Articles by Patrick Whittle and Michael Casey

Why Vermont Keeps Flooding: It’s Complicated But Could Become the Norm

Vermont is flooding. Not just yesterday, two weeks ago and a year before that, but experts say the state could see catastrophic events like these for the foreseeable future. Climate change is fueling stronger, more persistent storms and the state’s …

Hershey, Walgreens, Paqui Chip Maker Sued Over Teen’s Death After Online Challenge

A lawsuit was filed Thursday against Hershey, Walgreens and several others in the case of a Massachusetts teen who died after he participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge that was widely promoted on social media. Harris Wolobah, a 10th …

New Hampshire Weighs Suspension of Trucker Found Not Guilty in Deadly Crash

Days before the five-year anniversary of a crash that killed seven motorcyclists, relatives and friends urged New Hampshire officials not to allow the trucker involved back on the state’s roadways. A jury in 2022 found Volodymyr Zhukovskyy not guilty of …

Massachusetts 911 System Restored After Outage Caused by Firewall, Not Cyber Attack

The 911 system across Massachusetts was restored Tuesday after going down for several hours, which made it impossible for anyone to reach emergency services through the call number. The Massachusetts State Police announced around 3:45 p.m. that the system had …

Major Defense Contractor Accused of Discriminating Against Older Workers

A major defense contractor was sued Tuesday over allegations that it discriminated against older workers in job ads. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston accuses RTX Corporation of posting ads that target younger workers at the expense of …

As Demand for Food Delivery Skyrockets So Do Complaints About Drivers

A soaring demand for food delivered fast has spawned small armies of couriers — and increasing alarm — in big cities where scooters, motorcycles and mopeds zip in and out of traffic and hop onto pedestrian-filled sidewalks as their drivers …

Teen Who Ate Spicy Tortilla Chip Died of High Chile Consumption; Also Had Heart Defect

A Massachusetts teen who participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media died from eating a large quantity of chile pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect, according to autopsy results obtained by The Associated Press. …

200 Patients Sue, Alleging Sexual Abuse, Unnecessary Exams by Boston Doctor

More than a decade ago, Kristin Fritz was struggling with pain in her spine and saw a rheumatologist recommended by her doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The visit with Dr. Derrick Todd started normally for the 37-year-old …

Residents Frustrated as $600K in Shore Protection Washes Away at Beach

A Massachusetts beach community is scrambling after a weekend storm washed away $600,000 in sand that was trucked in to protect homes, roads and other infrastructure. The project, which brought 14,000 tons (12,701 metric tons) of sand into Salisbury over …

Lawsuit Accuses MIT of Allowing Antisemitism on Campus

Two Jewish students filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology accusing the university of allowing antisemitism on campus that has resulted in them being intimidated, harassed and assaulted. The lawsuit mirrors similar legal actions filed since …