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Job applications spike at MBTA after labor pact

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

New MBTA personnel policies baked into the latest labor deal with its biggest union appear to be yielding early results, though the agency still has a long way to go to hit workforce targets essential to improving service.The T has received a flood of applications for bus operator positions in the two months since officials ratified a collective bargaining agreement that increases pay to $30 per hour, and about four in five workers eligible for retirement have expressed interest in remaining on board in exchange for a bonus, agency data shows.On Aug. 2, the MBTA and Boston Carmen’s Union ATU Local 589 announced a four-year, $55 million collective bargaining agreement, which features 18 percent pay increase over its life, $7,500 sign-on bonuses for drivers, paid commercial driver’s license training and retention incentives.Between Aug. 8 and Oct. 9, the MBTA received 1,809 new applications from people wanting to become bus drivers, according to a presentation MBTA Chief W...

Ticker: Medicare sign-up window opens; Ex-Playgirl exec guilty in $250M fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

Open enrollment for Medicare opened Sunday, providing seniors an annual option to select their plans for the coming year.During the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 7, people will have the opportunity to choose between traditional Medicare and privately run Medicare Advantage plans in their area, as well as prescription drug plans.Medicare is the federal coverage program for those age 65 and over and some people with disabilities who are younger. Medicare Advantage plans provided by insurers frequently offer prescription drug coverage , as well as extra benefits like dental or vision coverage not provided by traditional Medicare.Medicare Advantage coverage experts say people should review their coverage each year during the open enrollment window and compare it to other options, paying particular attention to how regular doctors or medications are covered.Ex-Playgirl exec guilty in $250M fraudA Florida executive whose family business once owned Playgirl magazine has pleaded guilty...

Suzanne Somers of 'Three's Company' dies: reports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Suzanne Somers, well known for her roles in "Three's Company" and "Step by Step," has died, according to multiple reports. In a statement to People and Variety, Somers' publicist R. Couri Hay said the 76-year-old "passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th.""She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," the statement added. She was diagnosed with a second bout of breast cancer earlier this year.Somers was planning on spending Monday, her birthday, with her "nearest and dearest," she previously told People. "Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th," Hay's statement continued. "Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."Somers' first on-screen appearance was in the 1968 film "Bullitt," according to her IMDb page, though she was uncredited. She also appeared in "American Graffiti," "The Rockford Files," and...

Illinois man killed Muslim boy, 6, in hate crime motivated by Israeli-Hamas war, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Police charged a 71-year-old suburban Chicago man Sunday with a hate crime for fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 32-year-old woman, alleging he singled out both victims because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas. “Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the Will County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to social media. Officers found both victims late Saturday morning at a home in an unincorporated area of Plainfield Township, roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.The boy, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, was stabbed 26 times with a large military-style knife, according to an autopsy Sunday, the sheriff’s office said. The woman had more than a dozen stab wounds on her body. She remained hospitali...

Unifor members at GM vote 80 per cent in favour of new contract

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

Canada’s largest private-sector union says workers at General Motors Co. have a new three-year collective agreement, with 80.5 per cent of them ratifying it in a vote held online and in person.The newly bargained agreement covers more than 4,300 workers at the Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Powertrain Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre in Ontario.Unifor national president Lana Payne expressed pride in GM workers’ solidarity throughout the strike action and for ratifying the contract.“This agreement reflects true collective bargaining,” Payne said in a statement Sunday. “Our goal was to bring more fairness and equity to auto workplaces and to lift everyone up. We did that.”General Motors agreed to follow the terms set by the Ford contract about 12 hours after Unifor members went on strike last week at GM’s Oshawa assembly plant, St. Catharines propulsion plant and Woodstock parts distribution centre.The terms of the deal matc...

Suzanne Somers, Three’s Company and Step by Step actress, dead at 76

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show “Three’s Company” as well as her business endeavors, has died at the age of 76.Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning, her family said in a statement provided by her longtime publicist R. Couri Hay. Her husband Alan Hamel, her son Bruce and other immediate family were with her.“Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th,” the statement read. “Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”In July, Somers shared on Instagram that her breast cancer had returned.“Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, `It’s back’ you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “This is familiar battleground for me a...

Man facing hate crime charges after allegedly killing 6-year-old, injuring woman in stabbing attack in Will County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

WILL COUNTY, Ill. — A man accused of brutally killing a 6-year-old boy and seriously injuring a 32-year-old woman in unincorporated Plainfield Township is facing hate crime charges, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.Authorities say 71-year-old Joseph Czuba has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.Detectives say they were able to determine that both victims were allegedly targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and added the attack was allegedly prompted by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.The charges stem from a violent attack that occurred at a home in the 16200 block of South Lincoln Highway, just after 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.Will County deputies and officers from the Plainfield Police Department initially responded to the scene on reports that a woman was allegedly being attacked by her landlord with a knife. Authorities say the woman told author...

US working to assist Americans seeking to leave Gaza, West Bank

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

(The Hill) - The Biden Administration shared that U.S. officials are currently working to assist Americans who are seeking to leave the Gaza Strip and the West Bank amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. In a news release on Sunday, the administration said that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer were briefed on the efforts to help residents who want to leave the war-torn areas. Sullivan and Finer were also provided updates on the government’s coordination with the United Nations (UN), Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and other countries in the region. Their goal is to facilitate humanitarian assistance and ensure civilians have access to water, food, and medical care in Gaza.  ‘No proof of life from Hamas’: Denver man’s family members taken hostage in Israel The administration also said it is holding sessions with Arabic and Muslim community leaders on the ongoing conflict as well. “Sulli...

What 'Bare Minimum Monday' gets right about easing stress at work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

(NerdWallet) - TikTok trends don’t lie: Whether they’re “quiet quitting” or adopting “Bare Minimum Monday” to combat the “Sunday scaries,” people are pulling back at work.In one sense, making work a smaller part of life is a permanent shift that people working from home experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Cristina Banks, an industrial and organizational psychologist and director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Healthy Workplaces at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.While working from home, people had more autonomy. They also had a clearer idea of the value of their time, which they could spend exercising or playing with their kids rather than sitting in traffic on their way to the office.After many workers had that experience and are now being pushed to return to pre-pandemic norms, Banks says it’s hard for them to give up control over when or how much they work.So, some workers embrace trends like Bare Minimum Monday, which suggests doing...

6-year-old boy killed, woman injured after stabbing in Plainfield Township

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:13 GMT

Editors note: It was initially reported by authorities on Saturday that the victim was 8 years old, deputies later confirmed that the child was actually 6 years old.UPDATE 10/15/23: A 71-year-old man accused of killing a 6-year-old boy and seriously injuring a 32-year-old woman in unincorporated Plainfield Township is facing hate crime charges, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.This is a breaking news update, the original story can be found below. WILL COUNTY, Ill. — An investigation is underway on Saturday afternoon after a child was killed and a woman was badly injured after the two were both stabbed over a dozen times in unincorporated Plainfield Township, authorities say.According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were called to a home in the 16200 block of South Lincoln Highway, just after 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, on reports that a woman was allegedly being attacked by her landlord with a knife. Authorities say the woman told police that she ran into a...