Free Republic

Nearly 150 Emerson College parents on Thursday sent a letter calling for President Jay Bernhardt’s resignation, a decision one parent said was motivated by a sense that administrators and Bernhardt in particular had consistently failed to meet the needs of students before and after the arrests of more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters last week. Megan Howard, one of the organizers of the petition, and the first parent to sign on, told MassLive that her student was at the encampment set up at Emerson on the morning of April 25, when Boston Police descended on student protesters and began taking them...

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont acknowledged Monday he helped hire a landscaper that illegally chopped down more than 180 trees and thousands of bushes on a property behind his Greenwich home, capping off days of questions about his level of involvement. The wealthy two-term Democrat, along with one of his neighbors and a neighborhood organization, have been accused of removing trees in protected wetlands — property they do not own — to get a better view of a pond. Lamont denied that charge, telling reporters on Monday the trees were damaged in previous storms and the plan was to clean up...

Not much detail yet, reporter said in the late pre-Dawn hours UConn police in Connecticut state police did a joint operation to prevent entry to the encampment, then begin arresting protesters one by one. According to the reporter, some of the students suspected that would be the outcome in the last few days.

Emerson College will not take disciplinary action against students arrested as part of a pro-Palestinian protest encampment that was dispersed by Boston police last week, its president said in a letter to the college community Sunday. Over 100 protesters were arrested in downtown Boston’s Boylston Place alleyway in the early morning on Thursday, Boston police said previously. The demonstrators were part of an encampment protest against the war in Gaza by the student organization Students for Justice in Palestine. Those arrested in the public alleyway face “a series of charges,” including disturbing the peace and unlawful assembly, police said. But...

District Attorney Sandra Doorley repeatedly ignored officer commands when stopped for speeding in Webster this week — telling them she was the DA, didn’t care about the reason for the stop and that they should leave, footage released by the Town of Webster shows. “I am the DA of Monroe County,” she told the officer at one point in the interaction captured by the officer’s body worn camera. “...I don’t really care. You know what, if you give me a traffic ticket, that’s fine. I’m the one that prosecutes it, OK? Just go ahead and do it. Go ahead. Go...

Up to 300 UConn students launched a Gaza Solidarity Encampment Thursday evening to protest UConn’s “complicity in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and its shameful contributions to militarism around the world,” according to a release from the UConn Divest coalition. The students are also advocating for a liberated Palestine. The UConn Divest coalition launched the encampment, bringing together student organizations and individuals who are committed to fighting for a free Palestine and to ending the university’s support for occupation and genocide, the coalition said. ... These include disclosure and divestment from occupation and genocide. The students want the university...

The gas-powered Dodge Charger isn't dead yet. While the V-8 may be gone, Dodge will continue to offer the Charger will an internal combustion engine alongside the two new electric variants revealed today. At the top of the internal combustion food chain sits the Dodge Charger Sixpack H.O. It's powered by Stellantis's 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane straight-six engine, rated at 550 horsepower. There's also a Sixpack S.O. version rated at 420 horsepower. "The Hurricane engine-powered Dodge Charger Sixpack models will give the Brotherhood of Muscle a gas option that produces better horsepower and torque numbers than the outgoing 5.7 and 6.4-liter...

President Biden faced his most significant challenge in Michigan from those opposed to his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Republican infighting in the state did not involve Donald J. Trump, who coasted to victory.

Officials have asked Gov. Maura Healey to send in the Massachusetts National Guard to stop violence and address security concerns at a troubled high school in a city south of Boston, some school committee members said Monday. Four of the seven members of the Brockton School Committee backed the National Guard request amid teacher shortages and budget deficits, but city officials weren't unanimous in their support. The governor's office acknowledged the concerns about Brockton High School, where teachers reported fighting and drug use in the hallways, and verbal abuse of staff. “Our administration is committed to ensuring that schools are...

A Republican-led House panel approved articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas early Wednesday for having “willfully and systematically” flouted federal immigration laws and breached the public trust. The House Homeland Security Committee voted 18-15 along party lines for the two articles of impeachment, affirming that Mayorkas failed to detain migrants crossing the border before deciding whether to grant asylum. The articles also state that the secretary ignored records requests from the committee and misled Congress about having “operational control” of the US border and maintaining that it is “secure.” The marathon hearing, which dragged on for more...

Never forget. Never forgive when I heard this. It absolutely cemented in my mind I should never get that jab. Best decision ever made.

Even though inflation is still higher than ideal, many things are actually getting cheaper. But perhaps not the ones most Americans want. The prices of durable goods, meaning long-lasting items such as used cars or appliances, have fallen year-over-year for each of the past five months. Data released Thursday by the Commerce Department showed prices for such goods were down 2.2% in October compared with the year prior. Some economists estimate the fall in goods prices could bring inflation back to the Federal Reserve's 2% target by as early as the second half of 2024. One inflation gauge, the personal...

Ask anyone in Massachusetts: the best place to live out your last few years on Earth is Worcester. Or Springfield. This week, U.S. News & World Report released its ranking of Best Places to Retire, and the only two to crack the top 100 in Massachusetts were Worcester and Springfield. Keep in mind this is a list that ranked Harrisburg, PA, No. 1, and put Flint, Mich., ahead of cities surrounded by natural beauty, culture and attractions like Boise and Las Vegas. This year’s list is based on the evaluation of the nation’s 150 most populated metropolitan areas based on...

On Thursday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the proposed GOP funding to Israel.

As Massachusetts’ shelter system nears capacity, Gov. Maura Healey said Monday the state can no longer guarantee shelter placement for new arrivals after the end of this month. “I want to assure you that we will continue to engage, assess and serve every family who appeals for help as best we can,” Healey said during a press conference at the State House. The governor said that although families with high needs, including health and safety risks, will be prioritized for shelter placement as winter approaches, “we are entering a new phase of this challenge — we can no longer guarantee...

At Monday’s Police and Government Oversight Committee meeting, members of Minneapolis For A Better Police Contract (MBPC) recommended changes within the Minneapolis Police Department’s labor agreements. It includes putting a 50-hour-per-week cap on officers and eliminating the 25% threshold for sergeant staffing requirements. “There’s no reason that you need one supervisor per four officers. That’s costly to the city because you pay sergeants more money, and it’s pulling officers off the street from patrol and from responding to calls,” said Chara Blanch, a member of MBPC. Other recommendations include mandatory annual mental health screenings; returning the responsibility of discipline and...

The View kicked off its 27th season on Tuesday, but Whoopi Goldberg's seat at the table was empty. The show's longtime co-host, 67, was forced to miss the show's premiere after testing positive for COVID-19. "As you can see, Whoopi is not here. She has COVID. It’s back, it’s back!" co-host Joy Behar told the audience, referring to a growing uptick in COVID cases across the U.S. Behar, 80, was quick to assure viewers that Goldberg is doing well and will be back in action soon. "She’s on the mend, she’s on the tail end and will probably be back...

Maui County filed suit Thursday against Hawaiian Electric, alleging the utility caused the Lahaina wildfire and failed to take appropriate actions to maintain the grid. It’s the latest suit against Hawaiian Electric connected to the blaze — now the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century — but a new wrinkle in the story given that previously the utility had only faced litigation from residents for its operations before, during and after the blaze. John Fiske, one of several attorneys representing the county in the civil suit, says investigators have already documented evidence that “the ultimate cause and origin...

Flyers distributed by the union that represents Yale police officers have caused a stir among city and Yale police officials, who say they contain "inaccurate and irresponsible information" and are "aimed at inciting fear and public safety concerns among new students." The flyers, which officials said were created and distributed by the Yale Police Benevolent Association, "were distributed during Yale University’s annual move-in day this past weekend and aimed to create fear and stoke public safety concerns among new students and their families," an advisory notice said. The officials, including Mayor Justin Elicker, city Police Chief Karl Jacobson, Yale Police...

Amid rising Covid cases in Los Angeles, Lionsgate has brought back the mask mandate for nearly half of the company’s employees at its flagship office at 2700 Colorado Ave. in Santa Monica. The policy change was announced internally by Sommer McElroy, Response Manager for Lionsgate/Starz, in an email, a copy of which was obtained by Deadline. Implemented in response to several employees recently testing positive for Covid, it involves a mandatory mask mandate effective immediately and until further notice for the 3rd and 5th floors of the five-story building, the email said. “Employees must wear a medical grade face covering...