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☆ Boston pizzeria owner gets 8.5 years in prison for forced labor of undocumented workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The owner of a Boston area pizza chain who forced undocumented victims to work for him in grueling conditions, and under violent physical abuse and threats of deportation, has been sentenced to over eight years in prison. He was convicted in a jury trial on three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor in June. The sentencing of Papantoniadis marks just the latest in a string of complaints over labor practices at his businesses. In 2019, the business owners were ordered to pay more than $300,000 in back wages, according to NBC Boston. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office said it received three complaints since 2019 against Stash’s Pizza, similarly over wage and hour violations.

Persons: Stavros Papantoniadis, “ Papantoniadis, “, Papantoniadis, ” Papantoniadis, Carmine Lepore, ” Lepore, Joshua S, Levy, ” Levy, Stash’s Pizza, Stavros “ Steve ” Papantoniadis, Polyxeny “ Paulina ” Papantoniadis Organizations: U.S, Attorneys, District, NBC, United, NBC Boston, U.S . Department of Labor, Stash’s, Co, Weymouth Pizza Co, General’s Locations: Boston, pizzerias, Dorchester, Roslindale, Massachusetts, Norwood, United States, Norwell, Randolph, Weymouth, Wareham

☆ Cannabis stocks surge as Biden administration moves to reclassify marijuana
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Trade Roots, a Wareham-based Cannabis dispensary grows cannabis plants for making CBD with THC in their greenhouse, and manufactures CBD products for sale in their shop and distribution to buyers. Cannabis stocks leapt on Tuesday afternoon, buoyed by a Biden administration decision to ease federal restrictions on marijuana. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to approve an opinion by the Department of Health and Human Services to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance, NBC News reported, citing four sources with knowledge of the decision. Marijuana has been labeled a Schedule I substance for more than 50 years, the same as methamphetamine and heroin. Investors in cannabis stocks cheered the move, with the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (MSOS ) surging nearly 20% in afternoon trading.

Organizations: U.S . Drug, Department of Health, Human Services, NBC News, Marijuana, Drugs, Cannabis ETF Locations: Wareham, U.S

☆ Biden administration plans to reclassify marijuana, easing restrictions nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Julie Tsirkin | Monica Alba | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"DOJ continues to work on this rule," a Biden administration official said. "No one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana," the president said during the speech. "Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug sends the message that marijuana is less addictive and dangerous now than ever before. US President Joe Biden speaks during the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner at the Washington Hilton, in Washington, DC, on April 27, 2024. Nearly six in ten Americans say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, according to a Pew Research poll last month.

Persons: John Tlumacki, Biden, Joe Bidens, Tom Williams, Joe Biden, Barack Obama's, Jim Cole, Obama, Cole, Kevin Sabet, Brendan Smialowski, Brad Horrigan Organizations: Delta, Trade, Boston Globe, NBC, Drug, Department of Health, Human Services, DOJ, Biden, Internal Revenue, Justice's, DC Marijuana Justice, CQ, Inc, Getty, State, National Cannabis Roundtable, NBC News, Smart, Marijuana, Obama Administration, White, Correspondents ' Association, Washington Hilton, AFP, Management, CRA, Pew Research, Florida Supreme, Tribune, Service Locations: Wareham, deducting, New York, California, Washington ,, Florida

BOSTON (AP) — More than two dozen commercial drivers have had their licenses downgraded in the wake of a scandal involving State Police troopers allegedly taking bribes in exchange for passing test scores, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles announced Friday. The RMV said it identified 26 people who didn’t pass the test properly and changed them to Class D passenger licenses. The drivers, who were not named, will have to take and pass all the required permit and skills tests if they want to get commercial licenses. Calvin Butner, 63, of Halifax, and Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham, both retired state troopers, were arrested in Florida on Monday. Cederquist is alleged to have conspired with Mathison, who worked for a spring water company that employed drivers needing commercial licenses, to give them passing scores; and with Camera, who worked for a truck driving school in Brockton, to help four state troopers get their commercial licenses.

Persons: Gary Cederquist, Joel Rogers, Calvin Butner, Perry Mendes, Eric Mathison, Scott Camara, Cederquist, Mathison Organizations: BOSTON, State Police, of Motor Vehicles Locations: Massachusetts, Stoughton, Bridgewater, Halifax, Wareham, Florida, Boston, Rehoboth, Brockton

☆ New Zealand election: Voters goes to the polls in a narrow race
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at Parliament on July 26, in Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand National Party leader Christopher Luxon speaks during a National Party campaign rally on October 10 in Wellington, New Zealand. Before becoming prime minister, he was minister of education, minister of police, minister for the public service, and leader of the house. Hipkins’ main contender Luxon is a businessman and former CEO of Air New Zealand who became leader of the National Party in 2021. Voters get two votes on the ballot: one for a candidate in their local constituency and one for the party.

Persons: Jacinda Ardern, Christopher Luxon, Chris Hipkins, Winston Peters, Ardern, Hagen Hopkins, demagogues, Hipkins, Sophia Ha, ” Ha, “, ” Alex Wareham, ”, It’s, Wareham, Luxon Organizations: CNN, National Party, Labour Party, Radio NZ, NZ, Labour, Zealand, New Zealand National Party, Getty, Air New Locations: Zealand, New Zealand, Hipkins ., Wellington , New Zealand, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Sydney, United States, United Kingdom, Covid, Air New Zealand, New

☆ Ukraine war brings surge in global use of cluster bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Cluster munitions, fired from the ground or by aircraft, explode mid-air, spraying smaller 'bomblets' over a wide area. Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a party to the ban, nor is the United States, which began supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine this year. In Ukraine, the report said Russia had used cluster munitions "repeatedly", while Ukraine had also used them, but to "a lesser extent". The report covered last year, and therefore excludes this year's use by Ukraine of U.S. cluster munitions, which Kyiv began receiving in July. It also said its cluster munitions leave behind far fewer unexploded bomblets than those used by Russia.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, Mary Wareham, Washington, Emma Farge, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cluster Munitions Coalition, Human Rights Watch, Kyiv, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, United States, Geneva, Kyiv, Moscow, U.S, Myanmar, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen

☆ The Air Force wants $5.8 billion to build nearly 2,000 AI-powered Valkyrie aircraft as part of its 'next generation of air dominance' initiative
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Air Force has requested $5.8 billion in its budget to create AI-driven XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft. The autonomous crafts are ideal for completing suicide missions and protecting pilots, the Air Force says. Human rights advocates say letting technology take lives crosses a moral boundary. The Times reported each Valkyrie will cost between $3 million and $25 million — far less than a manned pilot jet. Air Force and Department of Defense representatives did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Persons: —, Mary Wareham, António Guterres Organizations: Air Force, Service, Force, New York Times, Times, The Times, Department of Defense, Human Rights Watch, Life Institute, United Nations Locations: Wall, Silicon, of Mexico

☆ What I learned about getting older: The scarlet letter ‘A’ is for aging
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Dr. Sanjay Gupta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

But I don’t think we’re all aware of the age beliefs. To do that, researchers like him are targeting the essential biology of aging – the underlying reasons why we get old. When those biological processes fail or break down, we get sick – and aging is the biggest risk factor for that deterioration. In the meantime, though, remember this: Aging is probably not nearly as bad as you might imagine. And as my mom told me, we should all truly embrace getting older, because it sure as heck beats the alternative.

Persons: ”, “, Diana Nyad, ‘, Diana, I’m, Don’t, she’s, Dan Buettner, Dan, –, Becca Levy, Levy, It’s, Ellsworth, Wareham, Nir Barzilai, Barzilai, ” Barzilai, ’ ”, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Andrea Kane Organizations: CNN, Yale, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Einstein Institute for Aging Research, FDA, CNN Health Locations: Cuba, Florida, United States, Japan, Ellsworth Wareham, Loma Linda , California

☆ Allies React Cautiously to Prospect of U.S. Cluster Weapons for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | Thomas Gibbons-Neff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The United States appears to be on the verge of providing Ukraine with cluster munitions, a senior Biden administration official said. What are cluster munitions? “There’s just not a responsible way to use cluster munitions,” said Brian Castner, the weapons expert on Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Team. The New York Times has documented Russia’s extensive use of cluster munitions in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022. The Convention on Cluster Munitions also limits the ability of nations that have signed on to cooperate militarily with countries that employ them.

Persons: Laura Cooper, “ There’s, ”, Brian Castner, Castner, “, Ukraine —, Jerry Redfern, Mary Wareham, Cooper, Biden, Gabriela Rosa Hernández, David Guttenfelder, Oleksandr Kubrakov, ” Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, Gaya Gupta Organizations: Biden, Washington, U.S, Pentagon, National Public Radio, United Nations, Amnesty, Cluster Munitions, Getty, The New York Times, The Times, Human Rights Watch, NATO, Ukraine, Munitions, Arms Control, Ukraine’s, Brigade, ., Munich Security Locations: States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Eurasia, Tibnin, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Balkans, Laos, U.S, United, United States, LightRocket, Russian, Kramatorsk, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russian missile kills four in western city of Lviv; nuclear plant tensions in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view of the destruction of residential buildings on September 20, 2022 in Izium, Ukraine. Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused both Russian and Ukrainian forces of causing civilian casualties through the use of cluster munitions. The organization found that Ukrainian cluster bomb attacks on Russian-controlled areas in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium in 2022 caused multiple casualties among Ukrainian civilians, while Russian forces have "extensively" used cluster munitions in Ukraine, killing and injuring many civilians. "Cluster munitions used by Russia and Ukraine are killing civilians now and will continue to do so for many years," said Mary Wareham, acting arms director at Human Rights Watch. The U.S. government is considering a request from Ukraine for the transfer of stockpiled cluster munitions.

Persons: Mary Wareham, Joe Biden, — Elliot Smith Organizations: Human Rights, Human Rights Watch Locations: Izium, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Ukraine and Russia should stop using cluster bombs, Human Rights Watch says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy group, called on both Russia and Ukraine to stop using the weapons, and urged the U.S. not to supply them. Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. have all to declined to sign the treaty. Ukraine fired cluster munition rockets into Russian-controlled areas in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium last year after Russia invaded Ukraine, Human Rights Watch said, citing interviews with more than 100 residents, witnesses and local emergency personnel. The Ukrainian attacks killed at least eight civilians and wounded at least 15 civilians in Izium, Human Rights Watch said. The group has previously reported that Russia's use of cluster munitions in Ukraine has killed scores of civilians, and the United Nations' Human Rights Council has also documented the use of such bombs by both sides.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Mary Wareham, Joe Biden's, Jonathan Allen, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Human Rights Watch, Rights Watch, U.S, Pentagon, Russian, United Nations, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Nova Zoria, Ukraine, Kherson region, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Izium, New York

☆ Colorado passes first US right to repair legislation for farmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Bianca Flowers | Thomson Reuters | Bianca Flowers Is An Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist Based In Chicago Where She Reports On The Backbone Of The U.S. Labor Market. She Covers Agriculture | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act passed 46-14 in Colorado's Senate late on Tuesday, after winning approval in the state House of Representatives in February. The bill garnered bipartisan support as farmers grew increasingly frustrated with costly repairs and inflated input prices denting their profits. Colorado's legislation would mandate farm machinery manufacturers like Deere and rival CNH Industrial (CNHI.MI) to provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software documents, and repair manuals starting Jan 1. State lawmakers are pushing right to repair legislation even though Deere and CNH signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation to allow farmers to fix their equipment, or go to a third-party repair shop. The agreement does not give farmers total access for repairs, said Kevin O'Reilly, director for the campaign of right to repair at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

☆ Ana Walshe disappearance: Key moments in the search for the Massachusetts mother
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Her husband, Brian Walshe, 47, was arrested and accused of misleading officials and lying about his whereabouts on Jan. 1 and 2. “Our hearts go out to her family and especially to her young children, who deserve to be reunited with their mother.”Key moments in the case:39-year-old Ana Walshe. via Cohasset PoliceJan. 1: Ana Walshe reportedly headed to airportCohasset police say Ana Walshe was at her home on Chief Justice Cushing Highway shortly after midnight before she allegedly took a ride share to Boston’s Logan Airport for a flight to Washington, D.C., to attend to a work emergency. Jan. 5: Search for Ana Walshe goes publicPolice announced their search for Ana Walshe, urging the public to contact them if they have any information on her whereabouts. The testing of the unspecified items will "determine if they are of evidentiary value" in Ana Walshe's disappearance, the DA's office said.

☆ Slots to smartphones: Pandemic sends Australia’s gambling problem online
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Australia’s gambling industry has been in the spotlight in recent years, with public inquiries lashing its biggest casino operators due to lapses in money laundering protections. Online gambling has also been the focus of inquiries, but with its increasing prevalence, the government has answered consumer advocates with a pledge to take a deeper look. Australia overtook Britain, which has nearly three times its population, to rank third by online loss, behind the United States and Japan, said H2. The new center-left federal government this month said it will hold a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, though some recommendations of a 2015 inquiry are yet to take effect. “At their fingertips they have 24-hour access to gambling online.

Online gambling has also been the focus of inquiries, but with its increasing prevalence, the government has answered consumer advocates with a pledge to take a deeper look. Australia overtook Britain, which has nearly three times its population, to rank third by online loss, behind the United States and Japan, said H2. The new centre-left federal government this month said it will hold a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling, though some recommendations of a 2015 inquiry are yet to take effect. "At their fingertips they have 24-hour access to gambling online. Wareham, the coffee technician, said he no longer uses poker machines and that family responsibilities help him control his online betting.

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