Do you have some blood to spare? The American Red Cross is urging people to donate blood as supply levels hit dangerously low levels. It's the worst shortage since January 2022. So if you can, roll up that sleeve. But first, the news: Finally home: A Massachusetts resident and veteran who was held in Russia for more than four years is now back in the United States. Robert Gilman, 32, had been held in prison under abusive conditions and was seriously ill and near death, according to Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free him and other American detainees abroad. No exchange of hostages took place, according to President Trump. - This was a "humanitarian release" on the part of the Russian government, according to Kieran Ramsey, chief investigative officer for Global Reach. "Ultimately, though, it was Robert's precarious health situation that enabled the U.S. government to act with a sense of urgency, to have the White House themselves engaged directly with the Russians and secure his humanitarian release to get him home," Ramsey told WBUR's Lisa Mullins.
- Who is Gilman? He's a former Marine from Lowell who was on his way to a teaching job in Moldova in 2022 when he became ill and had to stay in Russia for a time, Ramsey said. Russian police officers said he was drunk and he was later convicted of beating a police officer. His initial 3½-year sentence was extended several times after Russian authorities alleged he attacked prison guards and inspectors.
- Gilman's family is crediting President Trump and Sen. Ed Markey for his release. "He would have died without the medical care he's about to receive," Markey said yesterday. "That should not be how far it has to go before Americans around the world know that the United States is going to apply the pressure necessary to be able to gain their release."
- Where is he now? Ramsey said Gilman was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where he'll receive both medical and psychological assessments and treatment.
Shelving the book bans: After an influx of requests to remove books from the shelves, Gov. Maura Healey signed a new law this week standardizing how books are selected and challenged across Massachusetts libraries and public schools. Under the new rules, challenged books must remain on library shelves while under review. In order to have something permanently removed, there needs to be public notice, a hearing and an official vote by a local board or school committee. And it limits who can lodge challenges. Only residents of a town can challenge books at their local library; in schools, ban requests are restricted to staff, parents and guardians and students enrolled at the school. - Supporters say the change protects both librarians and the ability for young people to read freely. But opponents argue this could make it harder to remove what they consider objectionable material from a library.
- How often was this happening? In 2019, there were fewer than 10 challenges in the state, according to Andrea Fiorillo, the co-chair of the Massachusetts Library Association's Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibilities Committee. By last year, that ballooned to 229 challenged titles.
Don't forget to look up: Here's your reminder that we're in for a celestial double feature today. First up is a partial solar eclipse, with the area's best views at around 2 p.m. (Be sure to use special eclipse glasses or try out this trick with binoculars in order to protect your eyes.) Then the Perseid meteor shower will peak tonight around 9 p.m. - While the solar eclipse won't be as spectacular as it was in 2024 for viewers in New England, Sky & Telescope’s Kelly Beatty said he expects there will be a lot of action for the meteor shower this year. “From a really dark location — super dark — you might see anywhere from around one [meteor] per minute and up to 100 per hour ideally,” he said. “But most of us deal with light pollution, so I would say more realistically, one every other minute. But that's still a lot of meteors to enjoy.”
P.S.— Do you have to pee all the time? Or find it painful to sit for long periods? Those are signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, and I (WBUR reporter Ally Jarmanning) want to hear from you. I'm working on a story about pelvic health and pelvic floor physical therapy and want to talk to folks who have experienced these issues. You can email me at allyjar@wbur.org or fill out this form. And hey, there's no shame: I've had these issues, too! |
