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Feds arrest former Fitchburg state Sen. Dean Tran on nearly 30 fraud charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

Federal law enforcement arrested former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran this morning on nearly 30 fraud charges for allegedly misusing state unemployment assistance and failing to report income to the IRS.Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was indicted on 25 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns and will appear in federal court in Boston at 1:30 p.m. today.“The indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Former State Senator Tran exploited pandemic unemployment benefits — diverting critical resources intended for deserving individuals genuinely in need,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding the integrity of public assistance programs and holding accountable those who exploit them – no matter who they are — particularly during times of widespread hardship.”Tran, who first represented portions of Worcester and Middlesex countries from 2017, allegedly applied for unemp...

Atmospheric river may bring isolated showers to San Diego County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Hello Friday and mostly clear morning skies -- you made it to the weekend San Diegans!Those in the valleys may have noticed what the National Weather Service described as "patchy radiation fog" to start the day, which is expected to dissipate under the sun's rays.Though much of the day is expected to remain dry, weather officials say isolated showers may begin as early as Friday afternoon across San Diego County. This is the least populated incorporated city in San Diego County This is due to an atmospheric river, or a "tropical moisture plume," that's anticipated to lift northward closer to the U.S./Mexico border, NWS explained in its area forecast discussion.To explain this further, this describes what the American Meteorologist Society says is a "long, narrow, and transient corridor of strong horizontal water-vapor transport from lower latitudes."Some of these light showers could even make it into the lower de...

As fighting surges in Myanmar, an airstrike in the west reportedly kills 11 civilians

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Airstrikes by Myanmar’s military on a village in a western region have killed at least 11 civilians, including eight children, a leading opposition group and residents of the area said Friday.The attack Wednesday on Vuilu village, south of Matupi township in Chin state, also left four people wounded, according to online reports in independent local media. The military government has not announced any attacks at the location.As reports of the attack began to circulate, the U.N. human rights chief issued a statement calling for all parties in Myanmar to exercise restraint in military operations that could harm civilians. Civilian casualties have often occurred in attacks by the military-installed government on pro-democracy forces and ethnically based armed groups since the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Chin state has been deeply involved in the armed struggle against military rule since the army takeover. The Chin N...

Honda recalls nearly 250K vehicles because bearing can fail and cause engines to run poorly or stall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles in the U.S. because bearings can fail, causing the engines to stall and increasing the risk of a crash.The recall covers certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans and some 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline pickup trucks. Also affected are certain 2015 to 2020 Acura TLX cars and some 2016 to 2020 Acura MDX SUVs.Honda says in documents posted Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that connecting rod bearings in the engine can wear and seize due to a manufacturing error, damaging the engines. The engines could run improperly or stall while being driven, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury.The automaker says in documents that it has 1,450 warranty claims due to the problem but no reports of injuries.Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the engines if needed. Owners will be notified by mail starting Jan. 2.The Associated Press

Thousands march through Athens to mark 50 years since student uprising crushed by dictatorship

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Thousands of people marched through central Athens on Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of a pro-democracy student uprising that was violently put down by the military dictatorship ruling Greece in 1973.The annual march started from the Polytechnic campus, which was the headquarters of the uprising, and headed toward the U.S. Embassy. America is still widely blamed in Greece for supporting the 1967-74 rightwing dictatorship during the Cold War.Many of the protesters Friday carried Palestinian flags, while the march was preceded by a group of students carrying a blood-spattered Greek flag that flew at the Polytechnic during the events of 1973.The march is often marred by rioting by far-left supporters and thousands of police were on duty Friday to maintain the peace.Tensions have been simmering in recent days, after the fatal police shooting of a Roma teenager following a high-speed car chase in central Greece.Police were stationed outside the embassy building...

Spend this holiday TV season with Paddington, Melissa McCarthy, Lori Loughlin and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

Festive TV programming is starting to stack up like toys in Santa’s sleigh.Holiday favorites like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “A Christmas Story” will soon return, along with new family friendly films including “Dashing Through the Snow” on Disney+ and Melissa McCarthy’s “Genie” on Peacock.There’s music to enjoy too, with Hannah Waddingham leading an Apple TV+ special and the annual Tabernacle Choir concert airing on PBS. Plus, familiar faces including Lori Loughlin, Teri Hatcher and Lacey Chabert have holiday rom-coms airing.Here’s where — and when, in Eastern Standard Time — to watch this year’s holiday TV bonanza.GETTING AN EARLY STARTHulu has its own original feel-good holiday movies: “ A Christmas Frequency ” starring Denise Richards and “ Reporting for Christmas,” which are among the offerings available now.“Desperate Housewives” star Hatcher stars in a cute twist on Kate Hudson’s “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” with “ How to Fall in Love...

Death toll from floods in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia rises to 130

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 130 people have died in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia following heavy rains that triggered what aid agencies described as flooding seen only once every 100 years. Somalia bore the brunt of the flash floods that inundated the Horn of Africa region. The National Disaster Management Agency said 51 people have been killed across the country and a half-million displaced since the rains started in October.Emergency workers fear the death toll could rise since there were many people still unaccounted for. Parts of the country remained cut off and inaccessible after roads and bridges were washed away, marooning thousands of residents. “The national army has sent rescue boats and emergency helicopters to help the people trapped by floods. We are appealing for international help” the National Disaster Management Agency said.Humanitarian group Save the Children said the town of Beledweyne in central Somalia was completely submerged after the Shabelle River burst it...

Acapulco races to restart its tourism engine after Hurricane Otis devastates its hotels, restaurants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — The keyboard and drums from a musical show thump just yards from a mountain of storm debris and fractured hotels left by Hurricane Otis three weeks ago. On the northern end of Acapulco Bay, hairdressers and masseuses sweep branches from a beach.Across the Pacific resort of Acapulco, residents work with a singular purpose: restart the tourism engine of this city of 1 million people as soon as possible.“If there’s no tourism, nothing happens,” said Juan Carlos Díaz, a 59-year-old laborer waiting for food distributed by soldiers. “It’s like a little chain, it generates (money) for everyone.”Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that smacked Acapulco on Oct. 25, damaged 80% of its hotels and 95% of its business, as well as leaving at least 48 people dead, 26 missing and impacting about 250,000 families, according to government data. Residents are striving to ensure the devastation is not a knockout blow to the once-legendary resort. Since Acapulco’s golden era durin...

Rogers turns on cell service at remaining TTC subway stations for its own customers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

TORONTO — Rogers Communications Inc. says it has turned on wireless service for its customers at all Toronto subway stations, plus the tunnels between Sheppard West and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre stations.The move comes as the company continues to build 5G infrastructure for the entire network of subway tunnels — a process it initially said it expected to take two years when it announced plans in April.Last month, customers of rival carriers Bell Canada and Telus Corp. obtained access to cellular service in the busiest sections of the Toronto subway system after Rogers first activated the upgraded network in downtown stations and tunnels for its own customers.The service for all carriers followed months of tense back-and-forth negotiations between Rogers, Bell and Telus, prompting the federal government to set a deadline for all Toronto subway system passengers to have cellular connectivity.Rogers did not say in its announcement when Bell and Telus customers could expect to have se...

High-speed and regional trains involved in an accident in southern Germany, injuring several people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A high-speed train and a regional train were involved in an accident in southern Germany on Friday that left several people slightly injured, police said.Police wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that there was a “lateral contact” between the high-speed ICE train and the regional service at Reichertshausen, between Ingolstadt and Munich.They said that seven people were slightly injured and the trains were being evacuated. The Associated Press