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Div. 8 Super Bowl: High-powered offenses on display as Carver, West Boylston clash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

The Division 8 Super Bowl between Carver and West Boylston will showcase two formidable offenses, each averaging over 41 points per game.After winning only three games last year, Carver (11-1) is relishing the opportunity to take the field for Wednesday’s opening state championship game at Gillette Stadium at 5:30 p.m.“We’re pumped. We’re thrilled.” said Carver head coach Ben Shuffain. “It’s nice when the work the kids and staff put in throughout the year pays off and you get to the big game again.”Carver has multiple weapons to choose from on offense. Quarterback Tyler Lennox poses a serious threat through the air, with his 37 touchdown passes and 2,711 passing yards ranking among the best in the state.“His growth the last couple of years has been tremendous,” Shuffain said. “He’s a terrific leader on and off the field. A high character kid with a good arm and he’s very smart athletically.”The most versatile player on the Carver roster is Jameson Helms, who can play running back, r...

Div. 1 Super Bowl: St. John’s Prep, Xaverian renew fierce rivalry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

All right. Everyone take a minute to breathe.That is what the Xaverian and St. John’s Prep teams are likely telling themselves after Thursday’s 23-21 Hawks win. The squads are meeting each other again on Wednesday (8 p.m.) at Gillette Stadium for the Div. 1 state championship.On Thanksgiving, Luke Bell’s 30-yard field goal decided the game as time ran out and the Xaverian fans rushed the field. But as Xaverian coach Al Fornaro has told his players: “What happened on Thursday has no bearing on what is going to happen on Wednesday night.”Xaverian heads into the game with a 10-2 record, while the Prep is 11-1.“It was tough. It was our first loss. We didn’t play well, especially defensively,” Prep coach Brian St. Pierre said. “It was probably our most poorly-played defensive game of the year. I think they’re eager to get back on the practice field and fix some of that. Health-wise, we are kind of in the same boat we’ve be...

Ford government to release ‘business case’ for moving science centre to Ontario Place

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

The Ontario government is set to release its long-promised “business case” today for moving the Ontario Science Centre from its current east Toronto location to Ontario Place, on the city’s waterfront.When Premier Doug Ford announced updates in April to his government’s plans to redevelop Ontario Place, it included moving the science centre and Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma cited a “business case analysis” as justification.She said the science centre’s current building is “in disrepair” and the analysis showed it would be less expensive to move the science centre downtown rather than rebuild it at the current location.The new science centre at Ontario Place – with a planned opening in 2028 – is set to be half the size of the current one, though the government says there will be more exhibition space despite a smaller overall footprint. Related: Advocates say Ontario Place deal between province, Toronto falls shor...

At least 40 civilians killed by al-Qaida-linked rebels in a Burkina Faso town, UN rights office says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 40 civilians were killed last weekend by al-Qaida-linked rebels trying to take control of a besieged town in Burkina Faso’s hard-hit northern region, the United Nations’ rights office said, calling the attack a war crime.In one of the largest clashes in recent years in the West African nation under threat from fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a large number of fighters tried to take control of Djibo near Mali’s border.The town, located 210 kilometres (130 miles) from the capital, Ouagadougou, has been under blockade by rebels for more than a year, often struggling to provide essential services.The militants in the latest attack, which happened on Sunday, also wounded 42 people and set fire to three camps for internally displaced people, U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango said in a statement on Tuesday that blamed the attack on JNIM, an umbrella coalition of armed groups aligned with al-Qaida.“Deliberately t...

Emirati-designated COP28 leader forcefully denies report UAE wanted to seek oil deals in summit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Emirati president-designate for the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks forcefully denied Wednesday a report alleging his nation planned to use the summit to strike oil and gas deals, a day before the summit was due to begin. However, Sultan al-Jaber, who also leads the massive state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., will step down from his position as CEO of the company — trying to head off the major criticism surrounding his selection of a planned vote to formally make him the leader of the talks. Al-Jaber called the allegations from a BBC report “an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency” before the talks begin Thursday. The report cited what it described as “leaked briefing documents” the broadcaster described as showing the Emirates planned to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations. “These allegations are false, not true, incorrect and not accurate,” al-Jaber told a small group of journalists gathered for a news con...

AI won’t pose immediate existential threat but ‘safety brakes’ needed: Microsoft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

Microsoft’s president says he doesn’t think artificial intelligence poses an immediate threat to humanity’s existence, but governments and businesses still need to move faster to address the technology’s risks by implementing what he calls “safety brakes.”“We don’t see any risk in the coming years, over the next decade, that somehow AI is going to pose some kind of existential threat to humanity, but … let’s solve this problem before the problem arrives,” Brad Smith said in an interview with The Canadian Press.Smith — a stalwart of Microsoft who first joined the company in 1993 and now doubles as its vice-chair — said it’s important to get the problems posed by the technology under control so the globe doesn’t have to be “constantly worried and talking about it.”He feels the way to address potential problems is through safety brakes, which could act like the emergency mechanisms built into elevators,...

El Niño brings a warm start to winter, but that could change: Weather Network

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

Chilly nights and snow-covered slopes may not be easy to come by in much of Canada during the first part of the winter season, according to the winter outlook from one of Canada’s prominent forecasters. The Weather Network predicts El Niño conditions will lead to above-average temperatures and lower-than-normal precipitation levels in much of the country, particularly in Western and Central Canada. While that trend is expected to hold throughout the winter in British Columbia and the Prairie provinces, the network said areas further east may see more variable conditions as the season progresses.“It’s an El Niño unlike anything we’ve quite seen before. And that means there could be a few surprises in store this year for Canadians,” said Chris Scott, chief meteorologist at The Weather Network. “Yes, El Niño means mild, but we’re going to have to watch for a change midwinter that could lead us down a different road than we’ve been down be...

Biden targets GOP Rep. Boebert in her district in a fresh political attack on Republicans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

DENVER (AP) — President Joe Biden will try to turn Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado into the embodiment of Republican opposition to his agenda as he visits her congressional district on Wednesday. The trip comes as Biden struggles with low approval ratings while he prepares for a likely 2024 rematch against former President Donald Trump, leaving Democrats eager for opportunities to score political points against Republicans. Biden plans to tour CS Wind, the world’s largest facility for wind tower manufacturing, in the town of Pueblo. The trip was originally scheduled for last month, but it was delayed as the Democratic president focused on the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. CS Wind is undergoing a $200 million expansion that is expected to create 850 jobs by 2026 with help from the tax benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act, which included hundreds of billions of dollars of financial incentives. In addition, a new analysis from the Treasury Department said clean energy in...

Austin man’s journey to transform the life of Alva, a dog with wobbler syndrome

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In honor of Giving Tuesday this week, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) shared a success story about one of their long-stay dogs. Joe Rotunda, a pet advocate, formed a unique bond with Alva, a dog with wobbler syndrome, after discovering her on Instagram. Despite Alva’s challenging condition, which led to her return to APA! after an initial adoption, Rotunda was determined to make a difference in her life.For two months, Rotunda visited Alva daily at APA!, gradually gaining her trust. Recognizing her special needs, he modified his home, adding ramps and safe spaces to accommodate her mobility issues. This effort was supported by APA!’s dog behavior training team, which provided essential training to help Alva adapt to a home environment.Dr. Ellen Jefferson, President and CEO of APA!, acknowledged Rotunda’s efforts as reflective of the success of Austin’s No Kill policy, which saves healthy and/or treatable animals from euthanasia. Rotunda, through his persistence, has shown ...

Cold-weather recipes: Chicken and potatoes, avocado salad and rice pudding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:12 GMT

For a cool-weather meal that feeds a crowd, consider a braise. Slow simmered and deeply flavored, it has a number of attractive qualities. For one thing, it benefits from steeping in its own juices; cooking it several hours ahead of serving, even a day before, is ideal. The flavors intensify, mature, strengthen.The best braising cuts include beef chuck, lamb shoulder or pork shoulder. But chicken is the easiest to braise, since it takes less time to cook than red meat. Legs are best. I like both thighs and drumsticks, sometimes cooking them as a whole leg, sometimes in two pieces.For a main, I went with a dish that approximates the Spanish chicken and potatoes in salsa brava I tasted years ago in Madrid. But I added ancho chile, traditionally used in Mexican cooking, for a different kind of heat. And I couldn’t resist adding a bit of cumin, so the result is a bit of a hybrid. Along with a splash of wine and chopped tomato, it is hearty and warming with a ruddy red sauce.The now-clos...