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O’Toole & Johnson: Mental health help for first responders must come from the top

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

As public safety leaders, we understand the phrase, “walk the walk.” We relate to the challenges our first responders encounter – chasing criminals, performing CPR, rushing into burning buildings – because we’ve been there, we’ve done it, and we’ve walked miles in those boots. It is a privilege to serve our communities and to work with exceptional colleagues on the front lines. In doing so we must acknowledge these challenges and advocate for our people.But what about the unseen challenges first responders face; the rarely-talked-about mental health struggles? Are public safety leaders willing to “walk the walk” when it comes to mental health?Compared with the general population, first responders experience higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress, burnout, anxiety, drug and alcohol addiction, and more. These often lead to secondary health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and disordered sleep. First responders are also at higher risk for suicidal tendencies, a fact hig...

Taylor Swift and her ‘Anti-Hero’ top MTV VMAs in a show dominated by hip-hop, K-pop and Latin jams

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

By MARIA SHERMAN (AP Music Writer)Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards for her “Anti-Hero” music video on a night full of surprises.“This is unbelievable. The fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me,” Swift said in her acceptance speech. “I can’t believe it was a year ago that I announced the ‘Midnights’ album.”The show, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, was Swift’s from nearly the beginning. The night’s first presenters were none other than NSYNC, who reunited to hand the best pop video award to Swift.In coordinating suits, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez shared the stage with Swift. Bass handed her a friendship bracelet, just as fans do at the superstar’s shows. “You’re pop personified,” she told the group.The night’s top nominee later returned to the stage to pick up the so...

Rice star of Korean comfort dish Tteokbokki

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

Rice is a staple food in many different cultures. Rice often is a popular side dish or even featured prominently as part of an entree..Tteok is found in sweet and savory Korean dishes. Tteok are rice cakes made from rice that is steamed and pounded to form a product that is distinctively chewy. Most tteok are rolled into cylinders and cut into pieces, or sliced thinly on a diagonal. The rice cakes are available at retailers both fresh and frozen, and can be eaten out of hand or added to stir-frys or even fried to a crispy texture.This recipe for “Royal Tteokbokki” from “Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food” (White Lion) is a stir-fry comfort food that hails from the royal court of the Chosun dynasty.TAG GOES HERERoyal TteokbokkiINGREDIENTS1 pound beef rib eye, trimmed and thinly sliced1 small firm but ripe pear, grated3 tablespoons brown sugar3 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a drizzle for the stir-fry5 garli...

Dinner in a snap

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

I let the microwave do most of the work for this easy dinner with fresh snapper. It saves time and energy and means fewer pots to wash. The sauce for the snapper and the roast potatoes and green beans are cooked in the microwave.The snapper takes only a few minutes to saute and then the sauce is spooned on top. After the potatoes and green beans are microwaved, they are finished in the same skillet used to cook the snapper. This gives them a crispy finish.There are many types of snappers; any will work for this recipe. Whole grain mustard is part of the honey sauce. It’s made with mustard seeds that are ground just enough to form a paste but doesn’t break down all of the seeds. It gives a thick coarse texture to this sauce.Helpful Hints:You can use any type of white, flaky fish fillet such as sole or tilapia.You can use any type of small or baby potato. They should be about 3 to 4 inches.You can find roasted red peppers in jars in the condiment section of the store.TAG GOES HEREHone...

Tandoori Lamb makes midweek menu shine

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

I love the intriguing aroma and flavors of foods cooked in an Indian tandoor oven. To capture some of these flavors at home, I used a spice seasoned yogurt sauce, using spices easily at hand, ginger, coriander and cayenne pepper. Although not made in a special oven, the meal fills my requirement for some great Indian food, midweek.Helpful Hints:You can use two crushed garlic cloves instead of minced garlic.You can use two teaspoons ground ginger instead of fresh ginger. Make sure it is less than 6 months old.TAG GOES HERETandoori LambINGREDIENTS3/4 pound leg of lamb cubes1 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt, drained1/4 cup fresh mint, divided use1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (2 tablespoons)2 teaspoons ground corianderPinch cayenne pepper1 teaspoon sugar2 teaspoons olive oil2 teaspoons minced garlicDIRECTIONSRemove visible fat from lamb. Mix yogurt, 2 tablespoons chopped mint, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper and sugar together to make a marinade. Divide the marinad...

Div. 3-4 field hockey preview: Watertown hopes to reload

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

One of the defining details behind Watertown field hockey’s continued historic success is its ability to replenish the production lost from graduation. The Lizzie Loftus and Maggie Driscoll era that won two Div. 3 state titles and 53 straight games may be over, but what’s left is another early title favorite for this season.Scoring sensation Molly Driscoll returns as a senior after twice leading the team in goals, while Rachel Egan stars out of the midfield. Co-captains Adrianna Williams and defender Aislin Devaney complete a quartet of premier production to help make the Raiders arguably the top team in the state, though head coach Eileen Donahue is quick to remind the amount of work that still needs to come.Rightfully so, as Div. 3 looks like it could be the most loaded division of any.Sandwich was a double-overtime goal away from the title over the Raiders two years ago, and just two goals away in last year’s final. It returns almost every starter, bolstered by premier scorers Qu...

Lowry: Immigration is Biden’s Mariela boatlift

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

“Worse than Jimmy Carter” is an epithet Republicans often throw at Democratic presidents.It’s a label, though, that Joe Biden clearly deserves on immigration, an area where — along with inflation and the Afghan debacle — there are echoes of the Carter years.Back in 1980, an overwhelmed Carter administration struggled to cope with the Mariel boatlift, a rapid surge of Cubans into South Florida, just as the hapless Biden White House is watching the current migrant crisis strain communities around the country.A promising young Democratic governor, Bill Clinton, ended up collateral damage when boatlift migrants housed at a fort in Arkansas rioted. Clinton’s predicament brings to mind the political agony of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other Democratic officeholders now paying the price for a failed border policy outside their direct control.Of course, the two crises, separated by more than 40 years, aren’t the same. The scale of the influx...

Editorial: Cities see migrant crisis, Harris sees ‘progress’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

Border crisis? What border crisis?Even though cities and states across the country are buckling under a never-ending influx of migrants, Vice President Harris says the country is “seeing progress.”CBS anchor Margaret Brennan asked Harris on “Face the Nation” if increasing illegal border crossings indicate migration policies are no longer working. Her response: “Absolutely not.”Perhaps the question should have clarified that she meant working for this country.As The Hill reported, recent data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed illegal border crossings increased by 33% in July when compared to the previous month.You don’t have to tell Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey –  she declared a state of emergency last month as the state’s shelters started to strain with newly arrived migrants and high housing costs. The state is spending more than $45 million a month on programs and emergency shelter for new migrant and displaced families. Healey has even called...

Curtain rises on fall theater

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

Everybody loves one of the following: Disney, Shakespeare, reinventions of Shakespeare, Sondheim, James Bond, political satire, or the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”It’s an irrefutable fact. The Boston theater knows this and will put everything from “Frozen” to “Fat Ham” on stages over the fall theater season.“Assassins”Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Lyric StageThose who thought Stephen Sondheim had no new ground to tread by 1990 were proved spectacularly wrong with “Assassins.” With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman, this dark, comic musical looked at successful and failed presidential assassins John Wilkes Booth to John Hinckley, Jr. Unlike anything Sondheim had done, so, basically, like every other Sondheim work. Lyricstage.com“The Taming of the Shrew”Sept. 15 – Oct. 1, the Modern Theatre at Suffolk UniversitySo… Taming of the Shrew… in 2023… Fear not, in the hands of the Actors’ Shakespeare Project this is su...

Dear Abby: 20-something wants to boost popularity

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:25:20 GMT

Dear Abby: I’m 26 and not currently in a relationship. I don’t have many friends. I’d like to have more, and I try. I wasn’t popular in middle and high school, either. I have been in and out of college, so I haven’t been able to make friends there. I have worked at my job for three years and it’s the same story.People say I’m “sweet, nice and cheerful,” but those traits aren’t helping me. I know you’ve written about this problem before. Can you give me some tips for being someone who others want to be around? — Eager in South CarolinaDear Eager: The keys to being well-liked by both men and women are these: Be kind. Be honest. Be tactful. Don’t be afraid of giving someone a compliment if it is deserved.You do not have to be beautiful (or handsome) to put your best foot forward. Be well-groomed, tastefully dressed and conscious of your posture. (People who stand tall project self-confidence.) Stay informed a...