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Lawyers speak out about lawsuit challenging Harvard legacy admissions policy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

Harvard University is facing a lawsuit as three minority advocacy groups challenge its legacy admissions policy. The groups have accused the university of giving an unfair advantage to applicants whose family members went to the school, most of whom are white. In a recent interview with 7NEWS, lawyers who filed the suit spoke out.“It’s the time to end this unfair admission policy,” said Abdul Hussein.“It has been a longstanding policy and it has been one that has overwhelmingly benefitted white applicants,” said Michael Kippins. This lawsuit comes after the Supreme Court last week ruled on affirmative action in college admissions, ruling that race should not be considered during college admissions.Lawyers behind this new lawsuit have now argued that legacy admissions give an unfair advantage to the mostly white children of alumni. “It is exactly the time that we need to end that practice,” Hussein said. “…We’re just looki...

Police arrest man in connection with homicide in New Bedford

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

A 24-year-old New Bedford man has been arrested in connection with the death of another man in New Bedford early Monday morning, the Bristol County District Attorney’s office announced. The DA said Sterling Robinson, 24, has been charged with accessory to murder after the fact. He was arrested Monday night, according to the DA, hours after police found 20-year-old Lorenzo Gomes unconscious in his vehicle following a report of shots fired in the area. Gomes was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, the DA said. The DA said police initially responded shortly after 12 a.m. Monday to the area of Tallman and North Front streets. There, the DA said witnesses told officers they heard “loud bangs that sounded like gunshots.”The DA said officers later found Gomes in his car Belleville Avenue, saying he “appears to have attempted to drive to the hospital before losing consciousness in his vehicle.”  The DA said Robinson was being held in jail as of Tuesda...

Orioles can’t provide enough fireworks in second straight loss to Yankees, 8-4

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

Gleyber Torres has spent much of his career terrorizing the Orioles with his bat. On Tuesday, the New York Yankees infielder added his legs to the mix.After hitting a two-run homer in the opening inning, Torres scored from first on a single for the tiebreaking run in the fifth of what became an 8-4 victory for the Yankees. The defeat was the Orioles’ sixth loss in seven games and ensured they will leave New York with no better than a split in this four-game matchup.Including this one, Baltimore (49-35) has won only four of its past 12 series, going 16-18 in that span. With five games left before the All-Star break, the Orioles’ lead on the Yankees (48-38) for the American League’s top wild-card spot is down to two games.Down 3-0 early, the Orioles rallied in top of the fifth on home runs by Aaron Hicks and Adam Frazier bookending a double from rookie Jordan Westburg, who returned to the lineup after missing Monday’s game with a sore left hand. Hicks’ so...

Boy injured in Highland Park parade shooting throws out first pitch at Brewers game; ‘Having Cooper here today … represents a milestone’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

Cooper Roberts, the 9-year-old paralyzed from the waist down in last year’s July 4 Highland Park parade shooting, threw out the first pitch at Monday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and his favorite team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who have shown their support since soon after the tragedy.Within days of the shooting, the Brewers learned Cooper is a fan, and his favorite player is outfielder Christian Yelich. The organization paid tribute to him by hanging a jersey in the dugout bearing the boy’s last name and Yelich’s 22 uniform number.“It’s a Brewers fan, and we want to show support for him and his family, and the incredibly difficult times they are facing,” manager Craig Counsell said at the time. “You can’t imagine … the strength to go through something like that is unimaginable. We’re doing such a small thing that hopefully can make one part of the day better for him”In a statement at that time, the Brewers also...

Mets Notebook: Trevor Gott says he wants to ‘prove they made a good decision’ after joining squad

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

PHOENIX — Trevor Gott didn’t have to come far.The Seattle Mariners had just arrived in San Francisco ahead of a series against the Giants and Gott, a right-handed reliever, was spending time with his family when he saw a missed call from general manager Jerry Dipoto.That was when he figured it out.“I thought something was happening,” Gott said Tuesday at Chase Field.Gott was traded to the Mets on Monday, along with former Mets starter Chris Flexen in exchange for left-handed reliever Zack Muckenhirn. Muckenhirn had been designated for assignment earlier in the day and the Mets promptly DFA’d Flexen as well. Gott took a short flight from San Francisco to Phoenix to meet the Mets ahead of their three-game series in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks.The key part of this trade was Flexen’s salary. The Mets are paying him about $3.9 million this season after the struggling starter went 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA over 17 appearances this season (four st...

Gleyber Torres’ big day leads Yankees over Orioles in homer-happy 4th of July victory

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

Fourth of July fireworks are typically saved for the dark of night, but Gleyber Torres couldn’t wait any longer after rain slightly delayed the start of the Yankees’ holiday matinée against the Orioles.With right-hander Kyle Gibson on the mound, the second baseman clobbered a two-run home run in the first inning on Tuesday. Torres’ blast gave the third-place Yankees a quick 2-0 lead in what became an 8-4 win, their second in a row over their second-place rivals.Isiah Kiner-Falefa added a sac fly in the fourth inning, while the O’s displayed some firepower of their own in the fifth inning. That’s when former Yankee Aaron Hicks — booed at every possible turn since the four-game series began Monday — lined one over Yankee Stadium’s right field porch. Adam Frazier then followed up with a two-run, game-tying homer.Clarke Schmidt served up both of Baltimore’s bombs, but he only allowed those three earned runs over five innings. Th...

PGA sending two execs to Senate probe on golf merger

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

WASHINGTON — Two leading figures for the PGA Tour have agreed to testify next week before a Senate panel reviewing the tour’s surprise agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.The panel will have to wait to hear from LIV CEO Greg Norman and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabian national wealth fund behind the rival circuit.The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said Ron Price, the PGA Tour’s chief operating officer, and board member Jimmy Dunne have agreed to appear July 11.Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who chairs the panel, and ranking member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Norman and Al-Rumayyan cited scheduling conflicts as to why they would not be able to appear.LIV Golf is playing outside London this week. Its next tournament is not until early August.“We appreciate the PGA Tour working with us and look forward to a robust, thoughtful exchange with both Ron Price and Jimmy Dunne on July 11, focusing on the details and backgro...

State rings in another 4th of July with no budget

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

As is tradition, the state started the fiscal year without a spending plan.For at least the second year running lawmakers on Beacon Hill will celebrate Independence Day with the state operating under a temporary balance sheet which will keep the lights on through July while the fiscal 2024 budget remains overdue and in limbo.The budget was due by the first of the month, however both chambers of the Legislature met informally Monday before sending members home for a midweek holiday break, but only after scheduling further informal sessions for Thursday. All the while, negotiators from both the House and Senate continue to iron out the differences between their proposals for the state’s budget.“I feel confident that we’ll be getting a deal done soon,” Sen. Nick Collins told the State House News Service. “We’re dealing with a lot of meaty issues. We’re dealing with a budget, we’re dealing with a reform of the tax code. So it’s not insignificant.”The House,...

Mike Trout lands on the injured list with broken wrist in huge blow to playoff-hopeful Angels

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

In their most competitive season in recent years, the Los Angeles Angels suffered a massive blow on Tuesday. All-Star Mike Trout is heading to the injured list with a fractured left hamate bone after fouling off a pitch against the San Diego Padres on Monday night.The 31-year-old is expected to be out for a handful of weeks as the typical timeline for the wrist injury to heal is approximately six-to-eight weeks.“Just took a swing and something felt uncomfortable,” Trout said after Monday’s loss to the Padres. “Just waiting on getting some scans and hoping for the best. I’m praying for the results to come back clean. But it doesn’t feel great. Hopefully, it’s just a sprained wrist.”“I can’t really describe the pain I felt,” Trout added. “I’ve never felt that pain ever. I’ve never had wrist problems or anything. Just a freak thing.”Trout is in the midst of a down season — by his future Hall...

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite Tuesday as oil tops US$70 a barrel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:51 GMT

TORONTO — Gains in energy and battery metals helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher Tuesday as the price of oil also rose above US$70 a barrel.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 49.58 points at 20,204.87, while U.S. stock markets were closed for the Independence Day holiday.Energy stocks, along with other commodities, helped boost the TSX into the green on a low-volume day, said Mike Archibald, vice-president and portfolio manager with AGF Investments Inc.Oil has been trading for weeks in a range between the high 60s and low 70s, he said, and Tuesday was no exception as the price of oil has climbed back above US$70 a barrel. The uptick came after Saudi Arabia and Russia announced Monday they are extending July production cuts into August as they seek to boost the price of oil. “Whether or not Russia and Saudi Arabia follow through on that remains to be seen, but yes, it’s definitely … having a bit of an impact on the energy price today,” said Archibald. Oil is ...