Harvard House of Horrors: Morgue Manager Sold Donated Bodies for Profit

(José Niño, Headline USA) The sacred tradition of donating one’s body to science was shattered at Harvard University, where a trusted employee turned the morgue into a grisly meat market.

According to a report by the New York Times, Cedric Lodge, formerly the morgue manager at Harvard Medical School, stole organs from cadavers that had been donated for medical research, according to prosecutors. The university terminated his employment in 2023.

Lodge was responsible for managing cadavers in the school’s Anatomical Gift Program, with the expectation that these bodies would be cremated after research concluded, prosecutors said.

However, a sweeping federal investigation found that Lodge had transformed the morgue into a “shopping emporium for brains, skin and other body parts,” supplying collectors in multiple states through a criminal network that included his wife. Investigators reported that he transported stolen remains to his home in New Hampshire.

This breach went unnoticed from roughly 2018 until March 2023, tarnishing the reputation of one of America’s most prestigious medical schools.

Nearly two weeks ago, federal court filings in Pennsylvania showed that Lodge agreed to plead guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

As part of the plea deal, he will not face a conspiracy charge. Prosecutors recommended a sentence below the maximum, but the final decision rests with the judge.

In a statement, Dr. George Q. Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School, denounced Lodge’s actions.

“Cedric Lodge’s criminal actions were morally reprehensible and a disgraceful betrayal of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research,” Dr. Daley declared. “While Lodge has agreed to plead guilty and taken responsibility for his crimes, this likely provides little consolation to the families impacted. We continue to express our deep compassion to all those affected.”

Of the seven people charged in connection with the trafficking of stolen body parts, all but one have pleaded guilty or agreed to do so, including Lodge’s wife, Denise, who is also awaiting sentencing. 

One case remains pending, while another defendant — a former employee of a mortuary services provider in Arkansas — is seeking to withdraw her guilty plea after receiving a 15-year sentence.

Prosecutors said Lodge stole dissected portions from donated cadavers, including heads, brains, skin, and bones, and shipped them to buyers. One buyer, Katrina Maclean, owns a store called Kat’s Creepy Creations in Peabody, Massachusetts, which advertises “Creations that shock the mind & shake the soul.” 

In a recent motion, Maclean’s lawyer argued that human remains “are not, and have never been, deemed to constitute property or ‘goods, wares or merchandise.’”

On several occasions, Lodge allowed Maclean and other buyers into the morgue to select which body parts they wanted. Authorities said Maclean chose two dissected faces, agreeing to pay Lodge $600 for them in October 2020. 

Over nearly three years, Lodge’s wife received $37,000 in electronic payments from another buyer, Joshua Taylor of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, for body parts stolen by Lodge. In one instance, Taylor sent $1,000 to Denise Lodge with the memo “head number 7,” and in another, $200 with the note “braiiiiiins.” 

Taylor has agreed to plead guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. 

The nation now looks to Harvard and the courts to restore faith in a system shaken by this unprecedented violation of trust.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Questions Swirl Around Rep. Vindman’s $38,783 ‘Fundraising’ Expense

(José Niño, Headline USA) Another Democrat is under fire for questionable campaign spending, this one involving Rep. Eugene Vindman,D-VA., and a hefty payment to a Florida bookstore, according to a bombshell report from the New York Post.

Recent financial disclosures show Rep. Vindman’s campaign spent $38,783 last month, labeling it a “fundraising expense,” at a Florida bookstore where his brother held events for his bestselling book criticizing Western policy toward Russia.

Alexander Vindman, Eugene’s twin and a retired Army lieutenant colonel known for his role in President Trump’s first impeachment, openly boasted about autographing hundreds of copies of his book, The Folly of Realism, at Books & Books. He did so during the same period his brother’s campaign made those unexplained expenditures.

The timing of Rep. Vindman’s payment to Books & Books and his brother’s signings there raises the question: Did Rep. Vindman buy his brother’s books with campaign funds?

Although Books & Books has several locations around the Miami metropolitan area, an employee at the Coral Gables store confirmed that Alexander Vindman’s book signings took place there, which is where the campaign’s payments were directed. That employee also reportedly stated that Eugene Vindman’s team had inquired earlier that day about how the store would respond if a reporter showed up with questions.

Federal Election Commission records did not highlight what the fundraising expense actually covered, nor whether the funds were used for bulk purchases of Alexander Vindman’s book, which made a brief appearance on the New York Times’ ‘Hardcover Nonfiction’ bestseller list for the week ending March 16.”

The Folly of Realism was released on February 25 by Hachette Book Group at an initial price of $30. Ten days later, on March 7, Eugene Vindman’s campaign made a $7,809.55 payment to Books & Books, followed by a second payment of $30,972.97 on March 20, according to the New York Post. 

Over the past 15 years, there has been no FEC record of notable political fundraisers at Books & Books, with only a few meal expenses totaling no more than $54.

Alexander Vindman delivered testimony during the first impeachment, detailing President Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Biden family. 

FEC records indicate Books & Books was the only Florida-based company to receive payments from Vindman’s campaign in the first quarter of 2025. On March 9, two days after the $7,810 payment, Alexander Vindman posted a photo of himself signing multiple copies of the book. 

On March 21, a day after the second payment, Eugene Vindman posted photos from a chili cookoff in Virginia. On April 12, Alexander Vindman announced he had signed 800 more copies at the Florida store. 

Eugene Vindman narrowly won his seat in Virginia’s 7th District in the 2024 election when he defeated Derrick Anderson by a 51.2% to 48.5% margin. He campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and coasting off of his brother’s anti-Trump antics. 

“Eugene Vindman’s hypocrisy is rich,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Maureen O’Toole reportedly said. “Vindman is in Congress to advance his own out of touch agenda and, apparently, bail out his family’s abysmal literary endeavors,” she continued. “Virginians will kick this lying loser to the curb next November.” 

With questions swirling around the campaign’s spending and family ties, the Vindman brothers’ activities are likely to remain under close scrutiny as the election season heats up.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

NIH’s Bhattacharya Launches Sweeping Autism Study at RFK Jr.’s Urging

(José Niño, Headline USA) Under orders from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is launching an unprecedented data-driven autism study.

In the past month, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the newly appointed director of the National Institutes of Health, has become the architect of a sweeping new federal effort to investigate the causes of autism.  

This campaign aligns closely with the mission and rhetoric of RFK Jr. The initiative, announced in mid-April 2025, aims to break what its leaders see as a scientific deadlock on autism research by harnessing an unprecedented trove of health data and encouraging inquiry into areas previously considered off-limits.

“Sec. Kennedy has asked me to initiate a study on the cause of the rise in autism. It’s a question that is at the front of the minds of so many parents … yet scientific progress on this has been slow because scientists are frankly scared to ask the question,” Bhattacharya said in a speech last week next to RFK Jr., echoing his boss’ call for comprehensive investigation.

 

Last Monday, Bhattacharya presented his vision to NIH advisers. He described it as a “real-world data platform” that would aggregate medical records, insurance claims, pharmacy and laboratory data, and even information from wearable fitness devices and smartwatches. 

The goal is to create a resource with “broad coverage in the U.S. population,” enabling researchers to analyze patterns and potential causes of autism at a scale never before possible.

This initiative would also involve the creation of a new registry to track Americans with autism, integrating this information into the broader data platform. 

Between 10 and 20 external research teams will be selected through standard NIH grant review processes to study the data. Bhattacharya emphasized that every NIH institute would be involved, and that the project would move at a pace “very rapid by NIH’s normal standards.”

The urgency of this initiative is driven by Kennedy, who, in early April, pledged that “by September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic, and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”

However, Bhattacharya has since tempered expectations, stating that while some preliminary answers may emerge by September, the timeline for definitive results is uncertain: “It’s hard to guarantee when science will make an advance. It depends on, you know, nature has its say.”

He has suggested to reporters a more realistic timeline would see preliminary findings within a year.

The scale of data collection has raised immediate concerns among privacy advocates and autism organizations. Bhattacharya has promised “state-of-the-art protections” to ensure confidentiality, noting that researchers will only see statistical aggregates and will not be able to download or access individual records.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is a physician and health economist who previously gained national attention for his opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and his willingness to challenge prevailing public health orthodoxies. 

The coming months will reveal if Kennedy and Bhattacharya’s health gambit pays off for families and science.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Voters Focused on Prices, Tariffs as Trump Finishes 1st 100 Days

(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) American voters are focused on prices, tariffs and illegal immigration as President Donald Trump approaches the 100-day mark of his second term in the White House, which is Tuesday.

The Center Square Voter’s Voice poll found that immigration issues, which helped put Trump win the White House, have fallen in importance for voters. Trump has made progress on issues at the border since taking office, which voters have recognized. The poll found that 47% of those surveyed said federal policy on immigration and border security has “gotten better,” compared to 32% who say it has “gotten worse.”

“Immigration has become a second-tier issue in terms of importance; things like inflation [and] tariffs and trade have knocked it out of its spot,” said David Byler, head of research at Noble Predictive Insights.

Concerns about inflation and high prices remain a top issue for voters, with 41% saying it was among their top three issues. And it remains a weak point for Trump, who promised to tame inflation and bring down prices on the campaign trail. The newest issue that voters are worried about is tariffs and international trade, with 33% of voters reporting it was among their top three issues. Illegal immigration was at 26%, followed by the economy and jobs at 25%. That was tied with concerns about government corruption. Healthcare stood at 21% and affordable housing at 15%.

After that, it was high taxes (14%), national debt (13%), national security (13%), federal rollback of DEI policies (12%), abortion rights (10%), climate change (9%), education (9%), stock market instability (9%), other (4%), and at the bottom was race relations at 3%.

The poll question showed voters are more focused on pocketbook issues than social ones, with concerns about prices and tariffs at the top. That presents Trump with challenges as he seeks to re-order global trade. Trump announced a slate of tariffs on April 2, which he called “Liberation Day” for American trade. Seven days later, on April 9, he paused nearly all of those higher rates that Trump calls reciprocal. Trump said the pause would last 90 days as his trade team talks with more than 75 other nations. However, Trump maintained a 10% baseline tariff and a 145% import duty on goods from China.

Economists, businesses, and a growing number of publicly traded companies have warned that tariffs could push up prices on a large swath of consumer products. Trump has said he wants to use tariffs to bring back manufacturing jobs lost to lower-wage countries in decades past, shift the tax burden away from U.S. families and pay down national debt.

Many companies and industry groups have raised price concerns even for products made in the U.S. because tariffs on imported raw materials could boost prices.

A tariff is a tax on imported goods. The importer pays the tax and can either absorb the loss or pass the cost on to consumers through higher prices.

The poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from April 15-18, 2025, and surveyed registered voters nationally via an opt-in online panel and text-to-web cell phone messages. The sample included 2,527 respondents, comprised of 1,089 Republicans, 1,187 Democrats, and 251 True Independents, which Noble Predictive defines as independents who chose neither when asked if they lean toward one of the major parties.

The poll weighted each party – Republicans, Democrats, and True Independents – independently. In other words, the Republican subsample is weighted so it matches the national Republican population, and the same is true for Democrats and True Independents. Additional weighting variables include age, region, gender, education, and race/ethnicity.

The margin of error was +/- 2.0%.

More than 100 Immigrants Detained at an Illegal After-Hours Colorado Nightclub

(Headline USA) More than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the United States illegally were taken into custody early Sunday following a federal raid at an illegal after-hours nightclub in Colorado, authorities said.

Video posted online by the Drug Enforcement Administration showed agents announcing their presence outside the building and ordering patrons to leave with their hands up. Other videos showed dozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window. Later, dozens of suspects were shown in handcuffs standing on a sidewalk waiting to be transported.

During his second stint as U.S. president, Donald Trump ’s unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement has pushed the limits of executive power, and he has clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The crackdown has included detaining more than 1,000 international college students, some of whom have seen their legal status restored, at least temporarily. The policies have slowed immigration at the southern border to a relative trickle.

On Sunday in Colorado, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took the club-going immigrants into custody, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division.

“Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer community today,” he said.

More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies responded to the nightclub, which had been under investigation for several months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and “crimes of violence,” Pullen said at a news conference. Cocaine was among the drugs found, he said.

“When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the floor,” Pullen said.

An undisclosed number of guns were seized, he said.

“Nothing good ever happens after 3 a.m.,” the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division posted on the social platform X.

Pullen estimated more than 200 people were inside the nightclub. Also among those detained were a dozen active-duty military members who either were patrons or working as armed security. Some patrons were arrested on undisclosed outstanding warrants, Pullen said.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that “as we approach his 100 days in office @POTUS Trump’s directive to make America safe again is achieving results!”

Pullen did not specify the countries where the detained immigrants were from.

Earlier this month a federal judge in Colorado temporarily blocked deportations of immigrants who face possible removal under Trump’s invocation of an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Iran Says Latest Round of Negotiations With U.S. ‘Much More Serious Than Before’

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Following the third round of negotiations between US and Iranian officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were “much more serious” than before and expressed hope that a deal could be reached.

“This round of talks was much more serious than in the past, and we gradually moved into more detailed and technical discussions,” Aragchi told reporters on Saturday following the negotiations, which took place in Oman.

“Some differences are serious, some less so. I’m hopeful about reaching a deal, but yet cautious,” the Iranian diplomat added.

For the first time since the negotiations began earlier this month, the two sides sent working-level delegations to discuss the technical details of a potential nuclear deal. Separate from the technical talks, Aragchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff also engaged in negotiations.

A US official told The Associated Press that the talks were “productive and positive” and that the negotiations were held both directly and indirectly.

“This latest round of direct and indirect discussions lasted over four hours,” the US official said. “There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal. We agreed to meet again soon, in Europe, and we thank our Omani partners for facilitating these talks.”

The two sides agreed to hold another round of negotiations, which is expected to happen on Saturday, May 3. President Trump has been threatening to bomb Iran if a deal isn’t reached on Iran’s nuclear program, even though US intelligence agencies concluded in their annual threat assessment that there’s no evidence Tehran is working to build a nuclear weapon.

Coinciding with the negotiations on Saturday, a major explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, killed at least 40 people and injured over 800. So far, Iranian authorities have not said what caused the massive blast.

If the explosion wasn’t an accident and was caused by sabotage, Israel would be the most likely culprit since it has a history of carrying out covert attacks inside Iran and targeted the Shahid Rajaee Port in a 2020 cyberattack that disrupted shipping operations.

Israel also has a history of conducting covert operations inside Iran as a way to sabotage diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. In April 2021, Israeli intelligence detonated an explosive in Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility about a week after the Biden administration began indirect negotiations with Iran.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

 

ICE Arrests 780 Illegal Immigrants in a Single Operation

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with state and local partners, arrested 780 illegal immigrants in a single, four-day sweep dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” ICE announced on Saturday.

Citing ICE statistics, ABC News reported on Saturday that 275 of the illegal immigrants were arrested with final orders of removal, which means they can be removed from the country immediately.

ABC reported that ICE used its 287(g) authority, allowing Florida state and local law enforcement agencies to be deputized to assist with illegal immigrant roundups.

“I think the main reason why this operation is significant is because it’s the first of its kind. It’s one that not only we’ve been doing what we have, but we have surged all our federal partners together along with Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement [and] Removal Operations, which are all the enforcement arms of ICE, but we’re also using all our 287(g) partners in the state of Florida,” acting ICE Director Todd Lyons reportedly told ABC News.

We’re using state, local and county law enforcement agencies to assist us in our operations.”

According to ABC News, ICE has signed 428 new 287(g) agreements signed with state and local law enforcement agencies under the new Trump administration. That represents a 371% increase, according to Lyons.

The Trump administration has deported about an estimated 100,000 illegal immigrants in its first four months of office, which puts it on pace for just over 1 million deportations by 2028. Some estimates say that there are 20 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., with millions having come just over the last four years during the Biden administration.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Thief Who Stole DHS Boss Kristi Noem’s Purse is Arrested, Identified as Illegal Immigrant

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was eating at The Capital Burger about a mile away from the White House on Easter Sunday, when a thief stole her personal bag, which had $3,000 in cash and her passport in it.

For nearly a week, the purse thief remained at large. The New York Post reported that he was arrested Saturday—revealing suprising details about the suspect’s identity.

According to the Post, the suspect is an illegal immigrant. The thief also had an accomplice who is still on the lam. Other journalists, including Julio Rosas, for The Blaze, said the suspect is Mario Bustamante Leiva, who apparently has a long record of being a sneak thief.

“The perp, who is believed to be part of a large east coast robbery crew, is expected to appear in court early next week as law enforcement hunt for his accomplice,” the Post reported, citing anonymous sources. “Officials are also looking for a second suspect who is also reportedly an illegal migrant.”

DC US Attorney Ed Martin reportedly told NBC that the theft was a random crime, and not because of Noem’s position as DHS secretary.

“It was frankly, it was a nice looking purse. This was not an amateur. This was a person, a thief, that knew how to do this. You could see how he scouted the room out,” Martin said.

It’s still unclear how the thief was able to steal the purse under the nose of Noem’s Secret Service protection.

The thief was originally reported as a white man with a surgical mask.

According to RealClearPolitics, Noem had so much cash because she was taking her entire family out shopping.

“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren — she was using the cash withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” a DHS spokesperson reportedly told RealClearPolitics.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Georgia Sheriff’s Deputy Killed and Another Cop Injured during Traffic Stop Shooting

(Headline USA) Two Georgia deputies were shot during a traffic stop Saturday evening and one of them is dead, law enforcement officials said.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the deputy’s death around 6:30 p.m. and said the other deputy was taken to a hospital, WRDW-TV reported.

The suspect was identified as James Blake Montgomery, who was believed to have been in a camper near Mile Marker 194 off Belair Road, Columbia County deputies told WRDW.

Helicopters and drones were in the air as part of the effort to capture Montgomery, the deputies said.

Communication over police radio told officers to take a photo of the suspect “in the trailer.” The focus was the Arrowood Mobile Home Community off Wrightsboro Road, WRDW reported.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement on X about the shooting.

“Marty, the girls, and I are praying for the loved ones and colleagues of the Columbia County sheriffs deputy that has fallen in the line of duty, as well as his fellow law enforcement officer injured tonight while protecting his fellow Georgians,” Kemp said.

“As they remain in our hearts and prayers, we’re also painfully reminded of why those who wear a badge have more than earned our enduring respect and appreciation.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Texas DPS Continues to Find Missing Children

(The Center Square) Texas Department of Public Safety officers continue to find missing children and arrest those on its criminal illegal immigrant most wanted list.

With April being “Child Abuse Prevention Month,” DPS troopers have rescued more than 600 children through its Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) Program, DPS said. IPC officers are trained “to identify victims of exploitation, missing children, crimes against children and high-risk threats against children,” DPS said.

Through Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, DPS troopers rescued more than 900 children illegally brought into the U.S. in Texas alone under the Biden administration, The Center Square reported.

So far this year, DPS and other agencies have arrested 21 Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives, sex offenders and others, including six sex offenders and seven criminal illegal immigrants – with $25,000 in rewards being paid for tips that yielded arrests, DPS said.

One recent arrest was of a fugitive on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List, 46-year-old Mexican national Carlos Ortiz. He was arrested after DPS received a tip through Crime Stoppers.

Ortiz was wanted by authorities in Tarrant County since October 2024 on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a young child. He was arrested at an apartment complex in Haltom City by multiple authorities, including special agents from DPS’ Criminal Investigations Division, Haltom City Police and U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force.

Since 2008, Ortiz had been arrested in Tarrant County for assault causing bodily injury to a family member and driving while intoxicated, according to DPS records.

Another fugitive arrested on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List was 25-year-old Honduran national Anderson Ronaldo Reyes Giron. He was arrested in north central Austin and wanted by authorities in Travis County since February for deadly conduct (discharging a firearm) and in Williamson County since March on property theft charges.

He was first arrested under the Trump administration in January 2017 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection “for alien removal.” By August 2024, he was arrested by the Austin Police Department officers for deadly conduct (discharging a firearm) and subsequently bonded out of jail, according to DPS records.

Through the governor’s Public Safety Office, taxpayer money is allocated to Texas Crime Stoppers to offer cash rewards to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submitting a tip through DPS website or Facebook page.

“All tips are anonymous – regardless of how they are submitted – and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name,” DPS says.

As offenders are arrested and come off of the lists, others are added.

Two recent additions include U.S. citizens, Rondarrius Evans, 21, of New Boston, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List and Rodolfo Martinez Jr., 42, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List.

Evans is wanted by authorities in Bowie County since last August on two capital murder charges and drug charges. Martinez Jr. is wanted in Harris County since last November for indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Texas Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards for tips that lead to their arrests.