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 sunny, with a high near 83. |
It's Friday. Before you log off for Labor Day weekend, let's cut through this morning's dense fog and get to some breaking news: Another ballot campaign enters: While voters in Massachusetts were casting their ballots in Tuesday's primary, some local activists were quietly making moves for the 2028 election. Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office confirmed yesterday to WBUR that a referendum petition was filed Tuesday on the abortion rights law signed by Gov. Maura Healey last month. The filing marks the start of an effort this fall to potentially pause the new law and put a question on the ballot in 2028 that would ask voters to repeal it. - What does the law do? The law — which was signed by Healey on Aug. 10 after zooming through the State House — removes restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks of gestation, leaving the decision up to "the professional judgment of the physician." It's set to take effect Nov. 8.
- What was the reason for it? Supporters cited stories of "pain and anguish" from residents due to the previous rules for abortions after 24 weeks, which only allowed the procedure in specific circumstances, such life-threatening situations for the patient or fetus. "These situations are incredibly rare, and the decisions should be made between patients, their families, and their doctor — not by politicians and the government," Healey told WBUR in a statement Thursday.
- Who's behind the repeal effort? The referendum effort is being led by two local anti-abortion groups: Massachusetts Citizens for Life and Massachusetts Family Action, a 501(c)(4) group affiliated with the Massachusetts Family Institute. "We have not pursued a referendum after every abortion law passed in Massachusetts, but this law crosses a fundamentally different line," Myrna Maloney Flynn, the president of Mass Citizens for Life, told WBUR. Flynn objected to the law's removal of viability limits and said it allows hospitals to send patients to Planned Parenthood clinics for "complex, dangerous late-term abortions rather than providing that care within better-equipped hospital facilities."
- What's next? Referendums work a little differently than the usual biennial ballot question process in Massachusetts. According to Galvin's office, supporters have to collect at least 37,289 signatures this fall to get a question on the 2028 ballot asking voters to repeal or uphold the law. And if they get over 49,719 signatures, they can actually suspend the law from taking effect until that 2028 vote. (Sam Miele, the director of Massachusetts Family Action, said in an email their goal is to suspend the law.) Those signatures are due to local clerks by Oct. 23 and to Galvin's office by Nov. 6.
- Watch this space: Healey can block the possibility of the new law getting suspended if she adds an "emergency preamble" to its language. Healey's office declined to say if they're considering that option Thursday, but she's done so before — with the 2024 gun law that's subject to a referendum this fall.
On the street: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's administration and the MBTA just dropped an updated design this morning for the Blue Hill Avenue project. WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports the new plan comes after concerns about the $160 million transformation of the corridor from residents and some local elected officials. - What's different? Andrea reports that the new design keeps the center-running bus lane, but adds 42 more parking spaces and keeps two lanes of car lanes through most of the project area. Meanwhile, previous plans for bike lanes on both sides of the street are being scaled back and replaced with a two-way sidewalk-level bike path on one side. Scroll through the renderings here.
Not bluffing: More than 1,300 unionized workers at the Encore Boston Harbor casino are set to go on strike this morning. The Everett resort casino's housekeepers, cooks, bartenders and slot attendants want the same wage standards as other hotel workers in the Boston area, plus bigger company contributions to their healthcare plan. But negotiations remain an impasse after months of bargaining. (Encore says it remains open and operational during the strike.) Every vote counts: Longtime state Sen. Will Brownsberger is moving to request a full recount, after the initial results from Tuesday's primary show him losing to Wu-backed challenger Dan Lander by just three votes. WBUR's Gin Dumcius reports that Brownsberger's campaign expects the recount to happen next week. The deadline to formally request it is today at 5 p.m. P.S. — What technology does the Trump administration plan to buy from a Massachusetts company for immigration enforcement? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week's stories. |
|
| | | Nik DeCosta-Klipa Senior Editor, Newsletters | | |
|
Jurors sitting in judgement of Lindsay Clancy finished their sixth day of deliberations Thursday after apparently telling a judge one juror would not heed the court's instructions in making their decision. Read more. |
|
The Trump administration is proposing a rule that would strip private schools and colleges of their tax-exempt status if they provide targeted help to students based on their race. Trump threatened to cut the benefit for Harvard last year during his battle with the nation’s oldest college. Read more. excerpt: The Treasury Department proposed the change Thursday in a new regulation that, if made final, would kick in after May 2027. The rule is broadly aimed at ending any policies or programs that help students because of their race, and it specifically says such benefits in admissions, scholarships and facilities “would be incompatible” with the rule. It’s the latest attempt by the Trump administration to pressure schools and colleges to weed out diversity, equity and inclusion policies that had become common before President Trump returned to the White House with a promise to end them. Trump officials have used Civil Rights-era laws to unwind the policies, saying they discriminate against white and Asian American students. Scores of universities have shut down or rebranded their DEI offices and ended scholarships and clubs designed for minority students under pressure from the White House. In a statement announcing the proposal, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that even policies that are no longer under the banner of DEI could be targeted. |
|
Devices made by the company Minut can monitor noise levels or smoking, without a camera. The ACLU says they are akin to continuous warrantless searches by the government, and an invasion of privacy. Read more. |
|
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift a temporary block on the U.S. Postal Service plan for President Trump's attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the midterm election. Read more. |
|
The record high is significant because diesel powers much of the industrial supply chain in the United States via the "three t's" of the economy: trains, tractors, and trucks, says Patrick De Haan, an analyst at GasBuddy, a travel app that tracks gas and diesel prices. Read more. |
|
- Fox News abruptly announced yesterday that it is parting ways with host Maria Bartiromo. NPR reports the decision came after Bartiromo's involvement in a clash between the White House and Fox in July over the president's speech on election security.
- This week, the U.S. Mint began selling commemorative $1 gold-colored coins featuring President Trump's face in honor of the country's 250th birthday. A coin with the sitting president's face has only been minted once before. And experts say it's likely illegal.
- As tributes to the late Gloria Steinem pour in, former Boston Globe columnist Eileen McNamara writes in this Cognoscenti commentary about how Steinem pointed the way for her.
|
The multi-state fair returns to West Springfield in two weeks. In addition to the concerts, variety acts and agriculture, the food is a main attraction. From fried Oreos to Cajun lobster on a stick, WBUR's Solon Kelleher previews the dishes to try this year. Read more. |
|
Play: WBUR's daily mini crossword. Can you keep your streak going?
Before you go: Marked safe ✅. |
😎 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. |
|
|
|
|
