Latest news with #Kennealy
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Republican governor's race gets rowdy
PARTY POLITICS — There are more than 400 days before voters head to the polls to pick their gubernatorial nominees, but on the Republican side, things are already getting heated. The two former members of Gov. Charlie Baker's administration seeking the state's top office — Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Kennealy — have been trading barbs in recent days over early fundraising numbers. Shortsleeve, who helped run the MBTA under Baker, touted his first month's fundraising numbers in a press release that featured a not-so-subtle nod to Kennealy's own first month announcement. It touted that Shortsleeve's more than $400,000 haul broke 'the previous non-incumbent record' for post-launch fundraising — the same boast Kennealy's campaign previously made about its first-month figures. And the hits kept coming in an internal memo from Shortsleeve's campaign on the state of the money race. '[Kennealy's] early claims of fundraising success following his first report quickly backfired after reporting in the Boston Herald that his numbers were inflated by illegal campaign contributions,' one of Shortsleeve's consultants, Jim Barnett, wrote in the memo, per a copy obtained by Massachusetts Playbook. 'It's been all downhill since.' A spokesperson for Kennealy, the former housing and economic development secretary, downplayed the fundraising haul when Shortsleeve first announced it. 'No amount of money Brian Shortsleeve raises can erase his failures at the MBTA — or recover the millions wasted on a rail deal with the Chinese Communist Party and an utterly botched Green Line Extension,' Logan Trupiano said in a statement. It's some (very) early jockeying in a primary race with an election that's more than a year out. Just how early? Baker didn't even launch his first campaign for governor in 2010 until July of 2009. Still, Bay State Republicans have been bullish about their chances to win back the governor's office (See: reaction to the latest University of New Hampshire poll.} after getting shut out of every statewide office in 2022. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan waved off the UNH poll over the weekend. 'Governor Healey is going to earn re-election because she understands Massachusetts people need someone who's going to fight to lower costs for them, going to fight to increase housing opportunities for them, going to fight back against Donald Trump,' Kerrigan said during an interview on WBZ's 'Keller @ Large' that aired Sunday. 'And frankly, neither Mike Kennealy nor Brian Shortsleeve are willing to do any of that.' Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey tours a housing development at 2:30 p.m. and visits a hospital at 4:10 p.m. on Martha's Vineyard. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signs the Fiscal Year 2026 budget at 9:45 a.m. at City Hall. Sen. Ed Markey addresses business leaders at a New England Council breakfast at 10 a.m. in Boston. CALIFORNIA v. TRUMP — Newsom calls National Guard deployment 'unlawful' as immigration clashes rock L.A. by Blake Jones, POLITICO: 'Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration called the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area 'unlawful,' urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday to back down as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement. The Trump administration's extraordinary deployment of the Guard to quell immigration protests in Southern California came without necessary coordination with California officials, Newsom's legal affairs secretary wrote in a letter to Hegseth.' — Escalating ICE raids pull California Democrats back into immigration fight by Dustin Gardiner, POLITICO. THE LOCAL ANGLE — Monday rally at Boston City Hall to protest ICE detention of union leader via Universal Hub. DATELINE BEACON HILL — Gov. Healey touts WalletHub rankings. Reality is more complicated by Chris Van Buskirk and Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'Gov. Maura Healey promoted a ranking last week that claimed Massachusetts had 'the best state economy' in the United States. The first-term Democrat, who is up for reelection next year, touted the ranking as a 'testament to the incredible businesses, universities, and research institutions that drive our innovation economy and to the top-notch talent that continues to choose Massachusetts as the place to grow their careers and their futures.' But the reality of residents' lived experiences and the reliability of the ranking is more complicated, including the fact that WalletHub does not guarantee the accuracy of the information it publishes.' — Lawmakers weigh ban on religious vaccine exemptions by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: 'Religious exemptions for most vaccinations for school-aged children would be banned in Massachusetts under a proposal being considered by state lawmakers, but critics say the move would be discriminatory and violate religious rights. The legislation, heard by the Legislature's Public Health Committee on Friday, would eliminate a section of the state's vaccine law that allows parents with 'sincere religious beliefs' to be exempted from a requirement to submit proof of vaccination to enroll their children in public schools.' — Tarr, Newburyport student propose CPR bill by Matt Petry, The Newburyport Daily News. — Healey urges U.S. Senate to reject Pell Grant cuts, touting success of Massachusetts program by Tonya Alanez, The Boston Globe. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — Ward 6's Lane not seeking reelection, McCauley running for mayor by Jim Sullivan, The Newburyport Daily News: 'There will be a new face representing Ward 6 this winter after Councilor Byron Lane announced Thursday he would not be seeking another term this fall. The Hart Road resident joined the council five years and although he took out nomination papers last month for a potential fourth term, Lane said he doesn't intend to return them to City Hall. Instead, he wants to devote more time to his growing limousine service as well as his 12-year-old son.' PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — Driver's licenses in limbo: Government debts jeopardize thousands of Massachusetts drivers by Laura Crimaldi, The Boston Globe: 'Thousands of Massachusetts drivers each year face the possibility of losing their legal authority to drive, and sometimes the only fix carries an insurmountable cost. The state Registry of Motor Vehicles placed driver's licenses in non-renewal status nearly 3 million times during a five-period because of unpaid tolls and other debts unrelated to road safety, according to agency data reviewed by the Globe. The designation means that once those driver's licenses expire, they cannot be renewed, unless the entire debt, sometimes thousands of dollars, is paid in full.' DAY IN COURT — Hearing for judge accused of helping man sought by ICE escape begins Monday by Matthew Medsgar, Boston Herald: 'Half-a-decade after she was charged with several serious federal crimes, a Massachusetts judge will finally have her day in court — sort of. In a case bearing striking similarity to a more recent arrest of a judge from Wisconsin, former Newton District Court Judge Shelley Joseph will appear for a Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct hearing on Monday, over allegations she willfully helped a man wanted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in evading federal authorities. A court assigned hearing officer will examine the courthouse scene of the alleged crime which ultimately led to a judicial complaint against the Bay State judge, before the hearing gets underway over whether she violated the rules of conduct for jurists.' — MBTA Communities law is not an unfunded mandate, judge rules by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon: 'A Plymouth County judge overseeing a bundle of municipal lawsuits from towns seeking to halt enforcement of the MBTA Communities housing law has denied their motion for a preliminary injunction and dismissed their complaints. In a 40-page decision released Friday afternoon, Superior Court Justice Mark Gildea considered lawsuits brought by the towns of Duxbury, Hanson, Holden, Marshfield, Middleton, Wenham, Weston, and Wrentham, plus a taxpayer suit brought by Hamilton residents.' FROM THE DELEGATION — U.S. Rep. Keating demands answers from ICE after roundups on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket by Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times: 'U.S. Rep. Bill Keating is demanding answers from federal officials about the specifics of last month's roundup of immigrants on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Plymouth by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Officers with ICE and other federal agencies detained about 40 individuals and arrested 12 on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on May 27. On May 30, ICE agents conducted a sweep in Plymouth. All three areas are in Keating's Ninth Congressional District.' TRUMPACHUSETTS — The Trump administration canceled an $87 million award for this MIT startup. But life goes on. by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe: 'Sublime Systems' vision for creating a high-tech, low-carbon cement factory in Holyoke suffered a setback when the Trump administration's Department of Energy canceled an $87 million award for the project. US Department of Energy secretary Chris Wright recently terminated 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, mostly during the final weeks of the Biden administration. The list included just one grant in New England, the $87 million for Somerville-based Sublime. The agency said it was cancelling these projects because they were not economically viable, would not generate a positive return for taxpayers, and failed to help the country's energy needs. But Sublime and its 100-person team have an increasing number of private-sector supporters who feel differently about the startup's prospects — and the MIT spinout is still moving ahead with its $150 million project in Holyoke.' FROM THE 413 — A disabled veteran is accusing a Holyoke city councilor of taking his home. Did he? by Greta Jochem, The Springfield Republican: 'George Golderesi's Springfield house sold to a new owner in February. It took him six weeks to find out. He said he believed a contractor hired to repair damage from a July 2024 fire was moving ahead with renovations so that Golderesi, a disabled veteran in his 50s, could return home. David K. Bartley, a Holyoke attorney and City Council member, orchestrated a sale of Golderesi's Pinta Circle home. Golderesi says he did not want to sell — and wasn't told someone else owned his home for more than a month.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Worcester had 16 homicides in 2024. This year so far: 0 by Craig S. Semon, Telegram & Gazette: 'As the city begins the second week of June, Worcester can boast something that it couldn't this time last year: no homicides so far this year. This time last year, Worcester had seven homicides, six of which were from firearms, Chief Paul Saucier said. … Although no one can know why there have been no homicides in the city this year so far, [Worcester Police Chief] Saucier said he thinks several Worcester Police Department outreach programs have contributed to the drop.' — Beverly weighs challenges this budget season, and beyond by Carline Enos, The Salem News: 'The City Council is weighing a $173.7 million budget for fiscal 2026, a 4.7% increase of $7.7 million over last year's budget. The proposed budget includes $85 million for schools, a 9.1% increase from the previous year.' — Town Meeting calls on state legislature to allow real estate transfer fee by Sam Mintz and Vivi Smilgius, 'Brookline will ask the state legislature to allow the town to enact a real estate transfer fee, after Town Meeting voted this week in favor of a home rule petition. … The petition , led by Town Meeting member Alec Lebovitz, is not binding but lays out the loose parameters of what the policy would look like in Brookline if approved by the state legislature. Town Meeting would need to approve the specific, final details in a future vote.' — Will Easton voters OK override to avoid dozens of layoffs? Tax impact? by Chris Helms, The Brockton Enterprise: 'Will Easton voters raise the town's taxing power by $7.3 million or accept service cuts? That's one way to see the bottom line as voting on an operational override ends Tuesday, June 10. Those urging a 'yes' vote say Easton's government is caught between inflation-driven cost increases and falling state aid for education. Cost drivers include health insurance for active and retired town employees, pension liabilities, property insurance premiums and utilities. On the revenue side, Easton is one of the state's 'minimum aid districts.' The upshot of that designation is that local taxes have been paying an increasing share of school costs.' — Steamship Authority considering freight service between New Bedford and Nantucket by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light: 'A Cape Cod construction company is proposing a new freight service between New Bedford and Nantucket. The proposed service would carry recyclables, tires, construction equipment, and other materials two to three days a week, using freight boats that the company bought from the Steamship Authority last year. It would use Steamship Authority dock space for loading and unloading.' HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, Sheila Ramirez, Jeff Solnet, John Dukakis, 90 West's Harry Shipps and Kelsey Perkins, district director for Rep. Katherine Clark and Ray Salazar of Rep. Katherine Clark's office.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kennealy on federal government collaboration
BOSTON (WWLP) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy says Massachusetts is not doing its part to be a reliable partner to the federal government–an issue he would change as governor. Kennealy, a former Baker administration economic secretary and private equity manager, says he would take a very different approach to federal collaboration than Governor Healey does. After the November election, the governor, who campaigned for Kamala Harris, said she will stand up for Massachusetts while being open to partnerships with the federal government that benefit the Bay State and residents. Kennealy says Massachusetts is not demonstrating openness to collaboration like he intends to. 'I think it doesn't do anybody any good to feel like we're just constantly protesting what's happening versus trying to get down there and collaborate,' said Kennealy. Much of the public disagreement between Massachusetts' current leadership and the federal administration surrounds ICE detention and deportation policies. Kennealy says he supports local, county, and state cooperation with ICE, and says he warned of impending migrant crisis issues as a Baker official. 'What I did see coming was the migrant crisis, and I warned Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll about that,' said Kennealy. If elected governor, he would reform the right-to-shelter law that drew scores of migrants to Massachusetts over the last few years. Also running to be the Republican candidate for governor is former MBTA executive Brian Shortsleeve. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Governor candidate Mike Kennealy criticizes Springfield organization over ‘disturbing' social media posts
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – One local organization that received a grant from the Healey administration is receiving criticism from Republican candidate for governor, Mike Kennealy. Arise for Social Justice received a grant from the Healey administration this month, but they are receiving backlash over content on their social media. Hampden DA's Office hosts 'Preventing Dating Violence' program for students The Springfield organization was one of 12 groups across the state that received funding for their inaugural Environmental Justice Capacity Building Grant Program, with Arise for Social Justice receiving $56,000. With the current federal landscape, Arise told 22News they have seen about a 40% rise in desire for their services. 'We are using the money to pay for translation services here in our office, for written materials, and for meetings and other interpersonal interactions,' said Rusty Polsgrove, Associative Director and Environmental Justice Organizer of Arise for Social Justice. But after receiving the grant money, recent Arise for Social Justice social media activity came to the attention of Republican candidate for governor in Massachusetts, Mike Kennealy, and he called the posts 'disturbing.' 'What this group has said online about police officers, about landlords, about an accused murderer is despicable,' Kennealy said. 'And now we are using taxpayer dollars to fund this group and the hatred they are promoting. I think it is awful.' One of those posts praised Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 'They are internet memes, they are re-posts,' Polsgrove said. 'They are not Arise's own words, but the sentiment strikes a chord, and it is not just with us that it strikes a chord. The stuff that he is citing is some of our most popular posts on social media.' Arise said that they are open to having Kennealy visit their office to show him the work they do in the Springfield community. 22News has reached out to Governor Healey's office for response to the issues brought up by Kennealy, but has not yet received a response. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
From Baker to Ballot: Republican Mike Kennealy makes his pitch for governor
Good Monday morning, everyone. Mike Kennealy isn't the only Republican looking to challenge Democratic Gov. Maura Healey in 2026. But the former Baker administration official nonetheless has the distinction of being the first GOP hopeful to throw his hat in the ring. The Lexington resident, who served as former Gov. Charlie Baker's housing and economic development secretary, jumped into the race in April with the seemingly statutorily required introductory video on YouTube. In the two-minute video, Kennealy ticks off a laundry list of problems facing the state, including the cost of housing, a 'broken' transportation system and the 'unspeakable violence' in the state's emergency shelter system that 'is a human tragedy and a national embarrassment.' Kennealy shortly found himself doing battle with the state Democratic Party, which called on the state's campaign finance watchdog to investigate contributions to Kennealy's campaign that exceeded the state's individual donation limit. The race for the GOP nomination in 2026 also has since become a kind of Baker-Off, with the entrance of Brian Shortsleeve, who ran the MBTA for the former Republican governor. Kennealy took a few minutes to talk with MassLive last week about his candidacy, his goals, and what he's reading. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and content. Q: Why are you running? And why now? What was the 'eureka' moment when you knew you had to do it? Kennealy: 'I love Massachusetts, and I love public service, and I'm looking at our state right now, and I see a number of different opportunities and challenges. The three parts of our campaign are focused on affordability, opportunity and better government. I think that's an important time in Massachusetts on all those three areas, and I think I have the skills and the background to really address those challenges and address those opportunities.' I think Gov. Healey has not addressed those adequately. I think it's clear we need to change in leadership in the corner office, I describe the Healey administration as characterized by absence and arrogance. It's an administration that's not bringing the kind of level of energy and focus and passion to the work and not doing the work in a collaborative enough manner. I think there's a real 'We know better' attitude coming out of the corner office on Beacon Hill today." 'My leadership style, my leadership approach, is much, much different. I can speak to my 19 years in private equity, but perhaps most important for this conversation, 12 years in full-time public service to the commonwealth ... And so I know over the course of my career, of my experience in business and education, the nonprofit sector, state government, work in local government here in Lexington, I think I've got the right skills and the right background to lead the state forward.' Q: So what was the moment where this kind of dawned on you, where you kind of looked up and were like, 'All right, this is the thing I've got to do?' A: 'I guess I can point to a couple of eureka moments over the course of my career, one of which is over a dozen years ago. I decided I want to leave that private equity career behind and really spend the rest of my professional days working in public service for the people of Massachusetts.' 'So that goes back to 2012, realizing that's what I wanted to do, and spending some time to figure out the right opportunity ... And look, I mean, I got to see the job of governor up close. When you're one of nine cabinet secretaries ... And you're in the room and you're working on things with him, and seeing the job up close, I realize it's it is an amazing opportunity to serve the people. And, so clearly, that role is on my mind as a cabinet secretary.' 'And then for me, it was a question of, you know, is there an opportunity? Is there a right time to do it? And as I've had a chance to observe the Healey administration the last couple [of] years and seeing the issues and opportunities in front of the state, I realized, yeah, but we're gonna go for it.' Q: How does a Republican Gov. Kennealy work to build bridges with a pretty progressive Democratic Legislature? A: 'I think leaders [have] got to do a couple [of] things. One is, you have to manage well the activities within your portfolio.' 'So, for me, I looked at the job of governor the way I tried to approach a job as secretary: Job one is managing the government well. And frankly, I did that as a cabinet secretary and worked with many talented CEOs in my business career.' 'I was part of a leadership team [in the] Lawrence [school district] that drove a lot of change over a couple years, I worked in as part of a leadership team or a great nonprofit the last couple of years. So I've seen up close what it means to be a leader and a manager. And I've done that work. You know, being a cabinet secretary effectively means you're CEO of, in my case, of a billion-and-a-half dollar a year company.' 'And so learning how to manage that well, the other thing a leader has to do is communicate relentlessly and just be accessible, be transparent, communicate to the public what you're doing, why you're doing it. That's how I [approached] my job as secretary. That's how I'll try to approach the job as governor.' 'So step one, manage the government well. Step two ... communicate relentlessly to people. And part of that too, what I'll call step three, you know, being willing and having the desire to collaborate and get things done. That's what I'll try to do as governor.' Q: In your introductory video, you've dinged Gov. Healey on affordability, which admittedly is the biggest issue facing the state right now. You were Gov. Baker's housing and economic development secretary. There's an argument to be made that you had a shot to address it while you were there, but didn't. How do you defend that record? And what are you going to do, going forward, to address those affordability issues? A: 'We had a big shot to address [it], and we did. We got passed the single most important zoning reform in 50 years in Massachusetts. And that's called housing choice. And it took us three years to get it done. And we looked at local zoning as an impediment to housing production, and it was our view that we're in a housing crisis in Massachusetts. We have to produce a lot more housing. But you've got to do it in partnership with cities and towns. You cannot mandate to them what to do. You've got to work with them.' " ... And so that was a big shot. And we did a number of other things too. But that was a big shot. And we took it and we got it done. And I think over time, it's going to have a generational impact on housing production." Q: Talking of the MBTA, your former colleague, Brian Shortsleeve, who's in the race now, ran the MBTA under Gov. Baker. So I'll leave him to speak to his record at the MBTA. But my understanding of the Baker administration is that it wasn't so much a matter of trying to improve the T, as it was simply trying to stop the bleed. Would you agree with that? A: 'I think the T ... remains the unfinished business of the Baker administration. It's probably not the strongest part of our track record, to say the least.' 'If people look at what went wrong during the Baker administration, then you have to point to the T ... In contrast, I think the current general manager [Phil Eng] is doing a really good job. It's a tough job, for sure. But in terms of closing the funding shortfall [Around $700 million, Editor's note.], I think you need to be realistic on where the funds come from." 'My understanding is that they want to tap the so-called 'Millionaire's Tax' to fund the T's shortfall. I think it was a terrible outcome for us to pass that ... tax. I was against it. I think it's going to be an enormous competitive disadvantage for us.' Q: Would you push for the modification or repeal of the state's right-to-shelter law? A: 'We have got to amend the right to shelter law. Okay, this was passed in 1983. And I would argue, from 1983 to late 2022 or early 2023, nobody was particularly concerned about it. It did its job, which is to house Massachusetts families that have become homeless. And it was not meant to address a humanitarian crisis on the scale that is being asked to address ... now.' 'So we have to get back to the original intent of the law, which is to house Massachusetts families that have become homeless.' Q: You've said you don't want to make this race about President [Donald] Trump. You want to make it about your candidacy. Inevitably, that's going to hang over any midterm contest. How do you step out from behind that fairly long shadow and convince unenrolled voters that you are not going to sort of replicate Washington policies here? A: 'I'm going to continue my tradition of kindly rejecting the premise of any question of this regard. I'm not stepping out of a shadow. I'm trying to lead, okay? And we're trying to articulate a vision and agenda for Massachusetts, right? 'And that's what this is about, okay? This is about listening to the people of Massachusetts, their needs, their aspirations, their opportunities, and developing policies and strategies to address them — like period, full stop. That's what this is about. And there's an enormous number of things that the governor can and should do to move that agenda forward. That's where my focus is." Here's your regularly scheduled reminder to always read the fine print. In 1946, the folks at Harvard Law School bought what they believed was a reproduction of The Magna Carta, the 13th-century document that provided the basis for modern law. Turns out, it might be the real thing, according to two medieval history professors from the United Kingdom, who have concluded that it's a rare and lost version of the document, dating to 1300 during the reign of King Edward I. And to say that its value has appreciated is something of an understatement. 'This is a fantastic discovery,' David Carpenter from King's College London, told the BBC. He began analyzing it after seeing digitized images of it on the Harvard website. 'It is the last Magna Carta... [and it] deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history; a cornerstone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won,' Carpenter told the BBC. So, how rare is it? Just 24 of the originals from editions issued between 1215 and 1300 remain. Most of them are in the U.K. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., houses two copies, while one is in Parliament House in Australia's capital city of Canberra, the BBC reported. Amanda Watson, Harvard Law School's assistant dean for library services, congratulated the two British scholars for their detective work 'Behind every scholarly revelation stands the essential work of librarians, who not only collect and preserve materials but create pathways that otherwise would remain hidden,' she said, according to the BBC. Nearly five months into the new legislative session, Democrats who control the state House and Senate still haven't agreed on the joint rules that smooth the flow of legislation between both sides of Beacon Hill. Negotiators met — briefly — for the first time in two months, and tensions between the two chambers were rapidly on display, according to State House News Service. In case you think this is an intellectual exercise, the lack of joint rules prevented state Sen. Jacob Oliviera, D-Hampden/Hampshire/Worcester, from testifying remotely on his own bills last week before a joint House and Senate committee. Thursday's session was open to the public — a rarity on Beacon Hill. Speaking to reporters afterward, the lead negotiators, Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem, D-Norfolk/Middlesex, and House Majority Leader John Moran, D-18th Sussex, put some meat on the bone of the two chambers' disagreements. 'To me, what I think is important are the matters of transparency, and we can't agree on them,' Creem told reporters while standing next to Moran. 'How much notice do we give out on a conference committee [report]? How much time do we [allow] for ending the session? When do these things happen? These were important things that I think my constituents wanted.' Alluding to the pile-up over Oliviera, Moran noted that 'the theatrics of that hearing were pretty interesting. And I think it does touch on one of the areas that we're having a little challenge with. And I don't think it's any secret that the House has a couple of things that they'd like to see, one of them being no remote participation.' It wasn't clear last week when the committee might meet again. But it is likely to be open to the public. Okay, so it's really 'Monday Number' this week, but trust us, it's a doozy. Jim Davis, the billionaire founder of New Balance, pumped $1 million last month into a super-PAC supporting the fortunes of Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft, according to Commonwealth Beacon, which cited campaign filings. Other big donors, including Robert Hale, the CEO of Granite Telecommunications in Quincy ($100,000), Quincy construction executive John J. Calnan ($150,000), also donated to the pro-Kraft super PAC, which is less accountable under law for how it spends and uses those donations, the online news org reported. But it is barred from directly coordinating with Kraft's campaign. Kraft's campaign had $151,661 on hand, according to the most recent state data, after raising $832,488 and spending $703,920. Incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu, who, like Kraft, is a Democrat, was sitting on $2.2 million, the most recent state campaign finance data showed. Wu has so far raised $886,570 and spent $405,755 on her reelection campaign, the same data show. 'It's easy to stand on the sidelines if you're new to the city, new to any city policy-making, to say, 'Just cut, cut, cut,' and not have to say from where.' — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has a go at rival Democratic candidate Josh Kraft during the first public forum of the 2025 campaign for City Hall last week. 6 Mass. schools are under federal investigation for antisemitism. What are the claims? These key public services won't be hit by the state's hiring freeze, Mass. Gov. Healey says Harvard president claims he is taking 25% pay cut following federal funding cuts Gov. Healey: SNAP cuts will 'force Mass. families to go hungry' Boston City Councilors renew calls for Fernandes Anderson to resign Mass. Gov. Healey announces hiring freeze for executive branch agencies Protesters at City Hall demand 'ICE out of Worcester' as council meeting goes virtual Springfield protests loss of $20M federal grant to protect environment So there are annual meetings, and then there's this one. The Worcester Natural History Society (that's the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature to you and me) holds its 200th annual meeting at 4:30 p.m. on June 10 in Mechanics Hall at 321 Main Street in the city. Yep, its 200th annual meeting. And you'd better believe we had to read the press release twice to make sure we had the number right. A pre-meeting reception gets rolling at 4:30 p.m., with the meeting proper kicking off at 5 p.m. And because you only get one chance to turn 200, the reception picks back up again at 6:30 p.m. There's a cash bar and live entertainment. So bring both your wallet and your dancing shoes. Singer-songwriter Hamilton Leithauser, best known for his time as the frontman for indie legends The Walkmen, brings his solo tour to The Sinclair Music Hall in Cambridge for a show on Tuesday (Tickets and info here). His most recent solo record, 'This Side of the Island‚' dropped earlier this year. If you're unfamiliar with his work, here's a primer to get you up to speed. ESPN will soon be a whole lot less shouty. And we'll leave you to decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. But the one definite thing is that the cable network is pulling the plug on 'Around the Horn' this week, with its last episode airing Friday. Sports news website Awful Announcing delved into the reasons for canceling the show, which has been on the air since 2002. The show had been suffering a ratings slide — particularly compared to its sibling 'Pardon the Interruption,' Drew Lerner reported for the site. Here's the germane bit: 'After compiling viewership data for both shows in March and April, it became apparent that Pardon the Interruption was not only the more popular show, but by a lot.' 'When looking at first-run airings of both Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption during March and April this year, PTI averaged over 200,000 more viewers than Around the Horn. Over the measured period, Around the Horn averaged 362,000 viewers per telecast, while Pardon the Interruption averaged 574,400 viewers.' 'In other words, Pardon the Interruption increased Around the Horn's audience by an average of 59% during its half-hour window. That type of jump is very rare for two studio shows airing back-to-back in the same hour.' Now what're we all gonna watch on the treadmill after work? That's it for today. As always, tips, comments and questions can be sent to jmicek@ Concerns about PTI can be sent to mvautour@ Have a good week, friends. Rümeysa Öztürk chose grace over bitterness. What we can learn | John L. Micek 'What About Us?': Native leaders say time's up on broken promises | John L. Micek Broken brokers' fees: Mass. lawmakers try again for a fix | Bay State Briefing Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass Dems. call for state to investigate donations to Republican Mike Kennealy's gov campaign
Massachusetts Democrats have called on the state's campaign finance watchdog to investigate what they're describing as 'multiple violations' of state law by Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike Kennealy's campaign. The call for the probe is tied to recent reporting by The Boston Herald that Kennealy, a former senior Baker administration official, accepted a series of contributions in April that exceeded the state's individual donation limit. While the more than 50 violations identified by Kennealy's campaign are 'inexcusable,' state Democrats said they also were concerned that "the solicitation materials and their pattern of practice used made specific requests of donors to cover processing fees, which would constitute additional violations.' Kennealy's campaign attributed the overages were the result of donors covering credit card processing fees and couples who contributed to the Republican hopeful as a single transaction. Such occurrences are common, Kennealy's campaign told MassLive through a spokesperson. Adam Roof, the state party's executive director, asserted in a letter to William Campbell, who runs the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance, that the campaign's explanation 'does not negate the legal requirement to monitor, reject, or promptly refund contributions that exceed the statutory limit. Kennealy, who's looking to unseat Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, is 'actively' refunding excess donations. And the campaign is in 'full communication' with regulators to ensure compliance, the spokesperson, Logan Trupiano, told MassLive. 'The fact that the MassDems are trying to manufacture outrage over this routine matter only underscores one thing: they know Maura Healey is politically vulnerable and are desperate to distract from her failures,' Trupiano said. Last week, Kennealy's campaign touted the fact that it had raised more than $130,000 in the opening weeks of its nascent effort to win the Republican nomination and to eventually challenge Healey in 2026. Kennealy, a Lexington resident who was Baker's housing and economic development czar, said he's already committed to spending $2 million of his own money in his bid to unseat Healey, who said in February that she's running for a second term. Healey was sitting on nearly $2.9 million in her campaign account as of late last week, state filings showed. More political news Read the original article on MassLive.
