Good morning Wypierdalaj, We're tracking some great weather this weekend, and following top news including the ongoing Republic Services trash strike, and DHS admitting to using controversial online blacklist to target Rumeysa Ozturk. Also, a Somerville pizza chef has just been named among the world's greatest. I'm Kaitlin McKinley Becker and these are today's headlines.
Below are the latest local stories from our reporters. |
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DHS admits to using controversial online blacklist to target Rumeysa Ozturk and others |
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A federal trial underway in Boston is raising questions about how U.S. immigration authorities are identifying and targeting pro-Palestinian activists through an anonymous website that critics say conflates political speech with hate. Canary Mission publishes profiles of students, professors, and activists it labels as anti-Israel or antisemitic. The U.S. government admitted in court this week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement relied on Canary Mission’s database to identify and detain people including Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest earlier this year sparked national outcry. |
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| Towns call on Republic Services to resolve trash strike |
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Sanitation workers have been on strike in Massachusetts for more than 10 days, but negotiations resumed Friday between the two sides. Republic Services said Thursday that it would be resuming mediation with union members, saying in a statement that Teamsters 25 reached out and they agreed to mediation with a federal mediator. There has been no update from that meeting, but attorneys from Lynnfield and North Reading, two towns impacted by the strike, sent a notice to Republic Service threatening to terminate their contracts due to non-performance as the strike continues. |
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| A few downpours possible for some but otherwise great weekend weather |
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We’re on a roll with another great weekend in the works. While we struggle with the sun in the mornings, we should be able to shake many of the clouds in the afternoon (no, I’m not talking about a super blue sky for either day). Highs will be at the mercy of the southeast wind. That means cooler readings in the upper 70s at the coast, with low to mid 80s elsewhere. |
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| Ground Round bartender saves choking patron: ‘Gave him the Heimlich' |
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The Ground Round was ground zero for a restaurant rescue this week. A bartender sprung into action Wednesday night when he saw a patron choking at the restaurant in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. “I noticed that one of the customers was choking,” said bartender Justin Goodney. “Like very apparently, he was choking.” |
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The Somerville pizza chef just named among the world's greatest |
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This Boston-area chef is stealing a pizza the world stage when it comes to the beloved food. Juan Gabriel Pérez, executive chef of Posto in Somerville, has been making Neapolitan pizzas for over 15 years. This year, he placed 54th in the Best Pizza Awards, a three-year-old self-described accreditation platform that seeks to highlight pioneering pizza chefs. Pérez has competed in all three competitions, but this year’s was his highest ranking yet. He was the only competitor from New England. |
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Sudden removal of Italian flag lane lines before festival sparks anger in Newton |
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Thousands of people are expressing outrage after what they’re calling “sacred, religious art” was suddenly removed from a roadway in Newton, Massachusetts. For more than 90 years, Adams Street in the Nonantum section of the city has been lined with green, white, and red stripes representing the Italian flag. Two weeks ago, residents woke up to find those lines removed and painted yellow. They’re questioning the timing of the city’s decision, as the annual Italian American Festival starts July 16. The St. Mary of Carmen Society organizes the festival and says they were never notified. |
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