Category: Massachusetts

MA Catholic School Enlists Lesbian, Gay Activist as Graduation Speaker

Boston’s largest Catholic organization is calling out a prominent all-girls Catholic school in Massachusetts for choosing a lesbian activist as its graduation speaker. In her speech to the graduating class of Fontbonne Academy, Andi Lyons told students that disapproval of same-sex relationships was equivalent to inciting hate. “Your generation still has much more work to…


Wegmans Is Closing One of Its Largest Grocery Stores. Its Unusual Location Hurt Business

NATICK, Mass.—The Wegmans supermarket chain is closing one of its largest and most unusual stores because it has not attracted enough business, the company said. The Natick, Massachusetts store will close on an undetermined date this summer, the Rochester, New York-based company said in a statement on Thursday. “Making these decisions is never easy. However,…


Regulators Cut Haddock Fishing Quotas by Over 80 Percent in New England

A staple fish species caught for centuries on the East Coast is experiencing overfishing, and regulators have reportedly cut catch quotas by 84 percent, based on recommendations by a federal agency. But many fishermen have expressed their disagreement with the soundness of the findings. Haddock are one of the most popular Atlantic fish, and a…


School Refers Counselors for Federal Investigation for Allegedly ‘Misgendering Students’

Three middle school counselors in Amherst, Massachusetts, have been placed on administrative leave over claims they allegedly misgendered LGBT students and tried to convert them. According to a May 9 notice to the counselors, the Amherst-Pelham Regional School initiated a Title IX complaint against the three school officials and referred the matter for federal investigation…


Father, Son Sentenced for Decadelong, $20 Million Lottery Fraud Scheme

BOSTON—A father and son from Massachusetts have both been sent to prison for running an elaborate lottery fraud scheme designed to enrich themselves and help prize winners avoid paying taxes on their windfall, prosecutors said. Ali Jaafar, 63, and Yousef Jaafar, 29, both of Watertown, cashed in 14,000 winning lottery tickets over a roughly 10-year…


Rick Hoyt, Who Became a Boston Marathon Fixture With Father Pushing Wheelchair, Has Died at 61

BOSTON—Rick Hoyt, who with his father pushing his wheelchair became a fixture at the Boston Marathon and other races for decades, has died. He was 61. Hoyt died of complications with his respiratory system, his family announced on Monday. “Rick along with our father, Dick, were icons in the road race and triathlon worlds for…


Pentagon Leak Suspect Jack Teixeira to Remain Jailed as He Awaits Trial

WORCESTER, Mass.—A Massachusetts Air National Guard member charged with leaking highly classified military documents will remain behind bars while he awaits trial, a federal magistrate judge ruled Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy said releasing 21-year-old Jack Teixeira would pose a risk that he would attempt to flee the country or obstruct justice. The judge…


Man Charged With Killing 5-Year-Old Who Was Found Dead in a Suitcase 9 Years Ago

WORCESTER, Mass.—Nine years after the body of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver was found in a suitcase beside a Massachusetts highway, the former boyfriend of the child’s mother will be arraigned Thursday on a murder charge in connection with the death, prosecutors said. Alberto Sierra Jr., 32, is charged with murder and disinterring a body and will…


Parents Who Had Children Taken in Police Raid Sue Massachusetts in Federal Court

Two parents are suing state and local officials in Massachusetts in federal court for heavy-handed treatment during a bungled investigation into allegations of child abuse that were later discredited. The plight of the family received national attention in December 2022 when The Washington Post and Reason magazine told their tale. The family is represented by…


Man Accused in Harvard Bomb Threat, Extortion Plan

A man is accused of phoning in bomb threats to Harvard University and demanding a large amount of Bitcoin in return, federal prosecutors said. William Giordani, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting extortionate threats. He was released on conditions after a detention hearing in federal court…