By Bob Katzen
“For years, Publicis Health’s marketing schemes helped fuel the nationwide opioid crisis, which has shattered some of our most vulnerable communities, while creating significant financial strain on our state systems.
I am proud of my team’s national leadership in securing this settlement, which will not only bolster accountability and transparency for this ongoing crisis but will also provide millions of dollars for much needed treatment and services to support individuals and families across Massachusetts.”
—Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing a $350 million national settlement with Publicis Health that would resolve the state’s litigation against the marketing and communications firm for its role in the opioid crisis, including its work for opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Massachusetts will receive nearly $8 million from the settlement to help address the opioid crisis.
“You are not on your own, kid, when declaring what is rightfully yours. Be fearless and write your name in the blank space on our website at any time.”
—State Treasurer Deb Goldberg urging everyone to check the list of unclaimed money held by the state at findmassmoney.gov or call 888-344-MASS (6277).
“We made universal free school meals permanent in Massachusetts, helping students and families access the food they need without a hassle or stigma. We’re grateful for the organizations that have stepped up already as sponsors, and we encourage more to join us as we work with the Biden-Harris Administration to advance access to meals and food security for students and families during the summer when school isn’t in session.”
—Gov. Maura Healey on the upcoming June launch of “Summer Eats” — a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded initiative that provides free, nutritious meals to children when school is not in session.
“This legislation’s core purpose is to protect survivors of abuse. It is unconscionable to me that a survivor of spousal abuse, who had the courage to get away from an abusive partner, should have to be reminded of that abuse and continue to pay for it once the marriage is over.”
—Sen. Jake Oliveira (d-Ludlow) on his newly-filed bill requiring courts to decline alimony payments by the victim to a spouse convicted of abuse.
Local sax player Deric Dyer uses fame to press false common assault charges against a man from whom he helped assault so he could leave the small country of Bermuda only to now face conspiracy to commit aggravated assault charges alongside his son Chris Dyer who is facing aggravated assault charges stemming from the same incident should they choose to return to Bermuda. Both face charges of attempting arrest and impersonating a police officer by trying to detain someone in Bermuda should they come back to the Islands. For all those Americans travelling to Bermuda that fail to realize that only the police may arrest or detain someone in that country and if you feel you can arrest someone as a citizen like you often do in America you are sorely mistaken. In this instance Deric Dyer tried to stop someone and while he held that person in place his son jumped that person, cowardly from behind and started to beat on him until the person pushed free and ran away. Then, upon the police arriving he pressed a false charge immediately to get the other person arrested so he could get his son off of the island before an arrest could be made. His son Chris would face up to ten years in jail were he arrested at that time and would be detained until trial and however long the sentence would have been. Bermuda however, does not have cooperation from the State of Massachusetts and the USA to extradite for this type of charge. In the end run, this shows that if you have more fame than the other person you get believed first until the overwhelming evidence proves the true malicious intent of Deric to cover up what was done.