Today is Tuesday, July 7. Here’s what Patch has been covering across Massachusetts today.
Harvard found itself in the crosshairs of President Trump, who Tuesday afternoon railed against the university’s decision to offer only online courses for the 2020-21 school amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“They ought to be ashamed of themselves,” Trump said, according to a pool report. He called it “ridiculous” and said Harvard was taking “the easy way out.”
Harvard announced Monday it would return only 40 percent of undergraduate students back to its Cambridge campus. All undergraduate and graduate students, whether or not they are on campus, will be taking online courses.
Trump has been banging on the hot button topic of returning to school in the fall, even as cases continue to increase across the country. “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!” Trump tweeted Monday.
Also, Gov. Charlier Baker blasted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s announcement that it will not issue visas to international students who are not enrolled in at least one in-person class this fall.
Across Massachusetts
Agreement Reached To Replace Cape Cod Bridges, Transfer To State
State officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have come to an agreement that will demolish the aging Bourne and Sagamore bridges and transfer ownership of their replacements to Massachusetts.
Under the agreement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and maintains the 85-year-old bridges, would transfer the multi-year project to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The federal government would still cover the costs of the project, but MassDOT would be the agency in charge of designing and building the new bridges, the Cape Cod Times reported.
Discussions about replacing the Cape Cod Canal bridges came after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a study that recommended the Sagamore and Bourne bridges be replaced. U.S. Army Corps officials estimated the cost to replace the two bridges to be about $1.1 billion.
Red Sox Opening Day Starter Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez and infielder Bobby Dalbec are the latest Red Sox players to test positive for the coronavirus.
Boston manager Ron Roenicke said Rodriguez is feeling better and Dalbec has been asymptomatic.
Rodriguez was slated to be the team’s Opening Day starter, Roenicke said. The Sox start the season July 24 hosting Baltimore. It’s unclear if Rodriguez will be ready.
Also
Identity Thieves Tried To Steal $158M From MA Unemployment Agency
A national crime syndicate used stolen identities to make fraudulent unemployment claims in Massachusetts and other states.
Sandler Movie Filmed On North Shore Back On After Coronavirus
Adam Sandler’s ‘Hubie Halloween,’ which shot in Massachusetts last summer, is scheduled to resume filming this weekend in Los Angeles.
Beverly Mayor: Unsanctioned Parade Included Bullying, Racism
Mayor Mike Cahill said some participants “crossed the line of decency” with a racist message and threats against individuals.
Malden Restaurateur Says He Was Victim Of ‘Con Artist’ Bookkeeper
George Lambos, owner of Fresco’s Roast Beef & Seafood, owes more than $100,000 in taxes that he says Patricia Lindau stole from him.
Fight Over Restaurant Bill Leads To Deadly Worcester Shooting: DA
Worcester recorded its fourth homicide of 2020 on Monday when a 24-year-old man died following a shooting on July 4.
This article originally appeared on the Boston Patch