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Summer’s Surge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

What a week we’ve had and what a day we have ahead of us! In the summer, this would be a fantastic pool or beach day. In April, it’s a great day for a walk on beach or to lay outside, but this early in the season, the pools are still closed and those ocean temps are awfully cold. None the less, let’s enjoy the nice summery weather ahead. Lunch or dinner outside would be great as well. Abundant sunshine wins out through the day as temps surge well into the 80s. Upper 80s will be common away from the immediate coast, but even in and around Boston, the west wind may be strong enough to hold temps well into the 80s too. Cape Ann and Cape Cod will be cooler, but still nice for mid April. UV index is high, so if you’re lounging outside for a while, sunscreen it up. The sun angle in mid April is similar to that of late August. The record to beat in Boston is 86, we’ll be close if that west wind holds. There’s no red flag warning today since the breeze is...

Washington Post: Person behind leaked Pentagon documents worked on military base

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

(CNN) — The person behind a massive leak of classified US military documents worked on a military base and posted sensitive national security secrets in an online group of acquaintances, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.The Post reporting, which CNN could not independently verify, covers new ground in identifying the supposed leaker of highly classified documents — including some that paint a pessimistic US view of the war in Ukraine — and provides the first known details about who may be behind a major national security breach that has rocked Washington in recent days.The leaker, described in the Post story as a lonely young man and gun enthusiast, was part of a chatroom of about two dozen people on Discord — a social media platform popular with video gamers — that shared a love of guns and military gear, The Post reported, citing an interview with the leaker’s friend who was also part of the group.The friend t...

Woman who drove her car into Methuen home facing OUI charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

A woman who drove her car into Methuen home is now facing OUI charges. Police say they found evidence the driver was huffing and blacked out when she crashed into a house on Broadway Street, causing the porch to collapse.According to police, the woman is a repeat offender for driving under the influence of drugs.

Portsmouth, NH public schools close after shooting threat posted to social media

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

All public schools in Portsmouth, New Hampshire will be closed Thursday due to a threat investigation, officials announced. Superintendent Zach McLaughlin sent out a message Wednesday night saying someone threatened to shoot up the school in a video posted to social media. McLaughlin went on to say that the decision to close all schools was made out of an abundance of caution as police investigate whether the threat is credible.

‘23 Chevrolet Bolt EUV has a lot to offer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

As EVs are now the norm in Grasso’s Garage, we recognize that each manufacturer is going to have their own thought processes on how an EV should drive, charge, and appear. As many of them historically have looked futuristic, Chevrolet seems to fit right in with the rest.This week, it’s the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier. Wrapped in Summit White and with red-accents abound, the Bolt is certainly ready to tackle the economy EV market. On the exterior, the Bolt EUV boasts a 4-door hatchback-type styling but with a crossover-type feel.Ranging 247 miles on a full charge, the Bolt EUV is typical Chevrolet on the interior with its basic infotainment system and easy-to-use adjustments, but for a good price, this basicness is really a good thing. For just over a $30K base price, you get an economy EV with a nice appearing hatchback. Our Bolt EUV came with the Sun and Sound package for $2,495 including a dual panel panoramic sunroof, Bose 7-speaker audio system and navigation. Addition...

Battenfeld: Biden declaration that COVID emergency over is a decoy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

President Biden’s declaration that the COVID-19 emergency is over is a political decoy – designed to get the nasty problem out of the way and claim victory before his 2024 re-election campaign.More than 500 people a day in the U.S. continue to die from the coronavirus so good luck telling those suffering families that the pandemic is past. And Democrats don’t really believe the emergency is over. They would still be ordering precautions and restrictions if they had the chance or the political will.Biden is doing what most politicians do – taking credit for something that’s not really his and shifting blame to others, like Donald Trump.Remember it was Biden who inexplicably said COVID was over last year, so it was no big stretch for him to make it official this week.Biden was so desperate to get the issue past him that he signed the bill terminating the national emergency one month earlier than he was supposed to.And the bill was actually authored and passed by Senate Republica...

ASK IRA: Readers have spoken (at least these readers) and they want Heat put out of their misery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

A bit of a change in the formatics today with a strong sentiment having emerged in the wake of the Heat play-in loss to the Hawks.Q: Hey Ira, This Heat season needs to be put to rest. I will gladly cheer for the team to win on Friday night, but a loss will signal a makeover is needed. We must get more skill, length and athleticism. – David, Venice.Q: Usually I hate when the teams tank and I am happy Heat hardly ever does it. Having said that, what’s the point in making the playoffs as the No. 8 team and then getting thrashed 4-0 by the Bucks? I’d rather lose the Friday game and get a lottery pick. – Parag, Weston.Q: Please lose on Friday and don’t even make it close. We have zero shot against Milwaukee and the difference between picking No. 14 and No. 20 is monumental. We can get a starting point guard or power forward, could even get a center with range and let Bam Adebayo play free. We don’t have the capital for a blockbuster trade without gutti...

Orioles broadcasters making smooth adjustment to baseball’s new pitch clock

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

Last year, Jim Palmer sent Ben McDonald to his barber. Over a minute and a half, the Orioles pitchers-turned-broadcasters went back-and-forth about Dawn, her ownership of Shearz Inc. of Little Italy, her tattoos and the fact it had been more than a decade since she had given someone a flattop before McDonald walked through the door.“These are the stories we can’t tell on TV anymore because it’s too fast,” McDonald quipped.But beyond the occasional lost anecdote, the Orioles’ broadcasters say they haven’t felt a significant change in how they go about their jobs since MLB introduced a pitch clock among its rule changes for the 2023 season.Through 12 games, Baltimore’s average time of game is about 2 hours and 46 minutes, down half an hour from the same period last year. With much of that cut from the deadtime between pitches, that’s meant 30 fewer minutes for insights and hijinks from the team’s Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and Ori...

Boston City Council weighing pay hike for their staff; top pay could hit $103K

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

After voting to give themselves a 20% raise last year, the Boston City Council is now looking to do the same for their staff.City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson introduced an ordinance that, if passed, would hike the office staff budget from $315,000 to $390,000 for each city councilor, and $385,000 to $460,000 for the council president.If the council votes to increase their office staff budgets, it would be the third salary increase granted for staffers since last June, when respective office budgets bumped up to $303,142 and $314,000, and would quickly follow current figures set by the panel in January, according to city documents.Fernandes Anderson said the salary hikes are necessary to keep up with inflation and the high cost of living in Boston. While not included in the ordinance, she is seeking a minimum pay rate of $72,000 for low-level staffers, and suggested that chiefs of staff make as much as $103,000, or roughly the same as their bosses make now.Related ArticlesPoli...

Australia’s most powerful cyclone in 12 years to cross coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:32 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A tropical cyclone nearing Australia is forecast to be the most powerful storm in 12 years to hit the country, bringing wind gusts of up to 315 kilometers (196 miles) per hour as it crosses the northwest coast, meteorologists said Thursday.Cyclones are common along the sparsely populated Pilbara coast of Western Australia state and fatalities are rare, but authorities fear that Cyclone Ilsa’s extraordinary wind speeds could take some in its path by surprise.Ilsa reached the highest Category 5 intensity Thursday over the Indian Ocean and is expected to maintain that destructive level as it crosses the Pilbara coast by early Friday, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.Category 5 cyclones have mean wind speeds exceeding 200 kph (124 mph) with gusts exceeding 280 kph (174 mph). They typically cause widespread destruction, the bureau said. The last Category 5 storm to cross the Australian coast was Cyclone Yasi in 2011. Yasi caused hundreds of millions of do...