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Masks, lockdowns, social distancing: ‘Unequivocal’ evidence that measures reduced COVID-19 spread

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

Speedy implementation of a combination of measures such as face masks, lockdowns and international border controls, “unequivocally” reduced COVID-19 infections, a major review has shown.The report published Thursday by the Royal Society looked at findings from six evidence reviews that analyzed thousands of studies to assess the effect of masks, social distancing and lockdowns, test trace and isolate systems, border controls, environmental controls and communications. It found evidence that each of these measures — which are called “non-pharmaceutical interventions” — were effective, albeit to varying degrees, when looked at individually. However, the evidence in favor of using these tools was stronger when countries combined several measures. The report could have significant implications for decision-making in future outbreaks, with Mark Walport, chair of the report’s expert working group and foreign secretary of the Royal Society, saying that “having protocols in adv...

‘Gran Turismo’ kicks racing saga into high gear

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

Are you ready for the “Top Gun” wannabe of race-car movies? Based on the true story of Cardiff, Wales-raised Jann Mardenborough, winningly played by actor Archie Madekwe in the film, “Gran Turismo” is a fictionalized account of Jann’s rise from obscure player of the popular video-game “Gran Turismo” to the winner of the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans, France.. OK, the real-life Jann did not win the Le Mans race. But he did win a race, which is pretty wild when you think about it: Table jockey drives a real race car under the checkered flag.This guy went from being an underemployed loser, college-dropout and nerd virtually locked in his room in his parents’ house obsessively playing a video-game designed by an employee of car manufacturer Nissan (Takehiro Hira) to being a winning race car driver on the Nissan/NISMO team. When Nissan dealer and promoter Danny Moore (a solid Orlando Bloom) makes a pitch to skeptical Nissan executives in Tokyo to create a program to turn ...

Savor the season with summer treats & pop-ups

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

With the end of summer drawing close, it’s time to seize the pleasures of the season while you still can. So if you haven’t yet stuck your toes in the sand at Carson Beach, sipped a martini on the roof atop The Colonnade Hotel (www.colonnadehotel.com), or dug into a carton of fried clams at Kelly’s Roast Beef (https://kellysroastbeef.com), then you’d better get on those season bucket-list items, and pronto.The good news is there’s still time to hop on the many summer retail, food, and bevvie pop-ups and special delivery services — most of them centered around the Cape and Islands, but some around the cityFor starters: The late-night goodies at Loretta’s Last Call at 1 Landsdowne St., courtesy of a summer-long pop-up from Martha-Vineyard-based Back Door Donuts (www.backdoordonuts.com). From 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. nightly, it serves fresh donuts to customers at its temporary summer-only Boston location, with flavors like buttercrunch, chocolate coconut, cinnamon sugar, double chocolat...

Lucas: Stephen Lynch delivers for district – what’s wrong with that?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

Residents of South Boston should be happy with hometown working-class U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch.The one-time iron worker is at least bringing home the bacon, as they used to say, despite taking some heat for it.He takes care of his 8th Congressional district that, while centered in Southie, rambles south to Quincy, Brockton and 18 other southeast communities.If Massachusetts had more political leaders like Lynch in Congress the two federally owned aged bridges across Cape Cod, the Sagamore and the Bourne, would have been replaced by now.However, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Eddie Markey, as well as the rest of the state’s congressional delegation, have been unable to secure federal funding to replace the functionally obsolete bridges.Which is why Gov, Maura Healey has been forced to seek federal money from President Joe Biden on her own. And they are all Democrats.Lynch, 68, who was born and bred in Southie and who still lives there, has come under scrutiny from progressives (th...

Liptak: Conservatives need to move forward for ’24

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

Former president Donald Trump has proven himself to be enduringly charismatic to many Americans of a conservative political bent and a thorn in the side of many independents and liberal-leaning citizens. The drama he creates can evoke the best and worst in us, but it’s time to move on.I consider myself an independent-moderate-conservative who loves that the former president helped unchain America from the evil of unrestricted abortion. I like that he played hardball with some of our international business competitors to create a more level playing field.But a Trump candidacy is a chain around conservative ideals. His accomplishments were overshadowed by his often unkind, poisonous tongue, irrational behavior, and obsessive lies. When I watched the evening news and heard the latest absurdities flowing from his mouth like a noxious, toxic tirade into our great melting pot, I found little to feel good about.The toxin overflowed when it met several thousand of his followers on January 6...

’80s musical romance ‘Tokyo Pop’ gets new life at Brattle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

It’s been 35 years and now it’s finally time to discover “Tokyo Pop” in a brand-new 4K restoration at the Brattle Theatre this weekend.“Nobody had a chance to see it when it was originally released,” Fran Rubel Kuzui, 75, explained in a phone interview last week.Kuzui would go on to make the 1992 “Buffy the Vampire Killer” movie and serve as executive producer on the “Buffy” series and “Angel,” its spin-off.For “Tokyo Pop” Kuzui, co-writer and director, created an East meets West romance between an aspiring American singer (Carrie Hamilton) in Japan who joins a local rock band led by Hiro (Diamond Yukai). As the band soars, so does their affair.Kuzui was inspired seeing the spectacular results of another woman directing a small indie film, Susan Seidelman with “Desperately Seeking Susan” starring Madonna.“It was a good time for women to be directing movies,” she said, “because you could make an independent film. You didn’t have to get somebody to tell you, you were a director....

Moore: Why has Biden declared war on natural gas?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

Natural gas is the world’s wonder fuel: cheap, abundant, made in America, reliable AND clean burning.So why are the Biden administration and environmental groups against it? There’s really no good answer.What makes the Left’s war against natural gas inexplicable is that the single biggest factor in reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere has been the increased reliance on natural gas for electric power generation as we transition slowly away from coal. (By the way, emissions from coal plants have been dramatically reduced as well, which is one reason why the air that we breathe today is much cleaner than the air 20 or 50 or 100 years ago.)No country produces more natural gas than America. Latest reserve forecasts predict we have nearly 100 years of natural gas with existing drilling technologies, and hundreds of years of potential supply. We’re not running out. We are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas.The two innovations that spurred the natural gas shale...

Editorial: Retail theft costs billions, it’s time to get tough

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

It’s said that a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.Massachusetts has had ample opportunities to learn how not to handle crime from bellwether blue states, unfortunately, the lessons were lost, with costly results.As the Herald reported, Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst estimated that local businesses are losing about $2 billion a year to “organized criminal theft activity.”“A number of companies have reported the effect of this organized criminal theft activity on their bottom line,” Hurst added. “We’ve certainly seen more of this organized stealing, and this smash-and-grab.“Stores have actually closed,” he said. “You can only keep a store open for so long when you’re losing money on it.”The bigger picture is worse: a National Retail Federation survey last month showed retail loss is nearly a $100 billion problem around the country.“Criminal gangs prey on stores, going from New York City up the coast...

Dear Abby: BF puts marriage in the ‘maybe’ pile

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

Dear Abby: I’m 44, and I have been dating a wonderful man for the last year and a half. He’s 44 as well. He has a nice home and job and has 50/50 custody of his three children, who adore me. I’m good to them, and we all get along well, just like a family.The problem is, he goes back and forth about marriage. I have made it clear that, although I have no desire to pressure him, I do want to be married again one day. I said I’d rather be let go than led on. He said he isn’t sure, and some days he says he may never remarry.The last time we talked about it, he said it’s a “possibility,” but he didn’t want to be pressured — it has to be his idea. How long should I wait until I say enough is enough? I’m not getting any younger. — Fixed on MarriageDear Fixed: When was the last time you had this discussion? You have described a man who is comfortable with things just the way they are. A year and a half is a reasonable a...

Adam Duvall homers in third straight game, leads Red Sox past Astros 7-5 in 10 innings

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:25:39 GMT

For a moment, Adam Duvall could barely stand.The Red Sox slugger had just fouled a 99 mph sinker right off the top of his foot and needed a solid minute to gather himself. It wasn’t clear if Duvall would be able to continue, but with two men on and the game tied in the top of the 10th, the outfielder stepped back into the box and pulled the next pitch he saw 371 feet for the go-ahead three-run home run.Josh Winckowski closed things out for the 7-5 win over the Houston Astros, and though time will tell, it felt in the moment like Duvall may have saved the Red Sox season.“Honestly I don’t know how I hit it after what I did,” Duvall told NESN’s Jahmai Webster afterwards.Coming in the Red Sox had already squandered two games in the Wild Card since arriving in Houston and were facing the prospect of another devastating setback. Worse, closer Kenley Jansen left due to right hamstring tightness after recording one out in the bottom of the ninth, and if he̵...