Latest news with #MarenHalpin
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Could Trump go after Harvard's accreditation? Here's what to know.
Here are the basics about Harvard's accreditation. Advertisement Who oversees Harvard's accreditation? The New England Commission of Higher Education accredits Harvard, according to the Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Harvard was last accredited in 2018, and in 2022 it submitted an interim accreditation report, which was accepted. Harvard The New England Commission of Higher Education was established in 1885 and accredits more than 200 higher education institutions. How do the Commission and accreditation work? Currently, 32 people sit on the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation is done for all colleges and universities in the United States by private nonprofits — though the organizations need to be recognized by the federal secretary of education. Nationally, there are Advertisement Schools are evaluated for re-accreditation every ten years against a set of How does accreditation impact federal funding? Institutions have to be accredited by a recognized accrediting agency for their students to receive federal student aid, including grants, loans, and work study. Without accreditation, schools cannot make their students eligible for federal financial aid, which most students rely on to cover tuition. Maren Halpin can be reached at
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
At Cambridge toy store, Markey blasts Trump for ‘toying with our economy' with tariffs.
Advertisement Senator Ed Markey celebrates Henry Bear's Park's newest storefront after discussing the impacts of tariffs on small businesses May 16. Maren Halpin Last month, the Trump administration Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It requires some very real, hard decisions to be made,' he said. 'Do we pass the costs onto our customers? If we do, how will that impact access to learning resources for families?' Advertisement Under even the 30 percent tariff, many classic toys could see substantial price increases, said Meghann Ellis, chief financial officer of North Andover-based toy manufacturer Schylling Inc. While the company designs their products here, they are manufactured in China, much like 80 percent of all toys in the United States, she said. The tariffs mean that a jack-in-the-box that today costs $25, for example, will jump to $32, while a $35 tea set rises to $45, said Ellis, holding up her company's products that are sold in the Cambridge store. Last week, And the economic consequences could go well beyond kids having fewer toys. Half of toy stores in the United States, the majority of which are small businesses, fear they will be forced to close in the coming months, Schylling has been forced to temporarily pause manufacturing and shipping, reduce staff, and raise prices to remain in business with the flexibility to handle more unexpected changes to international trade, said Ellis. They have 'cautiously restarted' manufacturing, she said, but more questions than answers remain. Local business owners, including Henry Bear Park owner Kas Sharma and CFO of toy manufacturer Schylling Inc. Meghann Ellis, join Senator Ed Markey to discuss the impact of economic uncertainty on small businesses. Maren Halpin 'Which items should we make now, and which should we wait to see if the tariffs decrease? What if they increase? Should we ship as much as possible in the next 90 days? What prices should we charge our customers if we don't know how much something will ultimately cost?' Ellis said. 'This uncertainty not only makes it impossible to plan, it's bad for business.' Advertisement Standing amid the store's brightly colored shelves filled with science kits, stuffed animals, and dolls, Markey announced he will be working next week to enact legislation on the Senate floor to exempt all small businesses from Trump's tariffs, he said, 'freeing small business from the cloud of uncertainty hanging over their head.' 'Right now, Trump's tariffs are turning 'Main Street' into 'Pain Street' for small businesses,' said Markey. Maren Halpin can be reached at
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Sen. Warren presses Walgreens' private equity buyer to protect pharmacy access in Mass.
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'These private equity buyouts of companies facing financial hardship — whether they involve health care companies, retail, or other types of firms — frequently lead to worse outcomes for employees and consumers: private equity firms sell off assets and close locations, employees lose their jobs, and consumers lose access to essential goods and services," Warren wrote in the letter shared with the Globe. Advertisement In the letter, Warren expressed concerns about the private equity takeover of the pharmacy giant following a similar path as Steward Health Care, which Advertisement She also voiced concern for 'Millions of customers across the United States rely on Walgreens for primary care, essential medications, and household items — and if the Walgreens-Sycamore deal generates even more store closures, that could leave even more Walgreens customers in 'pharmacy deserts' without access to these necessities," Warren wrote in the letter. Warren outlined a series of questions for the firm in the letter, seeking 'assurances that Sycamore's buyout of Walgreens will not damage the company further, and will not cost hardworking Americans their jobs or create difficulties for patients that need access to lifesaving medications,' she wrote. The questions include whether the firm plans to shutter any additional Walgreens stores, how it plans to ensure that communities retain access to a retail pharmacy after closures, and whether it plans to sell real estate from closed locations. Warren also asked whether the company intends to fire Walgreens employees in the acquisition. and urged it to not accept payouts from Walgreens until it is profitable. Warren said she is concerned the deal will be financed with a disproportionate amount of debt, leaving it vulnerable to a 'heightened risk of bankruptcy.' Sycamore Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maren Halpin can be reached at
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Eastern Bank is acquiring HarborOne, expanding in Mass. and R.I.
Eastern Bank, the largest Massachusetts-headquartered bank with 109 locations across eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, will take over HarborOne's 30 banking centers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Eastern has about $25 billion in assets, while HarborOne has $5.7 billion. Advertisement After the merger, HarborOne CEO Joseph Casey and one other HarborOne director are expected to be join Eastern Bank's board of directors, according to the release. Maren Halpin can be reached at
