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Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on hot seat in NCAA gender policy battle

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on hot seat in NCAA gender policy battle


Charlie Baker continues to be on the hot seat as Republican senators and women’s advocacy organizations push the former Massachusetts governor to allow only “biological females” to compete in NCAA women’s sports.

Baker, who became NCAA president after leaving Beacon Hill last year, received a letter from 23 Republican senators on Tuesday, urging him to update the NCAA’s student-athlete participation policies as the Biden-Harris administration implements its Title IX rewrite.

“The science is clear,” states the letter led by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and signed by 22 Republican colleagues. “Males have inherent athletic advantages over females due to their anatomy and biology.”

New Title IX regulations went into place at the beginning of the month after the Biden-Harris administration, in the spring, rewrote the landmark 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in institutions that receive federal funding.

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The updated regulations include protections for LGBTQ+ students, an expanded definition of sexual harassment at schools and colleges, and safeguards for victims.

In their letter, the Republican senators highlighted how they believe the NCAA has “still taken no steps to protect” female student-athletes. The Title IX rewrite has gone through in just 24 states, with Republican attorneys general fighting the regulations in 10 lawsuits to block them in the 26 other states.

“Consistently, when adult males’ athletic performance is contrasted with adult females’ athletic performance in sports relying on endurance, muscle strength, speed, and power, males dominate, outperforming females by 10 to 30%,” the letter states.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona emphasized on Aug. 1 how the regulations “clarify that Title IX’s prohibition of sex discrimination includes all forms of sex discrimination.”

“It’s unacceptable that any student has to give up on their dreams of a college degree because they’re pregnant,” he said, “and it’s unacceptable that any student face discrimination or bullying simply because of who they are.”

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Republican senators also in their letter stressed how the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Council of Presidents approved a policy in April that prohibits the participation of males in women’s sports.

That came before the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Lia Thomas, a swimmer who became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I national championship, lacked standing to challenge a World Aquatic policy, preventing Thomas from the Olympics.

“While men may have inherent athletic advantages, they have no advantage over women in their level of passion, drive, or desire to compete,” the Republican senators state.



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Massachusetts

Body part found in Shirley, Massachusetts pond, police suspect foul play

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Body part found in Shirley, Massachusetts pond, police suspect foul play



A body part was found in a pond in Shirley, Massachusetts and investigators said foul play is suspected.

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It was discovered around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as a group of people were walking along Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.

Police said the group noticed something suspicious in the water of Phoenix Pond. The Middlesex District Attorney confirmed that the item was a body part, but would not elaborate.

Police shut down the road and divers could be seen exploring the pond late Wednesday. Authorities were back at the scene Thursday morning.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation.

Phoenix Pond connects to the Catacoonamug Brook, which flows into the Nashua River. It’s also connected to Lake Shirley.

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Shirley, Massachusetts is about 44 miles northwest of Boston and around 13 miles from the New Hampshire border. 



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Foul play suspected after human remains found in water in Shirley

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Foul play suspected after human remains found in water in Shirley


Human remains were discovered Wednesday in the water in Shirley, Massachusetts, and authorities suspect foul play.

Police in Shirley said in a social media post at 7:15 p.m. that they responded to “a suspicious object in the water near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.” Massachusetts State Police later said the object was believed to be human remains.

The bridge crosses Catacoonamug Brook near Phoenix Pond.

The office of Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said a group of young people was walking in the area around 5:30 p.m. and “reported seeing what appeared to be something consistent with a body part in the water.”

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Foul play is suspected, Ryan’s office said.

Authorities will continue investigating overnight into Thursday, and an increased police presence is expected in the area.

No further information was immediately available.



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Ice covered highways, streets and sidewalks in Boston area rattled nerves during morning commute: “I’m ready for the thaw”

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Ice covered highways, streets and sidewalks in Boston area rattled nerves during morning commute: “I’m ready for the thaw”


It was a treacherous commute for drivers across Massachusetts Wednesday morning. Ice on roads and highways caused several crashes during rush hour.

In Danvers, 22 miles north of Boston, the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars. Three people were taken to local hospitals.

In Danvers, Mass. the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars on March 4, 2026.

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CBS Boston


In Revere, just seven miles north of the city, two tractor-trailers collided on North Shore Road. Police said it will be shut down for most of the day. It’s unclear if this crash was caused by icy conditions.

Forty-four miles west of Boston, a tractor-trailer ran off the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westboro. One person was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with what were described by the fire department as “non-life threatening injuries.”

The ice wasn’t just a problem for drivers. People walking around Boston were also slipping and sliding Wednesday morning.

“I almost fell at least five times but I didn’t. I don’t know how. I screamed and caught edges,” Swapna Vantzelfde told CBS News Boston about her walk to work in the South End. It took longer than usual.

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“The internal streets they just don’t get plowed, the little ones that people live on and then these arteries, the big streets, they’re cleaned a lot better,” she said.

Those on two legs and four were all stepping gingerly across slick spots.

“A little treacherous. Very slick and icy out here,” said a father pushing a stroller. “Sometimes you have something to hold on to, which helps.”

With plenty of snow piled along sidewalks and between parking spots, most people are done with winter.

“I’m over it. I’m ready for the thaw,” said one man. 

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