bus driver after reports of alarming abuse on board involving young students. ism also millions of americans getting ready to start their thanksgiving holiday. it's expected to be busy on the roads and up in the skies today. >> this is 7news "today in new england." >> kris: let's not forget the train tracks either. a lot of people using the trains. >> christa: they're saying this is going to be the busiest year in nine years for travel. wow. >> kris: good wednesday morning. or thanksgiving eve, ifou i'm kris anderson. >> christa: and i'm christa delcamp. we know you want to check out the forecast. very important. wren clair is here. maybe some snow tomorrow? >> wren: we could see a couple flurries. a better chance in interior massachusetts and western massachusetts. across the coast, we could grab a coating, but we're also looking at the chance for a wintry mix. right now it's easy travel conditions. we briefly see high pressure today. more sunshine for us. still a little breezy, and it's cool again here today. wind-chill factors feeling like we're in the low 20s,

we'll warm up back into the mid-40s with plenty of sunshine. again, we stay chilly. your 7 on 7 forecast showing highs today in the mid to low 40s with chilly conditions into tonight. those winds finally die down. back to you, guys. >> kris: okay. for a fast track traffic check-in, let's check in with danielle gersh. a lot of people hitting the roads for the holiday. >> danielle: definitely a busy travel day today. so far so good. here's a look at the zakim bridge and leverett connector. not too many of you out there yet. 93 and route 1 heading into boston not seein braintree to boston northbound on the expressway, wide open. just ten minutes there. route 3, 24 and 95 all looking good. the pike wide open all the way back the framingham. so no issues on the pike yet. route 2 and 3 looking good as well this morning. take a look at those drive times if you're getting ready to head out the door. ten minutes braintree to boston. 12 minutes into town on the pike from 128. 93 southbound, 128 to the zakim bridge, just 11 minutes this morning. the "t" and commuter rail starting your morning on schedule. back to you, guys. >> christa: all right,

news now. four police officers rush toed o the hospital after being hit and dragged in dorchester. the officers were responding to a report of man with a gun outside of a bar. >> kris: now police are trying to track down the driver who left the scene after hitting those officers. 7's jennifer eagan is live at the scene with the very latest. jen? >> jennifer: kris, good morning. boston police tell us four officers were hospital hospitalized. they're all expected to be okay. two plainclothes officers came to stoughton street to check out a call, a report of man with a gun. police say the officers walked up to a car fitting the description they had for the vehicle in question. police tell us at least one of the officers had their hand on the door when the driver took off. >> the operator of the car, when the officers had to handle him, asked him to get out of the car, he accelerated at a high rate of speed, dragging a couple officers down the street and

wagon park on stoughton street. >> jennifer: so two officers approached the car, two were in the area as back-up, four went to the hospital. police aren't saying what their injuries russia but they are all expected to be okay. police say they chased that car for about a mile over the draper street, but then they had to back off. they're looking for a silver or gray chevy with connecticut plates. we're live in dorchester, jennifer eagan, 7news "today in new england." >> kris: breaking overnight, police are investigating a roxbury. according to boston ems, one person was shot at the walgreens on warren street. the victim was taken to boston medical center and is expected to be okay. >> christa: and new this morning, police are trying the find a person who fired a shot into a house in brockton. the bullet going right through the front door of the home on hemlock street last night, but no one was hurt. >> kris: there are new details on the sexual abuse allegations that happened on board a school bus in boston. the driver of that bus is reportedly off the job now, and

parent of a child from boston renaissance charter school claimed that a six-year-old boy molested her seven-year-old son on the bus. parents are also questioning why there was no bus monitor on board. right now the d.c.f. and district attorney's office are investigating these allegations. >> christa: and a visiting professor at harvard says he was the target of a message of hate. 7's victoria warren is live at harvard right now, and vicki, can you tell us more about what happened? >> victoria: he received a postcard. it w it was filled with anti-semitic messages. it referenced donald trump, and it also said that harvard needs to drain the swamp. a postcard filled with hate. >> it's just flat-out anti-semitism. there's nothing subtle about it. >> victoria: professor sandford levinson received it in the mail at harvard university. the postage indicates it came from the u.k. the language attacks his jewish heritage and references the name

1930s. >> i think the point of the game was to get jews off the board. i think it's "jews out. >> victoria: levinson is a vocal opponent of donald trump, even taking him to the internet to call him a sociopath. he believes hate-filled speech is a by-product of the an he laughs at the reference the drawn the swamp at harvard law school pointing out he's only a visiting professor. >> i'm not a the faculty, and so if you want to drain the swamp at harvard, i'm quite literally the last person you begin with. >> victoria: he did report the postcard to the dean here at harvard, but he does say he does not fear for his safety. live this morning in cambridge, victoria warren, 7news "today in new england." >> kris: former house speaker sal dimasi is back home with his family in melrose this morning after being released

dimasi arrived at he gone last night. he received a compassionate release from the prison system because he is battling throat and prostate cancer. the 71-year-old says he's grateful to have chance to be with his family once again. >> i just want to say how happy i am and grateful and thankful that i'm home in boston. i want to thank everybody for making this possible, whoever made it possible for me. >> kris: dimas to eat or care for lisms he will be on home confinement. >> christa: happening now, police in detroit are interviewing a person of interest after an officer was shot. it happened at wayne state university. police say a campus police officer was shot in the head trying to stop a possible theft. the officer was rushed to the hospital and has since been released from surgery. disturbing details now about the driver behind the wheel of that deadly school bus crash involving young children in

coming together. let's go toen 7's nancy chen. nancy, we're learning new information about the final moments and the history of this bus driver, as well. >> nancy: a mother who lost a child claims the bus driver said something to the effect of "are you all ready to die?" moments before the crash. this as hundreds gathered at a vigil between chattanooga. some releasing balloons to honor the children who were killed. community members filled the baptist church. the crowd too large to fit inside. this afternoon. five children died. dozens more taken to the hospital. officials say the bus driver wrapped the bus around a tree. the parents of the victims now in shock. >> one of them kids deserved that, none of them. my baby had a whole life ahead of her. >> i will be in every court hearing. i will be there front and center. grieving and all, i will be there, because that was my only child that he took from me.

24-year-old johnthony walker, has been charged in the crash. he has been reported of sideswiping a car with a school bus. three were fourth graders, one was in the first grade and another one of the children that died was in kindergarten. nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." ism donald trump taking a break from his transition team duties. the president-elect is spending some time in florida for the holidays. trump will stay at his golf club in impeach, florida. security will be tight. voters will not with able to pass through three the president-elect is backing away also from one promise he made on the campaign trail. he told "the new york times" he no longer wants to send hillary clinton to jail, saying that she has already "suffered greatly." while in florida, president-elect trump is expected to talk about possible members of his administration. but it looks like he is passing on an outgoing new hampshire senator. according to reports, when asked if he wanted kelly ayotte to work with him at the white house, president-elect trump

ayotte had been mentioned as a possible contender as secretary of defense. >> christa: and millions of americans are on the move. thanksgiving holiday travel may be at its highest level in nearly a decade according to a.a.a. you'll have lots of company out there. let's head out live the logan airport. nicole oliverio is getting an early start on things. good morning, nicole. >> nicole: good morning, christa. we noticed a lot more cars on the road already this morning. a lot of people getting dropped off at logan airport. as you mention, triple expects more people on the road since 2007. however, they say tuesday has become a very popular day for traveling, as well, but they say today you have to get out early or expect to wait. today is the day to pack those thanksgiving pies and your patience as travel experts expect more people to be traveling by air and on the roads in nearly a decade. massdot estimates at least a million passengers will be taking off from logan and

early for their flight. a.a.a. says nearly 49 million people will be driving this thanksgiving holiday, a significant increase thanks the lower gas prices. state leaders suggest flexibility with your travel plans. they say new technology like censors, cameras and the new electronic tolls will give drivers unprecedented real-time traffic information. >> one of the good news for thanksgiving travelers is that there are more ways than ever before to information about where the traffic congestion is and what routes folks might want to take. >> nancy: massdot suggests checking out web site mass 511 dot com, you can call 511 or use apps like wait, a great tool for the latest traffic updates. >> i think one of the most important things to keep in mind is safety is key. you do not want to start this holiday with a crash. >> nancy: so here at logan

more t.s.a. officers. that should hopefully help you move through the security lines a little bit faster. the mbta's also going to offer extended silver line service. so if you're going the take the "t" to get to the airport, that should help alleviate it a little bit. if you're on the roadway, try to get out before noon. they expect between 3:00 and 6:00 to be the busiest times on the road. that's the latest live from logan, nicole oliverio, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: stick around with us. maybe have an extra cup of coffee, wait for the rush hour to pass >> kris: and weather could be dicey thursday morning, so you may want to make your travel plans today. >> christa: good point. still ahead on this wednesday morning, a piece of history headed to the nation's capital. the ice bucket challenge item that will appear in the smithsonian. >> kris: plus a star-steaded dinner date. meet the lucky fans that got to grab a pizza and beers with tom brady and a couple famous friends. >> christa: and we're tracking breaking news out of dorchester where police are searching for a

>> christa: get ready. new england is gearing up for skiing and snowboarding season. two popular mountains will be open friday. people will be able to hit the slopes at jay peak in vermont and cannon mountain in new hampshire. bretten woods in new hampshire opens on monday. have a tough winter. >> kris: that's what i'm hearing. it wasn't... it was the el ni?o or la nina, we had one of those last winter. >> christa: we have an echo bird. >> kris: i know it was one of the two. >> wren: el ni?o last winter kept things nice for us. this year it's la nia. in terms of snow, it's looking to be worse than last year, but i don't think it's what we dealt with a couple years ago, so fingers crossed. this morning mid to low 20s. feeling like we're in the

worcester chilly start for you. as we head into the rest of your day, more comfortable than yesterday as we don't have as strong of winds as what we've experienced the last couple days. right now mostly clear skies. a couple additional clouds across the cape as well as across southwestern massachusetts. as we head into the rest of the day, though, we're still going to be looking at a good deal of sunshine, a brief period of the high pressure pays us a visit today. this morning is breezier than what we'll experience later into tonight. we have a couple wind gusts out there up to around 30mph across the cape andin 25mph. so a little cool to start. again, wind-chill values will be low this morning as we head into the afternoon. it will feel like we're in the mid-30s, which is a slight improvement for from what we experienced yesterday. so again, a little bit more comfortable and we're still seeing some sunshine. it's not going to be a terribly bad day, just a little bit below our average highs some temperatures trend cool throughout the work week. you can see our travel forecast showing our next frontal system. that fits -- sits to our west. that will bring showers

valley an snow to the upper midwest. this will weaken as it heads our way. but we're still looking at getting moisture associated with that system as we head into your thanksgiving forecast. for today, sunny skies. still cool. temperatures in the mid-40s for many of us. low 40s for some. cloud cover moves in tonight out ahead of that system that's currently over the mississippi valley. and that's going to allow temperatures to not drop terribly low into the mid-20s, but if that cloud cover takes a little more time, then we'll see more mid to upper 20s out there. as we head into tomorrow, we're looking at the chance for a ry forecast. so what that means is we could have slick spots out there. in terms of accumulation, not much, but it doesn't take much freezing drizzling or flurries to have a couple slippery spots out on the road. then the rest of your forecast looks to be a bit soggy. spotty wintry mix and drizzle possible into the day. in terms of snow totals, a coating of snow in boston, but the greatest chance for any sort of real accumulation will be further to our west. worcester county and the berkshires grabbing up to around an inch of snow. temperatures tomorrow will be

>> kris: it's a star-studded pizza party. lucky fans getting to grab a bite with tom brady, ben affleck and matt damon. it was all part of a special contest. rumor has it tom brady actually ate a piece of pizza. >> rumor has it. the winning fan got to bring his sister along with him. no surprise here, they call the entire experience surreal. it's a dinner date they'll missouri flew to boston and sat down with tom brady, matt damon and ben affleck for pizza in chapel hill. >> they were so downto earth and easy to talk to. we were with them for hours. i think it was originally slated for 45 minutes or so. but they were so genuine and we had a great time. >> reporter: rick grandberg paid $10 to enter a charity contest. it was promoted in a video when

who is closer to the pats' q.b. >> hey tom,. >> tom. hey, tommy. >> t-bone. >> touchdown tommy. >> sorry i'm late. i just got done with some body work. >> me too. >> granberg says it was no contest. honestly, i'm pretty sure he likes me better than both. >> oh, yeah. >> i think hands down i was the winner. >> reporter: sitting down with brady is something affleck and damon enjoyed, too. >> they talk to tom brady, as well. i think they all knew each other previous to that night, but i think they were excited about catching up with him, as well. >> reporter: pretty amazing. as for what they drank, damon and affleck had beer. brady did not drink. snow no imbibing for brady. >> kris: he had to get ready for the 49ers. he did have a piece of pizza, though. >> that's good, that's good.

ellen degeneres forced to wait outside the white house before receiving her presidential medal of freedom. >> christa: and pete frates being honored. >> it's a holiday tradition. our local athletes getting their chance to shine. the news station brings you the best high school matchups across the state. join me for our football feast

>> and now time for 7sports with joe amorosino. >> joe: good morning. david back cuss and the bruins going for a fourth straight win on their home ice last night, taking on baccus former team. it went in a wrong direction quickly when zdeno chara left the ice. the former blues facing his

mid way through first period, baccus helps out his new team. torey krug slams home the rebound. b's take a 1-0 lead. second period, tied at two with chara in the dressing room. brando caro on the ice without his partner. st. louis up 3-2. they add an empty netter and win it 4-2, snapping the bruins' three-game home winning streak. >> i just think that in the second period, five ds, we got caught in our own end at times for long periods of time. then we had some guys that were out there tired. some of those guys were obviously ds. it cost us a few goals there. >> christa: and the nhl's new las vegas franchise now has a name. get ready for the vegas golden knights beginning next season. that's sports. i'm joe amorosino. have a great day. >> christa: president obama awarding the nation's highest civilian honor to 21 people at

lasting legacy on this country in the field of science and government, sports and the arts. and system of those recipients are well-known celebrities and sports figures. >> kris: 21 civilians, but they're not just civilians. >> christa: look at this group here. >> kris: nba michael jordan. kareem abdul-jabbar. he's the tal guy. entertainers ellen degeneres and diana ross, actor tom hanks all receiving the medal of freedom award. president obama saying their contributions helped push america forward. helped make me who i am and think about my presidency, and what also makes it special is this is america. >> kris: security was tight at this event, as you can imagine, so tight that this happened: one of the recipients locked out. ellen degeneres sharing this picture writing, "they haven't let me into the white house yet because i forgot my i.d. not joking."

coveted award. and the medal recipients having some fun at the white house, as well. got to have time for some fun. the group got together for the mannequin challenge. ellen, diana ross among the group. the white house did another mannequin challenge with the cleveland cavaliers. >> christa: de niro and bruce be springsteen there, as well. taking on a new role, deval patrick obama once he leaves office. >> kris: and in dorchester, police are searching for a suspect after several officers were run over. be noisy. be silent. be near. be far. be joyful. be together. celebrate joy with dunkin's holiday-flavored coffees, espressos, and donuts.

dunkin's sweet black pepper bacon sandwich is back with twice the crispy, caramelized peppered bacon. experience a breakfast sandwich made for bacon lovers. america runs on dunkin'. >> kris: breaking news at 5:30, four police officers injured in dorchester. police are searching for a suspect who ran them down and dragged them. >> christa: also new details on a flight controversy at a local college.

flag. >> kris: new this morning, how pete frates, the local man behind the ice bucket challenge, is going down in history. >> this is 7news "today in new england." >> christa: 5:30 on this day before thanksgiving. and thank you for spending some time with us hire. i'm christa delcamp. ism an i'm kris anderson. i know you've been busy getting some baking in order. prethanksgiving feast. >> christa: two pies down, one to go. >> kris: i'm impressed. >> christa: a lot of you are making travel plans out there, as well. i know people who w how is it looking weather-wise? >> wren: it's looking pretty nice. in you're headed anywhere in new england, it's going to be easy peasy pie. low pressure brought us some really windy conditions and even some snow earlier in the week, that continues to push further to our north. and as we... has the happens here today, we're going the lighten up on those winds while still seeing some sunshine. but it does still feel cold for us, feeling look we're in the

temperatures today will warm up further than yesterday into the mid-40s with plenty of sunshine getting chilly again tonight, then cloud cover moves in out ahead of our next storm system, which could bring us some messy travel conditions into tomorrow morning. i'll have those details coming up. >> christa: all right. let's go the fast track traffic on what is going to be a very busy day on the roadways. danielle, how are things now? >> danielle: not busy yet. this is not what it will look look later today headed into this afternoon and this evening, but is far is good. wide open all the way out to framingham this morning. not seeing any issues on the pike. route 2 and 3 looking good. 93 fine back to 495. heading enter town on route 1, you're in good shape. braintree to boston northbound on the expressway, just ten minutes so far this morning. route 3, 24 and 95 all looking good. the "t" and commuter rail both running on schedule this morning. back to you, guys. >> kris: following breaking news in dorchester this morning where police officers had to be rushed to the hospital after they were run down.

scene. >> christa: the officers were responding to a report of man with a gun outside when they were hit and then dragged. let's go 207's jennifer eagan with more on what we know. jen? >> jennifer: christa, good morning. this all happened across the street at this bar at the corner of columbia road and stoughton street. it happened around 12 the:30 a.m. boston police tell us two plainclothes officers were checking out a report of man with a gun. police say they walked up to a car that fit the description of theic of that car. boston police say at least one of the officers had his hand on the door when the driver took off, dragging that officer. the suspect just missed two other officers who were nearby as back-up. all four of those officers were hospitalized. they are all expected to be okay. now, police also tell us they pursued that suspect's car for about a mile over to draper street, but then they had to back off. they say they are looking for a silver or gray chevy, possibly

live in dorchester this morning, jennifer eagan, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: jen, thank you. meantime, police have made an arrest in the beating death of a mother from lowell. the woman's loved ones breaking down after this suspect faced a judge. [sobbing] >> christa: family and friends clearly emotional as that hearing let out. let's go to 7's nancy chen with more. >> nancy: christa, it was a very emotional day for the victim's loved ones. hours later they held a vigil. family and friends remembering gloribel orengo. many wiping away tears, still in disbelief after the 44-year-old was killed. prosecutors say a group of people beat orengo outside a apartment complex after she was told to leave a party over the weekend. someone then ran her over with a car and drove off. her family is now calling for everyone involved to be brought to justice. >> it just hurts me that my mom's really... i cannot believe

i'll be more happy when they get the rest of the scumbags and the coward, the rest of the cowards that did this to my mother. >> nancy: the woman plead not guilty for her alleged role in this deadly beating. investigators are continuing to search for other suspects. in the control room, nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> kris: new concerns over a rising rate of crime in the city of boston. according to the "he," spike in murders in 2016. as of last night, there have been 40 homicides in the city. that compared to 33 at the same time last year. and for shootings, b.p.d. reported a 54% increase since early last month. there have been 40 shootings in october and november. this year compared to 26 during the same period last fall. >> christa: right now boston police are looking for a woman accused of attacking an mbta employee. the alleged assault happened on board a bus and it was at the

president avenue over the weekend. >> kris: nicholas emory and donna rutherford were missing teeth, were dehydrated and malnourished. they rarely left theom >> christa: a state representative wants the american flag the fly once again. according to the "globe," the lawmaker wrote a letter to the school's president asking the flag be reinstalled. the flag was removed after it was burned after the presidential. williams college holding a prayer service for a recent graduate who was severely injured during a protest against the north dakota pipeline project. now, the woman's parents say she lost part of her arm when police threw a grenade on monday morning.

21-year-old remains in the hospital. she's in serious condition. police meantime deny throwing any grenades, blaming the injury on other protesters. >> kris: new this morning, the bucket that was used to start the als ice bucket challenge will soon be on display at the smithsonian. it will go into view on tuesday as part of the international day of giving. the bucket will be part of a new permanent exhibit called "giving in america." former b.c. baseball player challenge. he was diagnosed with als back in 2012. the challenge became a phenomenon in 2014 raising more than $100 million. earlier this year scientists used some of that money to discover a new gene linked to als. >> christa: just ahead on 7, a christmas controversy. why the tree at the rhode island statehouse now is being replaced. >> kris: and president obama's big overtime reform gets blocked by the courts. what putting the payday on hold for millions of americans means.

thanksgiving promotion from the pats is going viral.

>> kris: the top-ten revealed on the voice, and local star courtney harrel is moving on again. her performance of "what i did for love" from a chorus line getting her through the next week. >> christa: happening today, state leaders will serve up their annual tax for giving dinner. this at goodwill headquarters. it's one of many thanksgiving events across the area. boston mayor marty walsh was honored as today's kickoff for the toys for tots campaign. the mayor urged people to give back during this holiday season. >> kris: the holiday season is the time to relax and reflect on what you have as a family, but it's also an opportunity here in the city, what the marines do is allow us the opportunity the help needy families. we certainly have that because this time of year can be tough for a lot of different people and different families. >> christa: the organization collects donations for children in need so every family can have

>> kris: the rhode island statehouse christmas tree has been rejected. the tree was simply too small. what do you think? it wouldn't be ready for prime time. within hours a new bigger tree was cut down and placed inside. the smaller tree has not gone to waste. it will be displayed outside the statehouse instead. >> christa: clearly they have not watched charlie brown's christmas with the charlie brown christmas tree. >> kris: that was a paltry-looking tree, but we love it. it's a classic. >> christa: that's right. authentic. lots to get to this morning including know and go. and why some experts say hillary clinton has grounds to challenge the presidential election results. >> reporter: and a driver takes off dragging a boston police officer. the search is on for that suspect. we'll have the latest coming up. >> kris: and casino gambling is legal in massachusetts. so is smoking marijuana soon, but will it be legal to combine the two? we'll let you know when we come

? dylan: i was un-athletic and very sedentary in my lifestyle. and then i found parkour and something about it clicked. then i stopped drinking soda and eating sweets and eating all the junk food. i was like if i eat these things i'm going to be heavier and i'm not going to be able to jump as far. my name is dylan polin

. >> christa: welcome back. 5:45 on you wednesday. time now for everything you need the start your day. >> kris: it's what you need to know and go. with the holiday close, we need to know what the weather will be like so we check in with wren clair. >> wren: high pressure moves in. we see that low pressurele systm

westward. temperatures more moderate. it will be more comfortable than yesterday. not as breezy. winds die down even further as we head into tonight. we'll see some cloud cover thicken up out ahead of our next frontal system as we head into tonight that. could bring us wet weather enter your thanksgiving day forecast. but it's not looking to be a total washout by any means. so we're looking at a wintry mix potential we tomorrow morning. and you can see 8:00, i do think we could be seeing a couple flakes flying in the air, some frng drizzle. as we head into the rest of the day, we definitely keep that cloud cover, but we'll see that drizzle mix in become and forth from freezing drizzle to drizzle. it's a little bit mete. i think our main concern is slippery spots. further west, potentially up to an inch of snow possible. but here in boston, i think our main concern tomorrow will be those slick spots north of the pike, we also have a better chance for more of a coating of snow. temperatures tomorrow cooler than today in the upper 30s,

damp, gloomy weather into the weekend. >> christa: all right. let's go to fast track traffic with danielle gersh. are things starting to heat up yet? >> danielle: it's not too bad yet. take a look at the maps. braintree to boston only takes you the 12 minutes this morning. south of town, a lot of green on route 23 -- route 3, 24 and 95. 93 fine back to you're in good shape. take a look at those drive times if you're getting ready to head out the door this morning. about 15 minutes on the expressway braintree to boston. just 12 minutes enter town on the pike from 128. 93 southbound, 128 to the zakim bridge, 11 minutes this morning. the "t" and commuter rail running on schedule. back to you, guys. >> christa: get to breaking news. several police officers rushed to the hospital after being run down in dorchester. these officers were responding to a report of man with a gun and that's when they were hit.

who left the scene after hitting those officers. 's jennifer eagan is live at the scene with the very latest. jen? >> jennifer: kris, this all started around 12:30 a.m. at the corner of stoughton street and columbia road. boston police tell us two plainclothes officers were checking out a report of man with a gun. police say they walked up to a car that fit the description of the vehicle in question. they asked the driver to get out of the car. boston police say at least one of those officers had his hand on the door when the driveroo now, the suspect just missed two other officers who were nearby as back-up. all four of those officers were hospitalized. boston police have not told us what their injuries were, but they are all expected to be okay. police say they pursued that suspect's car for a mile or so over to draper street. they then had the back off. police say this morning they're looking for a gray or silver chevy, possibly with connecticut license plates.

new england." >> kris: also this morning, a merrimack, new hampshire, man is recovering after getting shocked while hanging his christmas lights. the metal pole he was using touched a power line and sent nearly 20,000 volts of electricity streaming through his body. the man suffered some serious burns. >> christa: a transit police officer hit by a car in boston. officials say the officer was on his motorcycle when a vehicle hit him on warren street. the officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover. >> kris: deadly accidt police are investigating after man was killed while working at nashoba valley. the 70-year-old was working on a snow grooming machine when it ran him over. >> christa: we have new details this morning about the salem police officer charged with sex yule assault. the salem news is reporting 56-year-old brian butler resigned earlier this month two days after police arrested him. prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a man in protective custody at the station.

saying the incident was consensual. >> kris: yale agreeing to pay $3 million to settle the wrongful debt lawsuit after the murder of a graduate student. annie lay was killed back in 2009. her body found inside of the wall at the school's lab building. the lawsuit claims administrators failed to adequately protect women on campus. lay's killer, raymond clark iii is serving 44 years in prison. >> christa: happening today, framingham high school will be holding a special event to celebrate diversity. staff and students wearing blue and white, the school colors. they hope this will be a symbolic event meant to serve as a message of solidarity. >> kris: controversy on campus, some salem state university students are calling this picture of the k.k.k. offensive. school officials are defending their decision to display the controversial work of art, but the exhibit has been closed. 7's nancy chen jins us with more on this controversy. nancy? >> nancy: kris, school officials say the exhibit was created so local artists could express their feelings about the

this image here of people dressed up as members of the k.k.k. they say the problem is there is no explanation for the picture, which leaves it up to negative interpretation. >> i'm very pleased with the fact that we're challenging our students to think critically. >> personally it's a lot for me to deal with. along with my friends, seeing them cry, seeing them angry, seeing them vent. >> nancy: even though explanation for the picture was put up, in statement the harm had been done. "art is often done to reflect societal ills. it did just that, but we deeply regret that it caused students distress." that exhibit has been temporarily suspended. nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: when marijuana is legal in massachusetts, officials are reminding people they will not be able to use it while playing slots. casinos in the state are still non-smoking.

marijuana edibles. >> kris: former massachusetts governor deval patrick is joining the board to help build president obama's future presidential library. the foundation is working with the president and first lady to plan and build the library in chicago. deval patrick will serve as a board member. >> christa: president-elect donald trump taking to twitter as his transition continues. but a new poll says the majority of people think that he should stop tweeting. the quinnipiac university poll found that these voters believe that the president clinton president-elect should deactivate his personal twitter account. 59% of people say the president-elect should stay off twitter while in office. 35% believe he should keep on tweeting. trump has said that hi eel continue to use twitter in a limited role while in the white house. hillary clinton's campaign is being urged to challenge the results of the presidential election. top computer scientists say there's evidence that the vote totals in some swing states, wisconsin, michigan and

they believe clinton performed significantly worse in places that relied on electronic polling instead of paper ballots. >> kris: new this morning, brad pitt will not face charges in the alleged flight that happened on board a flight. the f.b.i. saying it has reviewed the circumstances around the alleged dispute between pitt and his family on board a private plane an they will not pursue further investigation. pitt and his wife angelina jolie are in the process of going through a divorce. the kansas city water park has decided to remove the water slide where a killed become in august. officials say that it's the right thing to do after that tragedy. the water slide verruckt was one of the world's tallest water slides. ten-year-old caleb schwab was killed in this accident. he was the son of a kansas state representative. investigators are still working on what went wrong in that accident. >> christa: federal overtime laws put on hold a week before

the overtime recall required employers to automatically pay time and a half to employees who worked more than 40 hours and n a given week and earned less than $47,000 per year. the prior threshold has been less than $23,000 per year. and we're watching wall street this morning because stocks are expected to be opening at an all-time high for the second day in a row. both the dow jones and the nasdaq posted big gains on tuesday. in fact, the dow topped for the first time in history. >> kris: checking news from across the country, a bright flashlighting up the sky in florida late monday night. it was believed to have been, look at that, a fire wall, which is a media that is brighter than usual. a police officer's dash cam recorded the footage of that fireball. >> christa: new york city police are looking for two men who robbed a jewelry store. officers say the armed men wore sunglasses and winter clothing and stole five expensive watches worth more than $300,000. the heist happened monday

avenue. >> kris: 7news turning to a thanksgiving recall you need the pay attention. to heinz voluntarily recalling about 500 case of its home-style gravy because some jars had been misladies and gentlemenned as heinz pork gravy. the labels do not mention the product contains both milk and soy. this morning heinz is apologizing to customers for mixing it up. >> christa: and the pats are literally lending a hand to spread some thanksgiving entertainment. >> kris: some of the players outlined their fans to make homemade turkeys. if you use julian edelman's, your turkey might look a tad unusual. these pictures were posted on the patriots' web site. tom brady, danny amendola, rob gronkowski, offered up their hands. edelman's will get the most attention because the pinkie finger on his right hand, yes, those are really julian edelman's fingers. >> christa: hold still. just hold still.

for catching tom brady passes, the punishment. >> christa: permanently changed. wren, how is the forecast looking? >> wren: a lot of people traveling, but in terms of weather, it will be accommodating here. temperatures in the mid-40s for us. plenty of sunshine. not as breezy as yesterday or the day before. comfortable day today. clouds move in ahead of our next frontal system that could bring us a little bit of a wintry mix into tomorrow morning. i have to be honest. the computer isn't terribl this could make for a couple slick spots out on the roads. in terms of accumulation. that could stay further to our northwest, especially north of the mass pike. count on a cool day and the chance for drizzle into your thanksgiving. >> christa: all right. coming your way at 6:00, not your average pizza party. we'll introduce you to the fans who shared a slice with tom brady and system of his famous buddies. >> kris: also ahead, the reported punishment of the bus driver after allegations of alarming abuse on board a bus in boston. >> christa: and after serving

dimasi is back home this morning for the holiday. >> kris: we're watching fast track traffic for you, as well. danielle gersh, we'll have a check of the roadways when we

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>> christa: now at 6:00 a.m. on this wednesday. we have breaking news. an officer hit by a car and dragged down the street in dorchester. police are searching for the driver who sped away from the scene. >> kris: breaking overnight, pharmacy parking lot turned into a crime scene in roxbury. shots fired. a win deshattered and a victim rushed to the hospital. and a bus driver is off the job.

on board a bus filled with young students. >> kris: the turkey trot is on. millions of americans headed out for the thanksgiving holiday, but it could be a listening trip. >> christa: good morning everybody on this day before thanksgiving. there is so much to talk about. i'm christa delcamp. >> kris: more than just menu preps. a lot of people hitting the roadways, most in a long time. >> christa: n wren, tell us more. >> wren: today will be an easy day to travel. it's going to be busy out there. a lot of people traveling today, but in terms of the weather, it's pretty accommodating. it's a cool day for us. it will be more pleasant compared to yesterday. we'll see more mild winds today and still some sunshine. feeling like 17 degrees in worcester. feeling like low 20s in norwood. low 20s in boston. as we head into the rest of you day, we'll warm up further than yesterday. highs today in the mid to low 40s. it will be a little bit cool, still. we trend below our average

england. it's going to stay this way threw your wednesday forecast. but here is what's headed our way as you head into thanksgiving day. you see our next frontal system approaching from the west. i'll have those details coming up. >> kris: time now for fast track traffic with danielle gersh with a look at the roadways. we've crossed over that 6:00 threshold now. any issues? >> danielle: so far it's not too bad out there. here's a look at the expressway. granite avenue is where things are slowing down. we're in the seeing issues on route 3, 24 and 95. the pike wide open back to framingham. route 2 and 3 looking good. 93 fine back to 495 and heading into boston on route 1, you're in good shape this morning. let's take a look at those drive times if you're getting ready to head out the door. 18 minutes on the expressway braintree to boston. 12 minutes into town on the pike from 128. no delays there. 93 southbound, 128 to the zakim bridge, 13 minutes this morning. and "t" and commuter rail running on schedule.

breaking news this morning. a suspect takes off driving at police officers in dorchester. one of those officers hit and literally dragged down the street. investigators say the driver after that happened took off. >> christa: in the end, four boston police officers were taken to the hospital with injuries. let's head out live to the scene with more. jennifer eagan is there. >> jennifer: christa, all the officers injured are expected to bey. this started at 4:30 this morning. two plainclothes police officers went to the intersection of stoughton street by columbia road. they were checking out a call of a report of a man with a gun. police say the officers walked up to a car fitting the description for the vehicle in question. police tell us at least one of those officers had his hand on the door when the driver took off. >> the operator of the car, when the officers had the handle and were asking him to get out of the car, he accelerated at a high rate of speed, dragging a

in the wagon that were parked on stoughton street. >> kris: two officers approached that suspect vehicle. two others were nearby. another vehicle. ss be police say all four injuries. they are all ex?to be okay. police also telling us they chased that suspect's car for about a mile or so over to draper street but had the back off. police this morning are looking for a silver or gray chevy, possibly with connecticut license plates. i eagan, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: jen, thank you. more breaking news from overnight. police are investigating a shooting that happened in iraq and according to boston ems, one person was shot at the walgreens on warren street. the victim taken to boston medical center and is now recovering. new this morning, police are trying the find the person what fired a shot into a house in brockton. the bullet going through the from the door of this home on hemlock street. luckily no one was struck or injured. >> kris: new details on the

happened on board a school bus in boston. the driver of that bus is reportedly off the job. and according to the "globe," the driver's on paid leave after a parent of the child from boston renaissance charter school claimed the six-year-old boy molested her seven-year-old son on that bus. parents are also questioning why there was no bus monitor. right now the d.c.f. and the district attorney's office are investigating these allegations. >> christa: also on 7, a visiting professor at harvard stunned when he gets some hate mail delivered with his name on it to the school. that postcard anti-semitic language. let's go out live the harvard with more. here's 7's victoria warren. vicki, you have reaction from this professor. >> this professor is absolutely stumped and has no idea why anybody would send this to him. it was addressed to him. it referenced donald trump, and it said harvard needs to drain the swamp. >> christa: a postcard filled with hate. >> it's just flat-out

levinson received it in the mail at harvard university. the postage indicated it came from the u.k. the language attacks his jewish heritage and references the name of a nazi board game from the 1930s. >> i think the point of the game was to get jews off the board. i think it's "jews out. >> victoria: levinson is a vocal opponent of donald trump, even taking him to the internet to call him a sociopath. is a by-product of the election, and he laughs at the reference to drain the swamp at harvard law school, pointing out he's only a visiting professor. >> i'm not a genuine member of the faculty, and so if you want to drain the swamp at harvard, i'm quite literally the last person you begin with. >> victoria: he did report the postcard to the dean here at harvard, but he does say he does not fear for his safety. live this morning in cambridge,

>> kris: a developing story now. detroit police are interviewing a person of interest after an officer was shot there. the shooting happened at wayne state university and officials say a campus police officer was shot in the head while stopping a possible theft. that officer was rushed to the hospital and has since been released from surgery. also developing, we're learning more about the deadly school bus crash in tennessee that killed five elementary school students. the driver of that charged. now we're learning more about the final moments that happened on board that bus. 's nancy chen joins us with the latest on this, nancy? >> nancy: kris, a mother who lost a child in the tragedy reports the bus driver said something to the effect of "are you all ready to die" in the moments before this crash. this as we learn more about johnthony walker's prior driving record. two months ago he was cited for sideswiping a car with a school bus.

earlier this year. meantime, hundreds gathering for a vigil in chattanooga last night, some releasing balloons to hon four the five children who were killed. dozens of others were injured in that crash. community members filling the baptist church. the crowd too big to all fit inside. the parents of the victims still in shock. none of them kids deserved that, none of them. my baby had a whole life ahead of her. >> i will be in every court hearing. i will be there front and center. grieving and all, i will be there, because that was my only child that he took from me. >> nancy: the 24-year-old bus driver facing several charges in connection with the car, including vehicular homicide. according to the affidavit, walker was driving well over the speed limit on the narrow, winding road. nacy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: nancy, thank you. donald trump taking a break from his transition team duties. the president-elect is spending time in florida for the holiday.

security will be tight. voters will not be able to pass through three different security zones near that area. the president-elect meantime is backing away from one promise he made on the campaign trail. he told "the new york times" he no longer wants to pursue prosecuting hillary clinton, saying she has already "suffered greatly." president-elect trump is also expected to talk about possible members of his administration. looks like he's passing on an outgoing new hampshire senator. according to reports, when asked if he wanted kelly ayotte to work with him at the simply said, no thank you. ayotte had been mentioned as a possible contender for secretary of state. >> kris: right now the holiday rush is on. millions of americans are set to hit the roads, the skies and the railways as they travel over the thanksgiving holiday. 7's nicole oliverio is live in logan with some information you need to know. now looks like would be a great time the lead. no crowds behind you, nicole. >> nicole: that's right. we have the say, we saw a lot of

morning when we got here just before 5:00. so according to massdot, they say the best time to get out is before noon, otherwise you can expect to wait in traffic. today is the day to pack those thanksgiving pies and your patience as travel experts expect more people to be traveling by air and on the roads in nearly a decade. massdot estimates at least a million passengers will be taking off from logan and suggests people arrive two hours early th a.a.a. says nearly 49 million people will be driving this thanksgiving holiday, a significant increase thanks to lower gas prices. state leders suggest flexibility with your travel plans. they say new technology like censors, cameras and the new electronic tolls will give drivers unprecedented real-time traffic information. >> one of the good news for thanksgiving travelers is that there are more ways than ever before to find out real-time

traffic congestion is and what routes folks might want to take. >> nancy: massdot suggests checking out web site mass 511 dot com, you can call 511 or use apps like wait, a great tool for the latest traffic updates. >> i think one of the most important things to keep in mind is safety is key. you do not want to start this holiday with a crash. >> nicole: so a t.s.a. officers working. hopefully that will get you through the security line fares. the mbta hases a increased silver line service to the airport, fast way to get here. also massdot saying with the electronic tolling, people won't be slowing down and hopefully that will speed things up along the pike. that's the latest live from logan airport, nicole oliverio, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: all right. thank you. still ahead on "today in new england," emotions running high.

heads to court. >> kris: plus attacked on a bus. the target an mbta employee this time. >> christa: how would you like the grab a slice with some of boston's biggest names. a private pizza party that made for a night to remember coming up. more sunshine today. as we head into your thanksgiving forecast, here's what's headed our way. i'll have more on that after the break. >> danielle: certainly a busy day on the roads for today. so far not too bad out there. here's a look at the pike. the "t" and commuter rail both

it's already started. i saw somebody yesterday with a christmas tree on their car. >> kris: i was waiting until this weekend. i'm going the unleash the beast this weekend. >> christa: all right. there you go. all the decorations. >> wren: me, too, especially all those decorations. real or fake tree, what do you think? >> christa: i do real. >> kris: i have a fake one. >> wren: that doesn't surprise me with kris. >> christa: oh. >> wren: as we head into today, it's going to be chilly. low to mid-20s. 16 deg as we head out into the rest of you day, it's going to be more pleasant than what we saw yesterday. a brief period of hymn. then this system moves in from our west. that could bring us messy weather into our thanksgiving. in terms of what we're going to get moisture-wise, i think it's going to be pretty slight for most of us. i'll take a closer look at that in just a molt. first, for today, temperatures in the mid-40s. not as windy as the last couple days. pretty comfortable. we keep that sunshine and stay below average. but still more moderate

of the frontal system currently in the ohio valley. bringing the upper midwest some snow, as well. has the moves in, we'll see the winds die down briefly, as well. temperatures in the upper 20s for us. you culled see low 30s, as well. there will be more mid-20s out there. into tomorrow, it's going to be dicey into the morning hours. i think we could see a wintry mix of flurries and drizzle. the main concern there, slick spots. but in terms of accumlailings, i do think most of that stayso of the mass pike. we head into the rest of your thanksgiving no, sir, cool, cloudy, we could see some drizzle off and on. it's not going to be very impressive in terms of snowfall totals or rainfall totals for us. you can see moisture will be trace amounts of potential. a dusting to a coating for most of us. that best shot at seeing some snow up to around an inch of snow is really the our northwest. berkshires, potentially grabbing one to two inches of snow. so that really does wait to be

so we're looking at a 3% chance if not even a slight chance. the chance for moisture increasing as we head into the work week. saturday looks to be a rainy day for us, as well. >> christa: thank you so much. we'll go to fast track traffic. >> so far so good. it's not too bad out there. of course, later this afternoon, probably a much different picture. if you're headed out the door this morning, you're in good shape. route 2 and 3 also looking good. this morning. it's quiet out there you guys. braintree to boston northbound on the expressway. just 20 minutes. south of town, mostly green. a little bit of slow and go traffic on route 24 northbound there. heading up to 128. then we do have an accident we're watching outside of 495 on route 290 westbound at solomon pond road. take a look at those drive times if you're getting ready to head out the door. 20 minutes braintree to boston northbound on the expressway. so again, not too bad. 12 minutes into town on the pike

bridge, 13 minutes this morning. and the "t" and commuter rail both running on schedule. back to you, guys. >> christa: danielle, thank you. a dinner date to remember. a brother and sister getting the chance to chow down on pizza with braid bride and some of his best buddies. pats' q.b. ben affleck and matt adone have a big night on the town. >> kris: luckily the winner was the pats' fan. it worked out accordingly. all thanks to a contest. nancy chen has more from the lucky winner. >> nancy: you probably remember this from when t the winning fan got to bring his sister along with him. no surprise they called this whole thing surreal. it's a dinner date they'll never forget. this brother and sister from missouri flew to boston and sat down with tom brady, matt damon and ben affleck for pizza in chestnut hill. >> they were so down to earth and so easy to talk to.

for 45 minutes or so. but they were so genuine and we had a great time. >> nancy: rick granberg paid $10 to enter a charity contest. it was promoted in a video when affleck and damon argue in a video about who is closer to the pats' q.b. >> hey, tom. >> tom! >> hey, tommy. >> t-bone. >> touchdown tommy. >> sorry i'm late. i just got done with some body work. >> me too. >> granberg says it was no nt >> honestly, i'm pretty sure he likes me better than both. >> oh, yeah. >> i think hands down i was the winner. >> nancy: sitting down with brady is something affleck and damon enjoyed, too. >> they were pretty excited to talk to tom brady, as well. i think they all knew each other previous to that night, but i think they were excited about catching up with him, as well. >> nancy: as for what they had, damon and affleck had beer. brady did not imbide. nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: so disciplined. >> kris: he did sneak a piece

he did great against the 49ers. >> christa: if he lost, you blame the cheese. >> kris: blame the pizza. just ahead, a brune goes down whom had to leave the ice as the b's took to be blues at the garden. >> christa: and a piece of ice bucket challenge history set to be immortalized. >> kris: at 6:30, a holiday rejection. why one christmas tree in rhode island didn't make the cut. got any good gift ideas? ? verizon prepaid is gonna be my gift ? ? no extra charges ? ? it's got hd streaming others are too stingy... ? (deep voice) with verizon you look awesome. ? you wanted more data and look what santa gave ya ? ? verizon keeps you going with that always-on data ? ? 4g lte that's a lotta speed ? ? think about it n' you'll say... ? (deep voice) "that's the deal of my dreams." with verizon you look awesome. (vo) give verizon prepaid with always-on data on the best network

?hay holidays fr. ys just got more surprising.

>> wren: we're off to another brisk start this wednesday morning. temperatures feeling like the low 20s. even mid-teens in worcester. 24 in fitchburg is what it's feeling like. you know what? it's going to be another chilly day for us. we won't be quite as windy as yesterday. it will feel more pleasant compared to yesterday. plenty of sunshine again for us today with high temperatures in the mid to low 40s for most. as we head into the overnight hours, cloud cover thickens up. our next storm system does

terms of travel weather throughout new england. >> and now time for 7sports with joe amorosino. >> joe: good morning. david backes and the bruins going for a furth straight win on their home ice last night, taking on backes' former team, the st. louis blues. it went in the wrong direction in a hurry when zedeno chara left the ice just 52 seconds into the second period. and he did not return. the b's not sharing any details on chara's condition after that game. backes, the captain, facing his former team for the first time after spending ten years in st. louis. mid way through first period, backes helps out his new team. on the power play, torey krug unleashes that pass. backes working hard down low, slams home the rebound. b's taking a 1-0 lead. second period, tied at two with chara in the dressing room, brandon carlo on the ice for two second-period scores. paul stastny knocks in the rebound. st. louis up 3-2.

it 4-2, snapping the bruins' three-game home winning streak. >> i just think in the second period with five ds, we got caught in our own end at times for long periods of time. we had some guys that were out there tired. some of those guys were obviously ds. it cost us a few goals there. >> kris: and the nhl's new las vegas franchise now has a name. get ready for the vegas golden knights beginning next season. that's sports. i'm joe amorosino. have a great day. >> kris: new this mng the bucket used to start the als ice bucket challenge is soon going to be on display at the smithsonian. it will go on view tuesday as part of the international day of gifl. the bucket will be part of the new permanent exhibit called giving in america. of course, former bc baseball player pete frates is the man who inspired the ice bucket challenge. he was diagnosed with als in 212. the challenge became a phenomenon in 2013 raising nearly $100 million. get this. earlier this year, scientists

to discover a new gene linked to al s and the developing wattle to find a cure one day. >> christa: and the fact that happened so quickly that. they've been doing this research for some time. to see that direct result. people can feel good about getting involved. more ahead at 6:30. wreckrecreational marijuana seto become law. we'll let you know where you can't be lighting up when that law takes effect. >> christa: . >> kris: and a local student injured in a pipeline protest. how her college is showing support. breaking news out of dorchester where four police officers were all taken to the hospital after

- announcer: thousands of boston area families depend on home sharing to make ends meet. here at airbnb, we're committed to working with the commonwealth to develop new common-sense home sharing rules.

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>> this is 7news "today in new england." >> kris: 6:30 is your time on this wednesday morning. thanks for joining us.

>> christa: and i'm christa delcamp. it's a big rush now leading up to thanksgiving. how is the weather looking? >> wren: it's going to cooperate. it's a nice day. it will be cool, but we'll keep things draw. plenty of sunshine and those winds will back off a little today, as well. so pretty pleasant day. another chilly start. feeling like 24 degrees in fitchburg. feeling like 19 degrees in jaffrey, mid-20s in new bedford. cooler start and temperatures will be below average again today. so we'll start a little breezy and then into the afternoon keeping that sunshine and temperatures in the mid to low 40s. chilly a actually quite mild. as we head into tomorrow, this is what we're going to be contending with. we have a frontal system that's headed our way. currently bringing some showers to the ohio valley and snow to the upper mid-weather. i'll take a closer look coming up. >> kris: we want to get a closer look at the roadways with fast track traffic. here's danielle gersh with more on that. >> danielle: thanks, kris. probably this afternoon going to be a much different picture, but right now not seeing any issues. a lot of greene on the pike

actually. route 2 and 3 pretty much fine. 495 wide open pretty much back to 495. not seeing any issues on route 1. braintree to boston, northbound on the expressway, your longest drive this morning at 21 minutes. so still not even too bad. route 3 and 24, not seeing any delays. 95 slowing down a little bit as you approach 128. we have one accident we're watching outside of 495 on 290 westbound. this is at solomon pond road. take a look at those drive times if you're getting ready to head out the northbound. into town on the pike from 128. 93 southbound, 128 to the zakim bridge, just 13 minutes. the "t" and commuter rail both running on schedule. back to you to you guys. >> kris: breaking news in the search for a driver in dorchester who speeds off dragging a police officer. it started with a call about man with a gun. >> kris: officers ended up dodging a speeding car. jennifer eagan is live in dorchester. jen, we know four officers had

condition. boston police tell us this started around 12:30 a.m. on the corner of columbia road and stoughton street. boston police tell us that two plainclothes officers were checking out that report of a man with a gun. police tell us they walked up to a car that fit the description of the vehicle in question. they asked the driver to get out of the car. boston police say at least one of those officers had his hand on the door when the driver took off, dragging that officers. the suspect just missed two other officers as back-up. all four of those officers were hospitalized. s be police haven't said what injuries they had, but they are all expected to be okay. police say that they pursued that suspect's car for about a mile or so to draper street. they then had to back off. if we take a look back here live at the intersection where this all happened, there are several cameras in the area, boston police say they're going over that surveillance video, looking for more information on the car in question here. but they do tell us at this

with connecticut license plates. live in dorchester this morning, jennifer eagan, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: jen, thank you so much. also this morning an emotional night in lowell. family and friends mourning the loss of a mother who was beaten to death. police have one suspect in custody, but they're looking for more. let's go to 7's nancy chen with the latest. >> nancy: christa, police are continuing to search for several people involved. loved ones coming together in court and hours laterhe a vigil. family and friends remembering gloribel orengo, many wiping away tears, still in disbelief after the 44-year-old was killed. prosecutors say a group of people beat orengo outside an apartment complex after she was told to leave a party over the weekend. they say someone then ran her over with a car and drove off. orengo's family is calling for everyone involved to be brought to justice. >> it just hurts me that my mom is really... i cannot believe

i'll be more happy when they get the rest of the scumbags and the coward, the rest of the cowards that did this to my mother. >> nancy: amarillo perez plead not gilly to assault and battery charges and for her role in this deadly beating. investigators are continuing to search for other suspects. in the newsroom, nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: right now police in boston are looking for a woman accused of attacking an mbta employee. this alleged assauap of talbot and colonial avenue in dorchester over the weekend. >> kris: williams college holding a prayer service for a recent graduate who was severely injured during a protest against the niewrtd popline project. the bomb's parents say she lost part of her arm when police threw a grenade at her on monday morning. according to the "globe," the 21-year-old remains in the hospital in serious condition. police, however, deny throwing any grenades and blame the injury on other protesters.

with sexual assault. the salem news reports that 56-year-old brian butler resigned earlier this month two days after police arrested him. prosecutors say heagney sexually assaulted a man. butler plead acknowledgment guilty, saying the incident was consensual. >> christa: former house speaker sal dimasi back home with family in melrose after being released early from prison in north carolina. he arrived at logan airport last night. he received a compassionate release from pn the 71-year-old says he's grateful to have the chance to be with his family once again. >> i just want to say how happy i am and grateful and thankful that i'm home in boston. i want the thank everybody for making this possible, whoever made it possible for me. >> christa: dimasi is in remission but is unable to eat or care for himself. and he will be on home confine. new this morning, casino

will include marijuana once it becomes legal next month. despite voters legalizing the recreational use of marijuana earlier this month, the state's casinos will still be smoke free. casino officials are still trying to work on other policies that include marijuana edibles. so as part of the law, marijuana use will be banned in public places, and smoking it will also be prohibited anywhere tobacco smoking is already forbidden. >> kris: the rhode island statehouse christmas tree has been rejected. officials say the tree was simply too small and wouldn't be ready for prime time. well, within hours, those trees take a while to get ready for prime time. the new bigger tree was cut down and placed inside. the smaller tree isn't going to waste. it will be displayed outside of the statehouse instead. >> kris: at least the moment got its moment the shine. maybe people will flock to the smaller tree in support.

top honors handed out. which stars were at the white house accepting their presidential medal of freedom. >> kris: and a controversial art piece at salem state. >> christa: and pats getting in on thanksgiving fun, but it's a drawing of julian edelman's hand that's raising a few questions and getting some laughs this morning. >> danielle: and it's quiet out there on the roads this morning. here's a lack at the expressway. 20 minutes from braintree to boston. probably a much different picture out there this afternoon. if you're getting ready to head out the door this morning, no issues. th"t

>> we're back at news reporting that south carolina give hail hall -- nikki haley has accepted trump's offer to be the ambassador to the united nations. hailey is the first woman the president-elect has chosen to become part of his administration thus far. much more on the "today show" coming up in 20 minutes. >> kris: famous faces showing up at the white house, receiving the medal of freedom. president obama handed out 21 of those awards. >> christa: what a group this

there were some tears shed. will rest go to 7's nancy chen with more. >> nancy: this is america's highest civilian honor. of the 21 recipient, many are very well-known. each person was honored for leaving lasting legacy on the nation. recipients include kareem abdul-jabbar, top hanks diana ross and ellen degeneres. degeneres got emotional as she received the medal. president obama says all the honorees have helped push america forward. >> these are folks who have helped make me who i am and think about my presidency. and what also makes it special is this is america. >> nancy: now, as we mentioned, very emotional for ellen degeneres there. turns out she almost didn't make it inside. she had a hard time getting into the ceremony. she told her followers on twitter that she forgot her i.d. and could not get through security. that's her just chilling outside the white house right there. by the way, the recipients made

they all got together to take part in the mannequin challenge. that video has received more than 16,000 likes online so far. in the newsroom, nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> kris: it's a funny video. you watch, there's this girl and kareem abdul-jabbar. >> christa: height difference between him and bruce springsteen and robert de niro. >> kris: know and go is up next, all of your day's activity, a fun thanksgiving activity courtesy of the pa not be so great at tracing his own hand. >> christa: and the president-elect continues to tweet, find out if voters think that he should be staying on social media. >> reporter: and a driver takes off dragging a boston police officer. now the search is on for that

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>> it's 6:45, time the know and dragging a boston police officer. now the search is on for thatting -- that suspect. >> reporter: hostility at harvard. a message of hate sent to that professor. how that teacher is now responding. >> reporter: millions of people expected to hit the road today. tips to make your thanksgiving trip a lot smoother. >> christa: all right. so know and go is all about the weather and, of course, traffic on this day before thanksgiving. >> kris: the two important things. the quickest way to get to the dinner table. that's the important part, wren. >> wren: definitely.

we're starting out cool, feeling like we're in the mid to low 20. temperatures more moderate in the mid-40s with mostly sunny skies. clouds move in tonight, and we're looking at lows for most of us in the upper 20s. low 30s if we can get that cloud cover to move in faster. those are the cool spots in the mid-20s into tonight. so what everybody wants to know, a look at the thanksgiving forecast. we could be dealing with messy weather into the morning. looks like a wintry mix is possible. some flurries mixed in there, and a dusting of snow possible throughout much of massachusetts. as we head into the rest of the day, we keep that clouder mid to upper 30s for us. we could be looking at some drizzle off and on, as well, but really not terribly excited about seeing that activity all day long. i think we'll see some breaks. here's a look at our thursday morning snow. the best chance of some snow will be further to our northwest. west of 495 loop and north of the mass pike. we could still be looking at a dusting of snow here throughout the boston metro, as well. that melts pretty quickly for us. then we're off to the rateses with a wet stretch of weather. temperatures warming into the

the work week. >> christa: sounds like the weather could snarl things tomorrow if you're traveling, but as for right now, looks like all clear if you're getting on the roads. >> danielle: if you're debating when to leave, things are looking really good. this is the pike pretty much wide open back the framingham. let's go to the maps. you'll see a lot of green out there. route 2 and 3 looking good. 93 pretty much fine all the way. no issues on route 1. braintree to boston, northbound on the expressway, usually about half hour, but it's only 22 te south of town, route 3 and 24 looking good. a little bit of slow and go traffic on 95 northbound. as you approach 128. overall it's not too bad. take a look at those drive times if your getting ready to head out the door. 23 minutes on the expressway braintree to boston. 12 minutes on the pike from 128. 93 southbound, 128 from the scaik disaik, just 16 minutes. the "t" and commuter rail both running on schedule. back to you, guys. >> kris: breaking news this

one of those officers hit by that vehicle and then dragged down the street. >> christa: investigate, say the driver then took off. let's go to 7's jennifer eagan, who is at the scene for thus morning. jen? >> jennifer: christa, boston police say four officers were hospitalized. they're all expected to be okay. this started around 12:30 a.m. boston police tell us that two plainclothes officers came to stoughton street by the intersection with columbia road. they were checking out a call, a report of a man with a gun. now police say the officers walked description they had for the vehicle in question. police tell us at least one of those officers had his hand on the door when the driver took off. >> the operator of the car, when the officers had the handle and were asking him to get out of the car. he accelerated at a high rate of speed, dragging a couple officers down the street and narrowly striking two officers in the wagon that were parked on stoughton street.

the area as back-up. all four were sent to the hospital. boston police have not said what kind of injuries they sustained, but they are all expected to be okay. police also telling us they pursued that car for about a mile or so to draper street but they had to back off. police this morning are looking for a silver or gray chevy possibly with connecticut license plates. live in dorchester, high's, 7news "today in new england." >> kris: breaking overnight, police investigating a shooting in roxbury. according to boston ems, one on on warren street. the victim is taken to boston medical center and is expected to be okay. >> christa: and there are new details about the sexual abuse allegations on board a school bus in boston. the bus driver is reportedly now off the job. according to the "globe," the driver is on paid leave after a parent of a child from the boston renaissance charter school claimed that a six-year-old boy molested her seven-year-old son on that bus. right now the dcf and the district attorney's office are

postcard filled with hateful language mailed to a professor at harvard youth. vicki, it suds like this was mailed from overseas. >> yeah, they believe it came from the u.k. it was addressed to him. it referenced donald trump, and it said that harvard needs the drain the swamp. this man is a visiting law professor here at harvard. his name is sandford levinson. he received it in the mail at harvard university. it indicates it came from the u.k. the language attacks his jewish heritage. levinson is a vocal opponent of donald trump, even taking to the internet to call him a sociopath. he believes the hate-filled speech is a by-product of the, but he says this postcard goes too far. >> take positions in public, some people aren't going to like it, and that's perfectly fine. this is different obviously.

it's just flat out anti-semitism. there is nothing subtle about it. >> he did report the postcard to the dean, but he also says he does not fear for his safety. live this morning in cambridge, victoria warren, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: there are new concerns this morning over the rising crime rate in the city of boston. according to the "herald," boston police have seen a 20% spike in murders in 2016. as of last night, there have compared to 33 at the same time last year. and for shootings, b.p.d. reported a 54% increase since early last month. there have been 40 shootings in october and november this year compared to 26 during the same period last fall. ism we're following a developing story out of michigan where a campus police officer at wayne state university is recovering this morning after being shot in the head. officials say the officer was shot while stopping a possible theft. detroit police are interviewing

hundreds gathering for a vigil in chattanooga last night where they were remembering five children killed in that tragic bus accident. this morning we are learning some more details about the driver behind the wheel of that bus. 7's nancy chen is live in our control room with the latest on this story. nancy? >> nancy: kris, according to reports out this morning, a master who lost a child in the accident said the bus driver said something to the effect of "all r you all ready to die," this in the moments before the crash. this ase record. two months ago he was cited for sideswiping a car with his school bus. he got his bus driver's license in april. the 24-year-old faces several charges in connection with the crash, including vehicular homicide. according to the affidavit, he was driving well over the 30mph limit on a narrow, winding road. one mom says she did complain to the school about his erratic driving in the past. in the control room, nancy chen, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: nancy, thank you.

now backing away from one promise that he made on the campaign trail. he told "the new york times" he no longer wants to prosecute hillary clinton, saying that she's already "suffered greatly." meantime, a new poll says most people believe the president-elect should stop tweeting. the quinnipiac university poll found that nearly 60% of voters surveyed believe president-elect trump should deactivate his personal twitter account once he takes office. he has said he'll continue to use twitter in a limited role while in the white house. a controv emotional art argument. the painting depicts members of the ku klux klan. this is part of an exhibit called "state of the union." artists were encouraged to express their feelings about the recent election, students were so outraged the curator decided to temporarily shut down that exhibit. in a statement, the curator said art is often intended to spark discussion about societal ills. in this case it did just that, but we deeply regret the

ism right now the holiday rush is on. roads and skies and railways expected to be packed throughout the day. people are heading out for the thanksgiving holiday. 7's nicole oliverio is live this morning with some important information you need the know. i know you said you've already seen big crowds at the airport this early. >> we have, chris. and hopefully if you're watching right now you're getting ready to head out on the roads, because according to mass dot, the best time the leave to beat that holiday traffic would be before noon. they say the worst time is going to be between 3 people to be traveling this thanksgiving holiday. they say the most they've seen since 2007. massport says about a million people will be going through logan airport here today. so if you have a flight out, you want to make sure you get here at least two hours ahead of time and to check the status of the flight about four hours ahead of time. also they're expecting millions of people to be on the roads so traffic is definitely going to be tough, but one thing that's going to help, they say they

cameras and the electronic tolling, now more than ever you'll be able to figure out how long your trip is going to take. they say the key is patience and flexibility. nicole oliverio, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: with this cold, wouldn't bit nice to jet off to the caribbean? prince harry is doing just that. he wasn't so impress when the prim of antigua offered up his country as a possible honey moon spot. spend your upcoming honey moon, whenever they day arrives. >> christa: he looks visibly uncomfortable. the prime minister mentioned the possibility that harry and his new girlfriend, american actress meaghan markel, could be headed toward make. he tonight want to talk about it. >> kris: crossing one place off this list probably. here's something fun, the patriots offering thanksgiving entertainment. some players outlying their

homemade turkeys. tom brady, rob gronkowski, and that's julian edelman's hand, they're among the players involved. edelman's most likely getting the most attention, look at that pinkie on his right hand. the web site specifically notes, yes, those are really julian edelman's fingers. >> christa: it's like he's sprouting an extra one. there i don't know. i think it just moves clearly. >> kris: that or catching tom brady passes for all those years, right? that can do some damage. >> christa: so wren, how about fourth as we head outside today. >> wren: sot today. mostly sunny skies, not as breezy as yesterday. temperatures more moderate, mid to low 40s with temperatures tonight in the upper 20s for most of us. cloud cover starts to thicken up. it could bring us snow into tomorrow morning, a bit of a wintry mix. slick spots out to be -- on the roads. definitely not a washout. we're just looking at a dusting. >> kris: add ten degrees to tomorrow's temperature with all the ovens on. >> christa: a good place to be with the snow. >> kris: thanks for joining

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good morning. ambassador haley. donald trump picks his first female cabinet member, south carolina governor nikki haley as ambassador to the u.n. this morning nbc news has confirmed s's this as trump acknowledges he won't be following through on some of the promises he made during the heat of the campaign. promises like this one. >> i am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation. disturbing past. authorities are learning more about the 24-year-old driver who crashed his bus in chattanooga, killing five elementary schoolchildren. another accident and a