washington this week. The president made clear that he was “open” to the idea if allies supported the plan, said a senior U.S. official who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive conversation. A formal announcement o...

Harassment and bullying: What is wrong with British politics?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Stitcher .st0{fill:#EB8A23;} .st1{fill:#FAC617;} .st2{fill:#612368;} .st3{fill:#3792C4;} .st4{fill:#C33727;} Acast LONDON — Two weeks ago, POLITICO revealed Geraint Davies was accused of sexual harassment by 5 different women. The Labour MP said he did not recognize the allegations but apologized if he inadvertently cau...

Divisions deepen at Bonn climate talks amid UAE leadership vacuum

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

BONN, Germany — This was supposed to be the United Arab Emirates’ chance to prove its critics wrong. The host of this year’s COP28 climate summit was under pressure to set out a clear vision at preparatory talks held at the United Nations HQ in Bonn amid growing unease over the petrostate’s fossil fuel interests. But by the time negotiators departed the former West German capital on Thursday, concerns about the UAE’s handling of the global climate talks had only deepened. “Bridges are not being built,” said one EU diplomat, who was granted anonymity to candidly discuss the negotiations. “I’m worried that at COP28, half of the countries will want to talk about funding and half about reducing emissions, as happened here.” The 10-day Bonn talks were consumed by a power struggle over the conference agenda, which remained unadopted until Wednesday night. The EU — backed by other Western countries as well as several Latin American nations and the Allian...

Acton police seek public’s help IDing man seen following woman after leaving train station

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

Acton police asked for the public’s help Thursday in efforts to identify a man seen in security video following a woman walking home from the South Acton MBTA station. Police said the incident happened Wednesday night. In video, the man can be seen slowly walking behind the 58-year-old woman. The woman said she was walking home from the South Acton station shortly after 10 p.m. when she noticed someone she didn’t know trailing behind her. “A black sedan passed her,” said Acton police Lieutenant Ed Lawton. “reversed direction and an occupant got out and began following the woman.”“She began to walk a little faster, eventually looking over her shoulder to see he was closing distance and she went up a driveway,” Lawton said. Security video showed the moment the woman went to the front door of a nearby home in search of help. “She was terrified, terrified,” Lawton said. The mysterious man walked away and left in a dark-colored sedan afte...

Thursday’s high school roundup/scores: Ipswich nips Manchester/Essex

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

GIRLS LACROSSEIn a Div. 4 semifinal matchup, Ashton Flather recorded 10 saves while Carolyn Bailey and Ella Stein scored two goals apiece as No. 1 Ipswich (19-1) defeated No. 5 Manchester-Essex, 8-6.BOYS LACROSSECharlie Donovan scored four goals and teammate Liam Appleton added a hat trick as No. 1 Cohasset (19-2) jumped out to a big lead and held on to defeat No. 4 Weston 12-6 in a Div. 4 state semifinal.Robbie Granara had four goals and two assists as top-seeded Reading (21-1) advanced to the Div. 2 state finals with a 10-8 win over No. 4 Longmeadow. Eamon Centrella had a hat trick, while Tom Trahan added five assists for the Rockets.GIRLS TENNISSky Jara, Naomi Provost and Chloe Gern lost just one game in a dominant effort as No. 1 Hamilton-Wenham (21-1) coasted to a 5-0 win over No. 5 Lenox in a Div, 4 state semifinal. Also winning for the Generals were the first doubles team of Abby Simon and Sienna Gregory and the second tandem of Alle Benchoff and Laynee Wilkins.BOYS TENNISAll...

Pregnant woman shot and killed was owner of Seattle restaurant near famed market

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — A pregnant woman who was killed in what appears to have been a random shooting in downtown Seattle this week has been identified as the owner of a sushi restaurant near the city’s famed Pike Place Market. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said on Twitter Thursday that his condolences go out to the family of Eina Kwon. Kwon, 34, was eight months pregnant when a man shot multiple times into her car Tuesday while it was stopped at an intersection near the Aburiya Bento House restaurant she owned with her husband.The fetus was delivered at a hospital and but died soon after, according to a probable cause statement. The woman’s 37-year-old husband, Sung Kwon, was shot in the arm and treated at the hospital.“Eina was a leader in our community and business owner, running Aburiya Bento House with her family. What was supposed to be a joyful time for the Kwon family has turned into an unimaginable nightmare caused by senseless gun violence,” Harrell’s statement said.Harrell al...

Bidens and Eva Longoria screen ‘Flamin’ Hot’ movie about the origins of the spicy Cheetos snack

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and director Eva Longoria welcomed hundreds to the White House lawn Thursday to screen the new movie, “Flamin’ Hot,” a feel-good story about how a Mexican American janitor working at Frito-Lay sold his superiors on his idea to spice up the crunchy snack’s cheesy coating.They held out the tale of one-time janitor Richard Montañez, which is based on his memoir, as an inspirational account of how one man reached for a dream and overcame the odds — gliding past indications that Montañez’ account is dubious. Biden told the crowd: “When I think about tonight’s movie, I think about courage. So many of you, your ancestors left behind all that they knew to start a new life in the United States.”Longoria said Montañez’ story inspired her because she has been told “no” during her career, that ideas don’t come from people like her, that she couldn’t do certain jobs because she is a woman. She said she and her team worked hard “to produce this authenti...

In June, Miami experienced what Chicago did in 1992

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

CHICAGO — It was something special that doesn't happen too often in professional sports, but it did take place in Chicago 31 years ago.It's come up over the last few weeks thanks to the achievements of a pair of teams in the Miami/South Florida market. With the Miami Heat making the NBA Finals and the Florida Panthers reaching the NHL's Stanley Cup Final, it brought back memories of times that happened before. Those here in Chicago immediately thought back to 1992, when Chicago's NBA and NHL teams pulled off the same feat. (AP Photo/Fred Jewell)It was the Blackhawks that reached the Stanley Cup Final first, doing so for the first time in 18 years with a Game 4 Campbell Conference Finals win over the Oilers in Edmonton on May 22, 1992. It was the team's 11th straight win after losing to the Blues in Game 3 of the Norris Division semifinals. The Blackhawks won three games against St. Louis then swept the Red Wings and Oilers in the next two rounds to make the final.(AP Photo/Fred Jew...

3 dead, 56 injured, 2 missing after tornado hits Perryton Thursday afternoon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:32:25 GMT

PERRYTON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) -- Three people are dead, 56 people have been reported as injured and two people are missing after a Thursday afternoon tornado touched down north of Perryton. According to Perryton first responders, including Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher and Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard, three people are dead, 56 have been reported as injured and two people are missing after a multiple-vortex storm that hit north Perryton and Ochiltree County around 5:13 p.m. Thursday. Officials with the Ochiltree General Hospital said that 75 individuals have come through the hospital as a result of injuries from Thursday's tornado.Dutcher said that the north part of Perryton took a direct hit, causing 25-30 mobile homes to be destroyed, as well as other "conventional structures." Dutcher also confirmed that two blocks of businesses were destroyed in downtown Perryton. A number of Texas Panhandle first responders, including officials from the Amarillo Fire Department, the...