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A big change is coming for police and fire crews in Snohomish County: a new radio system for emergency calls is going live on May 6. The system was paid for with 71 million dollars from a sales tax approved by voters in 2018.“This is an enormous, giant project by every definition. We’ve been working on it for 6 years,” said Howard Tucker, the Radio System Manager for Snohomish County 911.The new system is specifically designed for the varied terrain of the county, spanning from the Sound to the crest of the Cascades.“We have 22 radio sites strategically placed throughout…

From serving countless Guinness pints to hosting celebrities, M.J. O’Connor’s in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood has been blessed with the luck of the Irish for a quarter of a century. The traditional Irish pub is turning 25 this year and celebrating the milestone birthday in true Celtic fashion. For starters, M.J. O’Connor’s has brought back several throwback specials that diners can order from now until the pub’s actual anniversary on Monday, June 30. Among these specials include the “Taste of Ireland,” which are Boxty Irish potato pancake wedges served with cheese dip, Irish cocktail sausages, onion rings and chicken tenders.M.J.…

After a pause of more than five years, on May 5 the federal government will resume collections on defaulted student loans. The U.S. Department of Education will target borrowers who haven’t made payments for 270 days or more.The department’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office will notify borrowers via email that their loans are entering “involuntary” collection unless they start making payments or enroll in an Education Department forbearance or deferment program. Borrowers are urged to contact the Default Resolution Group to start that process. This summer, FSA will begin sending formal wage-garnishment notices.RELATED | ‘I’m a little bit scared:’ Students…

BANGKOK – State prosecutors in Thailand announced Thursday that they don’t intend to press charges against an American academic arrested for royal defamation, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison.The arrest last month of Paul Chambers, a political science lecturer at Naresuan University in the northern province of Phitsanulok, had drawn concern from the academic community, especially from Asian studies scholars around the world, as well as the U.S. governmentThe decision not to prosecute the 58-year-old Oklahoma native doesn’t immediately clear him of the charge of insulting the monarchy— also known as “lèse majesté” — or a…

Passengers with flights to or from Newark Liberty International Airport encountered long delays and cancellations Saturday due to an air traffic controller shortage, a nationwide problem the Trump administration has pledged to fix.The busy airport outside New York City experienced disruptions all week. Faulting the Federal Aviation Administration’s alleged failure to address “long-simmering” challenges related to the air-traffic control system, United Airlines cut 35 daily flights from its Newark schedule starting Saturday.United CEO Scott Kirby said the technology used to manage planes at the New Jersey airport failed more than once in recent days. The flight delays, cancellations and diversions…

Anthony Albanese, Australia’s incumbent Labor Party candidate, won re-election as prime minister, media outlets reported on Saturday, May 3. While official vote-counting won’t end for days, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC described Albanese’s win as a “landslide” victory.  It is the first time an incumbent has won a second consecutive term as Australian prime minister in more than two decades. According to the BBC, Australia’s center-left government will “dramatically increase” its majority as the conservative Liberal-National coalition was defeated nationwide. Trump looms over Australian election The Labor Party had tied Albanese’s conservative opponent Peter Dutton to U.S. President Donald…

CHICAGO – John Hauldren has been a Chicago Cubs fan all his life. During the team’s last homestand, he got a text message from a high school friend. It was the first text he had received from him.Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had just used “Front to Back” — a song from Hauldren’s electronic music group, Levity — as his walkup music in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.“I was like ‘What? Like, no way,'” Hauldren recalled. “I, like, had to do my research for myself.”Sure enough, it was true. Hauldren confirmed the authenticity of the moment through a…

The Celtics are facing off with the Knicks in a playoff series for the first time in 12 years next week, and fans won’t have to stay up too late to watch the showdown. The NBA officially released the start times for the first two games of the series in Boston beginning Monday night, with Game 1 and 2 both having a 7 p.m. start time. Both games will be broadcast on TNT nationally, with Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller on the call. The start times for the remainder of the series remains TBD except for a potential Game 7…

CHICAGO – John Hauldren has been a Chicago Cubs fan all his life. During the team’s last homestand, he got a text message from a high school friend. It was the first text he had received from him.Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had just used “Front to Back” — a song from Hauldren’s electronic music group, Levity — as his walkup music in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.“I was like ‘What? Like, no way,'” Hauldren recalled. “I, like, had to do my research for myself.”Sure enough, it was true. Hauldren confirmed the authenticity of the moment through a…

The world’s largest sporting event — the FIFA World Cup — is coming to the United States in 2026, and Santa Clara is one of the only cities not breaking the bank to prepare, a data analysis by San José Spotlight shows. The games will be hosted across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Nearly all of the 11 U.S. host cities have spent or are planning to spend millions upgrading their stadiums and improving other infrastructure ahead of the games, but Santa Clara’s Measure J from 20210 protects the city’s general fund. San José Spotlight compiled government budgets, meeting recordings…