|
Stop the scroll
— For a decade, Massachusetts missed its spending goal for veteran-owned businesses by Trajan Warren, GBH News: “Every year since 2015, Massachusetts has pledged to boost the value of state contracts going to veteran-owned businesses. The goal is 3% of state agency discretionary budgets. But every year since 2015, the state has fallen far short of that pledge. In 2024, that figure would have been $231 million. But a new annual report issued by the state’s Supplier Diversity Office found that state agencies spent only $47 million with veteran-owned businesses that year.”
— Gov. Healey: Trump’s ‘failed tariff war’ is raising prices and hurting business by John L. Micek, MassLive.
TRUMP REPEATING FAILED HISTORY!
— Gov. Healey’s out-of-state travel draws criticism from Republican gubernatorial candidates by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald.
BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG PAY WALL
FROM THE HUB
— BPS Superintendent Skipper receives high marks in latest evaluation by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe: “Boston’s School Committee gave Superintendent Mary Skipper high marks in her third year as the district’s executive, as members approved an evaluation of her work leading the district with a steady hand amid myriad challenges, including the financial uncertainty caused by federal funding turmoil during Wednesday night’s meeting. Skipper, who began her teaching career in Boston in 1989, remains at her core an educator who deeply cares about every student, especially their academic experience and growth, said Michael O’Neill, the board’s vice chair, in his written evaluation of the superintendent.”
***WHAT'S GAYLA CAWLEY GONNA WRITE ABOUT ONCE THIS IS OVER?***
— Feds move to seize $13K restitution payment from ex-Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Federal prosecutors filed an order petitioning the court to compel disgraced ex-Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson to pay $13,000 as a penalty for the City Hall kickback scheme she was convicted for this past May. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley filed a motion for order of forfeiture (money judgment) in federal court Wednesday that states the government will seize the ex-councilor’s assets and property up to $13,000, if Fernandes Anderson is unable to produce the restitution payment both sides agreed upon as part of a plea deal in early April.”
BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG PAY WALL
FROM HARVARD YARD
****TRUMP'S WAR AGAINST EDUCATION!****
NOTE THIS IS FROM 2023 & OUTDATED, BUT FOREIGN STUDENTS ARE A US REVENUE SOURCE:
— DHS subpoenas Harvard over international student information by Bianca Quilantan, POLITICO: “The Department of Homeland Security sent subpoenas to Harvard University Wednesday in an effort to force the Ivy League school to hand over information about its international students. … The subpoenas come as Harvard and the Trump administration have been sparring for months about the school’s more than 7,000 foreign visa holders. DHS Secretary DOG KILLER Kristi Noem has sought to terminate the school’s certification that allows it to enroll international students. She also has been demanding details about those students’ disciplinary records, information about criminal charges against them and audio and video of protests involving these students.”
FROM THE DELEGATION
— Moulton bill would treat mass shootings as terrorism by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Mass shooters could be treated as domestic terrorists under a proposal from U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, which would give law enforcement the ability to target “online enablers” and others who encourage gun violence. Moulton, D-Salem, said mass shootings are not legally classified as acts of terrorism, which handicaps law enforcement in the crucial hours following an attack. He said that also gives those who provided material support to a mass shooter to cover their tracks, or help plan another shooting.”
TRUMPACHUSETTS
*****one of the major consequences of the maga gop disastrous bill that spineless mass gop refuse to condemn!*****
— With Trump’s budget bill now law, Massachusetts officials prepare for major Medicaid cuts by Jason Laughlin and Jonathan Saltzman, The Boston Globe: “Massachusetts is preparing for a massive outreach effort to help hundreds of thousands of residents who qualify for Medicaid keep their coverage in the wake of new requirements signed into law Friday by President Trump. An estimated 300,000 people are at risk of losing their health coverage over the next decade, while the state could lose some $3.5 billion in funding, two top Massachusetts health officials told the Globe in their first public comments since Republicans passed their massive tax and spending bill. State officials are particularly concerned that people with mental illness and substance use disorders will have trouble keeping up with the requirements, while people who rarely go to the doctor could be unaware of changes and will lose their coverage.”
IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
— EPA puts at least 5 New England staffers on leave for 'dissent' letter by Vivian La, WBUR: “Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency put at least five employees at their New England office on administrative leave last week for signing an open letter criticizing the Trump administration's environmental policies. The agency said the employees will be investigated. The letter highlighted proposed cuts to scientific research and statements promoting fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change, among the signers' concerns. A total of 139 employees across all EPA offices were placed on leave for signing the protest message, according to EPA officials.”
excerpts:
Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency put at least five employees at their New England office on administrative leave last week for signing an open letter criticizing the Trump administration's environmental policies. The agency said the employees will be investigated.
The letter highlighted proposed cuts to scientific research and statements promoting fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change, among the signers' concerns. A total of 139 employees across all EPA offices were placed on leave for signing the protest message, according to EPA officials.
Current and former EPA employees accused federal officials of retaliating against the letter signers for calling out what they see as a degradation of the agency's mission to protect human health and the environment.
" It is retaliation to tell people that they can't speak up to their own boss about what their work is and how the boss is affecting their daily work," said Lilly Simmons, president of AFGE Local 3428, the union which represents about 400 EPA employees in New England.
Simmons said she signed the letter with her full name but wasn't placed on administrative leave. She noted that, to her knowledge, no union representatives who signed it have received leave notices.
The EPA notified suspended employees with an email stating the paid administrative leave "is not a disciplinary action." In a statement provided to WBUR, the EPA said it "has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November."
According to an EPA spokesperson, the letter contained misleading information and employees signed it using their agency job titles.
The public "declaration of dissent" was organized by the nonprofit Stand Up for Science. Addressed to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, it outlined concerns such as ignoring scientific research on pollutants, rolling back regulations on cancer-causing chemicals, reversing progress on cleaning up communities facing the worst pollution and promoting a culture of fear within the agency.
As of Tuesday, the letter had 620 signatures from current and former EPA employees. Some signed anonymously for fear of retaliation.
The moves by EPA leaders to place people on leave are part of the Trump administration's efforts to politicize science, said Jennifer Jones, program director for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Center for Science and Democracy. Jones said it's becoming harder for scientists to speak up and do research mandated by law.
"You're basically being told both formally and informally that if your work, your position, your data, your findings, somehow go against the wishes of a political appointee, that's a problem. And you will pay the consequences," Jones said.
Former EPA Regional Administrator David Cash commended employees for "sounding the alarm."
"It takes a lot of courage to do what they're doing," he said. "They knew that they'd be putting their careers on the line."
Cash said he worries the EPA, which has already seen reductions in its workforce under the Trump administration, will have limited capacity to carry out its mission of improving air and water for Americans.
Simmons said Local 3428 is preparing to attend meetings related to the EPA's administrative investigation and will help affected colleagues, union-represented or not. But she said she's concerned that the EPA's Region 1 office, which oversees all of New England, will lose employees in the next few weeks.
"Whether it is that they feel intimidated and they decide to resign, whether it is these investigations uncover something," she said, "the loss of psychological safety that's been going on this whole year is really harmful."
Related:
Policy moves fast—stay ahead with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant. Effortlessly search POLITICO's archive of 1M+ news articles, analysis documents, and legislative text. Track legislation, showcase your impact, and generate custom reports in seconds. Designed for POLITICO Pro subscribers, this tool helps you make faster, smarter decisions. Start exploring now.
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— Quincy says it won’t install divisive saint statues until judge rules on injunction by Susannah Sudborough, MassLive: “Quincy city officials will not install two controversial, 10-foot-tall Catholic saint statues on the front of the city’s new public safety building until a judge decides whether or not to issue a preliminary injunction requested by 15 residents who are suing Mayor Thomas Koch over the statues, The Patriot Ledger reported Tuesday. If granted, the injunction would prohibit city officials from installing the statues or spending more public funds on them until a final decision on their legality is rendered.”
— Newton paints over Italian flag traffic stripes weeks before annual festival by Molly Farrar, Boston.com: “Lined with Italian flags, the center line of Adams Street in Newton’s Nonantum neighborhood has been painted red, white, and green since 1935, the St. Mary of Carmen Society said. But a few weeks before the society’s annual festival, the City of Newton removed the iconic lines in favor of double yellow. The society, which runs the annual Italian-American Festival in Pellegrini Park set to begin July 16, said the repainting came ‘without any public notice or outreach.’ The festival, which draws a crowd of more than 10,000 people, also includes a procession down that part of Adams Street.”
— The exit interview: Weymouth Mayor Bob Hedlund on his 9 1/2 years leading the town by Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger.
— Negotiations haven't happened since last week, striking trash union says by Caroline Enos, The Salem News.
— A stormy season for short-term rentals on Nantucket by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon.
— Newburyport mayor keeps Turner as special projects manager after position was put in jeopardy by the city’s approved fiscal year 2026 budget by Matt Petry, The Newburyport Daily News.
MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND
— McKee job approval at 25% in new Salve poll by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “A new survey of Rhode Island voters has more bad news for Gov. Dan McKee’s reelection prospects, but it also shows growing voter dissatisfaction with elected officials across the board. The poll of 804 voters by Salve Regina University’s Pell Center shows just 25% of voters approve of McKee’s job performance, down from 36% in the same survey a year ago. It also tested the job ratings for Rhode Island’s congressional delegation and other general officers.”
HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH
TRANSITIONS — Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle will be the next commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, replacing former Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo. More on the move from the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Western Mass Politics & Insight.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Tamarack Garlow, Rena Shapiro and Edie Mead Holway.
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.
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.