Latest news with #Peabody
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Treat social housing as critical infrastructure to unlock billions, says Peabody boss
The head of one of the UK's biggest non-profit housing providers has called for social housing to be classed as 'critical national infrastructure', like roads and energy networks, allowing for billions of pounds in much needed extra investment. In an interview with the Guardian, the chair of housing association Peabody, Ian McDermott, said it should be reclassified by the Treasury to allow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to commit extra funds without breaking her fiscal rules. His intervention comes as 11 of the country's major providers wrote in a letter to housing minister Matthew Pennycook ahead of next month's spending review that the government had inherited 'the worst housing situation in living memory'. The housing secretary, Angela Rayner, is said to be fighting for a larger settlement in the spending review, planned for 11 June, amid dissatisfaction over funding for affordable and social housing. McDermott warned that 90% of current spending on social housing was on subsidies and temporary accommodation, rather than bricks and mortar, the reverse of what had been the case in the 1970s. 'For too long, social housing has been seen as a subsidy and a cost rather than an asset and critical national infrastructure for the country,' he said. There are 14 areas of national life currently listed as critical infrastructure, including defence, data, energy, food, health and transport – but not housing. If housing was included, it would make it easier for spending on it to be excluded from normal fiscal rules, as it would be categorised as investment in infrastructure and would not count against government debt. The letter from London-based associations including L&Q, Peabody, Clarion Housing and Notting Hill Genesis said: 'It is important to be honest about the scale of the problems and the solutions needed. You have inherited the worst housing situation in living memory. There is a housing emergency, with London at the epicentre, and new supply in the capital has already fallen off a cliff.' It said that there were more households in London on a social housing waiting list than double the entire population of Cambridge. The temporary housing crisis and its effects on people's lives was 'almost impossible to articulate', the letter said, warning it was costing councils in London alone almost £4m a day. But it said changes to government rent policy since 2016 had taken almost £6.6bn out of the sector, which could have been invested in new and improved homes. 'By the end of the parliament affordable housing completions will have fallen to the lowest levels since the second world war without urgent and specific interventions for London,' it said. Shelter and National Housing Federation have suggested about 90,000 social homes a year would be needed to hit the government's manifesto target of 1.5m new homes, at a cost of about £11.8bn each year. But the investment is estimated to support almost 140,000 jobs and generate significantly higher economic output, breaking even within three years. McDermott, who takes over chairing the G15 group of London's leading housing associations from June, said the 1.5m homes target was 'very stretching' but the sector could play its part in achieving it. 'We own land that could potentially build 20,000 homes. Can we build it? Yes, we can. It is definitely possible. There is an issue about workforce and about skills. But can we bring about that generational change? Yeah, we can,' he said. 'But we need the government to be sympathetic and supportive of our asks.' McDermott said the economic case for investment in housing was 'unarguable'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'The social case is unarguable. It's national infrastructure because if you look at what makes contented, thriving communities, at the core of those things is decent housing. And unless you recognise it as an essential element to a productive Britain and a thriving Britain and a contented Britain, then actually you're going to miss the point.' The housing ombudsman recently warned of a 'simmering anger at poor housing conditions' which he said could boil over into social tension, with a 474% increase in complaints about substandard living conditions since 2019/20. Richard Blakeway said it was 'neither fanciful nor alarmist' to suggest the growing anger at housing conditions could become 'social disquiet', saying the 'shock of Grenfell Tower and Awaab Ishak's death resonate still'. He said there had been a 'really serious fracturing of trust, which in some cases is irreparable,' with housing providers. McDermott said that he understood the anger and that the sector had to do better, but said it was wrong to say providers did not care. 'England has some of the oldest housing in Europe and the ombudsman is right to say that our not-for-profit sector is under intense pressure. Looking after residents' homes well is our top priority and needs to be funded through rental income,' he said. 'This is heavily regulated and was subject to government-imposed cuts for five out of seven years, which eroded our capacity to invest. As a sector, we're catching up but with inflation and the cost of living crisis it has been a perfect storm.' Ministers are facing increased pressure to unlock more funds for housing in the runup to next month's spending review. In a speech at an event in London on Saturday, Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, was to call for a timetable by which time more new social homes were being built than sold off, calling housing 'the single biggest cause of Britain's modern malaise'. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We've taken immediate action fix the housing crisis we've inherited and kickstart the biggest expansion to social and affordable housing in a generation. This included, they said, £800m for affordable homes, and changes to right to buy, with a proposal for a long-term rent deal for social home providers to provide certainty on income.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bryan Cranston Says Filming ‘Malcolm In The Middle' Revival Was 'So Rewarding' Since The 'Whole Family' Is 'Back Together'
While Malcolm in the Middle may spotlight a laughably dysfunctional family, star Bryan Cranston said filming the forthcoming limited revival for Disney+ was nothing short of 'so rewarding.' Wrapping production earlier this month on the four-episode run, announced back in December ahead of the single-cam sitcom's 25th anniversary, Cranston told People he was looking forward to stepping back into the role of patriarch Hal. More from Deadline 'CoComelon' Animated Series Moving From Netflix To Disney+ 'Lilo & Stitch' Director Dean Fleischer Camp, Stars Maia Kealoha & Sydney Elizebeth Agudong & Producer Jonathan Eirich Talk Contemporary Updates To Classic Story Sterling K. Brown's 'Washington Black' Limited Series Gets Premiere Date At Hulu 'Slipping back into that character of Hal for me was so rewarding — I missed him,' The Studio actor said. 'It's been almost 20 years since we said goodbye. And he's a sweet, lovable man. He's really a lovable guy, and it was fun to see all my whole family back together. It was great.' Adding of how he got back into character, the Breaking Bad alum said, 'It's a short-sleeve shirt that Hal would wear, a patterned short-sleeve shirt that screams out he's not going anywhere.' Malcolm in the Middle was both a hit for Fox and admired by critics, winning a total of seven Emmys across the same number of seasons when it aired from 2000 to 2006. Also garnering a Grammy and Peabody, the show centered on a gifted teen trying to come of age in a chaotic household full of loud and oft-dimwitted grownups and siblings. The forthcoming reboot will follow Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his daughter (newcomer Keeley Karsten) as they are drawn back into the boisterous family's chaos when Hal and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) demand his presence at their 40th wedding anniversary festivities. Also reprising their roles are Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, who portrayed Malcolm's older brothers, Francis and Reese, respectively. Caleb Ellsworth-Clark is taking over the role of genius Malcolm's younger brother, Dewey, an unsurprising casting change given that Erik Per Sullivan, who originated the role, was not expected to return as he quit acting in 2010 and has not participated in any of the show's reunions. Additional newcomers include Kiana Madeira as Malcolm's girlfriend; Anthony Timpano, cast as Malcolm's youngest brother, Jamie, who was seen as a baby and toddler on the original series; and Vaughan Murrae as Malcolm's youngest sibling, Kelly (who, like the character's actor, is nonbinary), whose existence was revealed in the series finale when Lois revealed her positive pregnancy test. Muniz — who had initially stepped away from acting — also shared similar sentiments of the filming process, saying, 'This experience was straight-up incredible — like stepping back into Malcolm's wild world but with all the love and chaos cranked to 11. Reuniting with the cast, getting to know some new characters, laughing till it hurt, and making new memories on set felt like a dream I didn't want to wake up from.' Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Boston Globe
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Eight high school sports takeaways from a Saturday that crowned two Boston City League champions
1. Milestones Two girls' lacrosse seniors notched their 100th career goals. Nantucket's Mayson Lower did it during a five-goal performance to beat Martha's Vineyard, 14-3, and Hamilton-Wenham's Maisie Leland scored three goals to reach triple digits in a 19-11 win over St. Mary's. Advertisement Chelmsford announced senior captain Liam Quinn surpassed 1,000 career points in kills, aces, and blocks this week. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 🚨Congratulations🎉 to Senior Captain Liam Quinn for surpassing 1,000 career points in kills, aces, & blocks this week! Incredible season & incredible career at CHS! Let's keep it going!🚨 — CHS Volleyball (@CHSBVolleyball) 2. Walkoff wins Mimicking Haverhill's Max St. Hilaire singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh against Methuen with the score tied, 1-1, and Nick Schraffa singled him home for a 2-1 victory in a consolation game of the Hillie Classic. Related : In the Northeastern Conference, Peabody's Joe Sinibaldi picked off the potential go-ahead run in the top of the eighth, then in the 10th, Ethan Waybret walked it off with a sacrifice fly for a 3-2 win over Danvers. Advertisement And in Andover, Wakefield senior Cam DePrizio drilled a walkoff double for a 1-0 win over the host Warriors. 3. Going, going, gone Nobody's power was more prodigious Saturday than Bridgewater-Raynham senior Olivia Roy , who connected on a pair of home runs and finished with nine RBIs in a 17-5 win over Mansfield. Lexington senior Lidia Palys broke open a tie game with a blast in the top of the eighth, putting the Minutemen in position for a 10-1 win over Belmont. Plymouth North's Danny Kenney launched a two-run shot in the fourth inning, his second of the season, in a 4-3 loss to BC High, and English High's Armanis Romero raced for an inside-the-park round-tripper in the top of the fourth of a 6-4 win over Latin Academy in the BCL baseball championship. In the city league softball final, Latin Academy's Claire Hauck rallied her team to a 9-5 win with a two-run shot. Ryleigh Williams of St. Mary's joined in the longball party, as did Holliston's Jayden Hayes , who homered twice in a 19-6 win over Bellingham. 4. Daily lacrosse goals leaderboard Avery Nistl , Hamilton-Wenham, 6 Ally Bettencourt , Peabody, 5 Clare Latham , Bishop Feehan, 5 Brooke Lomasney , Peabody, 5 Mayson Lower , Nantucket, 5 Ava Nason , St. Mary's, 5 Madi Barrett , Peabody, 4 Emily Berube , Bishop Feehan, 4 Avery Texiera , Bishop Feehan, 4 5. Daily strikeout leaderboard Luke Joyce , Braintree, 15 Cam Collier , Latin Academy, 13 Jack Zimmerman , St. Mary's, 13 Luke Rogan , Mansfield, 11 Ty Southall , Georgetown, 10 Lyla Moore , Carver, 9 Tyer Alsen , Cardinal Spellman, 8 Ayden Balter , Wilmington, 8 Dylan Lawrence , North Andover, 8 Caroline Arruda , Marshfield, 7 Danny Kenney , Plymouth North, 7 6. Commitment central Payton Kamin , a 6-foot-8-inch senior forward out of Worcester Academy he has committed to play men's basketball at Penn. Advertisement Big congrats to Payton Kamin '25 on his commitment to Penn! — Worcester Basketball (@WA_VBB) BC High senior Jack Darcy , a middle infielder from Milton, who can hit 88 miles per hour with his fastball, is headed to Amherst to play baseball. Welcome to the Amherst Baseball Class of 2029, Jack!🦣 — Amherst Baseball (@AmherstBaseball) 7. College corner With a roster featuring freshman Kierstyn Zinter (North Andover/Central Catholic), freshman Danielle Cox (Norwell), junior Ali Hoyt (Boston/Tabor), and freshman Maddie Szyluk (Longmeadow), Tamp won the NCAA Division 2 women's lacrosse championship, 15-9 over Adelphi. Szyluk, a midfielder, had two goals in the championship game. WPI graduate student Avinash Bissoondial , a Millbury High graduate, capped his standout career with All-America honors after finishing eighth in the 5,000 meters (14:17.02) at the NCAA Division 3 men's track and field championship in Geneva, Ohio. Odds and ends Ella Peper , a freshman at Dexter Southfield who plays club basketball for the Bay State Jags, was selected as one of the 22 finalists for the USA Women's U16 National Team. 22 finalists have been announced for the 2025 🇺🇸 » — USABJNT (@usabjnt) Peper, who hails from Newton, already has offers from Kentucky, Clemson, Louisville, Alabama, Purdue, Indiana, Virginia, Baylor, Arizona State, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, and more. A video from the US Olympic Training center in Colorado showed the 6-foot-4-inch 15-year-old dunking in practice. She's 15!! Get Up 💥 📍 🇺🇸 — USABJNT (@usabjnt) Brendan Kurie can be reached at
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland comedian, ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!' champ steps up to support Bay Area arts amid NEA fallout
Theater and dance fans concerned about the widespread terminations of National Endowment for the Arts grants can now help affected Bay Area organizations by attending a performance by Oakland's own W. Kamau Bell. The polymathic Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning TV host, comedian, podcaster, author, documentarian, Substacker and 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' winner is reprising his 'Who's With Me?' at Berkeley Repertory Theatre from June 17-22. Ticket sales from the stand-up comedy show, which Bell performed at the same theater last month, will benefit more than a dozen organizations whose NEA grants were abruptly revoked under President Donald Trump's administration. More Information 'Who's With Me?': Written and performed by W. Kamau Bell. Performances begin June 17. Through June 22. $35-$250. Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. 510-647-2949. 'People think everybody's equally rich in show business, but that is not the case,' he explained with a laugh. 'I live in the Bay Area with three kids.' That's where his Berkeley Rep came in. 'Kamau was the first person to reach out to me in response to the devastating NEA news, with the simple but profound question 'How can we help?'' Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer said. 'This is what it looks like to stand together, and we are so lucky to do so alongside such a brilliant and generous artist.' 'When I finally got to do shows in the Peet's, I just felt super-like, 'I've made it!'' he said, referring to one of the theater's main stages where he performed an earlier version of 'Who's With Me?' He also workshopped 'W. Kamau Bell Gets His Act Together' at a studio in the theater's school during two separate runs last year. Beneficiaries of his newly announced run include American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Crowded Fire Theater, Dance Brigade/Dance Mission Theater, Magic Theatre, Marin Shakespeare Company, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Children's Fairyland, Oakland Theater Project, San Francisco Youth Theatre, Theatre Bay Area, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and Zaccho Dance Theatre. Ed Decker, artistic director of New Conservatory Theatre Center, one of the affected organizations, posted on Facebook the notification he got from the NEA saying his theater's world premiere of 'Simple Mexican Pleasures' by Eric Reyes Loo 'does not align' with the Trump administration's new priorities for the agency. Those priorities, the letter goes on, include historically Black colleges and universities, 'Hispanic Serving Institutions,' tribal communities, Asian American communities; the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; houses of worship, skilled trade jobs, disaster recovery, the military and veterans. Other priorities include 'make America healthy again' and 'make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful.' Decker told the Chronicle that Berkeley Rep's invitation to be a part of Bell's event was about far more than the proceeds. 'I felt the warm embrace of our creative community standing together to help,' he said. For Bell, who has lived almost entirely in the Bay since 1997, the decision to stage the benefit came down to his own artistic origins. 'I feel very clear that who I am is because of who I met in the Bay,' he said. 'I feel happy to be in a place where my help can be helpful.' Earlier this month, Berkeley Rep received a $40,000 donation in response to the NEA chaos from another artist, Tony Award-winning playwright John Logan, whose 'Red' and 'Swept Away' have both run at the theater.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Justice for Jason!': Hundreds call for answers, honor Peabody middle schooler who took his own life
Hundreds on Friday united to grieve the death of Jason Bernard, 14, outside his Peabody home just days after he ended his own life. His family tells Boston 25 the 8th grader at Higgins Middle School was bullied. Friday night, during a vigil in his neighborhood, parents, students, and community members remembered his life while spreading an important message. 'Justice for Jason,' the crowd chanted outside his home. 'Together, we can stop bullying!' Cely Rosario, Jason's sister, spoke to the crowd, 'We will not take it! Not anymore! No more bullying in Peabody! No more bullying in Massachusetts!' Over the last week, multiple parents in Peabody told Boston 25 they, too, have seen bullying in the district. Local leaders, Thursday, like Peabody's mayor, said they have a long road ahead, but he's ready to find community solutions. Some of the concerned families were at Friday's vigil. 'I just felt I needed to be here,' said one Peabody parent. Michelle, a parent from Salem in Peabody, Friday, added, 'To wake up and find your child unalive for words from other children that are probably going to suffer no consequences because that's what happens daily... This is just unacceptable.' Classmates of Bernard penned messages to him after lighting candles and releasing balloons in his honor. One said, 'It's good that this many people care. But, it's sad it had to happen.' Peabody's superintendent Josh Vadala called the death a tragedy in a letter to the community. The statement read: 'I am writing to you at the close of an incredibly difficult week, as our community has come together to mourn the tragic death of one of our middle school students. Our entire community is grieving. When this level of immeasurable tragedy strikes, it is impossible to try and make sense out of it as we work through grief and support one another. As families, students, teachers, staff, and the community at-large begin to process the grief in the coming days and weeks, it is critical for our community to come together and continue to support one another. I am grateful that is what happened here inPeabody this week, and as our students depart for the long weekend, I wanted to acknowledge the multitude of support shown to us from all over. Over the course of the week, Peabody has received the support and resources of our neighbors and friends from throughout the North Shore. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the work of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council STARS team. The resources and professionals brought to our city were a tremendous help during a time when even our own well-trained staff was experiencing and processing this loss. We appreciate the support of our Police Chief, Tom Griffin, and School Resource Officers Eric Ricci and Andy Long who, along with their comfort dogs Ella and Max, were joined by more than a dozen loving therapy dogs ready to provide comfort to our students and staff. We are also incredibly thankful for our counselors and nurses from across the district who provided immediate support to students and staff at theHiggins this week while also supporting their individual schools. In addition, our staff collaborated with the STARS team who continue to serve as a tremendous resource for our community in this time of need. As educators, we often have to remind ourselves that we have Peabody's children for only a small percentage of the day. We rely on our families to work alongside us, especially at a time like this. We recognize with gratitude the support and partnership of our school district's families who have supported their children – and one another – during this very difficult time. Thank you. Finally, I want to recognize our faculty and staff for their compassion for our families and students. Students look to teachers as pillars of support as the teachers themselves are grieving inside. Please know that we are planning a community meeting around mental health, at the appropriate time, and I expect that it will be an open and safe environment. While this meeting is still very much in the planning stages, what I can share with you today is that we will partner with other community leaders to ensure a well planned and thoughtful event that will include resources for families. We are also working with our leaders incity government, including the Peabody Department of Health and Human Services, to guide our next will be in touch in the coming days with more information. For more resources visit our website HERE. Thank you for your continued compassion and support. I wish you a safe Memorial Day Weekend. Josh Valda, Peabody superintendent This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
