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State Education Commissioner Manny Diaz voices support for ‘Don’t Say Gay’ expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

ORANGE PARK, Fla. (WSVN) — State Education Commissioner Manny Diaz threw his support behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial plan to expand the Parental Rights in Education Act to all grade levels in the state’s public schools.The law, known by critics as “Don’t Day Gay,” prohibits instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.Speaking on Thursday at an event in Orange Park, near Jacksonville, Diaz said schools should focus on academics.“This rule basically says that we’re sticking to the standards, and when you’re talking about K-12 instruction, all the way to 12th grade, these standards don’t incorporate gender ideology or these theories in math, social studies, reading or anything else,” he said. “We preserve the health standards, and that provides it, makes it clear for teachers what it is, because there were a lot of questions about age-appropriate [content]. Well, this clar...

Hollywood Police officer and boy he saved from near drowning reunite

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

A family is hailing a Hollywood Police officer a hero after he saved a little boy from drowning.Hollywood Police officer John Guzman and the boy, Ky’eir Ray, were reunited at Hollywood Police headquarters, Thursday.In a 911 call, someone said, “This little boy was in the pool, and he was at the bottom, and he’s not responding.”It looked like a bad dream, and it sounded like one too.“Ky’eir, come on, Ky’eir, keep breathing, come on,” a woman’s voice could be heard on an audi recording.March 4, 9-year-old Ky’eir Ray and his best friend Jacob Jimenez had been swimming in the Hidden court complex in Hollywood, and it was getting late.“Grandma over there said it’s time to go,” recalled Jacob.“And the goggles went into deep end,” said Ky’eir. “I went down. I couldn’t get it because it kept pulling me back up, so I kept swimming down, and I eventually grabbed it, but then I blacked out.”“I...

Germany rejects Commission’s proposal for ending car engine impasse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

BRUSSELS — The German government has rejected the European Commission’s attempt to compromise in a battle over the future of combustion engines, deepening a row that has overshadowed an ongoing summit of EU leaders in Brussels.As POLITICO reported earlier this week, the EU executive had said it would not reopen draft legislation mandating a zero-emission sales-only policy for cars and vans from 2035 — agreed by the Parliament and EU countries last year — to make room for synthetic so-called e-fuels, as demanded by Berlin. Instead, it agreed to Berlin’s request to make tweaks to separate, existing legislation known as Euro 6, setting out a classification for vehicles running exclusively “carbon neutral fuels” such as e-fuels.But Berlin has now rejected Brussels’ offer, according to a formal response seen by POLITICO.The German transport ministry said in its response, sent late Thursday evening, that it will continue its blockade of th...

Philadelphia Police are searching for 5 people involved in a daytime shooting that left 3 teenagers injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

 (CNN) — Police in Philadelphia are searching for four gunmen who opened fire on three teenagers Monday afternoon. Two of the three teenagers shot are in critical condition in the hospital, police said.Video released by authorities shows four masked suspects firing what police described as more than 60 rounds using “rifles and semi-automatic pistols” in the city’s Carroll Park neighborhood.“You see an automatic gun going off in broad daylight on the streets of the City of Philadelphia, four males just shooting up the block, shooting with no care in the world it seems to me,” Philadelphia Police Captain James Kearney said at a news conference.The four suspects got out of a newer model Honda CR-V, pulled out their guns and started shooting in what police believe was a targeted attack, authorities said. Police are also looking for the driver of the car.Two of the victims, a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old, were taken to hospita...

MBTA to shut down parts of Red and Blue Lines to address slow zones

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

The MBTA plans to aggressively target the Red and Blue Lines in April, in terms of addressing speed restrictions during evening and weekend shutdowns.When combined, the two lines account for 58.6% of the 36.8 total miles of speed-restricted track and 116 of the 221 slow zones in place throughout the subway system, according to a speed restriction dashboard launched by the MBTA on Thursday.The new data highlights the vast amount of work needed to bring the T up to speed following the 10-25 mph speed restriction placed temporarily on all lines two weeks ago — due to negative findings from a Red Line track inspection conducted by the Department of Public Utilities.While the final end-to-end restriction was lifted on the Green Line Sunday night, MBTA Interim General Manager Jeffrey Gonneville declined to provide a timeline on how long it would be before the remaining speed restrictions, encompassing 27% of the subway system, would be lifted.“What I can tell you is that we know and we ha...

PAX East packed in Boston’s Seaport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

While lines started to form outside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center before the sun rose Thursday morning, Amber Heirdel, of Dorchester, was not among them.Heirdel, with hiking shoes on and a backpack empty and waiting for free swag or last-minute purchases, arrived at around 3 p.m., not in costume, she pointed out.“It’s going to be a long weekend,” the 26-year-old said. “I’m a late riser and I’m pacing myself. No heels today.”PAX East returned to the Bay State this week, when upwards of 100,000 game enthusiasts — some fanatical enough to dress in costume all day and wait in the late March cold for the early entry swag giveaways — annually join nearly hundreds of game developers and exhibitors for one of the city’s largest conventions.First started in Washington state in 2004 by the authors of the popular web comic of the same name, the Penny Arcade Expo was built as a convention focused entirely on the gaming industry for gamers.The event has grown to include a series of...

Knicks legend Willis Reed spent summers at Rucker Park during pro career

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

In a different era of basketball — far away from the carefully-edited offseason workouts on Instagram — members of the New York Knicks spent their summers at the playground.And that included The Captain.Willis Reed, the Knicks legend who died Tuesday at 80, was a frequenter of Rucker Park, the famed streetball court in Harlem. Reed won a pair of Rucker Pro League titles during his summers with the Knicks, and involved himself in the community beyond basketball.Bob McCullough, who was Reed’s teammate at Rucker Park, remembered a speech the center provided to youth players at a Harlem school who were part of the Each One, Teach One program.Reed gave a compelling anecdote about the importance of a college education — “this was 40 years ago and I remember it like yesterday,” McCullough said — and was offered $50 for his appearance.“He said, ‘Keep the money. Put it back in the program,’” McCullough recalled to the Daily Ne...

Mets get preview of pitching prospect Mike Vasil against Braves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

NORTH PORT, Fla. — Mike Vasil went from facing up-and-coming minor league hitters in the Arizona Fall League to facing the Atlanta Braves’ deep group of elite home-run hitters in a matter of months. Spring training means being prepared for anything, even if that means punching above your weight.But Vasil looked like he belonged for the most part. Other than the changeup that Matt Olson got ahold of for a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, the 24-year-old Boston native handled a tough lineup well. Vasil allowed two runs on six hits and struck out three in the Mets 2-2 tie Thursday at CoolToday Park.Those strikeouts might stick with him: Olson, Eddie Rosario and Ronald Acuna Jr.“When I got the lineup [Wednesday night], I kind of looked at it and gave myself a little laugh,” Vasil said. “It doesn’t really get much better than that.”The changeup he threw to Olson had some run on it and the first baseman took it over the fence for his seve...

BU advances to regional final with 5-1 win over Western Michigan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Boston University has made New Hampshire’s leading metropolis its neutral site of choice in the NCAA tournament.The No. 2 seed Terriers exploded for three goals in the second period and coasted to a 5-1 victory over No. 3 Western Michigan in the opening semifinal of the Manchester Regional on Thursday at SNHU Arena.The Terriers will look to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2015 when they face the winner of the Denver-Cornell semifinal on Saturday at 4 p.m.BU is now 5-0 in NCAA regional games played in Manchester. The included two wins in 2009, when the Terriers last won the national championship. BU goalie Drew Commesso of Norwell made 24 saves to secure his 23rd win of the season.“I thing it being close to Boston certainly helped us,” said BU coach Jay Pandolfo. “We had our band up here and our student body and a lot of family members so it definitely was an advantage having that behind you.”BU got into a flow from the opening faceoff and creat...

Maryland’s Hakim Hart declares for NBA draft while putting name in transfer portal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:46:25 GMT

Hakim Hart, a senior shooting guard for Maryland men’s basketball, announced Thursday afternoon that he is declaring for the NBA draft while retaining his college eligibility and entering his name in the transfer portal.The 6-foot-8, 206-pound Hart finished this past season ranked second among the Terps (22-13) in points (11.4 per game), assists (2.6) and steals (1.2). He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention, too, and helped the team advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling, 73-51, to overall No. 1 seed Alabama on Saturday night in Birmingham, Alabama.“First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to play basketball at the University of Maryland these past four years,” he wrote via Instagram. “To my family, who has supported me throughout this journey, thank you for the sacrifices you have made to help me pursue my dream. To my coaches, teammates, and the entire University of Maryland community, thank yo...