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Gaskin: Education needs to be part of prison reform

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

The American criminal justice system has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years, particularly considering its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. The mass incarceration era — fueled by the war on drugs, the 1984 crime control act, and other public safety policies — has led to disparities from policing through parole.The cumulative impact of these policies has left a devastating trail of destruction, particularly within Black and brown communities. Civil rights lawyer and author Michelle Alexander aptly termed this phenomenon the “new Jim Crow,” highlighting its stark resemblance to the racially discriminatory laws and practices of the past. Boston had its own version of aggressive policing designed to suppress crime by so-called super predators, which led to the wholesale arrest of a generation of Black men. From stop and frisk to doctored drug tests in the state lab to civil rights violations such as those documented in the investigation of Carol DiM...

OBF: These Patriots among worst 5 units

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

Bill Belichick is having the worst year of his life – at least an NFL head coach.Once revered like Paul Revere, the irascible Hoodie has morphed into a crotchety Bond villain.Move over “Goldfinger.” Meet “Middle Finger.”We can’t take full credit for that one. Belichick apologist Mike Florio posted on X during the Patriots game on Sunday that continued presence of Mac Jones could be Belichick delivering “a middle finger both to Jones and to ownership.”The House of Belichick has fallen. Largely due to the terrible play of Jones. Now Belichick State Run Media is in full “CYA Legacy” mode.We’re being asked to believe that Jones was the only grocery item Belichick did not purchase since Y2K. Thus, this fanciful narrative that Robert and Jonathan Kraft walked into the Patriots War Room on Draft Night in 2021 and told Belichick that either his brains, or Jones’ name, will be on the Patriots pick sheet.This biggest of Big Lies underpins the historic nature of this Patriots season. A catastr...

Chase away the chill with hearty soups

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

Cold weather is here, and one of the fastest ways to warm up when chilly temperatures set in is by enjoying hearty, hot soups at mealtime. People may have their preferred go-to soups to warm up. Split Pea Soup can be included in anyone’s recipe collection. Soup lovers who want to do just that can try this recipe for “Puree of Split Pea Soup” courtesy of “The Culinary Institute of America Book of Soups” (Lebhar-Friedman Books) by The Culinary Institute of America.TAG GOES HEREPuree of Split Pea SoupINGREDIENTS4 strips bacon, minced1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup)1 leek, white and light green part, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)6 cups chicken broth2 yellow or white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)1/2 pound split green or yellow peas, or lentils1 smoked ham hockSachet: 1 bay leaf, 1 whole clove, 1 garlic clove, and 4 to 5 peppercorns, enclosed in a large teaball or tied in a che...

Editorial: Basic income’s basic question – who will pay?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

Boston leaders are hashing over a universal basic income for needy Hub residents, and thankfully Mayor Michelle Wu is looking before she leaps.Cities around the country have rolled out guaranteed income pilot programs, in New York, Texas, Michigan and California for example. Cambridge is also a participant, providing direct cash payments to families with children under the age of 21, and who earn at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.Like most municipalities experimenting with the program, funding in part comes from the American Rescue Plan Act. That COVID-era windfall allowed a plethora of cities to ease a life of poverty for many residents.But the $1.9 trillion ARPA fund is finite, and the spigot will eventually turn off.This leaves Boston with the inevitable question: how will we pay for such a program?A proposal for implementing a “temporary guaranteed income program” put forward for discussion by outgoing Councilor Kendra Lara couldn’t come at a worse time, as the...

Devil’s Chicken with Sauteed Garlic Potatoes

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

Two types of strong, flavorful mustards give the sauce for this sautéed chicken its character. It’s a version of a typical French bistro dish.Potatoes cooked with garlic add another French-inspired touch.Helpful Hints:Trimmed green beans can be found in the produce section of the market.Use a skillet just large enough to hold the chicken. If it is too large the sauce will evaporate.The potatoes are cooked in the same skillet used for the chicken.TAG GOES HEREDevil’s ChickenINGREDIENTS2 tablespoons flourSalt and freshly ground black pepper3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast2 teaspoons canola oil1/4 cup dry vermouth1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard1/4 cup water1/2 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces1 tablespoon light creamDIRECTIONSPlace flour on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and roll in the flour making sure both sides are covered. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken 3 minutes, t...

Williams: Postal Service should steer clear of electric trucks

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

The Postal Service is sputtering out of control. On Nov. 14, the Board of Governors announced that America’s mail carrier lost $6.5 billion in fiscal year 2023. That’s just a drop compared to more than $100 billion in net losses over the past 15 years.Yet, the agency has not learned its lesson, pushing profligacy to ever-higher gears.The service is mulling replacing more than 60% of its fleet with electric vehicles, up from the originally proposed 10%. This foolish move will result in higher taxpayer expenses, less reliable vehicles, and even slower mail delivery times. The agency must reverse course and reject wasteful fleet procurement policies.The fleet of more than 200,000 has seen better days. The average mail truck is more than 20 years old, and spontaneous combustion poses a real safety issue for thousands of agency employees. America’s mail carrier finally decided in the past decade to buy 160,000 replacement vehicles.The challenge has been to purchase these trucks in a cost...

The REAL DEAL

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

Skiing is expensive. This season, Ski Wednesday will share some great ways to save as the season goes on, bringing you more affordable ways to get out on the snow.If you are the parent of a fifth grader, amazing news: Your child can ski free (yes – we said free) for the entire season (up to 90 ski days) at any of Ski Vermont’s 20 alpine and 24 nordic ski spots..The program is open to any current fifth grade student, regardless of state or country of residence. Some holiday restrictions apply, and students must be accompanied by an adult with a valid lift ticket, trail pass or season pass. There is a $30 administration fee. You can apply at https://skivermont.com/fifth-grade-passport.

Dear Abby: Wife wants young lover to satisfy needs

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

Dear Abby: I’ve been married to the most amazing woman for 30 years. She became a personal trainer and is in incredible shape. I’m not in her kind of shape, and I can’t perform too well sexually, even with ED meds. She recently asked if she could have her (sexual) needs taken care of by a young client she trains. I’m OK with it, since I’m sympathetic to her desires, as long as she doesn’t fall in love. Your thoughts? — Wants What’s Best for HerDear Wants: The three of you are adults and capable of making your own decisions, but I am hesitant to bless this because it is so risky. Make sure to iron out all of the variables that may occur. She might fall in love with her client; he may fall in love with her. (Or not.) If he decides to move on, what will the effect be on her and you? Before you agree to this arrangement, think long and hard.Dear Abby: My stepdaughter, “Lily,” who lives in Canada, is married to an American, R...

Suspect arrested after Ramona SWAT standoff

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

RAMONA, Calif. — A suspect was arrested Tuesday after a pursuit through San Diego led to an hours-long SWAT standoff in Ramona, authorities said.Christopher Payne, 29, of Ramona, was arrested on suspicion of pistol whipping a man in the Mid-City area of San Diego and leading police on a chase to Ramona, the San Diego Police Department told FOX 5. A SWAT officer took the man into custody after several rounds of tear gas.The incident started around 11:30 a.m. when SDPD received a call of two men fighting on Monroe Avenue in San Diego's Kensington neighborhood, the department told FOX 5. The caller reported that one of the two appeared to have a gun at the time of the altercation.Officers then spotted one of the men fleeing the scene on a motorcycle and attempted to pull him over, but authorities say he did not yield. According to SDPD, a pursuit ensued and the suspect led officers all the way to a large building in Ramona. Arrest made after Mater Dei Catholic High School receives sh...

Rosalynn Carter set for funeral and burial in the town where she and her husband were born

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:20:25 GMT

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Rosalynn Carter will receive her final farewells Wednesday in the same tiny town where she was born and that served as a home base as she and her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, climbed to the White House and spent four decades thereafter as global humanitarians.The former first lady, who died Nov. 19 at the age of 96, will have her hometown funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where she and her husband spent decades welcoming guests when they were not traveling. The service comes on the last of a three-day public tribute that began Monday in nearby Americus and continued in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter will be buried in a plot she will one day share with her husband, the 99-year-old former president who first met his wife of 77 years when she was a newborn, a few days after his mother delivered her. “She was born just a few years after women got the right to vote in this small town in the South where people were still plowing their fields behind mul...