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Tom Mulherin’s crystal ball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

A new year brings new opportunity, and we’re ready to turn the page from 2023 for a big rest of the season for the crystal ball.Last week was another good rebound from the opening week’s meltdown, but there’s always room to improve whenever there is a loss. It didn’t exactly start pretty, either, with three early losses on the boys’ side, but a 6-0-1 week on the girls side made up for it.Just as another friendly reminder, there are no repeat picks for one team in a single week. The Hopkinton, Arlington, Catholic Memorial, Reading and Xaverian boys, as well as the Duxbury and Hingham girls, are a just a few teams with multiple tough challenges this week.Let’s kick off 2024 on the right foot:  LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 11-3-1OVERALL RECORD: 25-16-1**WINNERS in CAPS BOYSMondayREADING vs St. John’s Prep, 4 p.m. – AJ Farese’s strong Pete Frates Winter Classic showing leads into a quality goalie battle against Chris Hanifan. Advantage goes to the home team.WednesdayGloucest...

AI set to become more part of our daily lives in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

From autonomous vehicles to virtual assistants, AI is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives in 2023.But it has also brought more concern over what the risks are as the world see what’s in store for 2024.With the popularity of generative AI with apps like ChatGPT others transforming how different industries operate, experts say while valuable this type of innovation can come with some unwanted side effects.Daniel Tsai, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said job losses due to AI will likely be on the horizon for 2024. “Other things AI can do, people are now asking AI to do blog posts, and write letters on their behalf. So a lot of the human tasks that used to be done that required human thinking can be replaced by ChatGPT and other AI engines and that’s problematic because you’re talking about jobs lost”He added there could also be more of something known as “deep faking” in which users use AI to generate...

Will King Charles make it right with Indigenous communities in Canada in 2024?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

This year saw the coronation of a new King. As our new head of state, King Charles has an opportunity to begin righting some of the wrongs committed to Indigenous communities in Canada. But as we enter 2024, the question still remains: will he?“We must find new ways to come to terms with the darker and more difficult aspects of the past, acknowledging, reconciling and striving to do better,” said the British monarch during a 2022 visit to Canada.He reflected openly about reconciliation, just months before he ascended to the throne, but the words “I’m sorry” were never spoken.“Apologies only go so far. And for me, it’s him physically coming to each community, seeing the harms done, and acknowledging that, you know, he and his family and the monarchy have the means to fix a lot of injustices on our communities,” said Dr. Paulina Johnson, a citizen of Samson Cree Nation in central Alberta, which is Treaty 6 territory.She ha...

Police say Berlin marks New Year’s Eve with less violence than a year ago despite detention of 390

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities in Berlin said Monday that New Year’s Eve celebrations in the German capital were more peaceful compared to last year despite the temporary detention of 390 people and 54 police officers being injured.Police said many were detained for violating the Weapons and Explosives Act, either using illegal firecrackers or firing them off at officers or other peopleSome 4,500 officers patrolled the city at night to prevent a repeat of the 2022 New Year’s Eve riots. It was the strongest police presence Berlin witnessed in decades.On Sunday night, police banned the use of traditional firecrackers across the city.Both the city’s mayor and Germany’s interior minister had vowed a zero-tolerance strategy toward rioters, particularly any trying to attack officers.“It turned out that the many months of preparation by police and firefighters … have paid off,” Berlin’s top security official Iris Spanger wrote on social media platform X, formerly T...

Advocate Health Care announces first babies of 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

Advocate Health Care's first baby of 2024 is an Ocean.With a birth time of 3:18 a.m. Monday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ocean — the first child of Emily and Wes Ortman of Wheeling — became the first baby born in 2024 for the Advocate Health Care network of the Chicago area.Ocean, the first child of Emily and Wes Ortman of Wheeling, is Advocate Health Care’s first baby of 2024.Ocean checked in at 5 pounds, 2.4 ounces and 18.75 inches in length.Just behind Ocean was Rue, born to Kiara and Robert Rhodes of Crete at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 5:05 a.m. Monday.Rue, born to parents Kiara and Robert Rhodes of Crete, was the second baby of 2024 born at Advocate Health Care.Rue clocked in at 4 pounds, 9 ounces and 17 inches in length and joins two older brothers, Robert and Kityi, in the world.

These were the biggest Central Texas weather stories of 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It was a year of extremes: 2023 brought Austin's hottest summer on record and also the worst ice storm on record. More than 4,000 acres were burned by wildfires across Central Texas, and the city experienced its costliest hailstorm ever. Temperatures, rain, severe storms: Tracking Austin’s 2023 weather by the numbers Here's a look back at some of the biggest weather stories of the year.Worst ice storm on recordAt 6:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, Meteorologist Kristen Currie told KXAN viewers, "This Winter Storm Warning has expanded and extended. The icing threat is worsening. It's only going to get worse through the day."The storm she was referring to would become Austin's worst ice storm in recorded history.Trees covered in ice in northwest Austin on Feb. 1, 2023. (Courtesy Scott Ramsay Images)Trees covered in ice in northwest Austin on Feb. 1, 2023. (Courtesy Scott Ramsay Images)Crepe myrtles bend from the weight of ice, forming a tunnel in Cedar Park on Feb. 1, 20...

These comets, meteor showers and eclipses will be visible in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

(Stacker) - People have looked at the sky for millennia in awe of all the celestial wonders happening above. Even today, with advanced technology and a more nuanced understanding of our solar system and the galaxies beyond, we continue to look to the sky with a great sense of fascination.The most anticipated celestial event of 2024 is the total solar eclipse on April 8. Much of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will be in the path of totality, meaning people in the right place will see the moon perfectly lined up in front of the sun, leaving a shaded circle of the moon and only the outer aura of the sun. The last total solar eclipse was Aug. 21, 2017. Many people marked the occasion by going outside wearing eclipse glasses and bearing witness to the remarkable event.But stargazers don't have to wait until April for exciting occurrences in the upper atmosphere. Many thrilling astral events will happen throughout the year, many of which do not require special equipment to view. What is the...

Strange holidays for every day in January

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — You might not be able to get off work for these holidays, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate.There are 31 days in the month of January, and the most commonly celebrated holiday in the month is New Year’s Day.In addition to ringing in the new year, Jan. 1 is also used to celebrate National Hangover Day and National Bloody Mary Day, which sort of makes sense if you think about it.Other strange holidays in January include:Jan. 2Swiss Cheese Day & 55 mph Speed Limit DayJan. 3Drinking Straw Day & Festival of Sleep DayJan. 4National Trivia Day & National Spaghetti DayJan. 5National Bird Day & National Whipped Cream DayJan. 6National Cuddle Up Day & National Bean DayJan. 7I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day & National Bobblehead DayJan. 8National Bubble Bath Day & National Clean Your Desk DayJan. 9Balloon Ascension Day & National Apricot DayJan. 10Houseplant Appreciation Day & National Take the Stairs DayJan. 11Learn Your Na...

5 things to know this New Year's Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy New Year! According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, 2024 is off to a quiet and “normal” start. After morning clouds there will be peeks of sunshine. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Today's five things to know features local elected officials being sworn into office, Saratoga Springs welcoming 2024 with New Year’s Fest, and the new New York State minimum wage going into effect today.1. New mayor in Troy, Saratoga Springs to be sworn inCarmella Mantello is making history today as she's being sworn in as the first female mayor in Troy. John Safford is also being sworn in as mayor of Saratoga Springs and Tim Coll will be sworn in as the city's new public safety commissioner.2. Saratoga Springs welcomes 2024 with New Year’s FestSaratoga Springs welcomed people to celebrate the start of 2024 with their three-day New Year’s Fest. It’s been called New York’s biggest New Year’s party north of Times Square by the Sarat...

Don’t start your indoor tomato seeds too early, and other Colorado garden resolutions for the new year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:48:00 GMT

New Year’s resolutions are seldom kept, at least in the long term — not that a person shouldn’t give it a go.Instead of working on self-improvement, then, how about making some garden resolutions?My No. 1 intention for the New Year is to try super hard not to start my indoor tomato seeds too early, you know, like in February. When I do that, they tend to look more like stretched-out, spindly green sticks with gaps of lonely sparse leaves. This growth pattern is appropriately called “leggy tomatoes.” I call it sad for the plant and silly for me to jump the gun. Wait until April … wait until April … wait until April.Dracaena deremensis Lemon Lime, with its sword-shaped, wide leaves and distinctive greenish-yellow, cream and lime stripes. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)Here are some other New Year’s garden goals, must-dos or don’t-dos. They’ll get you started on thinking about landscape enhancements and a new garden beginning.Maybe my list will ...