Today in history: Beirut barracks bombings

Two Massachusetts state troopers were suspended with pay Thursday in connection to a sexual assault that allegedly happened last summer when a man brought a woman to the State Police barracks on Martha’s Vineyard where he was visiting a trooper friend, a spokesperson for the agency said. The State Police superintendent also has prohibited overnight guests in housing used by seasonal troopers on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the spokesperson said in a statement. The suspended troopers are Ryan Costello and Robert Branca. State police provided no details about their connection to the incident, saying it “remains the subject of a criminal investigation and a State Police internal affairs investigation.”The man charged with the Aug. 15 rape is Edward J. Brown, assistant director of security for Boston Public Schools. Brown told investigators he was staying at the barracks with a friend who is a trooper during the weekend of the alleged assault. The barracks serve as housing for troopers assigned to Martha’s Vineyard. The State Police Association of Massachusetts, the union that represent troopers, could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper was the first law enforcement officer along with a good Samaritan to encounter the woman authorities allege was raped in the Oak Bluffs barracks in August according to Broadcastify records and the town’s police chief. The woman, who “ran for her life” after being sexually assaulted, was on Temahigan Avenue - the same street the barracks is located on - when the good Samaritan and the trooper came across her, according to dispatch recordings by Broadcastify and Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan Searles. The woman, who is from Ireland, was unclothed, bruised in her legs and had a red mark around her neck, evidence of her having been raped by Edward J. Brown, 27, a Boston Public Schools safety employee, according to Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois’ office. Brown pleaded not guilty Oct. 13 to a charge of rape in Edgartown District Court. He is free on $10,000 cash bail, records show. Brown and the woman - who had encountered each other in the Ritz Cafe in Oak Bluffs - arrived at the barracks at 12:27 a.m. on August 15 in an Uber, according to prosecutors. The woman was visibly intoxicated while Brown was not, prosecutors allege.

POLITICSFriday, October 23, 2026 8:45AMStream New York's #1 news - AccuWeather - original content 24/7NEW YORK (WABC) -- New Yorkers can start casting ballots Saturday as early voting begins in the race for governor. Both candidates are making campaign stops ahead of voting. On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani are expected to make their first joint campaign appearance in Brooklyn. The two were in the Bronx earlier this week for a childcare announcement, and Hochul is highlighting their partnership as part of her campaign message. "As New York's first mom and grandmother governor, childcare is personal to me. That's why I'm proud to work alongside Zohran Mamdani to bring New York one step closer to universal childcare," Hochul said in a social media video. Meanwhile, Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman says he's not concerned about Hochul appearing alongside the mayor. In fact, he says the partnership helps his campaign by reminding voters that the governor is aligned with a self-described democratic socialist mayor.

The Pilgrim Monument is part of the historic district in Provincetown, a town where local control desires and state government realities sometimes collide. Sen. Julian Cyr of Provincetown said his district sends more home rule requests before the Legislature than any other part of the state. (Ruth H Curtis on Unsplash) On issue after issue, Democrats who control the Legislature are publicly apoplectic about the sharp shift in values and governing approaches under complete Republican control at the federal level. Though they are more circumspect about it, municipal officials in Massachusetts are also feeling disempowered by their state partners while the vise of property tax restrictions, swelling inflation and budgets, and limited increases in local aid is tightening on cities and towns.

Stream New York's #1 news - AccuWeather - original content 24/7Friday, October 23, 2026 8:31AMMASPETH, Queens (WABC) -- A 6-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after she was struck by falling bricks while playing outside in Maspeth. The incident happened just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday near 56-61 59th Ave. Police said a chunk of bricks fell from a building and hit the child while she was outside playing. She was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. Video from the scene shows a small pile of bricks on the sidewalk. It appears part of a brick broke away from the building and came crashing down. The city's Department of Buildings responded and is investigating. Inspectors were seen taking photos of the building as part of their investigation. Police officers also searched the sidewalk with flashlights as they worked to determine what caused the debris to fall. The Department of Buildings is expected to evaluate the structural integrity of the building as the investigation continues.