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MassHealth assessing who qualifies for first time since pandemic

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

State officials recently offered a first glimpse into efforts to redetermine MassHealth members’ eligibility.About six weeks into the process, which is expected to take a year, about 70,000 Massachusetts households have begun assessing whether they still qualify for state-funded health insurance.Hundreds of thousands people are expected to lose MassHealth coverage over the next year as federal coverage requirements in place since March 2020 expired on March 31.As the state redetermines eligibility for the first time since the pandemic began, those who lose coverage will need to find new health insurance plans. Budget writers on Beacon Hill are already factoring massive savings associated with lower MassHealth rolls.About 50% of MassHealth members will be automatically renewed. The other half of the 2.3 million people enrolled in the program will be receiving a blue envelope containing forms to fill out with their current information, which MassHealth will use to determine if t...

UPDATE: Haverhill Police find 6 missing siblings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

UPDATE: The Haverhill Police have located all six children, according to a 7:35 p.m. Massachusetts State Police update.Original breaking news story below:Authorities are searching for six siblings ranging in age between 7-months- and 9-years-old who went missing from their Haverhill home for days.Haverhill police responded to a report of child abuse that Wednesday when another sibling, the oldest, reported that her mother and stepfather abused her and her seven siblings.The location of the six youngest children is unknown, with a Massachusetts State Police statement indicating that “the parents and other family have been uncooperative with attempts to locate the children.”The children could be in the Randolph area, according to the statement, but there is no reason for this listed.The oldest missing child is Jatari Baker-Wooden, 9. The five other missing children all the share the last name Great: boy Omnisty, 7 months; boy Cypher, 11 months; girl Cyphaya, 3; girl Journe...

Swedish singer Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest for a 2nd time with her power ballad ‘Tattoo’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with her power ballad “Tattoo,” at a colorful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second year running by the war in Ukraine.The diva from Stockholm beat acts from 25 other countries to take the continent’s pop crown at the competition in Liverpool. Finnish singer Käärijä was second in a close-fought battle of the Nordic neighbors. Loreen previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second performer to take the prize twice, after Ireland’s Johnny Logan in the 1980s.Britain hosted Eurovision this year on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year but couldn’t take up its right to hold the contest because of the war. Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine as the contest was underway.Under the slogan “united by music,” Eurovision final fused the soul of English port city that birthed The Beatles with the spirit of war-battered Ukraine.The sights and sounds of Ukraine ran through the ...

Fighting cancer, Saints tight end Foster Moreau could participate in voluntary offseason practices

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Newly signed Saints tight end Foster Moreau, who is being treated for cancer, “absolutely” could participate in upcoming voluntary offseason practices that begin later this month, coach Dennis Allen said Saturday.“We don’t anticipate there’s going to be issues with him in terms of being able to participate and all the information that I have is that it’s very positive,” Allen said during a minicamp for rookies being held this weekend. “I really don’t anticipate that to be a challenge that we’re going to have to deal with.”Allen also spoke optimistically about the recoveries of veteran two-time All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas and rookie running back Kendre Miller, a third-round pick out of TCU in this spring’s NFL Draft.Miller, who missed the national championship game after spraining his knee during TCU’s College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Michigan, was present for practice, wearing a No. 25 jersey and shorts, but no helmet. While ...

Unusually early heat wave in Pacific Northwest tests records

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An early heat wave took hold Saturday in parts of the Pacific Northwest, with temperatures at or near record levels in some areas and heat advisories in place through Monday.The historically temperate region has grappled with scorching summer temperatures and unprecedented wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years.The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory extending from Saturday through Monday for much of the western parts of both Oregon and Washington state. It said the temperatures could raise the risk of heat-related illness, particularly for those who are dehydrated or don’t have effective cooling.Temperatures in Portland, Oregon, were expected to be in the low-90 degree F (32 C) range over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature at Portland International Airport as of mid-afternoon Saturday reached 92 F (33.3 C), tying a 1973 record, said Gerald Macke, a meteorological technician with the weather service i...

Sky beat Lynx as WNBA’s Canadian debut earns rave reviews

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

Bridget Carleton was greeted with a round of applause when she checked into the WNBA Canada Game with 1:43 left to play in the first quarter as she felt the support from thousands of women’s basketball supporters who had been watching her from afar for the last four years of her WNBA career.Saturday marked a special day not only for Canada and the WNBA, but for fans of the game hoping for an expansion team. They got a small taste of the league in the form of an exhibition game at Scotiabank Arena — with the Chicago Sky downing Carleton’s Minnesota Lynx 82-74 before a sellout crowd.Chicago’s Courtney Williams was the first player to score a basket for a WNBA team on Canadian soil, as the Sky had the stronger start. They held the Lynx scoreless for the first four minutes until Kayla McBride broke through the Sky’s tough defence that featured many early blocks – something head coach James Wade had repeatedly asked from his team after not seeing enough of it earlier in the p...

10 injured in crash on Chicago's South Side

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Ten people, including three kids, were taken to local hospitals Saturday after a crash on the South Side of Chicago, according to the fire department.The crash happened around 5 p.m. in the 12700 block of South Torrence Avenue. Fallen CPD Officer Areanah Preston honored at Loyola graduation Seven adults, all in critical or "grave" condition, and three kids, all in serious to critical condition, were taken to two hospitals, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Additional details haven't been released.This story will be updated.

Suburban school program empowers children with hearing loss through music

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

WOOD DALE, IL. — A music program at a suburban school is helping young children with hearing loss build their communication skills and confidence. Music To My Ears is a partnership between merit schools of music and the Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources (FHSR) at Child's Voice in Suburban Wood Dale.Wendy Deters is the executive producer there. "We believe that music actually enhances kids ability to listen and talk," Deters said.Deters said Child’s Voice is a listening and spoken language program for children with hearing loss.Sally Blandon with Merit helped to develop the curriculum and teaches classes for the program that launched in January 2020, building on research, showing the many benefits of music for children with hearing loss. "We’ve had children that start out in early intervention and they’re scared to vocalize or they might just whisper quietly and then after having music for a couple of weeks and sometimes months they will vocalize" Blandon said. Tom Skilli...

Mother organizes brunch for moms who have lost loved ones to gun violence

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Tonya Burch, a mother who lost two sons to gun violence, organized her annual 'Taking Back Our Community' Brunch Saturday.Every year ahead of Mother's Day, Burch organizes the event as a means to help mothers come together and cope with the tragedy of losing children to gun violence by celebrating their memory."I just love to hear stories from other people because it uplifts me," said Sharon Purnell, who lost her only son, Damien, and her husband to gun violence. "It gives me a chance to hear somebody else's story and I can relate to them."The day was filled with food and fellowship among the mothers in attendance, with each going home with earrings bearing pictures of their sons and daughters. Delphine Cherry, whose son and daughter both died from gun violence, went home with a picture of one child in each earring. Tom Skilling ‘switches on summer’ and the Buckingham Fountain "I have been in this fight ever since," Cherry said. "[I'm] trying to get as many guns off the ...

Volunteers plant sunflowers in vacant Chicago lot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:36:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Just a few blocks away from Washington Park, a vacant lot is providing the grounding force for planting seeds of hope. Near 54th and South Prairie next to Green Line, a field of sunflowers will soon greet so many. PHOTOS: WGN anchors and reporters celebrate moms in honor of Mother’s Day! "I wanted to come out and be part of it to help beautify the community," Tamara Robbins said. Robbins was one of the many volunteers who came to help on Saturday. Just a few weeks ago and a few blocks away, WGN News showed you a takeover of tulips at 53rd Street. It was inspired by Ghian Foreman's trip to Amsterdam a few years ago. ‘Proof not promise:’ Former United Airlines CEO reflects on tenure, talks aviation’s future "I saw a field of tulips and just thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen," Foreman said. His Emerad South Economic Development Collaborative picked the site to plant the first sunflowers, a sign of happiness, health and hope."They help to remediate sto...