LOTS OF POSTS IGNORED BY BLOGGER.....
OR REMOVED ON THEIR WHIM!
ALL POSTS ARE AVAILABLE ON
MIDDLEBORO REVIEW AND SO ON
BLOGGER DOESN'T LIKE TRUTH OR FACTS!
BLOGGER DOESN'T LIKE FUND RAISERS AND DELETES
POSTS THAT INCLUDE FUNDRAISING THAT 'VIOLATES THEIR
UNDEFINED COMMUNITY STANDARDS SO ALL 'FUND RAISING'
IS DELETED - CONTRIBUTE AS YOU ARE INCLINED TO SUPPORT
IMPORTANT ISSUES! THESE ARE NOT SOLICITATIONS
|
| 🌥️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. |
It's a Wednesday for layers (specifically, windbreakers). Let's get to the news: On Beacon Hill: Massachusetts House lawmakers are returning from the (relatively sleepy) campaign trail today to vote on a $2.35 billion spending bill. It's a redraft of a catch-all supplemental budget Gov. Maura Healey filed last month to close out the 2026 fiscal year — with a few notable changes. WBUR's Gin Dumcius spoke to state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the House Ways and Means chairman, for a breakdown of the highlights: - What it doesn't include: Healey's plan to suspend the gas tax — which was pretty predictable, based on House leaders' initial reactions last month. Michlewitz said they didn't feel "comfortable" diverting $120 million from other pressing transportation infrastructure needs, in addition to logistical concerns about how the savings would be passed on to consumers. The bill also does not include Healey's Noah Kahan-themed proposal to cap resale ticket prices. That's because the "ticket sale conversation is already happening" in a separate economic development bill the House and Senate are negotiating, according to Michlewitz. Healey's proposed "Health Care Stabilization Fund" to address expected federal funding cuts also did not make the House draft.
- What it does include: Just like Healey's proposal, the bulk of the bill — $1.8 billion — goes toward MassHealth. But it also includes extra money for Healey's push to expand maternal mental health services — including $2 million to offer free, one-time nurse visits to families with newborns. The House would also boost Healey's proposal to fund the hiring of more caseworkers at the state's Department of Transitional Assistance, the strained state agency that administers SNAP benefits.
- What's new: The House added language to put limits on political advertising. That includes a proposed ban on the state's constitutional officers (i.e. governor, attorney general, secretary of state, etc) using taxpayer money for ads that uses their "name, voice, or likeness to establish recognition for the constitutional officer." Michlewitz said the primary motivation for the proposal was not Bill Galvin's prolific TV ads, but President Trump's use of millions in taxpayer money for promotional ads. " Seeing what he did there, we believed it was time to put up some guardrails on making sure that public money is not being used in this space for advertising," Michlewitz said.
- What's next: The bill will next head to the Senate, where members will vote on their own rewrite. Michlewitz is hoping to get a compromise between the two versions to Healey's desk by Nov. 15.
Taking toll: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said yesterday that her team has been "in touch" with peers in New York City about congestion pricing. During remarks to the MBTA Advisory Board, Wu noted that the $9 toll for driving into Manhattan during peak hours has been "a huge source of funding for public transit improvement over there, and our teams have been in touch a little bit to just understand kind of what they have experienced and the details there." - The big picture: Wu noted that Boston and many other communities in Massachusetts are facing financial constraints and looking for new sources of revenue. Federal courts upheld New York's congestion pricing program in March after the Trump administration attempted to block it.
- In related news: Wu also shared more about Boston's plans to launch five free non-MBTA bus routes for at least three years. WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez has those details; Streetsblog has a few of the proposed maps.
On ICE: The ICE office in Boston says it arrested 82 people during last month's three-day operation across the South Coast. That's more than double the number that local officials and immigration attorneys were able to identify while the operation was underway. In a press release yesterday, ICE identified and documented criminal histories of seven detainees. The agency did not identify the other 75. ( A WBUR analysis in April found that 46% of the more than 7,030 people arrested by ICE in Massachusetts during the first 15 months of Trump's second term had no pending criminal charges or convictions.) Rebooting: The mobile apps and websites for Stop & Shop and Hannaford are back online, more than a week after they were taken down in the wake of a cyberattack. Dutch parent company Ahold Delhaize said earlier this week that an investigation confirmed the security breach was due to "malicious actions," but said it had no evidence suggesting sensitive customer data was taken. P.S.— WBUR CEO Margaret Low announced yesterday that she will step down next June, after a by-then seven-year run leading the station. Click here to read more about Low's legacy at WBUR, her 40-year career in public media and the search for her replacement. |
|
| | | Nik DeCosta-Klipa Senior Editor, Newsletters | | |
|
New England is unique for its annual town meetings, where residents gather to debate and vote on their town budgets and laws. Towns and cities across the region are using tools of local control to slow or stop data center development within their borders. Read more. |
|
Dana-Farber’s new 14-story hospital will be at the former site of the Joslin Diabetes Center and connect to Beth Israel Deaconess and Dana-Farber’s outpatient clinics in the Longwood Medical Area. Read more. |
|
The U.S. is the only major economy where planet-warming pollution dramatically increased last year. The United Nations warns the planet is on track for catastrophic warming. Read more. |
|
A new report found that nail salon workers in Massachusetts — most of which are Asian immigrant women — are facing income instability, health issues and racism. Read more. |
|
Healey's administration announced a funding injection into the Seasonal Communities Grant Program on Tuesday, which will go to all 24 legally-designated seasonal communities in Massachusetts to advance efforts to add year-round housing units. Tourism impacts have put housing out of reach in many communities on the Cape, Islands and the Berkshires. Read more. |
|
- From an affordable art fair to a dog Halloween costume contest, here are five things to do around Boston this weekend.
- A modest three-bedroom house in Falmouth is being transformed into a retreat where families grieving the death of a loved one can stay for free for up to a week. WBUR's Stephanie Brown reports that "The Green House Retreat," slated to open in 2028, is part of a growing trend in wellness tourism.
- A new photo exhibit at Harvard University features dozens of images depicting an idealized view of daily life in 1950s America — and raises questions about what is omitted.
- ICYMI: In her second annual state of the schools address, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu promoted new initiatives and knocked "cynical billboards." WBUR's Suevon Lee has the full story.
|
- Why these 5 everyday items fluctuate in price at the grocery store (NPR)
- He resigned amid allegations of sex with a student. Medford missed his past and hired him. (The Boston Globe)
- The Mayor Who Chose ‘to Stay and Fight’ as Gangs Laid Siege to His Town (The New York Times)
|
The educator and writer spends a lot of her time thinking about mycelia. She leads mushroom walks around Greater Boston and last year published a collection of essays. “When a kingdom of life defies these sorts of easy categorization, it's clear that we have a lot to learn from them,” Pinto said. Read more. |
|
Play: WBUR's daily mini crossword. Can you keep your streak going?
Before you go: Don't get cocky, Steve.
Beware: There have been fraudulent interview invitations using WBUR shows and names that include requests for payment or fake donations. Learn more about the scam and how to protect yourself. |
😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up here.
🔎 Explore WBUR's Field Guide stories, events and more.
📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org
📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. Check out all of our newsletter offerings.
📱 Download the WBUR App for iPhones and iPads or Android devices. |
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.