Massachusetts

Massachusetts warns patients over ‘unconscionable’ crisis pregnancy centers

Published

2 years ago

June 10, 2024

Massachusetts warns patients over ‘unconscionable’ crisis pregnancy centers

The Bay State has launched a new public awareness ad campaign aimed at warning pregnant patients to avoid so-called crisis pregnancy centers, which officials say use deception and fear to steer people away from an abortion.

Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said the state hopes to inform residents about the dangers of “Anti-Abortion Centers,” which he said often disguise themselves as medical facilities even if they aren’t licensed to provide medical care and may use a veneer of professionalism to peddle false information about the supposed risks of available care options.

“Inside they may look like medical clinics, with staff wearing scrubs or lab coats, but most centers are not even licensed clinics nor are the staff that are usually there licensed medical providers,” he said. “These centers offer pregnancy testing, and many perform and read ultrasounds, but ultimately they deceive patients, plying them with pro-life pamphlets, religious information, and fliers about adoption resources and withholding information about comprehensive reproductive options.”

Goldstein, speaking Monday alongside U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark and Jake Auchincloss and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh at Women’s Health Services in Brookline, said that — as a doctor — he finds the practices employed at these centers “unconscionable.”

The untrained staff at these facilities, he said, use fear and “outright lies” to influence an abortion seeker’s decision, inventing possible injuries and warning of the supposed psychological effects of abortion without any basis in medical science. Patients are “bribed” with promises of baby clothes and diapers, he said, and shown misleading ultrasound images used to “shame or guilt” them into going forward with a pregnancy.

People of color, young patients, “and those who may not have the means to afford a child” are specifically targeted by these centers, Goldstein said.

“The tactics they employ to dissuade people from getting abortions are insidious and they are dangerous,” he said.

Clark, the House Minority Whip, said that anti-abortion activists are waging a “nationwide campaign of disinformation, one patient at a time.”

“These extremists are opening fake clinics, to lure in women at their most vulnerable, obstruct their right to choose the treatment that they want, and withhold healthcare that any real doctor would provide immediately. These are con artists posing as healthcare professionals. They are knowingly, and happily, misleading patients for the sake of their ideology,” she said.

Auchincloss, who represents the district where the awareness campaign was launched, said that since the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade and the federal protection of abortion it provided, the prevalence of anti-abortion clinics has grown.

“Before the Supreme Court gutted Roe, the average American was 25 miles from an abortion provider. In 2023, post Roe, that distance became 86 miles. Nationally, abortion clinics are outpaced by ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ at a rate of three-to-one and there are currently 30 anti-abortion clinics in Massachusetts, and three in my district alone,” he said.

The pro-life Catholic Action League denounced the Healey Administration’s outreach efforts as defamation against pro-life centers, refuting the assertions made by Goldstein.

“Pregnancy care centers offer women compassionate alternatives to abortion. This latest campaign demonstrates the cynical hypocrisy of decades of rhetoric about ‘choice.’ It is now clear that for abortion proponents, only one choice is acceptable,” Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle said in a statement.

The $1 million campaign is funded by the 2023 budget to run for the next several months, Goldstein said, and it will include ads in English and Spanish which went live Monday on social media, with ads on radio billboards, and transit to come. More information can be found at mass.gov/avoid-anti-abortion-centers.

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Massachusetts

The Massachusetts beach towns better than Cape Cod, per Condé Nast

Published

4 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

The Massachusetts beach towns better than Cape Cod, per Condé Nast

Massachusetts residents love their beach towns.

And Condé Nast Magazine loves two particular beach towns in the Bay State, but surprisingly didn’t pick a beach on Cape Cod.

That’s why the towns were included on the magazine’s 2025 list of the 17 best beach towns on the East Coast.

“Whether you’re looking to lay out on the sand in summer or prefer walking along the water spotting wildlife and collecting rocks, the shores of the East Coast have a little something for everyone,” Condé Nast stated on its website.

Here’s more about the magazine’s favorite beach towns in Massachusetts.

Oak Bluffs ranked No. 5 on the list

Coming in at number 5 is one of the most popular spots on Martha’s Vineyard – Oak Bluffs.

What they said: “The colorful gingerbread houses for which Oak Bluffs is known are straight out of a storybook. Visitors walk straight off their boats into Ocean Park, a circular green overlooking the sea, encircled by said houses, with a frothy, delicate gazebo sitting in the center. Oak Bluffs has a long history of welcoming Black visitors, and today it is home to the annual African-American Film Festival.”

Rockport ranked No. 4 on the list

Rockport is a town on the North Shore of the Bay State.

What they said: “The coastal region is known for its excellent seafood, beautiful beaches, and historic landmarks. Many a good film has been filmed here as well, such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ and Kenneth Lonergan’s ‘Manchester-by-the-Sea.’

“Forty miles north of Boston, (Rockport) has a can’t-miss natural gem in Halibut Point State Park, from which visitors can spot Maine in the distance 80 miles away. Rockport is also beloved by art history buffs: it is home to Motif Number 1, a fishing shack with the superlative ‘the most-often painted building in America.’ It was built in 1840, and was a popular subject because it represented New England’s nautical character.”

What other regions of New England are on the list?

According to Condé Nast, they include:

Bar Harbor, Maine
Kennebunkport, Maine
Newport, Rhode Island
Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Madison, Connecticut

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Massachusetts

Massachusetts town near Gillette Stadium presses for World Cup security funding

Published

16 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Massachusetts town near Gillette Stadium presses for World Cup security funding

Up the road from Gillette Stadium, a town neighboring Foxboro is pressing for funding to meet public safety demands arising from the World Cup, with the first match just over a month away.

Walpole’s state delegation has written a letter to the state Office of Travel and Tourism requesting approval of the town’s request for nearly $200,000 to support “essential public safety personnel,” as officials expect “significant spillover impacts” from the premier soccer tournament.

As the Walpole/Foxboro town line on Route 1 is a handful of miles north of Gillette Stadium, officials are expecting increased traffic congestion and pedestrian activity to amount to “heightened public safety demands.”

“As outlined in the Town’s proposal,” the state delegation wrote in the letter it sent to the state last week, “Walpole will play a critical role in ensuring safe and efficient operations for both residents and visitors.”

“This funding will help close a critical gap and ensure that Walpole can safely support this internationally significant event,” the delegation added.

The state Office of Travel and Tourism confirmed to the Herald that it received the letter from state Reps. John H. Rogers, Paul McMurtry, Ted Philips and Marcus Vaughn and Sen. Mike Rush. The office said it will announce decisions in the coming weeks about round two of the $2 million grant program that supports municipal public safety needs tied to the World Cup.

The first round of the program, a $10 million competitive initiative, awarded funding earlier this year to 17 communities to support tournament-related events, including fan festivals, watch parties and regional activations.

This comes after the Foxboro Select Board battled the Boston Soccer 2026 nonprofit host committee and Kraft Sports & Entertainment, which operates Gillette Stadium, for months to ensure it received full funding to cover all security personnel and equipment.

In mid-March, the David vs. Goliath fight concluded, with Boston Soccer 2026 and the Krafts agreeing to cover Foxboro’s $7.8 million request.

Gillette, which will be rebranded as “Boston Stadium,” is set to host seven matches – five in the group stage and two knockout games – between June 13 and July 9. The World Cup is considered a SEAR 1 event, the highest risk level for public gatherings in the country.

“These matches will bring an excitement that this town has never seen,” Foxboro Police Chief Michael Grace said before the Select Board voted to grant an entertainment license for the matches to go on.

Gillette Stadium. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

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Massachusetts

The best Massachusetts high schools for athletes? According to one study, here are top 25

Published

1 day ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

The best Massachusetts high schools for athletes? According to one study, here are top 25

No other city in the country boasts more championships than Boston, giving Massachusetts a sporting pedigree unlike any other.

What’s unique about many of the state is that several of the stars from those championship-winning teams were Massachusetts natives.

Before they were winning the Stanley Cup, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, World Series or a gold medal, those athletes were high school standouts.

Which high schools in Massachusetts are considered the best for athletes today?

According to a study conducted by Niche, which accounts for survey feedback from students and parents—accounting for “reviews of athletics, number of state championships, student participation in athletics, and the number of sports offered at the school”—and data from the U.S. Department of Education, these are the top 25.