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School Board meeting shows split support for Florida teacher under investigation for showing Disney movie

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

HERNANDO COUNTY, FLA. (WSVN) – There was passionate debate at the Hernando County school board meeting over a Disney movie shown in class. Some parents criticized the teacher for showing “Strange World” which features a gay character. Jenna Barbee, a Hernando County teacher, is the teacher being investigated for showing the movie and she made the argument to keep her job in the form of a poem Tuesday night.“Right now as a collective, I will tell you we are failing. The system is broken, and the earth is wailing. Let the students read and learn. Let the teachers teach. Everyone deserves to be represented. And that’s what we need to preach,” said Barbee. Barbee says she selected the movie because it was about earth science, not because of the character in the movie. But a board member, whose daughter was present in that teacher’s class, said the teacher didn’t follow the procedure to get it approved.Some parents thought that the teacher ...

Fatal crash on US-27 in West Broward causes closure in both directions

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue is responding to a fatal crash on US-27 in West Broward.Crews were called to the incident around 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon at Mile Marker 39 near the Twenty-six Mile Bend area.7Skyforce flew over the scene and observed a dump truck overturned at the scene. Traffic in both directions has been stopped.Please check back on WSVN.com for more details on this developing story.

Miami-Dade County cracks down on illegal dumping; felony arrests and fines served

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Miami-Dade County’s Department of Solid Waste Management’s Special Investigations Unit recently conducted investigations into two cases of illegal dumping, resulting in felony arrests and substantial fines.In the first incident, officials discovered a man illegally dumping a boat and trailer along NW 105th Street, between NW 7th and 8th Avenue, through live-feed cameras. Officers arrested the man and he was required to cover the expenses of towing the boat for proper disposal. He was also fined $2,510 for violating the Florida Litter Law and faces felony charges. “Illegal dumping is an unequivocal crime, as evidenced by these two cases resulting in felony arrests,” stated Mike Fernandez, Director of DSWM. “Those involved were ultimately required to dispose of the items correctly, on top of receiving fines and facing arrest. The lesson here is to do the right thing from the outset to avoid trouble.”In a second case, a man was captured on live video...

On the edge of the Arctic, the West strives to control AI

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

LULEÅ, Sweden — Top European and American officials gathered in Sweden for tech and trade talks on Wednesday and tried to hammer out an answer to one of the toughest problems facing the world: how to police artificial intelligence.Over an hour-long lunch of cod loin and chocolate praline, officials from Washington and Brussels worked up a voluntary “code of conduct” designed to prevent harm, including from the most advanced artificial intelligence technology known as generative AI — like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. Within months, the tech has taken the public by storm, triggering hopes as well as anxieties for the future of humanity. While some have been thrilled by AI’s potential to generate computer code and solve medical problems, others fear it will put millions of people out of work and could even threaten security. “Democracy needs to show we are as fast as the technology,” Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s digital commissioner, told reporters a she entered the EU-U....

Closed airspace, limited overnights: Moldova hosts Europe’s leaders in Russia’s shadow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

CHIȘINĂU — Gathering more than 40 European leaders in Moldova on Thursday will be a symbolic thumb in Vladimir Putin’s eye — a sign of collective commitment to join hands against Moscow.It’s also a major risk. Literally and metaphorically, the so-called European Political Community’s second summit is taking place in Russia’s backyard, a region Putin sees as part of Moscow’s sphere of influence. That makes getting several dozen world leaders in and out no easy task.  Moldova has closed its airspace for the duration of the summit and NATO surveillance planes will keep a watchful eye — a nod to the constant threat of Russian incursions. Access to the main airport has been restricted — a recognition of the myriad fake bomb alerts there since the start of the war. And most leaders won’t stay overnight — preferring to keep their visit to a minimum.The measures illustrate Europe’s daunting task as it tries to embrace a wider community of countries. The o...

UMass Challenged By Cost, Enrollment Trends

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Declining enrollment and swelling employee expenses are causing budget woes for the University of Massachusetts and financial help from Beacon Hill may be needed, according to a top university official.Salary and fringe benefits constitute 60 percent of UMass’s expenses in fiscal 2024, an increase of $186 million compared to the fiscal 2023 projection. Joe Skrzek, assistant budget director at UMass, attributed the figure to an 11 percent hike to the state fringe rate and an 8 percent union wage increase.The costs will need to be funded in future budgets, Skrzek told UMass trustees Wednesday during a virtual Committee on Administration and Finance meeting.“Addressing these challenges will require active management and continued advocacy for a change to the cost-sharing arrangement with the commonwealth,” he said.Overall enrollment at UMass is slated to decrease by 0.3 percent in fiscal 2024, capping a three-year downward trend, Skrzek said. That’s fueled by a ...

The Ford Bronco is being recalled because people may get ‘discouraged’ trying to use the seatbelts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

New York (CNN) — Ever have a car with a difficult-to-reach seatbelt? This recall is for you.Ford is having to recall 176,000 of its Ford Bronco SUVs, model years 2021 to 2023, because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that drivers and front seat passengers can have difficulty reaching the metal portion of the belt when it is in the retracted position.“The customer may experience some dissatisfaction or be discouraged if they are unable to easily access the seatbelt… in its stowed position. Driving without the use of a seatbelt increases the risk of injury in a crash,” said the notice from the federal safety regulator.The recall involves only the five-door version of the Bronco.Ford didn’t have any comment on the recall except to say that the problem is only when the front seats are in one certain position, not all positions, though the company did not specify the offending seat position. The issue can be addressed by putting a barrette clip, or a sliding ...

Red Sox offer chance to celebrate a dad in your life with free Sox-Yankees tickets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

The Boston Red Sox are giving ten lucky dads a chance to take in a free Sox-Yankees game via a special “Father’s Day Out at Fenway Park.”The Father’s Day contest is free to enter, with participants asked to nominate a father figure in their life for a chance to win tickets to Fenway on Sunday, June 18, when the New York Yankees are in town for a three-game series.The form on the Red Sox website also asks participants to tell the team why they’re nominating their respective dad or father figure in 600 characters or less.Those who are picked for the Father’s Day Out will receive two tickets to the game, a “complimentary pregame meal,” and a $100 gift card to the team store.The deadline for nominating a dad is Monday, June 5, at 11:59 p.m.The nomination form can be found here.

Boston police look to ID suspect who stole woman’s jewelry, including her late husband’s wedding ring

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

The Boston Police Department is looking to identify a suspect who allegedly stole jewelry off of a woman in Roxbury, including her late husband’s wedding ring.In a news release, the department said it was around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 28, when the suspect approached the victim on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury outside of a church and stole a chain from her neck.The chain also had the wedding band of her late husband attached to it, according to police.Image provided by the Boston Police DepartmentThe department said the suspect also attempted to steal the woman’s purse, but fled towards Maywood Street after the victim defended herself.Boston PD described the suspect as a “Hispanic male in his mid-twenties with a stocky build, wearing white shirt and denim shorts.” He is also believed to have a large bruise on his left leg and may be walking with a limp.As an investigation continues, officials ask that anyone with information contact the department’s Dis...

Putnam Investments sold for $925M

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:50 GMT

Great-West Lifeco has agreed to sell Boston-based Putnam Investments for $925 million to global asset manager Franklin Templeton.Franklin Templeton said in an investor presentation that it is “committed to a significant presence in Boston” and that its execution plan is designed to “minimize disruption to investment teams and client relationships.”“Combining Putnam’s asset management business with Franklin Templeton’s scaled and diversified platform is an exceptional opportunity for our company,” Putnam CEO Robert Reynolds said in a statement on Wednesday.Franklin Resources Inc., whose subsidiaries operate as Franklin Templeton, is based in California and has offices in more than 30 countries. It had about $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of April 30.The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023. At the end of April 2023, Putnam had $136 billion in assets under management.