Latest news with #SethAframe
Boston Globe
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Student senate scholars get lessons in democracy at Kennedy institute
'The government makes decisions for us, and we have to evaluate those decisions to decide the government we want,' Judge Seth Aframe of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston told the student senators. 'How can you do that if you don't even know how it functions?' Kennedy-Breyer Civics Scholars students watched as committee vote results came in as a part of the program's Senate legislative process simulation. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Advertisement Tuesday was the second session of the program named for the late Senator Ted Kennedy and retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, his friend and former staff member. On Wednesday, the students visited the federal courthouse in South Boston to watch actual court proceedings. On Thursday, they will return for their own mock compassionate release hearing. On Friday, they will also visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for lessons on the presidency. Civics education has always been important to Breyer, a Massachusetts resident who served on the Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. 'Civics gives context,' said Aframe, who helped develop the scholars program through the Breyer Community Learning Center on Courts and the Constitution Center at the federal courthouse in Boston. 'Civics gives background. Civics gives ways to evaluate good or bad, what's happening. Otherwise, you're just dropped into the middle of something, and how do you make sense of it?' Advertisement The 27 scholars are learning how. On Tuesday, before getting down to business, they had a Zoom call with Senator Edward J. Markey and asked him questions. Their queries ranged from his early political days, to his stance on free public transportation, to navigating a partisan Congress. Students in the program listened as Massachusetts US Senator Ed Markey delivered remarks over video call inside the Senate chamber at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe 'Right now, we're in a period where a lot of [our] institutions are under attack,' he said. 'We're going to get knocked down. We're not going to get knocked out. We're going to get up, we're going to fight, and ultimately, we're going to win.' After hearing from the senator, it was time for the students to become senators. They raised their right hands and were sworn into office. Laughter and nervous chatter filled the replica of the Senate chamber as they were assigned states and political parties. They learned the biographies of the senate roles they would play. 'I like that they don't treat us like we're kids,' said Ben Austin, 15, from Boston College High School. 'They call us senators and expect us to meet a certain standard. It feels real.' The student senators took up the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform law passed in 2018. The legislation, signed by President Trump, aimed to reduce recidivism and ease some of the harshest federal sentencing practices. It also provided funding for rehabilitation programs, expanded use of compassionate release, and reduced some minimum sentences. Advertisement They debated the bill in committees, drafted and amended proposals, and held a full Senate vote. From there, they shifted into a mock House session before selecting a vice president, speaker of the House, and president to sign the bill into law. Students applauded as University of New Hampshire law professor John Greabe, taking on the role of president during the Kennedy-Breyer Civic Scholars legislative process simulation, signed the mock bill students voted on into law. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Some said their first day on the job challenged their long-held assumptions. 'It's definitely different from living in Massachusetts and knowing how people here think,' said Aly DePasquale, 15, of Cathedral High School, who was assigned to play the role of a Republican senator from Texas. 'But it's also a good change to see how other people from other states can think as well.' 'I feel like one of the biggest misconceptions is that teenagers and students don't know what's going on or don't have an opinion or a say,' said Evangeline Hermida, 15, of the International School of Boston. 'But we actually do. We catch up on things from school . . . from our parents. We notice how people interact and how certain conversations bring out different reactions.' Eileen Chi, 14, of Milton Academy, said it is important for students to learn how to speak up. 'Right now, a lot of people are like, 'I can't be the one standing out,'' she said, referring to the current political environment. 'They want that sense of security with the group. The more we talk about things, the less they're stigmatized. That doesn't just apply to politics — it's everything." Advertisement Mellon Academy, Sadaf Tokhi can be reached at
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Federal court makes ruling on law aimed at saving endangered whales: 'The same threat ... persisted'
Endangered whales in Massachusetts are getting help after a federal appeals court restored lobster fishing limits, Reuters reports. The decision stemmed from a 2022 ruling by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The agency banned the use of vertical buoy lines in the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge — a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters — annually from Feb. 1 to April 30. In response, the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association sued, resulting in a federal judge voiding the ruling in March 2024. However, in January 2025, U.S. Circuit Judge Seth Aframe ruled in favor of preserving the fishing regulation. Per Reuters, Aframe said, "The same threat to the right whale described in the 2022 emergency rule findings persisted beyond the 2022 foraging season and therefore ... required additional regulatory actions." The upheld ruling is a win for the endangered right whale and the environment. Since the seafood industry has been essential to the economy — supporting 1.2 million jobs, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — it's no shock that some fishermen haven't been excited about limitations. However, over-fishing and unregulated fishing have caused environmental problems like this. The same general efforts to protect a whale are also applied to conservation across other species, and imbalances in the ecosystem can have domino effects that can upset the food chain in ways that could cost the fishing industry even further. Buoy lines can seriously injure animals or lead to whale death due to infection or entanglement. An injured whale can also become weak and may not reproduce due to stress, resulting in another hit to the species's population. On the Endangered Species Act list since 1970, only 370 North Atlantic right whales, including fewer than 70 reproductive females, are believed to be in existence today, per NOAA. They are often found in the New England area in spring and summer. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Tragically, a baby North Atlantic right whale died after a ship collision in 2024. With less potential interference during their foraging season, as mandated by the ruling, these whales will have more opportunity to thrive and hopefully rebuild their population. Fishing regulations help ensure biodiversity among all marine life while also protecting the industry's financial stability. The ruling shows how important it is for more state and federal laws to protect the environment. Save Our Seas 2.0, signed in 2020, has helped reduce the likelihood of more microplastics in the water. The Inflation Reduction Act has also helped move the U.S. toward adopting clean energy, with upgrades to induction stoves and electric vehicles supported by tax rebates and incentives. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court
By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters called the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association sued to block the rule, saying a Dec. 2022 appropriations rider reflected the U.S. Congress' intent not to extend emergency protections for North Atlantic right whales from earlier that year. A federal district judge declared the rule void last March. But in Thursday's decision, Circuit Judge Seth Aframe called that a mistake because the rule was "in place" when the rider took effect, though it was not being enforced at that time. He said "the same threat to the right whale described in the 2022 emergency rule findings persisted beyond the 2022 foraging season and therefore ... required additional regulatory actions." The lobstermen's group also said extending the rule would violate a June 2024 Supreme Court decision, Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo, that rejected court deference to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Aframe disagreed, saying the circuit court was merely interpreting the December 2022 rider's text with no deference to what the fisheries' service thought it meant. Lawyers for the lobstermen's group did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Conservation groups and the Biden administration urged upholding the rule. Jane Davenport, a lawyer for Defenders of Wildlife, called the decision a major victory for protecting right whales. Erica Fuller, a lawyer for the Conservation Law Foundation, said the court "made a reasoned decision based on the best available science." The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The judges on Thursday's panel, and all active 1st Circuit judges, are Democratic appointees. The case is Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association Inc v Menashes et al, 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-1480.
Reuters
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court
Jan 30 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters called the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge. The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association sued to block the rule, saying a Dec. 2022 appropriations rider reflected the U.S. Congress' intent not to extend emergency protections for North Atlantic right whales from earlier that year. A federal district judge declared the rule void last March. But in Thursday's decision, Circuit Judge Seth Aframe called that a mistake because the rule was "in place" when the rider took effect, though it was not being enforced at that time. He said "the same threat to the right whale described in the 2022 emergency rule findings persisted beyond the 2022 foraging season and therefore ... required additional regulatory actions." The lobstermen's group also said extending the rule would violate a June 2024 Supreme Court decision, Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo, that rejected court deference to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Aframe disagreed, saying the circuit court was merely interpreting the December 2022 rider's text with no deference to what the fisheries' service thought it meant. Lawyers for the lobstermen's group did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Conservation groups and the Biden administration urged upholding the rule. Jane Davenport, a lawyer for Defenders of Wildlife, called the decision a major victory for protecting right whales. Erica Fuller, a lawyer for the Conservation Law Foundation, said the court "made a reasoned decision based on the best available science." The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The judges on Thursday's panel, and all active 1st Circuit judges, are Democratic appointees. The case is Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association Inc v Menashes et al, 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-1480.
