As of Tuesday, March 31, the trial of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev approached a close as both the prosecution and defense have rested their cases. Judge George O’Toole, Jr. has set Monday, April 6 as the date of closing arguments and has warned jurors they may need to reach a conclusion by then.
A decade ago, on Saint Patrick’s Day 2005, a Northeastern senior launched his own company with the first ride of Boston Pedicab from Solas: Irish Pub in Copley Square to Newbury Street. Ben Morris, an owner and entrepreneur before he had even moved his tassel, now has a wife, two kids and a pug named Dr. Dre, but his spirit for his ever-growing business remains the same.
A classroom in the basement of West Village F was filled with around 100 people for this week’s Myra Craft Open Classroom lecture. A majority were not students but community members, listening to Boston 2024 or hoping to ask questions regarding Boston’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
After facing a reported budget deficit of $2.3 million, Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced on March 9 that it will change the free breakfasts and lunches they offer to students to cut down on costs.
The trial of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev began three weeks ago, and despite the two years that have passed since the bombings, the first three weeks of trial have shown that the emotional aftermath is still felt today. However, the past week and a half took a turn in tone: focusing more on hard evidence and forensic data than on witness testimony. More specialists and agents have taken the stand recently to provide substantial proof for both the prosecution and defense.
State Sen. Jason M. Lewis (D-Winchester) and Rep. Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) have filed bills in the Senate and House respectively that would reform Massachusetts’ public records law. The Massachusetts Freedom of Information Alliance (MassFOIA), comprised of journalistic and open government organizations, has been calling for Massachusetts’ public record laws to be updated for years but have recently redoubled their efforts in hopes that these new bills will become law.
In light of recent criticism, Northeastern University made a payment to the City of Boston on March 2 through the Payments in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) program designed to help cover the costs of municipal services. The university originally paid nothing for the 2014 fiscal year.
Crowds cheered at the University of Phoenix Stadium and all across New England last month as the Patriots secured a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. But on game day, away from the excitement of the field and the bleachers filled with fans, a very different scene was unfolding as the FBI worked to rescue potential human sex trafficking victims from pimps. In 2014, 25 people were rescued, while the FBI apprehended 45 pimps.
An updated map illustrating the public transportation system on an unprecedented scale has been released by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as of Feb. 27. The new map covers the New England region and New York, and includes routes by bus, ferry and train.
Although the MBTA board has been taking a lot of heat recently for its performance following blizzard conditions, it must make another tough decision by April 15. With scarce financial resources, the MBTA must decide the future of its late-night service. The four options under consideration are elimination, cost reduction, fare increases and increased sponsorships.
