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Police search for missing 20-year-old Michael Doherty

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He is a white male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall with brown hair and blue eyes, police said.

The Franklin Police Department has released information about a 20-year-old male who went missing early Sunday morning. 

Police say Michael Doherty was last seen on Phyllis Lane around 1:30 a.m. He was wearing a blue tee-shirt with a Nike symbol, black pants and sneakers. 

He is a white male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall with brown hair and blue eyes, police said. 

According to Fox25, Doherty is a graduate of Xavier High School and is currently member of a fraternity at Duke University. A source told Fox25 that the president of Doherty's fraternity will join police when they resume their search later today. 

Police are urging residents to check outside their homes for Doherty, especially near any sheds or detached buildings on their property. 

Anyone with any information regarding the missing boy is asked to call 508-528-1212.


Firefighters reunite stranded ducklings with mother

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To the grateful tune of chirps, ducklings were reunited with their mother by members of the Wilbraham Fire Department. Watch video

To the grateful tune of chirps, ducklings were reunited with their mother by members of the Wilbraham Fire Department. 

Firefighters found 10 stranded ducklings on Friday, May 12 in a drainage area. The baby ducks were carried in a cardboard box to open water where their mother was waiting. 

"Don't worry little guys, no bill for this service," the Wilbraham Fire Department wrote in a post on Facebook about the ducks. 

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Police use Facebook to identify man who 'forgot' where he lived, find 3 warrants for his arrest

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"Officers mutually agreed that not knowing the name of the street on which you live was out of the ordinary," police wrote.

A pair of officers from the Natick Police Department executed some internet detective work over the weekend after a man they pulled over told them he forgot where he lived. 

Police say Officer Melnik and Officer Crisafulli pulled over a vehicle with an expired registration near Field Training. The driver cooperated with police, but the passenger, who was not wearing a seatbelt, could not provide identification for police.

After he gave them his name and birth date, police entered the data in their registry to print a citation. However, the information provided could not be located in their database, police said. 

After having him confirm his name and birthdate, the officers asked him what his address was, but there was a problem: He couldn't remember.

"After some deliberation the officers mutually agreed that not knowing the name of the street on which you live was out of the ordinary," a post on the Natick Police Department's Facebook page read. "A puzzle to be sure, but how does one resolve this riddle? Enter the Internet Police!"

The officers took to Facebook and looked-up the driver of the vehicle. A short review of his profile's friends list led to the profile of his forgetful passenger, police said. 

With this new information, police performed another registry search and found three warrants for the passenger. 

He was subsequently arrested without incident, police said. 

Natick police signed off their Facebook post with an ode to the wisdom of mothers, just in time for Mother's Day:

"You may be asking how this could remind you of your mother. It was her voice, her dulcet tone kept repeating in my head, 'Choose your friends wisely' and if she was with us today she'd be smart enough to add, 'and tell your friend to snap a couple of those privacy settings before you get into trouble.'"

 

4chan's alt-right, antifascist left face off in Boston

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A "free speech" rally in Boston Common intended for supporters of President Donald J. Trump or people who "just hate leftists" prompted a counter-demonstration, tensions, an alleged assault and several arrests over the weekend, reports The Boston Globe.

A "free speech" rally in Boston Common intended for supporters of President Donald J. Trump or people who "just hate leftists" prompted a counter-demonstration, tensions, an alleged assault and several arrests over the weekend, reports The Boston Globe

Both the ralliers and the counter-demonstrators "showed up" Saturday "seemingly prepared for violence," noted The Boston Herald, "many wearing protective sports equipment, goggles and helmets, while others carried flagpoles, umbrellas and sticks."

Boston Free Speech organized the rally, using forums on the website 4chan to promote the gathering.

Used frequently by right-leaning youth, the discussion website features little content controls. Scrolling down the thread announcing the rally, one can find racist and homophobic slurs, images of Adolf Hitler and the ubiquitous Pepe the Frog

The organizers seemed to prepare for a counter-demonstration, advising participants to bring "items that can be used for self-defense" and "helmets, shin guards, goggles, respirators and other body armor."

It also said to "not come" "if you're a skinhead or plan to act like one" and to not "come planning to instigate violence."

The organizers got the counter-demonstration they seemed to seek. 

Boston Antifa called a counter-protest to "fight hatred in Boston," according to a Facebook announcement.

"To onlookers, it looked like the internet, having been brought to life for a day, decided to spend it playing capture the flag in the country's oldest public park," Jacob Siegel wrote of the events in The Daily Beast.


Police quickly organized to form a barrier between the two sides. Much of the demonstration devolved into people on both sides shouting insults into megaphones at opponents across the police line.

Police arrested Salvatore Guytano Cippola, 28, of Oceanside, N.Y., and 19-year-old Elise Hinman, of Clovis, Calif., on charges of fighting in public after an altercation between the two, according to The Herald.

Cippola, who allegedly punched Hinman in the face, identified himself to reporters as a right-wing nationalist member of the group "The Proud Boys," a self-described "Western Chauvinist" organization. 

One 4chan commenter declared the gathering a "waste of time" because police "stood between us and Antifa preventing any confrontation, which most all of us came looking for."


 

Just 21 percent of independents supported President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey

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Revealingly, just 21 percent of independents supported last week's shock firing of James Comey, the first FBI director to be canned by a president since Williams Sessions.

Revealingly, just 21 percent of independents supported last week's shock firing of James Comey, the first FBI director to be canned by a president since Williams Sessions. 

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed 29 percent support and 38 percent disapproval among the general public of the move by President Donald J. Trump.

Coming as it did amid Trump's reported complaints about an FBI investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election, 46 percent of respondents agreed the investigation played a roll in the firing, a view the White House has vehemently denied. 

A huge majority of respondents, meanwhile, supported the appointment of a special prosecutor to continue the Russia investigation, while a meager 15 percent thought Congress should continue to lead it. 

Trump's move enjoyed 58 percent support among registered Republicans and only 8 percent disapproval and almost a mirror reverse among registered Democrats -- 9 percent approval and 66 percent disapproval. 

The president's overall approval rating rests at 39 percent -- a record historical low as compared to prior presidents but unchanged from before the Comey firing.

Greenfield woman, found slumped in rear seat of car at Cumberland Farms, charged with OUI drugs

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The suspect was in possession of over 300 pills, for which she did not have a prescription, police said. The pills have a street value of approximately $3,000.

GREENFIELD -A city woman, found sleeping in the rear seat of a running car at the Federal Street Cumberland Farms early Sunday, was arrested after she was found to be in possession over 300 pills, including Oxycodone and Clonazepam, police said.

Police were summoned to the store shortly after 4:30 a.m.to check on the well-being of a woman found slumped over in the back seat, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

After a brief investigation, police had probable cause to arrest the woman for driving under the influence of drugs.

"The officer located over 300 pills, including crushed pills, on or around her person believed to be Oxycodone and other controlled substances," police stated in the post.

The woman, 32-year-old Jennifer Madsen, 4 Armory St., Apt 2, told police she did not have a prescription for the pills, which have a street value of approximately $3,000.

Madsen was charged with OUI drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a Class C drug (Clonazepam), possession of cocaine, possession of a Class B drug (Methylphenidate), possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute (Oxycodone), trafficking in opium (Oxycodone being a derivative of opium.

Snow on Mother's Day? Snow totals for 17 communities in New England

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Days before temperatures in the 90s are expected in New England, snow was reported in more than a dozen communities.

Women's Fund seeks applicants for $150K in partnership money

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The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts is inviting nonprofits that serve young women to apply as a partner in a three-year pilot program here.

SPRINGFIELD - The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts is inviting nonprofits that serve young women to apply, by midnight June 2, for $150,000 in funds over three years as a partner in a pilot program here designed to help this population succeed economically.

Ellen T. Moorhouse, the fund's program officer, said the fund is seeking proposals from a "Springfield-based organization or collaborative of organizations serving young women to help guide implementation" of its Young Women's Initiative Springfield Partnership.

moorhouse.JPGEllen Moorhouse 

The selected partner will work with the young participants in helping them connect with mentors, identify barriers to success and recommend policy and other solutions.

The fund is a member of a National Collaborative of Young Women's Initiatives under Kalisha Dessources, former policy advisor to the Obama White House Council on Women and Girls.

Moorhouse said the local initiative is following a collective national strategy to "address core structural issues that keep our nation's low-income young women from experiencing robust health, economic security, personal safety, and leadership opportunities."

The YWI's other components here include the Young Women's Advisory Council, consisting of approximate 20 Springfield women, ages 12 through 24, who will be selected through a competitive nomination process, as well as a partnership steering committee comprised of volunteer leaders from business, philanthropy, local and state government, education, and the community.

In December, the fund announced the launch of the public-private initiative funded in part by a $150,000 grant from MassMutual Foundation, a lead supporter of the initiative along with the fund.

Members of the YWI steering committee include Ann Burke, vice president, Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council; Michael Clark, senior advisor and director of strategic engagement, Office of State Senator Eric P. Lesser; Dawn Creighton, western Massachusetts regional director, Associated Industries of Massachusetts; Ernesto Cruz, legislative aide, Rep. Jose F. Tosado, ninth Hampden District; Dawn Forbes DiStefano, chief finance and grants officer, Square One; Pattie Hallberg, chief executive officer, Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts; Denise Hurst, Springfield School Committee; Justin Hurst, at-large member, Springfield City Council; Ronn D. Johnson, president/CEO, MLK Family Services; Lydia E. Martinez-Alvarez, assistant superintendent, Springfield Public Schools; Rachel A. Parent, vice president and MassMutual U.S. chief of staff at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; Suzanne Parker, executive director, Girls Inc - Holyoke; Marian Sullivan, communications director, Springfield Office of the Mayor; Samantha Washburn-Baronie, deputy director, Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Office of Economic Empowerment; and Sarah Williams, vice president of Global Capital Risk, MassMutual.

For two decades, the fund, which, in April, relocated from a mill complex in Easthampton, where it had been for 17 years, to 276 Bridge St. in downtown Springfield, has allocated grants through philanthropy to partners whose programs work toward ending gender inequality and empowering young women. It also runs a 10-month leadership institute.

It recently formed a partnership with Longmeadow's Bay Path University designed to give participants in the fund's leadership institute access to college credits and online education.

In establishing a YWI here to help women, particularly women of color, remain in the area and improve their economic prospects, the fund quoted data showing that a majority of Springfield residents are people of color, more than 30 percent are under 20 years old and that single mothers head two out of every five families.

Irma V. Gonzalez, who became interim chief executive officer of the fund when Elizabeth Barajas-Roman, stepped down in April, said the fund is "looking forward to working closely with a local young-woman-serving organization to create a leadership and mentoring program that empowers Springfield's young women to identify obstacles and propose solutions that support their futures."

Applicants interested in partnering with the YWI are advised before submitting their proposal to contact Moorhouse at (413) 529-0087 ext. 113, or email emoorhouse@mywomensfund.org

According to grant requirements, non-profit organizations submitting proposals must be located in Springfield and/or conduct 50 percent or more of their program work for the benefit of women and girls in the city.

Other project requirements are listed below:
In close collaboration with the fund and the steering committee, the nonprofit partner (or collaborative group of partners) will lead and facilitate the Young Women's Advisory Council, including:


  • Reach out to nonprofits in other YWI localities to learn from and build on YWAC projects already underway;

  • Conduct listening tours or focus groups to identify the most significant barriers to economic prosperity that young women in Springfield face;

  • Co-manage a competitive citywide nomination and selection process to create a cohort of 15 to 20 young women ages 12 to 24;

  • Design and deliver a year-long leadership and mentoring program that enables participants to examine systemic barriers, explore solutions, and make policy and funding recommendations to build pathways to economic prosperity for themselves, their families, and their community;

  • Facilitate a week-long orientation program and twice-monthly meetings;

  • Link participants to mentoring and networking opportunities with steering committee members and other community resources;

  • Support participants in sharing their learning with school and peer communities by launching philanthropy clubs or hosting workshops;

  • Work with external evaluators to identify outcomes and develop and implement an ongoing assessment plan that tracks progress and demonstrates impact; and

  • Serve on the YWI steering committee to help to communicate with other partners, funders and the general public about program goals and anticipated outcomes.



Should political candidates be required to release their tax returns? Question could be coming to 2018 ballot

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Should political candidates be required to release their personal tax returns? That question could end up on the 2018 ballot as Donald Trump refuses to release his returns.

Should political candidates be required to release their personal tax returns? That question could end up on the 2018 ballot.

Quincy attorney Thomas Kiley has set up a "Committee for Campaign Transparency," which plans to push for requiring "candidates to file copies of their personal tax returns in order to qualify for election." The filing establishing the committee does not specify whether that includes presidential, statewide, or local candidates, or all of the above.

Kiley, a former assistant attorney general who has worked on multiple ballot questions, including the recent one legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Massachusetts, said creating the committee is the "first step" and they're still working on the contours of the question.

The ballot question's legal language has to be submitted to the state attorney general's office in August 2017, kicking off a lengthy process that involves, in part, gathering signatures in order to get the question placed before voters.

The make-up of the committee behind the question also remains a mystery for now, though when the language is submitted to the attorney general, ten signers are required.

So far, Kiley -- who has also worked as attorney for Beacon Hill lawmakers like former House Speaker Sal DiMasi -- is the only one listed on the document creating the committee. The Boston Herald first noted the creation of the committee.

Separately, Massachusetts lawmakers have filed a bill that would require presidential candidates to release tax returns before they can get on the statewide ballot.

The bill is in response to President Donald Trump, who on the campaign trail repeatedly said he would release his tax returns and then repeatedly failed to follow through.

"It would uphold a tradition that until 2016 and Donald Trump came along had been standard practice for candidates for both parties," state Sen. Michael Barrett, a Democrat, told MassLive.com earlier this year.

Groups of voters sometimes file a ballot question in order to push Beacon Hill lawmakers to act on legislation, and when the lawmakers fail to do so, they sometimes place the question on the ballot.

The 2018 ballot is expected to feature the Massachusetts race for governor and US Senate. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, is running for another six-year term, and Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to mount his own re-election effort.

Activists are also pushing to place on the ballot a surtax on household incomes above $1 million.

Massachusetts lawmaker would require presidential candidates to release tax returns

Conn. State Police charge Chicopee man with OUI, driving wrong direction on I-91

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Thomas Trudell was stopped after a trooper spotted him driving south in the northbound lane.

WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT - A 28-year-old Chicopee man is under arrest and charged with drunken driving after police stopped him while he was driving the wrong way on Interstate 91 just south of Bradley International Airport late Sunday night, according to Connecticut State Police.

514 csp chicopee.pngThomas Trudell 

Thomas Trudell is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, improper entry onto a limited access highway, and failure to drive in an established lane.

He was arrested at about 11:15 p.m. Sunday on I-91 near exit 40, the junction ramp connecting the highway with route 20 near Bradley International Airport.

According to police, a trooper heading north on I-91 spotted Trudell driving the wrong way on the junction ramp and heading directly at him. 

The trooper was able to stop the car in the right breakdown lane of I-91 before it could continue down the highway in the wrong direction.

Trudell failed a field sobriety test at the scene and taken into custody. He was released on a $500 surety bond is due at Enfield Superior Court on May 22.

Chicopee Comprehensive High senior creates charity to help cancer patients with schoolwork

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Vidhi Patel hopes to continue her charity when she heads to the University of Massachusetts Amherst this fall.

CHICOPEE - When her older cousin fell ill with non-Hodgkin lymphoma years ago, Vidhi Patel watched as he struggled to keep up with schoolwork while being treated for cancer.

"He had to miss school for months," she said. "It was hard to know what was happening in your subjects and you miss out on your friends and after-school activities."

vidhi.jpgVidhi Patel 

Her cousin, who was 12 at the time, is now healthy and a college student. But seeing him trying to balance schoolwork while he was ill left a lasting impression on her.

Now the 17-year-old Comprehensive High School senior is developing a charity, called Cancer Patient Succeed, to help children like her cousin keep up with their education while fighting illness.

Her first move is to collect donations of school supplies to create baskets filled with the materials students need while trying to study outside school. She is working with schoolmates, friends and family to collect donations of materials, as well as using some of her own money to buy supplies.

Patel soon hopes to start handing the baskets out at hospitals and clinics to children who need them.

"I need binders and notebooks and crayons and other things depending on the age of the children. I would have some toys in there, stuff to make it fun," she said.

Anyone interested in contributing to the project can contact Patel at vidhip99@gmail.com. 

As time continues, Patel would like to expand the charity to connect volunteer tutors with students who need some extra help with their schoolwork.

"A student talking to another student is the best, I think," she said.

Patel would know, since she volunteered for some time to tutor her neighbor's children a few years ago.

Patel is heading to the University of Massachusetts Amherst after her June graduation to study political science, and eventually she plans to go to law school. While in college she said she wants to continue to develop the charity and start a program to get students to volunteer as tutors for cancer patients.

Now she is starting to contact hospitals and other medical facilities to see how to deliver the school supplies and find out how to set up a tutoring program.

"There is a reason this girl is winning scholarships," Guidance Counselor Robin Kenney-Bineau said. "She is a good kid and a hard worker and she deserves all the accolades."

This week Patel was surprised with a $1,500 college scholarship from Berkshire Bank because of her good grades and volunteer efforts.

"One of her traits is she is very modest. I did not learn about her charity until she was applying for scholarships," Kenney-Bineau said.

Along with working to create the charity, Patel is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Council and was named to the school's Student Leadership Team. She also was a member of the track team in her freshman year and helped her father at his store.

She is the daughter of Raju and Usha Patel and has a brother, Pratham Patel, who is finishing his freshman year at Comprehensive High.

Suspects who broke into Whately market unsuccessfully attempted to break into ATM, state police say

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he suspects broke into Muffin's General Market, 28 State Road, early Sunday, Western Mass News reported.

WHATELY - One or more suspects who broke into Muffin's General Market early Sunday attempted break into an ATM inside but were unsuccessful, state police said.

The suspects broke into the store, 28 State Road, about 12:30 a.m., Western Mass News reported.

Those with information are asked to call state police in the Northampton barracks, 413-584-3000.

Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.


State police announce Hampden County sobriety checkpoint

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The Massachusetts State Police announced they intend to conduct a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in Hampden County on this weekend.

The Massachusetts State Police announced they intend to conduct a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in Hampden County this weekend.

The checkpoint will be held late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. The exact location was not disclosed.

The state police conduct periodic checkpoints throughout the state to look for drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol. State police say such checkpoints are operated during varied hours and that the selection of vehicles is not arbitrary.

The announcement of the event is made in advance by the state police as a way of minimizing any inconvenience, anxiety or fear on the part of drivers.

The checkpoints are funded by a grant from the Highway Safety Division of the state Executive Office of Public Security and Safety.

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Springfield Police to honor fallen officers with memorial service on Wednesday

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The annual memorial is planned for 3:45 p.m. in front of the police headquarters on Pearl Street.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Police Department on Wednesday will conduct its annual memorial service for officers killed in the line of duty.

The ceremony, planned for Police Headquarters at 130 Pearl St., is scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m.

It will consist of a short program including brief remarks by selected speakers, the laying of a wreath at the fallen officers memorial, and a ceremonial rollcall of fallen officers.

The event is open to the public.

"We are hoping that many citizens that work and live in Springfield will take the time out of their busy day to support the men and women in blue that protect them every single day," said police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney.

Suzanne Hardy sentenced in Brimfield crash that killed young brothers

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A jury on May 11 found Hardy guilty on four charges in connection with a June 20, 2014 crash in Brimfield that killed two of her passengers: Dylan Riel, 4, and Jayce Garcia, 1. Watch video

UPDATE, 1:54 p.m.: 


SPRINGFIELD -- Suzanne Hardy will serve one year in jail for the 2014 Brimfield crash that killed two young brothers.

Judge Richard J. Carey sentenced hardy Monday to a total of 2 1/2 years in jail. The judge ordered Hardy to serve one year, with the rest suspended with probation.

Hardy will serve her sentence at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee.

She also has a 51-day credit on her sentence for time she served before released while awaiting trial. 

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth asked Carey to sentence Hardy to 12 to 15 years in state prison followed by three years probation.

A jury on May 11 found Hardy guilty on four charges in connection with a June 20, 2014 crash in Brimfield that killed two of her passengers: Dylan Riel, 4, and Jayce Garcia, 1, both of Southbridge.

Hardy, 24, of Holland, was Dylan's aunt; her brother was Dylan's father.

The convictions included two counts of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation -- one count for Dylan and one for Jayce.


This is a developing story that will be updated.

39-year-old Reading man killed after attack in Lynn; Authorities believe victim was struck with brick

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The killing of a Reading man after an assault in Lynn remains under investigation. The victim appears to have been attacked with a brick, authorities said.

The killing of a 39-year-old Reading man, who appears to have been fatally struck with a brick, remains under investigation after an assault in Lynn Sunday morning.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office said two men were attacked while walking on Blake Street in Lynn around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The 39-year-old victim was taken to a Boston hospital where he died Monday morning.

"Police believe he had been struck with a brick," the district attorney's office said.  The victim's name has not been released.

Authorities said the two men assaulted the victims. The second victim was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.

No arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon. State and local police continue to investigate the killing and assault.

 

Why is the CIA telling jokes on Twitter? MIT researcher sues intelligence agency for social media records

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Amy Johnson has filed a federal lawsuit to force the CIA to turn over information on its Twitter account.

Here's a joke: How long does it take the CIA to respond to a public records request?

Amy Johnson, an anthropologist and MIT PHD candidate, studies how government agencies use social media - and particularly, the rare cases when agencies abandon the stilted tenor of formal communication in favor of the jokes and casual tone typical of Twitter and Facebook posts.

So when the CIA created an official Twitter account in 2014 and began making jokes about Tupac and shouting out Ellen DeGeneres, Johnson was intrigued. She filed a Freedom of Information Act request for details on the intelligence agency's social media policies.

But when they responded, Johnson didn't like the punchline.

"The basic experience of it was a lot of delays," she said in an interview. "I was asking for something I think should have been really simple and rather small. It was baffling what was going on."

It has been two and a half years since Johnson made her legal request for CIA records. And with the agency continually delaying its response, and refusing to hear any appeals, she has filed a lawsuit in federal court in an effort to force disclosure.

The suit, filed with the help of the Boston University School of Law Technology and Cyberlaw Clinic, demands that the CIA provide Johnson with emails between the agency and Twitter discussing the @CIA Twitter account, any social media training documents and a list of applications used by the account.

Andy Sellars, the BU School of Law attorney assisting Johnson with the lawsuit, said Johnson's records request had been delayed nearly nine times the average response time for the agency. The CIA's professional discretion bled over into its handling of the request, Sellars said; the public records officer he spoke to at first would not even give his name.

"I had probably four conversations with him before I learned his name is Anthony," Sellars said. "You call for a status, they say it's in progress, you ask if they can elaborate, they say no."

The CIA did not immediatley return a request for comment.

The records, if the lawsuit is successful, would fill the final gap in Johnson's dissertation, which she is scheduled to complete for her graduation from MIT this June.

Johnson first began studying humor on social media during the Arab Spring, when she noticed parody accounts on Twitter beginning to comment on the upheaval in the Arab world. When she began her graduate studies on MIT, she began to focus on how governments were adapting to the loose, conversational humor of the internet.

NASA's accounts for its rovers, which are lighthearted and written in the first person, drew her attention - as did the CIA's unexpectedly sassy entry to Twitter in 2014.

The nation's foreign intelligence service launched its Twitter presence with a self-referential nod to the agency's secrecy about its activities.

A month later, the @CIA account tweeted answers to five of the "top questions" received by the agency from the public. Those answers included a reference to Tupac, the legendary rapper whose death in a 1996 drive-by shooting has been the subject of two decades of speculation and conspiracy theories:

An appeal for a selfie to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres:

And a joking reminder that the CIA cannot unlock your electronic devices for you:

"It was very weird," Johnson said. "There were these five questions that appeared on this page that were clearly very snarky, funny and well geared to social media. But strange in coming from the CIA."

The CIA's Twitter outburst drew international media attention - some of it appreciative, and some thoroughly unamused. Slate dubbed the posts "too glib," and Australia's Sydney Morning Herald asked if someone was drunk-tweeting from the agency's account. PR Week reported that the posts were the work of small digital team overseen by a single officer in the CIA's office of public affairs.

"The vast majority of our posts are educational - both in tone and content - but we're attempting to do this in a manner consistent with the culture of these various social media platforms, which includes the occasional light-hearted or humorous posting," CIA spokeswoman Kali Caldwell said in a statement to PR Week.

The CIA'a Twitter experiments fit neatly within Johnson's research into how government agencies communicate with the public. So on Dec. 19, 2014, Johnson filed a FOIA request, asking the CIA for details on its social media policies and correspondence with Twitter.

"It is rare for a federal agency - especially an agency whose duties are so serious - to employ a humorous tone when communicating with the public. This makes the CIA's decision to do so a matter of both public and academic interest, especially for scholars in the humanities," her lawsuit says. "The decision to use humor as a communicative technique has also been the subject of public criticism, as it can be seen to reaffirm a common fear that the agency is too cavalier and reckless in its activities."

The CIA acknowledged receiving the request on Jan. 30, 2015, but Johnson did not receive any further response until March 23, according to her legal complaint. The CIA estimated that it would complete the request by Sept. 10. On Sept. 21, after not hearing anything from the agency, Johnson asked about the status of her request - and was told it would not be ready until Feb. 9, 2016.

She still received no reply and filed an administrative appeal with the agency in May of last year, according to the complaint. But the agency argued that she could not file an appeal because her request was still pending and had not been formally denied.

Johnson's frustrations with the agency were compounded by what the lawsuit alleges is evidence of unusual delays, based on FOIA statistics released in the agency's annual report. Those figures showed that 5,389 requests had been processed between Sept. 1, 2015 and Oct. 31, 2016, the complaint says.

"Based on Ms. Johnson's estimated place in the queue, this would mean that approximately 4,000 requests that had been received after Ms. Johnson's request had been processed, in violation of the CIA's first-in, first-out policy," the lawsuit says.

Sellars, Johnson's attorney in the case, said the agency told them FOIA requests are routed into different departments, but then refused to provide more details.

"We don't know which department she's in, we don't know if her request is being held up longer in the department," Sellars said. "She's been held up almost nine times past the average response time."

After requests for explanations of the delays went unanswered, Johnson filed her lawsuit on May 4. She hopes the legal action might pressure the CIA into giving her the documents, two and a half years after her initial request - and less than two months before she graduates from MIT.

"It would be great if the US Attorney's office said to the CIA, why don't you just give them the documents?" Johnson said. "That would be the great ideal."

Springfield-based MassMutual celebrates 166th birthday with a new logo

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MassMutual was founded in 1851 here in Springfield where it is still headquartered.

SPRINGFIELD --  MassMutual unveiled a newly refreshed brand Monday to celebrate its 166th birthday.

The company said its new branding strategy celebrates the gift of interdependence.

 

The logo features the letter M spelled out in dots. MassMutual changed logos Monday at its headquarters on State Street and its offices in Enfield. The old logo is down from the MassMutual-owned Tower Square office tower on Main Street. The MassMutual name remains on the building, however.

Johannes Leonardo advertising agency in New York City did strategy and creative work on the campaign. The Working Assembly, also of New York, design studio, did the logo and Giant Spoon marketing agency of New York and Los Angeles did the media work, MassMutal said. 

MassMutual has about 7,200 employees in Springfield and Enfield, Connecticut. 

The brand refresh includes a multi-channel advertising campaign, updated logo, and dramatically revamped website.

"Since 1851, MassMutual has been guided by our founding principle--we are people coming together to look out for one another," said Gareth Ross, MassMutual Chief Digital and Customer Experience Officer in a news release.  "We know people are inherently reliant on one another, whether that's at home, in the workplace or in the community.  Our new positioning celebrates these relationships, underscoring that when we depend on each other, we are not only more secure--but life is also happier and more fulfilling."

MassMutual said that its new brand recognizes that while the world celebrates independence, true happiness comes from our reliance on one another. It also seeks to inspire people to see themselves as part of something bigger and to Live Mutual.

The idea of interdependence is a tool MassMutual is using to get Americans to think about their financial future.

American expectations about interdependence continue to evolve, MassMutual said. Nearly one-third, 32 percent, of young adults 18-34 now live at home with their parents, and only one-third of baby boomers are confident they will have enough money to last through their retirement, MasMutual said.

Millennials are the largest living generation and the biggest group in the workforce but they are burdened with more than $1.3 trillion in student loan debt, MassMutual said.

Low bar set for President Trump's first overseas trip, Sen. Elizabeth Warren says

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The bar is so low for President Donald Trump's overseas trip that Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she just hopes he avoids an "international incident." Watch video

The bar is so low for President Donald Trump's overseas trip that Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she just hopes he avoids an "international incident."

Trump leaves later this week for his first trip abroad as president, swinging through Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican. He then heads to Sicily and Brussels.

"I'm always concerned about what Donald Trump is going to do," Warren told reporters on Monday after a tour of Cambridge Health Alliance's Malden Care Center.

"I'd like to start with his not producing an international incident," Warren said.

Maybe the bar is already pretty low for a successful trip, the lawmaker said, but "I'd like to not see something bad happen, maybe is the place I want to start."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Trump's national security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters last week, "President Trump understands that America first does not mean America alone. To the contrary, prioritizing American interests means strengthening alliances and partnerships that help us extend our influence and improve the security of the American people."

On Monday, reporters asked Warren on North Korea's latest missile launch.

Did North Korea test-fire a new type of missile? 500-mile flight raises suspicions

"The Trump administration clearly has not figured out a policy in dealing with North Korea. It insisted on bringing all of the senators to the White House a few weeks ago, and as we walked out, even the Republican senators were saying 'I have no idea what policy they're pursuing at this point,'" Warren said.

"And I think what they're doing is provoking North Korea but not with any strategy about how to respond and reduce the risks that North Korea presents," she said. "But it's a complicated problem, I want to be clear about that. And it's clearly a problem that intersects with North Korea, and China and the United States."

In a statement over the weekend, White House spokesman Sean Spicer called North Korea a "flagrant menace."

"South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us," he said. "The United States maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.  Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea."

Former intelligence chief: Democracy 'under assault' from Trump, Russia

Serial naked guy or multiple naked guys? Northampton police unsure after two exposure incidents reported

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Police say they're unsure whether the city is dealing with a serial naked guy or multiple naked guys after women reported two instances of exposure over recent weeks, both near downtown.

Police say they're unsure whether Northampton is dealing with a serial naked guy or multiple naked guys after three women reported two instances of exposure over recent weeks. 

"It's hard to tell," said Northampton Police Capt. John Cartledge. "Both were in the general downtown area, but I don't know that we've connected the two."

He added, "These are tough (to police) because they're so random."

The most recent report, according to Northampton police logs, came in Saturday night just before 11 p.m.

A 26-year-old woman reported seeing a stark naked man on run "from the area of the post office to underneath the (Pioneer Valley Transit Authority) bus stop structure" on Bridge Street.

Two woman reported the first incident on May 5, when again, a fully naked man appeared and then ran off. It allegedly occurred nearby, on Gothic Street.

Cartledge said police take the reports seriously. 

"The midnight shift may have some more undercover-type operations -- like getting out there in plainclothes or unmarked vehicles. Certainly it's something we're going to be looking into through the detective bureau and the overnight shift as well."

All three women described the suspect as a white male with dark brown hair. 

If apprehended, the suspect or suspects will either face charges of indecent exposure or open and gross lewdness, Cartledge said. 

 
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