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Justice Kavanaugh seeks to dispel the notion that the Supreme Court is partisan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed to the mixed U.S. Supreme Court decisions this term as he sought Thursday to dispel notions that it is partisan, even after conservatives brought about the end of affirmative action in college admissions and struck down President Joe Biden’s student loan debt relief program.“The court is an institution of law. It’s an institution of law not of politics, not of partisanship,” Kavanaugh said at a judicial conference in Minnesota, in the first public remarks by a justice since the court recessed for the summer late last month. The Supreme Court has been reshaped by the three justices nominated by President Donald Trump, including Kavanaugh. Although Kavanaugh sided with the conservative majorities in the affirmative action and student loan rulings, as well as last summer’s ruling overturning the nationwide right to abortion, he was also part of the mixed conservative and liberal majorities this term that backed...

Police identify Md. man killed in shooting on Howard University campus, seek help locating suspect’s vehicle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

A man is dead after he was shot during an attempted robbery on the Howard University campus Thursday morning, D.C. police said.There is no active threat to the university or its students, Cmdr. James Boteler said during a news conference.It happened near the intersection of 6th and Bryant streets NW, just outside of Howard University Hospital. Police believe the shooting was the result of an armed robbery gone bad, according to Boteler.When officers responded to the call just after 6 a.m. Thursday, they found a construction worker laying on the sidewalk near the hospital. The man was taken to a hospital with at least one gunshot wound, where he later died.The victim was identified as Rafael Adolfo Gomez, 34, from Beltsville, Maryland.There was no word on suspects, but D.C. police have asked the public to look out for a white Nissan SUV last seen traveling southbound on Georgia Avenue. The vehicle was last seen with Maryland tags 5EW6340. Images captured from surveillance video show ...

Video shows 2 stealing boat from NE Miami-Dade business; owner asks for its return, ‘no questions asked’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

A South Florida business owner is reeling after two thieves were caught on surveillance video stealing a boat, and now he’s asking for the vessel’s return, “no questions asked.”Jonathan Gomez spoke with 7News on Thursday about the overnight theft at his business in Northeast Miami-Dade.“It was parked here, and the back tires were tied to this post here,” Gomez said. The theft happened Saturday, just before 1 a.m., at 19400 West Dixie Highway. “Friday, it was there when I left work. I had to go do work in Port St. Lucie, unfortunately,” Gomez said. “Came back Sunday night to move it to my friend’s house, and I noticed it was gone.”In the video, the two crooks were seen driving up to where the 14-foot boat was parked. Moments later, they are seen hooking up the vessel to an SUV.Gomez said the boat was locked up, but the duo were still able to get away with it. “It doesn’t make me feel good,” Gomez said. “I worked prett...

Fort Lauderdale woman says DoorDash delivery driver stole package from her apartment complex’s mail room

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

A Fort Lauderdale woman is on a mission to track down the sneaky thief who swiped a package from her apartment complex’s mail room. The victim, a flight attendant, claims the culprit was a DoorDash delivery man.The incident occurred Friday evening at the Harwick House apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale Beach.The owner of the stolen package, who identified herself as Zita, spoke with 7News on Wednesday.“I got a notification from FedEx that my package was delivered,” she said. “I came down to look for the package; the package was no longer there.”Surveillance footage caught the suspect casually dropping off a delivery at Zita’s neighbor’s doorstep before casually strolling over to the mailbox area. Without skipping a beat, the thief, identified on the food delivery app as Orlando, grabbed a package and made a swift getaway.The victim, who is furious over the theft, tells 7News that the stolen item was a flight attendant uniform worth approxi...

Former Lauderdale-By-The-Sea official and volunteer Santa Claus arrested on child porn charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

A former Lauderdale-By-The-Sea commissioner, ex-fire chief and former volunteer Santa Claus was arrested and charged with downloading child pornography.BSO detectives began their investigation in late April after they discovered a computer user downloading explicit material involving minors. Over 210 files containing images and videos of child pornography were found. As the investigation continued, the detectives honed in on James Silverstone, 62, as a potential suspect.In May, following a search warrant for Silverstone’s residence, BSO detectives executed a search and seized numerous electronic devices. Subsequently, an extensive examination of these devices revealed hundreds more incriminating videos and photos depicting child pornography. Some of the material involved infants engaged in sexual acts.On Thursday, Silverstone voluntarily surrendered himself to BSO detectives, prepared to face 10 charges of transmitting child pornography using electronic devices. Detectives sai...

Mass. lawmakers consider proposal to ban TikTok on government devices

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

Discussions continued Thursday as Massachusetts lawmakers consider a proposal to ban TikTok on government devices. The federal government has already banned the popular social media app for its devices. Now, one local representative is pushing for a state level ban, as well. “TikTok is a national security risk,” said Rep. Michael Soter.TikTok has brought up a number of data and privacy concerns in recent months due to its being owned by a Chinese-based company. Many fear user data could be shared with the Chinese government.“The problem with TikTok is they’re not following the same rules as everybody else,” Soter said. “They don’t want to follow the rules.”In addition to the federal government, some other states have also banned TikTok. Soter said he believes it’s simply common sense for Massachuesetts to follow suit. “If you have your personal device and you want to use TikTok, that’s up to you,” he said. “This is about the government devices.”Cyber security ex...

Red Sox 2024 schedule: Opening Day in Seattle, Xander Bogaerts returns to Fenway, 2004 World Series turns 20

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

The second half of the Red Sox season begins Friday with a three-game visit to the Chicago Cubs, but for those who prefer to look even further down the road, Major League Baseball dropped the 2024 schedule on Thursday.With help from Jack and Charlie, brothers and young Red Sox fans who went viral on social media earlier in the season when the broadcast showed Charlie receiving a foul ball and immediately throwing it back onto the field, making his brother to cry, the Red Sox unveiled next year’s road map.Brought some friends back to Fenway for the ‘24 schedule & some redemption. pic.twitter.com/SLE0LIy01h— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 13, 2023A special spring training tripThe spring training schedule isn’t finalized, but the Red Sox will make a special preseason trip to the Dominican Republic, where they’ll play a pair of exhibition games with the Tampa Bay Rays.Red Sox Opening Day 2024All 30 teams will share the same Opening Day, Thursday March 28, which joins...

Matt Naumec, Ryan Downes to battle in Massachusetts Amateur final

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — After four brutally long and hot days at the Essex County Club, a pair of familiar faces will play in the finals of the 115th Massachusetts Amateur.Matt Naumec and Ryan Downes survived 36 holes of stroke play and four rounds of match play to be the last two standing and force a rematch of a quarterfinal from the 2022 Amateur, won by Downes 2 & 1. This time, however, the Massachusetts Cup will be on the line.Downes, who lost to Connor Willett in the championship match a year ago, might have been expected to be in the final. Naumec, on the other hand, wasn’t many people’s pick entering Thursday.That was especially true when he had to face top-seed John Broderick in the semifinals. In a match that was tight most of the way, Naumec won four out of five holes midway through the match en route to upsetting Broderick 3 & 2.“John is such a good player and I knew it was going to be a challenge going against him,” Naumec said. “I got a little bit of a break on ...

Jaylen Brown’s contract extension with Celtics still not done, but Brad Stevens remains ‘optimistic’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

Jaylen Brown became eligible for a five-year supermax extension with the Celtics as midnight struck on July 1. But nearly two weeks have passed since and a deal hasn’t been completed yet.There’s no reason to be alarmed, though, as an agreement is widely expected to get done this summer. The Celtics have had other more pressing, time-sensitive items to check off their offseason to-do list, like free agency and the Grant Williams sign-and-trade that was officially completed on Wednesday. But with Kristaps Porzingis’ two-year extension officially announced on Wednesday, too, the Brown extension seems to be the last remaining piece of business for the Celtics to complete this summer. Talks are ongoing as the Las Vegas Summer League continues this week.“I can’t really talk about it but it’s been all good discussion,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told reporters Wednesday night in Vegas. “We want Jaylen to be here for a long, long time, and we’ve made that clear....

John Kerry bristles at questions about staff, private jets, China, lack of transparency

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:35 GMT

A testy John Kerry flatly refused to share the names of the 45 people on his staff or explain why his Climate office has no website the public can turn to learn more.He also admitted he has taken at least one trip on his family’s private jet and blamed “an algorithm” for delaying public records requests — including one from the Herald — until the fall of 2024.It was all part of a rare 2-hour grilling before the  House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability Thursday where reps attempted to nail down details of Kerry’s job as the first-ever Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.Subcommittee Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) addressed Kerry’s “lack of transparency” and asked him to point taxpayers to his office website.“We use the State Department website,” Kerry said, after some delay.Mast then asked for the “names of individuals who actually answer” to Kerry.“I have two deputies, a...