The condition of these cars was described as “unacceptable” by one MBTA manager in a June 7 email to CRRC MA representatives, obtained by the Herald.

A separate email goes into more detail, stating that paint repairs had not been completed. Cars were submitted for inspection with “parts sanded down to bare metal.” Multiple connectors were also seen hanging on the underframes.

“It’s been 4.5 years and over 90 cars since CRRC started producing MBTA vehicles out of Springfield,” said Rick Staples, MBTA technical project manager, in a letter to Michael Wilson, CRRC MA production manager.

“It is clear that the condition of these cars is unacceptable for inspection request, yet CRRC requested the inspection. Why does this type of process failure continue to happen?”

Jacob Finch, a mechanical engineer who is working as an integrated member of the MBTA project team for this contract, per his LinkedIn page, wrote in a separate June 7 email that the two-car train set, married pair 47, had “quite a few issues that we should not be finding on final inspections.”

The unfinished paint jobs should have been caught from a production checklist employees are presumably using, Finch said, and the multiple connectors that were hanging indicated that “clearly nobody looked at that, or somebody did unauthorized work.”

The condition of this so-called married pair had been used as a benchmark of sorts for the MBTA, in terms of whether CRRC production is “getting the cars to acceptable condition prior to final inspection,” Finch wrote.

“By my analysis, MP49 was the worst condition car since MP27 (10-plus married pairs ago, February 2022), and MP47 is on track to be worse than MP49,” Finch wrote. “I would say CRRC is failing this test.”

Staples, in his letter, tasked CRRC with providing an explanation as to why it thought these particular train cars were ready for inspection, information on who checked the condition of the cars prior to the inspection request, and what corrective action will be taken to “ensure this clear failure in CRRC’s quality process does not continue.”

A spokesperson for CRRC MA did not respond to a request for comment.

The two letters are the latest example of the T’s dissatisfaction with its Chinese contractor, the low bidder in what eventually became a roughly $870.5 million agreement for 152 new Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars. The initial contract, awarded in 2014, was for $565.18 million.

“The emails demonstrate the MBTA’s ongoing commitment to hold the contractor accountable for the quality of its work,” T spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said. “The concerns raised in the emails were addressed before the cars were shipped.

“These cars are highly complex pieces of equipment, and the MBTA is paying close attention to every detail and communicating with the contractor that we will not accept cars that do not meet the highest standards in quality and performance.”

To date, 90 new Orange Line cars and 12 Red Line cars have been delivered. However, only 88 new Orange cars have been “conditionally accepted,” Pesaturo said.

Delivery of new cars was halted in July 2022 for seven months to address manufacturing-related issues identified by the MBTA, and only just resumed this past February.

New cars that have been delivered have been taken out of service several times, including for a battery explosion and braking and wiring failures.

At a virtual community meeting on summer service changes Monday night, MBTA  officials said the availability of new cars has impacted subway frequency on the Orange Line, where old cars have all been replaced.

Melissa Dullea, senior director of service planning, said service on the Orange Line has been “dominated by vehicle availability.” This differs from the other subway lines like the Red, which is most impacted by speed restrictions, she said.

Improved Orange Line frequency this summer will depend on the delivery of new train cars, Dullea said. The tentative plan is to increase the number of daily trains from 10 to 11 this summer, and possibly to 12 in the fall, she said.

“We’re still waiting to hear that, so that’s not confirmed,” Dullea said.

A published summer schedule for the Orange Line, however, shows decreased weekday frequency, with trains arriving every 10-12 minutes starting July 2. Today, peak trains are scheduled to arrive every 7-10 minutes and off-peak trains are supposed to come every 8-12 minutes.

Embrace Boston is hosting an inaugural Juneteenth concert that starts at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday on the Boston Common, where the nonprofit oversees its memorial honoring Martin Luther King Jr., and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

The 1.5-hour concert features the Embrace Choir and other city groups, setting “the celebratory tone for us as we honor the national holiday and historical importance of Juneteenth.”

The federal holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

On Thursday, Embrace Boston is offering panels, keynotes, dancing and music centered around racial equity, healing, wellbeing, and joy at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, with registration beginning at 10 a.m.

Embrace Boston’s three-day celebration concludes Friday, culminating in a block party at Roxbury Community College. Grammy-nominated producer Just Blaze is headline the event, commemorating 50 years of hip hop.

The music-filled weekend continues Saturday, when the Boston Landmarks Orchestra hosts a free concert at the Salvation Army’s Kroc Community Center in Dorchester at 4 p.m. The show includes pieces from Scott Joplin, William Grant Still, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and more.

Remembering those who endured slavery and seized freedom on Cambridge’s Brattle Street before the American Revolution will be the focus of a Sunday afternoon outdoor community gathering put on by the National Park Service at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters.

The event, beginning at 4 p.m., will feature music, poetry, speeches and a screening of Descendant, an award-winning film that highlights the descendants of the survivors from the Clotida, the last-known slave ship to arrive in the U.S.

On Juneteenth, Monday, the Boston Juneteenth Committee is hosting its 13th annual Emancipation observance at the National Center of Afro American Artists, at 4 p.m. That follows a 12 p.m. flag-raising at the Dillaway-Thomas House on Roxbury Street and 1 p.m. parade to the NCAAA.

The Congregational Library & Archives celebrates the holiday by holding a three-day exhibition of the Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry at its Boston location, 14 Beacon St. The exhibit includes nearly a dozen quilts memorializing the final words of George Floyd.

Healey said the new bank will compete for private sector dollars and federal funds available under the Inflation Reduction Act to finance building retrofits that help the state meet “long-term climate objectives” and new construction of decarbonized buildings.”

At an event inside the State House, Healey said the bank is the first of its kind in the nation because of its focus on affordable housing. Residents in the affordable housing market bear a disproportionate burden in energy costs and climate impacts, Healey said.

“The climate bank is the financial engine for cutting emissions and improving health equity and financial security in our communities,” Healey said. “It’s going to unlock and advance a wide range of rebuilding and renovation projects. And it’s going to do that by investing in affordable homes all across the state.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said more than 70% of emissions in the city come from buildings, many of them historic but much older homes that are in need of energy retrofits.

“This bank, therefore, will play a crucial role in decreasing the overall cost of living in Boston, decarbonizing affordable housing, sharing the social and economic benefits of the green economy with more of our communities and advancing environmental justice for our EJ communities, those who are in greatest need of services,” she said.

Healey said funding from the new bank will head to developers and other organizations “very, very soon.”

The bank will “accelerate” building decarbonization projects by lending directly to building owners and “by attracting and de-risking lending and investment by private lenders through innovative finance products,” Healey said in a statement.

“Over time, the bank will diversify investments to include other decarbonization measures that benefit communities,” the administration said in a statement.

And to boil down the point of the bank, Healey likened its purpose to Hamburger Helper.

“It really enhances everything and it leverages what we’re able to do,” she said.

A large presence of local, state and federal authorities have responded to the area of Quincy Avenue and Libby Street, on the Brockton Hospital campus.

Brockton and Massachusetts State Police received a call around noon of a man “trapped by a Bobcat skid steer loader,” Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz told reporters at about 3:45 p.m.

Authorities said the man, identified as Roger Porter of East Sandwich, was pronounced dead on scene.

Cruz made clear Porter was not driving the construction vehicle when the accident took place, but rather, the 63-year-old was “leveling out gravel as it was being put into a pit.”

WCVB reported earlier Tuesday afternoon its news helicopter had flown over Brockton Hospital, finding a Bobcat construction vehicle had fallen over into a hole next to the facility’s foundation.

Massachusetts State Police confirmed a piece of construction equipment had struck the victim, resulting in his death.

The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner arrived at the hospital around 3:15 p.m. Authorities have alerted the victim’s family, according to a statement from Signature Healthcare, which runs Brockton Hospital.

“It is with most profound sadness that we are reporting a fatal injury that occurred on the campus of Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital today around noon,” Signature’s statement reads. “A construction contractor was working onsite at Brockton Hospital when an accident occurred, killing the worker.”

LMA Services Company, LLC is receiving an inspection from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration following the accident.

Brockton Hospital has been closed since early February following a 10-alarm transformer fire which drew the largest emergency response in city history. That incident displaced 176 patients, with 138 being taken for treatment at nearby health facilities.

Officials had hoped the hospital would reopen by mid May, a best case scenario. However, the main facility remains shuttered, while Signature Healthcare’s outlying centers are open for care.

Tuesday’s accident comes days after a construction worker was seriously injured at Norwood Hospital, which is being rebuilt in the wake of a flash flood that permanently shut down the 215-bed facility in June 2020.

The worker in that incident reportedly fell from the top of the second floor, according to Norwood Fire Department.

This comes after a high-profile drone shark study out of California — finding that juvenile white sharks were close to people on 97% of the days surveyed, and no one was bitten during the 2-year drone study.

Along the Cape, scientists last summer started to use drones in a pilot study.

“When water conditions are clear and nice, this is an incredible tool to study sharks and their activities off of our beaches,” Atlantic White Shark Conservancy staff scientist Megan Winton said during the conservancy’s media day on Tuesday.

“One thing we want to do is get an idea of how they’re using the nearshore waters right off our beaches with these direct observations,” Winton added of the great whites.

This summer, the researchers will be trying to figure out how effective drones are at spotting sharks along the Cape.

Many people have proposed using drones as a shark surveillance technology at local beaches, but the concern is that sharks could disappear from sight when the Cape waters turn murky.

“Sometimes the water is clear, and it looks like the Caribbean… and sometimes it looks like chocolate milk,” Winton said. “So nobody knows how that technology would perform in our waters.”

Australian officials have used drones for spotting sharks off public beaches.

“Under ideal conditions, it would be great for that, but we don’t know how well it will perform here,” Winton added.

In the California 2-year drone study, the juvenile sharks came very close to people, but simply moved around them or ignored them completely.

The juvenile sharks were often spotted within 50 yards of where the waves break, putting surfers and stand-up paddle boarders in the closest proximity to sharks. Some sharks were seen as close as 2 yards from the wave break.

Winton noted that the juvenile sharks from that study are much smaller than the average great white along the Cape. The juveniles along California feed on fish, and are not targeting seals like the Cape sharks.

“It’s a similar situation in that there are a lot of white sharks close to the beach there, but it’s a different life stage, so it’s also very different,” Winton said.

“Here in the summer and fall, there is likely a white shark somewhere around in the area when densities are highest,” she said.

Cape sharks hunt for seals in shallow water close to shore, and that has led to some shark bites on humans in the last decade. In 2018, a 26-year-old man was killed by a shark at a Wellfleet beach.

There have been no reported Cape shark bites on humans since that fatal incident.

“From what we see, people appear to have changed their behavior in a lot of ways,” Winton said. “People tend to stay closer to the shoreline it seems.”

Local researchers have tagged more than 300 sharks, and they have identified more than 600 individual sharks that have visited the Cape. During the summer, lifeguards are notified when tagged sharks get close to the beach, and the lifeguards get people out of the water.

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge said he wants to scrap the voter-passed tax cap law known as Chapter 62F because it creates a layer of unpredictability with state spending. The law required state officials to send nearly $3 billion back to taxpayers in 2022, which threw last year’s tax relief talks out the window.

“I don’t think it really serves sound public policy,” Eldridge told the Herald. “I didn’t hear from anyone about ‘this made a big difference in my life to get this tax rebate.’ So I do think that it’s important to have this discussion to repeal it and make sure that we’re not worried about it being triggered in the future.”

Eldridge filed the repeal amendment to Senate Democrats’ $586 million tax relief plan they released last week. Senate President Karen Spilka said the bill looks to boost several housing-related initiatives and centers “equity while chipping away at the headwinds that threaten our competitiveness.”

Whether to address Chapter 62F in the tax relief bill could take time to negotiate when lawmakers from the House and Senate eventually sit down to hammer out a final tax relief bill.

House leadership proposed rewriting the law so any excess revenue is returned as equal payments to residents regardless of how much they paid to the state. That change drew legal scrutiny from a technology-focused business group.

House Speaker Ronald Mariano said in April the adjustment allows everyone to share in the success of the state’s economy.

“We felt after watching the way the checks were made out and sent out, I think (Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Rep. Mark Cusack and I) sort of agreed pretty early on that there are fairer ways to do this,” he said, referring to the House chairs of the budget-writing and revenue committees.

Eldridge said the Baker administration’s erroneous use of $2.5 billion in federal funds to pay pandemic-era unemployment benefits could put the state in a precarious financial situation that could only get worse if the tax cap law is triggered again.

“I feel, at the end of the day, is it a sound tax policy, sound public policy to have a tax rebate trigger?” he said. “I think it’s quite unusual and I think it makes the commonwealth weaker.”

Among the other amendments filed to the bill ahead of the Thursday debate are Republican-led efforts to reduce the short-term capital gains tax and increase the estate tax exemption.

The House and Healey support cutting the short-term capital gains tax from 12% to 5%, which could become another sticking point during inter-branch negotiations.

The Senate opted not to include the reduction in their plan and Spilka said the chamber “pulled together a consensus bill.”

“This is what the senators wanted,” she said outside of her office on Monday. “The balance of the bill focuses on individuals and working families, low to moderate, middle income, support and help. There are some things for folks, whether it be the EITC, the rental assistance, the senior circuit breaker, child dependent care, that’s where the bulk of the relief was desired.”

Healey did not say whether she would sign a bill that does not include a cut to the short-term capital gains tax, offering only that she was “heartened” by both the House and Senate proposals.

“We’ll just see what comes out of conference committee but obviously, the team and I, the lieutenant governor and I are here and ready to work and collaborate on this and other issues,” she told reporters on Monday.

Voters approved 62F in 1986 after tax-cutting champions, including the late Barbara Anderson, pushed for breaks for taxpayers.

Four killer whales were recently spotted south of Nantucket, a rare pod sighting in southern New England waters, while an orca was also seen swimming near dolphins off of Provincetown.

New England Aquarium scientists spotted the four killer whales swimming together as the research team flew aerial surveys 40 miles south of Nantucket on Sunday.

Meanwhile, fishermen saw the orca swimming next to the dolphins off the northern tip of Cape Cod.

It’s “always unusual to see killer whales in New England waters,” said Orla O’Brien, an associate research scientist who leads the aerial survey team for the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

Katherine McKenna, an assistant research scientist, first spotted the four killer whales.

“Initially I could just see two splashes ahead of the plane,” McKenna said. “As we circled the area, two whales surfaced too quickly to tell what they were. On the third surfacing, we got a nice look and could see the tell-tale coloration before the large dorsal fins broke the surface.”

The four killer whales were among nearly 150 whales and dolphins that the team spotted during the seven-hour flight — including 23 fin whales, five minke whales, 62 bottlenose dolphins, and 20 humpback whales bubble feeding.

“Seeing them swim in formation was just unreal,” O’Brien said of the orca pod. “We believe the sighting to be two males and two females, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

“I think seeing killer whales is particularly special for us because it unlocks that childhood part of you that wanted to be a marine biologist,” O’Brien added.

The species’ population is very small in western North Atlantic waters. The only killer whale seen regularly in North Atlantic waters is “Old Thom,” a large male orca who is known to swim alone, sometimes alongside dolphins, in the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy. He was last spotted in Massachusetts waters in May 2022 off of Cape Cod.

A large orca that was swimming next to dolphins was recently captured on video by Simon Sez Sportfishing.

“Special day today seeing an Orca Whale in our waters off P-town,” Simon Sez posted on Instagram. “Never know what you’ll see, this made up for a tuna-less day today.”

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Supporters of the new study commissioned by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation say it helps reveal the broader consequences of health inequities and provides motivation for public and private sector leaders to help rectify the disparities. The research also looks to the future of the state’s population, where communities of color are driving growth but are also the ones who are the most heavily impacted by health inequities.

As the next generation rises, the report said, these groups will represent nearly half of the state’s population compared to the less than one-third share they represent today.

“Massachusetts faces a choice to ‘pay now or pay greater later,’ as demonstrated by this report, which highlights the unacceptable cost being paid by communities of color and ultimately borne by businesses and the commonwealth,” the advocacy organization Health Equity Compact said in a statement included with the report.

The authors of the report said it is a “first of its kind” to quantify in economic terms the cost of health inequities for individuals and families, health care providers, employers, public and private sector payers, and the overall Massachusetts economy.

The economic burden associated with health inequities experienced by communities of color in Massachusetts totals nearly $6 billion but could grow to $11.2 billion by 2050 if no action is taken, the report said.

The time to shift from “awareness of the problem to action on solutions” is now after analysis made clear the “staggering economic toll” of health disparities, said Audrey Shelto, president and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.

“Our commonwealth led the way in expanding health insurance coverage and improving access, and we have a shared responsibility to act similarly to achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities,” Shelto said in a statement.

Populations of color in the state are disproportionately affected by housing instability, food insecurity, environmental toxins and stressors, and higher rates of poverty as a result of longstanding systemic racism in social and economic structures, policies, and practices, the report said.

That has led to less access to health coverage and care and differences in the quality of care received, researchers wrote in the study.

Differences in delivery of care also stem back to “mistrust in the health care system due to historical and systemic racism and experiences of continued lack of respect and breaches of trust reported by many,” the report said.

Researchers found Black and Hispanic/Latino residents report poorer health and mental health statuses than White residents; pregnancy-associated mortality and severe maternal morbidity are higher for Black residents; and higher rates of diabetes and asthma are reported among Black and Hispanic/Latino residents.

Higher rates of disease and disability in a population require more healthcare services to treat those conditions, which means higher healthcare spending, researchers said.

“By computing the gap between health care spending under the current health status for Massachusetts adults and health care spending if populations of color achieved the health equity target health status, we estimated that avoidable health care spending due to health inequities is $1.5 billion each year, or about 2 percent of total Massachusetts annual health spending,” the report said.

Working-age adults who are less healthy tend to work fewer hours, take more sick days, and be less productive on the job, the report said. The analysis compared the productivity of working-age populations of color with their current health status to the same group if they were fully healthy.

“We estimated that health inequities experienced by populations of color today cost Massachusetts $1.4 billion each year in lost labor productivity across industries,” the report said.

The analysis also compared the current mortality rates by race and ethnicity at each with the “health equity targets” for mortality at each age.

“We found that health inequities are estimated to lead to premature death for Massachusetts residents of all ages,” the report said.

The SJC announced Monday that Cypher, who turned 64 in February, will retire from the court on Jan. 12, 2024 after a nearly seven-year tenure. A court spokesperson said Cypher “wants to devote her time to teaching and research.”

Cypher will take a position at Boston College Law School for the spring 2024 semester as a Huber Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law. She said in a statement that she is “looking forward to pursuing my love of teaching.”

Her departure will come several years before Cypher turns 70, the mandatory retirement age for Massachusetts judges, and creates the first vacancy on the SJC since Healey was elected in November.

Healey’s predecessor, former Gov. Charlie Baker, saw the entire court turn over during his two terms and appointed all seven current members.

“On behalf of the people of Massachusetts, I’d like to offer our deep gratitude to Justice Cypher for her decades of service to our state and wish her the very best in her well-earned retirement,” Healey said. “Our administration is committed to appointing a distinguished Supreme Court Justice who will uphold justice, equality and the rule of the law.”

A 1986 Suffolk University Law School graduate, Cypher began her legal career as an associate at the Boston law firm of Grayer, Brown and Dilday and then spent nearly two decades in the Bristol County district attorney’s office as an assistant DA and then chief of the appellate division.

She joined the judiciary in 2000, after Gov. Paul Cellucci appointed her as an appeals court justice and she won approval from the Governor’s Council. Baker picked her in 2017 for a spot on the high court, and again the elected council confirmed her to a new role.

“Justice Cypher has brought her keen knowledge of the law and the constitution to the appellate courts for over two decades, serving on the Supreme Judicial Court for the past six years,” said SJC Chief Justice Kimberly Budd. “She has been an exceptional friend and colleague and an active role model to the many people who count her as a mentor. We are deeply grateful for her service to the people of the Commonwealth.”

Healey has not nominated any judges six months into her four-year term, and several openings loom on the Superior Court.

After leaving the second “leadership meeting” held with Gov. Maura Healey and House Speaker Ron Mariano in as many weeks, Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters during a brief press conference outside her Beacon Hill office that lawmakers had settled on the date of the holiday, though any suspension will still need to be made official by actual legislation.

“We will be doing a sales tax holiday August 12th, 13th, that weekend,” Spilka said. Mariano did not voice any opposition to the dates.

When asked if she and her colleagues would consider expanding the two-day pause on the state’s 6.25% sales tax, she said that “no, we’re not there yet.”

“But we will be doing the weekend,” the Democrat from Ashland said.

First tried for just one day in 2004 but made into an annual full weekend holiday in 2018, the law aims to boost consumer spending for one weekend a year at the expense of millions in sales tax revenue.

There are some exclusions to the holiday, which only applies to purchases less than $2,500.

Purchases of cars, boats, meals, utilities, marijuana, tobacco and alcohol are still taxed. Gasoline is not subject to the sales tax and so is not affected by the holiday. Business purchases are still taxable.

Residents who want to do their shopping online may do so as well, provided their purchase is made during the sales tax holiday weekend.

A single item that costs $2,500 would see a tax savings of $156.25. An item costing even one dollar more would be subject to that tax amount, plus the 7 cents for the extra dollar.

Clothing under $175 is generally not taxed, but during the holiday more expensive duds up to $2,500 will be untaxed.

Rentals of up to 30 days that are normally subject to sales tax are tax-free if paid for during the holiday. This does not include car and boat rentals.

Massachusetts retailers must, by law, participate in the holiday if they are open for business during the scheduled weekend. Any purchase made during that weekend that is charged a sales tax must see the tax refunded by the retailer, according to the Department of Revenue.

Roughly 30 passengers were aboard when the derailment occurred around 1:40 p.m. Monday, and were able to safely exit the westbound train. There were no injuries, T spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said.

Buses replaced B branch service between Kenmore and Washington Street while T personnel worked to re-rail the trolley car. Eng said the alternative service would continue through rush hour, and possibly into the evening, should crews decide to do more extensive track repairs.

“Our rail track team is out here assessing any rail repairs that need to be done, and right now we believe what contributed to it was the track condition,” Eng told reporters late Monday afternoon. “Preliminarily, the distance between the rails was not where it should have been so we’re assessing how that happened.”

Eng said the center truck, or center wheels of a two-car set on the trolley came off the tracks. He said the derailment is still being investigated, to determine if anything beyond poor track conditions was a contributing factor.

The safety failure was reported to both T oversight agencies, the Department of Public Utilities and the Federal Transit Administration.

“Obviously we have a lot of work to do,” Eng said. “The one thing that I will say is we did have a speed restriction in place here. That’s why it was so low-speed. That’s why no one was injured. And that just shows we have a lot more to do.”

The derailment comes ahead of track rehabilitation work that was already planned for the area this summer, Eng said.

One of the T’s “on-call contractors” will complete track repairs over the course of 12 days on the B branch of the Green Line, from Babcock Street to Packard’s Corner stations, Pesaturo said.

“We have a lot of competing priorities as far as where we need to tackle,” Eng said. “This is one of those that we’re going to look to accelerate.”

To that end, spot repairs may continue Tuesday or Wednesday, Eng said.

Riders encountered delays following the derailment on Monday. The Route 57 bus was temporarily free between Kenmore and Washington, for those seeking an alternative.

The T initially communicated the incident as a “disabled train near Packard’s Corner” on social media, but later tweeted that the delays were caused by a trolley that had, in fact, derailed.

The smoke from the wildfires dissipated across Massachusetts by the weekend, and it doesn’t appear that the poor air quality will return this week.

“It’s not looking like it will be similar to last week,” Bill Leatham, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald on Sunday.

He noted the major change in the wind pattern, which is why the smoke won’t come back to the Bay State, at least for the week ahead.

Meanwhile, temps for much of the week should be seasonable in the upper 70s and around 80 degrees, and the weather pattern is expected to turn unsettled again with the risk of showers each day.

“It should feel like summer this week,” Leatham said. “While it will be warmer, there will be an increased risk for thunderstorms through the week.”

Temps on Monday should approach 80 degrees, and a good portion of the day could be dry. Then, some moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to arrive Monday night. Rainfall amounts of 0.75 to 1.5 inches across southern New England are predicted.

“The best shot for widespread rain this week will be later Monday into Tuesday morning,” Leatham said.

After the rain overnight, it should be drier Tuesday afternoon with temps in the 70s, followed by another round of rain and potentially severe thunderstorms on Wednesday.

“There is still plenty of time for the forecast to change, but Wednesday will be a day to watch closely as we head into the new week,” the National Weather Service’s forecast discussion reads. “Hazards would be limited to damaging wind gusts and small hail as low-level wind shear would not be strong enough to support a substantial tornado threat.”

As this system exits, Thursday should be similar to Tuesday with clearing skies and seasonable temps in the upper 70s.

The wet to dry pattern looks to continue late in the week into the weekend, with possible rainfall on Friday followed by a drier day on Saturday.

During its regular meeting last week, Commissioners learned that, though the state is home to hundreds of thousands of veterans, many of whom would qualify for medical marijuana as a result of service connected disabilities, veterans are not entering the medical marijuana program at nearly the same rates as other adults.

Part of the problem is the law.

“Access to medical marijuana in the regulated industry for veterans in Massachusetts continue to face significant barriers primarily due to the existing federal illegality of cannabis,” commissioners were shown during a presentation by Commissioner Bruce Stebbins.

For the 71,000 Massachusetts veterans using a Veterans Administration facility for healthcare or the 11,000 who are 100% disabled as a result of their service, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, making it inaccessible through the VA. That means veterans cannot get a recommendation from their doctors to get a medical marijuana card or even ask their doctors for advice about use of marijuana.

“I believe that federal prohibition of cannabis has had a chilling effect on our veterans ability to seek treatment here in Massachusetts and perhaps even to pursue employment in the cannabis industry,” Stebbins said. “This is really a question of access and equity for our veterans.”

Another part of the problem is the cost of certification. Medical marijuana cards are issued on a yearly basis with an annual cost for both licensing and processing. That additional expense, on top of the cost of the cannabis itself, can be too much for a veteran on a fixed disability income to add to their already steep health costs.

Commissioners indicated, as a possible statement of policy, that they will support expanding the definition of “qualifying patient” to include veterans using the VA for healthcare who can furnish documentation demonstrating the federal department has diagnosed the veteran with a condition which would normally qualify them for the program.

The commission could also support changing their list of qualifying “debilitating conditions” to include PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and opioid addiction. Too many veterans, commissioners learned, are turning to more dangerous or addictive drugs because they simply have no alternative.

“Veterans are more susceptible to opioid addiction as they are more likely to suffer from chronic pain. In addition, many veterans suffer from mental health problems like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, making them more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol in an attempt to self medicate,” Commissioner Kimberly Roy said.

Mortality rates from drug overdoses among the veteran population have increased by more than 50% in the last decade, Roy told her colleagues, but it’s a problem that the commission is in a unique position to help solve, she said.

“Addressing drug overdose in the veteran population requires accessible and non-judgmental, low threshold, wraparound, and holistic solutions that recognize the complex etiology of overdose risk for veterans,” she said.

While marijuana is legal for adult use in Massachusetts — with or without a medical recommendation — it remains a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance under federal law alongside drugs like heroin or LSD. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, Schedule 1 drugs “are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Every year from June 1 to Aug. 31, wild turkey reports from the public help MassWildlife biologists determine the population’s reproductive success.

Wildlife officials are looking for wild turkey reports from all regions of Massachusetts — from the most rural communities to more densely-populated areas like Boston and Brookline, where turkeys are now spotted on a regular basis.

“As we’ve seen over the past couple of decades, turkeys are becoming more and more common in suburban areas and now in urban settings,” MassWildlife Turkey Project Leader Dave Scarpitti told the Herald, noting that the turkeys are finding food in these areas.

People can report sightings of hens (female turkeys), poults (newly-hatched turkeys), jakes (juvenile males), and toms (adult males). The state’s survey asks for the sighting date, location and number of turkeys.

“It goes a long way to helping us keep our finger on the pulse of the population and the success of their reproduction,” Scarpitti said.

“We want to get a better idea of what that reproduction looks like for the fall season,” he added. “If there are significant declines in the population, we would want to adjust our harvest regulations.”

The state’s wild turkey population has jumped exponentially since the 1970s when MassWildlife biologists trapped 37 turkeys in New York and released them in the Berkshires. The new flock grew, and by the fall of 1978, the estimated population was about 1,000 birds.

As more birds moved in from neighboring states, turkeys soon ranged throughout most parts of western Massachusetts. Then the wild turkeys continued to expand their range into central, northeastern and southeastern areas of the state — and today, the wild turkey population is estimated at between 30,000 and 35,000 birds.

MassWildlife officials warn people to never deliberately feed wild turkeys, which will attract them to their property and keep them around. Turkeys can survive very well on natural foods, and do not need handouts from people.

Also, if people come across aggressive turkeys, they should not hesitate to scare or threaten a bold turkey with loud noises, spraying water from a hose or swatting with a broom. A dog on a leash is also an effective deterrent.

For more information on the state’s annual wild turkey survey and to report sightings, visit www.mass.gov/info-details/summer-wild-turkey-survey.

The alleged victim reported that he was walking along Soldiers Field Road between 3 and 4 a.m. on Sunday when a male driver pulled up and asked for directions.

The pedestrian told the driver that he couldn’t provide directions and continued walking.

“The vehicle followed him for a short period of time before the driver stopped, exited the vehicle, approached the victim on foot, and physically and sexually assaulted him,” a spokesperson for Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. “The victim fought back and eventually the suspect returned to his vehicle and drove away.”

The suspect is described as a male, about 6 feet tall, with a Middle Eastern accent.

The suspect’s vehicle may be a gray Honda CRV sport utility vehicle.

The investigation by the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County and State Police Troop H is ongoing.

The State Police spokesperson said, “As a general rule, members of the public are urged to be aware of their surroundings at all times wherever their location, and call 911 to report anything or anyone suspicious.”

With the black bear population’s range expanding east toward the most densely populated Bay State communities, bear sightings are increasing — especially during these peak months for bear activity.

Newton joined the bear sighting list on Sunday at around 8:26 a.m., when Massachusetts Environmental Police were alerted to the black bear. The city received reports of the bear running through Newton Highlands near Cold Spring Park.

“Our officers are watching its location,” Newton Police wrote on social media. “The Environmental Police have been notified.

“Please do not approach any wildlife and keep a safe distance,” police added.

The City of Newton Mayor’s Office shared a photo of the bear.

“Newton Police are watching its location,” Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s office added. “Please do not approach the bear.”

Environmental Police responded to the area, and monitored the bear’s movements until the animal entered the woods at around 10:45 a.m.

“No aggression has been reported or observed,” the state agency reported.

May, June, and July are peak months for bear activity and reported conflicts with bears in Massachusetts. This is because 1-year-old cubs are leaving their mothers for the first time, and are finding new territories. June is also the peak of the bear mating season, leading to lots of activity and movement tied to mating.

Also, bears are searching for food at a time of year when natural foods like berries are still not available for them.

“If a bear is seen in town, leave the animal alone and keep pets leashed,” a spokesperson for Massachusetts Environmental Police said in a statement. “A gathering of people not only stresses the animal, but adds the risk of having a bear chased out into traffic or into a group of bystanders. In most situations, if left alone, bears will return to forested areas on their own.”

In the mid-1970s, the Massachusetts black bear population was estimated at under 100 individuals.

Today, there are at least 4,500 black bears in the Bay State, and their range is expanding eastward, according to state wildlife officials.

MassWildlife has been receiving an increasing number of public inquiries about what to do if they see a bear. The state wildlife officials urge residents to take a few precautionary measures to avoid negative encounters with bears, including: removing bird feeders, securing trash, and protecting chickens with electric fencing.

On Sunday, Newton Police told residents that if they saw the bear, people could contact the non-emergency line at 617-796-2123.

If a bear is in a very populated area, the state told people to contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1-800-632-8075 or the nearest MassWildlife District Office to report the sighting and get advice.

Around a million people lined the streets from Copley Square to the Common on Saturday to watch 10,000-plus parade participants — many wearing colorful colors, some scantily clothed and wearing interesting costumes — celebrate LGBTQ pride.

“Given the state of national politics, the discourse around being queer, I felt like it was helpful for me to show up,” said Skylar Singer, a gay 24-year-old Cambridge resident.

“Here, I feel like I can be as queer as I want, and nobody is going to give me (expletive) for it,” he added.

Saturday’s parade marked the first organized by the group Boston Pride For The People.

The group formed last year after Boston Pride, an LGBTQ+ group that led the festivities for 50 years, dissolved in 2021 amid a boycott over issues relating to race, transgender inclusion and fundraising efforts. Many LBTQ residents across the city and region called this year’s festivities as the ‘most inclusive pride yet.’

Singer’s friend, Hannah Varden, 29, of Cambridge, also attended her first Boston pride parade, which she said proved to be a “much different experience” than a pride event she attended as a student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

“It seems like the city is more inclusive in regards to giving people the space to express themselves and offering not just more space,” Varden said, “but a variety of events that ultimately feel like there’s space for everyone, regardless of identity.”

Boston Pride For The People President Adrianna Boulin said her organization is based on four principles: commemoration of those who risked their lives for the freedoms of the community; education; empowerment; and celebration.

In working with the Boston Police Department, Boulin, speaking to reporters before the parade, said she didn’t expect any threats to the festivities. A vandal on Thursday spray painted a church in Jamaica Plain with “homophobic, violence and hateful graffiti,” while a transgender pride flag was recently burned in Brookline.

“Those events that have happened are extremely unfortunate,” Boulin said. “We feel really good about ensuring that everyone can celebrate and feel positive in this space together.”

Saturday also featured an all-ages festival with a main stage and vendors at the Boston Common, and a 21+ party at the City Hall Plaza with a second stage, beer garden and more vendors.

The sight of some parade participants made more than a handful of children look uncomfortable.

The attire of parade participants ranged greatly from some wearing just underwear and others mesh tops that made their breasts visible, with stickers covering their nipples. A few of the 250 organizations that had groups march dressed in leather outfits, wearing masks that resembled dogs.

A strong showing of politicians — U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Boston city councilors, Gov. Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu — also walked the streets.

South End resident Brian Swett has been attending pride parades since 2009. On Saturday, he came with his wife and their 3- and 7-year-old sons.

“It’s not only to be supportive of the people walking in the parade,” Swett said, “but to establish for our kids who are both under 10 that this is normal, this is reality. They’ve grown up not knowing any different.”

The Justice Department said if the airlines get their wish, travelers would miss out on the benefits of restoring competition between the carriers.

In separate filings, the airlines and the government told a federal judge in Boston how he should carry out his ruling last month to break up the partnership. American’s CEO has said his airline will appeal the verdict.

The Justice Department proposed a final judgment that would order American and JetBlue to end most parts of the deal immediately. The government said the airlines should honor existing tickets to avoid hurting travelers, but then quickly wind down their sharing of airport gates and takeoff and landing slots at key airports.

The airlines want to keep selling tickets on each other’s flights — called code-sharing — and offering reciprocal frequent-flyer benefits because those practices “are common in the airline industry.” American and JetBlue also objected to the Justice Department’s request that they be barred from any deals involving revenue-sharing or coordinating routes with each other for 10 years, and with any other U.S. airline for two years.

The airlines call their partnership in New York and Boston the Northeast Alliance, or NEA.

The Justice Department said that by asking to keep elements of the deal, the airlines are trying “to craft a new ‘NEA Lite’ on the fly.”

The airlines launched their partnership after getting approval from the outgoing Trump administration in January 2021. They argued it helped them compete against Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in the Northeast.

The Biden administration sued the airlines in September 2021, arguing that their deal would reduce competition and raise prices for consumers. After a non-jury trial last fall, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the NEA violated federal antitrust laws.

Police were already on the lookout for John Lazare, 23, of Brockton after officers spoke with a pizza delivery driver earlier in the week. The driver told police they were robbed at gunpoint as they delivered a pair of pies to a warehouse at 44 Cedric St., the listed address of Bully Boy Distillers.

Boston police officials praised the officer — and other responding law enforcement — for not firing his weapon in return after being shot in the foot and butt. Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the injured officer “did everything he could to honor the sanctity of life and make sure that this person was also captured.”

“It could have ended very differently in so many ways,” Cox said Saturday at police headquarters. “If anyone shoots at an officer, they do that at their own peril, in so many ways. But the reality is, sanctity of life is really important. Officers come to work day in and day out, they deserve to go home, they need to be able to go home.”

Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone said he spoke with the injured officer early Saturday morning as he was in the hospital. He said the officer was working the 4 p.m. to midnight shift when the shooting occurred.

“This is a miracle,” that the officer survived, he told the Herald.

“We have all these oversight commissions between the state commission, the city commission, our own two internal affairs anti-corruption divisions — it makes officers continue to second guess their job,” he said. “They’re worried and they’re frustrated and then when things like this happen, it makes them worry all the more and their families as well.”

After reports of a robbery earlier in the week, the officer who was shot saw a male matching the description of Lazare pointing a gun at someone outside of the Roxbury warehouse on Friday night.

“As Officer [redacted] began to approach, the suspect, later identified as John Lazare, fired shots at Officer [redacted] and began running into the main entrance of 44 Cedric Street,” a police report said. “During this time Officer [redacted] announced to channel three operations that shots were fired and advised that he had been hit multiple times, once specifically stating to the foot and back.”

Lazare is scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning in Roxbury District Court on multiple firearm-related charges, assault with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, among other counts, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

It was not immediately clear if Lazare had retained or been appointed a lawyer.

Police said after the shooting, Lazare ran into the warehouse, “with his silhouette being seen as he ran by the windows of the second-floor warehouse,” according to the police report.

Lazare then jumped from the roof of the building and landed in a nearby alleyway, injuring his leg, police said. A State Police trooper then held Lazare at “rifle-point” before he was placed into custody, according to the police report.

“Please note that in the alleyway where the suspect was found, in the immediate area of the suspect was Dominos icing cups, loose denominations of US currency, a receipt from Dominos, and one cellphone,” the police report said.

A spokesperson for Dominos, which is named in the police report under “involved property,” did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lazare was taken to Beth Israel Hospital on Friday and a Boston police spokesman did not say if he was still there on Saturday, only confirming that he was in police custody.

The 23-year-old Brockton man was already known to law enforcement in other parts of the state before the alleged Friday night shooting.

A warrant was issued for his arrest in January 2020 out of Salem for receiving stolen property, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Another warrant was issued for Lazare’s arrest in June 2022 out of Quincy for multiple counts of identity fraud and larceny over $1,200, according to the police report.

Standing outside Boston Medical Center Friday night, Mayor Michelle Wu said that she was “just so relieved and grateful to know that the officer is safe.”

“We see again and again just how much Boston is really blessed to have first responders who are so professionally well trained and keeping us safe every single day,” she said.

Cox declined to name the officer on Saturday but said he is assigned to the B-2 District in Roxbury. Hayden said the officer is also an employee of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

“Anytime there’s ever a shooting in the city of Boston, if the person survives, that is always a good thing,” Hayden said Saturday at police headquarters. “We’re glad that he’s recovering and doing well in the hospital.”

Police officers face dangers every day and every night when they show up to work, said Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn.

Policing is a dangerous job, Mawn said, and through May 31, 166 officers have been shot in the line of duty across the United States, 20 of them fatally. In the first week of June, three officers were killed by gunfire, Mawn said.

“We must acknowledge, also, that no officer or trooper assumes these risks in a vacuum,” he said. “As a law enforcement officer leaves his or her home each day to confront the unexpected, the worries and concerns — as well as the dedication and resolve — of those who love them go with them.”

Kamaia, a 14-year-old lion that zoo officials say is “severely anemic,” received blood from his brother, Dinari, during a transfusion done Friday to help determine the cause of his ongoing health issues.

Part of the 3-hour procedure included doctors removing Kamaia’s spleen, which zoo officials determined to be “massively enlarged — at least twice the size it should be.”

“We are hopeful that he will be feeling better very soon. This was a major surgery, and we will continue to monitor him closely to ensure that he is comfortable and recovering well,” said Dr. Chris Bonar, Zoo New England’s director of animal health.

Dinari, also 14, on Thursday underwent a procedure to help his sick brother. The zoo’s veterinary team drew blood from Dinari to see if it was a match with Kamaia.

“Blood transfusions are not often performed in zoological settings because it can difficult to find a suitable donor,” Bonar said. “Because Kamaia and his brother were littermates, Dinari was the perfect donor for this much-needed transfusion.”

Doctors found nothing “abnormal” during the surgery beyond Kamaia’s enlarged spleen, and officials expect to receive results in a week from the samples of his spleen.

Kamaia, who has lived at Franklin Park with his brother since 2015, fought through pneumonia earlier this spring, and comprehensive diagnostic tests came up inconclusive of any underlying health issues, according to officials.

Kamaia’s care team will continue closely monitoring him for the next few weeks as he’s expected to remain in his off-exhibit space while he recovers.

“We have been so touched by the tremendous outpouring of support for the lion brothers and our incredible team who works so hard to care for them,” said John Linehan, president and CEO of Zoo New England.

Six communities in Massachusetts have already directed their police departments to not make arrests for possession of psilocybin, a move that effectively decriminalizes the use of the drug. Advocates now argue the lawmakers should pass bills from a pair of Democrats that decriminalize so-called magic mushrooms on a statewide level.

“It’s ridiculous that a plant medicine we’ve been using for tens of thousands of years that grows straight from the ground that … has the lowest harms of any controlled substance, far less than alcohol and cigarettes that we buy at corner stores, is not available to people who could really benefit,” said James Davis, a former Beacon Hill staffer who now runs Bay Staters for Natural Medicine.

Rep. Lindsay Sabadossa and Sen. Pat Jehlen filed bills that decriminalize possession, ingestion, obtaining, growing, giving away “without financial gain” to people 18 years and older, and transportation of up to two grams of psilocybin, psilocyn, dimethyltryptamine, ibogaine, and mescaline.

The proposals are scheduled for a Tuesday hearing in front of the Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by two Democrats, Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Rep. Michael Day.

Psilocybin is the chemical commonly found in magic mushrooms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted “breakthrough” status to psilocybin in 2017, and has since approved applications for companies to investigate its use in treating various disorders.

Somerville, Cambridge, Northampton, Easthampton, Amherst, and Salem are the communities in Massachusetts that have directed their police to not make arrests related to psilocybin.

Former City Councilor William Dwight and Councilor Rachel Maiore proposed the resolution in Northampton on psilocybin mushrooms, arguing the use of the substance helps people with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic depression, cluster headaches, and substance abuse.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a resurgence of heroin and opioid overdose deaths and severe depression in Massachusetts communities, two ailments that entheogenic plants have been shown to have particularly strong utility in treating according to published, peer-reviewed medical research,” the two city lawmakers wrote in their successful resolution.

Sabadosa, a Democrat from Northampton, said being able to turn back to the local debate “really does help” when putting together legislation at the State House. And the idea for the bill, she said, came from constituents, who pitched her on the proposal during a meeting at a coffee shop.

“Their stories resonated with me because what they were telling me was that they were looking for what is effectively a harm reduction bill … It’ll decriminalize, it doesn’t legalize,’ she told the Herald. “… I believe very strongly in this idea of decriminalizing and making things safer for people.”

Colorado voted to legalize psilocybin in 2022 and Oregon was the first state to allow adults to use the drug after a successful ballot measure passed in 2020. Davis said legalization in Massachusetts would reduce the stigma that surrounds research scholars from studying the effects of the drug.

Adults found growing magic mushrooms could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the Bay State for Natural Medicine.

“The state law is really necessary to back up that community power. And a lot of police already privately don’t enforce laws against psilocybin mushrooms, it does happen,” Davis said. “And some people have had their lives destroyed by those arrests.”

The Greater Taunton Amateur Baseball Umpire Association has “overwhelmingly voted to suspend further officiating services to the league” after unruly fans harassed a pair of game officials, allegedly threatening them with violence.

City Councilor Chris Coute has hope that the umpires will switch their minds after he convened a meeting Friday with officials from the league, umpires union and Mayor Shaunna O’Connell.

“Both organizations came with open minds and I think in good spirits,” Coute told the Herald Friday afternoon. “We had a very productive meeting, and we are hoping the end result is we end up with umpires back at Taunton West Little League in the very near future.”

If the umpires don’t return, coaches would assume officiating, Coute said, adding he believes that’s the way it’s been following the incident last Monday.

A decision should be made soon, Coute said, as the umpires union had to go back to its “rank-and-file members” to decide how the season should finish.

“It’s a little too soon to know what options will be viable solutions,” the Mayor’s Office said in an email to the Herald.

The situation unfolded when umpires David DeOliveira and Paul Nadeu called back a two-run double late in a quarterfinal game because they ruled they had not put the ball in play, GTABUA President Dominic Damiano told the Taunton Daily Gazette.

DeOliveira and Nadeu stopped the game, and later, coaches and parents became verbally abusive towards them, with several men following the umpires into the parking lot, getting in their faces, the Gazette reported.

The losing coach, Tyler Doehler, is the league president. In a statement posted on Facebook Thursday morning, he called the behavior “absolutely unacceptable and does not represent the values and standards we uphold.”

The league has taken the matter “very seriously,” Doehler said, by suspending all of those involved in the incident from the park indefinitely, offering to play games without spectators and pay for a police detail for added security.

Doehler noted no players, managers, coaches or parents have been ejected from a game, including Monday’s, so far this season.

The league breached its contract by allowing the behavior to occur, the eight-member GTABUA Executive Board determined, according to its statement.

“No official in any sport should have to experience what these umpires endured,” part of the statement read.

The incident highlights a handful of bills filed earlier this session by Beacon Hill lawmakers who say their legislation aims to better protect sports officials from verbal and physical abuse.

At least 18 states have enacted legislation specifically defining assaults on sports officials as crimes or other legislation that could protect sports officials.

State Rep. Steven Xiarhos, a Barnstable County Republican, is looking to make assault and battery on a sports official — a referee, umpire, linesman, timer or scorer — an arrestable offense as a misdemeanor, but under another bill, it would be considered a felony.

Penalties would include either an imprisonment of at least 90 days but no more than  2 ½ years in a house of correction, or a fine of at least $500 but no more than $5,000.

Before being elected to office in 2020, Xiarhos spent 40 years as a police officer in Yarmouth. He told the Herald he doesn’t remember spectators being as aggressive towards sports officials as they are now.

Xiarhos believes social media and an overall lack of respect in general are the drivers behind the increased incidents of abuse.

“Respect is a law,” he said. “This is not just kids doing this, these are adults doing this. Adults need to be better role models and act appropriately, be better citizens, and when you get upset you don’t need to become violent. This is sports.”

That comes as lawmakers on Beacon Hill are sorting through legislative responses to what has been described as an “alarming” situation after 116 reports came into the Boston Police Department last year. And department officials have said they are concerned about a “real threat” to the public.

Drinking spiking incidents have permeated the United States “for quite some time now,” said Shannon Hogan, the sexual assault kit initiative site director for the Boston Police Department.

Boston police “continue to learn more and take action” as they partner with their licensing unit, work to track incidents, raise public awareness, and offer an option to report drink spiking on police reports,” Hogan said earlier this week at a legislative hearing.

“While such documented occurrences of the use of these drugs or ‘roofies’ in the U.S. date back to the early 1990s, a recent resurgence of these crimes have been identified along with the explosion of synthetic drugs,” Hogan said.

Boston police spokesman Sergeant Detective John Boyle said the addition of a checkbox on police reports allows the department to easily track incidents of drink spiking.

Hogan said the lack of date rape drug testing protocols at hospitals that can provide clarity to victims and the public “have left survivors to navigate an unclear system without solutions or support.”

“The time has come to remove the misconceptions and stigma surrounding these types of crimes from the dark and murky place and put it into the light,” Hogan said. “Equipping our hospitals with the ability to test for these drugs and, overall, provide law enforcement with the necessary tools during these investigations, as well as collecting valid and reliable data, will result in clarity surrounding these crimes and assist us in holding these vendors accountable.”

Boyle said the department also “periodically” broadcasts community alerts reminding the public of the dangers of scentless, colorless, and tasteless drugs like Rohypnol, also known as a roofie.

“These drugs and substances can cause disorientation, confusion, temporary paralysis, or unconsciousness, along with a host of other symptoms, leaving the potential victim vulnerable to the intentions of the suspect,” one recent community alert said.

And at least one Foxborough Democrat is taking aim at testing protocols at hospitals to make it easier for anyone to find out if they have been drugged or had their drink spiked.

Sen. Paul Feeney filed legislation that would require hospitals to develop and implement a testing standard for patients who report they have been involuntarily drugged, regardless if sexual assault had occurred.

Feeney’s bill, which is before the Legislature’s Public Health Committee, also requires the Department of Public Health to create a Date Rape Drug Response and Intervention Task Force to figure out how to best collect data on confirmed drink spiking incidents.

Feeney is also behind a successful push to add funding to the state Senate’s fiscal 2024 budget to hand out drink spiking test kits to bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay plans to announce the grants at a Saturday morning event in Boston about a month after the group released a report focusing on how state officials can better care for local beaches.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Executive Director Chris Mancini said the grants help highlight the racial and cultural diversity of the region and amplify a message of public safety, fun, and inclusion on local beaches.

“Above all, we want our beaches to be safe and healthy places for everyone to enjoy. Diverse and welcoming programming is a key piece of that effort,” Mancini said in a statement.

Of the events receiving money, $2,000 is being used to start the “Drag On Boats” series with the Ohana New England Dragon Boat Team. The event is billed as a performance and education series on historical and contemporary LGBTQIA-plus stories.

“The series will feature the performer Big Ohh telling the stories of Mary Read and Anne Bonney, the famed 17th-century pirates who dressed as men and are known as some of the most successful brigands in history,” a statement from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay said.

Friends of Wollaston Beach are receiving the largest grant of $7,500 to put on “KidFest” and a series of concerts.

Funds to support the grants came from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, state officials, and the annual Harpoon Shamrock Splash.

“We heard loud and clear from residents, visitors and neighbors alike that investing in free, culturally relevant programming is one of the best ways to support everyone in our community, so that’s what we’ll continue to do,” said state Rep. Adrian Madaro, who co-chairs the Metropolitan Beaches Commission.

The T is rolling out “mitigation options” while the Sumner Tunnel closes from July 5 to Aug. 31.

In a bulletin shared with the Herald, Gov. Maura Healey’s transportation bosses apologized for what will be a major inconvenience for many. They also summed it up by suggesting those in the area “leave your car at home” and “explore transit options.”

Those options include the Blue Line in both directions being free; MBTA parking lots and garages on the Blue Line being reduced to $2 a day; and, the East Boston ferry free.

Also, discounted tolls will be provided for the Tobin Bridge and Ted Williams Tunnel for “those registered in the Resident Discount Program,” the T said.

Fares from Salem and Swampscott Commuter Rail will also be $2 to $2.40; free parking will be offered at lots north of Salem, including Beverly, Gloucester, Hamilton/Wenham, Newburyport, North Beverly, Monserrat, Rowley, and West Gloucester.

The MBTA has added a new ferry service between Lynn and Central Wharf in Boston to also help ease the pain.

The T is calling this “preliminary measures,” as residents absorb the fallout from the tunnel closure.

“The Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project is a crucial investment in transportation infrastructure in the Commonwealth, and we are working hard to provide as many mitigation measures as possible to those impacted,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca in a statement.

MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said they have been looking to reduce travel times on the Blue Line “in anticipation of this project.” And they can handle the added capacity.

After this summer’s full shutdown, the $156.6 million Sumner Tunnel restoration project continues with weekend closures through May 2024, another full closure from July to August 2024 and weekend closures through that fall.

Hours later, the dad opened up to reporters for more than 20 minutes outside the federal courthouse in Worcester about how he believes the feds are entrapping his son, whom he repeatedly called a “loyal American.”

Mateo Ventura was arraigned Thursday afternoon on charges that he allegedly provided support to terrorism in the form of a string of gift cards to a supposed ISIS agent for resale on the dark web, according to federal authorities.

Paul Ventura said it was all a shock.

“He is a soft-hearted kid. He wants to help people,” Paul Ventura said of Mateo. “He’s not afraid to tell me anything. If he did something wrong, he would’ve said ‘Dad, I did something wrong.’ If he did it, he did it unintentionally.”

Mateo Ventura was charged with one count of concealing terrorist financing by the US. Attorney’s office in Boston.

Ventura provided  “multiple gift cards to an individual he believed was an ISIS supporter,” but in reality, he was communicating with an undercover FBI agent, according to federal documents.

The feds say Ventura provided a total of  $1,670 in gift cards to the agent: $965 as a juvenile and $705 after his 18th birthday, according to court documents. The gift cards ranged from Google Play cards to Gamestop, Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods, charging documents state.

Paul Ventura said he’s unsure where his son “got the money,” but explained “I give him a card for when I’m not home because I’m a single dad. He has a card that he (uses) for food and stuff. He’s home all the time.”

The father continued, “So, it’s almost like I think they put something in front of him and sucked him in. He is not a terrorist. He is a loyal American, 100%.”

Mateo was born premature and has developmental challenges, Paul Ventura said. He claimed his son was bullied throughout his childhood, and school officials never addressed the family’s concerns.

Mateo is fascinated by history, Paul Ventura said, adding he doesn’t know what religion his son practices.

“Everything with him is history; all of the wars, all of the things going on, everything. It’s just history, history, history.”

Mateo Ventura, 18, who told the undercover agent that he wanted to fight with ISIS, also reportedly tried to get $10 million from the FBI in exchange for information about an ISIS terror attack.

The FBI on Thursday arrested Ventura, and he was charged with knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources that he intended to go to a foreign terrorist organization.

While Ventura was still a juvenile, he gave 26 gift cards to the undercover agent — donating $965 that was intended to support ISIS. Then after Ventura turned 18 years old, he gave 16 gift cards to the agent earlier this year — donating $705 to help ISIS.

“This seems really untraceable,” Ventura wrote to the agent about using the gift cards to help the terrorist organization.

Ventura, who lives at home with his father in Wakefield, used an online encrypted messaging application to communicate with the agent. The application, EMA, has become one of ISIS’s primary communication tools, and the app is used by its supporters to plan attacks.

As a juvenile in 2021, Ventura started talking with the agent about his desire to “make hijrah,” which refers to traveling overseas to join and fight with ISIS.

Then the agent asked Ventura if he wanted to give “sadaqah,” a term used to describe donations to ISIS.

Later that day, Ventura sent the undercover agent a redemption code for a Google gift card worth $25.

The agent asked Ventura if he wanted the redemption code sold on the dark web for money, and for that money to be sent “straight to mujahideen (Islamic fighters) for help in fight against kuffar (disbelievers).”

“Okay sell on darkweb,” Ventura wrote to the agent.

FBI special agent Paul Lagno wrote in the criminal complaint, “Ventura understood that providing material support to ISIS in the form of gift cards would be untraceable and would conceal that he was the source of the donations.”

Ventura is accused of purchasing a total of $1,670 in gift cards, with the intention of the money supporting the terror group.

Then in April, the 18-year-old allegedly called the FBI Boston Operations Center multiple times — asking to speak with an agent, saying he had information about upcoming terror attacks.

He told the FBI that the alleged attacks were scheduled to take place around the time of Eid al-Fitr in Egypt.

Then he wrote an electronic tip to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center, requesting $10 million and immunity “in exchange for information he believed would stop an ISIS attack,” the criminal complaint reads.

The FBI told him that the information was not specific, and therefore not actionable. In a follow-up electronic tip, Ventura told the FBI that he was “okay with the FBI’s decision, and requesting for the FBI to never speak to him again.”

The charge of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization can lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Dashawn Teleau has been charged in connection to the chaotic shooting by the popular local beach. A 17-year-old female was injured in the shooting, suffering a gunshot wound to her lower body.

In addition to that shooting on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, a juvenile was previously charged in connection to a separate shooting at the beach at around the same time. Three people were reportedly shot in the incidents, as several fights broke out amid an eruption of chaos in the area.

Teleau is being charged for the first shooting, about two blocks from the beach. Revere Police responded to a ShotSpotter alert of seven shots fired in the area of 127 Centennial Ave.

A witness to the shooting provided police with a 41-second video of the incident, which shows a large group of males fighting. One of the males — wearing gray shorts with a large Nike logo on one leg, a white tank top and gray sneakers — pulls a black firearm from his pocket, and fires seven or eight shots into the crowd.

The suspect was later identified as Teleau in a photo array by the victim, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury and was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

On Thursday, Teleau was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a loaded firearm, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. Teleau was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next week.

“This was an extraordinarily dangerous and reckless action that could have led to more injuries, or even fatalities,” Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden said. “The brazenness of sending bullets flying in a destination area for children and families is truly frightening.”

The other shooting happened near a bathhouse on Revere Beach Boulevard. A 51-year-old woman suffered gunshot wounds to her legs, and she was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. She was not the intended victim in the shooting, according to police.

Also, a 17-year-old male was grazed by a gunshot in that shooting. He declined to be transported to a hospital.

As part of the investigation into that double shooting, troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County recently obtained an arrest warrant — charging a 17-year-old male with firearm possession offenses, including carrying a firearm without a license and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number.

There’s no evidence that suggests the two shootings were related.

Police have urged anyone with information about either shooting, or who witnessed either shooting, to contact the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County at 617-727-8817.

Kamaia, a 14-year-old lion that has lived at the Boston zoo since 2015, has been experiencing serious health issues. Kamaia is severely anemic, his spleen is greatly enlarged, and he has recently been lethargic and hasn’t been eating as much.

His brother Dinari, also a 14-year-old, on Thursday underwent a procedure to hopefully help his sick brother. The zoo’s veterinary team drew blood from Dinari to see if it’s a match with Kamaia, so they can potentially perform a blood transfusion.

On Friday, the veterinary team is planning to perform exploratory surgery on Kamaia to determine the cause of his serious health issues. If he’s a match with Dinari, a blood transfusion will also be performed.

“We remain very concerned about Kamaia and his ongoing serious health issues,” said Chris Bonar, Zoo New England’s director of Animal Health.

“These procedures are approached with great thought and consideration, and while there is risk and many unknowns as to what we could find, this is the best course of action to try and treat Kamaia,” Bonar added.

Although Kamaia was successfully treated for severe pneumonia earlier this spring, it appeared at the time that he also had some chronic underlying health issues.

An exam last week included the collection of blood, urine, spleen and bone marrow samples, as well as X-rays of his chest and abdomen.

The exam revealed that Kamaia’s spleen is greatly enlarged, which could be the cause of the anemia, but it’s still unclear whether he has something more systemic affecting his health.

“Dinari and Kamaia were born in the same litter, and are an incredibly close, tightly-bonded pair,” said John Linehan, Zoo New England’s president and CEO. “These decisions are being carefully considered with both of their best interests in mind. The Animal Care and veterinary teams have been working extraordinarily hard to care for Kamaia, and I would like to commend them for their dedication, care and professionalism during this challenging time.”

Campbell said those citations have amounted to $1.3 million in penalties, covered roughly 2,000 minors, and affected 127 employers. And children, especially those of migrant families, who are stuck in illegal labor situations often feel afraid or that they have no other options to make money, the attorney general said.

“They’re afraid that their employers will retaliate against them or their families. They’re afraid that coming forward might expose them to immigration enforcement. Too often, they feel they don’t have a choice,” Campbell said at a press conference in Boston. “I, along with the team, want to be crystal clear that they do have a choice.”

Campbell urged more education on child labor laws after her office announced it had reached a settlement with Dave & Busters over child labor violations.

The arcade chain agreed to pay a $275,000 fine for not providing meal breaks of at least 30 minutes to employees who worked shifts longer than six hours, not obtaining work permits for minors before they began employment, and employing 16- or 17-year-old children for later hours than permitted under state law, according to a Thursday statement.

Campbell’s office said they began to investigate the Texas-based arcade chain — which operates locations in Braintree, Natick, and Woburn — after a parent accused the company of making their child work past midnight on a weekend. Dave & Busters, according to Campbell, employed “several minors” without work permits.

Children under 16 and 17 years old are barred from working later than 10 p.m. on school nights, Campbell’s office said.

“We want young workers and their families to know about their rights and, of course, these laws,” Campbell said. “And we want them to know about these laws because these are the laws designed to protect them. And we want employers to know of their legal obligations too.”

A spokesperson for Dave & Busters did not immediately return a request for comment.

The state has experienced a surge over the past year of migrant arrivals, many who have left their home countries because of violence, political persecution, or economic hardships. The Massachusetts Housing Stabilization Division reported 1,051 homeless families were living in motels as of Wednesday.

Many children who accompany migrant families often find themselves in unsafe workplaces, working long hours, because parents “don’t know any different,” said La Colaborativa Executive Director Gladys Vega.

“Sometimes parents are worried about paying that coyote. They need to pay whatever they left behind in their country, whoever they borrowed the money to come here. So everyone in that family has to work,” Gladys said.

La Colaborativa runs a summer youth employment program, which employs approximately 230 to 250 young people in Chelsea. Gladys said when young people are being paid, parents are often waiting for their paycheck.

Addressing unsafe or illegal child labor is “not an easy task, because at times, parents are behind it,” Gladys said.

“We need to educate our families. We need to educate our community to make sure that they’re aware that if their kid is working 30 hours and is 14 years old, absolutely not. Education goes first,” she said.

Campbell said her office created an internal child labor working group to identify investigation targets and “novel approaches to overcoming enforcement challenges.” The office, Campbell said, will continue to meet with immigrant worker centers, “which is really important.”

“We’re also, of course, giving this information out through pamphlets and flyers to community groups and partners,” she said.

School officials often pick up on when a young person is working in an unhealthy or unsafe environment, said Ruben Carmona of the Salem Public Schools.

“They are working too late and their homework is not done,” he said. “Their grades are slipping or they are late for school. Poor working conditions out of school and out of the home impact their lives in our school and the home as well.”