Happy National Bagel Day, to all who celebrate. If you’re hungry this morning, Dunkin' is offering a BOGO bagel deal, along with a bunch of other bagel slingers, from Panera to Bruegger’s. Or, you can check out one of the local acclaimed best bagel spots. Personally, I’ll be getting my bagel from Weinberg’s in Hull. Wipe that cream cheese off your face and let’s get to the news. Fed funding whiplash: Providers of mental health and substance abuse treatment have had a panicked and stressful 48 hours. On Tuesday, many of them started getting letters from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) notifying them that their grants would be cut off, to the tune of almost $2 billion nationwide. Then late last night, after outrage from both sides of the aisle, a Trump administration source told NPR they're reversing the cuts . More letters are supposed to go out to the 2,000 grant recipients reflecting that change. The rollback is a relief, yet providers remain concerned. There's no sense of who made the call to cut the funding — or why. - Mass. chaos: About $200 million of these grants go to providers in Massachusetts, for programs ranging from an initiative on child traumatic stress, to a program providing substance abuse treatment in the Barnstable County jail. The administrators of those programs told WBUR that they spent yesterday facing down a "nightmare scenario." Read more about what they told us here.
- State take: Gov. Maura Healey yesterday called the abrupt cancellations "callous and cruel." She noted that the state departments of public health and mental health received notice of more than $5 million in grant terminations alone. “I can't believe Donald Trump is cutting funding for mental health and addiction services. I don’t know a family in America that hasn’t been touched by one or both of these issues,” she said in a statement. A list of state programs that get these grants are here.
In other Trump moves: Local immigrant advocacy groups are condemning the State Department's decision to suspend visa applications from 75 countries, including Brazil and Haiti. The Trump administration said the pause is because people from those countries are likely to require public assistance (though they provided no evidence). More than 110,000 Brazilians and 85,000 Haitians live in Massachusetts. Sarang Sekhavat, chief of staff of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, told WBUR's Kevin Vu that the suspension will create turmoil for those who have been waiting — sometime for years — to bring their family members to the U.S. Many of those immigrants are trying to escape gang violence and terror, Sekhavat said. "Every second of delay is another second that puts people in danger in these countries," he told Kevin. - The suspension begins next Wednesday. It won't apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant, tourist or business visas. Non-immigrant visa applications are expected to rise dramatically with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and this year's World Cup.
Parole pending: Gov. Healey took an unusual step this week, formally opposing parole for a man serving a life sentence for murdering a state trooper in 1983. Jose Colon was 20 when he shot and killed State Trooper George Hanna in the parking lot of an Auburn liquor store. Healey, a former state attorney general, sent a letter yesterday to the parole board calling for them to keep Colon behind bars. "The intentional killing of an officer in the line of duty is not only a brutal crime against one person; it is a violent assault on the rule of law and on the institutions the public depends on for safety and justice," she wrote. - This morning's parole hearing is Colon's first since he was sentenced — and is the result of a 2024 decision by the state's highest court, which ruled that it was unconstitutional for judges to sentence anyone under the age of 21 to life without the possibility of parole. The judges cited scientific data and evidence that the brains of young adults are still developing.
- In her letter, Healey noted the case holds "extraordinary significance" in the state. An annual award, named for Hanna, recognizes acts of valor and courage by police officers across the commonwealth. The Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery have been given out for 42 years now, with the most recent going to 19 officers from nine departments.
Burn, baby, burn: If you've been meaning to light some stuff on fire, today's the day. Open burning season begins today in Massachusetts (weather permitting). Over the next few months most cities and towns allow residents to take out a permit to burn some types of yard waste and agricultural material — though not grass, leaves or household trash. In the case of high winds or drought, state fire wardens will put the kibosh on burns for that day. - Burn out: Sorry to Boston, Lowell, New Bedford and 19 other densely populated communities that don't allow open burnings.
P.S. — Jump start your day with The WBUR Breakfast Club, a new event series at CitySpace. Each month we’ll host conversations exploring the most pressing issues facing business leaders today. First up on Jan. 22, journalist Ari Shapiro talks to Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. Get your tickets here. |
