Today's Top Headlines

Saturday, October 18

Good morning Wypierdalaj,

On this Saturday we're following Day 2 of the Head of the Charles Regatta, as well as "No Kings" rallies that are planned across Massachusetts -- and the country. We're also taking an early look at how much snow Boston might get this winter. I'm Kaitlin McKinley Becker, and these are our top headlines.

Thousands of rallies protesting the Trump administration are set to take place nationwide Saturday.

It’s the second “No Kings” day this year, and these demonstrations are expected to be bigger than the previous ones. 

The nation’s political divide will be on full display this weekend with thousands of ‘No Kings’ protests taking place in opposition to President Donald Trump.

There will be more excitement Saturday as athletes return to the water for the second day of the Head of the Charles Regatta.

The annual three-day rowing event, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, is the largest in the world.

There are 2,700 entries representing some 12,000 athletes and 860 clubs, according to Race Director Brendan Mulvey. That includes 45 states from the U.S. and 26 countries from around the world — paraplegic rowers, military veterans, cancer survivors and even the man who started the event back in 1965, 86-year-old D’Arcy McMahon. There were multiple rowers in their 80s and 90s joining him, as well.

It’s time to start thinking about snow in New England.

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has issued its 2025–2026 Winter Outlook, offering an early snapshot of the temperature and precipitation trends. Look at this as a broad guide for a glimpse of what’s in store for the upcoming season.

The upcoming winter (December, January, February) is leaning warmer than normal for much of the East Coast, including Boston and southern New England. The CPC has highlighted most of the East Coast for warmer-than-normal temperatures, stretching from the Southeast up through the Northeast, while cooler conditions are possible for the Pacific Northwest and Northern tier of the country.

High school students in Massachusetts could need to pass tests tied to specific coursework in order to graduate, under new draft regulations being considered by state officials — a year after voters chose to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement.

Preliminary draft regulations from Gov. Maura Healey’s Statewide K-12 Graduation Council, which was created to recommend a permanent graduation standard following the November 2024 ballot vote, propose that students demonstrate “mastery” by taking end-of-course assessments “that are connected to specific courses and that are designed, administered, and scored by the state, promoting a uniform standard across Massachusetts.”

Voters last year passed a ballot law decoupling the MCAS exam from diploma eligibility by a 59-41 margin. Key state leaders — including Healey, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano — opposed the initiative petition, warning of long-term consequences for educational consistency and equity.

People aggressively soliciting for fraudulent charities have charged just over $170,000 from people in Boston across 11 recent incidents, police said Thursday, warning the public about the scams.

In one case, Boston police said, someone had $50,000 charged from their account without authorization, in a scheme being reported across the country.

The scammer or scammers typically approaches a woman in a parking lot asking for donations about a dead child or charity, then push the person to donate with their phone or credit card, sometimes using the payment method themselves.

Mounting complaints of voter fraud in Lawrence have prompted Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin to intervene ahead of the November election.

City officials say they’ve also been raising concerns about questionable absentee ballot applications, and Mayor Brian De Peña supports the state’s move to oversee the elections process.

“It’s time for the state to take action on the issue,” De Peña said, adding that “transparency is the most important.”