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CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Busy week in Massachusetts politics with Boston mayor's race poll and raises for Healey's cabinet
It may be the dead of summer, but it was a busy week in politics in Massachusetts. There was a new Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll on the Boston mayoral race, a new round of raises for Gov. Maura Healey's cabinet secretaries, and the latest episode of excessive drinking involving a Beacon Hill figure. We convened a discussion of it all with two sharp local political reporters, Kelly Garrity of Politico Massachusetts, and Gin Dumcius, editor of the Massterlist newsletter published by the State House News Service. The new mayoral poll found incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu leading her main challenger Josh Kraft by a whopping 30 points, 60-to-30%. "Even though folks might disagree with Wu on [issues like] the bike lanes, they're still willing to, at this point, give her another term, another four years," Dumcius said. "They overall feel the city is still headed in the right direction, or somewhat the right direction, whereas Kraft is making an argument that it's not." "Something else that's a little bit tough for Kraft is that his unfavorability was higher than his favorability. So it seems like a lot of the mayor's messaging [is] trying to tie him to Trump, talking about Trump donors funding his PAC, funding his campaign. I think that that, it really seems to be sticking with people in Boston," Garrity said. We asked the reporters why Governor Healey thought this was a good time to hand out raises to her own cabinet members for the second time in six months. "The overall optics of this are not great, particularly when you're watching this bar advocate crisis unfold," said Dumcius. You know, folks are being released by courts a work stoppage with no public defenders there who want a raise so, when you put those side by side, it's not a great look." You can watch the entire segment in the video above and please join us every Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. on WBZ-TV for more discussion of current political topics on the weekend edition of "Keller At Large."
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
‘Recycling is piling up': Residents, officials frustrated as trash strike enters fourth week
The Teamsters union's strike against Republic Services — now entering its fourth week — has meant hassles for residents in the 14 Massachusetts municipalities where service has been disrupted. In Malden, residents say they haven't had their recycling picked up since June. Advertisement For Monte and her family, the strike has provided a double-whammy. They have second home in Gloucester, another community affected the labor dispute. They've had to ferry their recyclables back to Malden because drop-off sites in Gloucester aren't open during their weekend visits. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It's been inconvenient,' said Monte, 'but I understand that things like this happen, so we just have to go with the flow.' When it all might end remains uncertain. Tensions between Republic and the Teamsters appear as high as ever even as public officials, including The two sides remain far apart on wages and benefits, and haven't met since July 18. No additional negotiation sessions have been scheduled, according to a Republic spokesperson. Advertisement Malden and five other affected towns have asked a judge to intervene with an emergency order requiring Republic to immediately resume all waste collection as required by its contracts obligations. Mayor Michelle Wu announced Wednesday the At the Ferryway School, Jenny Tan, 43, dropped off several brown paper bags filled with her own recyclables and then left to do the same for her parents, who do not have a car. 'Her recycling is actually piling up, and she doesn't have any more recycling space,' she said of her mother. Weihua Liu, 57, said he spent almost two hours on Saturday waiting in line to drop off yard waste, which isn't getting picked up either. Overflowing recycling bins sat on the curb of Pearl Street in Malden. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Republic's trash pickup in Malden stopped for about a week when workers walked off the job July 1. Replacement workers resumed collection after the Fourth of July weekend and have continued since, with some delays. Residents can also drop off their trash during designated times at Malden's DPW yard on Commercial Street. Donna Smith, 70, said she brought her trash to the drop off point Tuesday evening because she did not want Republic's replacement workers picking it up. Smith, who belonged to a union when she worked as a spray painter for the MBTA, said she hopes Republic will 'share the wealth' with the union workers, who 'do the bulk of the work for everyone.' 'I hate the inconvenience,' she said, 'but I'm in their corner.' Advertisement Some residents said minimizing waste and taking advantage of the city's drop-off sites have kept burdens to a minimum. Dropping off all his recyclables for the month, Palani Nadarajah, 69, said the strike has not posed an issue at all. 'If you reduce the trash that you are creating, it's easier,' he said. 'What the city is doing is fantastic, no issues.' As the strike drags on, it's straining the Malden Public Works Department, director Bob Knox said. Workers who otherwise might be cutting grass, pouring concrete sidewalks, or providing other services are instead handling the waste drop-off sites. For Knox, who has worked at the Malden Public Works Department for 32 years, the challenges posed by the Republic strike ranks up there with the 'snowmageddon' snowstorms of 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic. 'If I was writing a book,' he said. 'This would definitely have its own chapter.' Stella Tannenbaum can be reached at
Miami Herald
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Essence Brings HBCU Classic to Nation's Oldest CFB Stadium
Labor Day Weekend 2025 won't just mark the return of college football. It'll signal the birth of something historic. For the first time ever, an HBCU football classic will be held in Boston. And not just anywhere in the city. Inside Harvard Stadium, the oldest college football stadium in the country. The inaugural ESSENCE Kickoff Classic will feature Morehouse College facing off against Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), delivering a powerful season opener and a cultural homecoming on Ivy League turf. This year's event is a bold elevation from last fall's Morehouse vs. JCSU showdown. The game was featured in season two of HBCU Gameday's Brick x Brick docuseries. That episode gave fans a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at two historic programs giving their all for an early-season win. But in 2025, it's getting bigger. Brick x Brick will return with a special episode dedicated to the Kickoff Classic. The episode hopes to go behind the scenes to show what happens when an HBCU game moves from the South to the Ivy League. "The ESSENCE Kickoff Classic is more than a game-a cultural statement," said Michele Ghee, Chief Content Officer of ESSENCE Ventures. "By bringing HBCU football to Boston for the first time. We're not only honoring the rich legacy of our institutions. We're creating space for Black excellence to thrive in new places." Boston, long seen as a hub for higher education and equity-driven innovation, is embracing its role as host city with open arms. "We are proud to bring the spirit of HBCUs to Harvard Stadium and look forward to welcoming visitors from across the country," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, highlighting the city's commitment to inclusion and cultural celebration. The Classic is more than 60 minutes of football-it's an all-out weekend experience. Expect a citywide celebration packed with music, community activations, career fairs, step shows, and-of course-the unmatched energy of HBCU marching bands. Event Co-Founder Derrick Brown summed it up best. "The Classic isn't just a game - it's a citywide celebration of culture, community, and Boston's bold commitment to inclusivity." From the tailgate to the halftime show, this event is meant to fuse the legacy of HBCUs with Boston's future-forward thinking, making it both a tribute and a trailblazer. ESSENCE, the iconic platform dedicated to Black women and communities. Searheads an event supported by MeetBoston, the city's tourism hub, and Campus Rise, a mission-driven platform helping underrepresented students thrive. This partnership ensures that the Classic won't just be seen-it will be felt. Harvard Stadium has seen its share of historic football moments over the decades. But this will be the first time its end zones ring out with the sound of a drumline, the stomp of a step team, and the roar of fans proudly reppin' their HBCUs. The post Essence Brings HBCU Classic to Nation's Oldest CFB Stadium appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boston housing crisis 2025: How Wu and Kraft plan to tackle affordability
Mayor Michelle Wu and mayoral candidate Josh Kraft butted heads Tuesday over what both said they consider one of the most significant issues of the campaign: the high price of housing in Boston. During a candidate forum hosted by the Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance in Roxbury on Tuesday evening, Wu and Kraft shared their respective visions and plans to reduce housing costs. Both candidates agreed that housing is too expensive in the city, but they disagreed on the most effective ways to tackle the problem. Wu emphasized her track record on housing during her first term as mayor, noting that more than 1,000 first-time homebuyers had purchased homes with city assistance during that time. And more than 20% of affordable homes currently in development are expected to be homeownership units, not rentals. She said her administration has cut the time it takes for affordable housing developments to get through the permit process in half. However, Kraft asserted, as he has throughout the campaign, that construction of new housing was currently too slow to address affordability issues in the region. He said repeatedly Tuesday evening that he wanted to lower the cost of construction to help spur development. By creating more housing, the city will be able to collect more tax dollars to funnel into housing programs such as down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, Kraft said. 'It's too expensive to get housing built, and we need to get housing production moving,' he said. 'We are going to work with private developers and other people in the housing world to make sure we can get the production of housing and supply of housing moving forward.' Read more: Josh Kraft calls out 'heartbreaking' conditions at Boston Housing Authority Although both candidates stated they would continue to fund or expand existing housing programs, they disagreed on two sometimes-controversial issues: inclusionary zoning and a transfer fee on luxury real estate sales. Last year, the city revised its inclusionary zoning policy, which requires new housing projects with seven or more units to set aside 17 to 20% of those units as affordable, depending on the building's size. Previously, the requirement was 13% affordable units. Read more: Downtown Boston zoning changes could allow buildings up to 700 feet tall The transfer fee, proposed by Wu in 2022, would impose a tax of 1 to 2% on real estate sales exceeding $2 million, with the revenue from the tax allocated toward affordable housing. While the City Council approved the proposal, the city needs approval from the state Legislature to implement the tax, which it has not received. Kraft said the proposed transfer fee and retaining the current inclusionary zoning requirements would make housing construction more expensive, slowing down development. 'We need housing. That's the number one issue,' he said. 'The number one way to solve a housing emergency is to get more housing built.' He said if in the future, the city saw an easier economic environment, he would consider the transfer fee. Wu, however, took issue with her opponent's characterization of the situation. She compared his view of the inclusionary zoning requirements to changing the channel on an old television, saying it made no sense to keep playing with the antenna 'when the TV is unplugged from the wall.' She said the slowing of housing development had also been seen around the country, not just in Boston, and the inclusionary zoning changes did not cause it. Instead, she attributed it to high interest rates and tariffs imposed by the federal government, which drive up construction costs. She also pushed back on Kraft's stance on the transfer fee, saying it made 'no sense' to wait until 'when it's good for developers.' 'We hear the same things over and over again, that the same communities just have to wait, and eventually it'll trickle down. eventually [developers will] make their money and then everyone else will have the benefit,' she said. 'It is not the job of the city government or the public sector or the people to subsidize for-profit developers in making their money. It is our job to focus on affordability.' MAHA will hold a second, virtual candidate forum next month. The preliminary municipal election will be held on Sept. 9, 2025. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. More on Boston's 2025 race for mayor This issue won big in NYC's mayoral race. Why Wu, Kraft should pay attention | Bay State Briefing These are the Big 3 issues to watch in Boston's mayoral race — and one sleeper Super PACs continue to flood Boston mayor's race with cash: Who's spending what Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
Bloomberg
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Battle Over Boston Bike Lanes Intensifies and Hits Mayor's Race
Construction mogul Jay Cashman says Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's bike lane overhaul is such a disaster that he's willing to spend as much as $1 million to force the city to redo them. Wu, who is seeking reelection this year, has added about 15 miles of bike lanes in a push to make it easier for cyclists to get around the notoriously labyrinthine city and inspire more Bostonians to commute to work this way. But Cashman, along with other residents, business owners and neighborhood groups, says the revamp was too hasty and ignored critics' concerns, which range from safety risks, loss of parking spaces, more congested street traffic and slower response times for emergency vehicles.
