Tag: massachusetts

Aide to Mass Gov. Healey charged in cocaine trafficking scheme allegedly linked to state office building

An aide to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy was arrested for cocaine trafficking after investigators intercepted packages with the drug slated to be delivered to a state office building where he worked, prosecutors said. 

LaMar Cook, 45, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday and was ordered held without bail pending a court hearing, Boston.com reported. 

In addition to the drug charge, Cook is also charged with illegally owning a firearm and ammunition. 

Cook served as deputy director of Healey’s Western Massachusetts office, according to an archived staff directory. A spokesperson for the governor’s office said state officials fired Cook “effectively immediately” after learning of his arrest Tuesday, Boston.com reported. 

“The conduct that occurred here is unacceptable and represents a major breach of the public trust,” the spokesperson said. “This criminal investigation is ongoing, and our administration will work with law enforcement to assist them in their work.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Healy’s office. 

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Lunatic Arrested And Charged After Brutally Attacking Man In Inflatable Trump Costume

A deranged leftist in Massachusetts has been arrested and charged after he violently attacked a man wearing an inflatable costume of President Trump.

Trump supporter Jonathan Silveira told reporters that he was walking to a so called ‘No Kings’ protest in Swampscott when the assailant. Michael Curll, became enraged over the costume.

“He just didn’t want me there. He kept yelling and screaming. I kept telling him to get away from me, and he kept telling people around him that he wanted to punch me in the face,” the guy in the costume stated.

“I don’t understand why he got that crazy. I was just trying to get a few laughs. I thought it would be a couple of back-and-forths, you know, nothing like that,” Silveira added.

Video was captured of the assault and the subsequent arrest by Silveira’s girlfriend.

Curll has pleaded not guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

His attorney has claimed that Silveira was to blame for the altercation and hit Curll in the face with a metal pole, an accusation he has vehemently denied.

NBC Boston reports that Curll is due back in court in December on several unrelated charges in, including assault and battery, drug possession and criminal trespassing.

Who do you believe?

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Parents outraged after Pride book with drag nuns and leather gear appears in Lexington kindergarten social studies curriculum

A Pride-parade picture book showing bondage gear and drag nuns is set to appear in Lexington’s 2025–2026 kindergarten social studies curriculum, sparking fury among parents who say the district has crossed the line between inclusion and age-appropriate teaching.

The revelation was first reported by Massachusetts Informed Parents, a watchdog group that obtained lesson materials from Lexington Public Schools (LPS). According to their review, the Pride-themed book This Day in June is listed as part of a new “Social Studies” unit for five-year-olds — a class typically reserved for topics like community, geography, and basic civics.

But the book’s illustrations show men in leather harnesses, bondage gear, and members of the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” drag troupe, imagery that critics say has no place in an elementary classroom. Supporters of the curriculum say the materials are meant to promote diversity and understanding.

The new program is overseen by Aisha Banda, LPS’s K–5 Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, who has championed “disrupting traditional narratives” in district teaching frameworks. Under her watch, the district’s new lessons are aligned with Learning for Justice’s “Social Justice Standards,” which encourage teachers to discuss identity, family structures, and belonging — even in kindergarten.

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Massachusetts parents lose foster license after refusing to sign gender affirming policy for kids

A devout Christian couple has been stripped of their foster license after refusing to sign a gender-affirming policy they say conflicts with their faith.

Lydia and Heath Marvin, from Woburn, Massachusetts, have looked after eight children under the age of four since 2020, including many infants and toddlers with serious medical needs.

But the couple say social workers pulled their license because they refused to sign a clause requiring foster parents to ‘support, respect, and affirm a foster child’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.’

It put them in a position where they were essentially forced them to choose between their religion and the vulnerable children they had dedicated their lives to helping.

‘We were told you must sign the form as is or you will be delicensed,’ Lydia told WBZ. ‘We will absolutely love and support and care for any child in our home, but we simply can’t agree to go against our Christian faith in this area. 

‘Our Christian faith, it really drives us toward that,’ husband Heath explained. ‘[The Book of James] says that true, undefiled religion is to care for the fatherless.’

The Marvins say they were blindsided by the decision. Their last foster child, a baby with complex medical needs, lived with them for 15 months. 

‘Every night for 15 months, we were up at least three times,’ Lydia said. ‘We certainly thought we would have young children in our home for… we didn’t know how long, but we were not done.’

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Car Rolls into Lake After Massachusetts Karen Forgets to Put Car in Park When She Gets Out to Heckle ICE Agents Arresting Illegal

A woman in Upton, Massachusetts forgot to put her car in park when she got out to heckle ICE agents arresting an alleged illegal alien, according to a post by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin.

Melugin posted a photo and video of the woman and her car sent to him by an ICE source.

A voice on the video can heard calling the woman, “Lucy”, presumably a reference to the disaster-prone Lucy Ricardo in the classic 1950s TV series I Love Lucy:

“NEW: An anti-ICE protester in Massachusetts forgot to put her car in park while yelling at agents making an arrest of an illegal alien in Upton, MA, and her vehicle went into a lake and sunk, an ICE source tells me.”

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Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Bill To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program

Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a bill to establish a pilot program for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics.

The pilot program proposal from Sen. Cindy Friedman (D) advanced through the legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing on Thursday. It’s now been referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing for further consideration.

The measure is one of two pieces of legislation on the issue that are set to be taken up at a hearing before a different committee in November.

The bill, S.1400, is light on specifics, leaving many details of the pilot program up to regulators with the Department of Public Health (DPH). But in general, it calls for a “pilot program to allow for the monitored mental health care of clinically appropriate patients using psychedelic materials.”

It would involve the “on-site administration by a multi-disciplinary care team in a supervised licensed mental health clinic setting.”

DPH could only issue licenses for up to three health facilities to administer and study the psychedelics in the state. They would be tasked with “establishing the best and safest clinical practices for psychedelic mental health treatment programs in the commonwealth and for the purposes of collecting patient outcomes data regarding the benefits of psychedelic pharmacotherapy.”

“Eligible pilot program organizations must exclusively focus operations and treatment on mental health and cannot be subsidiaries, affiliates or members of cannabis industry organizations, psychedelic molecule development companies or pharmaceutical companies,” the bill text states.

The department would be required to develop rules for the program, including setting standards for people to apply to participate, patient assessments and ongoing monitoring, clinical staffing and the administration of psychedelic medicines.

“All pilot program participant organizations must track patient care outcomes data related to the identification, diagnosis and psychedelic treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder,” it says. “These data sets must be shared with the department to assist in the refinement of best clinical protocols and final regulatory frameworks for the safe use of psychedelic material in Massachusetts.”

The bill, as well as a separate measure to provide a more limited pilot program for psilocybin therapy alone, will also be the focus of a hearing on November 10 before the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

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Massachusetts School District Under Investigation for Forcing Kids to Take Graphic Sex and Gender Surveys, Ignoring Opt-Out Requests in Violation of Parental Rights

The Department of Education has launched a formal investigation into Burlington Public Schools in Massachusetts, following parents’ accusations that the district ignored their opt-out requests and forced students to participate in the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).

The probe, initiated by the Department’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO), is investigating potential violations of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). This federal law guarantees parents the right to exempt their children from surveys that ask for sensitive, private information.

The YRBS, administered to students at Marshall Simonds Middle School and Burlington High School in March, included explicit questions on topics like drug and alcohol use, mental health, sexual encounters, sexual orientation, and “gender identity.”

Parents were notified in advance about their opt-out rights, and several submitted written requests to exclude their children from the survey. Despite this, the district allegedly required the opted-out students to take it anyway, with at least one teacher reportedly forcing a student to participate over clear objections.

Screenshots of the survey questions, provided in a complaint filed by the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) and parents, reveal the invasive nature of the content.

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Trans activist arrested for fatal shooting of Massachusetts man had machete assault charges dropped last month

A trans activist in Massachusetts was accused of fatally shooting a man after the victim confronted the activist for spray-painting. The suspect had previous assault charges dismissed after being repeatedly committed for psychiatric evaluations.

Snehal A. Srivastava, who went by “Sasha,” is accused of carrying out a shooting on August 28, allegedly gunning down a 56-year-old man who confronted him over graffiti. The victim was shot multiple times after walking his 6-year-old child to school.

Srivastava was ordered held without bail on Friday.

Court and police records show that Srivastava had a violent history prior to the shooting. According to the Telegram & Gazette, in September 2022, Westborough police said the suspect seriously injured a man with a machete in a movie theater parking lot. The victim told police that Srivastava circled him while he was in a car, prompting him to get out and confront Srivastava. A fight ensued, during which Srivastava cut the man’s hand with a machete before fleeing.

Srivastava was later arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct, and mayhem. Srivastava was initially held without bail and sent for a competency evaluation. In October 2022, Srivastava was released on $5,000 bail with a tracking device. Another warrant was issued five months later, leading to another competency evaluation.

In August 2023, Srivastava was held again after an alleged probation violation, and another competency hearing was ordered. The suspect was released in October 2023 under partial home confinement and required to follow court-ordered treatment plans.

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Wealthy Island Community’s Sewage Has a Cocaine Problem

The picturesque island of Nantucket off Cape Cod is producing sewage with high levels of cocaine, possibly revealing the illegal drug of choice in the exclusive upscale New England community.

As part of a program initiated this year, Nantucket, Massachusetts, has been using its sewage “surveillance program” to get a handle on the amount and types of drug use on the island, where population quadruples to 80,000 in the summer months with tourists and seasonal residents.

Conducted at the island’s Surfside wastewater treatment facility, the testing found cocaine levels about 50 percent higher than the national average, according to the town and county’s website.

Labeled the “High Risk Substances Summary for Nantucket Sewer Department,” the testing revealed below-average levels of fentanyl, the powerful opioid that has caused thousands of overdoses in the United States.

The surveillance program tests for a range of substances besides cocaine, including nicotine, methamphetamine, and other prescription and illicit opioids. The idea and technology of testing the sewage was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to test for the virus.

According to the program’s official description:

While the goal is not to estimate exact numbers of users, the data will help identify concerning patterns, such as sustained increases in certain drug markers, that can guide timely, evidence-based interventions. For example, if a prolonged spike in stimulant use is observed, the Town can coordinate educational outreach, screening efforts, or peer-led recovery support tailored to that substance.

While nicotine use was typical of regional and U.S. averages, other noteworthy findings were the levels of crystal meth and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that authorities say is often mixed in with other drugs. Both those drugs showed very low levels.

“What’s shocking is that there is a low level of trace items,” Randolph Rice, a legal analyst, told Fox News Digital. “For example, there is very little fentanyl or xylazine…Oftentimes, these substances are added to [drugs] to make them more potent, but they also make them deadly. So what it’s telling us in Nantucket, is they’re getting the pure stuff.”

Back in May, a local news outlet reported what it called the largest cocaine bust in the island’s history when more than five pounds of the drug were seized during the arrest of a suspect from the Dominican Republic who has a green card allowing him to live legally in the United States.

One activity that could distort drug use trends determined from sewage is the pressure of law enforcement.

David Katz, a former DEA special agent, told Fox News Digital that cocaine concentrations could also come from a dealer flushing a large stash to avoid being busted during a raid.

“We used to shut the water off before we did search warrants because of that same thing,” he said.

The other cause, he said, would be the toilet flushes from cocaine users as the drug leaves their system.

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Massachusetts State Police spent $217,000 on luxury hotel stays, international flights, and more

Mass State Police shelled out more than $200,000 on stays at 4- and 5-star hotels from Aruba to Florida, along with international flights and other expenses during the last fiscal year.

The Herald is sifting through state agencies’ taxpayer-funded credit card expenditures — finding that Mass State Police racked up $217,957 in procurement card (P-card) expenses in fiscal year 2025.

That includes stays at Aruba’s Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa for a total of $6,050, and Aruba’s Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort for a total of $4,344. MSP also had a $1,320 bill for a rental car in Aruba.

Some of the other biggest hotel bills from the last year were at Champlin’s Hotel, Marina & Resort in Rhode Island for a total of $9,179; Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile for a total of $8,475; and Harborside Inn on Martha’s Vineyard for a total of $5,062.

Mass State Police, which has been emphasizing the importance of transparency as the embattled agency tries to restore trust following a string of scandals, will not provide details on these expenditures and the purpose for these pricey trips.

“We do not have a comment to provide on these State Police operational matters,” a Mass State Police spokesperson said in a statement.

Recently, the Herald shed light on the P-card bills for Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office and Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, who was indicted last week on federal charges.

Some of the MSP charges are related to the governor’s executive protection, but not all of them.

“The Massachusetts State Police takes seriously our solemn obligation to keep elected officials safe during their tenures in office,” the MSP spokesperson said. “Constitutional Officers in Massachusetts and across the country have long had Executive Protection that travels with them.

“This is essential for ensuring the safety and security of our state’s top leaders, while also ensuring the safety of the general public,” the spokesperson added. “This security is all the more important in this moment when political violence is on the rise, with several recent and tragic attacks on elected officials. Due to operational concerns, we do not comment on resource allocations of protective details.”

The timing of Gov. Maura Healey’s office purchasing hotel stays in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere line up with some of MSP’s fancy hotel expenditures.

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