Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri announced on Twitter and Instagram that he plans to open a new restaurant next summer at the Navy Yard, several reports said.

The new digs, slated to be called The Brig, will be a full-service restaurant and bar in the 500 building located at 4501 S. Broad Street, right at the Navy Yard’s entrance.

Vetri’s other Philadelphia restaurants include Amis on 13th and Waverly streets, Vetri at 1312 Spruce Street and Osteria on North Broad Street. Pizzeria Vetri is set to open on 20th and Callowhill this year.

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Those familiar with the Williamsburg dining scene certainly know Dressler. In a neighborhood flooded with restaurants, Dressler is truly a gem – it was also just one of the five Michelin-starred restaurants in all of Brooklyn.

The iconic restaurant closed its doors for good today. The following announcement was posted on the restaurant’s website.

After seven years of business, Dressler is closing its doors for business today, Monday, June 17, 2013. With much regret, an agreement could not be reached for a lease renewal. To all of our talented staff and to our customers, our friends, thank you for your loyal support. Our accolades and accomplishments would not have been possible without you.

We close the doors to one of NYC’s most beautiful dining rooms with mixed emotions. We are so proud of Dressler. It was a pioneer in the Brooklyn Dining scene that helped set the standard for dining in the borough today. We are excited to continue serving the Williamsburg Community at both Dumont and Dumont Burger as well as our new ventures in Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights.

Despite the restaurants somewhat high prices, the food was consistently good. In a 2006 review The New York Times critic Frank Bruni praised the food as being “sophisticated without being too cliver, in a room that’s beautiful without being too flamboyant.”

And the cocktails? Delicious. Dressler will truly be missed in the neighborhood.

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Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, but as far as counterfeiters are concerned, selling imitation duds means dirty dollars.

Playoff season is a perfect time for knock off artists to sell fake wares to sports fans, but the cheap goods come with a price. Counterfeit merchandise is flimsy, and often falls apart or fades within weeks, not to mention fuels an illegal activity that sucks money from legitimate brands.

“It’s a good time for counterfeiters to be selling Bruins stuff. These ‘entrepreneurs’ are trying to make a buck, but it’s against the law,” said Tom Taylor, a counterfeiting expert with OpSec Security in Copley, which handles anti-counterfeiting for the NHL.

So, what can be faked?

“You name it. Anything from shirts to top end Bruins sweaters, hats, trinkets. If it will sell, there is somebody in the world trying to counterfeit it,” said Taylor.

Taylor said sports fans can avoid knock offs by looking closely at garment tags and trinket stickers. Legit NHL garment tags have the league’s logo, and if there are patches, they should be raised.

Other bobbles should have individually serialized stickers. Sketchy salesmen often lurk in the TD Garden parking lot, and sell merch from their cars, so avoid them.

“Use common sense,” said Taylor. “Where are you buying it? In general, these (unlicensed) vendors like to sell outside T stations, or in Downtown Crossing, or in public parks… People don’t realize until a week later when the stuff starts to unravel, and by that time the vendor is long gone. ”

For many sports fans, figuring out what’s fake and what’s legit is a matter of facing reality. Licensed products almost always more costly, so if the price is too good to be true, it is probably an imposter.

Follow Morgan Rousseau on Twitter: @MetroMorgan
Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS

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These are their faces.

Many wear smiles. Some sit at their desk. Some pose with completed projects, others with students.

Most seem oblivious to the fate that awaits them on July 1.

Meet some of the 3,859 teachers, counselors, secretaries, assistant principals who were slipped pink. The faces of the lay-offs.

A new website, Facesofthelayoffs.org, catalogues their mugs and stories. The goal is to force lawmakers to restore funding, and restore the lost jobs. And they want the city, state and school district to look at them as people, and not numbers.

Larissa Pahomov had the idea. The Science Leadership Academy English teacher still has her job, but she wanted to honor one of her fellow educators who lost hers. The site is operated by a handful of full-time teachers.

“One thing the site is hopefully doing is showing people all of the different types of employees that it takes to make a successful school community,” she said. “We want people to see that all of these people are essential and it’s happening in every school building in Philadelphia.”

Yesterday was SLA’s graduation. “And normally this would be a time for celebration,” Pahomov said, “And really it’s a time almost of dread.”

She explained that when people hear the number of layoffs, “You think, ‘oh, wow, that’s a a lot of teachers.’”

“But you don’t connect with a number,” she said. “You connect with a story.”

The site has 153 entries posted so far and counting. There have been more than 300,000 hits on the site as of 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The school district’s $304 million budget gap is supposed to close with a combination of a $2 cigarette tax, the liquor-by-the-drink tax, $120 in state funding and a combination of teacher’s union concessions and stronger delinquent tax collections.

The liquor-by-the-drink tax has stalled in City Council. The State House must approve the cigarette tax. The state says it doesn’t have the $120. City Council’s budget is due on June 30.

Robert Rawlings was shocked. As a new father who taught history at Girls’ High for four years, he was blindsided by his notice. But the website offers support.

“It makes you feel like you’re not alone,” he said.

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The charity set up to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings surpassed $51 million, the nonprofit announced Monday. 

About 212 victims have filed claims with the nonprofit so far, with more expected to come in by mail this week. Victims had until June 15 to have a claim form postmarked.

All money raised before June 27 will go to help the more than 260 victims of the April 15 attack. However, there is no deadline to donate and the fund will continue to help victims and families after the initial payments are made.

Mayor Thomas Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick established the fund shortly after the bombings.

Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.

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The Special Investigative Committee formed to examine the city’s demolition procedures and operations in the wake of the deadly building collapse at 22nd and Market streets released its public hearing schedule on Monday, according to a news release.

The first hearing will take place in Council Chambers, room 400 of City Hall, on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Commissioner Carlton Williams of the Department of Licenses & Inspections is scheduled to testify.

The full schedule of hearings is as follows: June 19, June 27, July 11, Aug. 1, Aug. 13.

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The FBI started digging for a body Monday at the former Queens home of mobster James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke, according to a report from DNAinfo New York.

Burke was the inspiration for the character Jimmy “The Gent” Conway in the Martin Scorcese film ”Goodfellas,” playing by Robert DeNiro.

According to DNAinfo’s sources, FBA Evidence Collection specialists and agents from the Organized Crime Division were in the basement of the Burkes’ South Ozone Park home from 8 a.m. Monday morning with jackhammers and sledge hammers.

The FBI reportedly received a tip recently that a person who disappeared decades ago was buried in the basement or backyard of the Burke home.

A spokesperson with the FBI told Metro all that can be shared right now is that the Bureau is doing a search for evidence in connection with an ongoing FBI investigation.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Thanks to two long-time Bushwick residents, a special Restaurant Week for the apparently often-overlooked neighborhood kicked off today.

Bob Murray and Nick Gilbert noticed that Bushwick had been excluded from programming by Dine In Brooklyn, they joined forces to put together a Bushwick-specific dining extravaganza.

Over 30 restaurants are signed on, the organizers say.

Bushwick Restaurant Week developed a partnership with the taxi-hailing app Uber so restaurant attendees can get enter the promotional code “Bushwick” and receive $30 of cab fare to bring in Manhattanites or help people hit up several spots over the course of a single evening.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A former mobster who confessed to killing 20 people, some of them innocent victims, took to a witness stand Monday and talked about his own heartache – when he learned that his onetime best friend and accused mob leader James “Whitey” Bulger was a federal informant. 

Confessed killer John Martorano considered Bulger one of his best friends. Martorano helped Bulger run the Winter Hill Gang, made Bulger a godfather to his child and even named his son James.

That’s why Martorano said he was heart broken when he learned that the FBI said Bulger fed law enforcement agents information.

Martorano, the 72-year-old former Winter Hill Gang member, took the stand Monday and testified against his one time best friend, because he said Bulger had betrayed their loyalty.

“They were my partners in crime. They were my best friends. They were my children’s godfathers,” Martorano said of Bulger and another gang associate Stephen Flemmi. “After I heard they were informants, it sort of broke my heart. But they broke all the trust that we had. All the loyalties. I was beside myself for it.”

Despite confessing to 20 murders, Martorano was sentenced to 14 years in jail after being convicted of racketeering and other crimes. He signed a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against his former mob pals.

Day four of the Bulger trial took an extremely dark turn when Martorano took the stand. He provided chilling details of the murders for which Bulger is currently on trial.

Martorano recounted many of his murders including the time in 1974 when he shot fellow Winter Hill Gang member James Sousa. The gang members were worried Sousa was going to turn on them after he was arrested, so they decided to kill him, Martorano said. They invited him to a Somerville garage by telling him they wanted to give him money for a lawyer. Instead Martorano shot him.

“The blood went everywhere,” said Martorano, who later added that Bulger helped clean up.

Bulger, who wore a collared shirt, glanced at Martorano as he walked to the witness stand, but the two didn’t say anything or make any motions.

The 83-year-old Bulger is accused of running the Winter Hill Gang, racketeering and 19 murders. He fled just before his indictment in 1995 and was caught in Santa Monica in 2011.

Besides the murder, Martorano also testified about corruption.

Corrupt FBI agent John Connolly has been sentenced to prison for his role in Bulger’s alleged organized crime ring.

Martorano testified that Buler told him that Connolly went to his brother William Bulger, the former state senate president and former UMass president, and offered to do anything for him for keeping him straight.

“[Whitey's] brother told him ‘You could keep my brother out of trouble,’” Martorano said.

Martorano told the court that Bulger told the other members of the gang that Connolly wanted to help them out. Martorano said they told Bulger to “at all times be a good listener, but never tell him anything.”

Martorano will resume his testimony Tuesday.

For updates on the Bulger trial follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike and follow our daily live blog from the courthouse available on Metro.us.

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Police are reporting a manhole cover explosion and transformer fire in front of the 14th Street Apple store.

The explosion reportedly occurred at 1:52 p.m. today, at Washington and West 14th streets.

There is a power outage along 14th Street from Ninth to 10th avenues, cops said.

Police stated that there are no injuries resulting from this incident.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Boston’s bus passengers can expect some of the T’s busiest routes to get a summer facelift.

MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott announced today that construction on the Key Bus Routes Improvement Program will begin this week with work on Routes 22, 23, 28 and 32.

“The MBTA is looking forward to improving the quality of amenities and service on some of our most utilized services,” said Scott. “This aggressive and ambitious project will reduce trip times, enhance customer comfort, accessibility, convenience and safety, and make service more reliable and cost-effective.”

The MBTA has designated the 15 busiest bus routes in its system as “Key Bus Routes”. These are routes that operate for the full span of service, seven days per week and at higher frequencies to meet high levels of passenger demand in high-density travel corridors, according to T officials.. They operate every 10 minutes or better during weekday peak periods and every 15 to 20 minutes or better during weekday midday and off-peak periods.

The bus routes to be improved include Routes 1, 15, 22, 23, 28, 32, 39, 57, 66, 71, 73, 77, 111, 116, and 117. They serve approximately 885 bus stops located in eight communities and carry approximately 40 percent of the MBTA’s total bus passengers.

The program’s goal, according to T officials, is to improve the overall quality of service for the bus-riding public by making improvements and adjustments to both physical characteristics and service. In an effort to make service more reliable, work will include consolidating bus stops to eliminate redundancies and reduce the number of stops, many visible from one another, by 25 percent resulting in a projected 13 percent reduction in trip times. Work will also be done to make stops ADA accessible and to improve or add amenities such as shelters, benches, trash barrels and signage. Also, new Park and Pedal bike cages will be installed at Alewife and Beverly Garage in July and Wollaston, Back Bay, Dudley & Wonderland in August.

The project is funded through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act and has an aggressive timeline, with all work scheduled to be completed by August 30th. The projected timelines are as follows:

Projected Work Dates for Key Bus Routes:
Route 1 – July 1st – July 25th
Route 15 – June 24th – July 12th
Route 22 – June 17th – July 17th
Route 23 – June 17th – July
Route 28 – June 17th – August 30th
Route 32 – June 24th – August 8th
Route 39 – July – August
Route 57 – July 15th – August 30th
Route 66 – June 24th – August 1st
Routes 71-73 – August 1st – August 30th
Route 77 – July 25th – August 26th
Route 111 – August 9th – August 30th
Routes 116/117 – July 19th – August 30th

Follow Morgan Rousseau on Twitter: @MetroMorgan
Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS

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Police arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the burglary of a South Philadelphia grocery store.

Police announced Monday that Tyrone Williams, 22, of the 2200 block of North Darien Street, was charged with the burglary of the Triple L Grocery at 2601 Beulah St. on June 3.

Williams allegedly entered the store around 1:30 a.m. after he removed a window air conditioner, filled a trash bag full of items including several cartons of cigarettes, and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

On June 13, while in custody on an unrelated matter, Williams was identified as the suspect and charged, police said.

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Cops responded to a 911 call about 11:15 a.m. Sunday to find a man and a woman dead in an Upper West Side apartment, police reported.

The deceased have been identified as Florenciana Martinez, 44, and Edwin Rodriguez, 58. Martinez was reportedly a resident at the apartment where the two were found.

Cops said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

Martinez was found on the floor of the bedroom, cops said, and Rodriguez was in the bedroom as well, with a belt around his neck attached to the headboard of his bed.

There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A Lawrence fire ripped through a multi-family home Sunday, leaving 12 homeless and seriously injuring a 10-year-old boy.

The early evening fire started in the basement of the three-family home. Deputy Fire Chief John Marsh told the Eagle Tribune that the cause is being investigated.

The home did not suffer significant damage beyond a bit of smoke. The child was taken to a local hospital to be treated for burns and is expected to recover.

Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS

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Anthony Weiner, campaigning with his fedora-clad toddler on Father’s Day, promised voters can expect to see his wife, Huma Abedin, on the campaign trail “soon enough.”

“She’s very busy,” Weiner reportedly said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has reportedly sent a letter to Abedin and current Secretary of State John Kerry, questioning Abedin’s holding two jobs in politics.

Abedin reportedly earned a six-figure salary as a political consultant at the same time that she was working as an aide for ex-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Grassley is questioning whether Abedin disclosed the consulting gig and salary.

Weiner reportedly said it was all above board, done with the approval of the State Department, and he and his wife have “perhaps a couple of the most financially transparent lives that there is.”

“I gotta tell you, the American people have gotten a real bargain for her service,” Weiner added. “She works, frankly, 24/7.”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Police posted surveillance video footage of the gunpoint robbery at Village Deli, located at 2349 N. 26th St., to YouTube early Monday morning.

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  View Video

  VIDEO: Strawberry Mansion business robbed at gunpoint

The robbery occurred about 12:30 a.m. June 11. The 56-year-old victim was closing the gate to his store when one gunman forced him inside. A second robber then entered the store, and the two men proceeded to steal cash from the store’s register and from the victim’s apartment, where they encountered a second victim.

Police described the first suspect, who was armed with a black revolver, as a thin, black male in his early 20s. He is about 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, and was wearing a black hoodie with a red logo on it, a black mask, dark pants and black boots.

The second suspect is described as a thin, black male with a medium complexion. He is about 5-f00t-7 or 5-foot-8, and was wearing a dark knit cap, a white mask, a dark T-shirt, skinny jeans with designer holes and black gloves.

Police ask anyone with information about the robbery to call Central Detectives at 215-686-3093. You can also leave tips by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477), texting PPD TIP (773847), or filling out an electronic form by clicking here.

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Philadelphia police on Monday morning identified two men shot and killed over the weekend.

Tyrel Whitaker, 27, was shot twice in his chest on a basketball court near Eighth and Poplar streets about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to police. The North 10th Street man was pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital a short time later.

Neither a suspect nor a motive has been identified in Whitaker’s death.

Julius Clayton, 32, of the 3200 block of McMichael Street, was shot in the head in the city’s Crescentville section late Friday. He was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center about 11:30 p.m. Friday.

The homicide occurred on the 5500 block of Hill Creek Drive. Police were called there for a report of a person with a gun.

Police are hunting a suspect in Clayton’s death, according to spokeswoman Officer Christine O’Brien.

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A Mission Hill man was in court Monday on charges he robbed and assaulted a woman at knifepoint early Saturday, and investigators are trying to determine whether he is responsible for a second attack less than an hour later

Patrick Barry, 21, is charged with armed robbery, assault with intent to rape, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.  Police said the victim was allegedly attacked from behind as she walked along Huntington Avenue around 2 a.m. Saturday, and sustained cuts to her face, arms, and hands during the struggle.

The woman was bleeding from cuts to her face, arms, and hands.
Prosecutors said the defendant, armed with a knife, grabbed the victim, took her purse and cell phone, and dragged her to the area of 15 Vancouver St., where he attempted to sexually assault her.  The woman screamed and was able to escape.  She was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Barry has not been charged in connection with a similar attack that occurred less than an hour later.  In that incident, a woman was grabbed from behind as she walked on Huntington Avenue and dragged onto a side street by a man with a knife.  The assailant fled after the woman screamed to attract attention of passersby.

The investigation into both assaults is ongoing.

Barry was identified with the assistance of individuals who contacted investigators after surveillance images were released to the public, prosecutors said.  The witnesses told police that Barry was bleeding from cuts to his face in the early hours of Sunday morning and that he claimed to have sustained when he was confronted by a knife-wielding attacker whom he fought off using his own knife, prosecutors said.

Barry is represented by Carlton Williams.  He is expected to return to court on July 8.

Officials said Barry resides near where the attack occurred, on Huntingon Avenue.

The arrest came just two days after Boston Police released surveillance images of the man they suspect of carrying out the violent attacks. Barry’s booking photo shows a vertical scratch on his face.

Follow Morgan Rousseau on Twitter: @MetroMorgan
Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS

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A Beverly woman was found locked in her car early Monday morning in an apparent kidnapping.

According to WHDH, the woman, 24, was found along Route 128 in Wenham. Two drivers stopped to help when they saw the woman’s car on the side of the road by Exit 17. Believing it to be the scene of a car accident, the drivers approached the car and heard someone inside. They freed the woman by smashing the rear glass window.

The woman told police that two masked men had entered her apartment and kidnapped her, forcing her to drive up Route 128. They then left her locked in the back of the car and took off, says WHDH.

Police are currently investigating the situation.

Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS

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A 47-year-old man was killed in a one-car crash on Roosevelt Boulevard on Sunday night.

The fatal accident occurred at the Boulevard and Whitaker Avenue in North Philadelphia about 10:20 p.m., police said.

The man, whom police were not identifying Monday morning, was traveling south in the Boulevard’s southbound outer lanes when he suddenly lost control of his convertible and struck a pole. He was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m.

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New Yorkers may no longer be able to throw their potato peels or egg shells in the trash can, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a plan in the works for a food-composting plan for all five boroughs.

Bloomberg first announced the plan in his State of the City address in February, as part of the city’s aim to divert 30 percent of the city’s waste from landfill by 2017.

“By recycling food waste, we can cut down on the total amount of trash we send to landfills and put it to better use as compost for community gardens or even energy,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway. “This is an innovative program that’s already seen success in homes on Staten Island and our public schools, and we’re excited to expand it to more New Yorkers.”

The program is set to launch in all five boroughs this fall and reach more than 100,000 homes, averaging about 25,000 per borough, according to Bloomberg spokesman John McCarthy.

McCarthy said organic waste makes up about 35 percent of the city’s total waste, and totaled 1.2 million tons in 2012. Getting that waste to landfills cost the city $100 million.

Ultimately, the Bloomberg administration said, the composted waste could be converted to natural gas.

Earlier this year, organics recycling programs were launched in 90 public schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The diversion rate reportedly increased from 15 to 34 percent in Manhattan schools and 15 to 28 percent in Brooklyn schools.

Not everyone is thrilled with Bloomberg’s plan, however.

Jeff Stier, New York City-based director of the Risk Analysis Division of the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative thinktank, called the plan “a rotten idea for the Big Apple.”

“It doesn’t make sense to mandate that all New York residents save their rotting food,” Stier said. “Consider the increased risks from disease carrying vermin—a problem the city still hasn’t conquered—from all of the pre-compost material sitting around our dense living spaces, not going out with the trash each night.”

Aside from vermin, Stier is concerned about greenhouse gas emissions from additional trucks he says will have to be deployed to transport the composted waste.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Two men were lucky to survive a Delaware skydiving accident Sunday afternoon.

The men’s parachutes became entangled after they jumped from a plane over Laurel Airport, CBS Philly reports. One of the men’s parachutes did not fully deploy as a result, and the duo landed improperly together.

A 69-year-old Laurel, Del., man was being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries, according to the report. A 52-year-old Beltsville, Md., man was treated for minor injuries and released.

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One of the government’s key witnesses in the case against alleged mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger is expected to take the stand this week, possibly as early as today, and testify against his former gang pal. 

John Martorano, a hit man who served 12 years in jail after confessing to 20 murders and being convicted of racketeering, is expected to testify today once lawyers finish with the testimony of a former bookie who was allegedly connected to Bulger’s Winter Hill Gang.

Bulger’s lawyers have already tried to cast doubt in the minds of the jurors as to the credibility of Martorano.

Last week during opening statements, Bulger’s attorney, J. W. Carney Jr., admitted that Bulger was involved in illegal activities such as bookmaking, loansharking and drug dealing. But he also focused much of his opening statement on Martorano and said that the government was so desperate to have him testify that they “basically put their hands up in the air and said take anything you want,” referring to his cooperating agreement.

But prosecutors said Bulger was a “hands-on killer” who led the Winter Hill Gang as it ran amok in Boston.

The 83-year-old Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011 after 16 years on the run. Bulger fled after corrupt FBI agent John Connolly tipped him off just before his indictment for various crimes including racketeering, extortion and 19 murders.

Last week, retired colonel Tom Foley was quizzed by Bulger’s lawyer during cross-examination on various issues related to Martorano.

Foley was pressed on why he didn’t pursue prosecution of another alleged killer given up by Martorano, but did for Bulger.

Foley was also asked by Bulger’s lawyer for doing “small favors” for Martorano, including taking him to Foley’s own dentist.

For live updates on the Bulger trial follow Michael Naughton on Twitter at @metrobosmike.

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UPDATE, 8:47 a.m.: Philadelphia police say a total of 31 school buses were damaged while parked at a Woodhaven Road lot on Sunday.

The vandalism spree occurred sometime between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, police spokeswoman Officer Christine O’Brien said. The damage to the buses included shattered windshields and side windows, as well as displaced windshield wipers.

A damage estimate is not yet available.

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Original article:

A total of 21 Philadelphia school buses were damaged by vandals while parked at a lot in Northeast Philadelphia over the weekend.

Damage to the buses parked on the 3800 block of Woodhaven Road was discovered about 7 p.m. Sunday, 6ABC Action News reports.

The buses’ windows were smashed out.

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Another poll reveals that New York voters want Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to step down because of the way he handled sexual harassment allegations against former Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

According to the Siena College poll, 52 percent of voters said they believe Silver should step down from his post because he “failed the people of New York and Lopez’s accusers by not addressing the issue appropriately and by not being completely honest.”

A poll conducted by Quinnipiac University earlier this month showed similar results, with half of New York voters saying they believe Silver should get the boot.

A report released by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics last month showed that Lopez harassed at least eight female staffers and that most of the incidents occurred after Silver approved a $103,000 settlement with two women that required them to keep quiet.

“A majority of Republicans and independents, downstate suburbanites and upstaters, men and women, and a plurality of Democrats and New York City voters believe Speaker Silver should step down,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

The poll results also show Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s favorability rating has dropped to 58 percent, his lowest ever as governor.

The Siena College poll was conducted June 9-13 by telephone calls to 804 New York State registered voters. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.

Silver facing new lawsuit over Lopez settlement

The Assembly speaker is also facing a new lawsuit, the New York Daily News reported.

Robert Schulz, who has reportedly filed several lawsuits against the state, is trying to force Silver to pay back the state for the $103,000 settlement given to two female employees of former Assemblyman Vito Lopez when they accused Lopez of sexual harassment.

Shulz is reportedly alleging that Silver did not go through proper Assembly channels and the settlements were a misuse of taxpayer money.

“The money belongs to the taxpayers of this state and had no business being used for this purpose,” Schulz said.

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A three-hour standoff with police resulted in the deaths of two people in Swansea on Sunday evening.

MyFoxBoston.com reports police received a call around 6 p.m. about gunshots on Stephen French Road. Upon arrival at the scene, officers found one person shot dead inside a car.

Witnesses said the shooter had run into a home in the neighborhood. The sound of a single gunshot was heard soon after.

Around 9 p.m. police entered the home and found one person dead of a gunshot wound, according to Fox.

The identities of the deceased have yet to be released.

Follow Metro Boston on Twitter: @MetroBOS

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An off-duty NYPD officer was shot late Sunday night as he tried to break up a domestic violence dispute in Queens, police said. 

Joseph Koch was leaving a party when an 11-year-old boy came out of a nearby home shouting for help, saying his mother was being assaulted inside, cops said.

The boy’s mother reportedly told police that assailant broke into her apartment and burst into the room where she was with her son. The attacker reportedly began punching the woman in the face repeatedly, knocking her into a wall, she told police.

Cops said her son tried to stop his mother’s alleged attacker but the attacker punched the boy in the face and kocked him to the ground. He turned back to the boy’s mother and continued punching and kicking her in her face, head and body, police said.

That is apparently when the boy ran for help, encountering Koch.

The boy’s mother told police that Koch appeared in the doorway. She said she recognized he was a police officer because he had his gun drawn and she could see his badge.

The victim said that Koch told her assailant to stop and put his hands up, but the assailant lunged at the officer, attacking him.

The two struggled for the gun and three shots were fired, police said.

Koch was struck once in his left hand and the suspect was struck once in the lower abdomen. No one else was shot. Both Koch and the suspect were taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition. The domestic violence victim was also taken to Jamaica Hospital where she was treated for a laceration to the head, cops said.

The suspect, who has been identified as Jose Bernazard, 40, has been arrested and charged with five counts of assault, five counts of criminal contempt, aggravated harassment, burglary, endangering the welfare of a child, and resisting arrest.

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A Chinese dissident who fled his home country to become a visiting scholar at New York University accused the school of asking him to leave because of “unrelenting pressure” from China.

NYU denied the claim, saying that it had said last year before blind dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived that his fellowship would last up to a year and end sometime this summer.

Chen sparked a diplomatic crisis between the United States and China after he fled house arrest last year and sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. NYU helped Chen come to the United States after he expressed fears for his family’s safety if they were to remain in China.

In a statement, Chen thanked NYU for its hospitality and “good support,” but accused it of giving in to the Communist Party of China.

“In fact, as early as last August and September, the Chinese Communists had already begun to apply great, unrelenting pressure on New York University, so much so that after we had been in the United States just three to four months, NYU was already starting to discuss our departure with us,” he wrote.

Chen, who has been blind from childhood and taught himself law, was a campaigner for farmers and disabled citizens. He exposed forced abortions in China before he was placed under house arrest in Shandong province.

He has continued to be critical of China’s human rights record since his arrival in New York in May 2012 with his wife and two children.

When asked to respond to Chen’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters: “I don’t know if the situation you just mentioned is based on information that contains mistakes, or if Chen Guangcheng is intentionally fabricating information.”

Jerome Cohen, an NYU law professor and friend of Chen who helped broker his departure from China, told Reuters that “we should all base accusations on facts, not speculation and conspiracy theories unsupported by facts,” when asked for a response to Chen’s remarks.

Television interview

Chen said he believed the Chinese government wanted “to make me so busy trying to earn a living that I don’t have time for human rights advocacy, but this is not going to happen.”

NYU pointed to a PBS television interview in May 2012 with Cohen, who had said Chen would be at NYU for a year at most while he adjusted to a new country.

Chen could not be reached for comment Sunday.

John Beckman, an NYU spokesman, described Chen’s claims as “both false and contradicted by the well-established facts.”

“Mr. Chen’s fellowship at NYU and its conclusion have had nothing to do with the Chinese government. All fellowships come to an end,” Beckman said in a statement.

NYU said Chen had received offers from two other academic institutions. Fordham University Law School in New York said on Friday it was in talks with Chen.

The second offer is from the Witherspoon Institute, based in Princeton, N.J., Bob Fu, the president of Texas-based Christian advocacy group ChinaAid, told Reuters. Chen had not yet made a decision, said Fu, whose group has campaigned for Chen.

The Witherspoon Institute is a think tank that opposes same-sex marriage and abortion.

Beckman said NYU had started talking with the Chens about changes in living arrangements months ago. The school had provided them with services that include housing, food, insurance and healthcare, English lessons and family support, he said.

NYU has been building a campus in Shanghai and received final approval from China’s education ministry to begin construction and student recruitment last autumn.

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The Sunday Assembly will meet in Hell’s Kitchen. Credit: Twitter

A bikini bar in Hell’s Kitchen is the last place you’d expect to attend a sermon, but it’s the location of a British atheist group’s first stateside meeting.

The Sunday Assembly, a “godless congregation” founded by comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, will transform Tobacco Road in Manhattan into a meeting place for fellow atheists later this month, the Daily News reported.

With a strong base in London, the duo has been told to expect opposition to their message once they reach the States.

“Lots of people are giving us warnings that it’s going to be different over there, but so far, we’ve just had a lot of support from the people in America,” Jones told the Daily News.

Jones and Evans founded the group after a road trip brought them to the realization that atheists were missing a community to bring them together.

Despite warnings about bringing their message to America, The Sunday Assembly’s visit has already sparked the interest of local atheists.

“I missed the easy access to doing good work and helping others,” Michael Trollan told the News. “And maybe the best thing about churches is the sense that when you show up, you’re immediately welcomed.

Though the group has no ties to religion, the founders have molded the structure of their congregation around the infrastructure of Christian churches. Their monthly meetings include speakers and music that promote the congregation’s message to “live better, help often and wonder more.”

The Sunday Assembly will bring their message to Manhattan on June 30 at Tobacco Road on 41st St. in Hell’s Kitchen.

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