A former Brighton High School employee who also worked with a Boston nonprofit that helps at-risk teens is facing additional sex-related charges, accused of sexually exploiting five high school students and raping two of them between the fall of 2023 and March 2024, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Prosecutors say John Jamar Cokley, of Boston, surrounded himself with teenage girls and groomed them while he exploited their “vulnerabilities and financial insecurities.”
Three months ago, a local high school reported one of their students was being sexually exploited, according to prosecutors.
Investigators were then provided with multiple Instagram messages between Cokley and the student exchanging explicit photos and videos, authorities said. He also allegedly told the student where he would meet them to “have sex in exchange for money.”
This investigation, Hayden said, identified additional victims who reported being exploited or abused by Cokley.
The victims described meeting the Boston man through Instagram, where he would convince them to send naked photos and videos for money, according to Hayden.
“Cokley randomly messaged the girls through Instagram and would compliment their appearance to make a connection,” said Hayden. “[He] would offer the girls an ‘allowance’ if they sent him naked images or videos.”
The 38-year-old is also accused of asking two of the victims to sell marijuana.
Prosecutors say Cokley would complain that the victims, who were in school, weren’t responding to him quick enough and threatened to take away their “allowance.”
Investigators found dozens of naked photos and videos of the victims on both his phone and Instagram account, Hayden said.
“Cokley can be seen in multiple self-produced videos of child sexual abuse material,” said the district attorney.
Cokley will have a dangerousness hearing next month after a grand jury returned a 30-count child sex indictment against him last week, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
The indictment expands the charges and number of victims since Cokley’s arraignment in April, District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a release.
Cokley is facing seven counts of sex trafficking of a child, five counts of aggravated rape of a child, one count of rape of a child by force, three counts of posing a child in a state of nudity, four counts of posing a child in a state of sexual conduct, four counts of enticing a child under 18 into commercial sex, two counts of inducing a minor to sell a controlled substance, one count of dissemination of harmful matter to a minor, possession of child pornography and purchasing child pornography.
Police are turning to the public for help in their search for a man who allegedly stole multiple youth hockey jerseys from a home in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood last month.
In an investigation update Friday, Boston police asked for the public’s assistance in locating 36-year-old Ricardo Bastos, who is wanted on a warrant out of Brighton District Court for the burglary that occurred on May 14.
Bastos is described as 5’7 and 170 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He’s known to drive a red Honda and frequents the Brighton Avenue area of Allston and Framingham, police said.
According to police, officers responded to a breaking and entering on Murdock Street around 12:12 a.m. on that day. A man was seen entering a house’s enclosed porch around that time holding a Dunkin’ bag. He then returned almost an hour later, at 1:04 a.m., holding a McDonald’s bag. The man took eight Allston-Brighton jerseys before leaving in a Prius style vehicle, police said.
The jerseys are valued at about $330, police previously said. A representative from Allston-Brighton youth hockey told NBC10 Boston in a statement last month they hoped the jerseys would be returned quickly.
“It’s really unfortunate that someone would steal these items from one of our youth hockey players.”
An investigation is active and ongoing.
Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact detectives at 617-343-4256. Anonymous tips can be called into the CrimeStoppers tip line at 1-800-494-TIPS or texted to CRIME (27463) with the word ‘TIP.’
Justin Simmons the football player remains in a state of limbo.
Simmons the person looked right at home Saturday morning in Montbello.
The 31-year-old, released by the Broncos after eight seasons back in March, has seen his free agency now inch toward the three-month mark.
You wouldn’t have known it at the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club for the annual March for Peace on this sun-splashed morning.
“God is so good. I’m so thankful for this time and for his faithfulness in terms of slowing me down and not taking things for granted,” Simmons said in his first public comments since his Broncos tenure ended this spring. “This offseason has been such a blessing. I’ve had a tremendous opportunity in my eyes to regain some lost moments of hanging out with family, I’ve got to go to my daughter’s dance recitals and I’ve got to see them grow and I’ve got to be home a lot more. All while training and staying ready so I don’t have to get ready.
“One door closes and another opens and that’ll open at some point here in the future.”
The two-time Pro Bowl safety didn’t want to talk much about football or about his future prospects with a pair of reporters on hand, but he readily acknowledged a piece of symmetry that borders perhaps on poetic.
The organizers of this event, Nashara Ellerbee and Naja’Ray West, are graduating seniors and off to Colorado State University in the fall. It’s a time of change in their lives. A time of excitement but also anxiousness. When you’ve made the impact they’ve made on a community, you don’t know quite what’s coming behind you, but if you’ve made your mark well, you can have confidence that it’s something good.
That’s Simmons, too. He doesn’t know where he’ll be playing next year just yet, but he knows he’s enjoying this offseason. He knows he finds himself feeling every bit as rooted here among the familiar faces and folks who perhaps once saw him as a football player but now just see him as justin.
“Honestly, even now in this time of transition, I’ve talked to them because they’re both getting ready to go off to college and we’re talking about next steps and who’s roommates and classes and what are we going to do here and when do we get to visit family?” he said. “And I’m talking them through it from my experience in college. But similarly I’m taking the same step just with another team at some point. And so it’ll be the same thing, right? New locker room, new coaches, wanting to fit in, wanting to establish yourself with your play. So we’re both in this thing almost together in different aspects. I’m looking to them for encouragement and they’re encouraging me and I hope I’m doing a good job encouraging them.
“They’ve just been a huge blessing. I love their heart, I love their passion for people and their community and that’s what I’ve learned the most from them is just how impactful you can be just by loving on people.”
“I’ve learned so much, even the intentionality that they’ve put into trying to help their own hometown, backyard,” Simmons said. “For me, you’re so plugged into trying to help as many people as you can. And I think Nashara and Ray Ray have done a good job of putting into perspective for me as, like, helping the people that you’ve done life with. That’s super important. Never lose sight of that. I think it’s great if you want to help as many people as you can and inspire as many people as you can, but you never want to forget the community and the people that helped you along the way and helped raised you and helped grow with you.”
Simmons, of course, is a Florida native. He went to college at Boston College. Now he’s been in Denver since 2016. The past several years, this has been his community.
“This is our brother at the end of the day,” West said of Simmons. “Regardless of where we end up and they end up, where he ends up on a new team, we’re family. We’re always going to have each other. When he comes to this event he comes not as a football player but as himself. Justin Simmons the guy that we know. Not the Denver Broncos safety.
Added Ellerbee, “I just know that he’s going to be there for us. He goes to our graduations, both of our senior nights. He’s just a guy we can count on if we need anything.”
As the pair addressed the crowd just before the run through Montbello started, they waved Simmons to the front to stand with them. He did for a minute and helped get the group’s attention, but then ceded all of the talking to West and Ellerbee.
He watched from the side and nodded along as they talked about their confidence in the future of the event despite their departures and about how much the community means to them.
“They’ve helped me so much,” Simmons said. “I’m looking forward to seeing this last hoo-rah, but also looking forward to seeing what the kids in the future here do to continue on Ray Ray and Nashara’s legacy.”
Authorities are looking for a 16-year-old from Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood who has not been seen since last week.
Boston police said Wednesday that Lashawn Scott was last seen around noon Thursday on Standish Street.
Police describe Scott as a light-skinned Black male who is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 130 pounds.
When he was last seen, Scott was wearing a white hoodie, black jeans, red and white sneakers and a black mask, according to police.
Authorities say he frequents Back Bay, Mattapan, Roslindale and Hyde Park.
Anyone with information is asked to call 617-343-4275 or dial 911. Anonymous tips can also be left by calling 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting “TIP” to 27463.
Not everybody, but some people believe the Sixers just got “unlucky” again and had Embiid been fully healthy they think it would have been a different story in this playoff run. Unfortunately, part of being a playoff great comes down to longevity, but even if the Sixers did make it to the ECF fully healthy, let’s see how they would stack up against the – once again – Eastern Conference champions. Included here will only be players that make the playoff rotation.
Guards
Sixers:
Tyrese Maxey
Kyle Lowry
Cam Payne
Buddy Hield
De’Anthony Melton
Celtics:
Jrue Holiday
Peyton Pritchard
Derrick White
The Sixers have more options at guard, but that’s only because their players aren’t as good. Jrue Holiday has experience (like Lowry), but he’s a few years younger and more consistent on the offensive side of the ball. With those few years of youth he has on Lowry, it allows him to play more minutes at a higher level.
Buddy Hield could be better than the Celtics’ options, but he was left out of the rotation for so long. He can shoot when he’s hot, but he can’t create a shot too well or distribute to his teammates either.
Tyrese Maxey is the best player on this list, which levels out the playing field with the guards going up against each other, but the Celtics guards know their roles which helps them each use their individual talents in the best way to help the team.
Conclusion: Celtics
The Celtics take this position group, but barely. Maxey is easily the best player, but the other Sixers players don’t give enough significant time. The Celtic guards play a better brand of playoff basketball.
Forwards
Sixers:
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Nicolas Batum
Tobias Harris
Celtics:
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Xavier Tillman Sr.
Sam Hause
Oshae Brissett
Is this even worth debating? Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum run circles around the Sixers group of forwards, and in the playoffs, teams need good play from their wings. Without consistent wing play, no team will go far in the playoffs.
Nicolas Batum helped get the Sixers to where they needed to be during the play-in game, but he went back to his regular play after that. Nothing is wrong with that given his age and role.
Tobias Harris contributed negatively to the team throughout the whole playoff run and should not be back with the Sixers next year. He’s a liability at this point.
And lastly, Kelly Oubre. He gave the Sixers life at different points, but still can’t be someone to rely on in big spots. The Sixers should keep him on the team next year for sure. He provides some shooting on the perimeter and athleticism both on the defensive and offensive side. He doesn’t have the finesse you hope for, but he’s the best wing option the Sixers have as of now.
Conclusion: Celtics (and it’s not close)
Nobody will argue against this one. The Celtics arguably have the best group of forwards in the league.
Centers
Sixers:
Joel Embiid
Paul Reed
Mo Bamba
Celtics
Al Horford (yuck)
Luke Kornet
Backup Centers don’t usually get a lot of time, so not many teams put a lot of money and assets into that position. One team that could benefit from a good backup center is the Sixers, but unfortunately, they don’t care. With the amount of time Embiid misses, having Mo Bamba and Paul Reed just doesn’t cut it. Imagine if the Sixers could stay even or maybe gain points during Embiid’s absence from the floor in games. Or maybe if/when Embiid misses time, they don’t have the worst team out there. But that’s a rant for another day.
I will never stop saying that Al Horford purposely played for the Sixers just to suck and make them worse. He was good before them and good after them, but never played well while here. At least he’s not Embiid kryptonite anymore.
Conclusion: Sixers
While the Sixers do easily win this position battle, it doesn’t affect the game as other groups because of the position they play. Embiid will be the best player on the court when he’s out there, but wings dominate the NBA and they are needed to win. Also, when it comes to centers, teams can easily get by with someone that only does 1-2 things well. that provides opportunity to improve the rest of the team.
The Boston Police Department is looking for two teenagers who have been reported missing.
Police said Monday night that they were searching for 16-year-old Christina Santos Rodriguez and 17-year-old Yoraida Toj, both of East Boston.
Authorities did not say when the two teens had last been seen. They released two photos, but did not say which girl is pictured in each one.
Police describe Toj as being about 4’9 and 130 pounds. She has black hair with orange at the end. When she was last seen, Toj was wearing blue or green pants, black and white sneakers and a blue sweater, police said.
Santos Rodriguez is described as being about 5’2 and 150 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black sweater, a white shirt and black Crocs. She has a nose piercing and is known to wear a lot of makeup, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 617-343-4234 or dial 911. Anonymous tips can also be left by calling 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting “TIP” to 27463.
Police broke up a demonstration against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza on Thursday at Emory University in Atlanta, the latest flashpoint in a growing movement on college campuses around the country. Hundreds of people have been arrested in California, Massachusetts, Texas and other states during the tense protests, following several rounds of arrests in New York in recent days.
Several dozen protesters set up tents in an encampment on Emory’s quad early Thursday morning, Assistant Vice President Laura Diamond said in a statement. The initial group of protesters wasn’t associated with the university, but they were later joined by some members of the Emory community, Diamond said.
Protesters chanted slogans supporting Palestinians and opposing a public safety training center being built in Atlanta.
The school’s police department told the group they were trespassing, and police took around two dozen people into custody and cleared the quad when they refused to leave, Diamond said. Some officers carried semiautomatic weapons, and video showed officers using a stun gun on one protester who they had pinned to the ground.
The Georgia State Police confirmed later Thursday that officers used a Taser on one protester who they said was resisting arrest. The protester was tased twice before he was taken into custody, according to Courtney Lund, a public information officer for the state police.
Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest against the war in Gaza at Emory University on April 25, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images
The Emory and Atlanta police departments requested assistance from state law enforcement authorities after being met by university protesters who threw bottles and refused to leave, Lund said.
The university police called city and state authorities after deciding that the initial group of protesters were not affiliated with Emory University based on their refusal to confirm their connections, Cheryl Elliott, the university’s Vice President for Public Safety, said in a statement Thursday evening, adding that the individual who was tased also “is not a member of the Emory community.”
“Due to the direct assault of officers, law enforcement released chemical irritants into the ground to assist with crowd control,” Elliot said.
At 7:41 a.m. a few dozen protestors arrived on campus. When they arrived, these individuals ignored and pushed past EPD officers stationed on the Quad and set up tents in an area where equipment and materials were staged for Commencement. Based on their actions and refusal to confirm their connection to Emory, EPD made the assessment that these individuals were not Emory community members.
At Emerson College in Boston, chaos erupted overnight as police tried to break up a pro-Palestinian alleyway camp. Police said Thursday 108 people were arrested and four police officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Video shows police first warning students in the alleyway to leave. Students link arms to resist officers, who move forcefully through the crowd and throw some protesters to the ground.
“As the night progressed, it got tenser and tenser. There were just more cops on all sides. It felt like we were being slowly pushed in and crushed,” said Ocean Muir, a sophomore at Emerson.
“For me, the scariest moment was holding these umbrellas out in case we were tear-gassed, and hearing them come, and hearing their boots on the ground, just pounding into the ground louder than we could chant, and not being able to see a single person,” she said.
Police move in to arrest pro-Palestinian supporters who were blocking the road after the Emerson College protest camp was cleared by police in Boston, Massachusetts, April 25, 2024.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Muir said police lifted her by her arms and legs and carried her away. Along with other students, Muir was charged Thursday with trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Emerson College leaders had earlier warned students that the alley has a public right-of-way and city authorities had threatened to take action if the protesters didn’t leave. Emerson canceled classes Thursday.
In nearby Cambridge, Harvard University had sought to stay ahead of protests this week by limiting access to Harvard Yard and requiring permission for tents and tables. That didn’t stop protesters from setting up a camp with 14 tents Wednesday following a rally against the university’s suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.
Harvard law student Tala Alfoqaha, who is Palestinian, said she and other protesters want more transparency from the university.
“My hope is that the Harvard administration listens to what its students have been asking for all year, which is divestment, disclosure and dropping any sort of charges against students,” she said.
In Philadelphia, more than 100 students at Temple University walked out of class and marched from campus to City Hall, CBS Philadelphia reported. The protesters were also joined by students from Drexel University.
George Washington University in the nation’s capital on Thursday evening called anti-war encampments “an unauthorized use of university space” and said they were in violation of several university policies.
Indiana University’s police department similarly said a gathering of tents at Dunn Meadow was in violation of the university’s policies and that 33 people were arrested after refusing to take them down.
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are demanding schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies enabling its monthslong conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus as graduation nears, partly prompting a heavier hand from universities.
USC
Another 93 people were arrested Wednesday night during a protest at the University of Southern California and accused of trespassing, the Los Angeles Police Department said. There were no reports of injuries.
Tensions were already high at USC after the university canceled a planned commencement speech by the school’s pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns. On Thursday, the university canceled its main-stage commencement ceremony, which is attended by as many as 65,000 people, because of the amount of time needed to process the crowd in line with new safety measures, USC said. Individual school ceremonies would still be held.
After scuffles with police early Wednesday, a few dozen demonstrators standing in a circle with locked arms were detained one by one without incident later in the evening.
Officers encircled the dwindling group sitting in defiance of an earlier warning to disperse or be arrested. Beyond the police line, hundreds of onlookers watched as helicopters buzzed overhead. The school closed the campus.
“Both sides of my family were displaced from Palestine, and I’m here using my voice because my grandparents couldn’t,” protester Randa Sweiss told CBS Los Angeles.
University of Southern California safety officers try to disperse students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, at the school’s Alumni Park in Los Angeles, California, April 24, 2024.
Reuters/Zaydee Sanchez
In Northern California, students at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, barricaded inside a building for a third day, and the school shut down campus through the weekend and made classes virtual.
UT Austin
At the University of Texas at Austin, hundreds of local and state police — including some on horseback and holding batons — moved against protesters Wednesday, at one point sending some tumbling into the street. Officers pushed their way into the crowd and made arrests at the behest of the university and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
A photographer covering the demonstration for Fox 7 Austin was in the push-and-pull when an officer yanked him backward to the ground, video shows. The station confirmed that the photographer was arrested. A longtime Texas journalist was knocked down in the mayhem and could be seen bleeding before police helped him to emergency medical staff.
Dane Urquhart, a third-year Texas student, called the police presence and arrests an “overreaction,” adding that the protest “would have stayed peaceful” if the officers had not turned out in force.
University of Texas police detain a man at a protest over Israel’s war in Gaza at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, April 24, 2024.
Jay Janner/Austin Statesman/USA Today Network via Reuters
“Because of all the arrests, I think a lot more (demonstrations) are going to happen,” Urquhart said.
Police left after hours of efforts to control the crowd, and about 300 demonstrators moved back in to sit on the grass and chant under the school’s iconic clock tower.
In a statement Wednesday night, the university’s president, Jay Hartzell, said: “Our rules matter, and they will be enforced. Our University will not be occupied.”
On Thursday, university spokesperson Brian Davis said not everyone at the protests were students. “There was significant participation by outside groups present on our campus yesterday,” Davis said in a statement. He said 26 of the 55 people arrested were unaffiliated with the university.
The Travis County Attorney’s Office, which prosecutes misdemeanor crimes, dropped 46 cases stemming from Wednesday’s protests after finding deficiencies in the probable cause affidavits, a spokesperson said in a statement.
A student stares at a row of Texas state troopers as students protest the Israel-Hamas war on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, on April 24, 2024.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
Columbia University
While grappling with growing protests from coast to coast, schools have the added pressure of approaching May commencement ceremonies. At Columbia University in New York, students defiantly erected an encampment where many are set to graduate in front of families in just a few weeks.
Columbia continued to negotiate with students after several failed attempts to clear the encampment and over 100 arrests in recent days.
The university averted another confrontation between students and police Wednesday. University President Minouche Shafik had set on Tuesday a midnight deadline to reach an agreement on clearing an encampment, but the school extended negotiations for another 48 hours.
Late Thursday night, the school said, “The talks have shown progress and are continuing as planned. … We have our demands; they have theirs. A formal process is underway and continues. There is a rumor that the NYPD has been invited to campus this evening. This rumor is false.”
Nevertheless, two police buses were parked nearby and there was a noticeable presence of private security and police at entrances to the campus.
Just past midnight, a group of some three dozen pro-Palestinian protestors handed out signs and started chanting outside of the locked Columbia University gates. They then marched away as at least 40 police officers assembled nearby.
Students prepare to spend another night maintaining a protest encampment in support of Palestinians on the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 24, 2024.
Reuters/Caitlin Ochs
A group of Columbia University students filed a federal civil rights complaint against the school Thursday, accusing it of discriminating against Palestinian students and pro-Palestinian protesters, CBS New York reports.
On a visit to campus Wednesday, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, called on Shafik to resign “if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos.”
He claimed the university is being taken over by a radical and extreme ideology, citing several recent incidents of antisemitic language by protesters on and off campus.
“We need the National Guard, law enforcement or someone to come in here and take control,” Johnson told CBS News correspondent Nancy Chen. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul accused Johnson of politicizing the protest by coming to campus and said she has no plans to call in the National Guard for now.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took a measured approach Thursday on how to handle the demonstrations, telling CBS News he’d wait to see if university presidents “can get control of the situation” before taking more forceful measures.
On Wednesday evening, a Columbia spokesperson said rumors that the university had threatened to bring in the National Guard were unfounded. “Our focus is to restore order, and if we can get there through dialogue, we will,” said Ben Chang, Columbia’s vice president for communications.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, whose daughter was involved in the protests, visited the protesters on Thursday.
“I had the honor of seeing the Columbia University anti-war encampment firsthand,” Omar wrote on social media. “Contrary to right-wing attacks, these students are joyfully protesting for peace and an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza. I’m in awe of their bravery and courage.”
Columbia graduate student Omer Lubaton Granot, who put up pictures of Israeli hostages near the encampment, said he wanted to remind people that there were more than 100 hostages still being held by Hamas.
“I see all the people behind me advocating for human rights,” he said. “I don’t think they have one word to say about the fact that people their age, that were kidnapped from their homes or from a music festival in Israel, are held by a terror organization.”
On Wednesday about 60 tents remained at the Columbia encampment, which appeared calm. Security remained tight around campus, with identification required and police setting up metal barricades.
Columbia said it had reached an agreement with protest representatives that only students would remain at the encampment, and that the protesters “have taken steps to make the encampment welcome to all and have prohibited discriminatory or harassing language.”
Elsewhere in Manhattan, at New York University this week, police said 133 protesters were taken into custody. And on Monday, more than 40 protesters were arrested at an encampment at Yale University in Hew Haven, Connecticut, and charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor.
BOSTON – On Wednesday, Emerson College notified pro-Palestinian protesters in Downtown Boston they were violating city law by occupying Boylston Place and turning it into a tent city. The college warned students that police have the right to respond.
Despite that, students didn’t stand down and continued to plant Palestinian flags and signage saying they wouldn’t leave.
Police moved in overnight and started making arrests. Numerous reports put the number in the dozens.
Student protests against the Israel-Hamas war are growing in Boston. Emerson College students are demanding the administration support their message of Palestinian liberation and until then, they say they will continue occupying Boylston Place, an alley near the college.
“We’re going to stay until our demands are met or until we are forcibly dragged out,” said Emerson College student Amrita Bala.
Students were warned by the college Wednesday their tent-city built outside of the Department of Transportation building violates Boston city ordinances Students said they were prepared for potential repercussions.
Pro-Palestinian students set up camp in Boylston Place
CBS Boston
“At this point this is an effective way to make sure our demands are being met and we can keep putting pressure on these institutions,” said Rayan Afif.
Students for Justice in Palestine, an unaffiliated group of Emerson College students, listed demands it said had to be met before it its members would will leave the area.
“Disclose all financial ties, divest from Israel, end student suppression and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine,” said one group member.
Students protest in solidarity with Columbia University
Students say they’re standing in solidarity with Columbia University after arrests were made on the New York City campus. Students at Harvard are now doing the same, with an encampment in Harvard Yard. The university warned students blocking pedestrian pathways or access to building entrances is prohibited and students could face disciplinary action.
Israeli Americans positioned themselves across the street at Emerson hoping police would take action.
“There’s a residential building right there, and a lot of people I know have had to move to hotels in order to escape the noise,” said Tyler Gelman.
They said they were frustrated by what they called a misinformed message and said they were hoping for calm on campus.
“They’re asking Emerson to divest,” Gelman said. “It’s a lot of ‘we want these things’ but Emerson cannot provide these things.”
A student was stabbed during a fight at TechBoston Academy in Dorchester Wednesday, officials said.
Officers were called to the pilot school on Peacevale Road around 12:25 p.m. for a report of one person stabbed. According to the district, a fight broke out between two teens at the library. One was stabbed, suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
The school was in safe mode for about 20 minutes during the incident and the victim was taken to the hospital. The second student was arrested and will face charges.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Boston Public Schools for a statement.
Five men were arrested on Saturday afternoon in Boston, Massachusetts for drug trafficking.
Boston Police say they executed a search warrant in the areas of 35 Northampton Street, 155 Eustis Street, and 161 W. Springfield Street at around 12:11 p.m.
According to authorities, officers recovered 459 plastic bags of crack cocaine (253 grams), 412 plastic bags of fentanyl (980 grams), about $7,977 in US currency, multiple plastic bags, gloves, masks, cutting agents, and drug paraphernalia.
The five men were identified as:
Jose Virella-Castro, 41, of Boston
Jarlin Soto-Soto, 41, of Dorchester
Alejandro Fernandez, 62, of Roxbury
Michael Moreira, 57, for Roxbury
Rafael Puntier, 54, of Roxbury
All five suspects were charged with trafficking of class A and trafficking of class B. All five are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
Seven studies from researchers at Boston’s own Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have been redacted over the last two months.
In January, corrections were requested in 31 papers. The revelations came to light after a blog by a scientist based in Wales.
He said that images used in the research have been manipulated or duplicated. A microbiologist reviewed the papers and images for NBC News and found that the errors were serious.
For its part, Dana-Farber said it moved quickly to make corrections and seek retractions, saying, “Dana-Farber is deeply committed to a culture of accountability and integrity, and as an academic research and clinical care organization we also prioritize transparency.”
Dana-Farber couldn’t comment on any personnel issues.
NBC News tried to reach out to the senior author of six of the seven retracted studies, but he didn’t respond to voicemails or emails.
Here’s a look at the Boston Marathon, run from Hopkinton to Boston. The finish line is in front of the Boston Public Library on Boylston Street.
April 15, 2024 – The 128th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place.
April 17, 2023 – The 127th Boston Marathon takes place. The winners are Evans Chebet of Kenya in the men’s division and Hellen Obiri of Kenya in the women’s division.
The race is organized by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), and the principal sponsor is John Hancock Financial Services.
Participants must be 18 years of age on the day of the race and must meet certain time standards to qualify for their age group.
Visually impaired runners are allowed to participate, but they must have a five hour qualifying time. There are also categories for wheelchairs and handcycles.
Runners come from all over the world to participate.
Best Men’s Open time – 2:03:02 – Geoffrey Mutai, Kenya – (2011) Best Women’s Open time – 2:19:59 – Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia – (2014) Best Men’s Wheelchair time – Marcel Hug, Switzerland, 1:18:04 (2017) Best Women’s Wheelchair time – Manuela Schar, Switzerland – 1:28:17 (2017)
April 19, 1897 – The first marathon is run and is 24.8 miles. The winner is John J. McDermott of New York, with a time of 2:55:10. There are 18 entrants, 15 starters and 10 finishers.
1897-1968 – The race is run on April 19, Patriots’ Day, a holiday commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War only recognized in Massachusetts and Maine. In those years that April 19 falls on a Sunday, the race is held the next day, Monday the 20th.
1918 – A military relay is held instead of the marathon due to the United States’ involvement in World War I.
April 19, 1924 – The race is lengthened to 26.2 miles to conform to Olympic standards.
April 17, 1967 – Kathrine Switzer becomes the first woman to receive a number to run in the Boston Marathon. She enters the race under the name K.V. Switzer and wears baggy clothes to disguise herself. Females are not officially allowed to enter until 1972.
1969 – Patriots’ Day is changed to the third Monday in April, so the date of the race is also changed.
1975 – A wheelchair division is added to the marathon. Bob Hall finishes the race in two hours and 58 minutes in a wheelchair.
April 15, 1996 – The 100th Boston Marathon is run. There are a record 35,868 finishers.
May 15, 2015 –Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is sentenced to death for his role in the 2013 marathon bombings. In July 2020, an appeals court vacates Tsarnaev’s death sentence and rules he should be given a new penalty trial. In March 2021, the Supreme Court agrees to review the lower court opinion that vacated Tsarnaev’s death sentence. The Supreme Court upholds his death sentence in March 2022. In January 2023, attorneys for Tsarnaev request his death sentence be vacated during a federal appeals court hearing.
October 26, 2016 – Three-time winner Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, loses her 2014 title and record for the fastest women’s finish ever (2:18:57), as part of a ruling on her two-year ban for doping.
A vehicle fire on Interstate 93 south in Boston at the Tip O’Neill Tunnel entrance is causing traffic delays on Monday morning.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported the vehicle fire shortly after 7 a.m. They said two right lanes are closed and delays should be expected.
Vehicle fire in #Boston on I-93 SB at the entrance to the Tip O’Neill Tunnel. Two right lanes closed. Expect delays.
Only minutes earlier, another vehicle fire had been reported on I-93 south in Medford at Exit 21, which also closed two lanes of travel, creating traffic delays.
The Medford scene cleared around 7:30 a.m., MassDOT said, but residual delays are expected.
Nearly three months into the new year, homicides in Boston are down.
This time last year, there were 10 homicides in the city, including eight fatal shootings. There have been two homicides so far this year — an 80% decrease.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is confident in the city’s progress.
“It’s clear that Boston is one of, if not the, safest city in America,” Wu said.
“While we are not taking any victory laps, the 2024 homicide rate is a promising indication of what can be achieved,” Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement.
Hayden pointed to community involvement, constant engagement by authorities, and smart enforcement strategies focusing on those responsible for a large percentage of crimes. But he says the work to combat violence in the city still isn’t over.
“I hope these early indicators will motivate all involved to work even harder to keep our neighborhoods safe,” he said.
The mayor agrees.
“The key to our success here in Boston is that we are never going to be satisfied until we eliminate violence in our city,” Wu said.
City leaders say they have a strategy to combat violence as the year goes on — especially during the summer months, when violence has peaked in the past, with six deaths last July.
The work starts in the neighborhoods where crime is more prevalent, City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said.
“Neighborhoods where there is either acts of violence or robbery or domestic violence issues or sexual assault, we still have work to do,” she said.
NEW YORK — Doctors in Boston announced Thursday they have transplanted a pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient.
Massachusetts General Hospital said it’s the first time a genetically modified pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person. Previously, pig kidneys have been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors. Also, two men received heart transplants from pigs, although both died within months.
The experimental transplant was done at the Boston hospital on Saturday. The patient, Richard “Rick” Slayman of Weymouth, Massachusetts, is recovering well and is expected to be discharged soon, doctors said Thursday.
Slayman had a kidney transplant at the hospital in 2018, but had to go back on dialysis last year when it showed signs of failure. When dialysis complications arose, his doctors suggested a pig kidney transplant, he said in a statement released by the hospital.
“I saw it not only as a way to help me, but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” said Slayman.
The announcement marks the latest development in xenotransplantation, the term for efforts to try to heal human patients with cells, tissues, or organs from animals. For decades, it didn’t work – the human immune system immediately destroyed foreign animal tissue. More recent attempts have involved pigs that have been modified so their organs are more humanlike – increasing hope that they might one day help fill a shortage of donated organs.
More than 100,000 people are on the national waiting list for a transplant, most of them kidney patients, and thousands die every year before their turn comes.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
FUN. BUT TO STAY SAFE. IT’S AN EPIC TRADITION IN SOUTH BOSTON IS GEARING UP FOR THE PARTY. EVERYONE’S GOING TO BE OUT. EVERYONE’S GOING TO SAY HI TO EVERYONE, CATCH UP WITH OLD FRIENDS AND FAMILY. IT’S AWESOME. WE HAVE 10,000 UNITS LAST YEAR. WE PROBABLY SOLD 6000 OF THEM. EVERYONE THINKS THEY’RE FROM SALTY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? ORGANIZERS ARE HOPING TO KEEP THE PARADE UNDER THREE HOURS THIS YEAR, AND ASKING REVELERS TO BE RESPECTFUL. JUST GOING TO REMEMBER, THERE’S KIDS OUT HERE, THEY’RE SENIORS. THEY’RE OUR VETERANS. JUST RESPECT THOSE AROUND YOU AND HAVE A GREAT TIME. BOSTON POLICE WANT YOU TO CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY AND WATCH YOUR DRINKS HERE AT LOCO TAQUERIA. AND OYSTER BAR. THEY’LL BE SERVING UP PLENTY OF PARADE THEMED EATS AND DRINKS, BUT ALSO ENSURING CUSTOMER SAFETY. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS JOHNNY MCNAMARA SAYS THEY’VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH DRINK SPIKING, BUT THEY APPRECIATE THE REMINDER FROM BOSTON POLICE IT’S SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY TALK TO TO OUR SECURITY TEAM ABOUT, UM, THAT THEY’RE PREPPED ON JUST TO KEEP AN EYE ON. THEY’RE CONSTANTLY DOING LAPS AROUND THE AROUND THE RESTAURANT, KEEPING AN EYE ON PEOPLE, AND YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUARD UP, TOO. IF YOU DIDN’T SEE YOUR DRINK POURED, DON’T DRINK IT. NEVER LEAVE YOUR DRINK UNATTENDED. AVOID SHARING DRINKS WITH OTHERS AND KEEP YOUR HAND COVERED OVER YOUR DRINK. WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING DIRECTLY AT IT. IT’S DEFINITELY A MARATHON DAY. YOU GOT TO TAKE IT EASY. TAKE IT SLOW, STICK WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS AND YOU’LL HAVE A GOOD TIME. THEY’LL HAVE YOUR BACK. YOU GOT THEIRS. GOOD ADVICE. NOW TO MAKE THINGS EASIER TO GET AROUND ON. ON SUNDAY, THE MBTA IS OFFERING EXTRA RED LINE TRAINS AND FREE SHUTTLE SERVIC
America is getting green and giddy for its largest St. Patrick’s Day parades
Updated: 10:13 PM PDT Mar 15, 2024
St. Patrick’s Day parades across the U.S. are planned for Saturday, promising to turn one river green in the Midwest, commemorate the bicentennial of a parade in the South and put forth the first female leader of a major beer company as its marshal.The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and was popularized by largely Catholic Irish immigrants. While St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, it’s being observed with major parades a day early so it doesn’t land on Sunday, a day of rest for the faithful.Video above: How South Boston gets ready for St. Patrick’s DayIn New York City, neighborhoods have held smaller parades for the past few weeks. In February, conservative Staten Island held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade allowing LGBTQ+ flags and groups. The main parade, in Manhattan, has included those groups and symbols since 2014.On Saturday, Heineken CEO Maggie Timoney plans to serve as grand marshal of the Manhattan parade, according to organizers. Originally from Ireland, she is the first female CEO of a major beer company. Some 2 million people are expected to watch.The Chicago Plumbers Union plans to once again turn the Chicago River green. Organizers say the tradition, started by the union, uses an environmentally friendly powder once used to check pipes for leaks.In Savannah, Georgia, organizers expect a historic crowd to participate in the parade, which started in 1824. Ahead of the bicentennial, Georgia’s oldest city had early 18,000 hotel rooms nearly sold out for the weekend.
NEW YORK —
St. Patrick’s Day parades across the U.S. are planned for Saturday, promising to turn one river green in the Midwest, commemorate the bicentennial of a parade in the South and put forth the first female leader of a major beer company as its marshal.
The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and was popularized by largely Catholic Irish immigrants. While St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, it’s being observed with major parades a day early so it doesn’t land on Sunday, a day of rest for the faithful.
Video above: How South Boston gets ready for St. Patrick’s Day
In New York City, neighborhoods have held smaller parades for the past few weeks. In February, conservative Staten Island held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade allowing LGBTQ+ flags and groups. The main parade, in Manhattan, has included those groups and symbols since 2014.
On Saturday, Heineken CEO Maggie Timoney plans to serve as grand marshal of the Manhattan parade, according to organizers. Originally from Ireland, she is the first female CEO of a major beer company. Some 2 million people are expected to watch.
The Chicago Plumbers Union plans to once again turn the Chicago River green. Organizers say the tradition, started by the union, uses an environmentally friendly powder once used to check pipes for leaks.
In Savannah, Georgia, organizers expect a historic crowd to participate in the parade, which started in 1824. Ahead of the bicentennial, Georgia’s oldest city had early 18,000 hotel rooms nearly sold out for the weekend.
The Boston Police Department issued an advisory Wednesday following a series of recent break-ins and attempted break-ins in the city’s Brighton neighborhood in the area of Boston College.
“We are deeply concerned about these incidents and are working diligently to address the situation,” the department said in a statement.
Boston police are urging all residents to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect their property, including making sure that all doors and windows are securely locked at all times. They even suggested installing additional security measures like motion-sensor lights, alarm systems and cameras.
They said anyone who sees any suspicious activity or individuals in their neighborhood should call 911 immediately, which will help police respond quickly and prevent further incidents.
Police released images Wednesday of a person of interest from at least two incidents, but they aren’t sure if the same person is involved in all of the reported break-ins.
Anyone with information about the break-ins is asked to call detectives at 617-343-4256. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling in to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word “TIP” to 27463.
I’m pretty good at math, but I no longer prepare my own taxes. The form alone scares me.
I feel I have to hire an accountant, because Congress, endlessly sucking up to various interest groups, keeps adding to a tax code. Now even accountants and tax nerds barely understand it.
I can get a deduction for feeding feral cats but not for having a watchdog.
I can deduct clarinet lessons if I get an orthodontist to say it’ll cure my overbite, but not piano lessons if a psychotherapist prescribes them for relaxation.
Exotic dancers can depreciate breast implants.
Even though whaling is mostly banned, owning a whaling boat can get you $10,000 in deductions.
And so on.
Stop! I have a life! I don’t want to spend my time learning about such things.
No wonder most Americans pay for some form of assistance. We pay big—about $104 billion a year. We waste 2 billion hours filling out stupid forms.
That may not even be the worst part of the tax code.
We adjust our lives to satisfy the whims of politicians. They manipulate us with tax rules. Million-dollar mortgage deductions invite us to buy bigger homes. Solar tax credits got me to put panels on my roof.
“These incentives are a good thing,” say politicians. “Even high taxes alone encourage gifts to charity.
But “Americans don’t need to be bribed to give,” says Steve Forbes in one of my videos. “In the 1980s, when the top rate got cut from 70 percent down to 28 percent…charitable giving went up. When people have more, they give more.”
Right. When government lets us live our own lives, good things happen.
But politicians want more control.
American colonists started a revolution partly over taxes. They raided British ships and dumped their tea into the Boston Harbor to protest a tax of “three pennies per pound.” But once those “don’t tax me!” colonists became politicians, they, too, raised taxes. First, they taxed things they deemed bad, like snuff and whiskey.
Alexander Hamilton’s whiskey tax led to violent protests.
Now Americans meekly (mostly) accept new and much higher taxes.
All of us suffer because politicians have turned income tax into a manipulative maze.
We waste money and time and do things we wouldn’t normally do.
Since I criticize government, I assume some IRS agent would like to come after me.
So, cowering in fear, I hire an accountant and tell her, “Megan, don’t be aggressive. Just skip any challengeable deduction, even if it means I pay more.”
I like having an accountant, but I don’t like having to have one. I resent having to pay Megan.
I once calculated what I could buy with the money I pay her. I could get a brand-new motorcycle. I could take a cruise ship to Italy and back every year.
Better still, I could give my money to charity and maybe do some good in the world. For the same amount I spend on Megan, I could pay four kids’ tuition at a private school funded by SSPNYC.org.
Or I could invest. I might help grow a company that creates a fun product, cures cancer, or creates wealth in a hundred ways.
