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Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
At Embrace Ideas Festival, Black Bostonians discussed politics, art, business
Advertisement Margaret Breeden, daughter of Boston civil rights leader Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'My parents really ingrained social justice in me every day at the kitchen table, so I came here to figure out what I could do to help,' she said. In the first panel of the day, State Senator Liz Miranda and Segun Idowu, chief of economic opportunity and inclusion for the City of Boston discussed how they were using government policy to uplift Black Bostonians in light of the new presidential administration. Miranda represents the 2nd Suffolk district which includes parts of Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester and Northeastern University or 'the Blackest district in the Commonwealth' in her words. Idowu, a member of Mayor Wu's cabinet, Advertisement Idowu said that Trump's tariffs and executive orders would impact the 'five pillars' of Massachusetts' and the city of Boston's economy — medical institutions, educational institutions, life science research, tourism and climate technology. Idowu also said Trump's tariffs were impacting community projects in the city like the P3 project, a plan to build affordable housing and a research lab on the site of a vacant lot in Roxbury. Miranda was critical of the Trump administration's rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion policies. She said Trump's actions would hurt sectors like medical research. 'It's not just symbolic, it's sidelining brilliant people,' Miranda said. Miranda also said that even when DEI policies were not under attack, Massachusetts' government was not representative. 'I'm one of four Black women in the entire legislature of 200 people … we're not even represented in the bluest state in the country,' Miranda said. Miranda encouraged attendees to boycott companies that rolled back DEI efforts and to contact their alma maters if the institutions were abandoning programs to foster diversity. The politicians also told the audience policy wins they're proud of. Miranda said that she's proud of a bill she passed last year that addresses the higher morbidity rate that Black mothers face compared to white mothers. 'Six years ago when I first started talking about this issue, everyone told me 'there's no problem here,' here in the public health Mecca of the world,' Miranda said sarcastically. Advertisement Idowu said that he felt proud that people of color have started businesses in almost every neighborhood in the city and no longer feel limited to Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury. 'The whole city belongs to us … we can go to establishments in other neighborhoods now and not feel policed,' Idowu said. Priscilla Douglas, an executive coach and author who recently stepped down from the board of the Boston Public Library, attended the Embrace Ideas Festival. She is a lifelong resident of the city who went to Northeastern University and worked at the Roxbury YMCA and the Urban League growing up, but said the festival was eye-opening. 'Listening to the policy panel, I had no idea that 17 percent of Boston residents live in poverty,' Douglas said. At the last panel of the day, Jeneé Osterheldt, deputy managing editor for culture, talent and development at The Boston Globe interviewed entrepreneur Morgan DeBaun about her new self-help book and her career. DeBaun is the founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a digital media company geared to Black millennials. DeBaun said that she had the idea to start a company focused on Black people when she was working for Intuit in Silicon Valley because she didn't see anyone building technology with Black users as the primary customer they were targeting. DeBaun, who is originally from Missouri, said that the murder of Ferguson teenager Mike Brown at the hands of the police in 2014 also led to her wanting to work with Black people. Advertisement 'I was sitting in a cubicle in San Francisco after Mike Brown and the people around me were asking 'what's for lunch,' they just were not seeing what I was seeing,' DeBaun said. In the audience, Laurie Nicolas resonated with DeBaun's experiences of working in predominantly white offices. Nicolas works in the healthcare space but started her own nonprofit called Pink Sunday which focuses on physical fitness for women. Nicolas learned about the Embrace festival after the inauguration of the Embrace statue in Boston Commons in 2023. She said she appreciated the diversity of the speakers at the festival. 'I want to focus on cultivating spaces where people feel included, not just people who look like me, but all kinds of diversity and I learned a lot from this event,' Nicolas. This story was produced by the Globe's team, which covers the racial wealth gap in Greater Boston. You can sign up for the newsletter . Angela Mathew can be reached at
Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Boston Globe
‘Too many holes.' Juror on Karen Read trial speaks about case.
'Seeing John O'Keefe's family leaving the courthouse melt[ed] my heart,' she said. 'I'm a mother and I saw her pain through all those days.' On Wednesday, Advertisement She will serve one year of probation as a first-time offender. The decision marked the end of a Prado said she did not realize the extent of the media coverage of the case. When jurors entered the courthouse, she occasionally saw a few people wearing pink shirts, but did not know that crowds of Read supporters were gathering outside the courthouse. Advertisement Throughout her time on the jury, Prado said she didn't hear 'anything' inside the courthouse, and that the windows in the deliberation room were covered. She said she thought 'justice was served' by the verdict and is '100 percent convinced' Read is not responsible for O'Keefe's death. She is 'happy' for Read and her family, she said. 'We couldn't prove there was a collision, and she was responsible for John's death,' Prado said. 'The Commonwealth and the investigators didn't do their jobs to prove that to us.' Prado said she initially thought Read may be guilty of manslaughter but changed her mind about three weeks ago after evidence of DNA was presented, which she found inconclusive. The investigation had 'too many flaws' and felt 'not precise,' she said. 'I just realized there [were] too many holes that we couldn't fill, and there's nothing that put her on the scene in our opinion, besides just drop[ping] John O'Keefe off,' Prado said. 'Too many pieces were missing.' At the beginning of deliberations, the jurors decided not to vote, and instead went through the testimony, videos, and other evidence, Prado said. The group then talked about the charges one by one, eliminating the ones they didn't agree with, until they reached a verdict, she said. Prado said deliberations were respectful and the jurors listened to each other's opinions. The discussion never got 'heated,' she said. The Advertisement 'They did a very good job,' Prado said. She also said the prosecution's argument that the injuries to O'Keefe's arm came from the taillight of Read's SUV 'didn't make much sense,' and there were 'too many coincidences' in the evidence to blame Read. 'I don't think the car killed John O'Keefe,' she said. In terms of the OUI, Prado said it was the 'only thing' the jurors could charge Read with because she said in a video played in court that she was drinking and video footage from the bars showed her drinking. 'We couldn't let that pass,' Prado said. Asked about what she thought happened to O'Keefe, Prado said Read might have backed up her SUV and 'touched him somehow' but that was not what caused his death. 'In my opinion, he definitely went inside, and something happened inside the house,' Prado said. However, Prado said she 'can't say' Read was framed as she just began looking at more details on the case online. Prado said the jury knew the case was a retrial and the jurors were 'positive' they would discuss all the evidence to reach a decision. 'We definitely didn't want to hang this jury,' Prado said. 'The amount of money spent on this trial made me very upset, and I'm sure made my fellow jurors upset too.' Prado said she 'did not find it strange' that she didn't hear from Advertisement Prado said she wants to tell the O'Keefe family it's 'not your fault' that Read was not convicted. 'I really, really hope there is a way for the case to be reopened, and they can investigate again and find who actually did that to John,' Prado said. Ava Berger can be reached at
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
PV Sindhu's sweet birthday wish for former coach and ‘big brother' Park Tae Sang: ‘Please eat some sugar today…'
Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu sent a cheeky yet adorable birthday wish to former coach, Korea's Park Tae Sang, who mentored the shuttler during her memorable run to bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics among other achievements. 'Six years in India, four years coaching me — you didn't just become my coach, you became my big brother,' Sindhu said in a social media post as coach Park turned 46. 'Thank you for leaving your family behind to guide me. I'll always be so grateful.' The highlight of the Sindhu-Park partnership was of course the bronze in Tokyo, which was her second Olympic Games medal. It was a bittersweet one, however, as Sindhu had to pick herself up after a heartbreaking defeat in the semifinals, to then get ready for a match that is never easy to play: the one to avoid finishing fourth. Sindhu defeated He Bingjiao to ensure she finished on the podium and coach Park's reactions at the end of that match is part of Indian badminton's folklore now. Happy Birthday, Coach Parkkkkkkk! ❤️ Six years in India, four years coaching me — you didn't just become my coach, you became my big brother. Thank you for leaving your family behind to guide me. I'll always be so grateful. I hope the five titles, Commonwealth gold, and Olympic… — Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) June 20, 2025 Sindhu added: 'I hope the five titles, Commonwealth gold, and Olympic bronze made it all worth it — haha! Wishing you a day full of everything you love — golf, glowing skin, and a little Indian masala too! Please eat some sugar today… you won't gain any weight, I promise! Her visit to Guwahati for a national camp earlier this year – where coach Park now works at the National Centre of Excellence – also gave Sindhu a chance to catch up with him. Sindhu had a successful stint with the Korean coach, who earned something of a cult status among Indian badminton followers for his endearing demeanor. The two got along well off the court too. Once, coach Park posted a story on Instagram, 'Sindhu, you are two minutes late.' The next day, Sindhu got to the practice courts earlier and posted a photo of him holding his hands up. 'You're late now, Coach.' 'I really miss him,' Sindhu told The Indian Express during an interview. 'It was sad to say goodbye when I left. It was nice to see him after a long time. We exchange messages now and then, and he was very happy to see me. We spent some time together. He's very sweet and a nice person. I've personally known him for a long time, even before he was my coach. I've known him since I was a junior.' After she moved on from coach Park, Sindhu had worked with a few coaches – including the legendary Prakash Padukone to help her for Paris 2024 – but at the start of this year, she finally seems to have found a stability again. Former Indonesia men's singles coach Irwansyah is now in Sindhu's corner as she tries to climb her way back up the world rankings.
Boston Globe
11 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Jurors in trial of Irish firefighter charged with rape return for third full day of deliberations
'I had no physical or verbal contact with her at all,' Crosbie said. The woman, a 29-year-old lawyer, testified she had fallen asleep in the second hotel bed after having consensual sex with Crosbie's roommate. She told jurors she was awakened by a man sexually assaulting her. 'I woke up, and a guy was inside of me,' Advertisement Superior Court Judge Sarah Weyland Ellis released jurors at 4 p.m. Wednesday after they had deliberated for about 15 hours since receiving the case Monday. Court was closed on Thursday in observance of Juneteenth. On Wednesday, the jury of eight men and four women asked to listen to a portion of Crosbie's conversation with police that took place after the woman reported the alleged assault at Massachusetts General Hospital. Advertisement Jurors specifically wanted to listen to a portion of the recording when Crosbie asked the officer if his DNA could have gotten on the woman or her clothes if he had In response to the jury's request, the judge said she could not play that portion of the interview because it was never entered into evidence. Noting that the prosecutor referenced it while cross-examining Crosbie, she said jurors should rely on their notes and memories of what they heard. 'You may consider any testimony on this subject as evidence,' she told them. During her closing argument, Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy said the evidence supports a guilty verdict. 'There's no mystery man here, there's no phantom rapist who slipped off into the night,' Murphy told jurors. 'Terence Crosbie is guilty.' Murphy said that while the woman had consumed alcohol, she was able to provide a detailed description of the alleged attack to police and medical staff just hours later. 'If she was so drunk, or so mixed up, or if she was making up a story, then how did she have so much right?' Murphy asked jurors. Additionally, evidence and records from the night in question connect Crosbie to the hotel room where the woman alleges she was assaulted, Murphy said. Murphy also reminded the jury that two male DNA profiles were found in a genital swab from the woman. Advertisement In 'I'm going to ask you to end that nightmare and find him not guilty,' he said. Crosbie's wife has attended the trial and often sat behind her husband in court, along with other friends. Reilly argued there is not enough evidence to link Crosbie to the alleged rape, in part because the woman never identified Crosbie's multiple arm tattoos afterwards. 'The Commonwealth has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Crosbie committed the crime he is accused of,' Reilly told jurors. John R. Ellement of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Claire Thornton can be reached at
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
The unsung Greek island that's become a memorial to Gallipoli
Swallows swooped like fighter jets above fields bright with poppies and cornflowers close to the village of Moudros, on the Aegean island of Lemnos. Listening to the crickets chirruping in the long grass, it was hard to believe that 110 years ago this spot was a major military base for the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, when the Allied powers made their ill-judged bid to weaken the Ottoman Empire by taking control of the Turkish straits. As we drove along roads fringed with wild fennel on our way to Portianos cemetery, local guide Sofia pointed out army bases concealed in the surrounding hillsides. She told me that there were more than 40 on the island. 'Lemnos is still a strategic site – Turkey regularly threatens to invade,' she told me, as we pulled up outside the high iron gates of one of the two cemeteries where Gallipoli victims are buried. Apart from a couple of hooded crows strutting over the clipped grass, the cemetery was empty, and the tombstones shimmered in the midday heat. Of the 347 Commonwealth soldiers buried at Portianos, 263 are British. 'In the other cemetery – East Mudros – there are 672 British soldiers buried,' she said, as we paid our respects at the grave of Private Alfred Ernest Smith of the Lancashire Fusiliers, who died aged 18. 'Many of them lied about their age to get here, because there was so much propaganda. They were told that there was no danger – that as soon as the Turks saw British troops they would give themselves up without a fight.' Deception and poor planning were to be the hallmarks of a botched campaign spearheaded by Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, which lasted eight months from April 25 1915 and resulted in 250,000 casualties. 'They thought Turkey was the sick man of Europe, but in reality the Ottomans were numerous and well organised,' said Sofia, explaining the Allied failures. 'Many of their maps were outdated, and delays meant when they finally did land on the Gallipoli peninsula they knew they were coming and picked them off like sitting ducks.' Back near Moudros, the trill of larks – like the ones 'still bravely singing' in John McCrae's poem – serenaded us as we examined the rusted skeleton of a water tower, all that remained of the three hospitals that once stood here. 'They were just tents really and not equipped for dealing with thousands of casualties,' Sofia said, as we stared out over the bay where boats packed with the dead and dying arrived over a century ago. Lemnos is rarely on tourist radars, so we set out to see some of the island's other sights. In the west we drove towards a line of low mountains topped by the crumbled ruins of windmills, once used to make flour from the wheat that's still grown in the island's fertile eastern plains. 'Lemnos has always been prosperous. It was the granary for the Delian League. Our 4,000-year-old Poliochne archaeological site is Europe's oldest organised settlement,' Sofia said, with a hint of pride. Near the island's extinct volcano she showed me the shallow cave where Limnia Gi, the island's miracle mud mentioned by Homer and said to cure everything from gout to dysentery, was mined until 1919. Then we followed the coast road to Myrina. Topped by the turrets and stocky stone walls of its immense medieval castle, the island's capital seemed tiny, until we followed vine-shaded alleys leading away from the port and discovered a lively centre lined with designer boutiques, hip bars and cool cafes. It reminded me of the Chora of Mykonos, only without the crowds and extortionate prices. After lunch I met Eleftheria from local company Lemnos Wine Trails, who told me that Greeks mostly come to this remote island for its food. During a two-hour tour we ate crispy dakos rusks and learned how to make feather-tender flomari pasta at the Porazis family's 106-year-old bakery. At gastro bakery Xrysafis we snacked on traditional treats – katimeria honey pastries, glazed almond venezelika sweets, and creamy feta-like kalathaki – before ending our gourmet jaunt at the Garalis winery. Here, the family's teenage children showed us the buried amphorae in which they make their award-winning Terra Ambera wine. 'Unlike many Greek islands, young people don't want to leave Lemnos. They are taking over their parent's businesses or creating their own. This is a living island with 33 villages. We have restaurants and tavernas all over the island and most of them stay open in winter,' Eleftheria told me. Sipping a honeyed glass of Terra Ambera on my terrace that evening as the sun slipped behind the horizon and the waves kissed the sands of Platis beach, I was startled to see a young deer silhouetted in the sun's dying light. As it vanished into the gathering dusk, I found myself thinking again of the innocent soldiers whose lives were extinguished in a 'corner of a foreign field' so many years before. How to do it
