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Special counsel John Durham concludes FBI never should have launched Trump-Russia probe

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

(CNN) — Special counsel John Durham concluded that the FBI should never have launched a full investigation into connections between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, according to a report compiled over three years by the Trump-administration appointee and released on Monday.Durham’s 300-plus page report also states that the FBI used “raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence,” to launch the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into Trump and Russia but used a different standard when weighing concerns about alleged election interference regarding Hillary Clinton’s campaign.The special counsel, however, did not recommend any new charges against individuals or “wholesale changes” about how the FBI handles politically charged investigations, despite strongly criticizing the agency’s behavior.“Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence activities, we conclude ...

Veterans exposed to chemical at Camp Lejeune faced a 70% higher Parkinson’s risk, study says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

(CNN) — Marines who were stationed at Camp Lejeune had a 70% higher risk of Parkinson’s disease than veterans who served at a post across the country, a new study found.The difference may have been in the Camp Lejeune vets’ exposure to a chemical known as trichloroethylene (TCE), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, the researchers warn. And the risk of developing this disorder of the nervous system may be higher for millions more people.The number of people with Parkinson’s disease has been increasing around the world. Some estimates suggest that nearly 20 million people could have it by 2040.Scientists aren’t exactly sure what causes Parkinson’s. Age is a factor, and the growth of the disorder is in part related to the graying population, scientists believe. But some also say that exposure to chemicals like TCE is helping drive the growth.Dr. Ray Dorsey, the David M. Levy professor of neurology at the University of Rochest...

MBTA: All Foxboro Commuter Rail trains cancelled after vehicle strikes rail overpass in Dedham

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

All Foxboro trains have been cancelled until further notice after a rail bridge in Dedham was struck by a vehicle, according to officials.The MBTA Commuter Rail said on Monday that passengers heading to Foxboro would need to board a regular Franklin Line train and disembark at Walpole to then catch a shuttle bus.“This diversion will allow for necessary track work following the vehicle striking a bridge near Endicott,” the official Commuter Rail Twitter account stated.https://twitter.com/MBTA_CR/status/1658168966336897037The cancellations were announced hours after what the Dedham Police Department called a “vehicle collision” occurred at the East Street train bridge.Drivers were detoured away from the bridge that was hit, allowing MBTA engineers to respond and inspect any damage to the tracks, according to Dedham PD.https://twitter.com/DedhamPD/status/1658129913705005056This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest upda...

Prosecutor ends probe of FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation with harsh criticism, but no new charges

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

By ERIC TUCKER and LINDSDAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A special prosecutor has ended his four-year investigation into possible FBI misconduct in its probe of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign with withering criticism of the bureau but a meager court record that fell far short of the former president’s prediction he would uncover the “crime of the century.”The report Monday from special counsel John Durham represents the long-awaited culmination of an investigation that Trump and allies had claimed would expose massive wrongdoing by law enforcement and intelligence officials. Instead, Durham’s investigation delivered underwhelming results, with prosecutors securing a guilty plea from a little-known FBI employee but losing the only two criminal cases they took to trial.The roughly 300-page report catalogs what Durham says were a series of missteps by the FBI and Justice Department as investigators undertook a ...

TSA is testing facial recognition at more airports, raising privacy concerns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

By REBECCA SANTANA and RICK GENTILO (Associated Press)BALTIMORE (AP) — A passenger walks up to an airport security checkpoint, slips an ID card into a slot and looks into a camera atop a small screen. The screen flashes “Photo Complete” and the person walks through — all without having to hand over their identification to the TSA officer sitting behind the screen.It’s all part of a pilot project by the Transportation Security Administration to assess the use of facial recognition technology at a number of airports across the country.“What we are trying to do with this is aid the officers to actually determine that you are who you say who you are,” said Jason Lim, identity management capabilities manager, during a demonstration of the technology to reporters at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The effort comes at a time when the use of various forms of technology to enhance security and streamline procedures is on...

Ravens agree to deal with center Sam Mustipher, an Owings Mills native and former Bears offensive lineman

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

The Ravens have been without a backup center since Trystan Colon bolted for the New York Jets in free agency this offseason. Monday, they filled that vacancy.Free agent Sam Mustipher, who spent his first three years with the Chicago Bears, has agreed to a deal with the Ravens, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. It’s reportedly a one-year contract.For Mustipher, it’s also a homecoming. The 26-year-old grew up in Owings Mills and starred at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney before going to Notre Dame.The Bears declined to extend a restricted free agent tender to Mustipher in March.Undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2019, Mustipher surprisingly became the Bears’ center late in the 2020 season, starting the last six games of the year. The following season, he started all 17 but struggled, with a Pro Football Focus grade of just 51 for 2021.Though he improved last season, earning a 63.4 mark from PFF, Mustipher was at...

How a decades-old Holocaust mystery fueled Anne Berest’s ‘The Postcard’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

When Anne Berest began work on “The Postcard,” she didn’t know how the novel would end. In fact, she didn’t know if there was an end to the mystery based on her own family’s investigation into the origin of an unusual postcard.“I was anxious,” the French author confesses over a video call during her recent stay in Los Angeles.“The investigation took me four years,” Berest explains. “In the book, it’s four months, but, in reality, it’s almost four years.”Related: Sign up for our free newsletter about books, authors, reading and moreThe award-winning work of autofiction, originally published in France in 2021 as “La Carte Postale” and recently translated into English by Tina Kover and published via Europa Editions on May 16, begins in 2003 with the arrival of a postcard. On it are the names Ephraïm, Emma, Noémi and Jacques, the parents and siblings of Berest’s maternal grandmother, who were killed during the Holocaust. Years later, Berest and her mother, Lélia, embark on a mission to ...

‘Disney’s Aladdin’ repeats its magic at the Fisher Theatre

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

The show’s called “Aladdin” — “Disney’s Aladdin,” to be precise — but everyone knows it’s all about the Genie.And fortunately the current touring production of the musical, which performed at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre through Sunday, May 14 — has a good one.Robin Williams, of course, established the Genie as an iconic character with his manically nuanced voice performance in the 1992 animated film. He set a high bar but at the same time established a template for the actors who would follow in the Tony Award-winning stage adaptation, which premiered 12 years ago in Seattle and stopped during January of 2018 at the Detroit Opera House. Energy and personality are the keys to a successful Genie, and Marcus M. Martin has both in abundance.Playing Genie as a kind of Oprah/Steve Harvey/Billy Porter hybrid, Martin hits the stage as the curtain lifts like a full blank of Klieg lights — and that’s just his smile. His performances leading ensemble pieces such as “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Al...

What are the drunken driving limits in Massachusetts? .08 gets you arrested

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

If your blood-alcohol level exceeds .08 you are considered drunk in the Bay State. If you’re driving a commercial vehicle, the threshold is .04. Your weight has a lot to do with how many drinks you can consume. Here’s how it breaks down:Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Charlie Baker’s son pleads ‘not guilty’ to OUI charge after allegedly blowing 0.15 on breath test .06 = Judgement is impaired.08 = Impairment of muscle coordination, driving skills.10 = Deterioration of reaction time and control.12 = Vomiting usually occurs.15 = Balance and movement impaired.20 = Most people begin to experience blackouts.45 = Most people dieSo, how many drinks can I have? Go here to calculate that…Source: Awareawakealive.org; Massachusetts Drunk Driving Laws

Botanical Building moves into next construction phase

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:43:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Renovations to the Balboa Park Botanical Building have been moved into the next part of construction, City of San Diego officials announced last week."Visitors to Balboa Park can expect to see different segments of the building covered like this for at least several months as crews work to bring the iconic building back to its original 1915 look," city officials wrote on social media.In this phase, crews will be sandblasting the steel structure of the building, as well as applying a protective coating and paint. The tent-like cover helps to protect visitors from any debris that might leave the construction zone during this work, according to the city.The outside of the Botanical Building as it moves into the next part of construction work. (Courtesy of the City of San Diego)The building, which is one of the most photographed landmarks in San Diego County, is currently in the midst of a major $21 million renovation project to revitalize the building and the surrounding g...