Boston, MA
Training for Boston-area police analyzes law enforcement's role in Holocaust
In a training session Monday, officers in the Boston area studied lessons to be learned from the Holocaust and the role law enforcement played.
The training, created in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, examines how police were used to legitimize and enforce Nazi policies.
The program, called “What You Do Matters,” provides information about how Adolf Hitler rose to power and how his regime exploited people’s fears.
Todd Larson and Timothy Tomczak, both former law enforcement officers, led the training.
They explained how an arson attack on the parliamentary building in Berlin, the Reichstag, in 1933 prompted a decree that suspended various constitutional protections. Tomczak described it as being akin to suspending the 1st and 4th Amendments of the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution, effectively taking the reins off of law enforcement and expanding the authority of the German Reich.
The leaders listed a number of laws that followed targeting Jewish people, including a law that revoked the citizenship of naturalized Jews and other groups of people and another that limited the number of Jewish students to prevent overcrowding.
“The Nazi party ran on a crime-free platform. They wanted to remove crime from society,” said Larson during his presentation.
“Almost everything done was lawful,” said Tomczak.
The “Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.” exhibit at the Castle at Park Plaza tells firsthand stories of the people who lived, worked, died and survived Auschwitz, the biggest death factory of the Holocaust.
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Their presentation included images of a Berlin police officer on patrol with a member of the SS, an officer escorting a Nazi official collecting racial data and police officers directing groups of people who were being deported.
Whether they were directly involved in the activities, or standing alongside the perpetrators, the trainers suggested the presence of their uniform could have been perceived as adding legitimacy, describing it as a representation of restoration of public order. The discussion was interactive prompting local officers to share their reflections on the subject.
“It was very emotional to see the damage that was done back in the 30s and 40s, and it makes you think of law enforcement today, why we are in the position that we are in and what we’re doing to help others,” said Mike McCartney, a Suffolk University police officer. “It’s really gratifying to see everyone coming together, working together as a group to prevent something like what happened before in the future.”
“If it was driving prisoners to wherever, or standing guard, they still played a role, and obviously, it was through intimidation,” said McCartney. “As a supervisor, I’m going to question what’s being told to me, and I would expect my officers to question me if they don’t believe something is right.”
“I think it was really helpful to the officers to see that and see what failure to provide proper ethics and the results that can happen when they don’t do the right thing,” said Chief Jim Connolly of the Suffolk University Police Department.
Connolly partnered with the Holocaust Legacy Foundation to bring the training to Boston.
“As we say, history repeats itself, so we really need to examine the past in order to connect to the present to make sure that we have a better future,” said Jody Kipnis, co-founder, CEO and president of the Holocaust Legacy Foundation. “They were doing what they thought would be great for their country, and these were not monsters, these were very educated people that were doing these things. It’s really hard to think about what humans are capable of doing to other humans.”
She said she hopes to continue offering the training and expand to other fields, such as medical professionals, politicians and teachers.
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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