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Parents in Worcester propose ‘no homework days’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

Some parents in Worcester have recently made a push for a study break in the city’s public schools, proposing new homework-free nights. The Worcester School Committee took up the idea Tuesday night, opting to pass the proposal to a subcommittee for further discussion while reexamining the district’s homework policies. The Citywide Parent Advisory Council, a parent group, is behind the effort, which aims to have some days with no homework for students. The group said the proposal would support social emotional and mental health. Students agree. “I don’t like homework,” Grace Roberts told 7NEWS. “A lot of kids have to work,” one other student said. “So, homework on top of working late nights is really difficult.”  Roberts and her dad, Kes, just learned about the proposal on Thursday. “It’s part of being a parent,” Kes Roberts said. “It’s part of having a student. So, I’m fine with homework.”Students will still get assignments to take home as this pro...

As season nears end, Nets still expect Ben Simmons (knee/back) to return from injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

As the Nets approach the final 10 games of their regular season, head coach Jacque Vaughn believes embattled star forward Ben Simmons will make a return from the combination of back and left knee soreness that has left him sidelined since the Feb. 19 NBA All-Star break.Vaughn said for the fifth time since Simmons both had fluid drained from his left knee and received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection over the break that he has had “zero conversation” about shutting the former All-Star forward down for the remainder of the regular season.Asked if he’s operating under the belief that Simmons will play again this season, Vaughn said: “Definitely operating under that belief. … There’s been zero conversation about him not playing. We’re expecting him to be back. We’re waiting for him to be back.”Simmons missed five straight games from Jan. 28 through Feb. 6 due to left knee soreness. He returned to the rotation and played five st...

Safety Geno Stone re-signs with Ravens to bolster secondary; long snapper Nick Moore returns on 2-year deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

Geno Stone is coming back to the Ravens.The 23-year-old safety, whom Baltimore drafted out of Iowa in the seventh round in 2020 and was a restricted free agent, re-signed with the Ravens on a one-year deal Thursday, his agent Jack Bechta confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.The move came less than 24 hours after NFL free agency opened and was not a surprising one after the Ravens officially traded safety Chuck Clark to the New York Jets for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick Wednesday.Stone now projects as the Ravens’ No. 3 safety after veteran Marcus Williams and second-year pro Kyle Hamilton.Stone is coming off a solid year in which he played in all 17 games, including seven starts after Williams suffered a dislocated wrist. He had 38 tackles and one forced fumble on the season and earned a 69.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in the games he started, allowing just eight catches as the primary defender in coverage during that span.Stone was also a significant performer on speci...

20 years after U.S. invasion, young Iraqis see signs of hope

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

BAGHDAD (AP) — On the banks of the Tigris River one recent evening, young Iraqi men and women in jeans and sneakers danced with joyous abandon to a local rap star as a vermillion sun set behind them. It’s a world away from the terror that followed the U.S. invasion 20 years ago.Iraq ‘s capital today is throbbing with life and a sense of renewal, its residents enjoying a rare, peaceful interlude in a painful modern history. The wooden stalls of the city’s open-air book market are piled skyward with dusty paperbacks and crammed with shoppers of all ages and incomes. In a suburb once a hotbed of al-Qaida, affluent young men cruise their muscle cars, while a recreational cycling club hosts weekly biking trips to former war zones. A few glitzy buildings sparkle where bombs once fell.President George W. Bush called the U.S.-led invasion on March 20, 2003, a mission to free the Iraqi people and root out weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein’s government was toppled in 26 ...

Kansas push for medical marijuana appears done for this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators aren’t likely to legalize marijuana for medical uses this year following a vote Thursday.A Senate committee tabled a bill that would allow doctors to sign off on patients using marijuana products to treat 21 illnesses or conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, spinal cord injuries or chronic pain, starting in July 2024. Committee Chair Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, said he has no plans to bring the bill back up this year.Thirty-seven states allow the medical use of marijuana, including Oklahoma and Arkansas. Of those, 21 also allow recreational use, including Colorado and Missouri. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly supports legalizing medical marijuana, but opposition from law enforcement officials bolstered the skepticism of Thompson and other conservative Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature. The Kansas House passed a medical marijuana bill in 2021, but the measure didn’t receive a committee vote in the Senate. Like this...

Government finds that Canadian Human Rights Commission discriminated against workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

OTTAWA — A central government agency has found discrimination against workers within a Canadian institution specifically designed to root it out.The Treasury Board Secretariat found last week that the Canadian Human Rights Commission, whose mandate is to protect the core principle of equal opportunity, discriminated against Black and racialized employees.A decision dated March 6, obtained by The Canadian Press, says the commission breached the “no discrimination” clause in its collective agreement with three major public service unions. “I encourage the parties to engage in mediation to seek a meaningful resolution to the issues outlined in this policy grievance,” Carole Bidal, an associate assistant deputy minister at the agency, said in her decision.“As federal institutions, we seek to create a workplace that is diverse and inclusive, and where every public servant can make the best possible contribution to serving Canadians.”The Association of ...

Microsoft adds AI tools to office apps like Outlook, Word

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is infusing artificial intelligence tools into its suite of office software, including Word, Excel and Outlook emails. The company said Thursday the new feature, named Copilot, is a processing engine that will allow users to do things like summarize long emails, draft stories in Word and animate slides in PowerPoint. Microsoft 365 General Manager Colette Stallbaumer said the new features are currently only available for 20 enterprise customers. It will roll it out for more enterprise customers over the coming months.Microsoft is marketing the feature as a tool that will allow workers to be more productive by freeing up time they usually spend in their inbox, or allowing them to more easily analyze trends in Excel. The tech giant based in Redmond, Washington, will also add a chat function called Business Chat, which resembles the popular ChatGPT. It takes commands and carries out actions — like summarizing an email about a particular project to co-workers — ...

Are taxpayers on the hook for bank bailouts?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsNation) — While the White House says taxpayers will not be on the hook following two recent bank collapses, Republicans says these financial failures could impact every American with a bank account.Republicans at Capitol Hill on Thursday were warning that Americans won’t be immune to the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history.The bank failures are sparking a wave of uncertainty, and in some cases, anger. The Ohio Retired Teachers Association spoke out this week after the teachers’ retirement system lost tens of millions of dollars in the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. First Republic getting bailed out by large banks in $30B plan “Our position is we ought not be in hedge funds in private equity. We ought to have our money invested in safe indexes, instead,” said Dr. Robin Rayfield, an executive director of the Ohio Retired Teachers Association. “Our pension system pays people to gamble with our money and they always lose.”According to the Federal Deposit ...

AG: Illinois lottery employee accused of stealing, redeeming winning tickets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN-TV) — An Illinois lottery employee is accused of stealing and redeeming winning lottery tickets.According to the Illinois Attorney General's Office, 57 year-old Dean Derrick, of Springfield, is accused of stealing books of instant lottery tickets from retailers while working as a Lottery sales representative for the Illinois Lottery. Can I call the police if my neighbors are smoking weed? Derrick reportedly removed certain books, which he then took to separate retailers to redeem for prize money. His actions are believed to occur between March 23 and April 13, 2022.Derrick was charged Wednesday with four counts of theft of governmental property greater than $500 but less than $10,000, class 2 felonies punishable by three to seven years in prison; seven counts of official misconduct, class 3 felonies punishable by two to five years in prison; and three counts of wire fraud, class 3 felonies punishable by two to five years in prison.The Attorney General's Office alleges...

Severe thunderstorms moving through the area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A late-evening cold front is plowing through the area bringing the risk of strong to severe thunderstorms with hail, wind damage or even an isolated tornado.A Tornado Watch is in effect for Williamson, Lee and Milam counties until 1 a.m.Along and ahead of the strong cold front, we expect a window of potentially strong to severe thunderstorms between now and 1 a.m. Storms are expected to move into the Austin area between 8 p.m. and midnight, then southeastern areas beginning between 12-1 a.m.Line of storms moves through late tonight into early Friday morningMost of Central Texas remains in at a level 2 out of 5 (slight) severe weather risk this evening through Friday morning. Isolated to scattered severe storms are possible with hail and wind damage the main concerns. We do not expect a widespread, damaging severe weather event.Updated severe weather risk (SPC)Rain totals generally add up to 1/4"-1/2", with lighter amounts in the Hill Country. Download our KXAN Weath...