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‘Amazing’: 15 sets of twins, one set of triplets to graduate from Westford Academy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

Westford Academy’s graduation ceremony Friday may seem a bit repetitive. That’s because Westford’s 400-something class of 2023 has 15 sets of twins and one set of triplets.“They hang out together. They play sports together. They do activities together,” said Dean of Students Daniel Twomey, “and they’re all graduating together.”The duplicates say being a twin has its ups.“We know how to share because we grew up together,” twin Meghan Hall said. “We know how to make friends because we made them together.”But it also has its downs.“She follows me everywhere,” one twin said. “I can’t get rid of her” “I don’t!” his sister replied.Nobody seemed to realize just how special the class was until they started laying out the yearbook, and they needed two pages for the twins club.“I think the real impact moment was taking a look at that page in print, in the yearbook, was that final moment for me of ‘wow, wow,’” Principal James Antonelli said.Yes, the triplets said they get to pull rank.“St...

White House says Biden is fine after tripping on stage at Air Force Academy commencement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden tripped on a sandbag and fell as he completed handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado on Thursday.Biden appeared fine afterward, walking without assistance to his seat in the stands. He was seen smiling and jogging toward his vehicle at the ceremony’s conclusion.The White House said the president was fine after the fall.The stumble began as Biden was jogging away from center stage, where earlier he’d delivered a commencement address to the academy’s graduates. He spent more than 90 minutes handing out diplomas and congratulating hundreds of cadets.As he was moving toward his seat, he tripped, falling to the ground. The president landed on his right hip before lifting himself up on his right hand.A group of men, including an official with the Air Force Academy and two Secret Service agents, grasped onto Biden’s arms to help him back to his feet.As he got back up, Biden pointed back toward the ground where he trip...

Chicago White Sox face a challenging June — 7 straight series against teams with winning records, Aaron Judge and more Shohei Ohtani

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

The Chicago White Sox were looking to end May on a good note.Instead they found themselves trailing by seven runs after four innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.The Sox surrendered five homers — two by Shohei Ohtani — in the 12-5 loss.“If you don’t regroup and come back with some energy (Friday), this thing can linger on, so it’s our responsibility to make sure we nip this in the bud and get back to work and bring some energy against Detroit and hopefully win a series,” manager Pedro Grifol said Wednesday. “But this thing can linger on and we’re not going to let it. I’m not going to let it.”The Sox had a winning month, going 15-14. But they still find themselves 12 games under .500 at 23-35.And plenty of challenges await them in June. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.1. Say goodbye (for now) to the AL Central.The Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros and Angels were the only teams...

Money stored in Venmo and other payment apps could be vulnerable, financial watchdog warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

By KEN SWEET (AP Business Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Customers of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp should not store their money with these apps for the long term because the funds might not be safe during a crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned on Thursday. The alert comes several weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, which all experienced bank runs after fearful customers with uninsured deposits pulled their money en masse. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank accounts up to $250,000. But money stored in Venmo or CashApp or Apple Cash is not being held in a traditional bank account. So, if there is an event similar to a bank run with these payment apps, those funds may not be protected. Some of these funds may be eligible for pass-through insurance coverage if the customers do certain activities with the apps, the CFPB says, but generally by default these apps are not covered by deposit insurance. For ...

Ticker: Officials signal pause in rate hikes; Mortgage rates tick up 3rd straight week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

Leading Federal Reserve officials are sending out stronger signals that they will forego an interest rate increase at the central bank’s next meeting in June, though they indicate hikes could resume later this year.“Skipping a rate hike at a coming meeting would allow (Fed policymakers) to see more data before making decisions” about whether to further increase rates, said Fed Governor Philip Jefferson in a speech Wednesday. Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker made similar comments.Jefferson has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be the Fed’s vice chair, though he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. But his nomination places him close to the center of Fed policymaking.On May 19, Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted that he also supported pausing rate hikes at the June meeting, to give the Fed time to evaluate the economic impact of its previous rate increases.Mortgage rates tick up 3rd straight weekThe average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed thi...

Preliminary hearing date set for man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl as supporters look on

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

By MARGARET STAFFORD (Associated Press)LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man accused of shooting a Black teenager will face a preliminary hearing in three months, attorneys agreed during a brief hearing Thursday, days after a judge ruled that court documents in the case will be sealed and kept from the public. Attorneys agreed the preliminary hearing for Andrew Lester, 84, will be Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. Lester appeared in court, which was held in a small courtroom filled with supporters of Ralph Yarl.Many of the supporters wore T-shirts saying, “Ringing the wrong doorbell is not a crime.” Others were from a group of Liberian residents living in the Kansas City area. Yarl’s parents are Liberian immigrants. The teen’s father, Paul Yarl, said he was disappointed the preliminary hearing was delayed until late August. He said he hoped Lester eventually serves jail time.“The shooter was going to kill Ralph,” Paul Yarl said. “It’s obvious,...

Rare sighting of wolverine confirmed in Yosemite National Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has confirmed multiple sightings of what is believed to be the same wolverine in several California counties.Officials say two sightings were in the Inyo National Forest and Mono counties and a third sighting occurred in Yosemite National Park.Photo courtesy of Yosemite National ParkImages and video of the wolverine, taken in May by separate individuals in different locations, were sent to CDFW for analysis, where they say scientists identified the animal as a wolverine by its size, body proportion, coloration, and movement patterns. “Wolverines can travel great distances, making it likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal,” said CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons. “Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting.”Scientists say they documented a single wolverine in Cal...

Man pleads guilty to assaulting Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota in DC apartment building

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota in the elevator of her Washington apartment building in February, according to court records. Kendrid Khalil Hamlin pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a member of Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers, according to the court docket. Hamlin was also accused of assaulting two officers as they attempted to arrest him on the same day of Craig’s attack. Hamlin’s attorneys said in an emailed statement that he “accepted responsibility for his actions today with the earnest hope of moving towards rehabilitation and the mental health treatment he very much wants and needs.” “Unfortunately, we know that treatment and rehabilitation will not occur in prison. We are hopeful that all parties can work together to finally provide Mr. Hamlin with the opportunity to get mental health support and treatment, as well as stable housing upon his release,” said his feder...

Families sue to block Idaho law barring gender-affirming care for minors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The families of two transgender teenagers filed a lawsuit Thursday to block enforcement of Idaho’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors.The ban, which was signed into law in April and scheduled to take effect in January 2024, violates the federal constitutional guarantee of equal protection for the teens and due process for their parents, the families said in the filing in U.S. District Court.“Governor Brad Little signed the bill into law in the name of ‘protecting minors.’ But lawmakers and the Governor ignored the extensive legislative testimony that the Healthcare Ban harms children,” the court filing asserts.The plaintiffs, whose legal representation includes lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, note that the law makes it a felony for doctors to provide puberty blockers, hormone treatment and surgery for minors only in cases in which it is to help align their bodies with their gender identities. The same treatments are allowed for...

Toronto police say renter impersonated home owner in mortgage fraud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:00 GMT

Toronto police say a man who rented a home impersonated the owner, applying for a mortgage on the property that he allegedly cashed in on.Police say the suspect rented a home using an online home rental application in May 2021. While living in the home, police say the man obtained identity information on the homeowner, eventually using that information to apply for a mortgage. “The suspect then collected the proceeds of the mortgage,” police said in a release. On Thursday, May 25, officers arrested Jay Allen MacDougall, 42, of Toronto.He’s facing five counts of fraud over $5000 and one count of laundering proceeds of crime.