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UK’s Rishi Sunak unveils plan to deem Rwanda safe for deportations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

LONDON — Rishi Sunak tried to revive the British government’s controversial idea of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda with an “emergency” law meant to overcome objections to the scheme.In fresh legislation published Wednesday night amid pressure from his Tory backbenchers, Sunak’s government moved to ensure courts cannot deem the east African nation unsafe for asylum purposes.Combined with a fresh treaty with Rwanda, signed Tuesday, it’s a bid to address the central objections of the Supreme Court, which last month deemed the plan unlawful over concerns about the robustness of Rwanda’s asylum system. Conservative MPs on all wings of the party were poring over the detail Wednesday night.The proposed law — the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill  — says courts “must conclusively treat Rwanda as a safe country,” and therefore can’t consider any challenge to someone’s deportation there on the grounds that Rwanda is unsafe. That applies ...

No injuries reported after sailboat runs aground in Plymouth, MA amid snow and heavy winds

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

Authorities say three people aboard a sailboat were rescued off the coast of Plymouth after their ship ran aground Wednesday morning.A spokesperson for the United States Coast Guard said it was around 7:30 a.m. when the ship’s crew sent out a mayday call, stating that their 41-foot vessel had been pushed towards the rocks near the shoreline.Plymouth Fire Department personnel were able to later assist the crew, with all three members safely transported to shore.“Upon arrival, Plymouth firefighters observed that the sailboat had run aground and was lodged approximately 75-100 feet offshore,” the department stated in a news release. “Firefighters entered the water in survival gear and made their way toward the vessel.”According to Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley, neighbors living in the area, including retired Plymouth Fire Battalion Chief Michael Roy, put on wetsuits and attempted to help those stranded on the boat as well.Authorities described the cr...

Devin McCourty finds fault in Patriots organization for Mac Jones’ struggles

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

Patriots legend Devin McCourty blames the organization more than the player for quarterback Mac Jones’ early-career struggles.Jones had a productive and efficient rookie season before nose-diving in 2022 and 2023 before his eventual benching in Week 12.McCourty hasn’t seen anything wrong with Jones’ effort or preparation, while he sees plenty of fault in how the Patriots have managed their 2021 first-round pick.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: The Steelers are who the Patriots should have been New England Patriots | Patriots get mixed injury news at Tuesday practice before Steelers game New England Patriots | Bill Belichick has made it ‘pretty clear’ Bailey Zappe is Patriots’ starting QB New England Patriots | Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson may miss rest of season with high ankle sprain New England Patriots | Patriots-Chargers film review: Bill Belichick...

3 takeaways from the Chicago White Sox at the winter meetings, including possible options for right field and catcher

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

Pitching is a high priority for the Chicago White Sox.They looked to the Korea Baseball Organization for help Tuesday by signing right-hander Erick Fedde to a two-year, $15 million deal, a source confirmed to the Tribune.Fedde was sensational in 2023, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 30 starts for the NC Dinos. He pitched for the Washington Nationals from 2017-22.The move to the Sox is pending a physical.Sox general manager Chris Getz met with reporters Tuesday a couple of hours before news of the signing surfaced. The topics during that session included right field and catcher.Here are three takeaways from the MLB winter meetings.1. Discussions continue for the best option in right field.The Sox have 2023 Silver Slugger Award winner Luis Robert Jr. in center field. They have Andrew Benintendi, an All-Star in 2022, in left field.They are discussing the best option for right field.“We certainly have internal options,” Getz said. “Just like other area...

How companies’ online ‘dark patterns’ cost you, and how to resist

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

By Liz Weston | NerdWalletSee if any of this sounds familiar:You can’t find an easy way to cancel an unwanted subscription, so you let it continue for another month — telling yourself you’ll try again later.You feel rushed into an online purchase you regret, but there’s no option to undo the transaction or demand a refund.You want to read an article or shop at a store online, but you’re bombarded with pop-up requests for your data. There’s no easy option for saying no, so you click “allow” just to get the annoying pop-up out of the way.These are just a few examples of “dark patterns” — intentionally deceptive designs that companies use to steer people into making choices that aren’t in the consumers’ best interest.Dark patterns may sound like a feature of sketchy websites, but these manipulative practices are a common way mainstream companies dupe people into sacrificing their privacy or paying for stuff they don’t really want.Buttons that allow sites to scoop up and sell your data ...

Patriots free-agent addition will be shut down for 2023 season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

The Patriots will not add offensive lineman Riley Reiff to the roster before his injured reserve activation window closes, head coach Bill Belichick announced Wednesday.Reiff will finish his first season with the Patriots by playing just 46 snaps in one game. Reiff was expected to start for the Patriots at right tackle after signing a one-year, $5 million contract this offseason as a free agent but injuries got in the way.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: The Steelers are who the Patriots should have been New England Patriots | Patriots get mixed injury news at Tuesday practice before Steelers game New England Patriots | Bill Belichick has made it ‘pretty clear’ Bailey Zappe is Patriots’ starting QB New England Patriots | Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson may miss rest of season with high ankle sprain New England Patriots | Patriots-Chargers film review: Bill Belichick’s w...

Column: There’s no prize for winning MLB’s winter meetings, so the Shohei Ohtani waiting game goes on

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

The good news for Chicago Cubs fans is Shohei Ohtani remained unsigned late into the second day of the MLB winter meetings.But whether the Cubs were still among the teams in the mix for the baseball unicorn was a question president Jed Hoyer repeatedly avoided, even after a social media report claimed the Cubs were out.Hoyer said there was no news to report and he didn’t know where the rumor came from. He declined to talk about any discussions with free agents, though manager Craig Counsell said earlier he had not talked to Ohtani.The notion that Hoyer feels some urgency to make a splashy signing for his new $40 million manager was downplayed. Hoyer said he sold Counsell on “where the organization was going.”“It wasn’t a referendum on ’24 necessarily,” Hoyer said. “But more where we are as a franchise, an organization at this moment in time. I don’t feel any big need to justify that. Certainly, I have no doubt over the next few y...

Yankees “close to” acquiring superstar Juan Soto

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

Less than 24 hours after adding Alex Verdugo to their outfield, the New York Yankees might reel in an even bigger outfield fish.According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, a trade for Juan Soto is “close to being finalized.”Though Soto is a free agent next year, acquiring him means getting exclusive negotiating rights, should the Yankees want to try to extend him, and that allows the Padres to ask for a sizable return. New York will have to send several players to San Diego, including Michael King and Drew Thorpe.Soto coming to the American League East is a game-changing development. The 24-year-old is a stellar offensive talent, and with free agency a year away, prepared to spend the season earning what could be one of the first $500 million contracts in league history. (Current free agent Shohei Ohtani is projected to be the first.) Since debuting at 19 years old in 2018, Soto has hit .284 with a .946 OPS, and averaged 25 doubles and 27 homers per year. This year, he ranked in the 90th...

In prime of his career, Brandon Carlo has been “a rock” for Bruins

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

The Bruins were mired in a concerning three-game losing streak ago when a milestone for Brandon Carlo came and went without much notice last week, lost in the teeth-gnashing. Carlo played in his 500th NHL game when the B’s got back on the winning track against the San Jose Sharks last Thursday.For Carlo, it meant a little more than just reaching the halfway mark. While he’s still pushing the edges of the game, Carlo felt the 500-game mark signified that, in a way, he had arrived as an NHL defenseman. And it’s probably no coincidence that he hit the marker in what is shaping up to be the 27-year-old Carlo’s finest season.While his offensive numbers are typically modest (1-5-6 totals), he’s been a foundational piece on the back end, posting a team-best plus-13 while starting in the offensive zone just 26.6% percent. He’s averaging 20:14 of icetime a game. Carlo’s also been a key cog in the B’s league-leading penalty-killing unit, not a s...

Tories threaten to table thousands of amendments and delay rise of House of Commons

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:06:50 GMT

OTTAWA — The official Opposition is threatening to delay government work and hold up billions of dollars in spending if the Liberal government doesn’t drastically revise its carbon-pricing plan. The Conservatives are delivering a taste of their plan with the introduction of as many as 20,000 amendments to an 11-page government bill that aims to create sustainable jobs as part of the transition to a net-zero emissions economy.The natural resources committee is set to go through the amendments, which the Tories believe could take months to vote on individually.The Opposition wants the federal carbon-pricing plan removed from all home heating for families, farmers and First Nations. The Tories are also eyeing amendments that could delay passage of legislation to implement measures in the government’s fall economic statement.  The $20.8 billion in new spending over five years includes initiatives to boost the housing supply through rental units and affordable homes.This repo...