Articles by Patrick Whittle and Michael Casey

Earthquake in Maine Rattles Houses, Nerves Across Northeast

A 3.8-magnitude earthquake centered near the southern Maine coast rattled houses in northern New England on Monday and was felt by surprised residents of states hundreds of miles away. The earthquake took place at about 10:22 a.m. on Monday and …

US Chamber, Oil Firms Sue Vermont for Making Companies Pay for Climate Damage

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a top oil and gas industry trade group are suing Vermont over its new law requiring that fossil fuel companies pay a share of the damage caused over several decades by climate change. The …

New ‘Revolution’ in Firefighting, Crop Protection: Unmanned Helicopters?

When Hector Xu was learning to fly a helicopter in college, he recalled having a few “nasty experiences” while trying to navigate at night. The heart-stopping flights led to his research of unmanned aircraft systems while getting his doctorate degree …

Judge Delays Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Karen Read Until After Criminal Trial

A judge ruled Thursday that Karen Read won’t have to give a deposition in her wrongful death lawsuit until after her criminal trial in January. The brief from Judge William M. White Jr. on Thursday effectively delays the lawsuit, which …

Jury Awards Family $5.4M, Says Coach’s Actions Caused Son’s Suicide

The family of a teenager who died by suicide was awarded $5.4 million this week after a Rhode Island jury found his football coach and several school administrators were negligent in the way they responded before the 15-year-old’s death. Nathan …

Karen Read Seeks Delay in Wrongful Death Civil Lawsuit Until Murder Trial Is Done

Karen Read is seeking to delay a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of her Boston police officer boyfriend until her criminal trial in connection with his death is done. The lawsuit filed last month blames the death of …

Snowmobiler Who Crashed Into Black Hawk Helicopter on Path Awarded $3 Million

The federal government was mostly responsible for a nighttime collision involving a snowmobiler who nearly died after hitting a Black Hawk helicopter that was parked on a Massachusetts trail, a judge ruled in awarding him $3.3 million in damages. U.S. …

Hotter Summers Making High School Football a Fatal Game for Some Players

BRANDON, Mississippi (AP) — Soon after Ashanta Laster reached the hospital, she was ushered into the emergency room where she saw doctors performing CPR on her teenage son. Laster had gotten a call that 17-year-old Phillip Laster Jr., a lineman …

Trucking Firm Owner Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Crash That Killed 7 Bikers

An owner of a now defunct trucking company agreed to plead guilty on Tuesday to federal charges related to a deadly crash in New Hampshire that killed seven motorcyclists. Dunyadar Gasanov, 39, pled guilty in Springfield, Massachusetts to three counts …

Antisemitism Lawsuit Against MIT Dismissed; One Against Harvard Allowed to Continue

A federal lawsuit accusing Massachusetts Institute of Technology of tolerating antisemitism after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel has been dismissed while a similar one against Harvard University can continue. The MIT lawsuit accused the university of approving antisemitic activities …