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Churchill Downs suspends trainer Joseph after 2 horse deaths

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Churchill Downs suspended trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. indefinitely and Lord Miles, who is trained by Joseph, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby on Thursday, days after the sudden death of two of his horses at the track.The suspension prohibits Joseph, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Joseph, from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all Churchill Downs Incorporated racetracks.The decision comes after the deaths of Parents Pride on Saturday and Chasing Artie on Tuesday at Churchill Downs. Both collapsed on the track and died after races.“Given the unexplained sudden deaths, we have reasonable concerns about the condition of his horses, and decided to suspend him indefinitely until details are analyzed and understood,” Bill Mudd, president and chief operating officer of CDI, said in a statement. “The safety of our equine and human athletes and integrity of our sport is our highest priority. We feel these measures are our ...

Teaming up: Fenway Park turns into a classroom

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

Fenway Park turned into a classroom as sixth graders from the Nathan Hale School in Roxbury came to kick off the first Learning Lab Tour.“I’m most excited mostly about just being in Fenway Park,” said Nathan Hale School Principal Candace Whitmore. “Most of our students haven’t been here so this is definitely an experience they’ll take with them throughout their educational journey.”The students had the opportunity to stop at different stations to learn things like math at the Green Monster, language arts at the Red Sox Hall of Fame and science at Fenway Farms.“I’m excited about the garden because my grandpa used to have a garden,” Nathan Hale School sixth grader Bailee Lopes said. “We used to take cucumbers, tomatoes potatoes and we would cook them to make food.”They also got some quality time with Wally and a surprise visit from Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers.“I think this should be a really exciting experience for the first time we came,” said sixth grader Luna Aguirre.Boston...

Boston receives $16.5 million grant to address housing crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

Boston has been awarded $16.5 million to address unsheltered homelessness. The grant, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is to be used over three years and matches the full amount requested by the City of Boston.Mayor Michelle Wu announced the grant Thursday, which will directly support five local organizations and help over 370 residents and families find housing and other services.“This 16.5 million grant from HUD that we’re celebrating here today will help Boston build on that work and bring partners together around an intention city-wide plan to end unsheltered homelessness,” Wu said at a press conference Thursday.Eliot Community Services, Boston Housing Authority, Family Aid Boston, Ecumenical Social Action Committee, Pine Street Inn will receive aid over the three years to address different aspects of the housing crisis, including youth support, substance abuse support and housing vouchers.

Lithium-ion batteries in electric scooters likely sparked Medford 4-alarm fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

Electric scooters powered by lithium-ion batteries likely sparked a recent four-alarm blaze in Medford, according to fire officials who urged people to safely use, store, and charge these devices.The fire at 43 Allston St. started in a first-floor laundry room, where two badly-damaged, battery-powered scooters were located.Fire investigators determined that the fire rapidly spread from that point, causing major damage to the two-family home and displacing all four residents. One person was transported from the scene for medical care. A nearby home sustained exterior heat damage.Firefighters battled the flames from all sides of the structure for about two and a half hours before bringing it under control.“Lithium-ion batteries contain a tremendous amount of power in a small package,” said Medford Fire Chief John Freedman.“When they burn, they burn extremely hot, release toxic gases, and can re-ignite even after the fire has been extinguished,” Freedman added. ...

Michelle Wu indicates support for rat czar hire in Boston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

Mayor Michelle Wu indicated support for a rat czar hire in Boston, but said the creation of this new position may take a backseat to other pest-control strategies that are already underway in the city.Designating an employee to oversee Boston’s pest-control operation, as proposed by City Council President Ed Flynn, is an “important” idea, Wu said, and one that is being discussed in the context of having a more coordinated approach to tackling rats and other issues that most frustrate residents.“I don’t know that we are necessarily going to immediately create a czar position because we’ve been having lots of conversations about rodents and pest control in general,” Wu said Thursday after an unrelated press conference. “And we’ll continue working on that.”These discussions have involved getting departments to work more closely together to target the root cause of the city’s rodent problem. Some efforts that are already underway include removing the rats’ food source, by more properly ...

Revs’ midfielder Dylan Borrero lost for the season with torn ACL

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

New England Revolution midfielder Dylan Borrero suffered a torn ACL on his left knee in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati and has been placed on the season-ending injury list, the club announced on Thursday.Borrero was beset by injuries in his first year with the club but started this season a fixture in head coach Bruce Arena’s starting lineup. Borrero started eight of nine games and notched two goals and an assist to guide the Revs to a 6-1-3 start and first place in the MLS Eastern Conference.The Revolution resume MLS play on Saturday night on the road against Toronto FC at BMO Field.RICH THOMPSON

Red Sox notebook: Going for sweep without Alex Verdugo in lineup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

The Red Sox are doing right by America’s Most Beloved Ballpark this year.They’re 10-3 over their last 13 games (12-7 overall) at Fenway Park, and 5-1 in home series (7-3 overall).In a pleasant departure from last year, they’ve been able to dispatch the division. They beat the Baltimore Orioles in the first series of the season, and have already won three of four games against the Toronto Blue Jays this week; in 2022, they didn’t have two series wins against division rivals until August.This is Boston’s first series win against Toronto since July 2021, and their first home series victory against them since August 2020. In 2022, they only won three of 19 games against the Blue Jays, a total they’ve already matched in this first series.What’s changed?“I wish I knew,” Alex Cora said ahead of Thursday’s series finale. “They just dominated us (last year.) They hit the ball hard the whole time.”Having a healthier roste...

Lamar Jackson wants to throw for 6k yards with new receivers after finalizing record 5-year deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

It’s official.Star quarterback Lamar Jackson officially signed his five-year, $260 million dollar contract on Thursday.Jackson, alongside Ravens GM Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh, held his first press conference since signing the deal that will keep him in Baltimore through the 2027 season.The star opted not to speak about his trade request after the team placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and emphasized he “wanted to be a Raven.”“I didn’t really care for other teams,” Jackson said. “I just really wanted to get something here. Other teams are cool, but I wanted to be a Raven. I said something in 2018 … I meant that. I wanted to get this done. … I really wanted to finish my career here and win a Super Bowl here.”Jackson’s deal set new league highs in signing bonus ($72.5 million), most money in the first three years of a contract ($156 million) and average per season ($52 million). The contract al...

Massachusetts COVID cases drop 14%, Boston shutting down some vaccination and testing sites

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to fall across the state, as Boston health officials announced this week that they’re scaling back the city’s vaccination and testing site operations with fewer people getting vaxxed and tested these days.The Boston Public Health Commission said three sites will end their COVID operations on May 13: BCYF Hyde Park, Josephine Fiorentino Community Center, and Lena Park Community Development Corporation. Meanwhile, the Boston City Hall and Bruce C. Bolling sites will continue to provide vaccinations, boosters, and take-home rapid antigen testing kits.Ahead of the scale down, BPHC is urging residents to get up-to-date on their vaccinations, and for newly eligible individuals to get their second bivalent booster before the three standing sites shut down.“The sustained decline in our COVID-19 metrics is a testament to the protection afforded by the vaccines and boosters,” said Bisola Ojikutu, BPHC’s executive director...

Porn group sues over Utah age verification law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:00 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY — An adult entertainment industry group filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging a new Utah law that requires porn websites to implement age verification mechanisms to block minors from accessing sexually explicit materials.The law, which took effect Wednesday, made Utah the second state to require adult websites to verify the age of those who want to view their pages — either through an independent contractor or digital ID. Lawmakers likened the requirement to those for alcohol or online gambling and argued that stronger protections were needed to shield kids from pornography, which is ubiquitous online.The Free Speech Coalition — along with an erotica author and companies that manage adult websites and are party to the suit — argues that Utah’s new law unfairly discriminates against certain kinds of speech, violates the First Amendment rights of porn providers and intrudes on the privacy of individuals who want to view sexually explicit materials. The plaintif...