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Boston Globe
03-07-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
‘They're playing politics with people's lives': Trump's big bill would slash Planned Parenthood's Mass. budget in half
'They're playing politics with people's lives,' said Ireland. 'It saddens me that the legislature does not see the real humans that are being affected by this decision-making.' Advertisement Ireland, a practicing OB/GYN and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, said that in just the past several days, she treated three women with widely different medical needs at the league's clinics. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up One had pre-cancer of the cervix. Another had a sexually transmitted disease that she caught from an unfaithful partner. And a third was about to start a pre-med program at an Ivy League school, got pregnant, and wanted an abortion. 'We provide excellent care based on quality and patient satisfaction and I hate to see that threatened,' Ireland said. The league has four clinics in Boston, Marlborough, Springfield, and Worcester, although abortions are not performed at the one in Marlborough. The clinics provide services such as birth control, Pap smears, breast exams and abortions. Advertisement The league provided 9,462 abortions last year, and more than half of them were achieved using a combination of two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol. Federal law, specifically the 1977 Hyde Amendment, already bans states from using federal Medicaid dollars to pay for abortions. Massachusetts, like more than a dozen mostly blue states, uses its own funds to cover abortions for Medicaid recipients. The legislation that President Trump and Republicans in Congress are pushing would affect federal money that covers other medical services and helps keep clinics running. Michael King, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, an anti-abortion rights group, said there are 'plenty of other clinics that can address those needs' in Massachusetts if Congress approves the Medicaid cuts. He noted that Planned Parenthood said it performed 402,000 abortions nationwide in its 2023-24 annual report, which King called a record number. He also cited a recent study by the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, a think tank that says it applies 'the riches of the Jewish and Christian traditions' to law, culture, and politics. The study found that 11 percent of women who had medication abortions experienced serious adverse complications. This rate, which has been cited by Republican members of Congress, was significantly higher than the less than 0.5 percent rate found in clinical trials by the US Food and Drug Administration. 'If Planned Parenthood clinics closing means that the number of abortions declined, then we are very pleased that the lives of more babies will be saved in Massachusetts,' King said. Critics of the Medicaid cuts, however, said congressional Republicans are using the so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' to knee-cap an organization that they have long opposed. Advertisement Although Planned Parenthood isn't mentioned in the bill, 'all they needed to add was it rhymes with wood or Hollywood,' said Fabiola De Liban, director of sexual and reproductive health at the National Health Law Program, in Los Angeles. Ireland said that if the House approves the bill containing the Medicaid cuts, the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts is committed to keeping the doors of all four clinics open and maintaining services. She said the league might seek to provide other services to bolster income, including vasectomies and treatment for perimenopause, the physical and emotional symptoms that often appear as a woman approaches menopause. Perimenopausal care includes hormone therapy, vaginal creams, and certain medications that can help manage symptoms like hot flashes and mood changes. Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Central Mass. man now facing manslaughter charge in connection with brother's death
A 33-year-old man accused of shooting his brother in a Northbridge home now faces a manslaughter charge, court records show. Christopher Lacour was previously charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the death of his brother, Jonathan, 36. The shooting appeared to be an accident, according to court documents. Police were called to 63 Legion Way at around 11:02 p.m. on May 21. Arriving officers found Jonathan Lacour lying face up on the floor between the living room and the kitchen, covered in blood, a police report filed in Uxbridge District Court reads. Officers found a single shell casing from a Ruger American 9mm semi-automatic handgun at the scene. Jonathan Lacour was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead. During an interview with police, Christopher Lacour acknowledged he pulled the trigger on the gun that ultimately killed his brother, the report reads. Christopher Lacour pleaded not guilty to the charge during an arraignment in Uxbridge District Court, records show. Judge Gerald Lemire released him on personal recognizance. Lemire previously set a $10,000 bail for Lacour on the assault and battery charge. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 16. As Harvard fights Trump admin in court, professors are quietly dropping courses 2 men arrested in connection with shooting near University Park in Worcester Mother dies days after crash in Franklin that killed young daughter PeoplesBank buys naming rights to Hartford arena Thunderbirds, MassMutual partner for 3rd annual Community Caravan Program Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man was drinking from vodka bottle moments before Franklin crash that killed girl, prosecutors say
James Blanchard told police he had two beers while at a landscaping job on Saturday, after working that morning at his job as a mechanic. When he left his landscaping job, he opened a 1.75 liter bottle of Tito's vodka. He began drinking straight out of the bottle and drove home in his truck, prosecutor Christopher Meade said during his arraignment on motor vehicle homicide and other charges in Wrentham District Court on Tuesday. Investigators later found a second, empty 1.75 liter bottle of Tito's in his truck that Blanchard told police was 'from the night before,' Meade said. While driving home around 6:22 p.m. Saturday, Blanchard crashed into a Honda Accord carrying a family of four on Grove Street in Franklin, Meade said. They were going to Blackstone for a family birthday party. A 5-year-old girl, who has not been identified, died following the crash, Meade said. Her mother and brother were taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Her father, the driver of the Honda, was treated and released. Blanchard, 21, of Franklin, was ordered held on $250,000 cash bail following his arraignment Tuesday, with conditions for his release including that he not drive, be alcohol free and submit to alcohol testing. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He is charged with motor vehicle homicide while driving negligently and under the influence of alcohol, three counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing serious bodily injury, negligent driving, driving a motor vehicle with an open container of alcohol, and marked lanes violation, according to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey. Prosecutors said Blanchard does not have a prior criminal record. His driving record shows several speeding infractions, an open container violation, and a couple of previous surchargeable accidents, Meade said. Defense attorney Timothy Flaherty asked the court to impose a lesser amount of $10,000 cash bail, with conditions for his release to include electronic monitoring and that he enter an alcohol rehabilitation center. 'It's probably the right place for this young man at this time,' Flaherty said. 'It's a significant case but significant penalties. But I can tell the court that this young man is not a risk of flight.' Judge Thomas Finigan, citing the severity of the case and the potential for additional charges given the condition of the other passengers, set bail at $250,000, the amount requested by prosecutors. He said he'd revisit the bail amount if the case remains in the district court. Around 6:22 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash at 76 Grove St. When officers arrived, they found a truck in the middle of the road, and a Honda Accord off to the side of the road. Emergency crews performed CPR on a woman and young girl who were outside of the car and seriously injured, Meade said. The mother and daughter and two others were all taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where the girl was later pronounced dead. At the scene, Blanchard, the driver of the truck, had blood on his nose, glassy eyes and was slurring his speech, Meade said. Officers noted an odor of alcohol coming from him. 'His eyes were bloodshot, glassy,' Meade said. 'They asked him if he was OK, he told them he was OK.' Blanchard told the officers he was coming from Plainville where he works. He told officers he didn't remember too much of the crash. When asked by responding officers if he had been drinking, Blanchard initially told them he had not. Officers noted two 1.75 liter handles of vodka and beers inside his truck. They asked Blanchard to submit to a portable breath test, to which he agreed, Meade said. His blood alcohol level came back .19, Meade said, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Massachusetts. While the test was being analyzed, Blanchard told police he had a beer earlier in the day. He was placed under arrest and taken by ambulance to Milton Hospital. Meanwhile, the girl's father, the driver of the Honda Accord, told police that he saw Blanchard's truck coming in his lane and tried to avoid being hit by the truck by turning left, but the crash still happened, Meade said. Witnesses driving behind the Honda Accord told police they saw the Honda suddenly jerk to the left and they saw the crash. The next day, around 11:45 a.m. Sunday, Franklin Police detectives interviewed Blanchard, who agreed to speak with them, Meade said. He told investigators he had worked from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday as a mechanic in Plainville and then stopped by a liquor store in Plainville where he bought a 1.75 Liter of Tito's vodka and a beer. He then told police he went to do landscaping, where he had two beers. When he left he opened the bottle of Tito's and began drinking straight out of it and drove home. 'When asked about the 2 bottles of Tito's in the car, he said the empty one was from the night before and the one that was a quarter full of vodka was the bottle he had bought earlier in the day and was drinking before the crash,' Meade said. Investigators are reviewing surveillance videos from area businesses at the time of the crash, Meade said. Blanchard is due back in court on June 24. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man killed in Northbridge shooting identified as suspect's brother
A man killed in a shooting in Northbridge Wednesday night was identified in court documents as Jonathan Lacour, 36. Lacour was killed by his brother, Christopher, 33, in what appeared to be an accidental shooting. Christopher Lacour is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the shooting. Police were called to 63 Legion Way at around 11:02 p.m. Wednesday. Arriving officers found Jonathan Lacour lying face up on the floor between the living room and the kitchen, covered in blood, a police report filed in Uxbridge District Court reads. Officers found a single shell casing from a Ruger American 9mm semi-automatic handgun at the scene. Jonathan Lacour was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead. During an interview with police, Christopher Lacour acknowledged he pulled the trigger on the gun that ultimately killed his brother, the report reads. Christopher Lacour was ordered held on $10,000 bail at his arraignment. Trump Commerce boss gets put on blast with 'no pain' tariff claim 'Unlawful and unwarranted': Harvard opens 2nd lawsuit against the Trump admin Mass. State Lottery winner: 1st $1M prize claimed in new game Mass. Senate passes dramatic liquor license overhaul. Will the House pass it? Man killed brother in what appears to be accidental shooting in Northbridge home Read the original article on MassLive.
