Massachusetts
Boston man arrested for brandishing a gun during Uber ride in Medford
A Boston man is facing numerous charges after he allegedly brandished a gun during an Uber ride in Medford, Massachusetts, last week.
Medford police said they received a call around 1:40 a.m. on Friday for a report of an intoxicated man who had brandished a firearm during an Uber ride in the area of Rockwell Avenue.
Later that day, police said they followed up on the case and obtained surveillance footage of the suspect entering an address on the Mystic Valley Parkway. The search warrant was executed around 2:30 p.m., and the suspect was located.
During their search, police said they found large amounts of drugs and money, along with a loaded gun. The serial number had been scratched out, making it unreadable.
The suspect, identified by police as 33-year-old Jaliel Langston, of Boston, was arrested and charged with unlawful carrying of a firearm, subsequent offense; unlawful possession of ammunition; possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; possession of a firearm with a mutilated serial number during a felony; drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute, subsequent offense.
Langston is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday in Somerville District Court.
Massachusetts
How to watch Massachusetts Senate debate between Elizabeth Warren and John Deaton
BOSTON – Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and her Republican challenger, attorney John Deaton, will face off in their only Boston area debate on Tuesday, October 15.
Hosted by WBZ-TV, the debate between Warren, the Democratic incumbent, and Deaton will be hosted by WBZ political analyst Jon Keller.
How to watch the Massachusetts Senate debate on cable
The one-hour debate is being broadcast live on WBSK-TV Channel 38 in the Boston area starting at 8:30 p.m.
Where to stream the Massachusetts Senate debate
The debate will be streamed for free on CBS News Boston, on the free CBS News app on your connected TV or smartphone, on Paramount+, and all platforms where CBS News Boston is available, including CBSNews.com and YouTube.
Where to watch a replay of the Massachusetts Senate debate
The full debate will be available to watch on CBS News Boston’s YouTube page. It will also be available in the video player at the top of this page.
Where is the debate being held?
The debate is taking place at the WBZ-TV studios in Boston.
What to know about the debate
There will be no opening statements or closing remarks from the two candidates.
Warren is attempting to win a third term in the U.S. Senate. Deaton is an attorney and a U.S. Marine veteran who has never held public office.
A Republican hasn’t beaten an incumbent U.S. Senator in Massachusetts in exactly 100 years. The most recent poll shows Warren holding a large lead over Deaton.
This will be the first of two debates in the Massachusetts Senate race. The second one will be held in Springfield on Thursday, October 17.
Massachusetts
‘Deeply concerned’: Massachusetts Education Secretary ‘adamantly opposed’ to ballot nixing MCAS grad requirement
Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler made the case against the ballot question to nix the MCAS testing graduation requirement Sunday — among the many statewide and community officials making last ditch pitches on the chance to upend the state’s education system ahead of the approaching election.
Tutwiler said on WCVB’s On the Record on Sunday he and Gov. Maura Healey believe the question poses a threat to how Massachusetts has gotten the “best public schools in the country.”
“We got to this place because of the incredible teachers that we have here in Massachusetts, and their work closely with families and with students, and also because of a system of assessment and accountability we have, in partnership with the resources that we bring to bear on student learning,” Tutwiler argued. “Here, the ballot question seeks to take a piece of this away, and we’re deeply concerned about that.”
Question 2, which will appear on the Nov. 5 election, would get rid of the state’s standardized testing graduation requirement for high school students, replacing it with criteria determined by local districts informed by state standards. Students would continue to take the test as an assessment tool.
Politicians and education officials throughout Massachusetts remain deeply divided over Question 2.
Along with leaders from statewide teachers’ MTA and AFT union, Question 2, to eliminate the test requirement, has garnered endorsements from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Lori Trahan, Rep. Jim McGovern, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, and 55 state legislators — among other business and local leaders.
Many of the politicians expressed the need to support teachers, concern for student left behind by the MCAS graduation requirement, and interest in finding a better, “more comprehensive” approach to assess students
“In Massachusetts, we believe that every student deserves a high quality education that sets them up for success — and the opportunity to demonstrate their true potential, regardless of whether or not they are good at standardized testing,” said McGovern, the first of the federal Massachusetts delegates to support the initiative. “That’s why I believe we need to move beyond the MCAS high school graduation requirement.”
But other state leaders, along with Tutwiler, have expressed adamant opposition to moving away from the testing requirement. Those include Gov. Maura Healey, state Speaker of the House Ron Mariano, state Senate President Karen Spilka, and multiple former Education Secretaries.
Education and business groups in opposition include Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, and Greater Boston and other Chambers of Commerce.
Tutwiler pushed back on throwing out the testing requirement to aid the students held back from graduation, noting 99% of students meeting local graduation requirement pass the MCAS.
“About 700 students of the 70,000 graduates are not able to cross the stage because of the MCAS,” said Tutwiler. “We know who those students are, and I think we need to be focused on meeting their needs, not changing the entire system.”
Polling has shown strong voter support for the question as well. A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released in October showed 58% of voters said they would vote in favor of Question 2, while 37% said they would vote no.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was one of the few to say she was “torn” over Question 2 and would not publicly state her position. The mayor expressed support for moving away from a standardized testing requirement but concern over “the alternative this puts in place in terms of what would replace (the MCAS) to maintain high standards.”
Tutwiler echoed the concern Sunday that the question leaves no uniform assessment standard for Massachusetts students, saying the question leaves room for each of the 351 towns and municipalities in Massachusetts to make up their own.
The Education Secretary also pushed back on the idea that teachers are forced to “teach to the test,” calling it simply a “catchy phrase.”
“I don’t even know what that looks like — does that mean that each day there’s test prep happening in classrooms across the Commonwealth? No, that’s not happening,” Tutwiler said. “Remember what the MCAS is. It is simply a measure of the Massachusetts learning standards, and students mastery of those learning standards.”
Tutwiler did not address Sunday what the state’s plan may be if the question is passed on Nov. 5.
Originally Published:
Massachusetts
Falling tree limb kills 86-year-old man at Massachusetts home
GRAFTON – An 86-year-old man died Saturday when a tree limb fell and landed on him at a home in Grafton.
Man killed by falling tree limb
It happened around 12:30 p.m. on Dundee Drive.
The man was rushed to an area hospital, but later died.
A large tree limb could be seen at the home on Sunday.
Worcester District Attorney investigation
The Worcester County District Attorney’s office is investigating the man’s death.
Investigators did not release the man’s name or the circumstances of what happened.
No additional details are currently available.
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