Latest news with #YvonneHao
Business Journals
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Six takeaways from new economic secretary Stolba, Boston Fed economist
The new state economic development secretary, Ashley Stolba, stood side-by-side by her predecessor, Yvonne Hao in Needham at the Charles River Chamber of Commerce Spring Business Breakfast on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, making her first public remarks to a business audience since her appointment to the cabinet role.
Fox News
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Blue state governor touts meeting with CCP official cozying up to Dems: 'Grateful for the opportunity'
FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic governor enthusiastically posted photos with a Chinese Communist Party diplomat on Wednesday evening, saying she was "grateful for the opportunity" to meet with him. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who went viral late last year for vowing to use "every tool" to fight back against President Donald Trump's deportations, took to X to highlight a meeting she and one of her top appointees had with Chen Li, the consul general of the People's Republic of China in New York. "Massachusetts is home to a vibrant Chinese-American community, and China is one of our largest trading partners," Healey wrote in a X post, which included 3 photos. "Glad to welcome Ambassador H.E. Chen Li of the People's Republic to China to the State House, and grateful for the opportunity to discuss future collaboration!" All three photos included Healey and Li, whose jurisdiction covers almost a dozen states. However, one photo also included now-former Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development, Yvonne Hao, an American-born citizen whose parents are originally from China. Hao's last official day in her role was earlier this month, according to local outlets. However, she is still serving in the Healey administration as an unpaid advisor. A press release from Healey's office on Wednesday highlighted how Massachusetts and China "shared economic and cultural ties" in addition to their "commitment to continuing to work together for the benefit of our people and our economy." "China is Massachusetts third largest trading partner, with over $7.2 billion worth of goods exchanged in 2024. In 2024, Massachusetts imported $3.4 billion in goods from China, including toys, games and sports equipment, apparel and accessories," the press release continued. "Massachusetts exported $3.8 billion in goods to China in 2024, including industrial machinery, medical devices and plastics. She appeared to then try to justify the meeting by highlighting how she makes "it a priority to meet with foreign officials when they visit Massachusetts," listing off several foreign officials who she has met with, including the "Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ahmed Dadou, and Singapore's Ambassador to the United States Lui Tuck Yew." Li, who has repeatedly praised the CCP and echoed the party's talking points about Uyghur genocide allegations being "fabricated," responded to Healey's post by quoting it and saying he was "honored to have a very pleasant conversation" with Healey. He added that he was "focusing on the cooperation between China and Massachusetts." Fox News Digital has extensively reported on the influence that Li and his predecessors have had in the United States, which has included cozying up to Democratic politicians like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Gov. Kathy Hochul, in addition to administrators at top American universities across several states on the East Coast, including Kean University President Lamont Repollet. Chen, like his predecessor Huang Ping, has repeatedly praised the CCP and denied China's alleged genocide against the Uyghur population, which has been condemned by many on the world stage, including the United Nations. "It's hard to imagine how could 'genocide' and 'forced labor' associated with such a place where population grows steadily, society is safe and open, and people enjoy happy life. Where do the accusations come from?" Chen wrote in 2021. "'Genocide' was claimed by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the very last day of his term. It was based on reports fabricated by some extremist anti-China individuals who haven't been to Xinjiang for years and accounts of a few so-called witnesses who were proved to be trained 'actors' and 'actresses.'" Michael Sobolik, an expert on U.S.-China relations and a Hudson Institute senior fellow, previously told Fox News Digital that the "Chinese Communist Party is always looking for ways to penetrate U.S. businesses and civil society. We shouldn't make their job easier for them." Earlier this year, Chen posted multiple times about participating in New York City parades, which included Schumer and anti-Trump Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. He also met with Sen. Richard Blumenthal's brother-in-law to light up the Empire State Building to mark the Lunar New Year, a tradition between the Chinese Consulate and the Empire State Building that goes back over a decade. Prior to Chen, a controversial diplomat named Huang Ping was in his position between 2018 and 2024. Ping was implicated in an unsealed indictment against Gov. Kathy Hochul's former deputy chief of staff, Linda Sun, who was charged "with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy," according to a Justice Department press release. The indictment revealed then-Lt. Gov. Hochul wanted to mention the "Uyghur situation" in China for her 2021 Lunar New Year message, but the plight of the minority group being persecuted by the Chinese government was ultimately omitted after Sun overruled the speechwriter. The indictment alleges Sun revealed to Ping what the speechwriter wanted to include, but insisted that she would not let her boss mention Uyghurs after admitting that she was "starting to lose her temper" with the speechwriter. The indictment later detailed other exchanges she had with Ping and said he gifted her parents with Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by his chef in exchange for her help in influencing the governor's policies.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State and local leaders award grant for town growth project in Cummington
CUMMINGTON, Mass. (WWLP) – State and local leaders came together to celebrate Cummington's 'Community One Stop for Growth' grant award. The money Cummington got is going to support a major project that will help the town grow further. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao joined state and local officials to celebrate the town of Cummington receiving $400,000 from the Community One Stop for Growth program. It will help the town renovate their former Berkshire Trail Elementary School into a space for town offices, a children's library, community events and more. 'This one Stop for Growth program was designed to think about how do you turn ideas and dreams into projects and action items,' stated Lt. Gov. Driscoll. 'So many of our tiny towns and rural places have lots of geography and lots of roads, but not a lot of people. So the formula didn't work in their favor. That's just one example of the way we know that the investments that we make, the state partnership is so important.' The event also celebrated all 49 grantees of the Rural Development Fund under the Community One Stop for Growth program. This program helps rural towns like Cummington to receive targeted resources to advance local priorities and unlock economic opportunity. A total of more than $10 million in awards went to these grantees. 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.
Boston Globe
25-02-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Land abounds at former Army base in Devens — but turning it over for housing has been a conundrum
However, Vicksburg Square and the rest of the technology center district are zoned primarily for commercial use, not housing. To allow housing there, all three towns need to agree; any rezoning needs approval at a 'super town meeting,' a proceeding that involves all three hope is that the Devens working group can bring about that long-awaited compromise. Advertisement The towns had floated one concept a year ago for rezoning Vicksburg Square for housing, but with several caveats: Half of the units would be set aside as condos, a quarter for rental apartments, and a quarter for seniors or people with special needs. The head of MassDevelopment, a quasi-public agency that acts as the Devens landlord, didn't agree at the time, arguing it might not attract enough developer interest. But now, state economic development secretary Yvonne Hao, MassDevelopment's chair, has a new chief executive in charge, Navjeet Bal. Hao said she is hopeful, particularly for the future of Vicksburg Square, which is considered historic and can't easily be demolished. 'People had strong opinions and strong points of view [but] there is a general consensus that it should be developed,' Hao said. 'Having that building sit empty and abandoned, nobody wants that. It's just a wasted opportunity.' Advertisement Angus said there are other places where housing could be built within the district. 'It's an excellent opportunity to help with the state's housing crisis,' Angus said. The legislative directive specifically mentions an agreement for 400 housing units across the 90 acres, but the working group isn't expected to limit its discussions to that. Among the big questions that the group will need to confront is how best to educate kids who live in this new housing, said state Representative Jamie Eldridge, a Democrat who represents Ayer and Harvard. (Devens kids currently go to Harvard's schools, via a contract with MassDevelopment.) Other questions will surface around what portion of the new units should be deemed affordable, Eldridge said, and the right mix of rental apartments versus condos. For now, the 4,400-acre former base is primarily an industrial park. But the success of the employers there is at least somewhat tied to whether their employees can find a place to live nearby. 'As a parent, we want to know where our kids are going to live,' said John Katter, a Devens resident. 'We want to know where our police officers are going to live. The nurses, the engineers, the people who can't afford housing now are being pushed out west. Devens has become a magnet for industry. If we're going to continue to win, we need to accommodate not only our families, but the people who can build Devens to the potential it can be built.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brief: Humanitarian migrants drove Mass. population surge
BOSTON (SHNS) – Massachusetts experienced a population surge last year, and state leaders have celebrated what it could mean for the economy, but a new analysis says the growth is due to an increase in humanitarian migrants whose numbers are being more accurately captured by the U.S. Census. According to a six-page policy brief released Tuesday by the Pioneer Institute, the state's largest annual population increase in six decades is primarily a result of better accounting for refugees and asylum seekers whose arrivals were often underreported in previous years. Fueled by the highest immigration levels in decades, Massachusetts saw its largest population increase in 60 years between 2023 and 2024, according to Census data. Between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024, the state's population increased 69,603 from 7,066,568 to 7,136,171 — a increase of just under 1% (0.985%). The rate at which young adults and families are leaving Massachusetts also seems to have slowed for the first time since the pandemic, though a net 27,480 people still moved out in 2024. Massachusetts leaders have been taking the latest annual estimate as a win, after years of reports of declining population and exodus. 'This is really good news for us,' Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao told the Boston Globe about the latest data. 'We're not out of the woods yet. There's lots of work we have to do [but] I'm very happy. … This gives me great confidence that we are heading in the right direction.' However, the Pioneer Institute says a closer look at the Census methodology shows the population surge is driven by those who need the most help from the state, and doesn't offset younger professionals moving out. 'Unfortunately, the revised estimates aren't as positive as they appear,' said Aidan Enright, an economic research associate at the Institute. 'In terms of economic impact, humanitarian migrants can't make up for the domestic out-migration of residents who tend to be younger and more affluent.' The institute's research calls the 2024 Census numbers 'an optimistic snapshot,' that masks the trend of Massachusetts losing residents who are 'educated, wealthier, and more skilled.' 'The net effect? A temporary, surface-level population bump that obfuscates Massachusetts' continuing out-migration issue and the diminishment of its competitive edge,' the institute said in its policy brief. 'The true economic health of Massachusetts remains deeply at risk, and state leaders' optimism is no match for the growing, systemic challenges that still lie ahead.' The U.S. Census Bureau says international migration is among the biggest challenges to measure, especially among refugees and asylum seekers who are less likely to respond to Census surveys. 'International migration is difficult to estimate because of its complexity and dynamic nature,' says a Census release about their new international immigration methodology. Previously, the Census Bureau produced estimates of foreign born immigration using data from the American Community Survey, which surveys about 3.5 million households each year. That data 'worked well during periods of relatively stable international migration… However [has] limitations that could impact the accuracy of the estimates, particularly during periods of short-term fluctuations,' according to the Census. To account for an influx of humanitarian migrants into the U.S., the Census Bureau last year also used data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics and U.S. Refugee Admissions Program on border encounters and refugees to supplement the ACS. With the new methodology better accounting for refugees, asylum seekers and other humanitarian migrants, the Census's national-level immigration estimates increased by 69.5% for 2022 and 101.7% for 2023, compared to their previous estimates, according to the UMass Donahue Institute. Comparing the Census's 2023 immigration count in Massachusetts to the newly adjusted estimate in 2024, the institute estimates roughly 54,000 humanitarian migrants entered Massachusetts between 2022 and 2023. 'Thus, beneath the surface of these optimistic population growth figures lies a less rosy reality. While humanitarian migrants may swell the state's total population numbers, they are not a direct replacement for the tens of thousands of highly educated young professionals, entrepreneurs, and affluent residents who continue to leave Massachusetts in elevated numbers each year,' the brief says. The research was released as the Democrat-controlled Legislature advances bills to allocate $425 million more for emergency family shelters and to restrict eligibility to the shelter system, which in the past two years has become overwhelmed by families in need from Massachusetts and new arrivals fleeing their home countries. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
