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Rob Gronkowski discussed why ending up with Bill Belichick, Patriots was ‘perfect fit’

"He's the one who took my game to a whole new level," Gronkowski said of Belichick, adding that he thinks his former coach will be "unbelievable" as a television analyst.

The post Rob Gronkowski discussed why ending up with Bill Belichick, Patriots was ‘perfect fit’ appeared first on Boston.com.







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Fight or Flight

We speak with Daniel Torres, a former US Marine who was deported to Mexico. Then, we look back at a deadly 1942 U-boat attack in the Gulf of Mexico. And we take a bus ride with the children of Sudanese immigrants in California.

Plus, a group of American teenagers cause an uproar when they try to take part in World Hijab Day. A journalist learns the proper use for bananas in Somali cuisine. And an Ethiopian-American band records its own version of a Japanese folk song.

Image: Daniel Torres grew up in the US, but after a stint in the Marines he was deported to Mexico. (Credit: PRI’s The World)




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‘Caught up in the Policy’

“People are absolutely losing it. Some they go to their work. Some they pluck them right out of bed from their families."

Why Iraqis in the US are getting sent back to Iraq; what it means for one immigrant to get to stay; the fight for paid leave for victims of domestic violence in Canada; a Ukrainian physicist who always tries to keep politics and science separate fails yet again; and the two comedians who started ArmComedy, their country’s first satirical news programme, explain what Armenians find funny. (Photo: An Iraqi owned restaurant in Detroit. Credit: Shirin Jaafari)




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The Eclipse Edition

On Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina. We find out people all across the country are preparing.

Also: we meet an eclipse chaser traveling to the US from Australia; we speak to a cloistered nun who has been getting calls from concerned Catholics worried about the end of times; we learn what solar eclipses have revealed to us about our universe throughout the ages; plus how a new technology can help blind people experience the coming eclipse as well.

(Image: Solar Eclipse related items are offered for sale in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Hopkinsville is located near the point of greatest totality for the August 21 eclipse. Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)




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In Limbo

President Trump is scrapping a programme that protects hundreds of thousands of young unauthorised immigrants. We hear two different perspectives on this decision.

Plus; we meet an immigrant from Northern Ireland whose troubled past is haunting his future; we learn why some evangelical Christians are speaking out against the President; we find out about a proposal from Canadian Senator Ratna Omidvar for Canada to open its doors to DACA recipients; plus we visit Quebec where immigrants fearing Trump are pouring in.

(Image: Julio Ramos is a medical school student and a DACA recipient in New York City. Credit: Reynaldo Leanos Jr.)




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Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

Two journalists set off on a quest to hand deliver a letter to a grandmother in Puerto Rico from her family on the mainland of the United States.

Also: we learn why Che Guevara is being honoured on a postage stamp in Ireland; we admire the art of Martin Ramirez which has been featured on postage stamps in the US; plus we read one of the most timeless job application letters in history, sent by a copywriter, Robert Pirosh, to studio directors in Hollywood, in 1934.

(Image: Janet Franceschini Colon (left), Jennifer Santos Franceschini (middle), Jenelyn Santos (right) and Jennifer's two daughters are pictured. Credit: PRI’s The World)




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The Deadline Edition

As NAFTA talks grind on, thousands of skilled workers wonder if they will keep their jobs.

A Trade NAFTA or "T-N visa” allows citizens of Canada and Mexico to work in the US in a range of job categories. It could now be in jeopardy as the Trump administration seeks to renegotiate the trade agreement by the end of the year.

Also: There is a shortage of summer workers in Cape Cod, partly due to changes to a temporary worker visa program; as the US and China talk trade and tariffs, some in Shanghai wonder what it will mean for them; the end of Temporary Protected Status for some immigrants has an unexpected impact on US labour unions; plus we find out how TV reporter Lisa Howard changed the course of the Cold War.

(Image: Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo gives a message to the media during the seventh round of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) talks in Mexico City, on March 5, 2018. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/Getty Images)




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The Red Line

Did Donald Trump commit treason in Helsinki? Legal experts weigh in on the “T” word.

Also: we learn all about Russia’s GRU, the country’s largest military intelligence agency; we remember Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 four years after it was shot down over eastern Ukraine; we meet Crimean families who have been displaced after Russia’s annexation of the peninsula; and finally Alina Simone, a Russian immigrant living in New York, explains why she has given up on teaching her daughter Russian.

(Image: US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin attend a joint press conference in Helsinki. Credit: Getty Images)




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No Place Like Home

Karolina Chorvath grew up caught between different countries and languages. She’s a third culture kid, which can mean lots of things; some are the children of mixed marriages, some are refugees or the children of immigrants. One thing they have in common, is that they tend to feel like they don’t fully belong anywhere.




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It’s All Political

At a point of strong political division in the US, where everything from “migrant caravans” to global trade is being politicised, Safiya Wazir is running for office in New Hampshire, a state that’s 94 percent white. 27 year-old Safiya says she is not interested in pursuing a career in politics, but in the short term she feels that she can make a difference on issues like education, senior care and paid family-leave.

Also: HIAS is one of the oldest refugee assistance groups in the US, we hear about the group's reaction to being named in social media posts by the alleged perpetrator of the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh; Australian political observer Bruce Hawker talks about political division in the US leading up to the midterm elections; In solidly Republican Tennessee we learn whether President Trump’s tariffs are swaying voters at the polls; Finally we look at foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns leading up the midterm elections in the US.

(Safiya Wazir speaks with a resident of Concord, New Hampshire, during her campaign in a race for the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Credit: Steven Davy/The World)




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Living Green in 2019

The next couple of years will be crucial for governments to take action on climate change. In this edition we hear why and what’s being done about it.

We meet Hilda Heine, a global leader on climate change and President of the Marshall Islands; we’ll look at how Americans recycle and find out why it’s not good enough for China; Economist Michael Greenstone explains how air pollution shaves two years off of the average life expectancy; A team of Israeli students create a new variation of falafel with spirulina, a kind of microalgae, that could be a sustainable food solution of the future; and we check out the environmentally friendly sounds of the Colombian band, Bomba Estereo.

(Photo: The leaves of a Russian River Valley pinot noir vineyard begin to turn colour near Sebastopol, California. A cool spring and mild summer have contributed to a later-than-usual harvest and a bumper crop of premium wine grapes throughout the state of California. Credit: George Rose/Getty Images)




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Outside the lines

Martina Navratilova made some controversial statements about transgender athletes. She said that it’s cheating when transgender women compete in women’s sports. But many activists disagree with her and are pushing back.

Also, find out why NBA basketball Enes Kanter fears going back home to Turkey; we have the harrowing story of Eritrean runner Teklit Michael’s near death experience; next the directors of the Oscar winning film ‘Free Solo’ describe how they captured Alex Honnald’s solo climb up El Capitan summit; and the French Fencing Federation has officially recognized lightsaber dueling as a competitive sport.

(Martina Navratilova participates in the 28th Annual Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic at Delray Beach Tennis Center. Credit: Johnny Louis/Getty Images)




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The evangelical edition

As the 2020 presidential campaign in America heats up, evangelical Christians will be getting more and more attention in the US news media. They always do during election season as they have long been seen as reliable Republican voters. But people who identify as evangelical or born-again Christians are more than just a voting bloc. Evangelicals make up a huge swath of the US population and they are rapidly becoming more diverse than ever before.

(Jason Petty is shown on stage performing under his spoken word artist and rapper name, Propaganda. Credit: Matthew Bell/The World)




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Who's listening?

When US presidents get on the phone to speak with foreign leaders, staff are on hand to take diligent notes. But is there a set procedure of how calls with foreign dignitaries are handled? Tom Blanford from the National Security Archives in Washington, DC says that Trump’s style has been very different compared with his predecessors.

Also, TikTok, is one of the most popular social media apps in the world but the company that owns it is based in China, and some say that's leading to censorship; When you think about the Soviet Union, you don’t often think about comedy, Michael Idov’s film ‘The Humorist’ delves into the life of a Soviet comic; the power of comedy is something stand-up comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi is trying to harness in order to start a more honest conversation between Israelis and Palestinians; and the tale of a Russian ship captain whose message in a bottle was recently discovered on a beach in Alaska.

Image: Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump (Credit: Ukraine Presidential Press Service via EPA)




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Taking responsibility

An impeachment trial is a rare event in the United States but there is something unprecedented about this one. President Trump's troubles are rooted in his approach to US foreign policy and diplomacy. The president is accused of pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son, in exchange for US military assistance. The implications of the senate's verdict will be felt far beyond America's borders. Former US ambassador Nicholas Burns says that despite the pressure, diplomats from the US state department have acted courageously and have set a positive example for a new generation of foreign service officers.

Also, the death of a US citizen in an Egyptian prison raises questions about US diplomacy; the internet has made cheating by students more digital and more global than ever before, and that has opened up business opportunities in places like Kenya; we look to the Mexico-Guatemala border where a new migrant caravan has been stopped by Mexican security forces; and we compare the cost of maternity healthcare in the US with other countries around the world.

(Former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns testifies during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)




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This pandemic life

The US has been planning for catastrophe on a national scale since the beginning of the Cold War and the advent of the nuclear age. Now, with the new coronavirus, the US and the world face a very different challenge, but the approach is similar. Author Garrett Graff examined this intersection between national security and national emergency in his book Raven Rock, named after one of the major bunkers used by the US government in times of emergency.

Also, more than 300 million students in China are stuck at home and getting their schooling through online classes - how are they coping? As more people across the globe work from home, the team-messaging application Slack is having a big moment. International students in the US, displaced by COVID-19, face new challenges with online classes. In the US, farmworkers are considered essential so they still go out and work, but there are increasing concerns about their safety on the job. And Mr. Motivator wants you to have fun while exercising under quarantine.

Photo: An American flag is seen at sunrise at the Pentagon. Credit: Salwan Georges/The Washington Post/Getty Images




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Life goes on

Government officials and health experts are starting to imagine what life will look like when we venture out again. Former US Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem says that we may emerge into an altered world of nose swabs at airports, face shields for fans at sporting events, airline flights specifically for low or high-risk passengers, and temperature screenings at restaurants.

Also, New York City shop-workers continue going to work risking infection, as they lack proper protective gear; world-renowned chef Massimo Bottura goes virtual during lockdown, broadcasting live cooking classes from his kitchen; a Mexican-American teen worries about prom and graduation; and many gamers are using Animal Crossing, a simulation video game, to live out experiences and routines disrupted by the pandemic.

Image: A United States Postal Service worker delivers mail in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. New York City remains the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States (Credit: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)




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Black lives matter

The homicide of George Floyd has led to widespread protests in the US. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have been hitting the streets daily, from Minneapolis to New Orleans, and from New York to Los Angeles. But the protests aren’t limited to the US. For the past few weeks, protests and demonstrations have spread across the globe. Issues of police brutality, racism and injustice have plagued nations around the world, including Greece, where people are protesting in solidarity with the death of Geroge Floyd, while also advocating for systemic change in their country.

Also, in France, the killing of George Floyd has invoked the memory of Adama Traoré, a black man who died in police custody there; protests in Belgium target statues of King Leopold II, the brutal colonizer of Congo and other countries in Africa; in Kenya, the death of George Floyd strikes a chord, as Kenyans look at police violence in their country; more than 100 African authors have signed a letter condemning the killing of African Americans at the hands of US police forces - Nigerian author Lola Shoneyin is one of them; and US based Nigerian writer, Sefi Atta, shares her experience of race and racism in America.

Image: Youth protest with placards in front of riot police officers in Athens, Greece, during a rally against racism and police brutality and in support of the protests in the US, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis (Credit: Dimitris Lampropoulos/Getty Images)











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Parents of Hingham student disciplined for using AI await federal judge’s ruling

The paper was never completed after the teacher discovered its use of AI. The high schooler received a zero and was allowed to start again. He was given a D on the second effort.

The post Parents of Hingham student disciplined for using AI await federal judge’s ruling appeared first on Boston.com.




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American Airlines tests boarding technology that audibly shames line cutters

American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to jump the line

The post American Airlines tests boarding technology that audibly shames line cutters appeared first on Boston.com.









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Woburn woman surrounded and harassed in McDonald’s parking lot by Trump supporters, she tells police

The woman said a group of young men insulted her appearance, gloated about Trump's victory, and prevented her from driving away.

The post Woburn woman surrounded and harassed in McDonald’s parking lot by Trump supporters, she tells police appeared first on Boston.com.




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Trump chooses New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to United Nations

Stefanik, 40, who serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has long been one of Trump's most loyal allies in the House, and was among those discussed as a potential vice presidential choice.

The post Trump chooses New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to United Nations appeared first on Boston.com.




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Trump names former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA, adviser Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy

Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and has been a central figure in many of his policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018.

The post Trump names former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA, adviser Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy appeared first on Boston.com.





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Judge delays ruling on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case

New York Judge Juan M. Merchan had been set to rule Tuesday on an earlier request to throw out Trump's conviction because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this summer on presidential immunity.

The post Judge delays ruling on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case appeared first on Boston.com.




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3 Questions with Flavio Sala, Italian Guitarist

Meet Flavio Sala! Flavio is a remarkably well-rounded Italian guitarist from Bojano, currently living in the United States. Throughout his career Flavio has been captivating all kinds ... Read more

The post 3 Questions with Flavio Sala, Italian Guitarist appeared first on CMUSE.




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MTV VMAs 2024: How to watch tonight, starting time, nominee list and more




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MTV VMAs 2024: How to watch it live from the West Coast with a VPN