Jan. 5 (UPI) — Voters in Illinois and Massachusetts filed petitions to remove former President Donald Trump from Republican primary ballots in their state.
The organization Free Speech for People, which has led challenge efforts to Trump’s eligibility in states around the country based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, assisted the suits filed by five voters in Illinois and a group of voters in Massachusetts Thursday.
The Illinois voters filed an objection petition with the Illinois State Board of Election to remove Trump’s name from the March 19 Republican primary ballot, alleging that Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, amounted to insurrection, which would bar him from office.
It also cited the Dec. 19 decision by the Colorado Supreme Court and the Dec. 28 decision made by the Maine Secretary of State, which ruled that Trump is ineligible for its ballot, based on the same claims.
“Thus, the only two decisions evaluating Section 3 challenges that reached the merits of the challenge and assessed evidence from both candidate Trump and objectors determined that Trump is constitutionally barred from office,” said the petition.
In Massachusetts, a similar petition was filed with the state’s Ballot Law Commission with civil rights attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan by a group of voters that includes former Boston Mayor Kim Janey and two law professors.
“Today’s legal action is not about partisan politics but about upholding the Constitution, and that is why Massachusetts voters across the political spectrum have joined together to challenge Donald Trump’s wrongful placement on the Massachusetts ballot,” Liss-Riordan said in a statement on Thursday.
While Minnesota and Michigan have ruled against Free Speech for People there, the organization said those courts made those decisions on procedural grounds and not the facts of the case.
On Wednesday, Trump filed an appeal of Colorado’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court in hopes of getting a ruling that would affect all of the challenges against him based on the 14th Amendment. His campaign has called the Colorado disqualification “unAmerican” and “unconstitutional.”
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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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.
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 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.”
According to Condé Nast, they include:
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