Wellesley College students hold walkout in support of transgender applicants

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Wellesley College students hold walkout in support of transgender applicants Students at Wellesley College walked out of class Friday in support of transgender applicants to their school. SKY7 was over the scene, capturing video of the protest as students gathered outside following a student vote earlier this week to expand admissions to transgender men and non-binary prospective students assigned male at birth.Students also asked the school to use gender-neutral language when referring to the student body.College officials responded in a statement on Wednesday, saying the school admits “eligible applicants who consistently identify and live as women, including cis, trans and nonbinary students.”In their statement, officials said they acknowledge the result of the student vote. “Although there is no plan to revisit our mission as a women’s college or our admissions policy, we will continue to engage all students in the important work of building an inclusive academic community where everyone feels they belong,” officials said. 

Mets closer Edwin Diaz ‘grateful’ after undergoing successful surgery on right knee

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Mets closer Edwin Diaz ‘grateful’ after undergoing successful surgery on right knee Mets closer Edwin Diaz is expected to begin a rehab program in about a week, the team announced Thursday. The announcement came after Diaz underwent successful repair of the patellar tendon in his right knee.“To all my beloved fans, especially the Mets fans, I want to let you know that I am doing well and healing,” Diaz posted on his Twitter account. “I feel blessed and grateful for your support with messages and prayers, thank you very much! I can’t wait to see you guys in NY again and play those trumpets.”The 28-year-old also assured his fans on Instagram that he’ll be just fine.“Puerto Rico, I’m good,” he wrote in Spanish.Diaz’s road to recovery will sideline him for the entire 2023 season and force manager Buck Showalter to find a new closer with two weeks left before Opening Day.“We’ve got some good options,” Showalter told reporters Thursday regarding the now vacant closer role.Former Yankee reliever...

Disney Cruise Line announces new Bahamas destination Lighthouse Point to open next year

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Disney Cruise Line announces new Bahamas destination Lighthouse Point to open next year Richard Tribou | Orlando SentinelDisney Cruise Line ships will have a second private Bahamas destination on their itineraries starting in 2024 after years of delays from COVID-19, hurricanes and environmental impact concerns.The cruise line said Lighthouse Point at the southern end of Eleuthera will begin welcoming guests in summer next year. It will join Castaway Cay, which the line has operated since 1998, as a dedicated port of call for Disney.The destination, though, will attempt to embrace Bahamian culture while juggling environmental stewardship vs. the influx of thousands of visitors.“Lighthouse Point is a place of extraordinary natural beauty, so our goal has always been to create designs that accentuate its qualities in an organic way,” said Kevin Thomas with Walt Disney Imagineering. “We’re focused on low-density, sustainable development that protects and preserves the environment, allowing the site’s biodiversity to shine.”This rendering of Disney Cruise Line’s new ...

Home Showcase: A jaw-dropping estate in Osterville

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Home Showcase: A jaw-dropping estate in Osterville The moment we laid eyes on 19 Marquand Drive in Osterville, a bona fide Cape Cod compound on 5.18 acres, we knew we’d quickly run out of superlatives to describe these impossibly luxurious digs. Built in 2021 by local high-end Cape Cod firm Rogers & Marney, the custom home blends traditional coastal architecture with contemporary touches for a timeless waterside retreat.Sited on the banks of Warren’s Cove, water views feature prominently in the home’s south-facing architecture, particularly in the living room. This showstopper space includes a ceiling-height fireplace feature, two-and-a-half stories of windows overlooking the water, and coffered ceilings. The open layout flows into the sun-drenched dining area and luxe kitchen, the latter featuring double islands and professional-grade appliances.Attention to detail shines around every corner, from the handsome library and office space with adjoining wet bar and down to every light fixture and sink faucet. Of the home’s seven be...

Dolphins scoop up former Patriots punter Jake Bailey

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Dolphins scoop up former Patriots punter Jake Bailey The Miami Dolphins have signed former Patriots’ Pro Bowl punter Jake Bailey, per reports.The Patriots released Bailey, a fifth-round pick in 2019, prior to the start of free agency.Bailey was coming off his worst season in Foxboro. He ranked dead last in average and net average among players with more than 10 punts.He was a first-team All-Pro his rookie season, but looked nothing like that player last season.The Patriots had signed him to a four-year $13.5 million extension prior to last season (making him the NFL’s highest-paid punter at the time), but it went downhill from there.Bailey wound up on injured reserve last year with a back problem, then was hit with a team-imposed suspension.The Dolphins brought him in for a tryout earlier in the week before signing him Friday.

Lance Reddick of 'The Wire' dead at 60: reports

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Lance Reddick of 'The Wire' dead at 60: reports (KTLA/NEXSTAR) — Actor Lance Reddick, perhaps best known for his role on "The Wire," has died at the age of 60, his representatives confirmed Friday."Acclaimed actor Lance Reddick passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes," his representatives confirmed to Nexstar. "He is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and children Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick... Lance will be greatly missed." Ford recalls 1.5 million vehicles to fix brake hoses, wiper arms Reddick had a long career in TV and film, but he will most likely be remembered as Lt. Cedric Daniels on "The Wire," one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time. He also appeared in the "John Wick" franchise and was set to appear as Zeus in next year's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" on Disney+.Tributes poured out for Reddick online after news of his death was made public, including from his "Wire" co-stars."A man of great strength and grace," said Wendell Pierce, who played Detective William "B...

Veto of Kansas bill on trans athletes sets up override fight

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Veto of Kansas bill on trans athletes sets up override fight TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas bill banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for the third year in a row Friday, setting up a hotly contested fight in the Republican-controlled Legislature to override her.Kelly’s action was expected because of her two previous vetoes. Kansas Republicans made Kelly’s vetoes a major issue in multiple television attack ads when she ran for reelection last year, winning narrowly. The governor said in her veto message that the bill would harm students’ mental health and hurt the state’s efforts to recruit businesses. Kelly also said lawmakers should leave the issue to the state association set up decades ago to run student activities in middle and high schools.“Let’s be clear what this bill is all about — politics,” Kelly wrote. “It won’t increase any test scores. It won’t help any kids read or write. It won’t help any teachers prepare our kids for the re...

Trudeau strikes out at Tories for questioning personal ties with special rapporteur

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Trudeau strikes out at Tories for questioning personal ties with special rapporteur OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau accused his Conservative rival of trying to score political points at the expense of Canadian democracy on Friday by questioning his personal relationship with former governor general David Johnston.The attack came during an event in Guelph, Ont., two days after Trudeau tapped Johnston as special rapporteur responsible for investigating claims of Chinese meddling in the last two federal elections.While the focus of the event was the launch of a $4-billion affordable-housing fund, the prime minister found himself delivering a full-throated defence of Johnston’s appointment in the face of opposition attacks.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has accused Trudeau and Johnston of being too close, noting the prime minister has previously called them family friends. Johnston is also involved in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.Asked by reporters about their relationship, Trudeau defended the former governor general, who was appointed to the viceregal ro...

Ottawa requests joint ‘working group’ on oilsands contamination with Alberta

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

Ottawa requests joint ‘working group’ on oilsands contamination with Alberta Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has further spelled out what he wants to see in a new body that would oversee monitoring and communications around pollution problems in the oilsands. In a letter dated March 16 to his Alberta counterpart Sonya Savage, Guilbeault said the new federal-provincial-Indigenous group would look at a wide variety of issues stemming from releases of tailings pond water from Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine. Although Savage has agreed to a new joint body, Guilbeault’s proposal seems to go farther than what she suggests.“I am proposing the establishment of a joint federal-provincial-Indigenous working group, with participation from the oil companies, to give transparency to all parties involved by meeting on a regular basis to discuss remediation and containment plans, as well as notifications for ongoing incidents of spill or seepage,” Guilbeault wrote in the letter.“A communication protocol should be established,” h...

S&P/TSX down Friday as markets continue to grapple with bank collapses

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:06:22 GMT

S&P/TSX down Friday as markets continue to grapple with bank collapses TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index closed down over 150 points Friday, with U.S. indexes also posting losses, as the globe continued to grapple with a crisis of confidence in the financial system triggered by two U.S. bank failures. “This crisis was a bit of a sucker-punch to the market,” said Pierre-Benoît Gauthier, assistant vice-president of investment strategy at IG Wealth Management.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 151.29 points at 19,387.72, and closed out the week down almost two per cent as oil prices tanked. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 384.57 points, or 1.2 per cent, at 31,861.98.The S&P 500 index was down 43.64 points, or 1.1 per cent, at 3,916.64, while the Nasdaq composite was down 86.76 points, or 0.7 per cent, at 11,630.51.Investors flocked to gold, a historical safe haven, noted Gauthier, and gold prices rose steadily amid the chaos, nearing US$2,000 on Friday. Meanwhile, investors with a diversified portfolio were shored ...