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Mass. AG sues over Trump Administration efforts to dismantle Dept. of Education

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Mass. AG sues over Trump Administration efforts to dismantle Dept. of Education


Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general are suing the Trump Administration over its efforts to shut down the Department of Education, which they say cannot be done without congressional approval.

Nearly half of the Education Department’s workforce is set to be off the job, including all of the employees in Boston’s regional office.

About 1,300 career employees received termination notices Tuesday night, informing them they will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Boston’s federal court, the attorneys general said these drastic cuts will make the department unable to perform its statutory duties. Because the president cannot dismantle a department created by Congress without its approval according to the Constitution, the lawsuit argues the actions are unlawful.

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The action names President Donald Trump U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the U.S. Department of Education as defendants.

Nearly half of the Education Department’s workforce is set to be off the job, including employees right in Boston.

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“By attempting to dismantle the Department of Education which, among many things, funds educational programs that benefit low-income children and students with disabilities and enforces laws that prohibit discrimination in education, the Trump Administration is making it crystal clear that it does not prioritize our students, teachers or families,” Campbell said in a media statement.

The Department of Education has various responsibilities, including ensuring equal opportunities to all students, promoting education improvements through research and communication, and coordinating education initiatives across the country. In Massachusetts alone, the department directs nearly $2 billion in funding for K-12 schools, money that is used for things like special education programs, teacher salaries and benefits, social workers, professional development programs, after school programs, transportation, and reading and language specialists.

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All employees working out of the department’s regional office here in Boston will be part of these layoffs.

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Due to collective bargaining agreements, laid-off workers will get full pay and benefits until June 9 along with severance based on time served.

Trump campaigned on a promise to close the Department of Education.

Governor Maura Healey says that would be disastrous for children who need help the most.

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The Department of Education says dozens of schools, including six in Massachusetts, are facing “potential enforcement.”

“What that potentially means is we see federal funding going away for Head Start, for special education, for after school programs, for Title 1 programs,” Mass. Governor Maura Healey said. “Imagine if your child is on an IEP and has the benefit of an aid in the classroom, you know funding for this is all going to go away so I pray to God it doesn’t happen.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the layoffs reflect the department’s “commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”





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Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks

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Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks




Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks – CBS Boston

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Poya Sohrabi hasn’t heard from his family since they took shelter from attacks in Tehran. WBZ-TV’s Mike Sullivan reports.

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?


With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.

So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?

An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.

Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.

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While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.

Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.

“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.

GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News


EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.

A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.

The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.

Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.

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“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.

They then carried the driver to safety.

Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

No one else was injured in the crash.

Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”

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After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”

She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.

“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.

She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.

“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”

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Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.

“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”

Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.

“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”

Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.

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