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Biden, EU leader launch talks to ease rift on EV subsidies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a potential boost for electric vehicles, President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday they’ve agreed to open negotiations on the use of European minerals critical in the production of batteries for EVs that are eligible for U.S. tax credits.The two sides agreed to start talks on easing differences between the U.S. and European Union over electric vehicle tax credits included in Biden’s roughly $375 billion clean energy law that passed last year. The legislation includes incentives for the purchase of vehicles — if they are largely manufactured in the United States.After her meeting with Biden, von der Leyen said if the deal is completed it will lead to critical raw materials sourced in the European Union being treated as if they were sourced in the United States“It is important on both sides of the Atlantic to know what kind of incentives are being given to the clean tech industry, to make sure that we join forces ...

No. 1 Houston beats ECU in AAC, gets back-to-back 30 wins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Marcus Sasser was playing again in March for top-ranked Houston, and the Cougars could have been in big trouble without him in the American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals. Two days after being named the league’s top player, Sasser scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half Friday as the Cougars overcame their worst-shooting game all season to beat East Carolina 60-46 for their 30th win of the season.“It just shows his character and the type of person he is,” guard Jamal Shead said. “He never lets a lot of things get to him, and just showing out good he is that second half.”Sasser was a starter on the Cougars’ 2021 Final Four team but missed their run to the NCAA Elite Eight last year because of a broken bone in his left foot before Christmas.“Just being back out there with my teammates during March is always a good experience, a fun experience,” said Sasser, who was 9-of-15 shooting. The Cougars (30-2), a sure-bet No....

Homeless camp with kitchen, shelves, closet rods found inside bridge over I-70

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) — Wheat Ridge Police estimate about six people had been living inside a bridge that goes over Interstate 70 in Jefferson County.“It’s pretty unbelievable. I don’t think most of our officers, including our command staff, who’s been here over 30 years, had ever seen anything like that,” Wheat Ridge Police public information officer Joanna Small said. Are people already waiting in line for Casa Bonita to reopen? Last month, WRPD said one of its community officers spotted a person crawling into an access tunnel for the Colorado 58 flyover near 44th Avenue and Youngfield Street. According to WRPD, the bridge has interior compartments the Colorado Department of Transportation uses to access parts of the roadway for repairs and inspection. “And what they discovered was section after section of trash, garbage, items. People using this as kind of like a makeshift living environment,” Small said.Body camera video showed tunnel conditionsBody camera video shows hoar...

Biden FAA nominee doesn’t need waiver, DOT tells Republicans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

President Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) doesn’t need a waiver from Congress to be confirmed, the Biden administration told lawmakers Thursday.Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, has insisted that FAA nominee Phil Washington must secure a waiver due to his retired military status, citing federal law that says the FAA administrator must be a civilian. Republicans would likely vote down the waiver, dooming his nomination.In a letter to Cruz obtained by The Hill, Department of Transportation general counsel John Putnam said that Washington has “engaged in solely civilian pursuits and clearly fits the plain and widely understood meaning of the word” since retiring from the U.S. Army in 2000 after 24 years of service. “No further analysis is required to confirm Mr. Washington’s eligibility,” Putnam wrote. “If Congress had wanted to impose additional restrictions on individuals with prior service in the milita...

Pats safety Devin McCourty retiring after 13 NFL seasons

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Devin McCourty has only known one home during his NFL career since being selected by the New England Patriots as a first-round draft pick out of Rutgers in 2010.Three Super Bowl rings and 13 seasons later, he’s walking away from the sport as one of the Patriots’ most decorated and respected players on and off the field.The veteran safety announced his retirement in an Instagram video Friday, calling his career “a great ride.”“It’s always tough to kind of come to the end,” McCourty told his twin brother, Jason, in the video. “This whole offseason has been back and forth for me mentally, probably not even sharing as much of the thoughts that I was just going between from one day to the next day. But ultimately, I think this is the best decision for me, my family, for my career.”McCourty, 35, went into the offseason wavering about his future with the Patriots along with fellow longtime captain Matt Slater. The 37-year-old Slater ultimately made the de...

Snow showers overnight, Nor’easter next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

7Weather – It was another nice day as a lot of us joined the 50° club. Changes overnight as the center of a weak low pressure system tracks to our south, but tosses some scattered showers our way.Snow and rain showers hold off until late tonight/midnight. Scattered showers linger through tomorrow morning. Temperatures through Worcester County and west will be more supportive of snow. The snow totals will be minimal and confined to non-paved surfaces. Temperatures along the coast and southeast Mass will be marginal. You might see some flurries, but they won’t stick to the surfaces. Scattered snow showers linger Saturday afternoon as the system wraps in moisture while moving east. By then, temperatures will be too far above freezing for anything to stick. We’ll hold on the clouds and temperatures will be stuck in the 30s. It’ll be blustery too with a northeast breeze making it feel chillier throughout the day.Sunday is your better day of the weekend. It’s...

‘The stakes are high’: Advocate calls for investments as MBTA’s issues continue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

No matter what color the line, the MBTA’s safety issues date back decades. After a ceiling panel fell at the Harvard Station in Cambridge earlier this month, and as MBTA riders voice frustrations over sudden new delays this week, one transit advocate has pointed to prior investments in the T, saying the agency needs to get back to such levels of investment. “The stakes are high,” Jarred Johnson of TransitMatters told 7NEWS this week. “I think we need a sense from Beacon Hill both from the corner office and the legislature that the T is in crisis.” The T’s issues can be deadly. Last April, a 39-year-old man was killed when his arm got stuck in the door of a train departing Broadway station on the Red Line, leading him to be dragged as the train pulled away. In its preliminary report weeks after the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said a fault in a door control system was to blame.Just under a year later, the man’s family is now suing the MBTA in conn...

Becoming more apparent the Packers are ready for life without Aaron Rodgers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

Ever since the Jets’ visit to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earlier this week, there has been silence from all parties involved.That is until Friday afternoon.Of all places, Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy spoke with WBAY-TV, a television station in Green Bay, during a WIAA girl’s basketball state tournament about Rodgers’ future.During the interview, Murphy was asked if there was a scenario where Rodgers could remain with the Packers next season.“Yeah, I mean, unless if things don’t work out the way they would want them,” Murphy said. “Yeah, he is obviously a great player.”On Tuesday, Jets owner Woody Johnson, general manager Joe Douglas, coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett flew out to California to meet with Rodgers, hoping to convince the former four-time MVP to ask to be traded to their team after receiving permission from the Packers.Rodgers has been contemplating his future since the end of th...

Ticker: Online betting begins in Bay State; Belgium bans TikTok from government phones

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

Sports fans raced to their cell phones Friday to begin placing bets as the state allowed online sports wagering just days ahead of tipoff of the NCAA Tournament next week.The start of online sports gambling came a little over a month after the state began allowing people to place wagers in person at the state’s three casinos — Encore Boston Harbor in Boston, Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, and MGM Springfield in Springfield.Lawmakers estimate that sports betting could generate about $60 million in annual tax revenue and $70 million to $80 million in initial licensing fees, which must be renewed every five years. The law includes a 15% tax on in-person wagering and 20% tax on mobile wagering. People must be 21 or older to bet.Belgium bans TikTok from government phonesBelgium is banning TikTok from government phones over worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation, the country’s prime minister said Friday, mirroring recent action by other authorities in E...

Patriots re-sign LB Raekwon McMillan, per report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:09 GMT

The Patriots and linebacker Raekwon McMillan have reached terms on a new contract Friday that will keep McMillan from hitting unrestricted free agency next week, according to a report from The Boston Globe.McMillan, 27, will enter his third season with the Patriots after originally signing as a free agent in 2020. He missed that season with a torn ACL, then bounced back to post 35 tackles, a QB hit and one fumble recovery in 16 games with one start last season. McMillan’s return adds depth at inside linebacker, where the Pats are expected to lose fellow backup Mack Wilson in free agency.Starters Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai are both under contract for next season, though Bentley’s deal runs only through 2023.Earlier Friday, the Patriots released punter Jake Bailey, and safety Devin McCourty announced his retirement after 13 NFL seasons.