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Hundreds gather in Swampscott to show support for Israel as war with Hamas rages on

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

Nearly 900 people came together at Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott Wednesday night to show support for Israel as the country’s war with Hamas rages on. The packed synagogue honored the memory of the thousands of lives lost in the violence, which continued Wednesday after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel over the weekend. “There’s fear,” said Rabbi Michael Ragozin of Congregation Shirat Hayam. “There’s real sadness — tremendous empathy. There’s a feeling of, ‘If I were there, those would have been my kids.’”The violence has hit close to home for Yael Magen, who grew up in Israel. Magen just learned her high school friend was among the first people pronounced dead in the attack on Saturday. “What went down there was a massacre,” Magen said. “It was a slaughter of people.”“He and his wife actually saved their son,” Magen said of her friend. “They jumped on their son while the Hamas terrorists were shooting and their son was saved.”The unknown whereabou...

Celtics takeaways: Sam Hauser bounces back, Joe Mazzulla has teaching moment in preseason win over 76ers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown got some extra rest as the Celtics stars sat out their second consecutive preseason game, giving some of the team’s reserves another chance to prove themselves on Wednesday night against the 76ers.Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Al Horford all returned to the lineup and played the first half together before the backups led a 112-101 victory in Philadelphia. Payton Pritchard, once again, led the way with 17 points as his impressive preseason continued but it was a notable night for some players vying for roles on the team.Some takeaways from the Celtics’ victory:– White emerged last season as one of the best defenders in the NBA – named to the league’s All-Defensive second team – after he led all guards in blocks, and it looks like he’s picking up right where he left off. He recorded three blocks in 17 minutes in the first half and was everywhere on both ends.The most impressive sequence came in the first quarter, when he raced back t...

Bruins grind out 3-1 win in opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

After nearly half the Bruins’ roster was turned over after their 65-win season, they entered the club’s 100th season with a large element of the unknown hanging over them.And with the season opener behind them, they still are very much a work in progress. But at least they banked their first two points of the season.The B’s leaned into their strengths – goaltending and defense – and got goals from David Pastrnak (2) and Trent Frederic to beat the young Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1 at the Garden on Wednesday.They received contributions from rookies Matt Poitras (first NHL assist), John Beecher (solid fourth-line work and prodigal son Milan Lucic (assist on game-winner) in the win.It was a competitive, if inelegant, contest.The intriguing subplot to the B’s Centennial season opener was the arrival of Connor Bedard, considered by most observers to be the next great generational talent.And at 5:37 of the first period, he joined a rather elite group – he scored his fir...

Video shows police shooting of teen reaching for gun in truck

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Authorities on Wednesday released bodycam video of a police shooting last month involving an armed 16-year-old in Carlsbad.On Sept. 9, just before 1 a.m., officers approached a white truck, occupied by one adult and four teenage boys, parked in a dirt lot near the intersection of Carlsbad Boulevard and Palomar Airport Road, the Carlsbad Police Department posted on its YouTube account.Police say they received consent from the driver to search the truck after officers saw alcoholic beverages inside the truck. However, before being asked to exit the vehicle, a 16-year-old sitting in the front passenger seat got out of the truck and began reaching under the front passenger seat."Do not reach under the seat," one officer repeatedly told the suspect. Prep basketball star Mikey Williams to stand trial After several commands, the suspect grabbed a firearm from under the seat and turned in the direction of one of the officers, according to authorities. That's when one o...

2 San Diego-area restaurants rank among Yelp’s top 100 US taco spots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Tacos are a popular dish in the U.S., especially in the San Diego area.Yelp recently compiled this year's top 100 taco spots in the nation, with two local restaurants making the list. Tacos El Gabacho in Spring Valley placed No. 15 on the list while The Craft Taco at SOVA came in at No. 23.Tacos El Gabacho is known for its mobile catering service and taco cart."Tacos El Gabacho was the BEST! They came out and set up in our driveway for a party of about 30 of us. We had the best time getting to know them, and the food did not disappoint. They are the nicest people with the funniest stories to tell," Yelper Lindsay B said.The Spring Valley taco spot serves foods like Adobada, Carne Asada, fish tacos and vegan tacos.  "The tacos were all tasty. Kudos for the fish tacos. They use Red Snapper and fried them in panko crumbs. The Carne asada was chopped the finest I had ever had and tasted no gristle or fat. The (Adobada) was good and the chicken was chicken," Yelper Eddi...

Donald Trump attacks President Biden on foreign policy as Israel-Hamas war rages

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his record governing the nation for four years without any new wars, and criticized President Joe Biden’s foreign policy as the world watches a war that has already claimed 2,300 lives unfold in Gaza, ignited by Hamas’ attack on Israel.Trump and other Republicans have tried to lay blame on the Biden administration, particularly citing the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen assets to Iran, a supporter of Hamas. Administration officials insist that money has not been spent.“With crooked Joe Biden, you have chaos, bloodshed, war, terror and death. Look what’s happening today,” Trump told a crowd of supporters in a speech that lasted more than an hour and a half at a convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida.The Biden campaign said Trump has been pushing dangerous misinformation about the crisis in Israel at a time when the country should stand together.“While Trump continues to lie about his record, President Bide...

Marner, Maple Leafs defeat Canadiens 6-5 in a wild shootout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

Mitch Marner scored the only goal of the shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs fought back from 2-0 and 5-3 deficits to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 in a wild NHL regular-season opener for both teams Wednesday.After the Leafs and Canadiens traded chances in the 3-on-3 extra period, Marner moved in on Jake Allen and fired upstairs on Toronto’s third attempt before Ilya Samsonov stopped Kirby Dach at the other end to seal it.Auston Matthews, with the 300th, 301st and 302nd goals of his career for his eighth career hat trick, William Nylander, with a goal and an assist, and Noah Gregor scored in regulation for Toronto.Samsonov made 19 saves in regulation and overtime.John Tavares had three assists, while John Klingberg, in his first game with the Leafs, chipped in with two.Alex Newhook, with two, Cole Caufield, Jake Evans and Jesse Ylonen replied for Montreal. Allen stopped 37 shots. Dach added two assists.Trailing 3-2 early in the third period after conceding that two-goal ed...

Abreu homers again to power Astros past Twins 3-2 and into 7th straight ALCS

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — José Abreu homered for the third time in two games, a two-run rocket in the fourth inning that launched the Houston Astros to their seventh straight AL Championship Series appearance with a 3-2 win that eliminated the Minnesota Twins in Game 4 of their AL Division Series on Wednesday night.José Urquidy gave the playoff-tested Astros another solid postseason start, withstanding home runs by Royce Lewis in the first and Edouard Julien in the sixth to hand the ball to the bullpen.Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu combined for five strikeouts over 2 1/3 hitless innings. Ryan Pressly, who pitched five-plus years for the Twins before being traded to Houston in 2018, struck out the side in the ninth.Pressly froze Max Kepler with a full-count fastball to end it, leaving former Astros star Carlos Correa on deck. “Oh yeah, we knew. And I was trying not to have nightmares, because I remember when Carlos was with us he hit that ball up in the right-center field seats up there,” Ho...

7th person charged after Korean woman found dead in trunk, with 1 suspect saying he was a victim too

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A seventh person has been arrested on murder charges in the death of a South Korean woman whose body was found decaying in a car trunk in suburban Atlanta.Police arrested Mihee Lee, 54, on Wednesday. She’s the mother of three others already accused of murder in the death 33-year-old Sehee Cho, Gwinnett County police said.Investigators believe Cho traveled to the United States from South Korea in July to join a religious organization, known as Soldiers of Christ. The suspects referred to themselves as members of the group, investigators said.Cho’s body was found Sept. 12, wrapped in a blanket in a car parked in Duluth.A lawyer for another suspect, Eric Hyun, said he was actually a victim of the same kind of torture that Cho was subjected to. A judge released Hyun on $100,000 bail Wednesday.Investigators said they believe Cho was held against her will for weeks in the basement of the Lee family’s Lawrenceville home, where Cho was beaten and denied food until...

Nets coach Vaughn says team from Israel wants to play exhibition game Thursday despite war at home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:08 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said their opponent from Israel still wants to play an exhibition game Thursday night in Brooklyn, days after the country was attacked by Hamas militants.Maccabi Ra’anana will be opening a three-game tour against NBA teams. Nets center Nic Claxton questioned Wednesday whether the game should be played because of the ongoing war that has already claimed more than 2,300 lives.“We feel for the players that we’re playing against,” the center said. “I don’t know if we should be playing the game personally. I don’t think we should be playing the game.”Asked why he felt that way, Claxton responded: “Because there’s bigger things in the world going on than basketball.”But Vaughn said canceling the game would be against the wishes of the team from the Israeli National League.“Just organizationally, we have been in contact with Maccabi and Maccabi has reiterated to us that they do want to play the game,” Vaughn said. Maccabi Ra’...