Latest Massachusetts News

California lawmakers advance bill to cool down outside areas at schools

Jun. 01, 2023 18:22 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California grapples with how to deal with heat waves made more intense by climate change, schools in the state may soon have to come up with plans for cooling down outside play areas by planting more trees and replacing surfaces like asphalt that swelter on hot days....

Black men were likely underdiagnosed with lung problems because of bias in software, study suggests

Jun. 01, 2023 15:27 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Racial bias built into a common medical test for lung function is likely leading to fewer Black patients getting care for breathing problems, a study published Thursday suggests. As many as 40% more Black male patients in the study might have been diagnosed with...

Lawyer arrested in connection with sexual assaults in Boston 15 years ago waives extradition

Jun. 01, 2023 14:03 PM EDT

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey man suspected in a series of sexual assaults in Boston that took place about 15 years ago agreed to waive extradition back to Massachusetts during his initial court appearance. Matthew J. Nilo, 35, who is a lawyer, was arrested Tuesday at his...

Mother sent to prison for failing to get medical help for 2-year-old daughter who died

Jun. 01, 2023 10:18 AM EDT

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and reckless endangerment in connection with the 2019 death of her 2-year-old daughter, prosecutors said. Shaniqua Leonard was sentenced Wednesday to up to four years in prison. Prosecutors had sought...

Movie Review: Sydney Sweeney is brilliant in ‘Reality,’ based on true story of NSA whistleblower

May. 31, 2023 17:51 PM EDT

“Reality,” a new movie starring Sydney Sweeney, is largely set in one empty room. There is nothing on the walls. There are no chairs or rugs, just a stark and ugly room in a nondescript rental property in a downtrodden neighborhood. Its script is as minimalistic — lifted directly from the...

When should social workers separate families? A federal lawsuit raises thorny questions

May. 31, 2023 16:28 PM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — When child welfare workers and police knocked on Sarah Perkins’ and Joshua Sabey’s front door well past midnight one weekend last summer, the parents were shocked to learn the state of Massachusetts had come to take their two young sons. It’s the kind of...

Massachusetts beach reopens on Memorial Day after pair of shootings

May. 29, 2023 12:52 PM EDT

REVERE, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts State Police temporarily closed Revere Beach because of a pair of shootings that injured three people as violence erupted over the holiday weekend. The popular beach reopened on Memorial Day, hours after bedlam erupted Sunday evening in Revere,...

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

May. 27, 2023 12:10 PM EDT

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers. Auto club AAA said in a travel forecast that...

Officer accidentally shot gun while holstering it during Massachusetts school shooting hoax

May. 26, 2023 14:14 PM EDT

DANVERS, Mass. (AP) — A police officer accidentally fired his gun inside a school bathroom earlier this week while trying to holster the weapon, escalating the law enforcement response for what turned out to be a hoax school shooting, authorities in Massachusetts said. Some...

Massachusetts Senate approves $55.9 billion budget proposal

May. 26, 2023 14:00 PM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Senate approved a $55.9 billion state budget proposal for the new fiscal year on Thursday, setting up negotiations with the House on a final spending plan to ship to Democratic Gov. Maura Healey by July. One focus of the budget is higher education. ...