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Dozens displaced after fire breaks out at Brighton apartment building

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 GMT

Dozens of residents were left without a place to stay after a fire broke out in a high-rise apartment building in Brighton on Wednesday morning, forcing the MBTA to suspend nearby Green Line service in the process.The Boston Fire Department said its companies were called to an apartment building in the 1900 block of Commonwealth Ave. around 9:40 a.m. On scene, officials said firefighters saw flames on the third and sixth floor of the building. Crews used ladders to fight the blaze. Firefighters also cut a hole in the building roof and broke windows throughout the building to vent smoke before rescuing several pets left inside. In a later update, the department said it worked to knock on all unit doors in the building to evacuate residents — some of whom were able to self-evacuate beforehand.Meanwhile, the MBTA said service for the B branch was suspended between Washington Street and Boston College due to the response, and initially announced that shuttle buses would ...

AI industry and researchers sign statement warning of ‘extinction’ risk

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 GMT

Washington (CNN) — Dozens of AI industry leaders, academics and even some celebrities on Tuesday called for reducing the risk of global annihilation due to artificial intelligence, arguing in a brief statement that the threat of an AI extinction event should be a top global priority.“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” read the statement published by the Center for AI Safety.The statement was signed by leading industry officials including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; the so-called “godfather” of AI, Geoffrey Hinton; top executives and researchers from Google DeepMind and Anthropic; Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s chief technology officer; Bruce Schneier, the internet security and cryptography pioneer; climate advocate Bill McKibben; and the musician Grimes, among others.The statement highlights wide-ranging concerns about the ultimate danger of unchecked artificial intelligen...

Danny Masterson, ‘That ’70s Show’ actor, found guilty of rape

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 GMT

(CNN) — A Los Angeles jury has found actor Danny Masterson guilty on two of the three counts of rape in a retrial on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney.There was a hung jury on the third count, the District Attorney said.“We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences. Their courage and strength have been an inspiration to us all,” District Attorney Gascón said. “While we are disappointed that the jury did not convict on all counts, we respect their decision.”The “That ’70s Show” star, 47, had pleaded not guilty to raping three women at his home in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.He is facing a possible sentence of up to 30 years to life in state prison.Masterson was taken into custody on Wednesday following the verdict.The trial started on April 24 and the case went to the jury on May 17. Masterson was represented by defense lawyers Shawn Holley and Philip Cohen. Deputy ...

Security guard found not guilty of 2019 assault of 11-year-old shoplifter at Boston Primark

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 GMT

A jury found a security guard not guilty of assault in connection with an incident inside the Primark in Downtown Crossing. In 2019, 36-year-old Mohammed Khan of Cambridge was accused of choking and punching an 11-year-old who later admitted to shoplifting about $175 worth of merchandise. A jury found him not guilty of assault and battery and a civil rights violation on Tuesday.Khan and his employer, Securitas Security Services USA Inc., of Parsippany, New Jersey, were both indicted and charged in late 2019 with assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count each of civil rights violations, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.Khan pled not guilty while his company agreed in 2021 to implement changes following the indictment. Securitas entered a two-year agreement with the state, where they must make changes to how they train guards and special police officers, as well as how they retain records.The Suffolk District Attorney said in 2021 if these terms wer...

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

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 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 Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 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 Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 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 Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 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 Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 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 Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:40:00 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...