NEW ORLEANS (2-2) at NEW ENGLAND (1-3) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS BETTING LINE: Saints by 1, according to FanDuel SportsBook. AGAINST THE SPREAD: Saints 0-4; Patriots 1-3. SERIES RECORD: Patriots lead 10-5. LAST MEETING: Saints beat Patriots 28-13 on Sept. 26, 2021, at New England. LAST WEEK: Saints lost to Buccaneers 26-9; Patriots lost to […]
Beyond
Posted inSports
The Patriots are 1-3 again, and a path to a winning record isn’t obvious
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill Belichick has never been a fan of moral victories. But a day after suffering the worst loss of his 29-year career, the longtime Patriots coach was adamant that it wasn’t an accurate reflection of his team. “I feel like we’re better than what we played (Sunday),” Belichick said. “I definitely […]
Posted inSports
Plane crash in Lake Placid kills 2, including former NFL player Russ Francis of Patriots, 49ers
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Former NFL tight end Russ Francis, a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the New England Patriots who won a Super Bowl with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, was killed along with another aviation enthusiast when their small plane crashed after takeoff from an upstate New York airport, authorities said Monday. […]
Posted inNews
95-year-old painter threatened with eviction from Cape Cod dune shack wins five-year reprieve
PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) — A 95-year-old painter and his family threatened with eviction from the Provincetown, Massachusetts, dune shack they have helped care for and occupy for nearly eight decades have won a reprieve. A legal team representing the painter worked out an agreement with federal officials that allows Salvatore Del Deo and his family […]
Posted inSports
Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum ready to confront championship expectations for new-look roster
BOSTON (AP) — After the summer the Boston Celtics have had, Jayson Tatum isn’t surprised they’re entering this season with a spotlight fixed on them. “People expect us to get to the championship and win,” Tatum said Monday. “And if we don’t, we didn’t necessarily meet expectations.” That’s because during an offseason full of movement […]
Posted inNews
Environmental groups demand emergency rules to protect rare whales from ship collisions
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A coalition of environmental groups is calling on the federal government to enact emergency rules to protect a vanishing species of whale from lethal collisions with large ships. The groups filed their petition with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Sept. 28 in an effort to protect the North Atlantic […]
Posted inSports
Tim Wakefield, who revived his career and Red Sox trophy case with knuckleball, has died at 57
BOSTON (AP) — Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballing workhorse of the Red Sox pitching staff who bounced back after giving up a season-ending home run to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs to help Boston win its curse-busting World Series title the following year, has died. He was 57. The Red Sox announced his death in […]
Posted inSports
Patriots pull QB Mac Jones after 2 turnovers lead directly to Cowboys touchdowns
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With his facemask buried in the turf, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones didn’t see the touchdown that resulted from his fumble deep in his own territory. He might not have seen the defensive tackle pursuing him then, or the cornerback that picked him off […]
Posted inSports
Houck leads Red Sox past AL East champion Orioles 6-1 in finale
By TODD KARPOVICH Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Tanner Houck threw six innings of one-hit ball and the last-place Boston Red Sox earned a split in the four-game series against the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles with a 6-1 victory Sunday in the regular-season finale. The Orioles have home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs […]
Posted inSports
Jrue Holiday traded to Boston, as Portland continues making moves
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer Jrue Holiday was out of the Eastern Conference for just a few days, and now it’s the Boston Celtics who will hope that the Olympic gold medalist and NBA champion can help deliver them another title banner. The Celtics finalized a deal with Portland on Sunday to land Holiday, […]
Posted inSports
Mountcastle leads AL East champion Orioles over last place Red Sox 5-2 for 101st win
By RICH DUBROFF Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh inning and scored on an infield hit to lead the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles to their 101st victory of the season, 5-2 over the last-place Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Saturday night. Baltimore (101-60), which hosts […]
Posted inSports
Pivetta throws 7 innings as Red Sox blank AL East champion Orioles 3-0
By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer BALTIMORE (AP) — Four starts into his comeback from Tommy John surgery, John Means believes he can help the Baltimore Orioles in the playoffs. “I really do,” the left-hander said. “I feel like the command’s there. … I feel like 99% of my pitches are right where I want.” […]
Posted inNews
What would a government shutdown mean for me? SNAP, student loans and travel impacts, explained
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — With gridlock persisting in Washington, a government shutdown is looking all but inevitable ahead of this weekend’s deadline. While the Senate pushes forward with bipartisan approach aimed at keeping the government open, the Republican-controlled House has made little progress — most recently with Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-ditch plan […]
Posted inNews
Project conserves 3,700 acres of forest in northern New Hampshire
SHELBURNE, N.H. (AP) — The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has completed a long-term effort to protect two adjacent forests in the northern part of the state totaling 3,700 acres (1,497 hectares). The forests will be managed for multiple objectives, including habitat protection, scenic value, and for public recreation and education. They […]
Posted inCity & Government
804,000 long-term borrowers are having their student loans forgiven before payments resume this fall
By CORA LEWIS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Karin Engstrom thought she’d be paying off her federal student loans for the rest of her life. The 82-year-old was shocked when she logged on to check her balance ahead of payments resuming in October and found that more than $175,000 in debt had been erased. She’s one […]
Posted inSports
Orioles clinch the AL East title with their 100th win of the season, 2-0 over Red Sox
By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer BALTIMORE (AP) — Ramón Urías fielded a grounder and threw to first for the final out, and the Baltimore Orioles poured onto the field for a celebration at the mound. They weren’t in a full sprint. Some players walked and others jogged or skipped. Perhaps it was a sign of just […]
Posted inSports
Prescott, Elliott getting used to being former teammates with Cowboys, Patriots set to meet
By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott said he felt it in his soul when the Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason. Together as stars since their rookie year in 2016, the quarterback and running back haven’t really had much time to digest being on separate teams. They’re getting […]
Posted inNews
Sea glass, a treasure formed from trash, is on the decline as single-use plastic takes over
Lori Weeden, UMass Lowell When you stroll along a beach, you may look down and spot colorful bits of worn glass mixed in with the sand. But the little treasures you’ve found actually began as discarded trash. As an environmental science professor, I find these gifts from the sea particularly interesting. I have analyzed sand […]
Posted inNews
Woman pleads guilty to calling in hoax bomb threat at Boston Children’s Hospital
BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty on Thursday to calling in a fake bomb threat to Boston Children’s Hospital as it faced a barrage of harassment over its surgical program for transgender youths. Catherine Leavy, who was arrested last year at her home in Westfield, pleaded guilty in Boston federal court to charges including making […]
Posted inSports
Tyler Glasnow pitches 5 innings in playoff tuneup and Rays beat Red Sox 5-0
BOSTON (AP) — Tyler Glasnow pitched five scoreless innings in his final start before the postseason, combining with four relievers on a three-hitter and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. “I’m glad I could end on a good note, and I’m ready for the […]
Posted inSports
Ezekiel Elliott focuses on Patriots knowing emotions may flow in homecoming with Cowboys
By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott knows it will be weird to return so soon as a New England running back to the place where he starred alongside quarterback Dak Prescott for seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. The two-time rushing champion also knows he has always had […]
Posted inSports
Alex Cora says he will be back with Red Sox in 2024. But in what role?
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said definitively on Wednesday he will be back with the team next year but didn’t say in what position or even how he could be so sure. Asked before the home finale against Tampa Bay if he was confident his job was secure, Cora said, “I’m […]
Posted inSports
Terry Francona set for home finale as Cleveland’s manager before retiring after illustrious career
By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona is down to one home game, a final bow. Soon, a permanent offseason for a baseball lifer. The winningest manager in club history, Francona, who won two World Series titles in Boston before coming to Cleveland and staying for 11 years, will lead the Guardians […]
Posted inNews
Controversial songs from the year you were born
For more than a century, the evolution of popular music has delivered stark parallels to Western society’s progression. Popular songs and styles partake in a tangible feedback loop, simultaneously responding to and informing cultural shifts. In turn, the best tunes make either purposeful or inadvertent statements about the era in which they’re being recorded and […]
Posted inSports
René Pinto’s 2-run homer and Manuel Margot’s 2 RBIs help Rays outlast Red Sox 9-7
BOSTON (AP) — René Pinto hit a two-run home run, Manuel Margot added a pair of RBI singles as part of a four-hit night, and the Tampa Bay Rays held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-7 on Tuesday night. Rays starter Zach Eflin (16-8) yielded three runs off five hits over five innings […]
Posted inCity & Government
A Rhode Island man is charged with possessing 26 pounds of cocaine in a kayak on a Vermont lake
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A Rhode Island man has been charged in Vermont with possessing 26 pounds (12 kilograms) of cocaine with the intent to distribute it after federal authorities observed him putting packages into a kayak on Lake Champlain near the Canadian border, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The U.S. attorney’s office said agents encountered […]
Posted inNews
Leaf-peeping social media users are clogging a Vermont backroad. The town is closing it
By LISA RATHKE Associated Press POMFRET, Vt. (AP) — Social media users take note: You won’t be able to snap that fall foliage selfie at a popular Vermont spot. The town has temporarily closed the road to nonresidents due to overcrowding and “poorly behaved tourists.” The normally quiet dirt road from Pomfret to Woodstock, home […]
Posted inSports
Patriots’ low-scoring offense is a big concern even after 1st win of season
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — While the New England Patriots avoided their first 0-3 start in two decades, it’s not clear whether they can consistently score enough points to contend in the AFC East. New England played turnover-free in Sunday’s 15-10 win over the struggling New York Jets, covering for the deficiencies of an offense that didn’t run […]
Posted inSports
Patriots beat Jets 15-10 to extend their winning streak to 15 straight over New York
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Mac Jones and the New England Patriots were off to a frustrating start to the season, falling just short of victories in their first two games. Staring at a rare 0-3 for the proud franchise, they got better in a hurry — […]
Posted inSports
Clevinger pitches 6 strong innings; Chicago beats Boston 3-2 to win 1st series since early August
By KEN POWTAK Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Mike Clevinger pitched six solid innings, Elvis Andrus had a two-run double and the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in a rain-shortened game on Sunday, ending a string of 12 straight series losses. Trying to avoid their second 100-loss season in five years […]
Posted inSports
Gil scores his 9th goal of the season and the New England Revolution clinch an MLS playoff spot
CHICAGO (AP) — Carles Gil had a shot deflected up and in for his ninth goal of the season and the New England Revolution tied the Chicago Fire 2-2 on Saturday night to clinch an MLS playoff spot. Each of the last five regular-season meetings between the Fire and the Revolution have ended in draws. […]
Posted inSports
Robert hits 311-foot homer in 9th to snap scoreless tie and give White Sox 1-0 win over Red Sox
BOSTON (AP) — There’s no other ballpark in the majors where Luis Robert Jr.’s 311-foot line drive would have been a home run. Heck, it might not have even gotten high enough to clear Fenway Park’s 37-foot Green Monster in left. But the White Sox slugger’s curving liner found the front row of the right […]
Posted inSports
Yoshida hits go-ahead single in 8th as Red Sox rally past White Sox 3-2
By KEN POWTAK Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Masataka Yoshida hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning after Adam Duvall’s sacrifice fly, and the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Playing their first game after being eliminated from postseason contention, the Red Sox […]
Posted inCity & Government
Governors, Biden administration push to quadruple efficient heating, AC units by 2030
ISABELLA O’MALLEY Associated Press A group of 25 state governors that make up the U.S. Climate Alliance and the Biden administration announced a pledge Thursday to quadruple the number of heat pumps in U.S. homes by 2030, from 4.7 million to 20 million. Heat pumps use little electricity, yet are able to heat and cool buildings. Since they […]
Posted inCity & Government
In a first, Massachusetts to ban purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies
BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order Thursday that she says will make Massachusetts the first state to ban the purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies. Massachusetts buys about 100,000 of the plastic water bottles each year. The order bars all executive offices and agencies in Massachusetts from purchasing any […]
Posted inSports
Jets look to end a 14-game skid vs. the winless Patriots and move to 2-0 in the AFC East
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Robert Saleh was an assistant in Jacksonville the previous time the New York Jets defeated the New England Patriots. Zach Wilson was a sophomore in high school. None of the other players on the Jets’ current roster were there to witness that […]
Posted inSports
Playoff-chasing Rangers hit 4 homers in a 15-5 win over Red Sox after trailing 4-0 early
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With all of their All-Stars back in the lineup, the Texas Rangers are starting to feel good again going into their most important stretch of the season. “This is more who we were,” manager Bruce Bochy said. Marcus Semien drove in three runs from the […]
Posted inSports
Jung’s go-ahead single helps Rangers beat Red Sox 6-4 and end 4-game losing streak
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Josh Jung hit a tiebreaking single in a two-run seventh inning, and the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 on Tuesday night in their bid for an AL playoff berth. Texas, which ended a four-game losing streak, closed within a half-game of AL West-leading Houston. The Rangers remained tied […]
Posted inNews
Massachusetts city got nearly 10 inches of rain in 6 hours, flooding homes and eroding dams
By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP) — Heavy rainfall — nearly 10 inches in six hours — flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with two communities declaring a state of emergency as water poured into homes and forced boat rescues of residents. Concern about a dam listed in poor condition led to […]
Posted inNews
Severe heat and heavy storms hit New England; fallen tree kills camper in Vermont
BOSTON (AP) — The heat that has gripped much of the nation seeped into New England on Friday, forcing some schools to close or send kids home early while powerful thunderstorms also swept through the region. A Massachusetts man was killed early Friday when a tree fell on him during a storm while he was […]
Posted inCity & Government
Governor activates Massachusetts National Guard to help with migrant crisis
BOSTON (AP) — Democratic Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday activated up to 250 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to assist at shelters and hotels as the state struggles with a flood of migrants. The move comes after the governor declared a state of emergency several weeks ago because of the strain on the shelter system. “Massachusetts […]
Posted inNews
After a Vermont playhouse flooded, the show went on
By LISA RATHKE Associated Press WESTON, Vt. (AP) — Members of a beloved Vermont acting company were sleeping in theater housing when torrential rains and flooding forced them to flee, with water inundating the playhouse’s vast basement of dressing rooms, costumes and props and reaching into the first floor. The July storms left the large, column-fronted white […]
Posted inNews
A large ice chunk fell from the sky and damaged a house in Massachusetts
SHIRLEY, Mass. (AP) — A large ice chunk fell from the sky and hit a house in Massachusetts, damaging the roof of the home, the homeowner said. Jeff Ilg said he and his wife, Amelia Rainville, suspect the ice fell off an airplane traveling to Boston Logan International Airport. Neither the couple nor their two […]
Posted inNews
Books banned in other states fuel Vermont lieutenant governor’s reading tour
By LISA RATHKE Associated Press WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) — On a recent Sunday afternoon, Vermont’s lieutenant governor was at a local library, reading a book about two male penguins to a crowd of nearly two dozen. This was not the first stop for Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman nor would it be the last. While officials […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Vermont-based Phish to play 2 shows to benefit flood recovery efforts
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Phish will play two special shows next month to benefit flood recovery efforts in Vermont and upstate New York. The band, which was formed in Vermont in 1983, says on its website that it will play at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26. The band […]
Posted inNews
Vermont braces for more rain in wake of historic flooding
By KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press Vermont prepared for the next round of storms — and possibly a tornado — as people took advantage of calm weather Thursday to clean up from historic flooding that damaged thousands of homes, businesses and roads, and left some residents stranded. As floodwaters receded, the good news was that there […]
Posted inNews
Vermont will pay $16.5M to settle lawsuits by foreign investors in fraudulent ski developments
By LISA RATHKE Associated Press The state of Vermont has agreed to pay $16.5 million to settle all pending and potential lawsuits from foreign investors in development projects at the Jay Peak resort, the ski area that was shaken by a massive fraud case involving its former owner and president, officials said Wednesday. In 2016, the federal Securities […]
Posted inNews
Photo Gallery & Recap: Billy Joel at Fenway Park (August 4)
Billy Joel apologizes for being a year and a half late to the show, due to the pesky covid. The time off did not make him rusty, in fact, you could see and hear how happy he was to be performing to a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park this rainy night. For two hours he […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tickets still available for Hall and Oates at Xfinity Center Thursday, Aug. 5
Tickets are still available for the Daryl Hall & John Oates show on Thursday, August 5th at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA. The top-selling musical duo of all time, the band’s roots go back to the 1970s, where they came together playing the coffeehouses of Philadelphia, PA. The duo has acheived six #1 hits […]