NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (CBS/AP) — U.S. COVID-19 cases are up, leading a smattering of school districts, particularly in the Northeast, to bring back mask mandates and recommendations for the first time since the omicron winter surge ended. The return of masking in schools is not nearly as widespread as earlier in the pandemic, particularly as the public’s worries over the virus have ebbed. But districts in Maine, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have brought masks back, with a few in Massachusetts also recommending them even as the school year enters its final weeks. In parts of Massachusetts that have ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) — Cambridge will be the first city in the country to offer cash payments to every family living in poverty. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui is planning to use almost $22 million of COVID relief funds to expand the city’s RISE pilot program. Soon, any family under 200% of the federal poverty level will get $500 a month for about a year and a half. The RISE initiative is designed to help low-income families reach economic stability. “Our commitment has always been to find a way to expand the impact of RISE and ensure that all families living in poverty in our city would similarly receive c ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) – Boston licensing officials have been looking into a rash of recent incidents this winter when women said drugs had been slipped into their drinks. “It’s scary because people don’t know what they’re doing most of the time,” said one man who wanted to remain anonymous, and said he was the victim of a “roofies” incident several years ago. “Woke up the next morning in my bed wondering what happened, and luckily I was in my bed.” Boston Police and the Boston Licensing Board are investigating what happened February 11th at the Hong Kong near Faneuil Hall, when a customer collapsed and ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) — An nine-year-old Merrimack, New Hampshire boy got the chance to try something new this weekend. Aiden Collyar lost his leg to cancer a year ago. On Sunday, he was a special guest at the Bionic 5K in Cambridge on Sunday. The race raises money for the Bionic Project, which is a nonprofit that promotes active lifestyles to overcome physical challenges. This year, that group gave $10,000 to the Born To Run Foundation, which gifts prosthetics to young amputees. That money funded a custom running blade for Aiden. “It feels pretty good to have a running blade,” said Aiden. ” I ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — Celebrations and demonstrations are happening all across the state on Friday and through the weekend for Earth Day. There will be games and music at the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston on Friday. Mayor Michelle Wu will be there to announce a plan for heat resilience in the city. A climate action march is expected to take place on Copley Plaza. Volunteers will also be out cleaning the Charles River Friday morning. An eco-friendly pop-up market will be held in Cambridge from Friday to Sunday. Vendors will be selling eco-friendly items including home goods, art, and clothing at Cam ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS/CNN) – When you twist an Oreo cookie apart, the cream often sticks to one side. So researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology set out to learn why. Whether you prefer the filling intact on one half of the cookie or spread evenly when you open it up, researchers have asked the long-plaguing question: How do you make sure you get the Oreo just the way you want it every time? “When I was little, I tried twisting wafers to split the cream evenly between wafers so there’s some on both halves — which in my opinion tastes much better than having one wafer with a lot of cr ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman near the Porter Exchange Shopping Center in Cambridge on Wednesday. It happened around 8:40 a.m. on Roseland Street. A 47-year-old Somerville woman told police she felt someone quickly approach her. As she tried to step out of the way, a man reached up her skirt and “aggressively” grabbed her. Cambridge Police said that as the woman turned around to confront the man, he ran off. She was not able to give a description of the suspect. Anyone in the area who has video from around 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday is asked to call ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Two workers were stabbed at a construction site in Cambridge early Monday morning, police said. Carcensky Salvant, 21, of Randolph was arrested and faces multiple charges. Officers were called to a site on Wheeler Street at about 7:15 a.m. for a report of an altercation. Cambridge Police Deputy Supt. Pauline Wells said one worker was stabbed in the leg repeatedly, seemingly over a debt. “The assailant kept saying that ‘he owes me, he owes me,'” Wells said. During the assault, another coworker jumped in to help and ended up being stabbed in the back. A third worker was able to ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Two workers were stabbed at a construction site in Cambridge early Monday morning, police said. Officers were called to a site on Wheeler Street at about 7:15 a.m. for a report of an altercation. Cambridge Police Deputy Supt. Pauline Wells said one worker was stabbed repeatedly, seemingly over a debt. “The assailant kept saying that ‘he owes me, he owes me,'” Wells said. During the assault, another coworker jumped in to help. He was also stabbed, but able to subdue the attacker thanks to his jiu-jitsu training, police said. “It was a pretty hairy scene,” Wells said. “He was q ..read more

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) — It was a lifelong goal fulfilled for 92-year-old Carlos Rezende. Wearing his cap and gown, he received his diploma surrounded by faculty, family, and friends. The Dorchester man became the oldest graduate in Cambridge College history. “Carlos, I don’t know if you ever knew how intimidating it was for me to teach you,” remarked Dr. James Lee, Dean of the School of Undergraduate studies during the ceremony. After retiring from his job as a paraprofessional in Boston Public Schools, Carlos went back to school…this time on the opposite side of the classroom. “By the age of 80, he ..read more