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Two former directors of nonprofit Violence in Boston indicted on new federal fraud charges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Two former directors of the local nonprofit Violence in Boston (VIB) and her husband were charged in a superseding indictment Thursday in connection with a scheme to defraud the City of Boston out of COVID-19 relief funds and rental assistance money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Monica Cannon-Grant, 42, and Clark Grant, 39, both of Taunton, were charged by a federal grand jury in a 27-count superseding indictment, returned Thursday with three counts of wire fraud conspiracy, 17 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy, and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business.The new wire fraud charges center on alleged schemes to obtain and utilize pandemic assistance funds from the Boston Resiliency Fund for purposes not disclosed to the city, including for their own personal benefit and to fraudulently obtain rental assistance payments from Boston’s Office of Housing Stability. Cannon-Grant was also charged with mail fraud, filing false tax re...

Boston woman to be arraigned for larceny after allegedly making $500K in Burlington credit card scam

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

A 19-year-old Boston woman is set to be arraigned Friday for her alleged role in a credit card scam that police say involved her making over half-a-million dollars’ worth of fraudulent charges.Ariel Foster of Boston is now facing a charge of Larceny Over $1,200, according to the Burlington Police Department.In a statement, Burlington Police Chief Thomas Browne said her arrest came weeks after detectives were called to the Lovisa jewelry store in the Burlington Mall for a report of a credit card machine breach on Feb. 22.Browne said an investigation found that on three dates that month, some items scanned at the register had their prices increased, and that the cost of the items was then allegedly refunded to a credit card belonging to Foster, an employee at the store.Police identified eight such transactions, adding up to a total loss of $547,187. Authorities also determined Foster was at the store when the breaches occurred.Police said bank records showed Foster made several expens...

ASK IRA: How badly do the Heat need Kyle Lowry back in the lineup?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Q: How can you be the Sun Sentinel basketball expert with expert opinions like Kyle Lowry is going to return to lead the Heat? Do you actually watch the games or just stuff your face with hotdogs? – Alan.A: Actually, if you happened to be walking by on Wednesday night, you would have noticed I was stuffing my face with a donut, but that’s another story (the Heat only offer hot dogs in the media food room on weekends). And just because my business card reads “Basketball Expert,” I wouldn’t necessarily get caught up in the hype. In all seriousness, though, it became clear with Wednesday night’s season-high 24 turnovers that the Heat need a steadying force for the types of games that Erik Spoelstra refers to as being “in the mud.” So there are two ways to look at Kyle Lowry’s impending return: 1. That the knee will remain an ongoing issue, limiting his efficiency to what he was before he took the past month off. 2. Or that Kyle will...

MBTA announces systemwide slowdown to only 10-25 mph

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Better get up a bit early if you use the MBTA.The agency has announced the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines will operate at speeds of 10-25 mph “out of an abundance of caution.”The system-wide speed restriction was implemented following negative findings from the Department of Public Utilities during an inspection of a stretch of Red Line track on Monday.Trains will travel no faster than 25 mph, effective immediately, on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green Lines, the MBTA said.“These actions will add additional travel time for people taking the T,” spokesperson Lisa Battiston said. “The MBTA apologizes in advance for these inconveniences and remains committed to operating the transit system in the safest way possible.”DPU, the T’s state safety oversight authority, issued six violation letters to the MBTA on Tuesday as a result of their inspection of southbound Red Line track between Ashmont and Savin Hill.Inspectors observed multiple trains “overshooting” statio...

How the recent storms impacted San Diego's water supply in reservoirs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO – With recent storm systems that swept through the west, California has seen more precipitation this year than normal, bringing the water supply stored in reservoirs -- both locally and across the state -- up from historic lows to levels that are some of the highest in years.And with drought conditions having improved in much of California, experts say that the amount of water captured from this year’s particularly wet winter could help ease the impact of hotter, drier weather in San Diego, as the state recovers its depleted water supplies. “The state received nine atmospheric rivers and they provided major precipitation, (allowing) water agencies across the state – including San Diego County – to store some of that water for hotter, drier summertime, when water usage goes up,” Efren Lopez, water resources specialist with the San Diego Water Authority, said to FOX5SanDiego.com. Where does the California drought stand heading into spring? One of the state’s largest r...

Man stabbed, beaten in East Village

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man was allegedly stabbed and beaten by a suspect in the East Village area early Friday morning, authorities said.According to the San Diego Police Department, the victim, who's age and identity have not been released, walked up to another person at 1050 B St. and said he needed help due to his injuries. The exact time of the encounter has not been specified. Man arrested after deadly gas station stabbing The Good Samaritan called police who arrived on the scene and are investigating the incident.The victim was evaluated at the scene. SDPD has not confirmed whether or not the man was transported to a hospital. The nature of his injuries is also unknown.A suspect is not yet in custody or detained at this time and police did not have a description of the perpetrator.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

US charity calls on Egypt to release hunger-striking poet

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A U.S. charity has called on Egypt to release a well-known poet and songwriter who is on a hunger strike to protest his five-year incarceration. Pen America demanded Thursday that Egyptian authorities release Galal al-Behairy, who was first detained in March of 2018 and later handed a three-year sentence for spreading false news and insulting Egypt’s military. In a leaked letter that coincided with the fifth anniversary of his arrest, al-Behairy said he would refuse food and medication until he secured his freedom. An Egyptian government media officer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call for the hunger striker to be released. Al-Behairy wrote the lyrics to the hit Egyptian pop song, “Balaha,” sung by exiled pop star Ramy Essam. The poet was arrested a month after its release. ‘’I committed one crime, which is poetry,″ al-Behairy wrote in his letter, published across social media. “The strike will continue until I regain my freedom...

German gunman kills 6 at Hamburg Jehovah’s Witnesses hall

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A gunman stormed a service at his former Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Hamburg, killing six people before taking his own life after police arrived, authorities in the German port city said Friday.Police gave no motive for Thursday night’s attack, which stunned the country’s second-biggest city. But they acknowledged recently receiving an anonymous tip that claimed the man showed anger toward religious groups and might be psychologically unfit to own a gun.An unborn baby was among the dead, but police didn’t say whether the mother was also killed. Eight people were wounded, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the death toll could rise.Officers apparently reached the hall while the attack was ongoing — and heard one more shot after they arrived, according to witnesses and authorities. They did not fire their weapons, but officials said their intervention likely prevented further loss of life.Scholz, a former Hamburg mayor, lamented the “terrible i...

Wall Street futures lower ahead of US jobs update

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

BEIJING — Wall Street futures were modestly lower Friday ahead of a U.S. job market update amid unease about possible further interest rate hikes.Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.3% and futures for the S&P 500 were off 0.2%.The S&P 500 index fell Thursday by its biggest one-day margin this year after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned rates might be raised faster than expected to cool stubbornly high inflation.Adding to the rout was SVB Financial Group, which lost 60% of its value Thursday after announcing plans to raise up to $1.75 billion to strengthen its financial position amid concerns about higher interest rates and the economy. The SVB news dragged Bank of America, Citigroup and others along with it, though they had stabilized by premarket Friday. SVB shares continued to slide in off-hours trading, falling another 62% before the bell.Traders looked ahead to U.S. government hiring data due out Friday after other indicators showed the job m...

US adds a robust 311,000 jobs despite Fed’s rate hikes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added a substantial 311,000 jobs in February, fewer than January’s huge gain but enough to keep pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates aggressively to fight inflation.The unemployment rate rose to 3.6% from a 53-year low of 3.4%, as more Americans began searching for work and not all of them found jobs.Friday’s report from the government made clear that the nation’s job market remains fundamentally healthy, with many employers still eager to hire. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress this week that the Fed would likely ratchet up its rate hikes if signs continued to point to a robust economy and persistently high inflation. A strong job market typically leads businesses to raise pay and then pass their higher labor costs on to customers through higher prices.Last month, the government reported a surprising burst of hiring for January — 517,000 added jobs — though that gain was revised down slightly to 504,000 in Friday’s report...