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Tag: Boston

  • 115-year-old Boston arena will host final game this weekend

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    Boston is losing a major landmark that has stood for 115 years.

    Matthews Arena opened two years before Fenway Park and 18 years before the old Boston Garden.

    “Every time you step on this ice, walk in this building, it’s a privilege,” said Vinny Borgesi, captain of the men’s hockey team at Northeastern University. “There’s so much history behind it.”

    Originally the Boston Arena, the building opened in 1910, quickly becoming the spot for high school and college hockey.

    “I’ve been in and out of that building for 60 years or so, and that’s what made it special on Monday,” said Joe Bertagna, the former Hockey East commissioner who grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts.

    He and others college legends took part in a final skate Monday. Bertagna recalled playing at an exhibition game against Czechoslovakia at the arena while skating for Harvard University.

    “I also lost my last high school game in double overtime to Melrose High, one of our rivals,” he said.

    The Celtics and Bruins started playing in building, and it attracted countless politicians and entertainers, as well.

    Northeastern has owned the aging arena since 1980 and considered whether it should be renovated or replaced.

    “There’s some nostalgia. There’s some sadness,” said Jim Madigan, the school’s athletic director. “But at the same time, we can’t get in the way of progress, and so you look to what the future will bring.”

    A state-of-the art venue is now set to replace the old one. It won’t open until 2028, requiring the school’s teams to play all their games on the road for two years.

    “Yeah, it’s a little bit of difficulty, but I also think that it’s something we can rally around, a little bit of an underdog mentality,” said Dylan Hryckowian, an assistant captain with the men’s hockey team.

    The last game will be Saturday night, when Northeastern’s men’s hockey team takes on rival Boston University.

    Northeastern says demolition will get underway this winter.

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    John Moroney

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  • Remember to give thanks to yourself during the holidays and beyond

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    NEW YORK (AP) — While reflecting on what we’re thankful for during the holiday season, we often focus on the external: the company of loved ones. The nourishment of a shared meal. The homes in which we gather.

    But how often do we turn the lens of gratitude toward ourselves?

    It’s fairly uncommon, because people generally are more comfortable expressing gratefulness to others. But psychologists say taking the time to thank ourselves for the qualities that carried us through life can be healthy and important, even if doing it feels awkward or arouses fears of appearing egotistical.

    One reason self-gratitude doesn’t come naturally: the human brain evolved to look for problems and dwell on the negative when everyday life required an awareness of immediate dangers, said Kristin Neff, associate professor in the educational psychology department at the University of Texas, Austin.

    Our ancestors who kicked back and relaxed were more likely to be eaten by lions, while the ones who dwelled on where the lions might be tomorrow were more likely to survive, Neff said.

    “It’s not that it’s hard to do, but we have to overcome the natural tendency of the brain to always be looking for problems as a way of staying safe,” she said.

    If people spent five minutes a day looking at themselves with compassion, their days would be different, said Maryanna Klatt, director of the Center for Integrative Health at Ohio State University. She recommended acknowledging our strengths, but also our challenges, which we can view as opportunities that may lead us to a place we never would have discovered.

    In this story, several people approached in parks share what they appreciate about themselves.

    Seeing the positive

    Lorenzo Cruz, 26, grew up in the Dominican Republic, where he recently earned a bachelor’s degree in business before moving to Boston.

    As a child, he experienced not having basic necessities, but as a teenager he moved and had a more comfortable life which enabled him to travel, receive an education and expand his perspective, he said.

    “I’m grateful for the rough childhood I had because that made me appreciate so many different things that I’ve noticed people don’t look at or don’t appreciate enough,” Cruz said. “The way I see life, I’m grateful for that.”

    To express thanks to himself, Cruz gives himself permission “to go for that trip, to binge watch that show, to go have fun at the bar, to eat that pizza at 12 a.m. I think we all tend to judge and put too much pressure on ourselves. Sometimes I just have to give myself a break and thank me for everything.”

    Giving

    As a single mother in her 40s, Ana Anitoaie appreciates the way she manages her family life and gives back to her community through teaching.

    “I’m an immigrant. I came to the United States in 1995, and I’m really grateful for being on-task and following my education, and I have achieved so much by myself. I help my family back in Europe,” said Anitoaie, a secondary school math teacher.

    “Today’s society is not really looking for what we’re grateful for,” Anitoaie said. “I think we should practice that more and we’ll be living in a happier Earth.”

    Taking chances

    Lara Furac, a primary school teacher who lives in Switzerland, is thankful for her courage and caring for others. She was in New York attending a bartending class with the goal of switching careers.

    “I’m very grateful that I’m someone who gives everyone a fair chance, and I’m not scared to open up to people and meet new people,” said Furac, 29. “I always said I’m not scared to make steps in life that are uncomfortable to some, but for me, the most important thing in life is that I can look back one day and be like, yes, I really lived, and I’m grateful that I really tried to do that, even if it’s scary sometimes and if it means something new, but also saying goodbye to something you know. I’m grateful that I’m brave enough to do that.”

    Self-care

    Jose Santiago, a student at Mercy University in New York, recognizes his optimism as an asset. “You know, I don’t see the negative or anything,” the 18 year old said. “I always see the situation as a way to get better. I always see each day as a blessing because someone didn’t get to wake up today.”

    “I express gratitude to myself in sometimes just the way I get ready for the day and the way I approach it,” he said. If he’s in a bad mood, he starts his day “with a nice shower, go through a skin care routine, hair care routine, maybe play a certain song that makes me think of a good memory in my life, back to when I was a child.”

    Determination

    As an actor in New York City, Joe Osheroff, 54, is “grateful for my persistence when it pays off. And by payoff, I mean if I’m able to do things in life, in my career, and outside of my career that are fulfilling and justify all the parts of it that are difficult.”

    To thank himself, Osheroff takes time to slow down and sit in the park, especially with a good cup of coffee. He also searches for small treasures at antique shops, enjoying browsing even if he doesn’t buy anything.

    Taking action

    Souzanne Eng, who retired from the fashion industry, said she always appreciates what the higher powers have given her, “but I never really say to myself, ’You know, a lot of these things, it’s because I put them in action.”

    “I’m grateful that I am kind. I’m grateful that I’m good to people. I am grateful that I am patient,” Eng said. “Grateful that I am able to put in action, to go for it. I’ve always been a goal-oriented person, and I never let things stop me. So I guess I’m grateful for those attributes.”

    Eating right

    Dea Shpati, an accountant, said she doesn’t excel at physical activity, but “I am grateful that I try to take care of my body, especially by nutrition. I’m really grateful that I do that.”

    “I push myself to walk or to run or to exercise, but for the eating part, it comes naturally and for that I’m grateful,” said Shpati, 24.

    “I’m grateful that I want to work. I would hate if I don’t have a job. I’m grateful that I have the desire to do so, to earn for myself and to contribute in the family budget.”

    Self-love

    College friends Emily Milner, 33, and Meagan Hicks, 32, were walking together during a visit in New York.

    “I like to show gratitude to myself by just giving myself thought time, and in that time, I thank my past self for my current life,” said Milner, a marketing professional who lives in Sedalia, Colorado.

    “In a lot of ways we live in a self-deprecating society, and when you care for other people, you don’t have to reflect inwards, because that’s a difficult thing to do,” Milner said. “So people use caring about other people and being grateful for other people as a way to avoid introspection.”

    “It is the greatest form of self-love, giving gratitude to yourself,” Hicks said.

    ___

    Send your wellness questions and story ideas to [email protected]. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well.

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  • Sharp disagreements over economy threaten Federal Reserve interest rate cut

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — What was once seen as a near-certain cut in interest rates next month now looks more like a coin flip as Federal Reserve officials sharply disagree over the economy’s health and whether stubborn inflation or weak hiring represent a bigger threat.

    In several speeches in the past week, some policymakers have registered greater concern over persistent inflation in an echo of the “affordability” concerns that played a large role in elections earlier this month.

    At the same time, another camp is much more concerned about meager hiring and the threat that the “low-hire, low-fire“ job market could worsen into one where layoffs become more widespread.

    The turmoil on the Fed’s 19-member interest-rate setting committee reflects a deeply uncertain economic outlook brought about by multiple factors, including tariffs, artificial intelligence, and changes in immigration and tax policies.

    “It’s reflective of a ton of uncertainty,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist at M&T Bank. “It’s not surprising at all that there’s a wide divergence of opinions.”

    Fewer rate cuts by the Fed could leave borrowing costs for homes and cars elevated. More expensive mortgages and auto loans contribute to the widespread view, according to polls, that the cost of living is too high.

    Some Fed watchers say that an unusually high number of dissents are possible at the December 9-10 meeting, regardless of whether the central bank reduces rates or not. Krishna Guha, an analyst at Evercore ISI, said a decision to cut could lead to as many as four or five dissents, while a decision to keep rates unchanged could produce three.

    Four dissenting votes would be highly unusual, given the Fed’s history of seeking consensus. The last time four officials dissented was in 1992, under then-Chair Alan Greenspan.

    Fed governor Christopher Waller on Monday noted that critics of the Fed often accuse it of “group think,” since many of its decisions are made unanimously.

    “People who are accusing us of this, get ready,” Waller said Monday in remarks in London. “You might see the least group think you’ve seen … in a long time.”

    The differences have been exacerbated by the government shutdown’s interruption of economic data, a particular challenge for a Fed that Chair Jerome Powell has often described as “data dependent.” The government’s last jobs report was for August, and inflation for September.

    September jobs data will finally be published Thursday, and are expected to show a small gain of 50,000 jobs that month and an unchanged unemployment rate at a still-low 4.3%.

    For now, Wall Street investors put the odds of a December rate cut at 50-50, according to CME Fedwatch, down sharply from nearly 94% a month ago. The decline has contributed to the stock market’s drops this week.

    After cutting their key rate in September for the first time this year, Fed policymakers signaled they expected to cut twice more, in October and December.

    But after implementing a second reduction Oct. 29, Powell poured cold water on the prospects of another cut, describing it as “not a foregone conclusion — far from it.”

    And speeches last week by a raft of regional Fed officials pushed the market odds of a December cut even lower. Susan Collins, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said, “in all of my conversations with contacts across New England, I hear concerns about elevated prices.”

    Collins said that keeping the Fed’s key rate at its current level of about 3.9% would help bring inflation down. The economy “has been holding up quite well” even with interest rates where they are, she added.

    Several other regional presidents voiced similar concerns, including Raphael Bostic of the Atlanta Fed, Alberto Musalem of the St. Louis Fed, and Jeffrey Schmid at the Kansas City Fed. Musalem, Collins, and Schmid are among the 12 officials who vote on policy this year. Schmid dissented in October in favor of keeping rates unchanged.

    “When I talk to contacts in my district, I hear continued concern over the pace of price increases,” Schmid said Friday. “Some of this has to do with the effect of tariffs on input prices, but it is not just tariffs — or even primarily tariffs — that has people worried. I hear concerns about rising health care costs and insurance premiums, and I hear a lot about electricity.”

    On Monday, however, Waller argued that sluggish hiring is a bigger concern, and renewed his call for a rate cut next month.

    “The labor market is still weak and near stall speed,” he said. “Inflation through September continued to show relatively small effects from tariffs and support the hypothesis that tariffs … are not a persistent source of inflation.”

    Waller also dismissed the concern — voiced by Schmid and others — that the Fed should keep rates elevated because inflation has topped the Fed’s 2% target for five years. So far that hasn’t led the public to worry that inflation will stay elevated for an extended period, Waller noted.

    “You can’t just sort of say it’s been above target for five years, so I’m not going to cut,” he added. “You got to give us better answers than that.”

    There could be consensus for an interest rate cut if, say, new data for October and November show the economy shedding jobs, according to Esther George, the former president of the Kansas City Fed.

    It’s also worth noting that many economists had expected multiple dissents in September, but instead only Stephen Miran, a governor appointed that month by President Donald Trump, voted against the rate cut decision, in favor of an even bigger reduction.

    “Registering a dissent is a hard decision, and I think you’re going to find people that are speaking today that wouldn’t follow through with a vote in that direction,” she said. “I think you’re going to find enough consensus, whichever way they go.”

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  • Prediction Markets, Sportsbooks Don’t Jibe, Massachusetts Says

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    Posted on: November 13, 2025, 04:28h. 

    Last updated on: November 13, 2025, 04:28h.

    • Sportsbooks in Massachusetts cannot offer prediction market sports contracts in the state
    • DraftKings and FanDuel are launching prediction markets next month

    Following a similar ruling in Nevada, gaming regulators in Massachusetts are telling their licensed sportsbooks to refrain from engaging in prediction markets involving sports contracts.

    prediction markets sports betting Massachusetts
    FanDuel Predicts, a prediction market, is set to launch in December 2025. Gaming regulators in Massachusetts say such online wagering products are prohibited by state law. (Image: FanDuel)

    On Thursday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) warned the state’s seven sportsbook operators that they cannot partner with prediction markets or offer sports-related event contracts within the commonwealth. The MGC letter comes after several licensed sportsbooks in the Bay State revealed their intentions to enter the prediction market space.

    In the event you offer sports-related event contracts in Massachusetts or direct patrons to such event contracts being offered in Massachusetts, the Commission may take steps up to and including revocation of your license. In addition, to the extent any other regulator takes action against your license due to your operation in the prediction market space, such action may inform decisions related to your suitability in Massachusetts,” MGC Executive Director Dean Serpa wrote.

    Massachusetts sports betting license holders include Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, and Penn Sports.

    Prediction Market Crackdown 

    The Massachusetts gaming regulators agree with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) that prediction markets offering event contracts on sports outcomes constitute sports gambling.

    “Wagering on sporting events in Massachusetts is strictly governed by M.G.L. c. 23N, which defines ‘sports event’ or ‘sporting event’ as ‘a professional sport or athletic event, collegiate sport or athletic event, a collegiate tournament, motor race event, electronic sports event, or other event authorized by the Commission under [Chapter 23N]…’ As such, wagering on sporting events may only be offered on authorized sports wagering platforms licensed by the Commission,” Serpa explained.

    The MGC notice comes only hours after DraftKings and FanDuel exited Nevada’s sports betting industry to focus on their prediction market efforts. FanDuel’s parent, Flutter Entertainment, surrendered its sports wagering license, while DraftKings folded on its pursuit to enter the state.

    Last month, the NGCB concluded that sports event contracts are wagers. The board, often cited as the “gold standard” of gaming regulation, added that most prediction market contracts violate Nevada’s betting laws.

    The Board considers offering sports event contracts, or certain other event contracts, as constituting wagering activity under NRS 463.0193 and 463.01962. Wagering occurs whether the contract is listed on an exchange regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or elsewhere,” the NGCB wrote.

    “Examples of event contracts that the Board specifically considers to be wagering subject to its jurisdiction include event contracts based on the outcome or partial outcome of any sporting or athletic event, or other selected events such as the World Series of Poker, the Oscars, Esports, and political elections (“Sports and Other Event Contracts”),” the notice continued. 

    Boston-Based DraftKings

    For DraftKings, the company that calls Massachusetts’ capital city its headquarters, the MGC notice is of utmost concern. Though the state gaming agency said its directive regarding prediction markets only applies to such operations within the commonwealth, the MGC said it reserves the right to address its licensees operating PMs outside the state in the future.

    The letters do not speak to sports-related event contracts offered outside of Massachusetts or event contracts in general, though the Commission reserves the right to address those topics in the future,” the MGC wrote on its website.

    DraftKings is set to debut DraftKings Predicts next month. FanDuel is, too.

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    Devin O’Connor

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  • MLB, sportsbooks cap bets on individual pitches in response to pitch-rigging scandal

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    Major League Baseball said its authorized gaming operators will cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and exclude them from parlays, a day after two Cleveland Guardians players were indicted and accused of rigging pitches at the behest of gamblers.

    MLB said Monday the limits were agreed to by sportsbook operators representing more than 98% of the U.S. betting market. The league said in a statement that pitch-level bets on outcomes of pitch velocity and of balls and strikes “present heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game.”

    “The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct,” the league said. “The creation of a strict bet limit on this type of bet, and the ban on parlaying them, reduces the payout for these markets and the ability to circumvent the new limit.”

    MLB said the agreement included Bally’s, Bet365, BetMGM, Bet99, Betr, Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, 888, FanDuel, Gamewise, Hard Rock Bet, Intralot, Jack Entertainment, Mojo, Northstar Gaming, Oaklawn, Penn, Pointsbet, Potawatomi, Rush Street and Underdog.

    Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted Sunday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches. They were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment says they helped two unnamed gamblers in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of certain pitches, including some that landed in the dirt.

    Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.” A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

    The U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was unconstitutional, allowing states to legalize sports betting.

    Ortiz appeared Monday in federal court in Boston. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell granted Ortiz his release on the condition he surrender his passport, restrict his travel to the Northeast U.S. and post a $500,000 bond, $50,000 of it secured. Ortiz was ordered to avoid contact with anyone who could be viewed as a victim, witness or co-defendant.

    Last month, more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations that authorities said rigged poker games backed by Mafia families and leaked inside information about NBA athletes.

    Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, issued a statement denying the allegations. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, said in a statement his client is “not a gambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.”

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

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  • ‘Goodnight room, goodnight moon’: Boston hotel brings classic book to life

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    The Sheraton Boston Hotel is offering guests the chance to spend the night inside a life-sized replica of the beloved “Goodnight Moon” bedroom.The suite is a full-scale replica of the Great Green Room from the beloved 1947 children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown.The whimsical room is perched on the 24th floor of the hotel and has views of the Charles River. It features green walls, red carpet, a glowing LED fireplace and even a working dollhouse.The suite also comes with other custom amenities, including a plush bunny for each child and turndown service complete with milk and cookies served in a keepsake porcelain bowl.

    The Sheraton Boston Hotel is offering guests the chance to spend the night inside a life-sized replica of the beloved “Goodnight Moon” bedroom.

    The suite is a full-scale replica of the Great Green Room from the beloved 1947 children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown.

    The whimsical room is perched on the 24th floor of the hotel and has views of the Charles River. It features green walls, red carpet, a glowing LED fireplace and even a working dollhouse.

    The suite also comes with other custom amenities, including a plush bunny for each child and turndown service complete with milk and cookies served in a keepsake porcelain bowl.

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  • MLB pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz charged with taking bribes to rig pitches for bettors

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.

    According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.

    Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Some of the games in question were in April, May and June.

    Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, 27, was not in custody, officials said.

    Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

    Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

    Georgalis said Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.

    “There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,” Georgalis said.

    A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

    The Major League Baseball Players Association had no comment.

    Unusual betting activity prompted investigation

    MLB said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and has fully cooperated with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” a league statement said.

    In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”

    Clase and Ortiz are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

    In one example cited in the indictment, Clase allegedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).

    In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers. After the game, which the Guardians won, one of the bettors sent Clase a text message with an image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper, the indictment said. Clase responded with an image of a sad puppy dog face, according to the indictment.

    Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract. The three-time AL save leader began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year, prosecutors said.

    The indictment cited specific pitches Clase allegedly rigged — all of them first pitches when he entered to start an inning: a 98.5 mph (158.5 kph) cutter low and inside to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers that bounced well short of home plate on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. that bounced on April 12; a 99.1 mph (159.5 kph) cutter in the dirt to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph (143.4) slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph (140.8 kph) slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal on May 17.

    Prosecutors said Ortiz, who had a $782,600 salary this year, got in on the scheme in June and is accused of rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.

    Ortiz was cited for bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena starting the second inning on June 15 and bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop opening the third inning on June 27.

    Dozens of pro athletes have been charged in gambling sweeps

    The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.

    Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA.

    Sports betting scandals have long been a concern, but a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.

    Major League Baseball suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000.

    ___

    This story was first published on Nov. 9. It was updated on Nov. 11 to correct that, according to an indictment, a bettor sent Clase an image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Clase didn’t send that image to the bettor.

    ___

    Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker in Washington and Ron Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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  • Man suffers life-threatening injuries in Dorchester shooting

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    A man was taken to the hospital after a shooting in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood on Tuesday.

    Boston police confirmed officers responded to a shooting on Bowdoin Avenue around 3:15 p.m. The man’s injuries were described as life-threatening.

    No arrests have been made. An investigation is ongoing.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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    Thea DiGiammerino

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  • Trump administration renews Supreme Court appeal to keep full SNAP payments frozen

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    President Donald Trump’s administration returned to the Supreme Court on Monday in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down, even as some families struggled to put food on the table.

    The request is the latest in a flurry of legal activity over how the program that helps 42 million Americans buy groceries should proceed during the historic U.S. government shutdown. Lower courts have ruled that the government must keep full payments flowing, but the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to keep them frozen for now.

    The high court is expected to rule Tuesday.

    The seesawing rulings so far have created a situation where beneficiaries in some states, including Hawaii and New Jersey, have received their full monthly allocations and those in others, such as Nebraska and West Virginia, have seen nothing.

    Brandi Johnson, 48, of St. Louis, said she’s struggling to make the $20 she has left in her SNAP account stretch. Johnson said she has been skipping meals the past two weeks to make sure her three teenage children have something to eat. She is also helping care for her infant granddaughter, who has food allergies, and her 80-year-old mother.

    She said food pantries have offered little help in recent days. Many require patrons to live in a certain ZIP code or are dedicated to helping the elderly first.

    “I think about it 24 hours a day, seven days a week, literally,” Johnson said. “Because you’ve got to figure out how you’re going to eat.”

    Millions receive aid while others wait

    The Trump administration argued that lower court orders requiring the full funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program wrongly affect ongoing negotiations in Congress about ending the shutdown. Supreme Court Solicitor General D. John Sauer called the funding lapse tragic, but said judges shouldn’t be deciding how to handle it.

    The Senate Monday passed a compromise funding package that would end the government shutdown and refill SNAP funds. It now goes to the House for consideration.

    Trump’s administration initially said SNAP benefits would not be available in November because of the shutdown. After some states and nonprofit groups sued, judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled the administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely.

    The administration then said it would use an emergency reserve fund to provide 65% of the maximum monthly benefit. On Thursday, Rhode Island-based U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell said that wasn’t good enough, and ordered full funding for SNAP benefits by Friday.

    Some states acted quickly to direct their EBT vendors to disburse full monthly benefits to SNAP recipients. Millions of people in at least a dozen states — all with Democratic governors — received the full amount to buy groceries before Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson put McConnell’s order on hold Friday night, pending further deliberation by an appeals court.

    Delays cause complications for some beneficiaries

    Millions more people still have not received SNAP payments for November, because their states were waiting on guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP. Several states have made partial payments, including Texas, where officials said money was going on cards for some beneficiaries Monday.

    “Continued delays deepen suffering for children, seniors, and working families, and force nonprofits to shoulder an even heavier burden,” Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in a statement Monday. “If basic decency and humanity don’t compel the administration to assure food security for all Americans, then multiple federal court judges finding its actions unlawful must.”

    Trump’s administration has argued that the judicial order to provide full benefits violates the Constitution by infringing on the spending power of the legislative and executive branches.

    Wisconsin, which was among the first to load full benefits after McConnell’s order, had its federal reimbursement frozen. The state’s SNAP account could be depleted as soon as Monday, leaving no money to reimburse stores that sell food to SNAP recipients, according to a court filing.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James said Monday that some cardholders have been turned away by stores concerned that they won’t be reimbursed — something she called to stop.

    New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said Trump was fighting “for the right to starve Americans.”

    “It’s the most heinous thing I’ve ever seen in public life,” he said.

    The latest rulings keep payments on hold, at least for now

    States administering SNAP payments continue to face uncertainty over whether they can — and should — provide full monthly benefits during the ongoing legal battles.

    The Trump administration over the weekend demanded that states “undo” full benefits that were paid during a one-day window after a federal judge ordered full funding and before a Supreme Court justice paused that order.

    A federal appeals court in Boston left the full benefits order in place late Sunday, though the Supreme Court order ensures the government won’t have to pay out for at least 48 hours.

    “The record here shows that the government sat on its hands for nearly a month, unprepared to make partial payments, while people who rely on SNAP received no benefits a week into November and counting,” Judge Julie Rikleman of the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals wrote.

    U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, presiding over a case filed in Boston by Democratic state officials, on Monday paused the USDA’s request from Saturday that states “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits.”

    In a hearing later that Monday, Talwani said that communication to states was confusing, especially because the threat came just a day after USDA sent letters to states saying SNAP would be paid in full.

    Federal government lawyer Tyler Becker said the order was only intended for states to receive the full amount of SNAP benefits, and “had nothing to do with beneficiaries.”

    Talwani said she would issue a full order soon.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, Rhode Island; Nicholas Riccardi in Denver; and Stephen Groves and Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

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  • How Boston hotels are helping feed community members in need amid shutdown

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    Boston-area hotels are stepping up as millions deal with SNAP cuts because of the government shutdown.

    The Fairmont Copley Plaza is using an app to offer discounted meals to those in need, while officials at the Seaport Hotel host a food drive.

    Questions around food stamps loom large as the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, goes into its 37th day on Thursday.

    With federal funding cuts impacting assistance programs, local nonprofits are asking for help to feed neighbors in need.

    “As of 2022, we’ve fed over 6,000 people,” said Kwaku Boah, head chef at the Oak Long Bar + Kitchen at Fairmont Copley Plaza.

    Surplus prepared meals are packaged there to be sold at discounted prices.

    “What we are offering are things that have been left over, or are not used at all,” Boah said.

    Breakfast and dinner options priced at $6.99, available on the Too Good to Go app.

    “Too Good to Go is a mobile app whose mission is to ensure reduced food waste and also to fight food insecurity,” Boah said.

    Less than three miles away, sitting in the lobby of the Seaport Hotel are piles of donated food to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

    “The Seaport Hotel has just been a long-standing partner in the community, worked very closely with the Boys & Girls Club,” said General Manager Todd Gagnon. “We’re here to take care of the community.”

    And its a community that needs it most, as 82% of families involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston identify as low-income.

    “The food drive is going to run until Nov. 14,” Gagnon said. “You can drop food goods right off here in the lobby, or you can pull right up to the valet, and they would be happy to grab those goods for you.”

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    Malcolm Johnson

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  • Election night in Mass.: Voters choose new leaders in city races

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    Tuesday was a busy election night across Massachusetts.

    While there were no statewide races on the ballot, city’s and towns made decisions about leadership.

    In Everett, voters ousted a long-term incumbent in Mayor Carlo DeMaria, who has been in office since 2008, electing City Councilor Robert Van Campen.

    “Tonight, in a resounding voice — you see these numbers? — They affirm they’re ready for change, they’re ready to write a new chapter,” the mayor-elect said.

    The race for mayor in Boston may be a foregone conclusion, but there are big races for City Council being settled on Tuesday.

    In an interview last week, Van Campen cited an audit finding DeMaria received $180,000 more than he should have in longevity payments as a catalyst for his campaign.

    Asked to explain what type of change he intended to bring, Van Campen said, “Bringing greater transparency and accountability at City Hall. I want to look at school overcrowding.”

    In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, running unopposed since Josh Kraft dropped out after placing a distant second in September’s preliminary race, spoke Tuesday night about her upcoming second term.

    “When we say Boston doesn’t back down, what we mean is Boston always shows up,” she said.

    While the results were still being counted Tuesday night, incumbents had leads in city council races, including in the citywide at-large race.

    District 7 was an open race after former City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson resigned following her guilty plea to federal fraud charges. Miniard Culpepper declared victory Tuesday over Said Ahmed.

    “I think this district is a heartbeat of the city, and how this district goes, I think, will determine how this city goes,” Culpepper told NBC10 Boston.

    Fernandes Anderson resigned in July, and councilors had asked state lawmakers to allow for an early swear-in of the November election’s winner. That bill is still stalled on Beacon Hill.

    “I may not have the council office, I might not have the council staff, but running the campaign, I didn’t have that, and I still met with folks,” said Culpepper.

    Two sitting at-large councilors — Ruthzee Louijeune and Henry Santana — joined Wu on stage. Along with Erin Murphy and Julia Mejia, the incumbents occupy the top four spots with the votes still being counted.

    “I love this city, and I’m ready to give it all, continue to give it my all,” Santana said.

    All these election totals are preliminary, final results will be tallied and certified by city and state election officials.

    Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was reelected to a second term. And Somerville voters elected Jake Wilson over Willie Burnley Jr. after both placed ahead of Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, knocking her out in September’s primary.

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    Matt Prichard and Mike Pescaro

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  • Court rulings protect millions’ SNAP benefits amid shutdown

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts: Two federal judges ruled on October 31 that President Donald Trump’s administration cannot halt food assistance for millions of Americans during the ongoing government shutdown. They ordered the government to rely on existing contingency funds to keep benefits flowing.

    The rulings, issued in federal courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, came in response to separate lawsuits challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan that stopped Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on November 1. SNAP, also known as food stamps, helps low-income households afford groceries. For weeks, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have blamed each other for the shutdown, which has put SNAP payments at risk.

    It remains uncertain whether the decisions guarantee that benefits will be issued. Both judges asked the administration to update them on November 3 on how it will follow the orders.

    Trump posted on social media that the federal government may lack legal authority to distribute SNAP funds during a shutdown. He said administration lawyers are asking courts for guidance on how to restore payments quickly. “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,” he wrote.

    SNAP benefits go to households earning less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level. In many states, that currently means about US$1,632 per month for a single person or $2,215 for two people. While the federal government funds the program, states handle daily operations and distribute monthly payments.

    According to the USDA, it costs between $8.5 and $9 billion per month to fully fund SNAP for the roughly 42 million Americans who rely on it. The administration has argued that the agency has no authority to spend that money during the shutdown, which began on October 1, until Congress approves new funding.

    However, U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence said the administration’s refusal to use $5.25 billion in available contingency funds was arbitrary and would cause real harm to families worried about access to food. He ordered that those funds be distributed as soon as possible and said the agency should also consider tapping a separate account that holds about $23 billion if needed.

    Minutes earlier, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston reached a similar conclusion. Her ruling came in a case brought by 25 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C. She said the suspension of benefits was based on a mistaken belief that the contingency funds could not legally be used during a shutdown.

    The USDA had previously stated that contingency money could keep benefits going if Congress failed to pass a budget. But last week, the agency changed its position and warned that “the well has run dry,” triggering the legal challenges.

    Despite administration claims that the payment systems might struggle or that partial benefits would be too difficult to distribute, both judges stressed that the government has the authority and responsibility to fully fund SNAP during the shutdown.

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  • 1 taken to the hospital after stabbing in Boston

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    One person was taken to the hospital after a stabbing in Boston’s South End on Sunday.

    Boston police confirmed they responded to a reported stabbing near 1906 Washington St. around 2:30 p.m. The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.

    The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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    Thea DiGiammerino

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  • Air traffic controller shortages lead to broader US flight delays as shutdown nears one-month mark

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    Travel delays were adding up at airports across the U.S. on Friday as the government shutdown drags on, putting even more pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for a month.

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travelers will start to see more flight disruptions the longer controllers go without a paycheck.

    “Every day there’s going to be more challenges,” Duffy told reporters Thursday outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance and aviation industry leaders to talk about the shutdown’s impact on U.S. travel.

    The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday reported staffing shortages that were causing flight delays at a number of airports, including in Boston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Nashville, Houston, Dallas and the Washington, D.C. area. Airports serving the New York City area — John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport — were also experiencing delays averaging around two hours, according to the FAA.

    “Currently nearly 50 percent of major air traffic control facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, and nearly 90 percent of air traffic controllers are out at New York–area facilities,” the FAA said in a statement posted on X on Friday evening.

    Staffing shortages can occur both in regional control centers that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, flight data showed strong on-time performance at most major U.S. airports for the month of October despite isolated staffing problems that surfaced throughout the month.

    But Cirium said the data also showed a “broader slowdown” Thursday across the nation’s aviation system for the first time since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, suggesting staffing-related disruptions may be spreading.

    According to Cirium, many major U.S. airports on Thursday saw below-average on-time performance, with fewer flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times. Staffing-related delays at Orlando’s airport on Thursday, for example, averaged nearly four and a half hours for some time. The data does not distinguish between the different causes of delays, such as staffing shortages or bad weather.

    Last weekend, a shortage of controllers also led to the FAA issuing a brief ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. Flights were held at their originating airports for about two hours Sunday until the FAA lifted the ground stop.

    Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said. That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage payments and other expenses unless controllers call out.

    Duffy said controllers are also struggling to get to work because they can’t afford to fill up their cars with gas. Controllers missed their first full paychecks on Tuesday.

    “For this nation’s air traffic controllers, missing just one paycheck can be a significant hardship, as it is for all working Americans. Asking them to go without a full month’s pay or more is simply not sustainable,” Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said Friday in a statement.

    Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.

    Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a long-standing shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

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  • Investigation underway into suspected intentional explosion at Harvard University medical campus

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    Overnight explosion at Harvard University’s medical campus believed to be intentional, police say

    Updated: 12:56 PM PDT Nov 1, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    The Harvard University Police Department is investigating what it is calling an intentional explosion inside a building on the medical campus early Saturday morning.Police say the explosion occurred around 2:48 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Goldenson Building at 220 Longwood Ave.There were no reports of any injuries.A responding officer saw two people fleeing the scene and tried stopping them, but was unsuccessful, according to police.Investigators from the Boston Fire Department Arson Unit made an initial assessment that the explosion appeared to be intentional.Boston police officers conducted a sweep of the building to check for additional devices.The Harvard University Police Department is actively investigating the incident, as well as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. No further information was immediately available.

    The Harvard University Police Department is investigating what it is calling an intentional explosion inside a building on the medical campus early Saturday morning.

    Police say the explosion occurred around 2:48 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Goldenson Building at 220 Longwood Ave.

    There were no reports of any injuries.

    A responding officer saw two people fleeing the scene and tried stopping them, but was unsuccessful, according to police.

    Investigators from the Boston Fire Department Arson Unit made an initial assessment that the explosion appeared to be intentional.

    Boston police officers conducted a sweep of the building to check for additional devices.

    The Harvard University Police Department is actively investigating the incident, as well as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

    No further information was immediately available.

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  • Delta pilot says “that was close” after go-around at Boston’s Logan Airport; FAA investigating

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    The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an apparent close call at Boston’s Logan Airport Thursday involving a Delta Air Lines flight that was landing and a Cape Air plane that was taking off.

    Delta Flight 263, with 284 passengers and 11 crew members on board, was originally headed from Paris to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, but was forced to divert to Boston because of weather conditions in the New York area, according to Delta officials. 

    As the Airbus 330-900neo came in for a landing at Logan at about 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time, air traffic control told the flight crew to “go around” to keep a safe distance from a smaller plane that was taking off, according to audio recorded by LiveATC.net.

    “Air traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 263 to perform a go-around at Boston Logan International Airport because Cape Air Flight 548 was cleared to takeoff from an intersecting runway,” the FAA said in a statement.

    A go-around is a procedure in which a pilot discontinues a landing approach at the direction of air traffic control and returns to altitude, according to the FAA. 

    After executing the go-around, Delta said its flight landed safely and passengers deboarded the plane normally.

    “Delta Flight 263 was instructed by air traffic control to execute a go-around procedure,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement. “The crew followed established procedures and landed safely without incident.”

    It was not immediately known how many people were aboard Cape Air Flight 548. The FAA is investigating the incident. 

    “What the heck?”

    It’s not clear exactly how close the two planes got to each other. Air traffic control audio recorded by LiveATC.net captured the reaction from pilots on both flights.

    “What the heck?” the Cape Air pilot is heard saying.

    “That was close,” the Delta pilot responds after being told to maintain an altitude of 3,000 feet.

    “Yeah man, not cool,” the Cape Air pilot then says.

    Delta has joined other major airlines in calling on Congress to end the government shutdown and pay air traffic controllers, who missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said this week that controllers are calling in sick in larger numbers than usual. 

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  • Boston family reunites after being stranded in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa

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    A Boston family reunited Friday after three members were stranded for days in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.

    A long-awaited hug, filled with tears of relief, came at Logan Airport Friday after days of uncertainty. Three family members were stranded in Jamaica after the island was hit by the Category 5 storm.

    It was the strongest ever to hit the island.

    “It’s great,” Melisa Pérez said after returning to Boston. “We just made it.”

    The storm caused significant damage after making landfall in Jamaica and has weakened as it continues to make its way through the Caribbean.

    They were there to celebrate Wanda Brandao’s 50th birthday. It turned into the most terrifying experience for her, her sister and her niece.

    “My birthday was yesterday,” Brandao said. “Another life.”

    “We were going into this hurricane blindsided, not knowing if it was going to go on top of us, to the left, to the right,” said Leilani Pérez. “The unknown was really scary.”

    They recounted the moments of terror before the impact of the storm, when they had to hunker down at their hotel with hundreds of other people.

    “Like 600 people,” Brandao said. “No AC, and you’re just looking at people, you’re looking at the little kids.”

    People in Massachusetts with loved ones in Jamaica said they briefly lost contact as the storm raged.

    When the hurricane started to land, water started getting into the building, and I remember her Facetiming me, and she was going into panic mode, and I was going into panic mode,” said Henry Pérez, who was in the U.S.

    The family was determined to get everyone back home, booking three flights and even a private jet to Boston.

    “I feel relieved,” Henry Pérez said. “I’m nervous, anxious, I just want to hug my girls and my sister in-law.”

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    Jennifer Sanguano

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  • Air traffic controller shortages lead to broader US flight delays as shutdown nears one-month mark

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    Continued staffing shortages in air traffic control facilities around the country were again causing delays at airports on Friday as the government shutdown neared the one-month mark.U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travelers would start to see more flights delayed or canceled as the nation’s controllers continue to work without pay during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1.“Every day there’s going to be more challenges,” Duffy told reporters Thursday outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance and aviation industry leaders to talk about the shutdown’s impact on U.S. travel.The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing shortages were causing flight delays Friday at a number of airports, including in Boston, New York City, Nashville, Houston, Dallas, and Newark, New Jersey. Airports in Boston, Nashville, and New York City were experiencing delays averaging two hours or longer.Staffing shortages can happen at regional control centers overseeing multiple airports, as well as in airport towers, but they don’t always result in flight disruptions.Aviation analytics firm Cirium says flight data showed a “broader slowdown” Thursday across the U.S. aviation system for the first time since the shutdown began, suggesting staffing-related disruptions may be spreading.On Thursday, many major U.S. airports reported below-average on-time performance, with fewer flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times, according to Cirium. The data does not distinguish between the different causes of delays, such as staffing shortages or bad weather.Staffing-related delays at Orlando’s airport on Thursday, for example, averaged nearly four and a half hours for some time, according to the FAA.Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said. That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage, and other expenses unless controllers call out.Duffy said controllers are also struggling to get to work because they can’t afford to fill up their cars with gas. Controllers missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday.“For this nation’s air traffic controllers, missing just one paycheck can be a significant hardship, as it is for all working Americans. Asking them to go without a full month’s pay or more is simply not sustainable,” Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said Friday in a statement.Last weekend, a shortage of controllers led to the FAA issuing a brief ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. Flights were held at their originating airports for about two hours Sunday until the FAA lifted the ground stop.Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

    Continued staffing shortages in air traffic control facilities around the country were again causing delays at airports on Friday as the government shutdown neared the one-month mark.

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travelers would start to see more flights delayed or canceled as the nation’s controllers continue to work without pay during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1.

    “Every day there’s going to be more challenges,” Duffy told reporters Thursday outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance and aviation industry leaders to talk about the shutdown’s impact on U.S. travel.

    The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing shortages were causing flight delays Friday at a number of airports, including in Boston, New York City, Nashville, Houston, Dallas, and Newark, New Jersey. Airports in Boston, Nashville, and New York City were experiencing delays averaging two hours or longer.

    Staffing shortages can happen at regional control centers overseeing multiple airports, as well as in airport towers, but they don’t always result in flight disruptions.

    Aviation analytics firm Cirium says flight data showed a “broader slowdown” Thursday across the U.S. aviation system for the first time since the shutdown began, suggesting staffing-related disruptions may be spreading.

    On Thursday, many major U.S. airports reported below-average on-time performance, with fewer flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times, according to Cirium. The data does not distinguish between the different causes of delays, such as staffing shortages or bad weather.

    Staffing-related delays at Orlando’s airport on Thursday, for example, averaged nearly four and a half hours for some time, according to the FAA.

    Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said. That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage, and other expenses unless controllers call out.

    Duffy said controllers are also struggling to get to work because they can’t afford to fill up their cars with gas. Controllers missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday.

    “For this nation’s air traffic controllers, missing just one paycheck can be a significant hardship, as it is for all working Americans. Asking them to go without a full month’s pay or more is simply not sustainable,” Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said Friday in a statement.

    Last weekend, a shortage of controllers led to the FAA issuing a brief ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. Flights were held at their originating airports for about two hours Sunday until the FAA lifted the ground stop.

    Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.

    Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

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  • Leaders tout progress at downtown Boston safety summit, but residents say work remains

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    Leaders and community members came together to talk about health and safety challenges Thursday at a public safety summit.

    The Downtown Boston Neighborhood Association hosted the meeting at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. It previously held a closed-door meeting discussing the same topic in February.

    “Over the last nine months, I’ve seen a significant difference in the downtown area. It’s safer,” said Ryan Pavo, who works downtown and attended Thursday’s meeting. “Boston police and the neighbor association has made a big difference.”

    Elected officials, law enforcement and social services organizations gathered to discuss safety solutions.

    Overall, violent crime numbers in Boston are at their lowest numbers in decades. But in some of the most visible parts of the city, like Downtown Crossing and the Boston Common, it’s a different story.

    “Last year, we had 246 unique individuals engaged with clinical social workers that are experts in addiction to put people on a path to recovery,” said Karen LaFrazia, CEO of St. Francis House.

    “I think that it’s also important to hold individuals that are suffering with addiction accountable. And we recognize that detainment can be a critical moment when you can segue someone into a pathway to recovery,” said Kellie Young of Boston’s Coordinated Response Team.

    “From the standpoint of public health, we believe that one needle on the ground is one needle too many,” Boston Public Health Commissioner Bisola Ojikutu said. “But in these last six or seven months, there’s actually been a 65% decrease in syringe-related 311 calls. So there has been progress.”

    Local and state leaders met Thursday to discuss the public’s concern about crime in some of Boston’s most popular areas.

    Part of that progress has been made as the Boston Police Department prioritizes placing officers where congregate drug use occurs, officials said.

    While residents have seen improvements, there remains unease.

    “People who are on scooters and running through red lights and that kind of thing, or even bicycles — it just feels like that’s a huge issue that I’m not hearing this addressed this evening,” said resident Laura LaPointe.

    Some councilors expressed disappointment that the mayor’s office and Boston Police Department did not appear at Thursday’s meeting.

    “The last six times I’ve been in CVS, I’ve seen theft happening,” added resident Kathryn Jacob. “I don’t know the answer — it seems like nobody here tonight knows the answer — but I’d like to see that addressed.”

    “It was about an hour and a half of sitting and sort of listening to the people on the stage, and I would definitely have liked to see more participation from the people who came out,” LaPointe said.

    Most of those in attendance who live or work downtown and spoke with NBC10 Boston said they feel a lot safer than they did a year ago, but that there’s much work left to be done.

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    Malcolm Johnson

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  • FBI Adds Charge Over Unborn Child in Birchmore Murder Case

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    Matthew Farwell, who was arrested by the FBI and charged with the murder Sandra Birchmore in Aug. 2024, is now charged with killing her unborn 8-to-10 week child

    Accused killer and former Massachusetts cop Matthew Farwell – who was arrested in Aug. 2024 for the murder of a 23-year-old pregnant woman he is also accused of grooming, a murder federal prosecutors say he then staged her death to look like a suicide – was hit with an additional charge connected to the death of her unborn 8 to 10-week-old boy.

    Farwell, multiple sources confirm, was not the father of the child, but believed that he was when he drove to her house in Canton, Massachusetts, on Feb. 1, 2021, and allegedly strangled her to death during a blizzard. According to the first indictment unsealed in the summer of 2024, which charged him, he then drove to a Boston area hospital to be there alongside his wife for the birth of the couple’s third child.

    In the lead-up to her brutal alleged murder, she was pestering Farwell, according to a federal complaint, “regarding her due date, ultrasounds, genetic testing, gender reveals, and doctor appointments.” Farwell, a married man whose third baby was due around the time Birchmore was excitedly telling everyone she was expecting and the detective was the father, wasn’t as excited and had texted her that he “wish she would die.”

    During a Nor’easter, Farwell had a change of heart. He texted Birchmore he “wanted to come by for a minute,” braving an ongoing blizzard that had created treacherous conditions, dumping a foot of snow on Boston’s south shore area. That night, Birchmore was captured on her apartment building’s security cameras coming in and out with an ice scraper. She texted Farwell at 9:10 p.m. that her door would be open. 

    Sandra Birchmore was a Stoughton Police Explorer at 12. In the program she met Matthew Farwell
    Credit: Birchmore family

    Farwell showed up four minutes later – wearing a COVID mask with a hoodie pulled tight over his head – and left twenty minutes later, driving directly to a Boston area hospital where his wife Michelle was giving birth to their third child, a boy. 

    Matthew Farwell’s wife gave birth to their third child just hours after he allegedly murdered Sandra Birchmore and is wearing the same clothes.
    Matthew Farwell’s wife gave birth to their third child just hours after he allegedly murdered Sandra Birchmore and is wearing the same clothes.
    Credit: Courtesy of The Case Podcast

    The six-foot-four detective, 38, was the last person to see her alive, and her body was found days later after Canton Police were asked to do a well-being check when Birchmore didn’t show up for work and couldn’t be reached. Yet, he was never seriously considered a suspect in her death despite multiple tips to the Norfolk County D.A.’s office about Farwell’s long history with Birchmore, who had been involved in a police mentoring program since she was a girl. 

    Scroll to continue reading

    It would take nearly four years, and an FBI investigation before Farwell would be arrested in Birchmore’s death, essentially charged with framing the young woman for her own murder. Federal prosecutors now say he used his “knowledge and experience as a law enforcement officer to stage her death to make it look like a suicide.”

    The case was thrust into the national spotlight with the trial of Karen Read, the woman acquitted this summer after going on trial for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. Her Los Angeles attorney, Alan Jackson, said his client was framed by a corrupt state trooper assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, the same investigators who determined Birchmore’s case was a suicide. A judge in Read’s trial earlier this year barred any mention of Birchmore’s investigation by her attorneys.

    Birchmore first met Farwell when she joined the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy at 12 years old. Farwell is accused of initiating a relationship with Birchmore when she was 15 and he was 26, which is considered statutory rape under Massachusetts law.

    The handling of both cases has become the focus of intense scrutiny. The lead investigator in Read’s case, Michael Proctor, was fired, and a trove of his text messages was recently uncovered. Last week, he ended his fight to be reinstated, leading Jackson to say Proctor’s withdrawal of his appeal was an act of “self-preservation.”

    “He learned investigators had recovered text messages from his private phone dating back years, and he wanted no part of what those messages would reveal,” Jackson said. “He didn’t accept accountability—it hunted him down.”

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    Michele McPhee

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