New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Foxborough. Reports say Belichick and the Patriots agreed to part ways on Jan. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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It’s the end of an era for New England this morning. Bill Belichick is reportedly leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles as head coach.
Here’s what we know so far:
According to multiple media reports out early Thursday, Belichick and the New England Patriots have parted ways mutually. Since Monday, Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft had been meeting to discuss how each side wanted to move forward after the coach’s extensive history with the Pats. Belichick had one year remaining on his contract. (The news has not been independently confirmed by WBUR.)
- This wasn’t a surprise decision: The news confirmed speculation that followed the coach throughout the end of the team’s abysmal 4-13 season — his worst ever with the organization. Despite this, Belichick is the second-winningest head coach in NFL history, just 14 behind former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula. Belichick led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins, most recently in 2018.
- What’s next for the Pats and Belichick? We’ll hear more from both Kraft and Belichick today at noon during a press conference at Gillette Stadium. In terms of his coaching career, it’s expected Belichick will get some interest from the seven other NFL teams with head-coaching vacancies (one of them being the Atlanta Falcons, per ESPN).
A Walgreens in Roxbury will close on Jan. 15, making it the fourth location the drugstore chain has shut down in a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood in Boston. Over the last two years, Walgreens has shuttered locations in Mattapan, Hyde Park and Lower Roxbury. This recent 416 Warren St. closure is raising concerns about health access and equity for communities of color across the city.
- Protestors demonstrated outside the Walgreens on Tuesday, demanding the drugstore, which is located next to a dialysis center, remain open to customers in the Roxbury area. “For Walgreens, this is all about business, but for us, it’s a matter of life and death,” demonstrator Rev. Miniard Culpepper told WCVB.
- In June of last year, Walgreens announced a plan to close hundreds of stores nationally. When asked for comment, Walgreens told WBUR that “pharmacy patients at this location do not have to take any action.” The spokesperson said customers’ prescription files will automatically transfer to the Walgreens at 1890 Columbus Ave (Columbus & Bray), which is approximately a six-minute drive, 17 minute bus ride or 21-minute walk from the former Warren St. location. Unfortunately, according to Boston.com, 44% of Roxbury residents don’t have access to a vehicle.
- Zoom out: Boston city councilors raised concerns about creating “pharmacy deserts” in the neighborhoods back in 2022, but their resolution stalled.
The Massachusetts House unanimously voted to approve legislation yesterday that strengthens protections for people who may have been the victims of revenge porn and other image-based sexual assault. The proposed bill also adds protections against coercive control and domestic violence, extends the statute of limitations for some domestic offenses and revises the state’s laws around teen sexting. But the outlawing of revenge porn — a type of digital abuse that involves sharing sexually explicit images or videos without the other person’s consent — is a big step for Massachusetts. The state is only one of two that does not currently ban revenge porn.
- What are the proposed changes? For adults, the bill would establish a penalty for those who distribute revenge porn under an already existing criminal harassment statute. If found guilty of distributing explicit imagery of other adults without both parties’ consent, a person could be sentenced to two and a half years in prison and/or a monetary fine of up to $10,000.
- This legislation would also update to the current consequences for teens who exchange explicit photos of themselves or their peers. Right now, minors who sext can be charged with possession of child sexual abuse imagery, which requires them to register as sex offenders. The new legislation would allow teens to go through an educational programming, rather than face criminal punishment, except in extreme cases.
- What’s next? Now, the measure is off to the Senate for review. Both the House and Senate reviewed a similar bill in 2022, but they couldn’t come to a final agreement.
P.S. — Trying to eat fresh in the new year? Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst is back with three light, fruit-and-veggie filled recipes to help you refresh your palate after the holiday onslaught of cheese and cookies.
The WBUR newsroom contributed to today’s newsletter.
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