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Buttigieg says Supreme Court case was designed for ‘clear purpose of chipping away’ at LGBTQ equality

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

(CNN) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday slammed the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections, saying the case was designed “for the clear purpose of chipping away” at LGBTQ equality.“It’s very revealing that there’s no evidence that this web designer was ever even approached by anyone asking for a website for a same-sex wedding,” Buttigieg, the first out Cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate, told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”The Supreme Court’s conservative majority, in a 6-3 opinion, ruled Friday for Lorie Smith, the Colorado web designer, on free speech grounds, with Justice Neil Gorsuch writing, “All manner of speech – from ‘pictures, films, paintings, drawings, and engravings,’ to ‘oral utterance and the printed word’ – qualify for the First Amendment’s protections.”Smith said in court filings that a man had inquired about her...

Dozens hurt, 14 hospitalized after vehicle crashes into Laconia, NH bar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

Police are investigating after a vehicle crashed into a bar in Laconia, New Hampshire, on Sunday, leaving dozens of people injured and 14 hospitalized, officials said.Officers responding to a report of a vehicle into a building at 554 Endicott St. around 12:45 p.m. found a four-door sedan inside the Looney Bine Bar & Grill with numerous people injured, according to the Laconia Fire Department.Fourteen of the injured were taken to Laconia Hospital in Concord, Concord Hospital, and Franklin Hospital. Two of the patients who were transported had significant lower leg injuries, the others had lacerations. Twenty people were evaluated at the scene and didn’t require medical transport.In a statement, Laconia Fire Capt. Chad Vaillancourt said, “There were a lot of people inside due to it being lunchtime and a holiday weekend. The great response from our mutual aid partners allowed us to help many injured people in a short amount of time.” The cause of the crash remains under inve...

Boston Pops gearing up for Fourth of July Spectacular on the Esplanade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart says the Pops are ready for their annual Fourth of July performance on the Esplanade.“It’s always been a pleasure, one of the highlights of my year,” he said Sunday as the orchestra prepared for the festivities.This year’s special guests are country music duo LoCash, Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez, and 90s R&B group En Vogue.Lockhart says he’s keeping his fingers crossed for a favorable forecast on the Fourth.The gates open on the Esplanade at noon on the Fourth of July.

Verdugo’s home run in the 9th gives the Red Sox a 5-4 win and a sweep of the Blue Jays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.Jarren Duran went 5 for 5 with four doubles and Rafael Devers reached base five times and drove in two as the Red Sox recorded their fourth sweep.Verdugo’s sixth home run came on the first pitch thrown by Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano (3-4).“That one felt good,” Verdugo said.Verdugo stood at home plate to admire his 415-foot drive into the stands behind the visitor’s bullpen in right field, flipping his bat away before rounding the bases.“I looked at the ball but I instantly looked back at Dugie (Verdugo) because I knew he was going to do something cool,” Duran said. “He’s a great player and he’s always coming up clutch for us like that.”Verdugo also led off the ninth inning with a home run against Romano in Boston’s 6-5 win at Fenway Park on May 1. That victory snapped a nine-game losing streak against Toron...

Bruins Beat: Timing is everything for Tyler Bertuzzi and B’s

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

The Bruins’ pain is their chief divisional rivals’ gain.Tyler Bertuzzi, who’d been rightly seeking a long-term, big-bucks deal, settled for a one-year deal with an AAV of $5.5 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs.Ouch.It is not the deal he wanted, nor one that was available to the B’s when they had exclusive negotiating rights to Bertuzzi, apparently. The player’s agent Todd Reynolds told ESPN they were seeking a long-term deal from the B’s and they couldn’t agree on money. The two sides decided to go their separate ways and, by the time Bertuzzi’s camp decided the best route was a one-year deal, the B’s had allocated just slightly more than what Bertuzzi signed for in Toronto.The question is if GM Don Sweeney, who said on Saturday both term and money were roadblocks to a deal for the 28-year-old, would have been willing to work to get that $5.5 million into his payroll structure. The B’s needed to sign players. While Sween...

Kenley Jansen lone Red Sox player named to MLB All-Star Game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen has been named to his fourth All-Star Game, the league announced on Sunday.He will also be Boston’s lone player representative in Seattle.Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida and Chris Martin were all among the snubs who did not make the American League roster. As a result the Red Sox will have their fewest All-Stars since 2015, when Brock Holt was the club’s lone selection.The Red Sox have had at least three every season since then.Devers was beaten out for a reserve infield spot by Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez and by Toronto’s Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Whit Merrifield, all of whom were voted in on the player ballot.Verdugo and Yoshida didn’t get any traction with their fellow players either, with Baltimore’s Austin Hays, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and Texas’ Adolis Garcia all earning their spots via player vote. Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. was also selected by MLB as his c...

93-year-old Massachusetts man on a tricycle is struck and killed, juvenile was driving vehicle: Police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

A 93-year-old Massachusetts man riding a tricycle was struck and killed by a vehicle over the weekend in Merrimac, according to police.A juvenile was driving the vehicle that struck the man, Merrimac Police said. The driver stayed at the scene after the crash and cooperated with police.Shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday, Merrimac Police received a report of a pedestrian on a tricycle that was struck near his residence on Bartlett Street. The 93-year-old man was later identified as Robert Whitcomb, of Merrimac.Whitcomb was transported to Portsmouth Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Lynn man, 19, dies in single car crash in Manchester-by-the-Sea, passenger suffers ‘life-threatening’ injuries Crime & Public Safety | Motorcyclist dies after fleeing from Barnstable Police, crashes into a vehicle in Hyannis Crime & Public Safety | After 5-year-old Andover girl was killed ...

3 Cubs and the White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. are selected for the MLB All-Star Game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

Justin Steele leads the National League in ERA. His Chicago Cubs teammate Marcus Stroman is fourth.Only one American League player has more home runs than Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. — and that’s Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.Steele, Stroman, Robert and Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson were selected Sunday for the MLB All-Star Game, scheduled for July 11 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.“It definitely means a lot,” Robert said through an interpreter at Oakland Coliseum, where the Sox wrapped up a series against the Athletics. “It’s a big accomplishment. It’s a result of all the work I’ve been putting in every day since the offseason started.”Steele and Robert are first-time All-Stars. Stroman made the AL team in 2019 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Swanson was an All-Star last season with Atlanta.Steele’s 2.43 ERA is the best in the majors. The 27-year-old left-hander is 9-2 in 15 starts with 7...

Jarren Duran’s career game overshadowed by Garrett Whitlock injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

After losing 16 of 19 games to the Toronto Blue Jays last year, the Red Sox have turned the tables on their division rivals in an unbelievable way this season.When the Blue Jays came to Fenway in May, the Red Sox greeted them with a four-game sweep. On Sunday in Toronto, the Boston baseball team capped off their visit to the Great White North by winning 5-4 to sweep them again.Unfortunately, the series finale and all its goodness were overshadowed by the game’s inauspicious beginnings.Garrett Whitlock’s 10th start of the season began well enough. His sinker velocity was consistent, and other than a solo home run to Brandon Belt, the affable righty’s first inning was quick and quiet.But he didn’t return for the second. His day ended after one frame with what the Red Sox called “right elbow tightness.” Suddenly, the pitching staff had to cobble together a bullpen game.Brennan Bernardino took over for Whitlock, and Kaleb Ort and Nick Pivetta followed...

Boston Harborfest in the rain: The patriotic show must go on ahead of the 4th of July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:32 GMT

The rain on Sunday couldn’t put a damper on the Downtown Crossing patriotic musical performances for Boston Harborfest.The groups that performed included the Unlikely Strummers and the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums.Patriotic events continue in the city on Monday and Tuesday.Joanna Suber performs with fellow members of the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)The Unlikely Strummers, a ukulele performance group, play on Sunday. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)Elizabeth Ryan of Boston is certainly dressed for the occasion as she enjoys the music on Sunday. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)Members of the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums perform in Downtown Crossing. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)