NUTRITION FACTS & FIGURES — As Congress continues its debate over the Republican reconciliation package, Gov. Maura Healey is warning that proposed cuts to a key food assistance program could leave Massachusetts on the hook for millions — money she says the state can’t pay.
The House Agriculture Committee’s proposal would save the federal government up to $300 billion over the next decade, per estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. That’s accomplished in part by shifting more of the burden for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program onto states, based on their payment error rates beginning in fiscal year 2028.
That could cost Massachusetts up to $710 million annually, an amount the state’s budget “cannot absorb” Healey wrote in a letter to members of Congress.
“These proposed changes would create an impossible situation for our most vulnerable families and residents,” the Democratic governor wrote in the letter, addressed to the members of the Massachusetts delegation and House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders — Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Angie Criag (D-Minn.), and Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
The changes Republicans are pitching would likely mean cuts to the program more than 1 million Bay Staters benefitted from in fiscal year 2024, according to estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities . And according to Healey’s office, they could reverberate across the state’s economy, as SNAP generates roughly $3 billion in economic activity in Massachusetts.
The federal savings members of the House are debating this week aren’t set in stone. Boozman, the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has warned that the call for cost sharing based on error payment rates could hit poorer states — including Republican-led ones — particularly hard. It’s just one area where Republican leaders are facing a tug-of-war between GOP hardliners and the party’s moderates.
Healey’s warning shot might not move the needle much on Capitol Hill, given that the Massachusetts congressional delegation is entirely Democratic. But it points to the governor’s broader effort to pin the blame on high costs and affordability challenges on Republicans in Washington.
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . The Celtics are still alive in their playoff run, despite Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury. Thank you Luke Kornet .
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speak at a ribbon cutting for LEGO’s new Boston headquarters at 10:30 a.m. Healey hosts a meet and greet with American Astronaut Suni Williams at 1:15 p.m. at the State House. Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attend Reproductive Equity Now’s 2025 Breaking Barriers Gala at 7 p.m. in Boston. Driscoll speaks at the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s Annual Meeting at 3:45 p.m. in Boston. Rep. Ayanna Pressley is on GBH’s Boston Public Radio at noon. Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends the YWCA Northeastern Tribute to Women event at noon in Andover and speaks at the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce Dinner at 5:30 p.m. in Salisbury. Wu hosts a coffee hour in Back Bay at 10 a.m. and attends a virtual mayoral forum hosted by several Boston Democratic Ward Committees at 6:15 p.m.
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DATELINE BEACON HILL
NOW (NOT) HIRING — For months, lawmakers have moved ahead with plans to increase state spending while keeping a wary eye on Washington. But the wait-and-see game seems to be coming to an end.
The governor announced a hiring freeze across a significant section of state government, in response to what her office described as "widespread economic uncertainty at the national level and a tightening budget outlook."
“Tariffs and funding cuts from Washington are causing so much economic damage and instability,”Healey said in a statement. “We are taking this step to prepare for more uncertain economic times, protect taxpayer dollars and move our state forward while ensuring funding will be available for the vital services people need.”
So far, Massachusetts has been subject to $350 million in federal funding according to a new dashboard Healey’s administration rolled out Wednesday that tracks cuts to state programs. But the state could end up in a deeper hole in coming years, depending on how much Congress’ plan to cut federal spending relies on off-loading costs onto the states.
The pause on executive branch hiring will begin May 27. There won’t be any formal waiver process for agencies to ask for exemptions, but some positions — public safety officers, direct care providers — will be exempt.
It’s the second time in recent years that Healey has put executive branch hiring on pause – though her administration insisted the “hiring controls” didn’t amount to a hiring “freeze.”
When the freeze will run through is up in the air. The administration will “reevaluate the effectiveness and need for ongoing hiring controls” once the budget has “been signed and implementation is underway,” Healey’s office said.
***BRIAN SHORTSLEVE MBTA LOSER WHO LEFT BEHIND DISASTERS, SLOW ZONES & OVERPAID OUT OF STATE EXPERTS WHO NEVER TRAVELLED TO MASSACHUSETTS! ****
WHILE THE MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFERED THEIR CRITIQUE OF BRIAN "SLOWZONE" SHORTSLEEVE, THERE'S FAR MORE TO BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE'S MASSIVE INCOMPETENCE THAT CAUSED MBTA DISASTERS THAT GOV. MAURA HEALEY WAS FORCED TO ADDRESS!
MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYERS ARE FUNDING BRIAN "SLOWZONE" SHORTSLEEVE
FAILURES!
IF YOU'RE NOT ANGRY, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!
DON'T PUT ANOTHER MAGA MASS GOP LOSER IN OFFICE - WE CAN'T AFFORD
THESE INCOMPETENT BOOBS!
"R" VOTERS NEED TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE RECORD
OF THESE MAGA MASS GOP MISFITS!
AMNESIA HASN'T AFFLICTED ALL WHO REMEMBER THE MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUES OF THE MBTA OR THE SLOW ZONES OR THE DEFECTIVE CHINESE CARS OR THE NEW TRACKS THAT WERE DEFECTIVE WHEN THE WHITE TOOTHED GOVERNOR LEFT OFFICE...HOW ABOUT THE EXPENSIVE OUT-OF-STATE EXPERTS WHO NEVER VISITED MASSACHUSETTS BUT WERE IN CHARGE OF CONSTRUCTION? BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE IS SO 'COMPETENT' HOW ABOUT THE NO BID BATHROOM?
DON'T RE-WRITE THE HISTORY OF MBTA FAILURES!
One out-of-state MBTA manager fired, four others warned; Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey says to expect more changes
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan slammed Shortsleeve.
“Brian Shortsleeve’s disastrous record as manager of the MBTA and chair of Trump loyalist Ron DeSantis’ campaign will be disqualifying to voters. He was a failure then, and he’d be a failure as governor,” Kerrigan said in a statement to the Herald.
The $2.3 billion project has faced myriad issues, including narrow and defective tracks that MBTA officials knew about as far back as April 2021. The deal with Chinese manufacturer CRRC for new train cars has faced multiple delays and is now worth more than $1 billion.
But Shortsleeve said he is “very proud of what we accomplished” at the MBTA.
***NO SOLUTION FOR THE NATIONWIDE HOUSING CRISIS!****
REPUBLICAN CLOWNS WHINE & COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COST OF SHELTERS, DOES ANY SINGLE REPUBLICAN PROPOSE A SOLUTION? NO!
The state’s emergency shelter system serves both permanent Massachusetts residents and migrant new arrivals.
THE BLOVIATORS IGNORE THIS:
More than 75% of families now seeking shelter are “long-time Massachusetts” residents, according to the Healey administration.
THESE ARE THE LIES THE MASS GOP & AMY CARNEVALE PERPETUATE:
“She has the resources to spend over $1 billion a year to fund the migrant crisis — but can’t backfill $12 million to ensure our children have access to healthy, locally sourced meals?” Carnevale continued.
Homelessness rates jumped by double digits in 2024 as Americans battled to afford housing
excerpt:
Across the U.S., more than 771,800 people lived without housing in 2024, according to a count taken annually on a single night in January. The number for January 2024 is 18.1% higher than in 2023, when officials counted about 650,000 people living in homeless shelters or in parks and on streets. In 2022, the population of people experiencing homelessness was about 580,000.
“Cut the waste, balance the budget, modernize the system: We turned things around,” Shortsleeve says. “Until Governor Healey took it back and broke the budget all over again.”
***MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT passed under GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, promoted by MIKE KENNEALY!***
excerpt:
Shortsleeve said the MBTA housing law, which requires some municipalities to zone at least one district near a transit hub for multi-family housing, is “a classic example of administrative overreach.”
He also recently told the Boston Herald he would call for the repeal of the MBTA Communities Act , a controversial zoning law that some cities and towns are still fighting the state over as the deadline to come into compliance approaches.
Shortsleeve is the second Republican to enter the race, joining Mike Kennealy, another Baker administration alum, who launched his campaign in April.
It’s already looking like it’ll be a bruising primary. Kennealy’s campaign bashed Shortsleeve’s time atop the T in a statement shared with Playbook: “Massachusetts needs a manager to clean up Maura Healey’s mess. When Brian Shortsleeve had his chance to lead, he mismanaged the MBTA and left it in just as big a mess as he found it,” Kennealy’s campaign manager, Ben Hincher, said. “It’s hard to imagine what exactly he’s ‘proud’ of.”
One Republican candidate for governor is already seizing on the decision to pause hiring while pushing a budget that calls for a bump in state spending above the rate of inflation, calling it a “finger in a dam about to burst.”
Healey “needs to pull back her out-of-control budget and start over with a new budget that recognizes the limits to taxpayers’ ability to finance her wish list,” Brian Shortsleeve, a former MBTA leader who jumped in the race this week, said in a statement.
— Boston City Council moves to implement ranked-choice voting in municipal elections by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “The Boston City Council on Wednesday voted 8-4 to move to a ranked-choice voting system for municipal elections, a notable victory for the measure’s proponents who have advocated for the city to adopt the electoral change for years. The proposal still faces several hurdles before the city would implement the switch: It requires the mayor’s signature and the state Legislature’s approval, and then voters would get the final say through a ballot measure.”
***STOP WASTING TIME ON AN ISSUE THAT'S NOT LEGAL!****
— Boston City Council blocks resolution calling for removal of disgraced Tania Fernandes Anderson by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “A Boston City Council resolution that called for the removal of disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson in the wake of her conviction on federal corruption charges was blocked for a second straight week. Councilor Liz Breadon objected Wednesday to a non-binding resolution co-sponsored by Councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn, that called for the Council to ‘formally address the matter of Fernandes Anderson’s continued service.’ Breadon’s objection blocked a vote on the matter and automatically sent the resolution, which is not legally binding and thus symbolic in nature, to a Council committee for a potential hearing.”
****BOSTON THRIVES!*****
— Boston’s economy is among the strongest in the U.S., rating agencies say, despite looming uncertainties by Catherine Carlock, The Boston Globe: “Despite threats both to the value of downtown office towers and to federal research funding that flows through the city, Boston’s economy is among the strongest in the country and the city has a stable financial outlook, two premier credit rating agencies said this month. For the 12th consecutive year, Boston has maintained AAA bond ratings from both Moody’s Ratings and S&P Global Ratings — an achievement Chief Financial Officer Ashley Groffenberger likened to winning the ‘finance Super Bowl.’”
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
— Easthampton City Councilor JT Tirrell second to join mayor’s race by Alexa Lewis, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Standing between Nashawannuck Pond and a ring of dozens of supporters, JT Tirrell announced his candidacy for Easthampton mayor Tuesday afternoon. Tirrell is the second candidate to step forward for the upcoming mayoral race, following current Mayoral Executive Assistant Lindsi Sekula. Easthampton’s current Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, who has been in office since 2018, announced in 2023 that she would not seek reelection for a fourth term.”
****"R" voters are conspicuously uninformed & embrace lies promoted by LOSERS such as BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE!
— Latest Republican candidate for governor pays a visit to Attleboro by Tom Reilly, The Sun Chronicle: “The state’s newest candidate for governor got a warm reception from the Republican City Committee Wednesday night as he slammed Democratic incumbent Maura Healey’s performance on Beacon Hill. ‘I give her an F across the board,’ Brian Shortsleeve told the two dozen or so members of the GOP group gathered in the Attleboro Public Library’s Community Room.”
excerpt:
ATTLEBORO — The state’s newest candidate for governor got a warm reception from the Republican City Committee Wednesday night as he slammed Democratic incumbent Maura Healey’s performance on Beacon Hill.
“I give her an F across the board,” Brian Shortsleeve told the two dozen or so members of the GOP group gathered in the Attleboro Public Library’s Community Room. He said the state needs someone with his business acumen and Marine training to turn its fortunes around.
Shortsleeve, 52, a former MBTA executive and venture capitalist, announced his candidacy for governor on Monday, calling his campaign a “mission for Massachusetts.”
The Harvard alumnus — who served a four-year tour as a Marine officer after graduation — is a first-time candidate and the second Republican from former Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration to join the 2026 race for governor.
Attleboro Republican City Committee Chairman Steve Semple noted that Wednesday marked Shortsleeve’s first meeting with a Republican City Committee and said he hoped Attleboro would be “a good luck charm.”
Shortsleeve lost no time weighing in on what he called the “failures” of the first term Democratic governor’s administration.
“If there was ever a time we needed a businessman to run this state, it’s now,” Shortsleeve said.
LIKE ALL OTHER REPUBLICAN LIARS, BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE REGURGITATES LIES:
“The migrant crisis is costing $3 million a day,” Shortsleeve said, although he added that the real cost is probably higher. “You could give every city and town $7 million in local aid for what we are spending on that crisis.”
The state’s emergency shelter system serves both permanent Massachusetts residents and migrant new arrivals.
THE BLOVIATORS IGNORE THIS:
More than 75% of families now seeking shelter are “long-time Massachusetts” residents, according to the Healey administration.
HOMELESSNESS existed long before ANY issue of IMMIGRANTS - MAGA GOP MAGGOTS have no solutions!
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DAY IN COURT
***WORCESTER: ICE GESTAPO PROTESTS!****
— U.S. attorney in Boston issues warning on 'interference' with ICE by WBUR Staff: “United States attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley issued an unusually pointed warning Wednesday about ‘interference’ with immigration agents, saying her office ‘will investigate any violations of federal law and pursue charges that are warranted by such activity.’ The statement comes amid a couple weeks of ramped-up activity around Massachusetts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. And it follows a high-profile ICE detainment in Worcester last week, in which protesters tried to stop agents from arresting Rosane Ferreira De Oliveira — sparking a large response by local police.
— Special master to investigate claims of a courthouse romance in New Bedford by Ben Berke, The Public's Radio: “A justice from Massachusetts’ highest court has appointed a special master to investigate claims that a New Bedford judge carried on a romance with a prosecutor while ruling on her cases. The allegations were first circulated in anonymous letters that swept through the New Bedford District Court in the fall of 2023, offering salacious details about alleged trysts in and around the courthouse. Some of the letters claimed Judge Douglas Darnbrough showed favoritism to the prosecutor in court and assigned himself to oversee more of her cases.”
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— New Bedford teachers picket for paid family leave by Colin Hogan, The New Bedford Light: “Roughly 100 members of the local teachers union and their supporters attended the School Committee meeting on Monday to advocate for their ongoing contract negotiations, in which teachers are asking for salary increases and paid family leave. The teachers who spoke during the meeting’s public comments emphasized the importance of paid family leave — a benefit guaranteed to nearly all workers in Massachusetts, but not teachers or municipal employees.”
— Furtado to lead the Fall River police force in historic appointment by Emily Scherny, The Herald News: “The city’s interim Police Chief Kelly Furtado has been appointed as permanent chief with a one-year contract, following a 5-4 vote from city councilors taken at the May 13 City Council meeting. She is Fall River's first female police chief. In a third attempt by Mayor Paul Coogan to ask the City Council to approve Furtado as permanent chief, councilors voting in favor of her appointment won by a slim majority.”
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING
****AS TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES, AS A NATION, WE NEED TO RE-VISIT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED FOR LONG SENTENCES, ESPECIALLY BASED ON 'EYE WITNESSES.'****
— “They took my life away for nothing.” by Andrew Quemere, The Appeal/Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism: “James Carver spent 36 years in prison after he was convicted of setting one of the deadliest fires in Massachusetts history. But after reviewing new scientific evidence, a judge set him free.”
excerpt:
The inferno killed 15 people, making it one of the deadliest fires in Massachusetts history. Eventually, a young man would be convicted of setting the blaze and sentenced to spend two consecutive lifetimes in prison for what The Beverly Times described as the “worst mass murder in Massachusetts history.”
But that man, James “Jimmy” Carver, insisted on his innocence. And after Carver’s lawyers presented new scientific evidence at a hearing last spring, a judge agreed that he was entitled to a new trial. In December, the judge ruled that the trial prosecutor relied on junk science to show the fire was arson and unreliable eyewitness testimony to place Carver at the scene. In February, the judge vacated Carver’s sentences and released him without bail—finally freeing him after more than 36 years of incarceration.
HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to J. Patrick Brown, Jay Hulings and Kevin Connor.
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DENYING HEALTH CARE TO FUND TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY & ENDLESS DEFICITS!
MEDICAID FUNDS SERVICES FOR THE LEAST AMONG US - THE DISABLED, THE POOR....
TRUMP'S WEALTHY TAX CUTS CAUSED THE DEFICITS THAT YOUR GRANDCHILDREN WON'T LIVE TO SEE PAID!
MAGA GOP WILL BANKRUPT THE NATION! STOP THE LIES!
THE MEDICAID DEBATE BEGINS — Congressional Republicans began their sprint Tuesday to pass President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” by Memorial Day. Democrats are making the process as painful as possible.
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are more than 17 hours into what could be a record-setting debate over their portion of the GOP’s tax, energy and national security legislation. Democrats have been using the hearing to force a flurry of votes on doomed amendments.
The exercise, says Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who sits on the committee, is putting pressure on vulnerable House Republicans.
Democrats are “building public awareness and we're getting receipts,” Auchincloss told Playbook over the phone between votes Tuesday. “And it matters because, frankly, their proposals have already changed over the last three months as they come under public pressure,” he said.
The proposal the committee is still voting on meets Republicans' goal of finding $880 billion in savings, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. But it would leave around 7.6 million people uninsured and it could create a big hole in state budgets. That’s a potential calamity for Massachusetts.
“There isn't the money at the state level to backfill this,” said Auchincloss, who’s been in touch with Gov. Maura Healey and state House and Senate budget writers on the topic. In an interview on WBUR that aired Tuesday, Healey warned that “people are going to die ,” if cuts come to fruition.
Democrats opened the hearing Tuesday afternoon by spotlighting people from their districts who they said could be impacted by Medicaid cuts in the Republican spending plan. Rep. Lori Trahan, who also sits on the committee, highlighted a Haverhill resident, Philip, who has a disability and uses Medicaid-funded programs to help him build job skills. Auchincloss described a family who relied on personal care attendants paid via Medicaid after the son was paralyzed in an accident and his father suffered a stroke.
Republicans argue the changes would streamline Medicaid and shift the focus to serving the most vulnerable beneficiaries. But Auchincloss says the idea that waste, fraud and abuse is rampant in the federal health program isn’t true.
“It's not that there aren't things that you can do to tighten up the program,” he said. Still: “If Republicans were interested in improving Medicaid, there's a host of bipartisan initiatives they could work on with Democrats – but they're not interested in that.”
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey delivers the open remarks at the ClimaTech 2025 Conference at 10:15 a.m. in Boston. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll moderates a panel on grid resilience at the conference at 11:15 a.m., chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at 12:25 p.m. at the State House and joins a webinar on the state’s new accessory dwelling unit law at 1 p.m. Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks at Boston Spirit Magazine’s 17th annual LGBT Executive Networking Night at 7 p.m. in Boston. Sen. Elizabeth Warren hosts a forum at 2:30 p.m. in D.C. as part of her “Save Our Schools” campaign. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a press conference on the city’s bond rating at 10 a.m. downtown, speaks at a reception for people who have opened a new family child care over the past three years through the Office of Early Childhood licensing program at 5:30 p.m. in Bacon Hill and attends the MassDems "Chinatown Banquet Dinner" fundraiser at 6 p.m.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .
DATELINE BEACON HILL
— Healey unveils plan to target billions in savings for Mass. energy bills by Sabrina Shankman and Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe: “In an effort to tackle [electricity and heating] costs, Governor Maura Healey proposed multiple changes and new initiatives for how energy is bought, financed, and billed in Massachusetts, measures that she said would save ratepayers some $10 billion over the next decade. Among the proposals: removing or drastically reducing charges now on utility bills, such as fees to subsidize energy efficiency programs, so that consumers are only charged for the costs of delivering energy to their homes, increasing accountability of utilities, and making it easier to add cutting-edge nuclear energy technologies to the grid.”
— Scheduling underway for meeting with Canadian premiers in Boston by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Gov. Maura Healey’s administration said “nearly all” of the six Canadian premiers invited to Boston to discuss the impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs have said they are willing to meet. Healey and five other northeastern governors pitched the Canadian premiers on an in-person gathering as Trump has said he wants to make Canada the 51st state of the United States and has placed tariffs on exports from the country.”
excerpt:
In a statement alongside a letter to the premiers, Healey said Canada is Massachusetts’ top trading partner, including for goods and resources like lumber, energy, dairy, cars and car parts, and seafood.
“Our businesses and our residents all benefit from this relationship,” Healey said. “But President Trump’s tariffs are undermining this partnership, making it harder for businesses to keep their doors open, and increasing the cost of everything that the New England and Canadian people rely on.”
Healey signed onto the letter with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee — all of whom are Democrats. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott was the lone Republican to attach his name to the missive.
An invitation was extended to the premiers of six Canadian provinces — New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Québec.
The governors said they wanted to maintain “open lines of communication and cooperation and identify avenues to overcome the hardship of the uninvited tariffs and help our economies endure.”
“As we continue to navigate this period of great uncertainty, we are committed to preserving cross-border travel, encouraging tourism in our respective jurisdictions, and amenities,” the governors said. “To that end, we invite you to join us for an in-person convening in Boston, Massachusetts, to be held in the coming weeks. We will be in touch to discuss your availability for this meeting.”
Previous Herald materials were used in this report.
“These people could be their grandmothers or grandparents, brothers, sisters, family members. We really need those funds to keep people at home, to keep them safe, to live at home with dignity instead of going into a nursing home,” she told GBH News.
While many seniors are fighting to stay at home, some are searching for a place to live. State Senator Pat Jehlen noted that the fastest growing group of homeless people are people over 60.
“I know there are people in my district living in the woods, in parking lots,” she said. “We heard testimony from Somerville yesterday that there were over 200 people on the waiting list for senior housing in Somerville. Four got in last year.”
In the coming years, the number of seniors at risk of being homeless will increase significantly, said Rhonda Pieroni, president and CEO of Hearth, Inc. In addition to more affordable housing, Pieroni said the shelter system needs to be more accommodating to seniors and people with disabilities.
“They’re [shelters] not made for older adults,” she said. People who need assistance with “activities of daily living” like bathing, using the bathroom or getting dressed, generally won’t be admitted to a shelter. “There is not the accessibility in the majority of them. So older adults will end up being pushed onto the street.”
Emurriel Holloway, who is 81, came to Boston from Springfield to advocate. She wants more funding for housing, home care and transportation. She doesn’t want seniors to be forgotten in legislation.
“What they [lawmakers] need to know is that seniors are really the backbone of communities. That seniors are very much contributors,” she said.
“Federal cuts to senior nutrition programs, reduction in SNAP benefits, and increasing barriers to access social security assistance are not just policy issues. They are life issues, impacting food security, health, housing stability, and independence,” Crimmins said. “There are a lot of unknowns leaving many older adults anxious and rightly so.”
FROM THE HUB
***SUGGEST REVIEWING HOW RANKED-CHOICE HAS WORKED ELSEWHERE!****
— Boston City Council set to vote on move to ranked-choice voting system for local elections by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Boston City Council is set to vote Wednesday on a home rule petition that seeks to overhaul the city’s electoral system by replacing the traditional approach of electing city politicians by popular vote with a ranked-choice voting system. The petition, led by Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and co-sponsored by fellow progressive Democrat Councilors Julia Mejia and Henry Santana, seeks to change the city’s voting system for municipal elections for mayor and city council.”
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
— Wu administration puts City Hall attorney on leave amid his mayoral run by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “John F. Houton, the assistant corporation counsel who jumped into the mayoral race earlier this month, said his superiors put him on administrative leave on Friday. City officials also told him that they were looking to hire outside counsel to sort out whether it was possible for him to mount a campaign, according to Houton.”
— As Michelle Wu seeks a second term, some fear her commitment to progressive causes has dimmed by Emma Platoff and Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “The Michelle Wu who ran for mayor in 2021 used her platform to call for a municipal Green New Deal and a free T. She had recently advocated for a 10 percent cut to the Police Department budget, and said she would refuse campaign contributions from police officers and police unions. The Wu seeking reelection in 2025 has slammed the brakes on bus and bike lanes and proposed increasing the Police Department budget every year she has been in office. The words ‘Green New Deal’ rarely pass her lips anymore. And she has touted the endorsement of both the city’s biggest police union and District Attorney Kevin Hayden, who just two years ago she snubbed in favor of a more progressive candidate.”
****CARPETBAGGER NEWTON NEBBISH MISTATED THE BIKE LANE STUDY THAT WAS PLANNED PRIOR TO HIS COMMENTS...WHITE STADIUM WAS SUPPORTED BY THE COURT - THOSE INCLUDED IN THE COURT CHALLENGE WERE NOT NEIGHBORS - LISTEN TO COMMENTS ABOUT THE POLLING...CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT RECUSAL BECAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS! MUST WATCH!****
— Candidate Kraft offers unclear recusal plan when family’s involved in Boston business by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft Tuesday failed to explain how he could recuse himself from conflicts of interest involving the city of Boston and his family’s multi-pronged business if elected, potentially adding to concerns about the financial implications of his bid to lead the city.”
excerpts:
“If you’re mayor right now during this process, how do you recuse yourself?” asked co-host Jim Braude, noting the ongoing Everett Stadium negotiations.
“I recuse myself,” Kraft said.
“What does that mean? Who makes the decision for the city?” Braude interjected.
Kraft also acknowledged that his father has likely helped to raise money for his campaign by asking friends to contribute.
“He’s a dad, right?” said Kraft. “I mean, I’d do that for my kid.”
Kraft received donations from several of the top attorneys for the law firm Paul Weiss shortly after his father arranged a meeting between the Trump administration and the firm.
The firm has recently come under fire for making a deal with the Trump administration in an attempt to quell a potential federal investigation over its diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The law firm will provide $40 million in pro bono legal services that are Trump administration priorities under the deal.
Asked by co-host Margery Eagan whether he would return donations from lawyers affiliated with the law firm Paul Weiss, Kraft said “No.”
“That’s unusual that that law firm partners would donate to campaigns,” said Eagan, who later asked again: “So, you’re not going to return the money from the Paul Weiss people?”
“No,” said Kraft.
Kraft reiterated his frequent criticism of how Wu deployed bike lanes in stretches across the city and that he is running to help people in Boston who don’t feel their concerns are heard by the Wu administration.
He will face Wu and other mayoral candidates in a forum organized by a coalition of Democratic ward committees Thursday, May 15.
MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS
****WORCESTER ICE PROTESTS!****
— Protesters at City Hall demand ‘ICE out of Worcester’ as council meeting goes virtual Adam Bass, MassLive: “Outside of Worcester City Hall Tuesday evening, nearly 100 people rallied against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and their recent arrest in Worcester. The protesters gathered on Worcester Common at 5:30 p.m. and called out ICE for its arrest of Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira, a Brazilian mother of three currently being held in a Rhode Island facility, on Eureka Street on May 8.”
RELATED — Trump’s ICE Used a Woman’s Kids and Grandchild as ‘Bait’ To Arrest Her by Asawin Suebsaeng and Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone: “When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira last week in Worcester, Massachusetts, the situation rapidly devolved into chaos and community outrage. Multiple recordings of the incident went viral, but what bystanders did not capture on video was how federal agents were able to draw Ferreira-De Oliveira out in public where they could arrest her in the first place. ICE used Ferreira De Oliveira’s loved ones to lure her out of her home — where agents couldn’t arrest her — and onto Eureka Street, three people with direct knowledge of the matter and another source familiar with the situation tell Rolling Stone.”
ALSO RELATED — Petty: 'Threats of violence' led to decision to close Worcester City Hall by Toni Caushi and Jesse Collings, Telegram & Gazette: “Mayor Joseph M. Petty says the decision to close City Hall ahead of a May 13 meeting of the City Council followed ‘threats of violence’ against city officials.”
— Two Guatemalan fisheries workers arrested in early-morning operation in New Bedford by Eleonora Bianchi, The New Bedford Light: “Two Guatemalan men — one of whom is waiting for a kidney transplant — never made it to work at a seafood processing plant on Monday. Marvin Yobani Chitic Us, 30, and Justo Rufino Chitic Us, 33, both undocumented immigrants without any criminal history in Massachusetts, were allegedly taken into custody by federal agents before their early-morning shift at Oceans Fleet, where they have worked for years processing scallops. Though they share a surname, they are not related, their families say.
excerpts:
It wasn’t until noon that Marvin’s cousin, Rolando, received a brief call from him. “It was a very quick call,” Rolando said. “He just said that he was in Burlington and detained by immigration agents who presented him with papers that had his name on them. He said he asked the agents to get his medication before being arrested, but the agents didn’t let him.”
Marvin, who has lived in New Bedford for seven years, according to relatives, has been waiting for a kidney transplant for three, said Gerardo. He takes blood pressure medication and other prescriptions during the day and requires dialysis three times a week. “If he doesn’t get dialysis he gets very sick,” Gerardo said.
Gerardo, Isaias and Rolando spoke with The Light, requesting to be identified only by their second names out of fear.
Justo, who went to work with Marvin every morning, has not made contact with his family. His brother, Isaias, said they have received no information about his location or whether he is also in custody. “We don’t even know why they arrested them,” said Gerardo.
According to relatives, Justo has lived and worked in New Bedford for three and a half years. A search by The Light at New Bedford District Court on Tuesday showed no criminal records in Massachusetts for either of the two men.
Both are from Chinique, a municipality in Guatemala’s K’iche’ region, and are known in their community for their steady work and keeping a low profile.
Adrian Ventura, director of the Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, said the organization is monitoring the situation closely and plans to contact the Guatemalan Consulate to inquire about Marvin’s health condition, expressing serious concerns. “What we are denouncing is the violation of human rights — this is an attack on all workers,” Ventura said.
Marvin and Justo are at least the 23rd and 24th individuals confirmed to be arrested in immigration operations in New Bedford since the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, The Light has confirmed.
Those arrested so far have been almost exclusively Guatemalan men. Most of them work in local industries and support families here or back in Guatemala.
Marvin lives in New Bedford with his wife and their 3-month-old daughter. Rolando said he was the one to call her with the news. “She was just desperate,” he said. Gerardo added that the family is stepping in to help. “We will support them with expenses till we find a solution.”
Justo, who supports a wife and a 4-year-old son who are in Guatemala, sends money home every two weeks. “He is a very hard working man,” said Isaias. “He doesn’t drink nor party. He just works hard for his family.”
YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS
***DEMOCRAT HANNAH BOWEN WINS BEVERLY SPECIAL ELECTION!****
BREAKING THE STREAK — Republicans ended their special election winning streak Tuesday night, as Democratic Beverly City Councilor Hannah Bowen cruised to victory in the special election to replace former state Rep. Jerry Parisella . In a statement announcing her victory over Republican Medley Long III , Bowen thanked Beverly and Wenham residents for “entrusting me to represent them on Beacon Hill.”
“At a time when things seem heavy, this campaign reminded me of what is possible when we bring people together,” Bowen said. More from the Salem News.
ENDORSEMENT ALERT — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is backing Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan in the race to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.
Flanagan is a “fighter,” Warren said, who is “ready to take on corrupt special interests in order to make life better for working people.”
“She is the partner I need in the Senate to make real progress on the issues that matter to you,” Warren said in a video announcing her endorsement.
Also in the race for the open seat: Democratic Rep. Angie Craig.
***DO YOUR RESEARCH! 2 MAGA GOP LOSERS WHO HAVE FAILED MASSACHUSETTS!
BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE IS AN MBTA LOSER THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD & HE'S BRAGGING ABOUT HIS FAILURES!
IT'S TIME TO STOP REPUBLICAN LIES & GATHER FACTS!****
— Republican candidate for governor Brian Shortsleeve raises over $135K in first 24 hours, campaign says by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA executive, raised more than $135,000 in the 24 hours since he announced he was running for governor as a Republican Monday morning, his campaign said in a statement to the Herald. Shortsleeve’s haul, which cannot be verified with state campaign finance data until fundraising reports are filed at the end of the month, is more than his Republican primary opponent, Mike Kennealy, raised in the first month of campaigning.”
AMNESIA HASN'T AFFLICTED ALL WHO REMEMBER THE MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUES OF THE MBTA OR THE SLOW ZONES OR THE DEFECTIVE CHINESE CARS OR THE NEW TRACKS THAT WERE DEFECTIVE WHEN THE WHITE TOOTHED GOVERNOR LEFT OFFICE...HOW ABOUT THE EXPENSIVE OUT-OF-STATE EXPERTS WHO NEVER VISITED MASSACHUSETTS BUT WERE IN CHARGE OF CONSTRUCTION? BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE IS SO 'COMPETENT' HOW ABOUT THE NO BID BATHROOM?
DON'T RE-WRITE THE HISTORY OF MBTA FAILURES!
One out-of-state MBTA manager fired, four others warned; Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey says to expect more changes
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan slammed Shortsleeve.
“Brian Shortsleeve’s disastrous record as manager of the MBTA and chair of Trump loyalist Ron DeSantis’ campaign will be disqualifying to voters. He was a failure then, and he’d be a failure as governor,” Kerrigan said in a statement to the Herald.
The $2.3 billion project has faced myriad issues, including narrow and defective tracks that MBTA officials knew about as far back as April 2021. The deal with Chinese manufacturer CRRC for new train cars has faced multiple delays and is now worth more than $1 billion.
But Shortsleeve said he is “very proud of what we accomplished” at the MBTA.
***NO SOLUTION FOR THE NATIONWIDE HOUSING CRISIS!****
REPUBLICAN CLOWNS WHINE & COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COST OF SHELTERS, DOES ANY SINGLE REPUBLICAN PROPOSE A SOLUTION? NO!
The state’s emergency shelter system serves both permanent Massachusetts residents and migrant new arrivals.
THE BLOVIATORS IGNORE THIS:
More than 75% of families now seeking shelter are “long-time Massachusetts” residents, according to the Healey administration.
THESE ARE THE LIES THE MASS GOP & AMY CARNEVALE PERPETUATE:
“She has the resources to spend over $1 billion a year to fund the migrant crisis — but can’t backfill $12 million to ensure our children have access to healthy, locally sourced meals?” Carnevale continued.
Homelessness rates jumped by double digits in 2024 as Americans battled to afford housing
excerpt:
Across the U.S., more than 771,800 people lived without housing in 2024, according to a count taken annually on a single night in January. The number for January 2024 is 18.1% higher than in 2023, when officials counted about 650,000 people living in homeless shelters or in parks and on streets. In 2022, the population of people experiencing homelessness was about 580,000.
“Cut the waste, balance the budget, modernize the system: We turned things around,” Shortsleeve says. “Until Governor Healey took it back and broke the budget all over again.”
***MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT passed under GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, promoted by MIKE KENNEALY!***
excerpt:
Shortsleeve said the MBTA housing law, which requires some municipalities to zone at least one district near a transit hub for multi-family housing, is “a classic example of administrative overreach.”
He also recently told the Boston Herald he would call for the repeal of the MBTA Communities Act , a controversial zoning law that some cities and towns are still fighting the state over as the deadline to come into compliance approaches.
Shortsleeve is the second Republican to enter the race, joining Mike Kennealy, another Baker administration alum, who launched his campaign in April.
It’s already looking like it’ll be a bruising primary. Kennealy’s campaign bashed Shortsleeve’s time atop the T in a statement shared with Playbook: “Massachusetts needs a manager to clean up Maura Healey’s mess. When Brian Shortsleeve had his chance to lead, he mismanaged the MBTA and left it in just as big a mess as he found it,” Kennealy’s campaign manager, Ben Hincher, said. “It’s hard to imagine what exactly he’s ‘proud’ of.”
WHILE THE MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFERED THEIR CRITIQUE OF BRIAN "SLOWZONE" SHORTSLEEVE, THERE'S FAR MORE TO BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE'S MASSIVE INCOMPETENCE THAT CAUSED MBTA DISASTERS THAT GOV. MAURA HEALEY WAS FORCED TO ADDRESS!
MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYERS ARE FUNDING BRIAN "SLOWZONE" SHORTSLEEVE
FAILURES!
IF YOU'RE NOT ANGRY, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!
DON'T PUT ANOTHER MAGA MASS GOP LOSER IN OFFICE - WE CAN'T AFFORD
THESE INCOMPETENT BOOBS!
"R" VOTERS NEED TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE RECORD
OF THESE MAGA MASS GOP MISFITS!
MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS
— Another departure from the beleaguered cannabis commission by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR: “Just as the state's cannabis commission seemed to be emerging from months of turmoil, the unexpected resignation of one of its members this week threw it back into uncertainty. Commissioner Nurys Camargo announced Monday that she had ‘made the decision to complete my service and step down.’ Her term had been set to end Sept. 1. That means the five-member commission will soon be down to just three, because its chair was fired eight months ago and the seat remains vacant. All matters before the commission need three votes to pass, meaning any decision going forward would have to be unanimous.”
— Methuen councilor calls out 'culture of disrespect' by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune: “A frustrated resident who attended last week’s City Council meeting to speak about an issue with a neighbor and a lack of action from the city has raised concerns among city councilors. On May 5, Zenzo Matoga told the council that a city employee in the Inspections Department declined to intervene in a disagreement with his neighbors over their flood lights, which he said are causing his family to struggle with the glare.”
“We need to be as prepared as we can be for this event, but also taking account what is already a jam-packed calendar between June and July,” Department of Art, Culture and Tourism director Joe Wilson Jr. said last week.
The international soccer tournament will be played in 16 host cities, including Boston. Seven games will be held at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro from June 13 to July 9 and include a quarterfinal matchup. At the same time, Providence will also be hosting events related to the Semiquincentennial, plus Pride, Juneteeth, the Day of Portugal Festival and Puerto Rican Bay Fest.
“Our cultural festivals cannot come at the expense of a lack of capacity at that time,” Wilson said.
In last Thursday’s meeting of Providence City Council’s Committee on Finance, where the ACT department’s proposed budget was under review, Wilson told Councilwoman Sue AnderBois that the department was working closely with the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in anticipation of an influx of visitors.
Separately, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) is beginning to meet on a monthly basis in preparation for the matches.
Wilson said in addition to planning for an enjoyable visitor experience, the city needs to be prepared for potential quality of life issues related to transportation, parking and more.
“I’m from New Orleans,” Wilson said. “When we had the Super Bowl, we’re not out in the French Quarter. We stay home. There could be a very similar effect here.”
Wilson also expressed concerns with how much guidance the state and city has received from FIFA.
“FIFA’s a mess,” Wilson told the committee. “We’re getting some information as Boston is trying to get their situation together, as far as their activation. We as a city… we’re kind of herding cats.”
Mayor Brett Smiley said in a statement to Target 12 that it is “critical” that all levels of city government play a role in preparing for the event “to help ensure that these games are safe and welcoming.”
“Here in Providence, we are collaborating with state partners and working across multiple city departments so we’re prepared to welcome this exciting event to the region and show visitors from across the globe what Providence has to offer,” Smiley said.
PEMA has already presented its budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1, and asked for $250,000 in discretionary funding to earmark for public safety related costs due to the World Cup.
“There’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty right now in the planning and preparation for this,” PEMA Director Clara Decerbo said in a finance committee meeting last month. “One thing we know for sure is we’re going to have to be taking steps in this next fiscal year in preparation because games start on June 11.”
HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH
TRANSITIONS — Natalie Milewski, previously an account executive at Elevate Communications, has joined Prosek Partners.
SPOTTED — NCAA president and former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Capitol Hill to talk Name, Image and Likeness legislation with D.C. lawmakers.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Pam Wilmot, Lucy Martirosyan, Samuel Greer, Jeffrey Barrett, Alycia DiTroia, Sophia Nigro and Kylie Harrigan. Happy belated to Mary Garrity and Taylor Sprague, who celebrated Tuesday.
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