To cut absenteeism at school, Framingham teachers create 'walking bus'
FRAMINGHAM — Last year, Harmony Grove Elementary School physical education teacher Kelsey Duffy watched students regularly trickle into school late. To decrease absenteeism and tardiness, Duffy and other teachers set out to create a "walking school bus" each day. At 8:20 a.m. Monday, she and language development coach Brittany Macri looped around the school's neighborhood, hoisting rulers with signs reading "walking school bus" in the air. There aren't enough school bus drivers:Two school districts are warning parents. Harmony Grove is one of the schools impacted by this, along with Barbieri Elementary School, McCarthy Elementary School and Fuller Middle School.
Source:MetroXpress
September 15, 2021 09:00 UTC
Northern Irish police arrest four over killing of journalist Lyra McKee
BELFAST (Reuters) – Northern Irish police said on Wednesday they had arrested four men in relation to the 2019 killing of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry, whose death sparked outrage in the British-run province. The men, aged 19, 20, 21 and 33, were arrested under the Terrorism Act by officers investigating McKee’s murder, police said. The New IRA, one of a small number of groups that oppose the 1998 peace accord that ended three decades of conflict between opponents and supporters of British rule, said one of its members shot the 29-year-old reporter dead when they opened fire in the direction of police during a riot McKee was watching. Police charged a 52-year-old man with McKee’s murder last year, while saying more than one person was involved in the crime and the man who had fired the shot that killed her remained at large. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Peter Graff)
Source:MetroXpress
September 15, 2021 08:15 UTC
LGBTQ ally Gov. Gavin Newsom defeats recall attempt in California
Gavin Newsom (D), a longtime ally to the LGBTQ community, has survived a recall election that sought to strip him of his office. After the vote was called, Newsom celebrated his victory and promised to continue moving forward with the political agenda he campaigned on when first elected in 2018. Newsom, who has a record of supporting the expansion of LGBTQ rights in California, has long been viewed as an ally to LGBTQ advocates. Equality California, the state’s top LGBTQ rights organization, celebrated Newsom’s victory in a statement released shortly after The AP’s call. We have affirmed our California values and our support for Gavin Newsom, the most pro-equality governor in California history, and his tireless efforts to build a California for all.
Source:MetroXpress
September 15, 2021 05:53 UTC
Appeals court says university must hire back trans professor fired for her gender identity
A federal appeals court has ordered an Oklahoma university to reinstate a transgender English professor — with tenure — after ruling that she was denied tenure and ultimately fired after transitioning on the job. The Obama-era U.S. Department of Justice sued the university on Tudor’s behalf, marking the first time it had filed a sex discrimination lawsuit on behalf of a transgender person. “[A] tenured university professor holds an insular position that can effectively operate without the need for extensive collaboration with colleagues or school administrators,” Ebel wrote. Accordingly, Southeastern concedes that Bostock invalidates its arguments…that transgender discrimination is not enough alone to make out a Title VII violation,” Ebel wrote. “As injurious as the sex discrimination and retaliation were to Dr. Tudor, she did not consider it merely personal,” the statement said.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 23:53 UTC
Fantastic Five high school players from Monday, September 13 plus all the scores
Oceana Broome, Advanced Math and Science Academy:This junior recorded a team-high five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in the Eagles' rout of Abby Kelley. Cailyn Mackintosh, Franklin:This senior captain and setter recorded a double-double with 10 aces and 20 assists in a girls volleyball sweep over Attleboro. Abby Glynn, Holliston:This senior scored two goals in a 4-0 field hockey win over Medfield. AMSA 9, ABBY KELLEY 1: Sophomore Peter Miro and senior Seamus Noonan each scored two goals as AMSA (1-1) defeated Abby Kelley. FRANKLIN 4, ATTLEBORO 1: Kaeley Dubriske and Sydney Rogan both scored their first career varsity goals as Franklin (2-0) defeated Attleboro.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 22:14 UTC
ARK Invest’s Wood expects market rotation back to growth stocks
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Star stock picker Cathie Wood of ARK Invest on Tuesday reiterated her call that slowing economic activity in the United States will bolster growth stocks. Her flagship $21.1 billion ARK Innovation fund was the top-performing actively managed U.S. equity fund tracked by Morningstar last year. “We do believe that the market will start rotating back toward growth and innovation,” she added. Wood’s portfolio, which is heavy in growth stocks such as Tesla Inc, Teladoc Health Inc and Unity Software Inc, is down 5.5% for the year to date, well behind the nearly 19% gain for the benchmark S&P 500. The performance ranks in the lowest percentile among the 593 U.S. mid-cap growth funds, according to Morningstar.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
Top High School Football Players across MetroWest, Milford region from Week 1
From multi-touchdown games to 100-yard performances, football is back this fall in the commonwealth. The Daily News presents its Players of the Week from Week 1 of the high school football season. OffensiveJohnny Bennett, Sr., Dover-SherbornThis senior captain scored three times (2 rushing, 1 receiving) and forced a fumble on defense in the Raiders' win over Weston. Shayne Sutton, Sr., WaylandThis senior running back rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns in the Warriors’ 40-6 rout of Hopkinton. Vote:For the High School Football Defensive Player of the WeekJack Halloran, Sr., MillisThis senior linebacker made six tackles in the Mohawks’ season-opening win over Tri-County.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 18:44 UTC
First large-scale survey aimed at LGBTQ+ women who partner with women launches
Justice Work, a think tank and action lab led by former National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director Urvashi Vaid, is seeking participants for the first large-scale survey project aimed at LGBTQ+ women who partner with women. Titled “The National LGBTQ+ Women*s Community Survey,” the recently launched project seeks to learn from the experiences of queer women and gather data that can be used to formulate solutions to existing problems facing LGBTQ+ women. “We don’t want just the largest sample of LGBTQ+ women’s experiences — we need a truly representative sample,” Sewell, the project’s principal investigator, said in a statement. The initiative’s goal is to ensure that LGBTQ+ women, of all genders, ages, races, and sexual and material experiences, who partner with women are better understood. “Our goal is to bring forward real life experience to inform policy change, service delivery and action to support LGBTQ+ women.”For more information on the National LGBTQ+ Women*s Survey, or to take it online, visit www.lgbtqwomensurvey.org.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
Caller claimed to be 'active shooter' at Natick Mall. Police say it was 'swatting'
NATICK — The Natick Mall was placed on lockdown and the Wegmans grocery store was evacuated Monday evening after a caller claimed he was an “active shooter" at the mall. The incident, however, turned out to be a case of "swatting" — making false calls to police and fire to get a large public safety response. No one was injured and there was no shooter, police spokeswoman Lt. Cara Rossi said Tuesday. The unknown person originally called the Boston Police Department, claiming to be an active shooter at the mall who had actually killed 15 people. The 911 call was transferred to Natick police at 6:29 p.m., when again the caller claimed to be at the mall shooting people, Rossi said.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 15:45 UTC
French mayor attacked, stripped, and tied to tree at gay cruising spot
The mayor of a small town in the Occitanie region of France has been hospitalized after he was stripped, robbed, and tied to a tree at a popular gay cruising spot. His attackers had stolen his car and clothes before fleeing the scene, La Dépêche reports. They took the man’s car keys and then tied him to a nearby tree. Intolerance, hatred and violence are unacceptable.”The mayor is not the first person to be attacked in the car park. In 2018, four gay men were attacked by the same person over a fifteen-day span.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 15:42 UTC
Irrelevant comedian Jim Breuer doubles down on irrelevance, refuses to perform at metro Detroit venue over vaccination requirement
"For some of them [venues] it's the governors," Breuer said in an unhinged 22-minute Facebook video. Either way, they gotta do what they gotta to do or feel they have to do but, I'm telling you, the Royal Oak Theatre? He, a white, god-fearing man, went on to call the policies implemented by concert promoters Live Nation and AEG, which operates Royal Oak Music Theatre, as being akin to "segregation". The comedian also said that he communicated with Royal Oak Music Theatre who asked him to reschedule rather than cancel, which Breuer perceived as optimism. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Google News, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 15:22 UTC
Less than 3.5 % of Africans vaccinated against COVID
GENEVA (Reuters) – Less than 3.5% of Africans are vaccinated against COVID-19, far short of its official target of 60%, John Nkengasong, director of Africa’s Centers for Disease Control, said on Tuesday. World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the same briefing that the continent was being “left behind by the rest of the world” and that this would allow the coronavirus to keep circulating. (Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Emma Farge; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 14:37 UTC
Gay teen burned, strangled and beaten by ex in homophobic attack
A gay teenager has been left “broken” after a man he had been dating strangled, burned, and assaulted him with a group of friends. A few days later, the teen visited Knight at his apartment, but once again endured homophobic comments from Ace. The teen managed to text his brother asking for help, including the location of the apartment, before the attack worsened. After they arrived at the apartment, Knight claimed that he had found the victim already suffering from his wounds outside a shop and had brought him home. The court was shown the cellphone footage of the attack, which Knight reportedly refused to watch.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 11:37 UTC
What's Up Doc? COVID test is negative; barking cough and fever may mean toddler has croup
Older patients typically have larger airways so can tolerate some amount of swelling, and hence do not usually develop croup. Therefore, it is younger patients, particularly between the ages of 6 months and 7 years, that typically develop croup symptoms. There are two major types of croup, infectious croup and spasmodic croup. They are usually mild, last three to five days and resolve on their own. Treatment for mild croup usually includes supportive care such as over-the-counter medications for fever, increased fluids and keeping a close eye out to identify any worsening.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 10:41 UTC
Evergrande short sellers face fee squeeze as shares slide
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Fund managers wanting to short sell cash-strapped developer China Evergrande Group are paying unusually high fees to borrow the shares as demand to do so rockets and investors get out of long positions. Short sellers sell borrowed shares in the hope of buying them back when prices fall and pocketing the difference, while other asset managers who have bought shares expecting them to rise in value are often happy to lend them in return for a fee. Two market participants with direct knowledge of the matter said short sellers are paying fees equivalent to annualised rates of 50% or 60% to borrow Evergrande stock, which fell 11.87% to HK$2.97 a share on Tuesday. They said the squeeze was a result of both those wanting to place new short positions on Evergrande’s shares and asset managers who had lent out their shares to short sellers now recalling them so they could sell their long positions. Prime brokers are scrambling to borrow more Evergrande shares for hedge fund clients to maintain their short positions.
Source:MetroXpress
September 14, 2021 10:18 UTC