SOMERSET, Mass. (AP) — Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has dropped his lawsuit against a Massachusetts cannabis dispensary that used an image of his character Borat on a billboard without his permission. A document filed in Boston federal court on Tuesday said the two sides have agreed to dismiss the case brought last year by the “Borat” star. The legal filing did not mention any settlement in the case. Emails seeking comment were sent Wednesday to lawyers for Baron Cohen and the dispensary, Somerset-based Solar Therapeutics Inc. The billboard showed Baron Cohen posing as Borat with two thumbs up and ..read more

BOSTON — Back in January, Jaylen Brown had a premonition that the Celtics were about to turn things around, tweeting that “the energy is about to shift.” The energy did indeed shift for Boston, and the Celtics became one of the best teams in the NBA. Fast forward five months, and those words have seemingly been used against Brown and the Celtics. Following Boston’s Game 1 loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, who had an emphatic rejection on Brown during Miami’s epic third quarter run, threw a little shade at the Celtics’ swingman. “I fee ..read more

BOSTON — It’s now mid-May. Pretty soon, it will be June. Rookie minicamp was last week. OTAs resume next week. Mandatory minicamp is three weeks away. In other words, the train has left the station for the 2022 NFL season. And yet, according to the Patriots’ coaching staff, the team still hasn’t decided who will play the key role of offensive play-caller when the games do begin. Joe Judge confirmed to reporters this week that he’s working closely with the quarterbacks, a group that obviously includes second-year quarterback Mac Jones. But Judge said that no decision has yet been made about whi ..read more

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. — A 168-year-old company in New Hampshire known for its handwoven, hardwood baskets is closing its factory and stopping production, partly because of an insect pest that has been destroying ash trees. The Peterboro Basket Company has been in business since 1854. The company said in a recent announcement that the baskets “are principally made of U.S.-grown Appalachian White Ash, the same wood used in ax handles and baseball bats. “For some years the Emerald Ash Borer beetle has reduced the availability of the wood used to make the baskets,” it said. The invasive beetle emera ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) – May is Mental Health Awareness month and a local group is on a mission to end the stigma and get people talking. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Massachusetts is bringing back their fundraising walk this Saturday, May 21 after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. “It’s a fun event, it’s a stigma free zone. People come out and they have respect and dignity that day. You have a sea of smiles, going around the Charles River and it’s great to see and every time I cry.” NAMI’s deputy director of development Karen Gromis told WBZ-TV. With Thursday being recognized as ..read more

BARNSTABLE – A coyote initially mistaken by a Cape Cod family for a puppy is bonding with a fellow rescue. The Cape Wildlife Center took in the young Eastern Coyote from the family that brought the pup home because they thought it was a lost dog. “We have some exciting news,” the wildlife center said this week. “He was finally introduced to his foster sibling and they are getting along swimmingly!” The sibling is a coyote pup that was rescued in Rhode Island, and they seem to be bonding, which is important to their development. The goal is to raise the pups together and release them with the ..read more

PROVIDENCE, RI (CBS) – WaterFire has been a Providence tradition for over 25 years, highlighted by over 80 sparkling bonfires throughout the city’s downtown rivers. In the video above, host Rachel Holt gets a special behind-the-scenes tour of what goes into preparing for such a huge event, and goes one-on-one with its creator Barnaby Evans ..read more

BOSTON — The Celtics ran into a whole lot of Jimmy Butler in Game 1 on Tuesday night. Or rather, Butler ran into a whole lot of Celtics. The Miami Heat superstar is planning on doing even more of it going forward. After his 41-point, 9-rebound, 5-assist, 4-steal, 3-block night for Miami, Butler was asked if he made a concerted effort to get to the free throw line. His answer indicated that the free throws are mostly a byproduct of the way he wants to play basketball. “I like physicality,” Butler said. “Like, I want to run into people and see who falls down first, who is going to quit first. I ..read more

WILMINGTON (CBS) – Several people were hurt after an ambulance and a pickup truck crashed on Interstate 93 in Wilmington early Wednesday morning. The Wilmington Fire Department tweeted that “Multiple firefighters/patients were transported to the hospital.” No other details have been released at this point in the investigation. “This is a stark reminder to slow down and proceed with caution around emergency vehicles responding with their lights on,” the department said ..read more

SAUGUS (CBS) – Part of Route 1 in Saugus has been shut down after a tractor-trailer crash. The northbound side of the road is closed before Main Street all the way to Walnut Street. The crash also caused a fuel spill that needs to be cleaned up. That could take more than an hour. Drivers are asked to find alternative routes if possible. There’s no word yet in what caused the crash or if there are any serious injuries ..read more