Boston, MA
Battenfeld: Tim Walz already a drag on the Democratic ticket
Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz is showing signs of being a drag on the ticket and a gaping omission by Kamala Harris’s vetting team – led by former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
Walz was rushed through the vetting process without any apparent red flags despite past criticism of his embellishment of his military service and other missteps from his past.
Will she now be saddled with the liberal Minnesota governor for the rest of the campaign?
Walsh, head of the National Hockey League players’ union, was among three Harris confidantes charged with interviewing and vetting the VP candidates, according to Politico.
How they could have missed such troubling red flags as Walz falsely claiming he served in combat and retired as a command sergeant major is not a good sign for Harris’ campaign, which this week had to scrub Walz’s bio to correct the misrepresentation.
Another member of Walz’s National Guard unit came forward Friday to criticize the Minnesota governor for bailing on their unit to run for Congress just two months before it was deployed to Iraq.
“Running for Congress is not an excuse,” retired Capt. Corey Bjertness, the chaplain of Walz’s field artillery regiment, told the New York Post. “I stopped everything and went to war. I left my wife with three teenagers and a 6-year-old and I was gone for 19 months.”
Thomas Behrends, who replaced Walz as command sergeant major, told the Post “He had the opportunity to serve his country and said ‘screw you’ to the United States.”
Walz and Harris have yet to hold to a formal news conference since he was named as her running mate – staying in the bunker and avoiding numerous questions about Walz’s military service. They appear to be sticking with the Biden strategy of reading from teleprompters at rallies and fear answering direct questions about the new running mate.
Walz has also been a staunch supporter of left wing Squad member Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a fierce critic of Israel and a defund the police advocate.
“When I’m having a tough day….I think Ilhan Omar is in Congress, and I smile,” Walz said of the congresswoman.
Somebody who hates America brightens your day?
Walz has also taken more than 30 trips to China, working there as a teacher and later traveling there as a member of Congress and governor.
The Wall Street Journal reported one China trip doubled as a honeymoon for Walz.
The mounting Walz resume goes against the Harris campaign’s attempt to frame him as a moderate Midwestern everyman father figure. In fact Walz is a classic left winger – further to the left than Harris.
The Trump campaign has already raised enough questions about Walz in an attempt to define him first, before the Harris campaign does it.
How relatable is a guy who put tampons in boys bathrooms and travels to China 30 times and heaps praise on an extremist congresswoman?
Boston, MA
What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe
Court records show that Marrero was the father of three children, the oldest of whom is 17. The youngest two children, twins, are 13 years old; Marrero’s death came days before their 14th birthday.
Records in Middlesex Probate and Family Court also suggest that Marrero faced financial difficulties and personal troubles, stemming in part from a work injury that family members said caused a bout of depression and deteriorating behavior in his personal life.
For nearly a decade, Marrero worked at Dewberry, a Boston engineering consulting firm, court records show, obtaining a job as an architectural design apprentice in 2005. He left the company in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.
Throughout that time, he doubled as a bartender on the side, working at Mexican restaurants in Boston and Waltham, court records show.
A knee injury ended Marrero’s career at Dewberry, court records show, and he left the company shortly thereafter.
That injury, according to court documents, was the catalyst for what his wife described as a “major depressive episode,” which she said contributed to the strain in their marriage. The couple, who had been married for more than 20 years, separated in 2022.
Records also show that Marrero struggled with debts to family members and credit card companies. During his divorce proceedings, it was unclear how much money he was taking home in income.
Marrero briefly owned and operated a contracting business, 109 Construction, but the corporation was administratively dissolved in 2024, according to state filings.
Marrero had lived in US since at least 2001, holding legal status. He became a naturalized citizen in March 2021, court records show.
Social media posts suggest he was active in the tight-knit Venezuelan community in Massachusetts. Photos show him cheering on Venezuela at a World Baseball Classic watch party in Brighton earlier this year.
Court records appear to show Marrero’s interest in art and music, owning a Venezuelan guitar, conga drums, and several Venezuelan paintings, as well as homemade winemaking setup.
Marrero’s family could not be reached for comment. A close friend reached by the Globe declined to comment.
Trainor had just completed his shift at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and was driving home when he responded to a report for a Jeep traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1, near the Lynnfield overpass.
Raised in Salem, Trainor began his public safety career as an Essex County correction officer before graduating from the State Police academy in 2023, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said.
Trainor’s fiancée, Jessica D. Ostrowski, of Georgetown, posted an emotional message to social media Thursday, describing the late trooper as “my absolute best friend.”
“I am beyond proud for the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you,” she wrote.
Travis Andersen and Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from previous Globe coverage was used.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
Boston, MA
Funding scandal-hit Croft schools in Boston to close this summer after all
Administrators at the Croft School, struggling after allegations of financial fraud, haven’t been able to find a buyer for its Boston locations, which will now close at the end of the school year, parents were told Friday.
Millions of dollars were raised by families and community members to keep the private school open for a few more months while Croft School administrators scrambled to find a buyer. But in Friday’s email, the chief restructuring officer and independent sale advisor said that two parties expressed interest but they ultimately had to pivot toward winding operations down.
“To be clear, the 2025-2026 school year will be completed based on the availability of parent funding. However, without a viable timetable for a transaction, we are faced with this difficult decision,” the email said.
About 350 students had attended the Croft School’s three campuses, two in Boston and one in Providence. Regular tuition starts at $31,000, according to the website.
Millions were raised to keep the private school open for a few more months but the Croft School is looking for a buyer as a long-term fix to its financial problems.
More than 60 families unenrolled from the South End campus over the weekend, the email said.
News of the debt crisis surprised parents in March, when the school’s board revealed in a letter that founding Executive Director Scott Given admitted to fabricating a letter of credit regarding a possible expansion and keeping two sets of books, overstating the school’s revenue while understating its expenses.
The discovery that the school was more than $13 million in debt came after police were alerted to possible fraud. The school has said it’s cooperating with multiple investigations involving Given, who has been suspended.
The private school, with two locations in Boston and one in Providence, requires $5 million to stay open for the rest of the schoolyear.
Given has been sued by at least one Boston parent, accusing him of running a Ponzi scheme. His legal team has said he has no comment.
Parents rallied to save the school, raising enough funds to keep classes going.
The officials in charge of the sale noted “how hard many of you worked to maintain The Croft School as you know it,” but added that the “difficult circumstances, uncertain financials and condensed timeframe made this a trying environment for purchasers to timely make a binding offer for the schools.”
Boston, MA
Where to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 8
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.
We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Friday as the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Boston Red Sox.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox?
First pitch between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 8.
How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, May 8, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: TB at BOS
- Date: Friday, May 8
- Time: 7:10 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Fenway Park
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: NESN, Rays.TV and WMOR
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 8 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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