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Researchers monitor ‘big blob’ of brown seaweed headed to South Florida coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

A large buildup of seaweed known as sargassum has begun to wash up along the South Florida coast, but experts warn a gargantuan amount is coming in a couple of months.Dr. Brian LaPointe, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University, said he is monitoring the brown seaweed.“If we can figure out what the drivers are of this big blob, then maybe we can take some action to mitigate it,” he said.7News cameras captured the brown seaweed up and down our coast, from Broward to Miami-Dade counties.“It wasn’t until 2011 that we began to see this unusual bloom develop in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean,” said LaPointe.Health officials warn to expect more. In fact, the seaweed already extends about 5,000 miles wide.“It doubled in size in January from December,” said LaPointe.Health officials want beachgoers to be aware of the sargassum that is expected to build up along the shoreline.Health officials said the seaweed brings problems like a foul odor that irritat...

‘Hunting rifles’ — really? China ships assault weapons and body armor to Russia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

Chinese companies, including one connected to the government in Beijing, have sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes, including drone parts and body armor, according to trade and customs data obtained by POLITICO.The shipments took place between June and December 2022, according to the data provided by ImportGenius, a customs data aggregator.China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, one of the country’s largest state-owned defense contractors, sent the rifles in June 2022 to a Russian company called Tekhkrim that also does business with the Russian state and military. The CQ-A rifles, modeled off of the M16 but tagged as “civilian hunting rifles” in the data, have been reported to be in use by paramilitary police in China and by armed forces from the Philippines to South Sudan and Paraguay.Russian entities also received 12 shipments of drone parts by Chines...

Owner of Boston-area pizza chain accused of abusing employees, faces federal charge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

The owner of a pizza chain with multiple Boston-area locations appeared in court Thursday facing federal forced labor charges amid accusations that he abused an employee and threatened to report the employee’s immigration status. Stavros Papantoniadis, 47, of Westwood was charged with one count of forced labor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced.Papantoniadis owns Stash’s Pizza with locations in Dorchester and Roslindale. Homeland Security investigators said Papantoniadis targeted employees who lacked immigration status. Officials said one unnamed victim, who worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week in Dorchester was afraid of Papantoniadis and once cried when he was kicked in the groin. Investigators said Papantoniadis also knocked that man’s teeth out.“Victim 1 missed a day of work. The next day, Papantoniadis pushed him and caused him to call to the floor. Papantoniadis then called Victim 1 an ‘[Expletive] Muslim,'&#...

Shrewsbury police search for man who posed as Uber driver, approached students at bus stop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

Shrewsbury police announced an investigation Thursday following a report of a suspicious man who they said posed as an Uber driver to try to pick up children at a bus stop. Police said the incident happened Wednesday morning at a bus stop at the Shrewsbury Commons when a man described as a Hispanic male in his late 30s to 40s driving a black sedan approached a group of students and told them their parents called them an Uber to go to school. Police said the man drove away after none of the students got into the vehicle. The incident remained under investigation as of Thursday afternoon, according to police. Police said they will be increasing their police presence in the area. Police also urged parents to remind children to never get into a vehicle with a stranger. Police asked anyone with information on this incident to call Officer Shawn Valliere at 508-841-8435.

‘Boston Strangler’ unravels the politics and doubts around the serial-killer case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

(CNN) — It’s hard to keep serial killers down for long when it comes to movies and TV, especially when questions linger about the underlying case. “Boston Strangler” seems much cut from that “Zodiac” true-crime cloth, also placing the focus on an intrepid journalist, in this case at a newspaper that, notably, no longer exists.To those whose knowledge of the case begins and ends with the conviction of Albert DeSalvo, or who remember the highly fictionalized movie that starred Tony Curtis, this taut film (premiering, somewhat surprisingly, directly on Hulu) indicates it might warrant another look. Watching reporters navigate the maze of Boston politics also brings to mind the Oscar-winning “Spotlight,” on a lesser level, with an especially pointed note of misogyny and sexism in this early-1960s setting for good measure.Keira Knightley plays the aforementioned reporter, Loretta McLaughlin, who is pigeonholed writing ab...

This is your brain on social media

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

(CNN) — What effect does voracious use of social media — constantly consuming images of picture-perfect people posing in artfully arranged tableaux — have on the mental health of users, especially young female users?That question is on many people’s minds, and it’s at the heart of this week’s episode of the “Chasing Life” podcast.“How people see you, I guess, with social media — you want to put out a good picture of yourself, make it seem like you’re like your life is so perfect, even though not everyone’s life is perfect,” 16-year-old Sky Gupta told her father, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, during a deep-dive interview this year in which she touched on the topic of the pressure to be perfect.Many young people are in distressIt’s no secret that young people, especially young women, are in crisis. A report from the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, released in mid-February and drawing on data from fall 2021,...

Chris Perkins: Dolphins, with addition of Jalen Ramsey, give themselves another way to win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

Here’s what I like most about the 2023 Dolphins to this point: they’re giving themselves multiple ways to win games.Adding a player as good as All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey backs that statement.As I’ve said before, these are exciting times for Dolphins fans.The organization’s master plan reveals itself more and more as time passes, and the plan makes more sense each time you see another layer.Things are still coming together, of course. It’s only the opening days of free agency. Many holes must be filled.But these are incredibly exciting times for Dolphins fans.Ramsey, outfitted in Gucci at Thursday’s introductory news conference, pumped up the Dolphins’ secondary, which, for now, has projected starters of Ramsey and Xavien Howard at cornerbacks and Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones or DeShon Elliott at safeties, and Nik Needham or Kader Kohou at nickel.“This is the best group that I’ve been a part of,” Ramsey said, “...

Dolphins sign former Jets lineman for offensive line depth; re-sign Geron Christian

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

The wait is over for the Miami Dolphins to bring in an outside free agent for offensive line depth and competition.They agreed to terms with former New York Jets lineman Dan Feeney on Thursday morning, according to a league source. The Dolphins are also bringing back offensive tackle Geron Christian after the team brought him on board late last season.Feeney can make a push to play at left guard or replace Michael Deiter, who remains a free agent, as backup center behind Connor Williams. Liam Eichenberg, the Dolphins’ 2021 second-round pick, was the starting left guard last season, and Robert Jones filled in serviceably when Eichenberg was injured with a knee ailment. Practice-squad guard Lester Cotton also started the playoff loss at Buffalo when Miami dealt with multiple injuries on the line.Feeney, who has 64 career starts, has mostly been a reserve for the Jets the past two years, but has started in spot duty. He also contributes on special teams. Before going to New York ...

Patriots host Trey Flowers and an ex-Lions LB on free-agent visits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

Hello, old friend.The Patriots hosted former defensive lineman Trey Flowers on a free-agent visit Thursday, according to reports. The 29-year-old appeared in four games last year for Miami, amassing four tackles and one QB hit. Flowers last played for the Pats in 2018 before leaving for a 5-year, $90 million contract in Detroit, a stint that lasted three seasons.The Patriots also hosted ex-Lions linebacker Chris Board, a core special teamer Bill Belichick raved about last season. Before the Pats hosted Detroit in Week 5, Belichick said of the 27-year-old: “Board, that’s the best special teams player we’ll play against all year. He’s a great player.”Board recorded 21 tackles and a forced fumble last season between his snaps on special teams and as a defensive reserve. He started his career with a four-year stint in Baltimore, where he played from 2018-2021 and started two games.One of the Patriots’ core special teamers entering last season, safety ...

Banks swoop in to rescue First Republic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:34 GMT

NEW YORK — Eleven of the biggest banks in the country announced a $30 billion rescue package for First Republic Bank on Thursday, in an effort to prevent the California-based bank from becoming the third bank to fail in less than a week.First Republic serves a similar clientele as Silicon Valley Bank, which failed Friday after depositors withdrew about $40 billion. It appears that First Republic, which had deposits totaling $176.4 billion as of Dec. 31, was facing a similar crisis.In a statement, the group of banks confirmed that other unnamed banks had seen large amounts of withdrawals of uninsured deposits, which are those that exceed the $250,000 level insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. First Republic’s shares dropped more than 60% Monday, even after the bank said it had secured additional funding from JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve.Thursday the bank’s shares were down as much as 36%, but rallied after reports the rescue package was in the works, ...