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Editorial: We need more city councilors who do more than talk

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

Judging by recent actions, the Boston City Council is packed with members dedicated to service.Lip service, that is.As The Herald reported, the council is moving on an ordinance that would task police with compiling annual data on firearms trafficking, a measure aimed at cutting down on gun violence.“We cannot continue to sit idly by while our communities are repeatedly traumatized by violence, mainly because the weapon was purchased beyond our jurisdictions” said Councilor Brian Worrell, who co-sponsored the ordinance with Council President Ed Flynn.“This data is critical for policymakers and law enforcement to do their jobs and keep our community safe.”Tasking police with tracking firearms sales in a bid to keep our communities safe – a worthy ask. But isn’t this the same city council that narrowly passed an operating budget in June that would have cut roughly $31 million from the police department?Thankfully, Mayor Michelle Wu rejected the move, but it does spea...

Six questions as Bruins turn 100

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

The Bruins, the oldest American-based NHL team, kick off their Centennial season on Wednesday morning when players officially report to Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton for physicals and testing before Thursday’s first on-ice session.While it will be a season of celebration of the franchise’s past, what the present holds is still anyone’s guess.They still boast star-caliber players at forward (David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand), defense (Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm) and in net (Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman). But the depth has taken a huge hit. The B’s lost nine players from the team that won 65 games last year, including three of their four centermen who were familiar with a defensive system that asks a lot from its pivots. Thanks to salary cap constraints, GM Don Sweeney was limited in how he could replace those players.So, as you might suspect, we’ve got some questions. Here’s a half dozen:1. Will Jake DeBrusk be a long-term Bruin?After a major ca...

Chicken and linguine get the Scampi treatment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

A garlicky wine sauce is well known as the basis for the classic Italian dish, shrimp scampi. The sauce is delicious and perfect for sopping up with some crusty bread. For this recipe, I thought the sauce would be a great preparation for chicken thighs. Lots of garlic, some red vermouth and fresh parsley coat the chicken and add flavor to the linguine.You can use dried linguine instead of fresh. Boil for 8 to 9 minutes.You can use red or white wine instead of red vermouth.The quickest way to chop parsley is to snip the leaves with a scissors.TAG GOES HEREScampi-Style ChickenINGREDIENTS2 teaspoons olive oil2 teaspoons butter1 pound skinless chicken thighs with the bone4 garlic cloves, crushed1/2 cup red vermouth1/4 cup chopped parsleySalt and freshly ground black pepperDIRECTIONSHeat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs. Brown one side 5 minutes. Turn over and brown the second side for 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the garlic an...

McCaughey: Migrant surge a crisis for schools & learning

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

Democratic politicians and the liberal media made the first day of school all about welcoming migrant children. Parents deserve the truth. The migrant surge is a disaster for their kids.The surge will worsen our education system’s twin failures: plunging math and reading scores, and the failure to ensure newly arriving kids learn English so they can succeed, too.Kimberly Carchipulla, who came from Ecuador and has been living at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan with her son, brought him to school earlier this month and said through a translator, “What I want for him is a future.”That’s what all parents want. But when migrant children are added to the class, the rest of the kids get less of their teacher’s attention. A teacher will have to focus on the newcomers who speak no English and may not have been to school before. For the rest, it could be a year of lost opportunities.Public school students’ reading and math scores have been falling for deca...

Poulson & Rose: Can we avert a constitutional crisis over debt?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

President Biden has threatened to increase debt without congressional approval. He argued in June that the 14th Amendment’s reference to debt makes it unconstitutional for the nation to default on debt.Failure to lift the debt ceiling would have resulted in debt default. A default occurs when the Treasury does not have enough money to pay for obligations it has already incurred. The crisis was averted when Biden and congressional leaders agreed to lift the debt ceiling as part of a budget agreement. What the president and Congress agreed to do is to kick the can down the road. The debt limit was suspended for two years until 2025.Congress continues to struggle to live with that budget agreement, and the legislators have yet to agree on most appropriations and face a Sept. 30 deadline. If they miss the deadline, the government will shut down.We must avert a constitutional crisis over debt. If the controversy over the debt limit reaches the Supreme Court, it is not clear how the justi...

Pumpkin mac and cheese puts fall spin on classic

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

Football isn’t the only thing people go nuts over this time of year.September also marks the start of pumpkin-spice season, with the warming (and controversial) seasonal fall flavor finding its way into everything from your Starbucks latte to cookies, popcorn, spreads, breads, creamer, yogurt, gelato, cereal and toaster pastries. Love it or hate it, Nissin even makes a pumpkin-spice cup of instant ramen noodles.This luscious mac and cheese recipe dumps the “spice” part of the popular duo, but goes heavy on the pumpkin — or should we say squash — because the bright orange puree that goes in Libby’s famous cans of pure pumpkin is actually Dickinson squash, an elongated American heirloom winter squash with tan-colored rind and dense flesh.I used ruffled campanelle noodles for a bit of flair, but any hollow and tubular pasta noodle that features nooks and crannies for capturing the cheese sauce will work well. A blend of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses enhan...

Mary Ann Esposito’s Harvest Corn Pudding

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

It was a so-so garden year for lots of people…low yields due to too much rain and a cool start in June. Some veggies like corn, did just fine and while it is still in season, slather it up with butter and salt and enjoy.Save that summer taste by shaving the kernels off the cobs and freezing them for winter eating and use them in soups and stews and stir-fry. Celebrate the arrival of fall with this tasty corn pudding, a nifty side side dish or star attraction.TAG GOES HEREHarvest Corn PuddingINGREDIENTS½ cup flour1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon nutmeg4 eggs4 cups half/half or whole milk1/3 cup honey4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled4 cups corn kernels½ cup diced scallions1 cup diced sweet potatoDIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 425FButter a 12 x2x 9-inch casserole dish and set aside.In a bowl combine the flour, salt and nutmeg and set aside.In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy; whisk in the honey and melted butter.  Stir in the corn kernels and scallions until well combined. Gently ...

Dear Abby: Fiance’s co-worker puts on revealing show

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

Dear Abby: My fiance and I went to his co-worker “Tina’s” house on a Friday night to socialize and play trivia games. We had been at her place before, for a Christmas party. Tina wore a short skirt, and when she sat down you could see all the way up to her black lace panties. During our “heads-up” game she sat right across from my fiance. While people were laughing and having fun drinking and playing games, all I could notice were her panties and Tina’s loud laughs. She was drinking, and my fiance asked her, “Baby, are you feeling OK?” He said it loudly. Everyone heard it, and I felt myself getting really angry and red in the face. Why was he calling her Baby? We call each other that!I don’t want to return to Tina’s house. My fiance says I overreacted. He doesn’t tell me about his goings-on at work or about friend hangouts. We usually go out together alone. When I think back on that night, I still feel upset about it....

Debby Friday wins Polaris Music Prize for ‘Good Luck’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

TORONTO — Debby Friday has won the 2023 Polaris Music Prize for her album “Good Luck.”The debut full-length release from the Nigerian-born Canadian was selected on Tuesday for the $50,000 prize by an 11-member grand jury. They named it the best Canadian album of the year based on its artistic merit.The stunned musician took the stage at Massey Hall in Toronto to accept the cash award from last year’s winner, Pierre Kwenders.After regaining her composure, the 29-year-old thanked many of the people who helped her career and reflected on her upbringing. She was born in Nigeria before she immigrated to Canada when she was around two years old, she said.“This is something that I didn’t realize was a possibility,” she said from the stage.“Now, I’m here today and it just feels like a miracle.”The Polaris Music Prize is considered one of the country’s most prestigious music awards with previous winners who include Haviah Mighty, Jeremy Dutcher and Kaytran...

Iran’s president urges US to demonstrate it wants to return to the 2015 nuclear deal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:39:18 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said Tuesday that his country will never give up its right “to have peaceful nuclear energy” and urged the United States “to demonstrate in a verifiable fashion” that it wants to return to the 2015 nuclear deal. Addressing the annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, Raisi said the American withdrawal from the deal trampled on U.S. commitments and was “an inappropriate response” to Iran’s fulfillment of its commitments.Then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of the accord in 2018, restoring crippling sanctions. Iran began breaking the terms a year later and formal talks in Vienna to try to restart the deal collapsed in August 2022.Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes – points Raisi reiterated Tuesday telling the high-level meeting that “nuclear weapons have no place in the defensive doctrine and the military ...