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Prison for NH man in fraud case involving $6M in COVID loans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to over two years in prison for attempting to fraudulently obtain over $6 million in federal CARES Act funds for seven businesses, including one allegedly dedicated to helping with pandemic-related aid.The man, who pleaded guilty in September to bank fraud and wire fraud, applied for 35 Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds. He received nearly $874,000 of the total he applied for, the U.S. Attorney’s office said Monday.The man was sentenced in federal court to 28 months in prison; a co-defendant was sentenced to 41 months in prison.Both were accused of inflating the companies’ revenues and the number of employees on the applications. The man also was accused of submitting false tax filings.

Car fire closes several lanes on Mass Pike in Allston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

Several lanes on I-90 were closed after a car fire broke out on the roadway in Allston Tuesday morning.MassDOT officials said around 10 a.m. that two lanes on the Mass Pike heading west were closed by Exit 132 due to the vehicle fire, including the left and center lanes.https://twitter.com/realpolikseni/status/1645785438924464131The left lane on the eastbound side of the highway was also closed as crews responded to the scene.By 10:30 a.m., the area had been cleared, with some residual delays remaining.No details on the condition of the driver or what led up to the fire have been released yet.

How the Odell Beckham Jr. signing affects both Lamar Jackson and the Ravens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

During the last month, the relationship between the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson has been rocky to say the least.Now Baltimore hopes the signing of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will help mend fences between the two sides.Before the March 7 deadline, the Ravens placed the franchise tag on Jackson after failing to reach a long-term agreement. Then weeks later, during the NFL Annual Meetings in Phoenix, Jackson tweeted he had requested the Ravens to trade himx. This was minutes after coach John Harbaugh began speaking to the media.“You’ve got two sides that appreciate each other,” Harbaugh said last month. “Lamar believes in us and we believe in Lamar.“It’s a monetary thing that can be figured out, that can be worked out. That’s just a matter of negotiating. It’s a unique situation, it’s different than most years.“This is a contract situation… I’m looking forward to getting back to the normal ways of doing...

Watch Live: Funeral celebration for Boston civil rights icon Mel King

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

The city pays tribute today to the life and legacy of Melvin ‘Mel’ King, an activist and civil rights leader who changed the shape of Boston.“Mel had broken down so many walls and barriers in our city in his work as a public servant, as an activist, a father, a husband, a poet, a trailblazer,” said Mayor Michelle Wu during a wreath-laying ceremony Monday at City Hall. “He dreamed for the city. He challenged us to fight for that dream. And to do so with the all-encompassing power of love. Mel taught us how to serve, how to build, how to love, and how to envision a Boston that could truly be a home to everyone.”Watch today’s funeral service, billed as a “homecoming celebration” live from the Union United Methodist Church in Boston’s South End starting at noon.To watch directly on Boston City TV’s YouTube channel, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URe8BBaK4PcRelated coverage:Tributes pour in for civil-rights le...

Toronto police arrest 42 people, over 400 charges laid in cross-border investigation with U.S.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

Toronto police have revealed the results of a major cross-border firearms investigation with the help of American authorities that led to 42 arrests and over 400 firearm-related charges laid.Toronto police announced the charges on Tuesday, stemming from a year-long cross-border investigation called Project Moneypenny. Illegal narcotics, cash, and 173 firearms were seized in Canada and the United States.Canadian authorities said most of the firearms seized from Project Moneypenny and Project Zorro, a firearm initiative in York Region, came from the United States. Toronto police also noted that during the phases of both projects, undercover officers purchased quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and 25 firearms from identified people.In addition to collaborating with U.S. authorities, officers in Toronto worked closely with police in Durham, York, OPP and The Canada Border Services Agency. It’s alleged that several assailants were involved in illicit firearms sales in Toronto and acr...

AP source: Democrats pick Chicago to host 2024 convention

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have chosen Chicago to host their 2024 national convention, trying to keep the party’s momentum going after last fall’s midterm election success in the critical Midwest. The decision, confirmed by a Democratic official who spoke on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity before an official announcement, comes after President Joe Biden chose Chicago over finalists that also included Atlanta and New York.Chicago is solidly Democratic, as is Illinois. But holding the party’s presidential nominating gathering in such a pro-union city again demonstrates Biden’s commitment to organized labor — which will be critical to his bid to win a second term in the White House.The move also could counter Republicans, who last summer decided to hold their 2024 convention in Milwaukee in another critical Midwestern battleground state, Wisconsin.The 2020 Democratic convention was supposed to be held in Milwaukee but unfolded virtually because of the coronavirus pan...

GOP’s Moreno joins race to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Wealthy Cleveland business owner Bernie Moreno has joined the race to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, becoming the second Republican candidate to challenge the three-term incumbent.The 56-year-old auto dealer and technology executive filed his paperwork Monday. Moreno also ran last year for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat but later dropped out of the crowded GOP primary.Brown, a staple of Ohio politics since the 1970s, is one of just three Democratic senators up for reelection next year in a state won by former President Donald Trump. Republicans are eyeing the seat as one of their top opportunities for a pickup in 2024.Already challenging Brown is Republican state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns baseball’s Cleveland Guardians. He also ran last year for the seat vacated by Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, but lost the GOP nomination to JD Vance, who went on to win the general election.Trump’s sway played heavily in las...

Sheriff Mark Lamb files papers to run for Senate in Arizona

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb has filed federal paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in Arizona, becoming the first Republican to jump into a high-profile race for the seat now held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Lamb, who filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, has built a profile in Arizona and beyond as a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and an advocate for cracking down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling. While Pinal County is not on the U.S.-Mexico border, it has a number of active drug and human smuggling routes through remote desert terrain.The Arizona race is a top target for Republicans looking to take control of the Senate, which Democrats control 51-49, including Sinema and two other independents who generally vote with Democrats. The 2024 Senate map heavily favors the GOP, with Democratic-held seats up for grabs in three states Trump won. Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December after her relationship w...

Hungary forces new energy deals with Russia amid Ukraine war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary signed new agreements Tuesday to ensure its continued access to Russian energy, a sign of the country’s continuing diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow that have confounded some European leaders amid the war in Ukraine.Speaking at a news briefing in Moscow, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Russian state energy company Gazprom had agreed to allow Hungary, if needed, to import quantities of natural gas beyond the amounts agreed to in a long-term contract that was amended last year. The price of the gas, which would reach Hungary through the Turkstream pipeline, would be capped at 150 euros ($163) per cubic meter, Szijjarto said, part of an agreement that will allow Hungary to pay down gas purchases on a deferred basis if market prices go above that level. Szijjarto’s trip to Russia’s capital was unusual for an official from a European Union country. Most members of the 27-nation bloc have distanced themselves from Russ...

Canadian charities struggle with staff burnout, revenue, escalating demand: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:55 GMT

TORONTO — A survey of nearly 3,000 Canadian charities finds more than half said they couldn’t meet demand for help, while nearly a third reported a significant drop in revenue.The sixth edition of the Giving Report points to “severe challenges” in the charitable sector, driven by “unprecedented growth in demand … compounded with inflation and revenue shortfalls.”The online Nanos poll, commissioned by the donation platform CanadaHelps, surveyed 2,948 charity professionals representing 2,860 charities between Nov. 14 and 22, 2022.“This year’s report makes it abundantly clear that many Canadian charities are beginning to buckle under the strain of increased demand for services and stalled revenues, and we are now at a point where the majority of charities cannot meet demand,” Duke Chang, president and CEO of CanadaHelps, said Tuesday in a release.The report found 57 per cent of respondents said they could not keep up with increasing need for help, 40 per cent reported higher leve...