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Illinois dog sets world record for longest tongue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Illinois (The Pantagraph) — It’s official: Rocky the boxer has brought the glory of a Guinness World Record to the Twin Cities.The 9-year-old boxer, who belongs to Brad and Crystal Williams of Normal, earned the title of “longest tongue on a living dog” based on the results of measurements completed before a teeth cleaning on June 15 at Kruger Animal Hospital in Bloomington. Journalists from The Pantagraph also observed the process.The most recent record holder, Zoey Williams of Metairie, Louisiana, earned the title with a 5-inch tongue. While Rocky’s number came in higher earlier this month, the record could not be considered official until verified by Guinness.On Monday, the world records website displayed a photo of Rocky — tongue lolling haphazardly, eyes bright with excitement — and his stats: 5.46 inches, or 13.883 centimeters.“It’s pretty exciting, and he’s just a great dog,” Crystal Williams said Monday, reacting to the ...

Meloni’s migration mediation can’t save EU summit talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

In the end, they failed. Giorgia Meloni couldn’t pull it off this time.EU leaders on Friday walked away from their summit in Brussels without releasing a joint statement on migration. Hungary and Poland, who had launched an 11th-hour attack on the already-agreed position on migration, would not relent in their opposition. In a sign of the times, Italy’s leader Giorgia Meloni tried to strike a deal with the two leaders on the sidelines of the summit. But it was not enough to unblock the impasse.“I am never disappointed by those who defend their national interests,” Meloni said as she left, papering over a potential rift with her right-wing allies. The dispute was mostly symbolic. The end–of-summit text itself would have had almost no real impact on what was truly angering Hungary and Poland: A fresh deal to overhaul how Europe welcomes and relocates migrants. But the failure of the European Council to finalize a joint statement sent a strong signal about the rising emo...

French government gears up for another night of violence, armored vehicles deployed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

PARIS — The French government is scrambling to find a way to curb the violence that has rocked the country for three nights in a row after a teenager was shot dead by police during a traffic stop.Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said armored vehicles and extra police forces would be deployed in an attempt to curtail riots Friday, as authorities geared up for another night of violent outbursts. Several suburban cities around Paris have brought in night-time curfews through to Monday. Many school events that were scheduled to take place over the weekend, a week away from the summer break, have been cancelled. Buses and trams will stop circulating after 9 p.m. throughout France.President Emmanuel Macron chaired a government crisis meeting Friday, the second one this week, and vowed to deploy “additional means” to help deal with the situation.There has been unrest across France after a 17-year-old was killed by police in a Paris suburb, with protesters targeting public buildin...

Preparations underway for annual July 4th Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

Preparations were underway Friday just days away from this year’s July 4th Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the Esplanade. While crews worked to set the stage with lights, cameras and the sound system needed for the show, public safety officials told 7NEWS they also have security in place and are ready for big crowds. “Visitors here on the fourth will see many uniformed troopers, police officers, members of the National Guard and DCR rangers,” said State Police Interim Superintendent Colonel John Mawn. “They will also see numerous K9 teams from the state police and our local state and federal partners.”There will be security on the Charles River and in the sky above. Where some security will be visible, what the public does not see is the intelligence gathering that goes on leading up until the holiday. Speaking this week, officials said there are no credible threats to the Fireworks Spectacular. Still, officials said they want the public to stay alert.“What ...

Massachusetts agencies asked to spend $18 million with LGBTQ, disability-owned businesses in FY24

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

State agencies will need to work towards spending at least $18 million with LGBTQ- and disability-owned businesses during the fiscal year 2024 that starts on Saturday, the Healey administration announced Friday morning.The state already lays out agency spending benchmarks for businesses owned by veterans, minorities, and women. LGBTQ- and disability-owned businesses are the only categories without established benchmarks even though the state recognizes them in their Supplier Diversity Program, Gov. Maura Healey said.“Massachusetts is home to so many wonderful diverse and small businesses who are truly the backbone of our communities and our economy,” Healey said in a statement. “Our administration is committed to increasing opportunities for them to do business with the state, which will not only help their businesses grow but will also support the state’s equitable economic development.”The new benchmark is about $8 million short of the $10 million that state agencies spent with LG...

Bruins to buy out Mike Reilly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

On the eve of free agency, the Bruins decided to give themselves a little more breathing room under the salary.On the last day possible, the B’s placed Mike Reilly on waivers for the purpose of buying out the veteran defenseman. The buyout would give the B’s a savings of $2.66 million in 2023-24, though it would cost the B’s a $1.33 million hit in 2024-25. The salary cap, however, is expected to go up more significantly than it did this year. The cap bumped up $1 million to $83.5 million this year.The B’s currently have approximately $13.6 million in cap space. They have only six forwards and one goalie currently under contract on the NHL roster, with Jeremy Swayman and Trent Frederic being arbitration eligible restricted free agents.Though Reilly is a serviceable NHL puck-moving defenseman, he was a cap casualty in 2022-23 when the B’s were loaded, spending most of his time in Providence where about a third of his $3 million cap hit was hidden. &n...

The Supreme Court will decide if some judges have gone too far in striking down gun restrictions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

By MARK SHERMAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after its sweeping gun rights ruling, the Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether judges are going too far in striking down restrictions on firearms.The justices will hear the Biden administration’s appeal of one such ruling that struck down as unconstitutional a federal law meant to keep guns away from people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them.Arguments will take place in the fall in the first case in which the court could define the limits on new standards for evaluating gun laws that its conservative majority set out last June. That decision in the case, which has come to be known as Bruen, has upended gun laws across the country. It’s led to a rash of rulings invalidating some long-standing restrictions on firearms, but also produced confusion about what laws can survive.Governments have to justify gun control laws by showing they are “consistent with the Nation’...

Police investigating ‘unattended death’ at Sterling police station, Worcester DA’s office says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

State police and local authorities are investigating an “unattended death” last week at the Sterling Police Department,  a spokesperson for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said Friday.“Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and Sterling Police continue to investigate the June 23 unattended death at the Sterling Police Department,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Authorities are awaiting autopsy results which include toxicology reports.”Additional details were not available Friday morning.Sterling Police Chief Sean Gaudette did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cuban boy castaway Elián González becomes a lawmaker

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ (Associated Press)HAVANA (AP) — Elián González has the same big, expressive eyes he did 23 years ago when an international custody battle transformed him into the face of the long-strained relations between Cuba and the United States.Now 29, González is stepping into Cuban politics. He recently entered his country’s congress with hopes of helping his people at a time of record emigration and heightened tension between the two seaside neighbors.“From Cuba, we can do a lot so that we have a more solid country, and I owe it to Cubans,” he said during an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “That is what I’m going to try to do from my position, from this place in congress — to contribute to making Cuba a better country.”González has given only a handful of interviews since he was unwittingly thrust into the geopolitical spotlight as a boy. In 1999, at just 5 years old, he and his mothe...

In student loan and affirmative action rulings, advocates fear losses for racial equality

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:06 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Makia Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester.As a borrower who still owes just over $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she had been counting on President Joe Biden’s promised debt relief to wipe nearly all of that away.Now, the student loan cancellation plan has been dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court, which on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions. Both policies disproportionately help Black students. To Green and many other people of color, the efforts to roll them back reflect a larger backlash to racial progress in higher education.“I feel like working people have been through enough — I have been through enough,” said Green, a community organizer. “From a pandemic, an uprising, a recession, the cost of livin...