 | By Kelly Garrity | WARNING $IGNS — A report warning of post-pandemic financial turmoil ahead for Boston stoked a tense debate last year about the city’s fiscal future. An updated analysis says things are only looking worse. The report released this morning by the Boston Policy Institute and Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis predicts that office values in Boston could drop 35 per cent to 40 percent below FY24 levels. That’s even worse than the 20-to-30-percent drop the same team predicted in last year’s report. What does that mean for Boston’s bottom line? Revenues could come in $1.4 billion to $2.1 billion lower than previously projected over the next five years. “The question for the city is how they want to address it,” Evan Horowitz, executive director at the Center for State Policy Analysis, told Playbook. “Do they want to let tax rates rise for homeowners to make up for the shortfall? Or do they want to change their revenue expectations?” Last year’s report caused a stir among city officials and budget-watchers. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu panned the finding that the city could face a billion-dollar “shortfall” as “false information.” That’s because the city can’t face a budget shortfall, per se — it’s required to have a balanced budget. But because the city’s budget is built mainly on property taxes, falling commercial property values leave Boston’s budget writers with two options: Slow spending to make up for the decline, or raise taxes to meet spending needs. That meant Boston homeowners saw a more than 10 percent bump in their tax bills in FY25. “The way that our tax laws are structured … what happens when one sector might have their valuations fall is that it simply shifts onto another sector. There is no choice,” Wu said at the time . Wu tried to push a measure on Beacon Hill that would’ve allowed the city to shift more of the tax burden onto commercial owners, but couldn’t get approval from the state Senate . Lawmakers on Beacon Hill have yet to weigh in on a similar bill the mayor filed this year. The report comes after a couple high-profile high rises have sold for less t han they were bought for years ago . Boston budget officials have pointed to the city’s AAA bond ratings from both Moody’s Ratings and S&P Global Ratings as a sign of the city’s fiscal health . “What the bond rating agencies are saying is Boston is in a very healthy position to tackle this problem,” Horowitz said. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Worth noting: The think tank behind the new study has a history with Wu that dates back beyond its founding in late 2023, CommonWealth Beacon reported last year. BPI, a 501(c)(4), also doesn’t make their donors public. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey participates in a fireside chat on child care at the at the ALX Business Summit at 1:45 p.m. in Brighton. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is honored at the MassDems Roosevelt Awards Dinner at 6 p.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu holds a campaign press conference at 9:30 a.m. and hosts a coffee hour at 10 a.m. in Roslindale. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .
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| | Playbook isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a podcast, too. With new co-hosts who bring unmatched Trump world reporting and analysis, The Playbook Podcast dives deeper into the power plays shaping Washington. Get the insider edge— start listening now . | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| ****CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION!****
— Massachusetts House votes to overhaul Cannabis Control Commission by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “State representatives outlined their vision of a more efficient and accountable Cannabis Control Commission as they passed a bill Wednesday that would overhaul the embattled agency and make other changes to the way marijuana is regulated in Massachusetts. The bill won unanimous support in the House, though advocates for equity in the marijuana industry cautioned some provisions could threaten the survival of small, local businesses.” ***MAGA GOP BILL PROVIDES TAX CUTS FOR WEALTHY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR! MANY STATES WILL BE UNABLE TO FUND SNAP & MEDICAID CUTS! READ WHAT'S IN THIS MONSTROUS BILL!***** — Healey administration calls proposed food stamp changes ‘reckless and dangerous’ by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “Massachusetts would have to find between $185 million and $704 million dollars a year to maintain food stamps for 1.1 million residents if the U.S. Senate approves cuts proposed in a House bill. The legislation would shift costs for anti-poverty aid like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to states to help offset increased federal tax cuts. This includes aid for people well above the poverty line.”
excerpts: The legislation would shift costs for anti-poverty aid like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to states to help offset increased federal tax cuts. This includes aid for people well above the poverty line. In Massachusetts, the Healey administration says SNAP provides an average of $10.70 per day for each enrolled household. Nearly a third of recipients are children, a quarter are seniors and 28% have a disability. Even with SNAP, advocates estimate that residents of one in five Massachusetts households often don’t know how they’ll get their next meal. “Food insecurity is a crisis here and SNAP is our most effective tool, hands down, to fight it,” said Jennifer Lemmerman, chief policy officer at Project Bread, the state’s largest food assistance support group. “It’s impossible to understate the impact this would have.” The House proposal targets specific recipients. It would end food stamp benefits for legal immigrants. And it would expand work requirements including for parents of children ages 7 or older while making proof of employment more difficult. The Congressional Budget Office predicts all the changes will save more than $285 billion over a decade, partly by removing some recipients from the program. In an opinion piece published last month in The New York Times, four Trump administration leaders wrote that more Americans on welfare programs, including SNAP, who can work must do so. “Establishing universal work requirements for able-bodied adults across the welfare programs we manage will prioritize the vulnerable, empower able-bodied individuals, help rebuild thriving communities and protect the taxpayers,” they said. Trump administration officials also argue that holding states more accountable will help uncover waste, fraud and abuse in the program. They point to examples like a case filed last week in New York that alleges a federal employee and five co-defendants processed more $30 million in illegal electronic food stamp benefits. But anti-poverty advocates and some Massachusetts officials warn that recipients who lose SNAP may have fewer options outside the program because of other federal funding cuts. The Greater Boston Food Bank expects to lose $2.3 million in federal funding this year. The large tax and spending cuts proposal would also make changes to Medicaid and student loans. The Healey administration called the proposed SNAP changes “reckless and dangerous.” “I’ve seen up close how SNAP and food assistance programs lead to better health outcomes and lower health care costs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a statement. “To hack away at SNAP is bad policy, plain and simple.” Cutting SNAP could hurt farmers, food manufacturers, grocers and delivery truck drivers as well. In a letter to leaders of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Gov. Maura Healey said SNAP generates $1.50 for the state’s economy for every dollar spent. Massachusetts would have to make up between 7% and 27% of the $2.6 billion in federal SNAP funds recipients received this year if the House plan becomes law. The range is due to varying levels of proposed federal funding that would punish states for errors that affect benefit payments. In 2023, for example, Massachusetts had to correct the way the state calculated benefits for just under 10% of SNAP payments. Healey has said Massachusetts can’t afford to make up the SNAP funding the House plans to cut. The state can reduce eligibility in a few areas, but most of the criteria are set by the federal government. In her letter, she urged Congress to “strengthen SNAP and find new avenues to promote economic mobility…that do not involve undermining critical programs.” — Maura Healey delivers millions to boost downtown Boston housing revival by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald. — Don’t call it the ‘millionaires’ tax: Inflation is raising the bar on who pays Massachusetts’ high-earner levy by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe.
| | FROM THE HUB |
| NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu got a shoutout from two New York City mayoral candidates during their Wednesday night debate. The two mayoral hopefuls — progressive state Rep. Zohran Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander — said they believe Wu is the most effective member of the Democratic Party . — Boston City Council passes Michelle Wu’s $4.8 billion budget, with $9M in amendments by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “In a marked change in tone from the infighting that occurred last year, the Boston City Council unanimously approved the mayor’s proposed $4.8 billion city budget for fiscal year 2026 with $9 million worth of Council amendments. Council Vice President Brian Worrell, who shepherded the Council’s budget process as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, spoke to the importance of putting together a budget that reflects the needs of residents, amid the federal government’s threats to cut funding for Boston and other sanctuary cities.” BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG PAY WALL — Dutch quantum computing startup establishes base in Downtown Boston by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe: “Dutch computing startup Qblox has picked a Financial District office tower as its launchpad into North America. The privately held company, which makes and sells hardware and software to quantum computing developers, hosted a grand-opening ceremony on Wednesday at its 99 High St. office, dubbed its North American headquarters.” — Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley slams Boston Mayor Wu for ‘false narrative’ of ICE by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald.
BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG PAY WALL
ICE GESTAPO ABUSE HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED! MA U.S. ATTY LEAH FOLEY IS DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE!
#1 ICE GESTAPO WEAR MASKS & NO IDENTIFICATION! #2 ICE GESTAPO HAVE PICKED UP PEOPLE WITHOUT WARRANTS & DENIED THEM DUE PROCESS! #3 ICE GESTAPO HAVE ASSAULTED PEOPLE, DAMAGED VEHICLES (IN ONE CASE, THEY TRASHED A HOME OF NEWLY ARRIVE PEOPLE, FORCED THE OCCUPANTS OUTSIDE IN THE UNDERWEAR, STOLE $$$) #4 ICE GESTAPO USED A BATTERING RAM TO BREAK INTO A HOUSE, HELD GUNS TO THE HEADS OF CHILDREN EATING BREAKFAST #5 ICE GESTAPO ASSAULTED A COUPLE & ARRESTED THE WRONG PERSON AFTER SHATTERING A CAR WINDOW
#6 ICE GESTAPO KIDNAPPED A STUDENT WALKING ON A BOSTON STREET FOR NOTHING MORE THAN EXCERCISING HER FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH, WHISKED HER TO A DIRTY PRISON JEOPARDIZING HER HEALTH, DENIED HER MEDICAL CARE #7 ICE GESTAPO ARRESTED A STUDENT IN ERROR DUE TO THEIR INCOMPETENCE! ICE GESTAPO HAVE DEFIED COURT ORDERS! MA U.S. ATTY LEAH FOLEY IS DEFENDING LAWLESSNESS!
US attorney for Mass. blasts Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for ICE comments
WCVB
| | FROM HARVARD YARD |
| ***FOREIGN STUDENTS ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF REVENUE!**** — Trump halts entry of foreign students seeking to attend Harvard by Gregory Svirnovskiy, POLITICO: “President Donald Trump has issued an order barring foreign students from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard University in an escalation of his fight with America’s oldest university. The president said in a statement announcing the order Wednesday that he has also empowered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to begin revoking visas of foreign students at the Ivy League school.” New Analysis Shows International Students Contributed $44 Billion to the U.S. Economy Last Academic Year
How many foreign students are at U.S. colleges?Search the nationwide database | | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS |
| MA U.S. ATTY LEAH FOLEY: DEFENDING ICE GESTAPO!
— Family of detained Milford teen pleads for his release by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “Marcelo Gomes Da Silva’s bedroom has a bunk bed, pale gray walls and a drum set. It was from here that his parents and younger siblings begged the federal government to release the 18-year-old Milford student in a video.” excerpt: On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said it intended to detain his father when officials pulled over the car, calling Gomes-Pereira a ”public safety threat.“ WHERE'S THE PROOF? ICE GESTAPO MAKE WILD, UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATIONS! Tricia McLaughlin with the Department of Homeland Security said that local authorities had alerted ICE that Gomes-Pereira had a habit of speeding to over 100 miles per hour. “While ICE officers never intended to apprehend Gomes-DaSilva, he was found to be in the United States illegally and subject to removal proceedings, so officers made the arrest,“ McLaughlin wrote in a Wednesday email about the video, repeating a statement she made to GBH News Monday about his detention. “Gomes-DaSilva remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.” At a press conference Monday, ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons responded to questions about about Gomes Da Silva: “I didn’t say he was dangerous. I said he was here illegally. We’re not gonna walk away from anybody.” District court records show João Paulo Gomes-Pereira has no pending criminal charges against him. In 2023, he had charges dropped by a judge and paid a fine of $100 for failing to stop/yield while driving. Gomes Da Silva remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings, McLaughlin said. He is currently being held at a detention facility in Burlington, Massachusetts. “He’s not doing great — he’s just not feeling well,” said Nice, who said she spoke to Gomes Da Silva Tuesday. “He is in a really, really hot room with about 40 men twice his age. There’s no private bathroom, everything is completely open.” She said his vision in one of his eyes has gone dark in a corner, possibly due to a concussion he might have sustained during volleyball last week. “We’d like to get checked out,” said Nice. “So he’s not doing great and his bond hearing is tomorrow. We are optimistic he’ll be released, but obviously we won’t know until we get there and see what the judge says.” Gomes Da Silva is scheduled to appear at two immigration court hearings on Thursday before an immigration judge in Chelmsford. On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. denied the federal government’s request to move the teenager to Rhode Island. O’Toole Jr. issued an order earlier this week that warned the Department of Homeland Security to not transfer him out of state without notifying the court 48 hours in advance. Gomes Da Silva’s ongoing habeas corpus petition, filed Sunday, alleges his due process rights were violated when ICE arrested him. A number of advocates plan to go to the immigration court on Thursday to show their support for the teenager. “It’s really painful to see the human cost of ICE enforcement in communities like Milford,” said Diego Low, director of Casa do Trabalhador, a community organization that is supporting the family. “I think the way the community has rallied keeps it from being crushing.” RELATED — Milford student arrested by ICE has fever, sleeping on floor, attorney says by Adam Bass, MassLive. excerpt: A Milford student who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents is currently sick with a fever and is sleeping on the concrete floor of his holding cell, according to his attorney. Miriam Conrad, the lawyer who is representing 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva in a federal habeas corpus case, told MassLive about her client’s conditions while he is currently detained at ICE’s field office in Burlington, Massachusetts. Gomes Da Silva has been detained at the office since Saturday, May 31, Conrad told MassLive. She said the teenager has been sleeping on a concrete floor in his holding cell which contains several individuals. Conrad added it is her understanding that the air is so stuffy in the cell that people inside take turns breathing through a crack underneath the door. “They’re not getting enough food,” Conrad said. “And he is sick and requires medical attention. They have not provided any medical care to him.” ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Conrad said she has not spoken to her client yet as of early Wednesday afternoon. Gomes Da Silva is expected to appear for a hearing at the Chelmsford Immigration Court at 1 p.m. on Thursday, she told MassLive. ICE officials on Wednesday morning submitted a notice to a federal judge regarding their intention to transfer Gomes Da Silva to a detention facility in Rhode Island, according to court filings. The officials stated that immigration officials intend to transfer the 18-year-old within 48 hours, as per a judge’s order, with the filing noting that the student’s detention in Burlington is “not appropriate for his housing and care.” Conrad, however, wrote in opposition to the move, arguing ICE did not explain why they needed to immediately move the 18-year-old following his detention at their field office for four days. The judge in the case ruled on Wednesday afternoon that ICE could not move Gomes Da Silva from Burlington at this time, according to an electronic court filing. According to court filings, Conrad is supposed to meet with her client Wednesday afternoon. She told MassLive the meeting is still on, as far as she knows. On May 31, Gomes Da Silva was driving with his volleyball teammates on a Saturday morning when four vehicles, driven by ICE representatives, surrounded his car. Agents jumped out and detained Gomes Da Silva, his girlfriend previously told NBC Boston.
***IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BEING IN THE U.S. WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION IS A MISDEMEANOR, HARDLY WORTHY OF PROSECTUTION - NOTE INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC! **** MA U.S. ATTY LEAH FOLEY: DEFENDING ICE GESTAPO
The agents were originally looking for Gomes Da Silva’s father, according to Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE. ICE had “intelligence” on the 18-year-old’s father “from a local law enforcement agency,” Lyons said during a press conference in Boston on Monday. ICE agents had stopped the car Marcelo Gomes Da Silva was driving to volleyball practice on Saturday morning because it was his father’s. “We were looking for his father — obviously, he’s the father of the year, because he brought his son up here illegally as well,” Lyons told reporters. Gomes Da Silva was born in Brazil but has been living in Milford since he was 5 years old. His arrest has sparked outrage in Milford, with students of Milford High School protesting the ICE arrest on Sunday and holding a walkout protest on the afternoon of June 2, according to Boston.com. Gov. Maura Healey has slammed ICE for the arrest and has demanded the agency to release the student. “By their own admission, he has no criminal record,” Healey wrote on X on June 2. “ICE needs to release him.”
| | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| ***CARPETBAGGING NEWTON NEBBISH RESPONSE: "BUT THEY DID TOO!" IT DOESN'T WORK FOR THIS INCOMPETENT BOOB WHO HAS NOTHING TO OFFER! NOTICE THAT ONLY WEALTHY VESTED INTERESTS SUPPORT THIS BOOB! BLOVIATOR LOGAN TRUPIANO IS HIS SPOKESPERSON - KNOWN FOR SUPPORTING LOSERS! ****
NEWTON NEBBISH: ACCEPT SOME RESPONSIBILITY!
— As activists accuse Kraft campaign of breaking election law, Kraft campaign alleges violations by Emma Platoff, The Boston Globe: “More than a dozen Boston Democratic activists on Tuesday asked the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF), the state agency that polices campaign finance, to investigate what they described as ‘troubling evidence of illegal campaign spending and coordination’ between Josh Kraft’s campaign for mayor and an outside super PAC, ‘Your City, Your Future,’ that has supported his campaign. Less than 24 hours later, the Kraft campaign fired off its own letter to OCPF regulators, alleging campaign finance law violations by Mayor Michelle Wu, including claims that public employees are improperly working for the mayor’s political campaign by using public resources during office hours.
| | CHARLIE ON THE NCAA |
| NOT ENTERING THE TRANSFER PORTAL — Former governor and current NCAA President Charlie Baker is not eyeing a return to public office … in the near future at least, he told the Boston Globe. Baker is “not going to be a candidate for anything in 2026,” he told the Globe’s Michael Silverman in a wide-ranging interview .
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| | Cut through policy complexity and turn intelligence into action with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant —a new suite of tools designed to save you time and demonstrate your impact more easily than ever—available only to Pro subscribers. Save hours, uncover critical insights instantly, and stay ahead of the next big shift. Power your strategy today— learn more . | | | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| ***MAGA GOP MONSTER: TAX CUTS FOR WEALTHY ON THE BACKS OF POOR & ENDLESS DEFICITS! SLASHING FOOD PROGRAMS, DESTROYING MEDICAID & MUCH ELSE!***** — Rep. Clark pushes congressional colleagues across the aisle to defeat budget bill by Tiziana Dearing and Rob Lane, WBUR: “U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, the House Democratic whip, says even though President Trump's massive budget bill has moved into the Senate chamber, her Democratic colleagues are going to keep criticizing the legislation. Echoing recent words from Elon Musk, who had led the president's cost-cutting unit, Clark called the legislation a ‘disgusting abomination.’” excerpt: U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, the House Democratic whip, says even though President Trump's massive budget bill has moved into the Senate chamber, her Democratic colleagues are going to keep criticizing the legislation. Echoing recent words from Elon Musk, who had led the president's cost-cutting unit, Clark called the legislation a "disgusting abomination." While Musk said his main issue with the spending bill is that it would increase the country's budget deficit, Clark emphasized the social programs it would cut. "People who voted for this in the House should be ashamed because they chose to take away health care from nearly 14 million Americans, to strip away school lunch programs and meals on wheels in order to fund tax cuts," she said on WBUR's Morning Edition. Clark's comments referenced the legislation's scaled back spending on Medicaid and how it would shift the responsibility of some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding to the states, which could have downstream impacts on children's eligibility for free school lunches. The legislation narrowly passed the U.S. House last month despite objections from Democrats and some Republicans. But the congresswoman said her party can't rely on Republicans who have deficit concerns to kill the bill. " I have to say, the deficit hawks talk a great game, but when it comes down to it, they fold," said Clark. "When it comes down to actually voting, they fall in line with Donald Trump every single time." Clark said the bill doesn't work for working families. " What Democrats are focused on are giving people the tools, having government work for them, and giving them the tools to restore the American dream," she said. With a narrow Republican majority in both the House and Senate, Clark said Democrats' hand has been extended to swing state Republicans to work together on future legislation. " We have had multiple conversations about 'We understand what you are facing at home. We understand this is going to close the rural hospital and nursing homes in your communities,' " Clark said. "Come and stand with us. It only takes a handful of House Republicans to end all of this." This segment aired on June 4, 2025. ***NUTLICK: JUST ANOTHER WEALTHY INCOMPETENT PROFITING FROM ECONOMIC DESTRUCTION...***
— Some federal workers lost health coverage they had paid for. Stephen Lynch wants answers by Andrea Hsu, WBUR. NUTLICK NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS! WEALTHY BOOB IS INCOMPETENT!
excerpt:
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is demanding answers from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about why employees fired from his department were denied health care coverage they had already paid for.
"I urge you to take immediate action to remedy the financial and physical injury done to employees who had their health coverage illegally cancelled," wrote Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, acting ranking member of the committee, in a letter to Lutnick. "I also request information about how you are ensuring that such abuse of employees never occurs again." The letter, sent to Lutnick on Wednesday, follows reporting by NPR that Commerce Department employees who were fired, reinstated by court order, and fired again had had their health care coverage prematurely cut off. They were left uninsured – despite the fact that they'd been paying their health care premiums through paycheck deductions, and despite the federal government's policy to provide 31 days of free health care coverage after an employee is terminated. "Commerce's failure to meet its health care obligations to its employees raises concerns about whether other forms of owed compensation, such as payment for earned leave and credit hours, are being denied," Lynch wrote. A VICTIM: Ya'el Seid-Green was among the hundreds caught up in this chaos. She had worked as a contractor for the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for four years before becoming a federal employee in 2023. She had a long-planned hip arthroscopic surgery scheduled for April 9. She considered putting it off given the upheaval at work and the confusion over whether her health insurance had actually been restored. FURTHER EXPLAINED.... | | DATELINE D.C. |
| ****THE MADNESS OF A WANNABE KING! WHEN DEMETIA DON BANNED MUSLIMS DURING HIS FIRST REIGN OF LUNACY, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WERE UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO THE U.S. TO SHARE & SHREAD MEDICAL RESEARCH...THESE PROFESSIONALS PAY FOR THEIR TRAVEL & EDUCATION! THIS IS THE PRICE AMERICANS PAY FOR "STUPID" ! **** PEOPLE COME TO BOSTON, TO MASS GENERAL, MASS EYE & EAR & OTHER HOSPITALS FOR THEIR RESEARCH & CARE! THE BEST & THE BRIGHTEST ATTEND SCHOOLS & CONDUCT RESEARCH!
— Trump issues new multi-country travel ban by Myah Ward, POLITICO: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a sweeping new travel ban for people from 19 countries, citing national security risks. The ban fully restricts people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States. The president is also partially restricting and limiting U.S. entry for nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| ****ICE GESTAPO TACTICS PROVOKE COMMUNITY RESPONSE! IT'S TIME TO REIGN IN ICE GESTAPO LAWLESSSNESS! MA U.S. ATTY LEAH FOLEY: DEFENDING ICE GESTAPO!****
— Worcester city councilor charged with assaulting police after ICE arrest by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “Police have charged District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj with assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with police following a May 8 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation on Eureka Street. The Police Department sought three charges against Haxhiaj on May 12, court records made public June 4 show. An assistant clerk-magistrate, at a closed-door hearing June 4, found there was probable cause to issue two of them.” PAY WALL
Worcester city councilor charged with assaulting police officer during ICE operation
excerpts: In a statement Wednesday in response to the charges, Haxhiaj defended her actions during the ICE operation.
“I am a mother, an immigrant and elected leader who attempted, along with other Worcester residents, to protect a traumatized person, two mothers and an infant,” she wrote in a post on the social media platform BlueSky. “I did the humane thing to do in this situation, nothing more, nothing less.” Body camera footage from that day released by police shows Haxhiaj pleading with federal agents not to take the woman into custody. At one point, a Worcester officer pulls Haxhiaj away from a federal immigration vehicle. In the process, Haxhiaj’s hands make contact with the officer. “Do not touch me!” Haxhiaj yells. In a statement, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said officers on scene decided not to arrest the councilor to avoid inflaming the crowd during a chaotic situation. Saucier said he supports the decision to file charges against her. “It is important for the public to know that if someone assaults a police officer or attempts to interfere with an arrest, he or she will be charged and held accountable,” he said. Worcester police unions have also denounced Haxhiaj’s behavior, accusing her of interfering and assaulting officers. Conversely, many residents say Worcester officers used excessive force during the incident, continuing a pattern highlighted by a recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation. Haxhiaj is among a group of city councilors who’ve consistently called for more police accountability in response to the DOJ probe, which also found that Worcester officers engage in “outrageous” sexual conduct. In her BlueSky post, Haxhiaj suggested that her calls for more police oversight have led to “political grandstanding and attacks.” “I look forward to responding to these charges in court,” she wrote.
***WORCESTER: YOU HAVE PROBLEMS! IT'S TIME TO TEMPER PUBLIC COMMENTS & LEARN CROWD CONTROL TO REDUCE PUBLIC OUTRAGE & EMPLOY TECHNIQUES TO CALM PUBLIC OUTCRY! WORCESTER PROTESTS DEFINE DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!***
MORE — Worcester police chief stands behind decision to charge city councilor by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “The charges his department filed against District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj related to the May 8 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation on Eureka Street were necessary to prevent people from interfering with police, Police Chief Paul Saucier said.” AND — ‘I did the humane thing’: Worcester city councilor stands by actions at ICE arrest by Adam Bass, MassLive.
****WORCESTER HOMELESSNESS!**** A NATIONAL CRISIS THAT REPUBLICANS IGNORE! WE NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS! THESE ARE NOT 'IMMIGRANTS' AS MAGA GOP CLAIM! — Homelessness at all-time high in Worcester County by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: “Homelessness is at an all-time high in Worcester County, according to data from this year's annual homeless census. The Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance released data from the census Wednesday. It found 3,110 people were homeless the night the count was conducted in January. That represents a 20% increase over last year. More than one-third of those experiencing homelessness were children.” — Security guards start duty monitoring City Hall as part of new safety measures by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: “Visitors walking into City Hall June 3 may have noticed a new presence roaming about the hallways. As part of the city's plan to heighten security at City Hall, two security guards per shift have started to monitor the four floors which by the end of the month will include the introduction of a walk-through scanner. The city has said that visitors will also be required to sign in upon entry.” PAY WALL — Massachusetts orders Taunton to release some footage from mayor’s 2024 arrest , by Sarah Bawden, WPRI: “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the city of Taunton are at odds over whether footage of Mayor Shaunna O’Connell’s arrest last summer should be made public. ... Galvin’s office ruled back in April that, while body-worn camera footage from O’Connell’s arrest was exempt from disclosure, footage from the booking room could be released in a redacted form. In a follow-up decision on May 14, the state gave the city 10 days to release portions of the booking room footage. But that hasn’t happened.”
Massachusetts orders Taunton to release some footage from mayor’s 2024 arrest | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Auditor Diana DiZoglio, state Rep. Kevin Honan, Teddy Warner, state Sen. Adam Gomez and Aaron Moser. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com . | |
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