CBS Miami and Neighbors 4 Neighbors are partnering with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) to launch an emergency relief campaign for families impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.

The initiative, called Hope 4 Venezuela, is collecting both monetary donations and essential supplies to help communities affected by the disaster. 

The campaign is accepting non-perishable food, hygiene products, baby items and clothing, with donated goods being collected at Global Empowerment Mission's distribution center in Doral, located at 1850 NW 84th Ave., Suite 100.

Financial donations can be made through the Neighbors 4 Neighbors website or by using the QR code featured on CBS Miami broadcasts and the station's social media platforms.

The relief effort builds on a longstanding partnership between CBS Miami and Neighbors 4 Neighbors, which have worked together on numerous disaster response initiatives.

"For decades, CBS Miami, in partnership with Neighbors 4 Neighbors, has worked tirelessly to help communities affected by tragedy. Now our brothers and sisters in Venezuela need our help," said CBS Miami Vice President/News Director Miguel Fernandez. "We ask our South Florida community to come together in this time of need to help those affected in Venezuela."

Neighbors 4 Neighbors President and CEO Katy Meagher said: "For more than 34 years, Neighbors 4 Neighbors has stood beside communities during times of crisis, providing hope, resources and support when they are needed most."

For more information about the Hope 4 Venezuela campaign or to make a donation, visit Neighbors 4 Neighbors.

Read's first trial, which started in April 2024 at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, ended months later in a mistrial due to a "starkly divided" hung jury. 

After months of additional pretrial hearings following the mistrial, jury selection in Read's second trial began on April 1, 2025. The jury got the case and began deliberations on June 13, 2025.

Read was accused of hitting O'Keefe with her SUV in 2022 and leaving him to die. Defense attorneys argued she was the victim of an elaborate cover-up and was being framed by a group of people that included law enforcement.

Here is a look at the timeline of events in the Karen Read investigation and trials.

January 29, 2022 – the night John O'Keefe died

Shortly after midnight: Karen Read, John O'Keefe and a group of friends went to the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton on the night of January 28, 2022. According to prosecutors, Read consumed several alcoholic beverages. Read drove O'Keefe to the home of Boston police officer Brian Albert. That is where police said people from the bar were meeting back up. 

1 a.m.:  Court documents later revealed that in the weeks before and even the hours leading up to the night out, text messages between Read and O'Keefe as well as voicemails showed a strained relationship. Investigators said that around 1 a.m. on January 29, Read allegedly left O'Keefe a voicemail that said "...you are a f------ loser, f--- yourself" and "John, I f------ hate you."

4-5 a.m. – At 4:23 a.m. while heavy snow was falling, O'Keefe's niece called Jennifer McCabe, Brian Albert's sister-in-law and a friend of O'Keefe's. She said Read was "distraught" because O'Keefe had not come home and was not answering his cellphone. According to court documents, McCabe said she heard Read screaming "John didn't come home. We had a fight." Around 5 a.m. Read called another woman whose husband was friends with O'Keefe. Prosecutors alleged that Read said while they searched "What if he's dead? What if a plow hit him? … I don't remember anything from last night, we drank so much I don't remember anything."

5:07 a.m. – Read, McCabe, and the third woman went to look for O'Keefe. Prosecutors said Read mentioned to the women that she had a crack in her tail light and wondered if she could have hit O'Keefe. At 5:07 a.m., a surveillance camera at O'Keefe's house shows Read's SUV coming "extremely close" to O'Keefe's SUV in the driveway. Prosecutors say no tail light pieces were found in the driveway. Read's defense argues the vehicle did strike the SUV, breaking the tail light and providing an explanation for damage to SUV.

6 a.m. – Around 6 a.m., Read sees O'Keefe lying in the snow outside Brian Albert's home. An emergency responder said that while hysterical and inconsolable, Read repeatedly says "I hit him. I hit him." The defense argues that one of the first responding officers from Canton police gave "false and deceptive testimony" to the grand jury that would later indict Read.

January 29, 2022 – Prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that at some point the morning O'Keefe was killed, someone googled "hos (sic) long to die in cold." The sides disagree on when the search was made. Prosecutors say the search happened at 6:23 a.m. and 6:24 a.m. after O'Keefe's body was found. The defense says a federal forensic expert determined the search was made at 2:27 a.m., before police were alerted that O'Keefe's body had been found.

How did John O'Keefe die?

January 29, 2022 – Police say they found a broken cocktail glass and pieces of tail light at the scene. A forensic toxicologist estimated that Read's blood alcohol content (BAC) would have been around .13-.29 around 12:45 a.m., more than the legal limit.

January 31, 2022 – An autopsy is completed on O'Keefe. Prosecutors said the medical examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt impact injuries to the head and hypothermia. They say the medical examiner did not find "any obvious signs of an altercation or a fight."

Karen Read arrested

February 2, 2022 – Read appears in Stoughton District Court for the first time, pleading not guilty to manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing death.

June 10, 2022 – A Norfolk County grand jury indicts Karen Read on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. Read is arraigned on the new charges in O'Keefe's death. She pleaded not guilty in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham and was ordered held on $100,000 bail. Read made bail and was released.

Karen Read's defense claims she was framed

May 3, 2023 - Defense attorneys Alan Jackson and David Yannetti allege that O'Keefe was involved in a fight inside Brian Albert's home. They claim O'Keefe was beaten and his body was later dumped outside. Jackson and Yannetti focused on wounds to O'Keefe's arms, which they said showed he was attacked by Albert's dog during the fight.

"This is not just fishing," Jackson said during the May 3 hearing. "We've got a fish on the hook, we just need the court to help us reel it in." Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally argued that O'Keefe never went in the home and added "There is no evidence that Mr. O'Keefe was beaten and left for for dead."

May 24, 2023 – During a pretrial hearing, Read's attorneys laid out what they allege to be a cover-up by law enforcement. 

"Certainly the Massachusetts State Police is involved. There are people that were in that house that are involved," Jackson said. "Brian Albert is involved. Jennifer McCabe is involved. The rest of the folks that were in that house, there's some level of involvement by every one of them. Every single one of them. We're not going to rest until we get to the bottom of exactly who's behind this cover-up. Not only Karen Read deserves this. John O'Keefe deserves this, and has deserved this from moment one. And that's why they're not going to rest."

Following the dramatic hearing, Read spoke to reporters for the first time. 

"We know who did it. We know. And we know who spearheaded this cover-up. You all know," Read said on the courthouse steps. "I tried to save his life. I tried to save his life at 6 in the morning, I was covered in his blood. I was the only one trying to save his life."

Courtroom battles over evidence

August 1, 2023 – Judge Beverly Cannone denied a prosecution request for a gag order in the case. The Norfolk District Attorney's office had asked for the gag order saying witnesses were being harassed. Yannetti countered by saying it was prosecutors who are "controlling the narrative."

August 25, 2023 – Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey released a video statement slamming what he described as "absolutely baseless" harassment of witnesses in the case. 

"Conspiracy theories are not evidence," Morrissey said. "The idea that multiple police departments, EMTs, Fire personnel, the medical examiner, and the prosecuting agency are joined in, or taken in by, a vast conspiracy should be seen for what it is - completely contrary to the evidence and a desperate attempt to re-assign guilt."

Why was "Turtleboy" arrested?

October 11, 2023 – Aidan Kearney, the blogger who operates the site "Turtleboy News," was arrested on charges of witness intimidation related to the Karen Read case. Kearney had been covering the case for months, often recording himself confronting witnesses. His defense attorney told the judge that Kearney was exercising his First Amendment right.

December 26, 2023 – A judge revoked Kearney's bail amid new assault and battery charges. Kearney allegedly went to his ex-girlfriend's home, demanded to see her phone, then shoved her during a confrontation. Kearney remained in jail for nearly two months but was later released on personal recognizance.

Evidence under scrutiny

February 22, 2024 – In court filings, prosecutors said they have DNA evidence recovered from a broken tail light that implicates Read in O'Keefe's death. They said the tail light is the same material from Read's SUV, and that the DNA matched O'Keefe's. They also said broken tail light material was found on O'Keefe's clothing.

March 12, 2024 – Read's defense team said that a federal investigation into the case led to an FBI expert concluding that evidence does not support the theory that O'Keefe died after being hit by an SUV. 

"The damage on the car was inconsistent with having made contact with John O'Keefe's body. In other words, the car didn't hit him, and he wasn't hit by the car," Jackson said. Prosecutors disagreed, accusing Read's attorney of "defense by obfuscation."

March 13, 2024 – In a brief statement, Massachusetts State Police said they have opened an internal investigation into "a potential violation of department policy" by Trooper Michael Proctor, who was the lead investigator in the case. Police did not say what prompted the investigation, but said he remains on full duty. Read's defense attorneys said the federal investigation showed Proctor hid personal ties to people involved in the case. In a statement, Proctor's attorney Michael DiStefano denied any wrongdoing.

"Trooper Proctor has been fully cooperative in responding to the investigations conducted by the US Attorney's Office and the Massachusetts State Police Internal Affairs Unit," DiStefano said. "To be clear, Trooper Proctor remains steadfast in the integrity of the work he performed investigating the death of Mr. John O'Keefe. To the extent that Trooper Proctor's personal text messages are alluded to in court proceedings regarding Ms. Read, he respectfully submits that the objective investigative steps he and members of his unit took are in no way undermined by the content of the personal messages."

Karen Read murder trial takes center stage

March 26, 2024 – Judge Cannone denied a defense motion to dismiss the case. Cannone said she was denying the motion due to "extensive evidence supporting the indictments."

April 12, 2024 – During the final pretrial hearing in the case, Cannone heard 30 different motions on which she had to rule, listening to arguments from both sides on many of them. 

Among them was an argument by Read's attorneys that they should be able to make a third-party culprit defense during the trial. They say Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Brian Higgins, all of whom were present at the party John O'Keefe was at the night he died, could have killed O'Keefe. 

Prosecutor Lally called it a "fanciful story," but told the judge "there's actually no actual evidence."

Jury selection begins

April 16, 2024 – Karen Read's second-degree murder trial began with jury selection. A total of four jurors were added on the first day.

April 17, 2024 – Jury selection continued for a second day, with seven more jurors added. 

April 17, 2024 – A third day of jury selection wrapped without a full jury seated. Two more jurors were added, but one from a previous day was excused, bringing the total number of jurors seated so far to 12. 

April 24, 2024 – A jury was seated on the fifth day of jury selection over the course more than a week. The trial is scheduled to last 6-8 weeks once a jury is seated.

Testimony underway

April 29, 2024 – Opening statments and testimony got underway with the first witnesses called. John O'Keefe's brother Paul and his wife Erin were the first two on the stand. Canton police officer Steve Saraf also began his testimony. Prosecutors showed video from Saraf's dashboard camera as he arrived on scene.

April 30, 2024 – A Canton paramedic who treated John O'Keefe the day he died testified that he heard a woman saying "I hit him, I hit him." Read's defense team argued that the man's testimony has changed over time.

May 2, 2024 – Four paramedics and firefighters testified about what they heard Read say the morning O'Keefe's body was found.

May 6, 2024 – Jurors heard the 911 calls from the day O'Keefe's body was found. Police who responded to the scene testified as well on the fifth day of testimony.

May 7, 2024 – Several Canton police officers testified about their handling of the crime scene. Among them was Sgt. Michael Lank, who Read's defense team argued had personal connections to the home where John O'Keefe's body was found in 2022.

May 10, 2024 – There was a pause in the trial as Judge Cannone heard arguments about whether Aidan Kearney, who publishes as "Turtleboy" for his site, TB Daily News, should be allowed in the courtroom. He is facing charges of witness intimidation involving people in the Read case. The judge ruled that Kearney must leave the courtroom when certain witnesses take the stand.

Also that day, retired Boston police officer Brian Albert took the stand. He owned the home where O'Keefe's body was found. Albert testified that O'Keefe and Read never entered his home the night of the incident. 

May 14, 2024 – A woman who was at Brian Albert's Fairview Road home the night O'Keefe died said she saw a "black blob" in the lawn as she was leaving. The defense called it a "made-up story."

May 15, 2024 – Allie McCabe, a prosecution witness, broke down in tears on the stand describing harassment in the case. Colin Albert, who the defense claims could have been involved in a fight that killed O'Keefe, was also called as a witness.

May 16, 2024 – Colin Albert finished his testimony with cross-examination that focused on what defense attorneys claim is a history of violent behavior. 

May 17, 2024 – Jennifer McCabe, a key witness in the case, took the stand. She was with Read the morning O'Keefe's body was found. McCabe testified that Read asked her to Google how long it would take someone to die in the cold. Defense attorneys argue the search actually happened before O'Keefe's body was found. Court ended for the day before Read's attorneys began to cross-examine McCabe.

May 21, 2024 – Jennifer McCabe was back on the stand, this time for several hours of contentious cross-examination by Alan Jackson. This day marked the first time Kearney's "Turtleboy" site has been directly referenced. 

Jennifer McCabe said defense attorney Alan Jackson had put the information out on social media, but Jackson said he had not. "I'm sorry. Turtleboy did," the witness responded. Earlier in the day, Jennifer McCabe referred to Kearney as "some named blogger that I think the defense is very familiar with."

May 24, 2024 – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Brian Higgins was on the stand. Prosecutors presented "flirty" text messages he and Read shared in the weeks leading up to O'Keefe's death. Defense attorneys have said Higgins is one of three men they claim could have been responsible for killing O'Keefe during a fight.

May 28, 2024 – Brian Higgins completed his testimony. Other witnesses were called, including O'Keefe's niece and nephew. They testified about a strained relationship between Read and O'Keefe. 

June 3, 2024 – Testimony focused on broken taillight pieces that were found at the scene of O'Keefe's death.

June 5, 2024 – Several videos were played that prosecutors say show Read drinking numerous cocktails in the hours before O'Keefe died. They also focused on what they say was a broken taillight in Read's SUV. 

June 6, 2024 – Defense attorney Alan Jackson told reporters that Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, who Read's attorneys have tried to show could have planted evidence to help friends who are witnesses in the case, will take the stand as a witness for the prosecution. There had been uncertainty when and how Proctor would testify, as he is listed on the defense and prosecution's witness lists. Proctor is currently under investigation by Massachusetts State Police for his conduct in the case, though the specific reason is not known and he has denied wrongdoing. It is not yet known when Proctor will take the stand.

The same day as Jackson's comments, Judge Beverly Cannone told jurors "I can safely say that you will get this case for your deliberation sometime in the last week in June."

June 10, 2024 – Cannone heard arguments from both sides without the jury present about the prosecution's motion to exclude testimony from a witness who is expected to testify that scratches on O'Keefe's arm were consistent with injuries from a dog attack. 

Trooper Proctor also took the stand that day, reading derogatory text messages he sent to friends and colleagues about Read while investigating the case.

June 12, 2024 – Proctor completed tense cross-examination and stepped down from the witness stand. During his testimony, Proctor was grilled over a text message he sent about Read saying "hopefully she kills herself."

June 14, 2024 – Testimony focused on Read's SUV traveling in reverse the night of O'Keefe's death, as well as the time of when Jennifer McCabe search on Google how long it would take a person to die in the cold.

June 20, 2024 – Prosecutors played angry voicemails that Read left for O'Keefe not long after prosecutors say she hit and killed him.

Karen Read murder trial ends, deliberations begin

June 21, 2024 – The prosecution rested its case and defense attorneys began calling witnesses. 

June 24, 2024 – The defense rested its case after calling its final three witnesses. 

June 25, 2024 – Attorneys presented closing arguments and jurors began deliberating.

June 26, 2024 – Day two of juror deliberations ended without a verdict after about seven hours. While jurors deliberated, Read's attorneys question the verdict slip, leading to a tense moment with Judge Beverly Cannone.

June 28, 2024 – Jurors sent a note to Judge Cannone, telling her they are deadlocked. The judge responded that she did not believe they had deliberated long enough, and asked them to continue trying to reach a verdict. 

Mistrial declared in Karen Read murder trial

July 1, 2024 – The jury sent another note to Judge Cannone, for a second time telling her they are unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury said they are "deeply divided," and Cannone asked them to return for one final round of deliberations. Later in the day, a mistrial was declared due to the hung jury.

July 1, 2024 – Hours after the mistrial was declared, Massachusetts State Police announced that Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, has been "relieved of duty."

July 3, 2024 – In an exclusive interview with WBZ-TV, John O'Keefe's brother addressed the mistrial.

Fallout from the Karen Read trial

July 8, 2024 – Read's defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss for two charges. In the filing, they claim the jury unanimously agreed that Read was not guilty on those counts while being deadlocked on a third charge.

July 8, 2024 – Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor was suspended without pay following a duty hearing.

July 9, 2024 – The union for Massachuestts State Police troopers responded to the suspension, calling it "disappointing."

July 9, 2024 – The Board of Selectmen announced that Canton police officer Kevin Albert was put on leave related to Proctor's testimony during the trial. 

July 10, 2024 – In a new court filing, Read's attorneys say another juror told them there was a unanimous agreement that Read was not guilty on two counts.

July 12, 2024 - Prosecutors fired back at the defense's attempt to get two of the three charges against Read dismissed, saying she consented to the mistrial.

July 18, 2024 -  An unnamed juror in the case said in a court filing that they fear for their safety. 

July 22, 2024 - An anonymous juror tells WBZ-TV that the jury didn't know how to communicate to the judge that they had unanimously agreed to acquit Read of two charges. Judge Cannone sets a new trial date for Jan. 27, 2025.  

August 9, 2024 - The case returned to court for a dismissal hearing as the defense tried to convince the judge to throw out two charges against Read. Judge Beverly Cannone took arguments under consideration, but did not make a ruling.

August 23, 2024 - Judge Cannone rejects Karen Read's attempt to get two of the charges against her dismissed. Read's attorneys plan to appeal.

September 11, 2024 - Karen Read's legal team files an appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

September 12, 2024 - Canton police officer Kevin Albert, the brother of Brian Albert, is back on the job after being placed on leave during the trial.

September 18, 2024 - Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey appoints Special Assistant District Attorney Hank Brennan to lead the Commonwealth's retrial of Karen Read. 

September 20, 2024 - Karen Read's appeal of two charges will be heard by the full panel of Massachusetts' highest court, but it could delay her trial.

September 23, 2024 - Discipline was announced for two people connected to the Karen Read investigation. Canton Police detective Kevin Albert was suspended without pay for three eight-hour shifts. An investigation found that the detective, whose brother Brian Albert owned the home where John O'Keefe's body was found, behaved in a way that was unbecoming of a police officer and violated department policies about alcohol consumption or possession on the job.

Massachusetts State Police announced the same day that Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, who was one of the lead investigators in the case, forfeited five vacation days following an internal affairs investigation. Bukhenik was in one of the group chats in which Trooper Michael Proctor sent the inappropriate text messages.

October 17, 2024 - Massachusetts State Police say they spent $258,278.94 on security for Karen Read's first trial.

October 18, 2024 - Prosecutors seek phone records from Karen Read's father. When her second trial begins, prosecutors plan to call William Read as a witness.

October 18, 2024 - Detective Lieutenant Brian Tully, the subject of an ongoing internal affairs investigation, was transferred out of the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office. Tully testified during Read's first trial.

October 28, 2024 - Lawyers for Karen Read want a wrongful death lawsuit against her to be delayed until after her second criminal trial, an issue they argued before Judge William White, Jr. in Plymouth Superior Court in Brockton.

October 29, 2024 - Vanity Fair releases the first part of its highly anticipated Karen Read interview. She told the magazine she owes at least $5 million in legal fees.

October 30, 2024 - The second part of Vanity Fair's interview with Karen Read is released. She responds to criticism from the O'Keefe family, including directly responding to quotes from Paul O'Keefe's interview with WBZ-TV in July.

November 1, 2024 - The judge overseeing the wrongful death lawsuit against Karen Read rules that she will not have to be deposed in the civil case until after her second criminal trial is over. 

Preparations for Karen Read's second trial

November 4, 2024 - The prosecution and defense teams filed a motion in court calling for Read's second criminal trial, scheduled to start on Jan. 27, 2025, to be postponed until April 1, 2025. 

November 6, 2024 - Read's attempt to get some criminal charges against her thrown out on the grounds of double jeopardy came before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Attorneys for both sides made their case during the hearing. No decision has been announced yet.

November 7, 2024 - The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office requests the unredacted audio recordings, notes, and texts between Karen Read and a Boston Magazine reporter.

November 26, 2024 - During an evidentiary hearing, prosecutors asked the judge to allow them to obtain phone records for Karen Read's parents. The defense called the request a "fishing expedition." Judge Beverly Cannone did not rule on the request and took arguments under advisement.

November 29, 2024 - Judge Cannone rejects the prosecution's request for the phone records of Karen Read's parents.

December 3, 2024 - Prosecutors are asking Judge Cannone to keep expert testimony about an alleged dog attack out of Karen Read's second trial.

December 5, 2024 - Judge Beverly Cannone approved a request from prosecutors to get access to unedited and off-the-record recordings from interviews with Karen Read and her family.

December 9, 2024 - After just over a month, Judge Cannone approved the joint motion by the defense and prosecution to delay the start of Karen Read's second trial.

December 30, 2024 - Former Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz, who alerted Massachusetts State Police to taillight evidence during the investigation, died.

January 2, 2025 - Prosecutors asked to exclude testimony from defense expert Richard Green surrounding Jen McCabe's "ho[w] long to die in cold" Google search.

January 6, 2025 - According to a court filing, Trooper Michael Proctor has a misconduct hearing scheduled for January 15.

January 15, 2025 - Trooper Michael Proctor's misconduct hearing got underway at Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham.

January 23, 2025 - Karen Read's legal team wants the state to pay for travel expenses for one of her defense experts. Read's attorneys say that the Canton Police Department did not preserve video footage, but that was not disclosed. As a result, they say their expert wasted his time.

January 29, 2025 - John O'Keefe's family provided a statement to WBZ-TV as they marked three years since his death. "It has been 3 years since Johnny was senselessly taken from us. The void in our lives grows with each passing day, week, month and year. His absence is profound and we will continue to seek justice for him. He is always in our hearts," the O'Keefe family said.

February 6, 2025 - A hearing was held in the case as attorneys discussed potential evidence for Read's second trial and who should have to pay for a defense expert who says he was unsuccessfully able to analyze video from the Canton Police Department. Following the hearing, the judge ruled against the defense's request to have the state pay for the expert.

February 10, 2025 - Trooper Michael Proctor was back at Massachusetts State Police headquarters in Framingham for the second day of testimony in his trial board hearing to determine his professional future. The hearing was not open to the public. A third hearing day was scheduled for March 13. 

February 11, 2025 - The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied Read's appeal as she sought to have some of the charges against her dismissed.

February 12, 2025 - Among over a dozen new filings in the case was a request by the defense for unredacted documents from the investigation into the death of Sandra Birchmore.

February 18, 2025 - Judge Cannone abruptly halted a hearing in the case after the prosecution raised concerns about defense attorneys' conversations with a crash reconstruction expert hired by the federal government.

February 20, 2025 - Judge Cannone issues a scheduling order that reads, in part, "Counsel should be prepared to address issues related to the Defendant's recent production pursuant to Rule 14, especially as the materials produced relate to prior representations made to the court on the record by defense counsel concerning the ARCCA witnesses."

February 24, 2025 - A person briefed on the situation tells WBZ it is expected to be announced at Karen Read's February 25 hearing that a federal investigation into the death of John O'Keefe - and by association, Karen Read's case - has ended and that no charges will be filed.

February 25, 2025 - At a tense hearing, Karen Read's attorneys defended their communications with a witness in the first trial. Karen Read's defense alleges "misdirections" by prosecution. 

February 25, 2025 - Following the hearing, supporters greeted Read with flowers outside the courtroom on her 45th birthday.

February 28, 2025 - Karen Read's defense files a motion to dismiss her entire case for reasons of "extraordinary governmental misconduct."

March 4, 2025 - Special prosecutor Hank Brennan confirmed in court that the federal investigation into John O'Keefe's death is over. Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty later issued a statement saying the federal probe "is no longer active and will be closed."

March 5, 2025 - The case was the subject of two hearings in separate courthouses. Karen Read appealed a recent decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court at federal court in South Boston. Read and her attorneys then headed to Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham where her defense argued its recently filed Motion to Dismiss.

March 13, 2025 - Trooper Michael Proctor returned before a Massachusetts State Police trial board for a third day. Proctor's family also released a statement, accusing Read's defense team of using the trooper to "deflect from the overwhelming evidence."

March 13, 2025 - A federal judge denied Read's request to drop two charges against her, saying Judge Cannone was not wrong in declaring a mistrial. 

March 18, 2025 - Judge Cannone admonished the defense team on Tuesday for "repeated misrepresentations" to the court. Despite the stern warning, Cannone did not remove any lawyers from the case.

March 19, 2025 - Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in Read's case, was fired by Massachusetts State Police.

March 20, 2025 - For the first time, Read and Aidan Kearney, the blogger who writes under the name "Turtleboy" appeared during a hearing together. Prosecutors are seeking messages between the two, which Read and her attorneys object to.

March 21, 2025 - Karen Read's attorneys asked a federal judge to delay the start of her next trial, after the request was rejected the day before by Judge Beverly Cannone. The federal judge denied Read's request.

March 24, 2025 - Prosecutors are seeking messages between Karen Read and her defense attorney David Yannetti in the days following O'Keefe's death.

March 25, 2025 - As expected, Judge Beverly Cannone rejected the request for text messages between Read and Yannetti during the final pretrial hearing. Cannone also said she expects jury selection to take a "very long time."

March 25, 2025 - Judge Cannone denied Karen Read's motion to dismiss the entire case against her, setting the stage for her second high-profile trial to get underway.

March 26, 2025 - Karen Read added a former juror from her first trial to her legal team.  

March 27, 2025 - Karen Read's motion to stay state court proceedings pending appeal is denied by First Circuit Court of Appeals. The court affirmed the lower federal court's decision. 

March 31, 2025 - The defense will not be allowed to blame Colin Albert for John O'Keefe's death, Judge Beverly Cannone ruled.  

Karen Read's second trial begins

April 1, 2025 - Karen Read's second trial officially got underway with jury selection.

April 2, 2025 - The jury for Karen Read's second trial reached seven members. Read's supporters also filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that a court mandated buffer zone violates their constitutional rights. 

April 3, 2025 - Ten jurors have been seated after three days of jury selection. 

April 3, 2025 - Karen Read has appealed her case to the highest court possible, the U.S. Supreme Court.

April 7, 2025 - Karen Read is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to delay her state trial while they decide if they will take up her appeal.

April 9, 2025 - Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. Supreme Court denied Karen Read's request to pause her trial. The Supreme Court will review whether to take the case on April 25. Fifteen jurors have been seated for the trial.

April 13, 2025 - A federal judge ruled against Read's supporters who wanted to be able to protest closer to the courthouse ahead of her second trial, saying the buffer zone does not violate their constitutional rights.

April 15, 2025 - A jury was seated for Karen Read's second trial, with opening statements scheduled to take place in a week.  

April 16, 2025 - The final motion hearing before the start of the trial was held. Arguments were heard over topics that included federal ARCCA witnesses. Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney also said through his attorney that he would plead the Fifth Amendment if called as a witness, and prosecutors agreed not to call him.

April 22, 2025 - Attorneys gave opening statements as the trial officially got underway. The first two witnesses were also called.

April 23, 2025 - John O'Keefe's mother, Peggy O'Keefe, took the stand. It was the first time she has spoken out publicly since her son's death.

April 24, 2025 - Text messages between Karen Read and John O'Keefe in the hours leading up to his death were read on the third day of trial. 

April 25, 2025 - Jurors visited Brian Albert's former home at 34 Fairview Road in Canton. The court also heard from two witnesses: a paramedic who took Read to the hospital the day that O'Keefe was found dead, and a doctor who tested her blood alcohol level that morning.

April 28, 2025 - The United States Supreme Court announced that it will not hear Karen Read's appeal on grounds of double jeopardy.

April 28, 2025 - A half day of witness testimony focused on Jen McCabe's "how long to die in cold" Google search and John O'Keefe's movements the night of his death. Then defense crash reconstruction experts were questioned without the jury present.

April 29, 2025 - Key witness Jen McCabe began her testimony. Judge Beverly Cannone issued a stern warning for defense attorneys, but allowed upcoming testimony from defense crash reconstruction experts.

April 30, 2025 - Jen McCabe was back on the stand for hours of tense cross-examination during the seventh day of witness testimony.

May 2, 2025 - Witness Jen McCabe finishes testimony after heated exchange with Read's defense attorney. 

May 5, 2025 - Canton firefighter-paramedic Katie McLaughlin testified that she heard Read repeatedly say "I hit him" after O'Keefe's body was found. Retired Canton Police Lt. Paul Gallagher testifies about responding to the scene, using a leaf blower to move snow.

May 6, 2025 - Several witnesses took the stand on the 10th day of testimony. Jurors heard several angry voicemails that Karen Read left for John O'Keefe in the early morning hours on January 29, 2022. 

May 7, 2025 - Forensic expert Jessica Hyde, who analyzed Jennifer McCabe's Google search, and State Police trooper Connor Keefe testify. 

May 8, 2025 - Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik took the stand to testify about evidence collection and the role of his former colleague Michael Proctor.

May 9, 2025 - Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik read text messages between Brian Higgins and Karen Read.

May 12, 2025 - After three full days on the witness stand, Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik concluded his testimony. 

May 13, 2025 - Court was canceled for the day unexpectedly just before proceedings were scheduled to begin because Karen Read was sick.

May 14, 2025 - Jurors hear from John O'Keefe's niece, and crime scene technicians. 

May 15, 2025 - Massachusetts State Police forensic scientist Maureen Hartnett and medical examiner Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello testify.

May 16, 2025 - Witness testimony from two Massachusetts State Police crime lab analysts, and a message from the judge to jurors about how they conduct themselves in court. 

May 19, 2025 - A forensic analyst for the prosecution testified about the movements of Karen Read's Lexus SUV on the night in question.

May 20, 2025 - Karen Read's attorney questions forensic analyst Shanon Burgess' timeline of the night John O'Keefe died.

May 21, 2025 - Judge Beverly Cannone delayed the start of testimony, saying she had to question jurors individually after an issue was brought to her attention.

May 27, 2025 - Judson Welcher, a prosecution accident reconstruction expert, took the stand for direct questioning.

May 28, 2025 - Defense begins cross examination of crash reconstruction expert Judson Welcher.

May 29, 2025 - The prosecution rested its case after Judson Welcher completed his testimony.

May 30, 2025 - The first witness called by defense attorney Alan Jackson was Matthew DiSogra, a digital forensics expert who specializes in car data and crash reconstruction.

June 2, 2025 - Former Canton police officer Kelly Dever, Dr. Marie Russell, and a friend of former state police trooper Michael Proctor were called to the stand by Karen Read's defense team.

June 3, 2025 - During a second day of questioning of dog bite expert Dr. Marie Russell, the defense called for a mistrial with prejudice, but was denied. A Dighton police officer also testified about how he remembered seeing damage to Read's taillight compared to how it is pictured hours later in the Canton Police Department garage.

June 4, 2025 - Snowplow driver Brian "Lucky" Loughran testified about not seeing a body on Fairview Road in Canton on the night O'Keefe died. Loughran was cross-examined about how Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney's coverage could have influenced his testimony.

June 5, 2025 - Jurors were given the day off because of heat. The judge said fans and air conditioning units would create noise and make witnesses hard to hear.

June 6, 2025 - The only witness on the stand all day was Daniel Wolfe, a crash reconstructionist for engineering consulting firm ARCCA.

June 9, 2025 - The defense's request for a mistrial was denied. Attorneys had accused the prosecution of a "stunt" when Hank Brennan asked Wolfe about holes in O'Keefe's sweatshirt, and if they could have been caused by a fall backwards. Brennan later admitted he made a mistake, and the judge later gave jurors an instruction that the holes were caused by a criminologist. 

June 10, 2025 - The former medical examiner for Rhode Island testified, followed by Dr. Andrew Rentschler, who is the final defense witness. 

June 11, 2025 - Karen Read's defense rested its case after Rentschler finished testifying that in his opinion, John O'Keefe was not hit by a vehicle.

June 12, 2025 - The final hearing before closing arguments was held as attorneys and the judge met without jurors present. The defense said it will not be pursuing a third-party culprit argument against Brian Albert and Brian Higgins, but will be focusing on the lack of a police investigation into Higgins.

June 13, 2025 - Both sides presented drastically different closing arguments about how John O'Keefe died and what role Karen Read played in his death. Jury deliberations began a short time later.

June 16, 2025 - Jurors had their first full day of deliberations, but did not reach a verdict.

June 17, 2025 - On the second full day of deliberations, the Karen Read jury came back with four questions for the judge. One of them sought clarity on what happens if they agree to not guilty on two charges but are hung on the third charge. Jurors later were dismissed for the day without a verdict.

Verdict reached in Karen Read trial

June 18, 2025 - In their fourth day of deliberations, jurors acquitted Read of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. She was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. Judge Cannone sentenced Read to one year probation.

June 18, 2025 - Several key prosecution witnesses who are friends with the O'Keefe family issued a statement, calling the verdict a "devastating miscarriage of justice."

June 19, 2025 - Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble said in a statement that in the aftermath of the Karen Read case, the department will continue to work on improvements in oversight and accountability.

June 19, 2025 - District Attorney Michael Morrissey issued his first statement on the verdict, saying to WBZ-TV only, "The jury has spoken."

June 19, 2025 - A juror in the trial speaks out about their decision to acquit Read of the most serious charges. 

June 23, 2025 - Special prosecutor Hank Brennan issues his first statement since the trial ended. He was "disappointed" in the verdict and condemned "witness abuse."

June 24, 2025 - Karen Read's lead attorney, Alan Jackson, responds to Brennan's remarks, accusing the prosecutor of ethical violations.

June 29, 2025 - Karen Read and Alan Jackson are reportedly working on a film script and book.

July 7, 2025 - Massachusetts State Police reassign Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik from Norfolk County to an administrative role in the South Boston barracks. 

July 10, 2025 - Karen Read filed a motion seeking to dismiss the civil lawsuit filed against her by the O'Keefe family.

July 10, 2025 - Boston police commissioner responds to Officer Kelly Dever's testimony in Karen Read trial.

July 10, 2025 - Records obtained by I-Team show special prosecutor Hank Brennan was paid $566,000 for Read's retrial. 

August 5, 2025 - Alan Jackson joins Karen Read's legal team for her civil trial on a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the O'Keefe family.

August 12, 2025 - Karen Read's lawyers requested for a judge to dismiss the emotional distress claim in a civil lawsuit filed by the O'Keefe family. 

August 26, 2025 - Fired Massachusetts State Police trooper Michael Proctor appeared at a hearing in an effort to get his job back.

August 27, 2025 - Elizabeth Banks will reportedly play Karen Read in a limited series.

September 12, 2025 - Kelly Dever, the Boston police officer who was the subject of tense questioning during Karen Read's second trial, resigns.

September 22, 2025 - Karen Read appears in Plymouth Superior Court for a hearing in her civil case, and her legal team reveals she plans to sue the Massachusetts State Police, former Trooper Michael Proctor, members of the McCabe and Albert families, and other key players in the case.

October 20, 2025 - Michael Proctor has dropped his attempt to get his job back with Massachusetts State Police. 

November 3, 2025 - Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode, who testified in Read's first trial, was placed on administrative leave amid allegations of misconduct. The Town of Canton did not say if there was any relation to the Read case.

November 13, 2025 - The jury foreman in Karen Read's second trial said his mind was made up early - "I didn't take one note".

November 17, 2025 - Karen Read files lawsuit against Michael Proctor, Jen McCabe, Brian Higgins and other key witnesses from the trial. 

December 10, 2025 - Karen Read's Lexus SUV is set to be auctioned off.

December 19, 2025 - The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) suspends the law enforcement certification of Michael Proctor.

January 6, 2026 - Details were released on the auction for Karen Read's Lexus.

January 12, 2026 - Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey announced that he will not seek reelection. 

January 13, 2026 - For the first time since she was acquitted, Karen Read sat down for an extensive one-on-one interview. She sat down for the podcast "Rotten Mango."

February 19, 2026 - Karen Read was back in court, attempting to force the Norfolk DA to return her cell phones.

March 6, 2026 -  John O'Keefe's family drops a motion to prevent Karen Read from getting her cell phones back.

March 26, 2026 - Two of Karen Read's cellphones will undergo a "Full File System extraction" before they are returned to her. 

April 16, 2026 - Four of the witnesses in the Karen Read trial have filed a defamation lawsuit against Read and Aidan Kearney, the blogger who writes under the name "Turtleboy."

May 13, 2026 - Auction for Karen Read's Lexus SUV called off due to low bidder turnout. 

May 18, 2026 - Karen Read's Lexus SUV for sale at Dedham, Massachusetts car dealership. 

June 4, 2026 - Karen Read filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts State Police and Canton police. The lawsuit shows an alleged history of disturbing text messages between fired state trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode.

June 8, 2026 - A judge has temporarily delayed fired Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor's deposition with Karen Read's lawyers.

June 9, 2026 - Public defenders want list of every case involving fired Trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode after alleged racist and sexist texts discovered.

June 18, 2026 - Judge in wrongful death lawsuit against Karen Read urges attorneys to "stop pandering to social media" for how they're handline planned deposition of Colin Albert.

June 18, 2026 - Karen Read's one-year probation for operating under the influence ends.

June 18, 2026 - The Canton Police Department released its independent investigation into former Sgt. Sean Goode, which revealed allegedly vulgar and discriminatory text messages.  

July 1, 2026 -  The judge in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Karen Read admonished attorneys as he said they have released private information.

Judge Mark Gildea ordered a last minute hearing in Plymouth Superior Court and required most of the attorneys involved in the case – 18 in total – to appear in person. Read also appeared in person with her parents.

Alan Jackson was among the 18 lawyers present, having flown in from California for the hearing.

The judge gave the lawyers a stern warning for 20 minutes, and accused them of leaking private information in the case to people who then posted it on social media.

The issue stems from a June 8 hearing in which fired state trooper Michael Proctor, who is a witness in the case, attempted to delay his deposition for personal reasons.

As part of his attempt to delay the hearing, certain materials including medical information were submitted to the court under seal – meaning they were not part of the public record and were only accessible by lawyers and parties to the case.

"The law has become a spectacle"

The judge claimed that 30 minutes after a private email with these documents went out to parties in the case, someone posted information from the documents on X.

"The malicious publication of private information concerns me," Judge Gildea said, noting that "the courtroom has become content, and the law has become a spectacle."

As a result, Proctor's deposition has been temporarily delayed, but the judge is willing to permanently hold his deposition if the lawyers don't reach some kind of agreement among themselves, with the judge's approval, to prevent future leaks.

All of the lawyers and parties submitted sworn statements to the judge saying they were not the cause nor did they have knowledge of the leak.

"Whatever opinion one may have of a non-party, even if warranted, such opinion does not allow for the disparate treatment of such individual," Gildea said.

The judge then reminded all of the lawyers of the Massachusetts ethics rules for lawyers, which discourages speaking to the media if it will prejudice an ongoing case.

"It is difficult to strike a balance between the right to a fair trial and the right to free expression," Gildea said. "However I'm not so sure that churning the waters to generate social media coverage necessarily can result in a legitimate interest in the conduct of judicial proceeding."

"Do not succumb to the attraction of seeking to influence this case through social media. Be what a trial lawyer should be: one that tries their case in the courtroom," he warned.

Alan Jackson declines comment

With that, the judge left the bench, taking no comment or questions from the lawyers present. Attorneys for Karen Read, namely Alan Jackson, asked the clerk to go back into the judge's chambers to see if they could be heard. The clerk came back out and said the judge had declined. 

Lawyers not connected to this case told WBZ-TV that a required in-person hearing in which lawyers aren't given an opportunity to be heard, but rather are lectured by a judge, is extremely unusual.

Outside of court, perhaps unsurprisingly, neither lawyers for the O'Keefes – who were not present – nor Read's attorneys gave comment to reporters. 

"I think now would not be a good time for a comment so I'm going to reserve all comment, is that good?" Jackson told WBZ-TV. "I'm going to reserve comment. Nice try. I don't think we have any choice."

The next hearing in the case will be on July 10. That hearing will deal with motions to compel depositions. Read's team says that certain witnesses in the case – including the McCabe and Albert families, and Trooper Brian Tully – are dodging depositions by their team.

The WBZ Weather Team has issued a NEXT Weather Alert through Saturday for temperatures that could exceed 100 degrees with feels-like readings close to or exceeding 110 degrees.

In addition, an Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect for most of central and southern New England through Saturday evening.

The few exceptions are portions of the Berkshires, Cape Cod, and the Islands.

What is a heat wave?

A heat wave is three days in a row of temperatures at 90 degrees or above. 

Some towns in southern New England could hit 90+ degrees for six consecutive days (Tuesday through Sunday). The last time we had a heat wave in the Boston area longer than 3-to-4 days was back in July of 2022. 

The last time we hit 100 degrees in Boston was on June 24, 2025. That was the 28th 100-degree day in Boston's recorded history.

We will have multiple chances to reach or exceed 100 in the coming days. The last time Boston hit 100 on two consecutive days was back in August of 1944.

Boston weather forecast

Let's take a look at the forecast highs ahead.

Thursday looks to be the hottest day of the entire stretch this week. Temperatures of 100 degrees will be well within reach in Boston and many suburbs. We are forecasting 98 to 104 degrees in most of Essex, Middlesex, Worcester, Suffolk and Norfolk counties as well as southern New Hampshire.  

Add in the humidity and it will feel like 105 to 112 degrees.

Thursday is our best chance of recording a new high temperature record in Boston.

Friday will be a very similar day to Thursday with most towns reaching 98-102 degrees

Feels-like temperatures will range from 105 to 112 (again).

We are forecasting a new record high temperature in Boston on Thursday and a tie on Friday. Those records were set way back in 1963 and 1911 respectfully.

The last time we hit 100 in Boston was on June 24 of last year. That was the 28th 100-degree day in Boston's recorded history.

We will have multiple chances to reach or exceed 100 in the coming days.

The last time Boston hit 100 on two consecutive days was back in August of 1944.

The heat eases just a bit on Saturday with highs generally in the mid 90s.

There is a chance of some afternoon relief along the Coastline in the form of a seabreeze.

There is an isolated thunderstorm risk each day from Friday through Sunday, mainly in the afternoon and evening. It's hard to pinpoint the exact where and when, but something to be aware of if you have outdoor plans in the days ahead.

Boston weather radar

You can track any thunderstorm activity on our radar here:

With many folks heading to the beaches this holiday week, it is important that you recognize the signs of heat stroke.   

Stay hydrated and check on those who don't have access to air conditioning.

The heatwave will end on Sunday as highs will drop back in to the 80s. Open the windows back up next week. Highs on Monday and Tuesday are expected to be in the 70s with some refreshing, cooler nights.

Avi Loeb, a cosmologist who studied black holes and served as head of Harvard's astronomy department until 2020, was recently appointed to helm a new scientific advisory council tasked with investigating the origins of mysterious orbs and other objects reported by military personnel in recent years. It's part of President Donald Trump's push to declassify more information about the issue.

Loeb's team will report to a new White House panel focused on UFOs, now often referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP.

Loeb told CBS Boston on Wednesday that he's excited for the new opportunity and what a breakthrough discovery could mean for the world.

"If they were sure, confident that these objects are human-made, they would file these cases as classified reports within the Pentagon, within the intelligence agencies," he said. "The fact that they open up to the scientific community implies that there is a chance that perhaps one or more of these objects might be not human-made, in which case it would be the biggest discovery ever made by humanity with huge implications for the future."

For the last decade, Loeb has been scanning the skies and seas for evidence of intelligent alien life. He began the quest in 2017 as scientists puzzled over a cigar-shaped interstellar object nicknamed "Omuamua" soaring by Earth. While others proposed it was a comet or ice chunk, Loeb said it could be a thin "light sail" detached from an alien spacecraft.

Last year, Loeb raised the possibility that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS could have alien origins.

"We should put all possibilities on the table that it's a rock, a comet, or something else until we get the evidence, the data that will tell us what it is," he said.  

His theories have won praise in UFO circles but often put him in conflict with academic peers. Other astronomers accuse him of making exotic claims with little evidence. Some chafe at his habit of skipping the peer review process and bringing claims directly to the public.

Steve Desch, an Arizona State University astrophysicist who has challenged some of Loeb's theories, said Loeb uses flawed methods to reach wild conclusions about alien life - all while shunning a more established branch of science searching for life beyond Earth.

Loeb's role on the White House panel casts doubt on the entire endeavor, Desch said.

"I don't know what's going to come of this, but we're not going to get any closer to answering these questions with him in charge," Desch said.

When asked about his detractors last year, Loeb told CBS Boston, "I don't really care what people think."

"Science is not about us lecturing the public what's right and wrong," he said. "It's about the process by which we all learn together."   

White House UFO team 

Loeb brushes his critics aside, saying they lack the imagination to consider new ideas. He's promising a grounded approach to his work for the White House. As he analyzes UAP, he's starting with the assumption that they're the work of humans, he said, approaching it from a national security perspective.

Nonetheless, he envisions an outcome where his work could lead to something bigger. If the government invests in better data collection on UAPs, Loeb said, it could settle the alien debate once and for all.

His hand-picked team includes more than a dozen scientists and UFO activists. Among them is Timothy Gallaudet, a retired rear admiral who has warned about UAP controlled by "nonhuman intelligence," claiming the United States has recovered crashed aircraft. Also on the team is Ben Lamm, a billionaire working to revive extinct species.

After its first meeting last month, the team sent a request to the Pentagon asking for more than 50 videos, images and other documents related to known UAP incidents. Loeb's group meets behind closed doors, but he has vowed to brief the public and create a website to share findings.

"At a time when science is not so much celebrated, this is an opportunity to actually do good for all sides involved," Loeb said.

Trump ordered transparency on UFOs

Earlier this year, Mr. Trump directed his administration to provide more transparency on questions of UFOs and alien life. So far, the Pentagon has released three batches of files ranging from decades-old FBI reports to more recent military videos showing orbs darting or soaring through the sky.

Mr. Trump's directive led to the creation of a UAP Governance Board overseen by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The board met for the first time in June, and is supported by Loeb's team and several other advisory groups, the office said.

It comes as a bipartisan group in Congress pushes the White House to go further, with some Republicans amplifying claims the U.S. is hiding evidence of alien encounters. The White House has encouraged anyone with information to come forward. A Pentagon office that investigates UAP says it has seen no evidence of alien life.

Loeb said he doesn't buy into cover-up theories. "My impression is the government is baffled by not being able to infer the nature of some of these objects," he said.

Who is Avi Loeb?

Before he became known for his alien theories, Loeb was a respected cosmologist who authored hundreds of papers, specializing in black holes and the birth of galaxies. He served as chair of Harvard's astronomy department for nearly a decade.

Loeb's career took a turn with his "light sail" theory in 2017, which he presented in a paper and later a book. He went on to found the Galileo Project at Harvard, with a stated mission to search for artifacts from alien civilizations.

His team drew attention in 2023 when they used magnets to retrieve hundreds of small spheres from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, near the possible site of a 2014 meteor crash. After analyzing the metallic "spherules," Loeb suggested they came from a distant planet or, alternately, from alien technology.

"These are almost perfect spheres, or metallic marbles," Loeb told CBS Boston. "They have colors of gold, blue, brown, and some of them resemble a miniature of the Earth."

Other scholars challenged the claim, saying it was probably volcanic rock or coal ash.

Sean Kirkpatrick, a physicist who previously investigated UAP at the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, said Loeb is "not viewed favorably" in the scientific community and lacks national security experience. He said the makeup of Loeb's team suggests the White House is more interested in fringe theories than hard science.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the criticism.

Loeb, meanwhile, said he aims to follow the science without distraction. "Let's keep our eyes on the orbs," he said, "not the social media." 

The city of Haverhill announced Wednesday it has fixed a sewer leak that was dumping millions of gallons of wastewater into the Merrimack River. Ipswich has reopened most of its beaches, while others on Plum Island in Newburyport remain closed.

Other beaches in the state are closed because there is too much bacteria in the water, which can happen after a heavy rain event, or as a result of dangerous algae blooms.

The Department of Public Health warns that swimming in unsafe waters can make you sick or cause skin rashes. Children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk of experiencing health problems.

Here is the list of beaches that were closed Wednesday morning, according to the interactive beach water quality dashboard.

Damon Pond Beach, Ashby (Other)
Constitution @ Middle, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Constitution @ North, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Constitutino @ Rec Center, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Patuisset, Bourne (Bacterial Exceedance)
Cliff Pond @ DYS, Brewster (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Cliff Pond @ Main, Brewster (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Flax Pond, Brewster (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Hidden Bay, Dartmouth (Bacterial Exceedance)
Moses Smith Creek, Dartmouth (Bacterial Exceedance)
Clammer's Beach, Essex (Combined Sewer Overflow/Sanitary Sewer Overflow event)
Front Beach, Essex (CSO/SSO event)
Freetown Town Beach, Freetown (Bacterial Exceedance)
Sandy Point - Plum Island @ North, Ipswich (CSO/SSO event)
Sandy Point - Plum Island @ South, Ipswich (CSO/SSO event)
Magnolia East, Manchester (Bacterial Exceedance)
Sesachacha Pond, Nantucket (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Plum Island - 55th St., Newburyport (CSO/SSO event)
Plum Island - end of island 1, Newburyport (CSO/SSO event)
Plum Island - end of island 2, Newburyport (CSO/SSO event)
Plum Island Point, Newburyport (CSO/SSO event)
Crystal Lake, Newton (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Little Sandy, Pembroke (Bacterial Exceedance)
Johnson Street, Provincetown (Bacterial Exceedance)
S.P.E.N.A. Beach, Rochester (Bacterial Exceedance)
Children's Island - Back, Salem (Bacterial Exceedance)
Children's Island - Wally, Salem (Bacterial Exceedance)
Salisbury Beach Center - Broadway St., Salisbury (CSO/SSO event)
Salisbury Beach - Main, Salisbury (CSO/SSO event)
Peckham Pond @ Camp Nihan, Saugus (Bacterial Exceedance)
Kings, Swampscott (CSO/SSO)
Briarwood, Wareham (Bacterial Exceedance)
Pinehurst, Wareham (Bacterial Exceedance)
Wareham Lake Shores, Wareham (Bacterial Exceedance)
Shannon Beach @ Upper Mystic, Winchester (Bacterial Exceedance)
Donovans, Winthrop (Bacterial Exceedance)
Pico, Winthrop (Bacterial Exceedance)

Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett said a temporary bypass system is allowing wastewater to flow to a treatment plant. The 42-inch sewer main failed amid heavy downpours on June 27, and crews discovered there were two breaks in the pipe.

"This is a major milestone in the emergency response," Barrett said in a statement. "Stopping the discharge into the Merrimack River has been our highest priority since this incident began. Contractors and engineers have worked around the clock over the past several days to make this happen."

The mayor said people should still avoid contact with the river around Haverhill and downstream for the next 48 hours "due to the potential presence of elevated bacteria and other pollutants."

The town of Ipswich said Wednesday afternoon that all of its beaches, including Pavilion, Crane, Steep Hill, Clark and Little Neck are open for swimming again after two consecutive days of tests showed bacteria levels were below "the state's threshold for concern." The state's interactive beach water quality dashboard still lists Sandy Point beach as closed.

"Given the recent warm weather, we're grateful to our residents and visitors for their patience these past few days, and we hope that everyone enjoys our beaches this holiday weekend," Ipswich director of public health Colleen Fermon said.

The city of Newburyport, however, said Plum Island beaches are still closed for swimming despite the fix being installed.

"We are working with other municipalities and state officials to determine whether this bypass line will have the intended effect and allow for the reopening of Newburyport's beaches," the city said.

Shellfish harvesting in the river is still off-limits, according to the city's message. 

With the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend and an extreme heat wave starting in Massachusetts, Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon said Tuesday that he was worried about a "Jaws-like scenario" having a negative impact on the local economy.

The largest celebration in the state will be the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the Charles River Esplanade the night of July 4th. Chance The Rapper, Lainey Wilson, and Trombone Shorty will join the Pops for this year's concert.

Many of the fireworks displays in Massachusetts are not being held on Saturday, July 4, but on other nights.

You can see the complete list below. 

If you know of a confirmed fireworks display that is not listed, please email newstips@wbztv.com.    

The strike will disrupt public bus service in Amesbury, Andover, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Merrimac, Methuen, Newburyport and Salisbury, Massachusetts.

The contract for the 138 drivers and mechanics expired at midnight. The main sticking point in negotiations between the union and the company is about working Saturdays.

Currently, drivers have the option to work Saturdays for overtime, but the union representing the drivers, Teamsters local 170, said MeVa wants to require Saturday shifts and pay drivers at their regular rate.

MeVa's Administrator Noah Berger said the current system is unsustainable. He said the proposed contract includes a 25.4 percent wage increase over the next three years and an extra $3 an hour for Saturday shifts.

"The wage increase that's on the table only works if we only put the Saturday on the deal," Berger told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.

Jim Marks, a business agent for the union, confirmed they've agreed to the wage increase, but he said the extra Saturday money being offered wouldn't be as much as working overtime.

"There's a lot of people that don't want to work weekends, right. There's a lot of people that want to spend time with their family, or have other obligations, and it would be a burden on them," he told WBZ-TV. "It's not broken right now. They don't have an issue filling the work and as far as we're concerned, a concession like this, we just can't allow."

Berger said under the new contract, 63-percent of MeVa drivers would still have Saturday off.

"It makes it very difficult logistically to grow our Saturday service and to provide the level of service on weekends that we know our communities want," Berger said. "I challenge anyone to identify another transit provider who has open work on Saturdays. That is just unheard of." 

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the three-year deal is worth $47.4 million. 

Robinson recorded 10 rebounds to help the Knicks close out the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He averaged 8.8 rebounds per game in the regular season, which was the 13th best overall, while averaging 5.7 points per game.

The 28-year-old has been with New York his entire professional career. 

Boston Celtics offseason

It's been an intriguing offseason for the Celtics after their first-round collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers. They reportedly pursued superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he was traded to the Miami Heat instead.

There have also been questions about Jaylen Brown's future in Boston. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP who has three seasons and $182 million left on his supermax deal was reportedly offered as part of a potential trade for Antetokounmpo.

"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us. I don't want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team," Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said recently. 

Celtics reportedly sign Mike Conley Jr.

Charnaria also reported that free agent guard Mike Conley Jr. is signing with Boston on a one-year deal. The 38-year-old played for the Minnesota Timberwolves last year and is preparing to enter his 20th NBA season.

Dianne Curry Peck, 59, of Attleboro, was indicted Monday by a Bristol County Grand Jury. She pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Tuesday in Fall River Superior Court and was released on $10,000 bail.

Back on January 26, 1985, a father and son went rabbit hunting in the woods off Fruit Street in Mansfield. The father noticed footprints in the snow that ended at a stone wall. When he went over the wall, he found the naked body of a newborn baby partially covered by the snow. The medical examiner determined that the boy had been born alive but died a short time after birth.

"The baby was found sunk into the snow and it appeared that body heat from the baby melted the snow under the baby, turning it to ice," prosecutor Jason Mohan said at the arraignment Tuesday.

Mansfield police had a funeral for the baby. It was paid for by the police and the New England Patriots quarterback at the time, Steve Grogan. Police videotaped the funeral but never identified a suspect and the case went cold for decades. 

Then, in April 2022, the Bristol County District Attorney's office expanded its cold case unit to identify several unidentified bodies found in the last 40 years. 

"Using forensic genetic genealogy, the FBI was able to use DNA from the baby to establish a potential family tree of the baby's relatives," Mohan said. That led them to Dianne Curry, who was a 17-year-old senior at Mansfield High School in January 1985.

In 2024, investigators took trash from her home and Mohan said DNA from a soda bottle led them to believe she was the mother.

In August 2025, state and local police interviewed her and they said she told them she had a baby in 1985.

"She stated that she learned that she was pregnant in the summer of 1984, pregnant with the baby of an ex-boyfriend. She admitted that she hid her pregnancy from all her family, friends, and relatives. She admitted that the baby was born alive, stating that she had a pact with her ex-boyfriend and that she delivered the baby in her ex-boyfriend's car," Mohan said.

The ex-boyfriend was also a 17-year-old senior at Mansfield High School.

"She stated that after she delivered the baby, she gave the baby to her now ex-boyfriend and that he said he would take it and give it to a family for adoption. She stated that she never spoke to the ex-boyfriend again after this incident," Mohan said.

When Curry Peck was asked about the extensive media coverage in 1985 about the discovery of a baby about a mile-and-a-half from her house, she allegedly told investigators she believed she gave birth to a baby girl. According to Mohan, she also said she never checked the sex of the infant for herself before giving the baby to the ex-boyfriend, so she thought it was "unrelated."

Curry Peck said she gave birth on January 20, but the medical examiner's report disputed that. A DNA swab later confirmed she was the mother. The ex-boyfriend, who was not identified in court, died in 2020.  DNA was taken from one of his relatives, and it confirmed the ex-boyfriend was the father.

"The investigators were not able to determine a single individual who had knowledge that Miss Peck was pregnant in 1985. No information was gathered to believe that the ex-boyfriend was involved in the case or even knew that she was pregnant," Mohan said.

Curry Peck was booked at the Mansfield police station on Tuesday. She was released on bail and ordered to hand in her passport. She's due back in court for a pre-trial conference on August 31.

"The allegations in question undoubtedly Invoke a visceral reaction. Having said that, we would ask all parties reserve judgement until all the facts present themselves. Miss Peck looks forward to her day in court," her attorney Jason Maloney told reporters after the arraignment.

Mansfield, Massachusetts is 32 miles south of Boston.

Berlin Police said that around 3:30 p.m., they received a call from the Highland Commons shopping area about a shooting involving two men. The suspect and the victim, who knew each other, had gotten into an altercation before the victim was shot several times, police said. The male victim was given aid on the scene before he died. His identity has not been released.

Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr. explained that the suspect then drove away, but was followed by a witness in another car. 

The suspect made it onto I-495 before State Police found him and forced him to pull over in the median. The highway was then shut down in both directions at 4:30 p.m. WBZ-TV I-Team sources said police then called a negotiator to the scene. 

"We used our robot dog to break the window, but unfortunately the window tint we couldn't get past it. We had to use non-lethal rounds to break the rest of the window. Then we used a drone to identify that the suspect was deceased," State Police Deputy Superintendent Dan Tucker said. 

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said that they believe the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect has not been identified, but Early said that he had a criminal history. 

"Amazing amount of teamwork that was involved in this. This all happened really quickly," he said. "Their training really came out today. They're the professionals. They did an amazing job."

Massachusetts State Police and Berlin Police are investigating. Lowell and Berlin are about 27 miles apart. Shoppers at the Highland Commons in Berlin were stunned by what happened.

"So unexpected. I never thought that someone would have gotten shot here. It's such a nice place, so many nice stores, so many nice people. I was in shock," said Owen Otto. "I hope nothing like this ever happens again here." 

"We came over here and saw it. It's just crazy. Stuff like that never happens up here," David Baca said. "We're here every day."

Throughout the incident, cars could be seen driving onto the median to turn around. Route 495 was reopened later Tuesday evening.

"We want to thank the public that was in the area at that time. It was a very trying time for them; there was a lot of patience involved," Tucker said.

Seven will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, which is about 29 miles south of Boston. FIFA has renamed it Boston Stadium for the tournament.

The first match was on June 13, and the final one will be on July 9. The highest ranked teams playing at Gillette in the group stage will be third seed France and fourth seed England.

Full schedule for all 2026 World Cup matches in Boston

Here's the full schedule for Boston Stadium for your planning purposes, beginning with the five group stage matches.

Saturday, June 13 
Scotland (world ranking 42) beat Haiti (83) 1-0 (recap)

Tuesday, June 16
Norway (31) beat Iraq (56) 4-1 (recap)  

Friday, June 19
Morocco (7) beat Scotland (42) 1-0

Tuesday, June 23
England (4) and Ghana (73) end in 0-0 draw (recap)

Friday, June 26 at 3 p.m.
France (3) beat Norway (31) 4-1 (recap)

2026 World Cup Round of 32 in Boston

Monday, June 29

Paraguay (34) beat Germany (12) on penalty kicks (recap)

2026 World Cup Quarterfinal in Boston

Thursday, July 9 at 4 p.m.

Canada-Morocco winner against Paraguay-France winner.

The 2026 World Cup tournament began on June 11 with two matches in Mexico. There are 48 teams to start the group stage. That's followed by the knockout stages with a round of 32, then 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.

The World Cup final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

How long do World Cup matches usually last?

Each match lasts 90 minutes, broken up into two 45-minute halves. 

Then comes stoppage time. Since the clock doesn't stop during a match, this accounts for the pauses in play. So, at the end of each half there are typically a few minutes of stoppage time added on before the half or match officially ends.

Group stage matches can end in a tie (also known as a draw).

According to FIFA regulations, in the knockout stages, if a match ends in a draw, extra time will be played for 30 minutes. That's two 15-minute periods and stoppage time. If the match is still tied, it will be decided by a best-of-five shootout. If there's still no winner, each round becomes sudden death.

The watch party will be at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. With the weather forecast calling for temperatures close to 100 degrees on Wednesday, Wu highlighted the fact that the watch party will be indoors.

"Sports bring us together as one big community, no matter where we live or who we root for, and Boston is keeping up the incredible momentum from the World Cup," Wu said. "As Team USA prepares to play Bosnia and Herzegovina and we head into a heat wave, we thank our partners at Boston Red Sox and Crossroads Presents for working with us to provide safe, welcoming spaces where fans can stay cool, watch the match, and enjoy the game with family and friends."

The city noted that the family friendly event has "limited capacity," and anyone interested in attending must register in advance online. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the match kicks off at 8 p.m.

Besides the fan festival, Boston has also hosted community watch parties in Dorchester, on Boston Common and at East Boston Memorial Stadium. The city is also planning watch parties for the semifinals and finals, but those locations have yet to be announced.

Chelsea is also hosting a watch party for the U.S. match at its Fiesta Futbol in Chelsea Square. 

"On the evening of June 29, an individual or group threw rocks at our historic building, damaging four windows," the observatory said in a statement. "The most significant impact occurred in our History Room, the space that houses 141 years of irreplaceable weather and climate records."

No weather words or scientific instruments were damaged, the observatory said. Photos shared by the observatory show damaged and boarded-up windows. 

Massachusetts State Police said Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) staff contacted troopers on Tuesday to report the vandalism. A police spokesperson said they could not share any additional information while the investigation is ongoing.

The observatory, which is the oldest continuously operating weather observatory in North America, will be closed through Thursday for repairs and is expected to reopen Friday.

"We're working with law enforcement and assessing the damage to make sure everything is safe for our visitors, volunteers, and staff before we reopen," the observatory said in a statement.

Scientists have been keeping weather and climate records at the two-story tower in the Blue Hills since 1885. It's located in the Blue Hills reservation, a 7,000-acre state park that's about 10 miles south of Boston. The tower underwent major renovations in 2021 to repair concrete and upgrade its doors, windows, and lighting.

The observatory was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1989 "due to its significance in commemorating the history of the United States through its pioneering contributions to the development of meteorology." It's typically open to the public year-round, with admission starting at $10 for a self-guided tour.

Scott Winslow is in intensive care at a hospital in Fiji. He was sailing with his nephew in the South Pacific on what was supposed to be a three-month voyage when he noticed what appeared to be a bug bite.

His family isn't sure exactly what the cause of the illness is, but his condition quickly deteriorated and he could no longer walk once the boat arrived in Fiji.

"By the time they got to a doctor, he was so sick," his daughter Lisa Babbin told WBZ-TV.

Winslow has been on a ventilator and is now battling septic shock, with organ failure and a spreading infection. Babbin said the doctors are doing everything they can, but he needs more care than the hospital can manage and time is not on their side.

"Every hour counts for my father," she said.

The family has secured a bed at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, but the problem is getting him there from Fiji. A special flight to get Winslow back to Boston could cost as much as $250,000.

"All we need is a medflight; that's the only thing we need to get him home," Babbin said. "Medflights are not cheap."

The family has set up an online fundraiser and they've raised about $19,000 so far. They've also applied for an emergency U.S. government loan for the medical evacuation, but are still waiting to find out if it will be approved.

WBZ-TV has reached out to the elected officials who represent Holbrook: Congressman Stephen Lynch and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Lynch's office said that they were in contact with the embassy and Winslow's family. 

We have not heard back from Markey or Warren. 

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to uphold birthright citizenship: meaning, anyone born in this country is a U.S. citizen regardless of their parents' immigration status.

The decision reads, in part, "Held: Children born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present...are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause."

Immigration attorney on birthright citizenship

"I'm relieved with the decision, but I'm also cautious that it wasn't a unanimous decision," said Boston immigration attorney Annelise Araujo.

Araujo cautioned that given the language of the 14th Amendment, she expected a unanimous decision, but Justice Clarence Thomas's extensive dissent gave her pause.

"It's scary," she said. "Because I think it says to me that nothing is off limits."

Massachusetts ACLU director reacts

There is a major local tie. Lawyers from the ACLU of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Maine, as well as other local advocacy organizations, brought this lawsuit on behalf of anonymous New Hampshire plaintiffs, "a class of people who were in this country, and who were expecting to have children, and who wanted to make sure that their children would have the same constitutional rights as the… as all of us have, who were born in this country."

Of many lawsuits nationwide, "this happened to be the case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court, and we're so glad that it did because it was so important," ACLU of Massachusetts director Carol Rose told WBZ-TV.

Gov. Maura Healey also praised the decision, writing in a statement in part, "President Trump can't rewrite the Constitution. I'm grateful to Attorney General Campbell and her colleagues for standing up for our communities."

The decision could impact more than just those with birthright citizenship, Araujo explained. 

"Individuals who are not lawful permanent residents and who maybe entered the country without inspection, but have been here for 10 years and are good people, they can apply for cancellation of removal but they have to have a qualifying relative – for example, a U.S. citizen child," she said.

President Trump criticized the decision, writing on Truth Social, "The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process. No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

A surge of rain on Friday saw 60 to 65 million gallons of wastewater hit a 42-inch pipe going to the plant.The pipe is used to handling 8 million gallons.

"I am optimistic we will have one of the temporary pipes that will take our normal day's flow completely and totally to the waste treatment plant sometime in the next 24 hours," Haverhill Mayor Melinda Bennett said on Tuesday.

The surge caused leaks in two spots and sent sewage into the Merrimack River, making water unsafe for swimmers downstream at popular beaches.

"There is a barrier that is stopping the flow of solid debris down the rivers that's actually working, and that's holding," Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said. "We are also managing beaches for debris, but we haven't seen any debris."

"Jaws-like scenario on 4th of July weekend"

In the meantime, the Department of Conservation and Recreation is testing the water while beaches in Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury and Ipswich are closed. Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon said communication hasn't been fast enough.

"I would say that's my biggest disappointment in all of this is that we weren't informed. I still haven't had a conversation with the Mayor of Haverhill," Reardon said.

Reardon added that some dock space rentals have been canceled, and Airbnb renters have backed out.

"I never wanted to be a mayor during a Jaws-like scenario on 4th of July weekend. I don't think we will know the economic impact for a while," Reardon said.

Healey urges people to still use beaches

Healey wants to be clear, the beaches remain open, it's swimming that is not advised.

"It's really important for people to hear that because I think there's been a misunderstanding. The beaches are open," Healey said. "Use it for boating and enjoy the beach as best you can."

In addition to the beaches impacted by the leaks, another 14 beaches are closed for high bacteria. This includes two beaches in Salem on Children's Island where a YMCA camp is going on.

"Kind of sucks because these beaches and the ocean are supposed to give you cool air and water," said Ophelia, a Salem resident.

The hope is that if the pipe can get done over the next 24 hours, and rain holds off, that testing could show safe enough numbers to allow swimming by the 4th of July.