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Boston Globe Today: 'Cold Case' edition | April 30, 2024

WATCH: Co-hosts Segun Oduolowu and Emily Sweeney explore unsolved cold cases, offering new information and evidence with the hope that you can help solve them.

A special 'Cold Case' edition of Boston Globe Today

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Prosecutors will not seek charges in case of four infants found dead in freezer in South Boston apartment

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden’s office said Tuesday that prosecutors will not be seeking criminal charges in connection with the discovery of four dead infants who were found in a freezer in an apartment in South Boston in November 2022.

Kristaps Porzingis to miss Celtics’ Game 5 vs. Heat with calf injury
The team said he suffered a calf strain, specifically a soleus strain.

Former lawyer for Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal detailed payment negotiations in Trump’s hush-money trial. Here’s what he said.

The judge fined Donald Trump $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors, and others connected to the case.

Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him $9,000 and raises threat of jail in hush money trial Trump’s trial could bring a rarity: consequences for his words

Tracker: Who has testified in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, and what did they say?

First responders testify during trial day two in Karen Read case
The second day of testimony in the high-profile case centered on prosecution witnesses who set the scene of O’Keefe’s body being discovered that snowy morning on Jan. 29, 2022.

Read how the second day of testimony in the Karen Read murder trial unfolded

Beth Teitell | Commentary

The email came from France. ‘Do you think Karen Read killed her boyfriend?’ it asked.

US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain controlled substance, AP sources say

The US Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

WBZ lays off veteran radio reporter Kim Tunnicliffe

Blinken praises new aid corridors for Gaza, but says residents there need more help

Lyh-Hsin Lam sorts fresh cut tulips in a greenhouse at Fivefork Farms in Upton on April 17.

FOOD

‘People don’t come running . . . for radishes.’ At farms across the state, the flower business is blooming.

More small farms are finding that flowers aren't just popular, they're an increasingly important component in New England farming. “Flowers make everything work."

Billerica Police officers lined up at the entrance to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Boston on Saturday as Billerica Police Sgt. Ian Taylor’s lag-draped body was wheeled in.

Billerica police sergeant killed in excavator accident on detail remembered for his service

Billerica police Sergeant Ian Taylor, 49, is being remembered as a dedicated police officer and devoted husband and father.

MIT faculty voice support for pro-Palestinian encampments, as others continue at Harvard, Tufts
A group of MIT faculty said in a statement that they believe the administration will move against the protestors encamped on Kresge Lawn within the next 48 hours.

Columbia University threatens to expel student protesters who occupied administration building

One student passes a miniature Palestinian flag to another as they take down the "Encampment for Gaza" on the Main Green of Brown University on April 30, 2024. (Sofia Barnett for the Boston Globe)

Protesters clear encampment at Brown University after reaching compromise on divestment

Organizer Arman Deendar called the outcome of the negotiations “a historic win.”

PERSPECTIVE

Boston rats aren’t going anywhere. You might not love the solution.

It might sound like a call for mayhem, but hear me out.

David Sabatini at his home in Cambridge in 2022.

Former MIT biologist David Sabatini, forced out after sexual harassment accusations, to lead new Boston team

Sabatini, forced out of the Whitehead Institute after being accused of sexual harassment in 2021, is part of a new Boston-area research laboratory affiliated with the Czech scientific institute that hired Sabatini last fall.

Read the Spotlight report: Fate and the fallen star

Jacquelyn Starer, of Ashland, was arrested Dec. 20, 2022, and accused of punching a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. Starer pleaded guilty Tuesday in US District Court in Washington, D.C.

Ashland doctor pleads guilty to punching officer during Jan. 6 assault on US Capitol

Jacquelyn Starer pleaded guilty to an eight-count indictment that included two felony counts of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, federal prosecutors said.

From left: Mike Faist as Art, Zendaya as Tashi, and Josh O'Connor as Patrick in "Challengers," directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Movies

Meet the world’s sexiest, steamiest, horniest tennis court

It’s the one from “Challengers” — and it’s in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Movie review: In ‘Challengers,’ sets are tied at love

Jeremy Swayman is 3-0 against the Maple Leafs in this series.

Maple Leafs at Bruins | 7 p.m.

Five things the Bruins need to do to close out Maple Leafs in Game 5

With a 3-1 series lead, the Bruins have Toronto on the brink of elimination.

While Theo Epstein acknowledges that he could seek a more prominent role in an ownership group in the future, he says he is content in his current position with Fenway Sports Group.

Theo Epstein talks about his new role with Fenway Sports Group and the Red Sox

The former GM believes the Red Sox have "a lot of important ingredients in place" for a return to prominence before long.

Alex Speier: Nick Yorke could be in line for a promotion to Triple A, and other observations on the Red Sox farm system

Opinion

The US Department of Agriculture is ordering dairy producers to test cows that produce milk for infections from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) before the animals are transported to a different state following the discovery of the virus in samples of pasteurized milk taken by the Food and Drug Administration.

Shira Doron

With avian flu, it’s time to prepare, not panic

The threat is low, but we’re coordinating information and deciding what more needs to be done to prepare in case avian flu mutates and is able to be transmitted human to human.

Steven Pinker and Jeffrey Flier

Harvard should shut down campus occupations

IDEAS | JOHN GOVE

What it takes to save nature’s candy from a spring freeze

LETTERS

Campuses buffeted by winds of unrest over the war in Gaza

MARCELA GARCÍA

Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden deserved a higher civil penalty for ethics violation

More recent News

Trump says he’ll use National Guard to deport migrants, doubling down on anti-immigration rhetoric

During Trump’s first term, the Department of Homeland Security considered using National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants but the plans ultimately never came to fruition.

US and Mexico will boost deportation flights and enforcement to crack down on illegal migration

DraftKings wins this round in its noncompete battle with Fanatics

A judge ruled that a former DraftKings executive can’t serve in his previous role for the rival that hired him away.

Mail thefts reported in Lexington, postal carriers robbed in Boston area

Mail was stolen from four mailboxes in Lexington Center over the weekend, in the latest of a series of mail thefts and carrier robberies in the Boston area.

Want to watch Tom Brady get inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame? Here’s your chance.
A limited number of tickets for the ceremony will be available to the public and will go on sale Thursday at noon through Ticketmaster.

Mammograms should start at 40 to address rising breast cancer rates at younger ages, panel says
Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential US task force.

Fatal crash reported on Interstate 95 in Needham, State Police say
One truck spun out of control and stopped perpendicular to oncoming traffic before it was “broadsided” by a second truck, police said.

innovation beat

Face ID for Android phones? Here it comes, says Boston startup.

Metalenz says its tiny, inexpensive “metasurface” lenses can replace thicker and more complex lenses in a variety of tasks.

Judge: Criminal case against coach Aaron Thomas in ‘naked fat tests’ of boys can proceed

Former North Kingstown High boys basketball coach Aaron Thomas is facing charges of child molestation, sexual assault, for his behavior during self-designed "fat tests" of naked teen boys.

Altercation breaks out in Framingham District Court after murder arraignment in road rage case

Ryan Sweatt was ordered held without bail in the death of Destini Decoff.

Grocery costs are higher than ever. That means big demand for food assistance nonprofits.

As the demand for free and affordable food surges, the Greater Boston Food Bank now serves more than double the number of people it did pre-pandemic.

Beth Teitell | Commentary

Mission impossible? If you’re not already a Bruins fan, can you become one?
Is adult-onset Bruins fandom possible? If you didn’t grow up playing hockey, or come from a hockey family, your window may be closed. But why?

Rockport residents file lawsuit, allege plan to comply with MBTA zoning law is unconstitutional
The lawsuit marks the latest opposition to the controversial law, which requires 177 municipalities served by the MBTA to permit more multifamily housing in an effort to ease the state’s housing crunch.

In the Seaport, Marvin’s showroom invites you to live like ‘The Jetsons’
The Minnesota-based company sells windows, doors, and skylights with sensors that can quietly open and close, depending on the temperature, weather, or time of day

Culture & Lifestyle

From left: Schanaya Barrows, Sydney Jackson, and Aislinn Brophy in "Morning, Noon, and Night."

In Kirsten Greenidge’s ‘Morning, Noon, and Night,’ there’s light at the end of the pandemic

Frontman Chris Robinson leads the Black Crowes at MGM Music Hall at Fenway Sunday night.

Black Crowes at full throttle at MGM Music Hall

Magda Leon photographed in her studio at Massachusetts College of Art and Design surrounded by some of her work. She is a printmaker who prints on banana leaves and is sewing a quilt with them.

The Guatemalan printmaker who leaves an impression — on plantain leaves

Sidney Outlaw as the title character in Boston Baroque's production of "Don Giovanni" at the Huntington Theatre.

An extraordinary Don Giovanni uplifts a messy ‘Don Giovanni’

Special Projects

Ashfield, MA 06/13//2023, At Sanderson Academy, books in a fourth-grade classroom.

Suzanne Kreiter\Globe staff

Lost in a World of Words

Learning to read is the greatest gift a school can give a child. And yet, in Massachusetts, outmoded teaching methods leave thousands of students struggling to gain this critical skill.

Beyond the Gilded Gate

People in and around Boston are being challenged, in ways never before, to address the region's unprecedented housing crisis.

Nightmare in Mission Hill

The story of how a murder in Mission Hill — the Carol Stuart shooting — terrorized and wounded a community of innocent people.

Boston, MA—12/14/2022 - Commuters wait for the T to arrive at Ruggles Station. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Boston doesn’t work if the T doesn’t work

With the MBTA engulfed by issues, everyday riders are feeling the pain.

FROM OUR PARTNERS

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Opinion, ideas, and commentary

EDITORIAL

Consolidation shouldn’t be a dirty word for public universities

EDITORIAL

The ‘demographic cliff’ is coming. Colleges must be prepared.

Meaghan Jackson, a music therapist in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, uses Minecraft in therapy sessions with children who have lost a loved one.

IDEAS | ADRIANA BARTON

Can Minecraft’s virtual world help grieving children cope with real loss?

New York University students and faculty participated in a protest against Israel's war in Gaza at Washington Square Park on Tuesday. NYU students have joined a growing number of students at colleges around the country calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and for their schools to divest from Israel.

CARINE HAJJAR

What happened when a young Israeli walked into an anti-Israel protest

Parents and children at Peabody Elementary School rode in the bike bus on Oct. 27, 2023, in Cambridge.

Jaime Bedrin

Want your kids to jump out of bed to get to school? Put them on the bike bus.

IDEAS

Blueprints for a new downtown Boston

Metro

CRIME

N.H. man’s father testifies against him in trial over alleged abuse at youth detention center

David Meehan’s father portrays his son as untruthful in testimony during a trial about the state’s responsibility for alleged abuse that took place in the 1990s.

First responders testify during trial day two in Karen Read case

The second day of testimony in the high-profile case centered on prosecution witnesses who set the scene of O’Keefe’s body being discovered that snowy morning on Jan. 29, 2022.

MIT faculty voice support for pro-Palestinian encampments, as others continue at Harvard, Tufts

A group of MIT faculty said in a statement that they believe the administration will move against the protestors encamped on Kresge Lawn within the next 48 hours.

Mykhailo Fomenko, former Ukraine coach and a Soviet-era player for Dynamo Kyiv, has died at 75

As a player, Mykhailo Fomenko was a key defender on the Dynamo team that won the Soviet Union’s league title three times, and the 1975 Cup Winners’ Cup in Europe.

Sports

José Abreu was the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year and the 2020 AL MVP, and is a three-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger winner.

BASEBALL

Slumping José Abreu headed to Astros’ spring facility in hopes of rediscovering form

The first baseman is 7 for 71 to begin his 11th big-league season, and the second of a $58.5 million, three-year contract with Houston.

Chad Finn

The Celtics did what they had to do in Game 4, but the injuries make it imperative that this series ends Wednesday

They can buy themselves — particularly Kristaps Porzingis — much-needed time to heal by dispatching the Heat in Game 5.

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko during a Euro 2016 soccer match between Germany and Ukraine at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, near Lille, France, on June 12, 2016.

Mykhailo Fomenko, former Ukraine coach and a Soviet-era player for Dynamo Kyiv, has died at 75

As a player, Mykhailo Fomenko was a key defender on the Dynamo team that won the Soviet Union’s league title three times, and the 1975 Cup Winners’ Cup in Europe.

celtics

Kristaps Porzingis to miss Celtics’ Game 5 vs. Heat with calf injury

patriots notebook

Why did linebacker Joshua Uche turn down bigger offers to stay with the Patriots?

Business

As internet data centers multiply, efforts to control them are growing

A backlash against internet data centers has triggered a wave of laws around the country to restrain the rapidly growing industry that uses massive amounts of energy to make cloud computing and smart technology possible.

Growing wildfire risk leaves states grappling with how to keep property insurers from fleeing

It’s a problem that has played out in states across the US as climate change and increasing development has raised the risks of wildfires and other natural disasters damaging communities.

US consumer confidence slumps to lowest level since July 2022

DraftKings wins this round in its noncompete battle with Fanatics

magazine

Summer Travel

30 ways to have the perfect Cape Cod vacation

The writer as a baby in 1953, held by his mother on the shores of Puerto Rico, with their dog Carly.

CONNECTIONS

My parents are gone, but my journey to Puerto Rico brought me back to them

The play "Clue" is being staged at Emerson Colonial Theatre Tuesday to Sunday.

Your Week Ahead

Five things to do around Boston, April 29-May 5

On April Fools' Day 2023, Gerry Brown (right) and Gene Hurley set out from a pond in Bellingham with the goal of kayaking the Charles River by summer's end.

Summer Travel

A special 'Cold Case' edition of Boston Globe Today

Prosecutors will not seek charges in case of four infants found dead in freezer in South Boston apartment

Kristaps Porzingis to miss Celtics’ Game 5 vs. Heat with calf injury The team said he suffered a calf strain, specifically a soleus strain.

Former lawyer for Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal detailed payment negotiations in Trump’s hush-money trial. Here’s what he said.

Tracker: Who has testified in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, and what did they say?

First responders testify during trial day two in Karen Read case The second day of testimony in the high-profile case centered on prosecution witnesses who set the scene of O’Keefe’s body being discovered that snowy morning on Jan. 29, 2022.

Read how the second day of testimony in the Karen Read murder trial unfolded

The email came from France. ‘Do you think Karen Read killed her boyfriend?’ it asked.

US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain controlled substance, AP sources say

WBZ lays off veteran radio reporter Kim Tunnicliffe

Blinken praises new aid corridors for Gaza, but says residents there need more help

‘People don’t come running . . . for radishes.’ At farms across the state, the flower business is blooming.

Billerica police sergeant killed in excavator accident on detail remembered for his service

MIT faculty voice support for pro-Palestinian encampments, as others continue at Harvard, Tufts A group of MIT faculty said in a statement that they believe the administration will move against the protestors encamped on Kresge Lawn within the next 48 hours.

Protesters clear encampment at Brown University after reaching compromise on divestment

Boston rats aren’t going anywhere. You might not love the solution.

Former MIT biologist David Sabatini, forced out after sexual harassment accusations, to lead new Boston team

Ashland doctor pleads guilty to punching officer during Jan. 6 assault on US Capitol

Meet the world’s sexiest, steamiest, horniest tennis court

Five things the Bruins need to do to close out Maple Leafs in Game 5

Theo Epstein talks about his new role with Fenway Sports Group and the Red Sox

With avian flu, it’s time to prepare, not panic

Harvard should shut down campus occupations

What it takes to save nature’s candy from a spring freeze

Campuses buffeted by winds of unrest over the war in Gaza

Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden deserved a higher civil penalty for ethics violation

More recent News

Trump says he’ll use National Guard to deport migrants, doubling down on anti-immigration rhetoric

DraftKings wins this round in its noncompete battle with Fanatics

Mail thefts reported in Lexington, postal carriers robbed in Boston area

Want to watch Tom Brady get inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame? Here’s your chance. A limited number of tickets for the ceremony will be available to the public and will go on sale Thursday at noon through Ticketmaster.

Mammograms should start at 40 to address rising breast cancer rates at younger ages, panel says Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential US task force.

Fatal crash reported on Interstate 95 in Needham, State Police say One truck spun out of control and stopped perpendicular to oncoming traffic before it was “broadsided” by a second truck, police said.

Face ID for Android phones? Here it comes, says Boston startup.

Judge: Criminal case against coach Aaron Thomas in ‘naked fat tests’ of boys can proceed

Altercation breaks out in Framingham District Court after murder arraignment in road rage case

Recommended reads

Grocery costs are higher than ever. That means big demand for food assistance nonprofits.

Beth Teitell | Commentary Mission impossible? If you’re not already a Bruins fan, can you become one? Is adult-onset Bruins fandom possible? If you didn’t grow up playing hockey, or come from a hockey family, your window may be closed. But why?

In the Seaport, Marvin’s showroom invites you to live like ‘The Jetsons’ The Minnesota-based company sells windows, doors, and skylights with sensors that can quietly open and close, depending on the temperature, weather, or time of day

Culture & Lifestyle

In Kirsten Greenidge’s ‘Morning, Noon, and Night,’ there’s light at the end of the pandemic

Black Crowes at full throttle at MGM Music Hall

The Guatemalan printmaker who leaves an impression — on plantain leaves

An extraordinary Don Giovanni uplifts a messy ‘Don Giovanni’

Special Projects

Lost in a World of Words

Beyond the Gilded Gate

Nightmare in Mission Hill

Boston doesn’t work if the T doesn’t work

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Opinion, ideas, and commentary

Consolidation shouldn’t be a dirty word for public universities

The ‘demographic cliff’ is coming. Colleges must be prepared.

Can Minecraft’s virtual world help grieving children cope with real loss?

What happened when a young Israeli walked into an anti-Israel protest

Want your kids to jump out of bed to get to school? Put them on the bike bus.

Blueprints for a new downtown Boston

Metro

N.H. man’s father testifies against him in trial over alleged abuse at youth detention center

First responders testify during trial day two in Karen Read case

MIT faculty voice support for pro-Palestinian encampments, as others continue at Harvard, Tufts

Mykhailo Fomenko, former Ukraine coach and a Soviet-era player for Dynamo Kyiv, has died at 75

Sports

Slumping José Abreu headed to Astros’ spring facility in hopes of rediscovering form

The Celtics did what they had to do in Game 4, but the injuries make it imperative that this series ends Wednesday

Mykhailo Fomenko, former Ukraine coach and a Soviet-era player for Dynamo Kyiv, has died at 75

Kristaps Porzingis to miss Celtics’ Game 5 vs. Heat with calf injury

Why did linebacker Joshua Uche turn down bigger offers to stay with the Patriots?

Business

As internet data centers multiply, efforts to control them are growing

Growing wildfire risk leaves states grappling with how to keep property insurers from fleeing

US consumer confidence slumps to lowest level since July 2022

DraftKings wins this round in its noncompete battle with Fanatics

30 ways to have the perfect Cape Cod vacation

My parents are gone, but my journey to Puerto Rico brought me back to them

Five things to do around Boston, April 29-May 5

We set out to kayak the entire Charles River. It was that or pickleball.

metro

R.I.’s lawyers warn Washington Bridge contractors about possible lawsuit

Kristaps Porzingis to miss Celtics’ Game 5 vs. Heat with calf injury
The team said he suffered a calf strain, specifically a soleus strain.

First responders testify during trial day two in Karen Read case
The second day of testimony in the high-profile case centered on prosecution witnesses who set the scene of O’Keefe’s body being discovered that snowy morning on Jan. 29, 2022.

MIT faculty voice support for pro-Palestinian encampments, as others continue at Harvard, Tufts
A group of MIT faculty said in a statement that they believe the administration will move against the protestors encamped on Kresge Lawn within the next 48 hours.

Want to watch Tom Brady get inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame? Here’s your chance.
A limited number of tickets for the ceremony will be available to the public and will go on sale Thursday at noon through Ticketmaster.

Mammograms should start at 40 to address rising breast cancer rates at younger ages, panel says
Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential US task force.

Fatal crash reported on Interstate 95 in Needham, State Police say
One truck spun out of control and stopped perpendicular to oncoming traffic before it was “broadsided” by a second truck, police said.

Beth Teitell | Commentary

Mission impossible? If you’re not already a Bruins fan, can you become one?
Is adult-onset Bruins fandom possible? If you didn’t grow up playing hockey, or come from a hockey family, your window may be closed. But why?

In the Seaport, Marvin’s showroom invites you to live like ‘The Jetsons’
The Minnesota-based company sells windows, doors, and skylights with sensors that can quietly open and close, depending on the temperature, weather, or time of day