Massachusetts

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

Published

12 months ago

March 13, 2025

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Published

4 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

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

Updated on: March 5, 2026 / 3:10 PM EST
/ CBS Boston

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

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.

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

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Massachusetts

Foul play suspected after human remains found in water in Shirley

Published

16 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

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.”

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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Massachusetts

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

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

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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.

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.

“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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