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US sees increase in wages beating inflation as hiring rises in key industries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

New economic data shows that wages are finally beating inflation in the U.S. Employers are both adding jobs and increasing paychecks, leading to a brighter picture of the U.S. labor market. According to the latest report from the Labor Department, workers’ paychecks grew by 16 cents to an average of $33.36 per hour in April, marking the biggest monthly increase since March 2022.Industries struggling to hire workers, such as construction, transportation, and wholesale, are offering fatter paychecks to attract qualified candidates. Meanwhile, employees in the leisure and hospitality sector, including bars, restaurants, and hotels, are also seeing strong wage gains. This sector was hit hardest by the pandemic and the recession fears that followed, causing many service workers to be reluctant to return to the industry.Experts suggest that the increase in hiring and paychecks will lead to an improvement in the cost of living crisis that many households have been facing over the pas...

Downbeat Putin slams West at low-key Victory Day parade in Russia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday delivered a morose speech in Moscow’s Red Square that lasted barely 10 minutes, during which he doubled down on his justification for the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “A real war has once again been unleashed on our motherland,” he said in the speech during annual celebrations marking Russia’s World War II victory. “Western elites talk about their exceptionalism, dividing people and provoking bloody conflicts, sowing hatred, Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, destroying traditional family values.”For nearly eight decades, Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade has been not just a memorial to the 27 million Soviet citizens who died fighting Nazi Germany in World War II, but also a carefully curated show of Russia’s strength.This year, however, May 9 celebrations across the country were canceled or cut short, and the usual procession of uniformed troops and heavy weaponry in the capital appeared a shadow of wh...

Former Hopkinton deputy police chief to be arraigned on child rape charges stemming from time as school resource officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

A former Hopkinton deputy police chief who was indicted last week on several child rape charges related to his time as a school resource officer is set to be arraigned Tuesday. On May 1, grand jury had indicted John “Jay” Porter, 54, on three charges of Rape of a Child “in connection with allegedly assaulting a student while he was assigned as a school resource officer in the Town of Hopkinton school system,” according to a news release from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.“The incidents allegedly occurred during 2004 and 2005 while the victim was a 15 year old student,” the DA’s office stated. “During that time the defendant allegedly assaulted the victim on multiple occasions off school property.”The DA’s office noted that as of Friday, April 28, Porter was no longer a part of the Hopkinton Police Department, where he had worked since 1992. Porter is also off the field, stepping away from his role as head coach of Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technica...

Cooler Breezes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

3 days in a row make a weather winning streak, as we certainly had another beautiful day yesterday with temps running in the mid 70s for most as sunshine won out. Today, while it won’t be nearly as warm, it’ll still be a solid day overall under a mix of clouds and sunshine. The temp difference is noticeable right off the bat this morning though, with early morning temps near 40 for many. Light winds turn onshore today, keeping it chilly (mid to upper 50s) along the coast while we warm into the mid 60s inland. We’ll cool quickly this evening too as temps drop back into the 30s tonight for many. After a cool start tomorrow, a beautiful afternoon settles in as highs jump into the lower 70s. We’ll push the numbers up to near 80 Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Friday offers the best chance for a few isolated to scattered thunderstorms midday/afternoon. Mother’s Day weekend does look dry, with Mother’s Day being a bit cooler, but still nice as highs run ...

Weymouth police officer resigns after he was caught on camera punching a handcuffed man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

A now former Weymouth police officer has resigned from his job after he was caught on camera in an incident last year where police said he punched a handcuffed man 13 times in the head.Weymouth’s police chief said police body cameras and cruiser dash cameras rolling during the incident helped hold officer Justin Chappell accountable. Now, the chief is trying to make sure Chappell can’t work in law enforcement for a different department. Chappell was called to a home on July 2, 2022 for a report of a drunk man causing a disturbance. Investigators said there’s video of Chappell approaching the man. When the man didn’t follow orders to take his hands out of his pockets, Chappell hit him several times in the knees with a baton.Other officers arrived and cuffed the man. Video then showed the man refusing to get into a cruiser and screaming racial slurs.That’s when Chappell is accused of repeatedly punching the man. Chappell explained his actions in a police report, writing...

John Kerry reports only to Biden; Blinken frozen out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

As John Kerry comes under intense scrutiny for rekindling climate talks with the Chinese, the U.S. State Department made it clear he reports to nobody but President Biden.“Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry reports directly to the President,” a State Department spokesperson told the Herald Monday.The one-line response came as new emails show Kerry — the nation’s first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate — has a “proposed staff” of 45 positions. That’s the same-sized office set up to combat ISIS, his staffers pointed out.Those emails also state everyone reports to Kerry alone. The Climate office informed the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee of that fact, the emails show.A State Department spokesman now confirms Kerry does not answer to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and goes straight to the Oval Office.That’s a problem, says Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust. His watchdog...

Orioles minor league report: 8 prospects move up in Baseball America’s latest top 100 list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

This offseason, the Orioles had Baseball America’s top-ranked farm system for the first time since the publication began ranking them in 1984. In total, eight Baltimore prospects were recognized among the 100 best in baseball.On Monday, all those youngsters who still have prospect eligibility moved up in Baseball America’s updated rankings, and a slugger who is scorching hot at the plate was added to the list.The organization’s top prospects — including pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, shortstop Jackson Holliday and outfielder Colton Cowser — all got modest bumps in the rankings. Double-A Bowie outfielder Heston Kjerstad, whose eight home runs are tied for most among all Orioles minor leaguers this season, is ranked No. 98.One major difference in the current list compared with the one from January is that the Orioles no longer have the No. 1 prospect in baseball. After catcher Adley Rutschman topped the list in 2022, infielder Gunnar Henderson earned No. 1 pr...

Party officials: Imran Khan arrested in court in Islamabad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security agents arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday as he appeared in a court in the capital, Islamabad, to face charges in multiple graft cases, officials from his party said. Khan was dragged outside and pushed into a police vehicle by agents from the country’s anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau, according to Fawad Chaudhry, a senior official with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Chaudhry denounced the arrest as “an abduction.” Pakistan’s independent GEO TV broadcast images of the 72-year-old Khan being pulled by security forces towards an armored vehicle, which took him away. Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He has claimed his ouster was illegal and a Western conspiracy and has campaigned against the government of his successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, demanding early elections. After the former premier was whisked away, a scuffle broke out between Khan’s supporters and police. Chaud...

2 inmates escape Philadelphia prison, undetected for hours

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities searched Tuesday for two inmates — one accused of killing four people — who were gone from a Philadelphia prison for nearly 19 hours before officials knew they were missing.Ameen Hurst, 18, and Nasir Grant, 24, escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center around 8:30 p.m. Sunday by cutting a hole in a fence surrounding a recreation yard, the Philadelphia Department of Prisons said.Headcounts conducted at 11 p.m. Sunday, 3 a.m. Monday, and 7 a.m. Monday reportedly showed that all prisoners were accounted for, said Philadelphia Prisons Department Commissioner Blanche Carney. The facility became aware of the escaped inmates at about 3 p.m. Monday, Carney said.“We have protocols in place and those protocols were not followed,” Carney said. “That yard should have been secured, and the fence not breached.”Mayor Jim Kenney said at a news conference Monday evening that they want to find out exactly what happened.“Clearly the system...

Increased service returning to late night trains on TTC Line 1 and 2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:28 GMT

Increased service is returning to late night trains on TTC Line 1 and 2, as TTC CEO Rick Leary announced they are reversing those cuts at Monday’s board meeting.Subway riders have been voicing their concerns over reduced service since the changes were first announced earlier this year.Now, the TTC says because of improved staffing levels, late night trains will go back to running at least every six minutes.The cuts to Line 2 late night service went into effect on March 26, while the changes to Line 1 were expected to go into place on Sunday.The TTC said the switch back went into place as May 7 and will be built into schedules moving forward.“We’ve heard from many people that they’re uncomfortable with the proposed eight minute waits and we’ve responded,” said Leary. “Additionally, we’ll have the ability to add additional resoures to address some of those busy routes identified across the city.”The TTC continues to struggle financ...