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Luis Rubiales: Prosecutors open sex assault probe, while football chiefs now want him out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

Spain’s National Court on Monday launched a sexual assault investigation into Luis Rubiales, the suspended president of the country’s football federation just as domestic football chiefs turned against him in a marathon meeting.The office of the court’s prosecutor, which is authorized to investigate crimes committed abroad, launched its probe after receiving several complaints from concerned citizens, according to the Spanish press. The prosecutor is set to speak with national team player Jenni Hermoso — who Rubiales gave a nonconsensual kiss on the lips to to last Sunday in Australia after the World Cup final — to inform her of her rights as a victim of an alleged crime of sexual assault. Hermoso will need to file a formal complaint as in order for the case to move forward.The launch of the prosecutor’s investigation coincided with an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee of Spain’s national football federation (RFEF), which consists of...

Faculty member killed, suspect arrested after shooting at University of North Carolina

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — A University of North Carolina faculty member was shot and killed in a campus building, officials said Monday.A suspect was arrested about an hour and a half after shots were reported, UNC Police Chief Brian James said at a news conference. Students and faculty at the flagship campus had barricaded themselves in dorm rooms, offices and classrooms for hours until a lockdown was lifted.“This loss is devastating and the shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted in our campus community,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said. He apologized to students who are “feeling uncertain about your safety right now.”Authorities are not releasing the suspect’s name and formal charges have not yet been filed, James said. It’s unclear if the suspect knew the victim, who police have not yet named while they reach out to relatives, James said.The shooting was in Caudill Laboratories, which is closed while evidence is p...

Red Sox notebook: Ceddanne Rafaela called up, will start Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

Ceddanne Rafaela was enjoying some PlayStation with his brother on Monday when the Red Sox top prospect noticed that he had missed “a couple” calls from Triple-A Worcester manager Chad Tracy.When he called back, Rafaela said “Trace” decided to have a little fun with breaking the news.“He told me, ‘You didn’t want to play in the big leagues?” Rafaela chuckled. “I was like, ‘Of course!”Sitting in the home dugout at Fenway Park, the 22-year-old infielder-turned-outfielder didn’t try to hide his emotions, and couldn’t stop smiling.“It’s everything I always wanted in my life,” he beamed. “It’s the most beautiful day.”The Red Sox made a flurry of roster moves on Monday afternoon. They placed Pablo Reyes on the 10-day injured list with left elbow inflammation and recalled infielder David Hamilton from Triple-A on Monday, and outfielder Wilyer Abreu went on the Paternity List, welcoming his first child less than a week after his own Major League debut.Thus, Rafaela is getting his chance.He ...

Massachusetts State Police trooper seriously injured in crash: ‘He has already defied the odds’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

A statie on vacation in Utah was seriously injured when an alleged drunk driver slammed into the rideshare vehicle that the trooper was traveling in, sending the statie to the ICU where he remained in critical condition on Monday.Massachusetts State Police Trooper Matthew McRae has “already defied the odds” following the Friday morning vehicle wreck in Salt Lake City, according to his family. The trooper from the State Police Belchertown Barracks suffered several broken bones, including a broken neck and spinal injury.Although McRae remained in critical condition in the ICU at the University of Utah Hospital on Monday, his health was reportedly “slowly improving and we eagerly await his return to Massachusetts,” State Police Association of Massachusetts President Patrick McNamara said in a statement.McRae, a statie for the past four years who was previously a local police officer, was the passenger of a rideshare that was struck by a driver who was arrested f...

Massachusetts beaches could see ‘dangerous’ rip currents, high surf from Hurricane Franklin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

While the extremely powerful Hurricane Franklin stays well out to sea, its impact will still be felt along the local coast as the Category 4 hurricane sparks rough surf and intense rip currents.The National Weather Service’s Boston office is warning beachgoers of “dangerous” rip currents and high surf in the coming days due to Hurricane Franklin.Life-threatening surf and rip currents generated by Franklin have already been affecting Bermuda and the Southeast U.S. coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. These conditions are expected to spread northward along the East Coast during the next couple of days.“High surf and dangerous rip currents for south facing ocean beaches late Tuesday through Thursday,” the National Weather Service’s Boston office wrote in its forecast.“If heading to the beach sometime late Tue through Thu then be aware that there is an increasing risk for rip currents/high surf due to distant #Franklin Stay tuned!&...

Ticker: Bay State gas prices drop a penny; Farmers Insurance cutting 2,400 jobs 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

Gas prices in Massachusetts dropped a penny last week driven largely by lower prices for crude amid growing demand. But, economists warn the building peak of the Atlantic storm season could be a factor in the weeks ahead.“Although the national average did a U-turn this week, the road ahead could lead to higher prices,” said Mark Schieldrop, AAA Northeast Senior Spokesperson. “Ongoing concerns regarding potential storm activity could hinder falling pump prices this fall.”A gallon of gas was running  $3.76 a gallon Monday, 13 cents higher than a month ago and a full 31 cents lower than a year ago. The price at the pum is 5 cents lower in Massachusetts than the national average.Farmers Insurance cutting 2,400 jobsFarmers Insurance said Monday it will lay off 11% of its workforce — about 2,400 employees — as part of a corporate restructuring aimed at increasing its efficiency and long-term profitability.The California-based insurer owned by Swiss giant Zurich Insurance Group said the jo...

Battenfeld: First major shake-up of Healey administration shrouded in mystery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca’s departure was an open secret days ago but the reasons for her quick exit remain shrouded in mystery thanks to the non-responsive Healey administration.Fiandaca was clearly forced out after just eight months on the job — the first major shakeup of the first-term governor’s tenure — yet Healey attempted to praise the MassDot boss on the way out the door.The governor “wishes her well in all of her future endeavors” – a statement that usually means someone has just been pushed out. But the statement says nothing about why she’s leaving. No explanation whatsoever.“She hit the ground running and has delivered on many of our key transportation priorities,” Healey said in her statement.In reality, Fiandaca never delivered on the most important priority – improving the T and holding the agency accountable.Healey spokeswoman Karissa Hand refused to even respond to repeated inquiries by the Herald about Fiandaca on Friday evening when ...

3M agrees to pay more than $5.5 billion over combat earplugs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

3M Co. has tentatively agreed to pay more than $5.5 billion to resolve over 300,000 lawsuits claiming it sold the US military defective combat earplugs, people familiar with the deal said. The settlement would avert a potentially much larger liability that 3M sought to curb through a controversial bankruptcy case that ultimately collapsed. The sum is about half the roughly $10 billion some financial analysts predicted 3M could end up paying over allegations that the earplugs didn’t adequately protect the hearing of service members.Traders welcomed the resolution. 3M shares gained $5.17 Monday, closing at $104.12 on the news.“Sounds like 3M negotiated a pretty good deal for itself, given this litigation has been weighing on them for the better part of a decade,” said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who teaches about product liability cases.A 3M representative said the company doesn’t comment on rumor or speculation.Analysts at Barclays had estimated that the ...

Heat wave to close out August before Labor Day weekend cooldown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- It's a hot start to the week with rising temperatures expected to heat up anywhere east of the beaches through Wednesday. By Thursday, some relief is in sight temperature-wise with more cloud coverage and a deepening marine layer on tap as we head into Labor Day weekend. Monday and Tuesday will continue to be toasty with a shallow marine layer along the coast. Expect hot and dry conditions with daytime highs landing most inland areas five to 10 degrees above average. For the low deserts, highs are reaching up to 12 degrees above the 30-year average. Could excessive heat mean more snakes indoors? Snakes need shade, too By mid-week, we could see the heat take a back seat and simmer down. Low pressure over the Pacific Ocean could soon influence the weather pattern pushing the current ridge of high pressure more east over Arizona and New Mexico. Until then, we'll continue to see temperatures well above-average. As of Monday morning, the valleys and the deserts are under ...

Faculty member fatally shot in University of North Carolina building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:05 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — A shooter killed a faculty member in a science building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday, police said after a lockdown paralyzed the campus community as authorities searched for a suspect.Police arrested the suspect about an hour and a half after the initial reports of shots fired came in from Caudill Labs, officials said at a news conference. Charges were pending, and the suspect was not immediately identified.University officials also did not immediately identify the staffer who was killed and said it was too soon to offer a possible motive.“This loss is devastating, and the shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted in our campus community,” Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said.Emergency sirens sounded about two minutes after a 911 caller reported gunfire at the laboratory in the heart of the flagship campus, UNC Police Chief Brian James said.Students and faculty barricaded themselves in dorm rooms, off...