Tag: massachusetts

“Reduce the Need for Personal Vehicles”: Top Massachusetts Democrat Wants to Limit How Many Miles Residents Can Drive or Drive at All, Because ‘Climate Change’

Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem (D) introduced a bill this year to create a commission with the goal of reducing the number of miles driven by residents in their cars because of ‘climate change’, with an ultimate goal to “reduce the need for personal vehicles.”

The 82-year-old Creem wants the state government to promulgate regulations that could fine residents for driving too much and force them into riding public transportation, using bikes paths and walking.

Excerpts from Bill S. 2246:

(b) No metropolitan planning organization shall approve a Regional Transportation Plan or Transportation Improvement Program developed pursuant to 23 CFR Part 450, and the department shall not approve a Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, unless the plan or program, including any mitigation measures interlinked to individual projects within the plan or program, provides a reasonable pathway to compliance with the greenhouse gas emissions sublimits for the transportation set pursuant to section 3A of chapter 21N and to the statewide vehicles miles traveled reduction goals established by the secretary pursuant to section 81 of this chapter.

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(f) The department may promulgate rules or regulations for the implementation of this section.

Section 81. (a) To relieve traffic congestion, improve air quality, and promote compliance with the greenhouse gas emissions limits established pursuant to chapter 21N, the secretary shall, in consultation with the secretary of economic development, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, and the secretary of housing and livable communities, set a statewide vehicle miles traveled reduction goal for the year 2030 and for every fifth year thereafter. The vehicle miles traveled reduction goals shall be incorporated into: (i) the greenhouse gas emissions sublimits for the transportation sector set pursuant to subsection (b) of section 3A of chapter 21N; and (ii) the roadmap plans published pursuant to subsection (b) of section 3 of said chapter 21N.

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The council shall assess and report on strategies and plans necessary to reduce statewide vehicles miles traveled through the establishment of an equitable, interconnected, accessible and reliable network of non-personal vehicle transportation options and through land use policies that reduce the need for personal vehicles. The plan shall facilitate: (i) compliance with the greenhouse gas emissions limits and sublimits set pursuant to chapter 21N of the General Laws, with emphasis on compliance with the emissions limits and sublimits set for 2030; (ii) attainment of the numerical benchmarks for vehicle miles traveled set pursuant to section 81 of chapter 6C; (iii) the development of compact, walkable neighborhoods; and (iv) advancement of access to, and affordability of, non-personal vehicle transportation options.

The assessment shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the present condition of, and future needs for, non-personal vehicle transportation infrastructure and services, including, but not limited to, bicycle paths and lanes; bicycle sharing stations; pedestrian paths; bus, ferry, subway, and train services; transportation demand management programs; and microtransit programs ; (ii) the present status of, and future needs for, land use policies that reduce the need for personal vehicles; (iii) suggestions for optimal locations for new, expanded or improved non-personal vehicle transportation options in urban, suburban and rural areas including, but not limited to, low-income and moderate-income communities; (iv) discussion of programs and policies that may incentivize residents to adopt non-personal vehicle transportation options; (v) discussion of present and projected future costs and methods of financing those costs; (viii) recommendations to assist local governmental and private sector officials in expanding access to non-personal vehicle transportation options and in planning and developing compact, walkable neighborhoods; and (ix) identification and discussion of current policies and recommendations for policies, laws and regulatory actions that may facilitate reductions in vehicle miles traveled.

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Massachusetts City Manager Blocks Police from Working with ICE

The City Manager of Worcester, Massachusetts, has issued an executive order banning his police department and other city agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Manager Eric Batista’s executive order came on the heels of the release of police body cam footage of the arrest of Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira, who attempted to interfere in the legal actions by ICE agents.

Batista issued the order on May 16 to warn city officials and members of the city’s police department against working with ICE. The order states that “municipal employees shall not participate in an operation led by a federal agency solely for the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.”

Employees, the order says, “shall not inquire about immigration status nor shall immigration status impact the treatment of a resident, victim, suspect, arrestee, 911 caller, or other member of the public with whom a Municipal employee has contact.”

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Worcester Police Union Demands Investigation Into City Councilwoman for Assaulting Officers, Inciting Mob to Block Arrest of Illegal Alien Accused of Attacking Pregnant Woman

The Worcester Police Patrol Officers’ Union is calling for an ethics investigation into City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj following a chaotic incident during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation last Thursday.

The union alleges that Haxhiaj incited a crowd and assaulted both local and federal law enforcement officers attempting to detain Ferreira de Oliveira, an illegal immigrant accused of violent crimes, including assault with a dangerous weapon and assault on a pregnant woman, Boston 25 News reported.

According to reports, approximately 25 individuals gathered in a Worcester neighborhood to protest the arrest and attempted to block the unmarked ICE vehicle. Haxhiaj is accused of participating in the protest and physically confronting officers on the scene.

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Massachusetts Lawmakers Consider Bills To Set Tighter Controls On Intoxicating Hemp-Derived Products

Massachusetts legislators this session are looking to take hemp-derived intoxicating products—which contain the same active ingredient as marijuana but are not regulated the same way—off shelves in gas stations, convenience stores and vape shops across Massachusetts.

The hemp products, which are generally edible and intoxicating like gummies or candies, have already been declared illegal in the state by several state agencies but continue to pop up in certain stores outside of dispensaries. Most of these products come from out of state.

Some business owners who sell the intoxicating products argue that the state agencies haven’t settled the matter because hemp is legal federally—through a loophole in the 2018 federal Farm Bill which legalized hemp. Hemp and marijuana are the same plant, but this law removed hemp from the classification of marijuana as long as it contains less than 0.3 percent THC— the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis—by volume.

Four bills have been filed on Beacon Hill to bring any consumable hemp-derived products like edibles, concentrates, tinctures, oils and capsules, under the purview of the Cannabis Control Commission or give local boards of health oversight to remove these products from stores other than dispensaries. Hemp products that are sold in dispensaries like CBD gummies are already regulated by the commission. These bills would specifically target intoxicating products being sold outside of dispensaries.

“[Hemp products] face no additional tax impositions, no host community agreements, no recall process, no FDA testing requirements, no age limits,” said Rep. Dawne Shand, a Newburyport Democrat, at a Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy hearing on Wednesday. “The intoxicating hemp industry makes a mockery of cannabis laws.”

Shand, a member of the committee, is pushing a bill that would prohibit intoxicating hemp products from being sold without an endorsement from the Cannabis Control Commission.

Rep. Michael Soter, a Republican from Bellingham, has two bills that would address hemp-derived products.

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Gloucester Police Officer Charged with Child Pornography Offense

A police officer with the Gloucester Police Department has been charged with receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).  

Alexander Aiello, 34, of Gloucester, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. Aiello will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Aiello is a patrol officer employed with the Gloucester Police Department. It is alleged that Aiello was identified as a user with a registered account for a dark website, which provided a platform for users to download, view, advertise and distribute CSAM. Searches of Aiello’s person and residence on April 28, 2025, resulted in the seizure of the defendant’s cell phone and laptop as well as a USB thumb drive, which was found in Aiello’s nightstand in his bedroom.

It is alleged that a preliminary examination of the devices revealed that a TOR Browser – an application that provides anonymous web access and access to dark web hidden services – was installed and actively running on Aiello’s laptop. It is further alleged that the application had evidence of downloaded files consistent with recent use. Additionally, the preliminary examination allegedly located encrypted folders on the USB drive and laptop computer.

“As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Aiello was entrusted with safeguarding the community – and that includes protecting children from exploitation and abuse. Instead, he allegedly participated in one of the most reprehensible forms of exploitation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to combating child exploitation in all its forms. Whether the offender is a private citizen or a public official, our mission remains the same: to protect children and pursue justice for victims.”

“As a police officer, Alexander Aiello was sworn to protect and serve, but today, the FBI charged him for receiving images of children being sexually abused,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Those who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children. That’s why the FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force diligently pursues these cases. Protecting kids from this physical and emotional trauma is our priority.”

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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Former Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Convicted of Bribery and Extortion Conspiracy

A former Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) was found guilty today by a federal jury in Boston of orchestrating a series of schemes to give false passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants, including individuals who had failed or did not take the CDL skills test, as part of years-long bribery and extortion conspiracies.

Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements. Cederquist was acquitted of one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion, three counts of falsification of records and three counts of false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025.

In January 2024, Cederquist was charged in a 74-count indictment along with three other MSP troopers and two civilians:  

  • Former Trooper Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax;
  • Former Trooper Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham;
  • Former Trooper Joel Rogers, 56, of Bridgewater;
  • Scott Camara, 44, of Rehoboth; and
  • Eric Mathison, 48, of Boston.

All of Cederquist’s co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their involvement in the conspiracy. Butner, Mendes, Camara and Mathison have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

“It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety. Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve. His greed put the public at risk when he devised a scheme to issue commercial driver’s licenses to applicants who had never taken a real test to operate heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and highways of Massachusetts,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has the utmost respect for law enforcement, but we will not stand idly by if they violate the law.”


“Today’s verdict confirms that Gary Cederquist abused his authority as a Massachusetts State Trooper to recklessly bypass long-established testing and safety parameters for commercial driver’s license applicants. He did so only to enrich himself, while turning a blind eye to the potential public safety implications of ill-prepared and unqualified commercial truck drivers navigating our streets and our highways,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Public servants are held to a higher standard and Cederquist not only let the citizens of the Commonwealth down but also disgraced the thousands of state troopers who so proudly and honorably wear the Massachusetts State Police uniform.”

“Today’s verdict sends a strong message to those who may be motivated by greed to abuse their positions—that they will be met with the full force of the criminal justice system,” said Elise Chawaga, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “DOT OIG remains committed to working with our Federal law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to uphold motor carrier rules and regulations, which are integral to maintaining safety on our Nation’s roadways.”

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Fears of New US Serial Killer After Eighth Death in String of Peaceful Towns

Social media users fear that a serial killer is on the loose in New England after police pronounced a woman dead in Massachusetts on Tuesday.

Between March and April, three Northeastern states have reported the discovery of human remains, most of them belonging to women, according to Fox News.

This latest incident in Springfield, Massachusetts, where police responded to a call about an unresponsive woman found near a bike path, marked the eighth death that internet sleuths have attributed to a supposed killer.

It is unclear if the woman died before police arrived, but the Springfield Police Department revealed that she was dead shortly after they arrived on the scene.

While SPD has not yet determined a cause of death, the woman’s demise has fanned the flames of the ongoing rumors.

The rumors reportedly originated on a Facebook group called “New England Serial Killer,” which is changing its name due to Facebook policy. The group has more than 66,000 members.

Before this incident, four sets of remains — in different stages of decomposition — were reported in Connecticut, one in Rhode Island, and now three in Massachusetts, according to Fox News.

“The first thing that strikes me as curious is the fact that seven sets of remains have been found over the span of two months,” Peter Valentin, chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven, told Fox News. “That in and of itself is rather curious. It’s certainly a lot to find in a little. It’s a large number of human remains to find in a short period of time.”

While the bodies were discovered over two months, each had decomposed to different degrees of severity, indicating the deaths had happened much further apart.

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Another Body Found in Massachusetts Fuels Speculation and Fears About Possible New England Serial Killer

Last week, the Gateway Pundit reported that fears are growing that New England towns are being hunted by a serial killer.

Now another body has been found, this time in Springfield, Massachusetts, a small city in the western part of the state. This brings the victim count to eight. Most of the victims have been women.

Authorities are still trying to downplay speculation about the case but the subject is receiving an ever-increasing amount of attention on social media.

FOX News reported:

New England serial killer fears heighten after eighth idyllic town rocked by gruesome discovery

Massachusetts authorities are investigating the death of a woman found unresponsive off a bike path in Springfield on Tuesday.

Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh said officers responded to reports of an unresponsive person near a bike path at the 1500 block of Hall of Fame Avenue.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a woman who was pronounced dead shortly after.

“The SPD Homicide Unit under the direction Captain Trent Duda is conducting an unattended death investigation in conjunction with the @HampdenDA Murder Unit, pending an autopsy by the Medical Examiner,” Walsh said.

The woman’s death comes amid rumors circulating online about a possible New England serial killer following the deaths of seven and now eight people, mostly women, between March and April in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. As of Wednesday, authorities have not announced any kind of connection between the eight victims’ deaths…

The rumors began circulating on a Facebook group called “New England Serial Killer,” which has since changed its name due to Facebook rules and regulations. Over the last two months, human remains have been located in New Haven, Norwalk, Groton and Killingly, Connecticut; Foster, Rhode Island; and Framingham, Plymouth and now Springfield, Massachusetts.

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Massachusetts Proposes Laws to Remove Religious Exemptions, Parental Consent for Vaccines

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill to remove religious exemptions to school vaccine mandates and two bills that would allow minors to consent to “preventative care,” including vaccines, according to grassroots groups Health Rights MA and Health Action Massachusetts.

Versions of the bill seeking to remove religious exemptions were introduced in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate.

Beth Ingham, a leader of Children’s Health Defense’s New England Chapter since 2022, called the proposed legislation “horrendous.”

If passed, children whose families object to school-mandated vaccinations based on sincerely held religious beliefs would be barred from attending public and private K-12 schools, according to Health Action Massachusetts.

Massachusetts’ lawmakers are also considering An Act Promoting Community Immunity, a bill that would undermine religious exemptions for school-based vaccine mandates and remove parental consent for vaccines in some cases.

According to Health Rights MA, the community immunity bill would:

  • Allow minors to consent to preventative care, including vaccination, without parental consent or knowledge.
  • Allow private daycares, schools and colleges to refuse religious exemptions and impose additional vaccines like the COVID-19 shots, which are not required by the Department of Public Health (DPH).
  • Subject the religious and medical exemptions to state approval.
  • Grant DPH expansive authority to change immunization and exemption requirements.
  • Require doctors to sign religious exemptions.
  • Allow DPH to publicly label programs with immunization rates below a state-defined threshold as “Elevated Risk” and exclude healthy, unvaccinated children, even in the absence of an outbreak or emergency.

Candice Edwards, executive director of Health Action Massachusetts, told The Defender that the state’s Joint Committee on Public Health will soon announce a hearing date for the two bills.

“Once the hearing is scheduled, we’re asking people to show up in person” to testify about why they oppose the bills. “Given the climate specifically for the removal of the religious exemption, we need an army inside that State House testifying.”

Additionally, Massachusetts’ lawmakers are considering a third bill that ostensibly aims at “enhancing access” to abortion but would also allow minors to consent to “preventative care,” including vaccines, without parental knowledge or consent, the groups said on their websites. Versions of the bill have been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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Chinese intel agency official helped raise over $300,000 for Dem Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s campaign: report

A man who helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Boston Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu has been revealed to be listed by a Chinese intelligence agency as an official.

The Daily Caller News Foundation reported that Boston International Media Consulting founder Gary Yu assisted in raising over $300,000 for Wu with the help of the New England Chinese American Alliance, a civic association of which Yu serves as co-chairman.

Yu, whose Chinese name is Yu Guoliang, is listed as an official with an agency of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), a Chinese Community Party influence and intelligence service, per the outlet.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party described united front work as “a unique blend of engagement, influence activities, and intelligence operations that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses to shape its political environment, including to influence other countries’ policy toward the PRC and to gain access to advanced foreign technology.”

The central UFWD reports directly to the CCP’s Central Committee, is the “lead organization for coordinating and carrying out united front work both inside and outside of China,” and “oversees the united front work departments of provincial and local party committees as well as those subordinate to party committees in companies, research institutes, and other entities.”

Yu is listed as an “overseas committee member” of the Hangzhou municipal All-China Federation Of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC) and has met with their officials in China multiple times, and is the chairman of the North American Hangzhou Association (NAHAUS).

Per the Daily Caller, ACFROC is an agency of the UFWD that conducts overseas influence operations such as allegedly directing Chinese community leaders to create a Chinese police station in New York City.

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