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Crime Briefs: Worcester man charged with having machine gun

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

Jose Rivera, 24, of Worcester, was charged in federal court in Boston with unlawful possession of a machine gun after prosecutors say he was found in possession of a pistol turned into a machine gun.A federal agent alleges that a Tuesday search of Rivera’s residence on Pilgrim Avenue turned up a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber pistol converted with a switch — which an affidavit states makes the gun capable of firing 20 rounds per second with a single pull of the trigger, according to the agent’s affidavit in the case.‘Master thief’ fails againSean Murphy, 58, calls himself a “master thief,” but that didn’t stop him from getting caught four years ago for the 2008 theft of gold and New York Giants Super Bowl rings from a jewelry store in Attleboro and it didn’t stop him from getting caught conning people out of charity money while out on probation.Murphy, who spent two years in prison and was in the middle of his five years of probation for the Attleboro heist, pretended to be a homeless v...

Suspect breaks into Old Town restaurant: police

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A suspect broke into a restaurant in Old Town Thursday morning, authorities said.According to the San Diego Police Department, a call came in around 5 a.m. reporting that an individual had forcefully entered Rockin’ Baja Lobster, located at 3890 Twiggs St.  Man suspected of motorcycle theft, drug possession Authorities say the surveillance video at the restaurant shows a suspect breaking in through a patio window. Police search for suspect who broke a window at Rockin’ Baja Lobster. (Photo: OnScene.TV)A suspect has not yet been found or arrested, SDPD said. A suspect description has not been provided at this time.The amount of property damage and/or any other losses experienced by the restaurant have not yet been determined. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Maple Leaf Foods expecting modest annual growth in its plant-based protein

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Maple Leaf Foods Inc. said it’s expecting modest annual growth in its plant-based protein category as the company reported a loss for its latest quarter, due in part to weaker pork markets and a cyberattack.The Mississauga, Ont.-based food processing company raised its quarterly dividend to 21 cents, up from 20 cents, as it reported a loss of $41.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The increased payment to shareholders came as Maple Leaf said its loss for the quarter ended Dec. 31 amounted to 34 cents per share compared with a profit of $1.9 million or two cents per share in the last three months of 2021. Sales totalled $1.19 billion, up from $1.12 billion a year earlier.“Our supply chains are normalizing now, the imbalance in our pricing for inflation is now coming into line and important Asian regions have opened up again for us,” Maple Leaf Foods chief executive Michael McCain said in a statement. “These unprecedented markets will ...

Canadians making fewer trips to the grocery store as inflation pinches: report

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

A new report by RBC says Canadians are on average making fewer grocery store runs as food inflation persists, but still spending roughly the same amount per tripRBC’s consumer spending tracker shows the average number of grocery transactions in February was up 8.4 per cent relative to pre-pandemic levels, compared with a roughly 13 per cent bump relative to pre-pandemic levels seen toward the end of November 2022.Economist Carrie Freestone says it could show some Canadians are being cognizant of rising prices and making fewer trips to the store as they feel the pinch of inflation.RELATED: Grocery CEOs deny accusations that food price inflation is driven by profit mongeringThe report also says discretionary spending held steady through February.Restaurant spending remains strong despite a slight decline over the last three months, while Canadians continue to book trips despite flight costs rising 28 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.RBC says spending growth on international tra...

John Paul abuse claims trigger angry reaction from Poland

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The fallout over an explosive television report alleging that St. John Paul II covered up clergy sex abuse cases escalated Thursday, with Poland’s Catholic Church strongly defending “one of the greatest Poles” and the Polish government inviting the U.S. ambassador for talks.A report this week on TVN24, which is owned by the U.S. company Warner Bros. Discovery, named three priests whom John Paul allegedly moved around during the 1970s after they were accused of abusing minors. At the time, John Paul was Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, the head of the church in Krakow in southern Poland. John Paul is revered in the predominantly Roman Catholic country for his role in helping to bring down communism, and the TVN report ignited a national debate about his legacy at a time when the Polish Catholic Church overall has been undergoing a reckoning with its own record of clergy sexual abuse. A heated debate erupted Thursday in parliament debating his legacy. Government figures...

Security committee of parliamentarians begins latest foreign interference study

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

OTTAWA — The committee of parliamentarians that oversees national security says it has begun a study of foreign interference, following a request from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.In a statement, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians says it will examine the state of foreign interference in Canada’s democratic processes since 2018.That will continue the work done in its previous review of the government’s response to foreign interference, which covered the period from 2015 to 2018.The committee says it will also consider the independent report by former public servant Morris Rosenberg on the federal protocol for monitoring foreign interference attempts during the last general election.The committee, chaired by Liberal MP David McGuinty, plans to consult other review bodies to avoid duplication as it develops its terms of reference for the latest review.“Foreign interference and influence have been identified as significant threats to the r...

Yeti recalls 1.9 million coolers and cases for magnet hazard

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

U.S. product regulators said Thursday that Yeti has recalled 1.9 million coolers and gear cases because magnets can come detached from them, posing a risk of serious injury or death.The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should immediately stop using the four recalled products and contact Yeti for refund information.The closures on the recalled products can fail, resulting in detached magnets, the CPSC said. If swallowed, two or more high-powered magnets can attract to each other or to another metal object and get stuck in the digestive system. The CPSC said if that happens, it can cause perforations, twisting and blockage of the intestines, potentially resulting in infection, blood poisoning and death.The products being recalled are the Sidekick dry gear case, M20 soft backpack cooler and M30 soft cooler, version 1.0 and 2.0.The coolers and gear bags were sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ace Hardware, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Yeti and other stores, including Amazon...

Budget highlights Biden’s ‘values’ as he eyes 2024 campaign

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With Republicans in control of the House, there’s no chance that President Joe Biden’s new budget plan will become law as it stands. Instead, the financial blueprint that he’s announcing in Philadelphia on Thursday will serve as a political talking point for a president preparing to run for reelection. “When you look at the budget, it’s a statement of the president’s values,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.Many of the key proposals are designed to draw sharp contrasts with Republicans. Some of the highlights of Biden’s plan:THE TOP LINEBiden’s budget covers the next 10 years. Overall, he expects an additional $4.7 trillion in tax revenues and $800 billion in savings from making changes to government programs. Biden also wants $2.6 trillion in new spending. That leaves him with an estimated $2.9 trillion reduction in the deficit. The president emphasized fiscal responsibility as he prepared his budget, portraying Republic...

RCMP watchdog investigates force how B.C. unit handles resource project protests

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

OTTAWA — The RCMP watchdog has launched a systemic investigation of the national police force’s British Columbia unit that deals with protests against logging and pipeline projects.Civilian Review and Complaints Commission chairperson Michelaine Lahaie says in a statement issued today that the investigation will look into the activities and operations of the RCMP “E” Division Community-Industry Response Group.The group is tasked with providing a co-ordinated response to public order events related to large-scale resource-based industrial projects in British Columbia.Protesters against old-growth logging on Vancouver Island allege police have used excessive force, such as pepper-spraying people’s faces at close range, as well as shoving and throwing them to the ground.The complaints commission plans to assess if the group’s procedures followed the law and its own polices.It also intends to look at whether the group’s polices, procedures and trainin...

Former Trump lawyer censured for falsehoods about election

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:46 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for Donald Trump ‘s reelection campaign and a prominent conservative media figure, has been censured by Colorado legal officials after admitting she made repeated false statements about the 2020 presidential election.Ellis acknowledged making 10 “misrepresentations” on television and Twitter during Trump’s fight to stay in power after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, according to the censure from the office of attorney regulation counsel in Colorado, where Ellis is from. The statements include claiming on Jeanine Pirro’s Fox News show on Dec. 5, 2020 that “we have over 500,000 votes (in Arizona) that were cast illegally” and telling the conservative network Newsmax on Dec. 15 that Trump was “the true and proper victor.”On November 20, 2020, Ellis appeared on the Newsmax show of former Trump spokesman Sean Spicer and said: “with all those states (Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia) combined...