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Harvard Agrees to Pay $53 Mn after Morgue Manager Sold Body Parts

FILE PHOTO: Students walk past Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Students walk past Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha/File Photo
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Harvard Agrees to Pay $53 Mn after Morgue Manager Sold Body Parts

FILE PHOTO: Students walk past Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Students walk past Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha/File Photo

Harvard University has agreed to pay a $53 million settlement after its former morgue manager stole and sold body parts donated for scientific research, with a Boston court reportedly approving the plan on Tuesday.

Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue at the prestigious Harvard Medical School before being fired in 2023, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December after pleading guilty to trafficking stolen remains.

Investigators said Lodge and his wife took body parts from the school "without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor's family" and shipped them to buyers in other states since 2018.

According to AFP, Harvard University said in a letter on Monday that it will seek the court's permission to set up "two class action settlement funds totaling $53 million."

"We are grateful to be working together with the plaintiffs to move forward in a way that prioritizes support for families and the (organ donation program) and avoids prolonged litigation," read the letter co-signed by Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley and Bernard Chang, dean for medical education.

Lodge's violations "were despicable, abhorrent, and a flagrant betrayal of our values as a medical community," they said.

"We reaffirm our deep sorrow and empathy for the families of donors who may have been impacted."

A Boston state court judge gave preliminary approval to the settlement plan on Tuesday, US media reported.

Harvard said the process of distributing funds is expected to take several months.

Lodge's wife Denise was earlier sentenced to one year in prison.

Six other co-conspirators who bought remains from Lodge have also pleaded guilty and received sentences.

The Harvard Medical School will set up an annual financial aid scholarship starting in the 2027-28 academic year "in appreciation and in honor of all of our anatomical donors," the school said.

The settlement plan also includes a pledge by the school to provide a statement to the claimant families condemning Lodge's criminal acts, and to detail improvements made to the organ donation program.

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Chinese Space Program Pioneer Liu Jiyuan Dies at 93

Commuters ride past the Tiananmen Square in Beijing on August 18, 2026. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
Commuters ride past the Tiananmen Square in Beijing on August 18, 2026. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
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Chinese Space Program Pioneer Liu Jiyuan Dies at 93

Commuters ride past the Tiananmen Square in Beijing on August 18, 2026. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
Commuters ride past the Tiananmen Square in Beijing on August 18, 2026. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)

A pioneer of China's aerospace program, Liu Jiyuan, died in Beijing aged 93 after an illness, the main space contractor said on Wednesday.

In a career of nearly four decades from 1960, Liu worked on, and ⁠led development of, ⁠control systems for China's first generation of strategic weapons and launch vehicles.

Born in 1933, Liu died ⁠on Monday due to illness, the contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said.

The expert in missile and rocket control technology was deputy commander of the manned space program in 1992 before heading the ⁠newly ⁠set-up National Space Administration from 1993 until he retired in 1999.

His death follows the August 12 demise of Wang Xiji, who led the development of China's first sounding rocket.

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Italian Scientists Bet on Octopus to Fight Crab Invasion

Live blue crabs harvested by local fishermen in the Po river are seen in a waste bucket at Scardovari, Italy, northeast Italy, on June 26, 2026. (AFP)
Live blue crabs harvested by local fishermen in the Po river are seen in a waste bucket at Scardovari, Italy, northeast Italy, on June 26, 2026. (AFP)
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Italian Scientists Bet on Octopus to Fight Crab Invasion

Live blue crabs harvested by local fishermen in the Po river are seen in a waste bucket at Scardovari, Italy, northeast Italy, on June 26, 2026. (AFP)
Live blue crabs harvested by local fishermen in the Po river are seen in a waste bucket at Scardovari, Italy, northeast Italy, on June 26, 2026. (AFP)

From a fishing trawler in the Adriatic, Italian scientists gently release thousands of tiny octopuses in the hope of fighting an invasive crab species that has devastated local fisheries.

A team from the University of Bologna is betting that the common octopus can help contain the burgeoning population of blue crab -- a voracious crustacean that has ravaged shellfish production in the Adriatic.

"We chose the octopus because, in the wild, it is a formidable predator of crustaceans," Antonio Casalini, one of the researchers, told AFP.

Native to the North American Atlantic coast, blue crabs arrived in the Mediterranean decades ago, likely transported via ballast water from ships.

But their numbers have ballooned in recent years, with the government and fishing groups linking the boom to warming waters and climate change.

With sharp, blue-tinted claws that are particularly apt at prying open shells, they have wreaked havoc in Italy's northeast -- one of Europe's top clam producing regions.

Authorities in Bologna's Emilia-Romagna region said last year the species has caused almost 17 million euros ($20 million) in damages there since 2022.

Farming and fishing group Coldiretti has put the figure at about 200 million for the whole of Italy, with the northern Veneto region also badly affected.

"It eats everything including young clams lying on the seabed," said Davide Sanulli a fishermen and mussels farmer with thick eyebrows and grizzled hair, said of the crab.

In lagoon-like areas off the Po River delta "it has caused a massacre", added the 64-year-old, who is helping the university project.

Excellent swimmers and weighing up to one kilogram (2.2 pounds), the crabs have few natural predators -- something the researchers are hoping to change.

- Crab-eaters -

Launched last year and funded by the Emilia-Romagna region, the "Octo-Blu" project seeks to increase octopus numbers as a counterweight to the hard-shelled invaders.

The team breeds octopus hatchlings in white water tanks at a lab in the port town of Cesenatico.

When ready, the tiny invertebrates are scooped out by the thousands into a large plastic bag and taken out to sea, sometimes using Sanulli's rugged blue fishing boat.

The hatchlings are then released near underwater reefs where the group has laid cement-and-clay artificial dens to help the octopuses thrive.

Some 80,000 have been let out since June, an amount the research team is seeking to double by the end of August, hoping to see a few grow into fully developed octopuses.

"The idea is to establish a small community close to shore so that it can better combat the spread of the blue crab," said Casalini, an aquaculture technician.

The project has some clear drawbacks.

The common octopus is not prone to live in the sandy, warm waters typical of the lagoon areas where the blue crab is making the most damage, making its potential impact there negligible -- something the researchers are well aware of.

Other experts have suggested that seabass could be more effective at crab-fighting and the Bologna University team is also looking at eels, which are avid eaters of crustacean eggs, to complement the octopus's efforts.

Yet, if replicated, the pilot could still help limit blue crab numbers and the related impact on the Adriatic coast's marine environment, Casalini said.

"Blue crabs have an incredible reproductive potential and fertility rate," said Pietro Emmanuele, another University of Bologna researcher, noting a single crab lays millions of eggs, most of which hatch.

Although only some hatchlings reach adulthood, were an octopus to catch even a single female, it would make a difference, he said.

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Mesmerizing Jellyfish Take Center Stage at 1st US Museum Dedicated Solely to the Floating Predators

A Japanese sea nettle is displayed at the Jellyfish Museum, a facility that is home to about 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida and other parts of the world, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (AP)
A Japanese sea nettle is displayed at the Jellyfish Museum, a facility that is home to about 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida and other parts of the world, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (AP)
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Mesmerizing Jellyfish Take Center Stage at 1st US Museum Dedicated Solely to the Floating Predators

A Japanese sea nettle is displayed at the Jellyfish Museum, a facility that is home to about 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida and other parts of the world, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (AP)
A Japanese sea nettle is displayed at the Jellyfish Museum, a facility that is home to about 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida and other parts of the world, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (AP)

The floating tentacled predators pulse and swirl in hypnotic patterns in the dark museum space, lit primarily by images projected on the walls and the glowing light from the saltwater tanks.

The private Jellyfish Museum in Pompano Beach, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale, is believed to be the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to the translucent invertebrates, and one of the few such spaces in the world, according to the city and the museum’s founders.

It was created by Alex and Yana Yanovsky, who previously developed successful aquariums in Ukraine, including their first jellyfish museum in Kyiv. The couple left those facilities behind when they fled Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion, operations manager Jessica Eisenbarth said.

The museum, which opened this past spring, is the couple's first aquatic attraction since immigrating to the US, but they'd like to expand.

“When they left Ukraine, they moved to Florida, and then they immediately wanted to share their passion here,” Eisenbarth said.

Jellyfish have survived for over 500 million years, making them older than dinosaurs and even trees. Their ancient origins are part of their allure, along with their hypnotic, pulsing movements. They have no heart or brain, and are made up primarily of water, giving them a translucent look.

Yana Yanovsky came up with the idea for the jellyfish museum after noticing how popular the jellyfish were at their other aquariums.

“Jellyfish are some of the most resilient creatures on Earth. While they lack a brain, they maintain a simple nerve net that allows them to respond to their environment,” Yana said in a statement provided by the city. “Their movement is mesmerizing, almost meditative, and they play an important role in marine ecosystems.”

Monty Graham, director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, said he’s not surprised someone made an aquarium dedicated specifically to jellyfish. He credits the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California with kicking off the popularity of jellyfish exhibits at aquariums all over the world. Monterey Bay Aquarium began displaying jellyfish in temporary exhibits in 1985 and opened a permanent gallery in 1996.

“Jellyfish are cool, they’re things that people don’t get to see up close unless they’re scuba diving,” Graham said. “So here was this opportunity, in a controlled environment, very beautiful settings. It clicked all the buttons and checked all the boxes, and it was a very good, positive thing.”

The nearly 10,000-square-foot (900 square meters) Jellyfish Museum houses roughly 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida waters and other parts of the world. Different species can be rotated through the museum's 21 tanks. Some current occupants include Japanese sea nettles, moon jellyfish, spotted jellies and upside-down jellyfish, the last of which can be found among Florida's mangrove swamps.

The jellyfish are acquired through licensed aquaculture partners, according to the city.

The space is designed to exude calm and tranquility, general manager Iryna Pelypkanych said. It was converted from a former Wells Fargo bank branch with about $100,000 in community redevelopment grants from the city of Pompano Beach. Guides teach people about the role jellyfish play in marine ecosystems and the importance of protecting them.

“The biggest idea here is to leave people with the feeling that they know something more about the population of jellyfish,” Pelypkanych said. “Because so far, we know around 4,000 different species that can be called jellyfish.”