Massachusetts
ACLU of Massachusetts sues over US denying Afghans humanitarian entry – The Boston Globe
The group says the denials left Afghans stranded and liable to being killed, after the hardline Taliban seized management of the nation by power final August as US and different international forces withdrew within the chaotic finish to a 20-year struggle.
FILED: ACLUM and @Mintz_Law, in the present day filed new lawsuit on behalf of Afghans going through hazard by the hands of reinstalled Taliban regime, and New England residents petitioning to deliver them to security within the US by means of USCIS’s humanitarian parole course of. https://t.co/4Ie77rzmYi
— ACLU Massachusetts (@ACLU_Mass) May 25, 2022
One Afghan plaintiff, who is barely named by pseudonym, utilized for humanitarian parole for six members of the family, solely to have three of them killed whereas awaiting selections on their requests, in response to the go well with.
In its lawsuit, the ACLU cites the experiences of Afghan ladies who held distinguished positions earlier than the Taliban imposed extra restrictive measures, in addition to Afghans who labored for the US authorities or the US-backed Afghan authorities.
The humanitarian parole program doesn’t present a direct path to lawful everlasting residence, however these on it may apply for asylum or different immigration reduction if eligible. This system permits individuals to briefly enter the nation for “pressing humanitarian or important public profit causes,” in response to USCIS’s web site.
Federal companies named within the go well with, together with the State Division, Homeland Safety Division and US Citizenship and Immigration Companies, didn’t reply to emails searching for remark Thursday.
The go well with, which the ACLU filed together with the Boston legislation agency Mintz, argues that the federal government promised endangered Afghans they have been eligible for humanitarian parole.
Immigration officers abruptly stopped processing humanitarian parole requests after hundreds of Afghans utilized for this system final August and September, the ACLU states. Then in November, USCIS imposed stricter requirements that resulted in most Afghan functions being denied.
The ACLU argues the adjustments violated federal guidelines and requests a federal decide order functions be promptly adjudicated or re-adjudicated below the unique requirements.
“The federal government has a duty to use its legal guidelines pretty, successfully, and effectively,” mentioned Carol Rose, government director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, in an announcement.
The denials are all of the extra irritating given the swift reduction afforded to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland in current months, mentioned Chiara St. Pierre, a lawyer with the Massachusetts-based Worldwide Institute of New England, a refugee resettlement company that had been serving to Afghans search humanitarian parole however is not concerned within the ACLU lawsuit.
The brand new humanitarian parole course of created particularly for Ukrainians has been capable of course of 6,000 functions inside its first three weeks — far exceeding the full variety of Afghan humanitarian parole adjudications within the 9 months since final August, the lawsuit states. The Ukrainian program additionally waives pricey utility submitting charges and permits functions to be accomplished on-line with out requiring journey to a consulate.
“Ukrainians deserve protections too, however the Uniting for Ukraine program solidifies that our authorities is making a selection concerning these Afghan functions and letting them languish,” St. Pierre mentioned Thursday. “The federal government does the truth is have the power to really adjudicate these instances as a result of they’re doing so for Ukrainians and with a particular program designed particularly for them.”
Massachusetts
We asked, you answered: Your favorite hot chocolate spots in Massachusetts
A cup of cocoa is a sweet treat and hand warmer all in one. And on a cold day in Boston — especially amid the holiday season — there’s nothing better to accompany you through the streets.
We asked WBUR readers and listeners where they like to grab a cup of hot chocolate. (We asked WBUR staffers, too, and you can find out their responses by signing up for one of our newsletters with this link before Dec. 31.)
Responses included chocolatiers, bakeries and cafes in Boston and far beyond it. But there was one clear fan favorite. Here are your top spots, plus a few honorable mentions.
Your top favorites
L.A. Burdick
Boston, Cambridge and Brookline
More than 50% of respondents said L.A. Burdick was their favorite place to grab hot chocolate in the area. L.A. Burdick’s thick, rich hot chocolate is made with milk and blended with dark, milk, white or spicy dark chocolate. Readers say it’s a decadent, European-style drinking chocolate, almost like drinking a melted chocolate bar.
“The cocoa is of incredibly high quality, and they make it with whole milk, which is very rich and creamy,” said Emily Bono . “They have their own cocoa blends, which are great, but also a variety of single source options that illustrate just how diverse chocolate can be.”
“In addition to tasting like heaven, we once put a leftover half-cup in the refrigerator overnight, and the next morning it had set into excellent chocolate pudding,” Lori Gayle shared.
Flour Bakery
Ten locations across Boston and Cambridge
Readers say they love the sweet, velvety hot chocolate at Flour Bakery. You can grab a cup of this cocoa all over Boston and Cambridge (they’ll even be popping up on the Common this summer). And for 50 cents extra, Flour will make your hot chocolate “fiery” with a dash of cayenne pepper.
“The cayenne and chocolate combination is rich, creamy, not too sweet and just a little addictive,” Kalli Catcott shared.
Kakawa Chocolate House
173 Essex St, Salem
Kakawa Chocolate House’s Salem shop is its first and only location in New England. (They’ve got three others in New Mexico.) Cori B. says their authentic sipping chocolate comes with a variety of spices you can add, like cinnamon, ginger, mint and cayenne. Dominique Hayes added that the “wonderful variety” is “all very yummy.”
Sweetie’s in Roslindale
48 Corinth St., Roslindale
Sweetie’s primarily sells ice cream, but you might want to visit for the hot chocolate, too. Kris Liberman shared its “rich and cream, with a choice of toppings.” There are also dairy and non-dairy options for your drink, and Leah Boylan says Sweetie’s offers imaginative cocoa flavors (think tahini dark chocolate) and tasty add-ins, like flame-broiled marshmallows, ice cream and whipped cream.
Other honorable mentions…
Massachusetts
State police say Friday’s storm caused 200 crashes across Massachusetts
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Massachusetts
Dangerousness hearing held for Taunton man in Fall River after Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Police make trafficking arrest involving Bristol, Plymouth, RI counties
A dangerousness hearing was held Friday for a Bristol County man after a drug trafficking investigation led to his arrest.
According to Massachusetts State Police, during May and June of this year, members of the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team – South initiated an investigation into narcotics trafficking. Intelligence revealed that 33-year-old Jason Hodo of Taunton was distributing trafficking quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Rhode Island and throughout Plymouth and Bristol Counties in Massachusetts. Investigators completed extensive traditional and covert surveillance, record checks, and intelligence analysis. The investigation led to warrants being sought and granted to search for all controlled substances at all locations related to Hodo.
In June, executing officers followed Hodo in his vehicle after he departed the Rhode Island location and drove to a Taunton gas station. Hodo was detained, searched, and arrested after amounts of fentanyl and cocaine were located. Members then executed the “knock and announce” search warrants without incident at locations in both states.
The searches in Massachusetts led to the seizure of approximately 528 grams of fentanyl, 206 grams of cocaine, and nearly $22,000 from Hodo’s person and vehicle. Hodo was eventually transported to State Police-Middleboro for booking on charges related to Trafficking Class A and Class B Substances.
A simultaneous search of the Rhode Island location by Rhode Island State Police revealed the following: two firearms loaded with high-capacity magazines, approximately 12 grams of fentanyl, nearly $19,000, several high value bars of gold, jewelry, and a diamond/gold chain with receipt for $103,000.
Previously in Fall River Superior Court, Hodo pled not guilty at his arraignment and was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday.
On Friday, also in Fall River Superior Court, dangerousness was taken under advisement with Hodo still held without bail.
His next scheduled court appearance is a pre-trial conference in February.
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