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| ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 59 and a chance of rain in the evening. |
It's a good day to tie down your outdoor Halloween decorations and clear the drains of leaves. While New England will avoid most impacts from Hurricane Melissa, we are set to get a quick-hitting storm tonight, followed by high winds. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes has more on the forecast and what it means for trick-or-treating here. Now to the news: Across the checkout counter: As more than 1 million SNAP recipients in Massachusetts brace for their food benefits to run out Saturday due to the government shutdown, businesses who count on these customers are also girding for a loss. Many local grocery stores, markets and farms depend on people using SNAP benefits. And as WBUR's Rachell Sanchez-Smith reports, they too could be clipped by what advocates say is an unprecedented decision by the Trump administration to not use a contingency fund to keep the benefits going out during the shutdown (now in its 30th day). - Zoom in: David Wadleigh, the owner of Kimball Fruit Farm in Pepperell, says the loss of benefits could cost him up to 15% of his revenue. "We've already paid the overhead costs for anything that we're going to sell in November," he told Rachell. "We've already paid for the labor to upkeep things, to prune things, to pick things." Especially when it comes to fresh produce, Wadleigh says there’s no way to make that money back later.
- Zoom out: SNAP shoppers alone account for about 20% of all grocery sales in Massachusetts, according to the state. "SNAP is a multiplier program for households and local food systems that will be decimated — for every dollar in SNAP benefits received by a client in Massachusetts, $1.50 goes back into the local economy," wrote Michael Cole, the chief operating officer of the state's Department of Transitional Assistance.
- Now what? Farm owner Wadleigh says he plans to donate food in the short term so it doesn't go to waste. He's not the only one. As WBUR's John Bender reports, the East Bridgewater butcher shop Crocetti's plans to offer free bags of groceries to those in need on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Blacker's Bakeshop in Newton also will offer free baked goods, including loaves of bread, on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Meanwhile: Beacon Hill leaders reiterated yesterday that they don't plan to use the state's $8.6 billion rainy day fund to save the day for SNAP recipients. As WBUR's Chris Van Buskirk reports, lawmakers argued that doing so would quickly drain the fund and force them to pick "winners and losers."
- Go deeper: WBUR's Martha Bebinger has a by-the-numbers look at who will be affected in Massachusetts if and when SNAP benefits stop going out.
On ICE: The family of the 13-year-old Everett boy detained by ICE earlier this month wants to return him to their home country of Brazil. As WBUR’s Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports, a judge ruled last week that the boy must remain at a juvenile detention center in Virginia. Instead of appealing the decision, the family’s lawyer, Andrew Lattarulo, says they're pursuing a "voluntary" departure. - Why? According to Lattarulo, the family sees sending the boy back to Brazil as the fastest way to ensure his freedom. Even if the boy won asylum, a judge could rule he should be kept locked up. "The last thing they want is their child being detained for many years," he said.
- What's next: Lattarulo said the government has agreed to voluntary departure and the next step is to get the “judge’s blessing.” The next hearing is Nov. 5.
Conceding cash: Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch is proposing to scale back his big raise, in the hopes of quieting his critics. As WBUR's Simón Rios reports, the new amendment would raise Koch's current salary from $159,000 to $225,000 in 2028, instead of the $285,000 approved by the Quincy City Council last year. The revised proposal equates to what Koch would earn if he got a 3% raise every year since the last time his salary was adjusted in 2016. It also includes an automatic 3% yearly raise in the future. - What does this mean for the legal fight over that rejected ballot question to repeal the raise? The petition's backers told Simón they're thinking over next steps. “It wasn’t so much about the salary as much as the corruption of trying to keep [the question] off the ballot,” said Joe Murphy, one of the plaintiffs.
Uh oh: One of our great local architectural achievements, the Star Market built over the Mass. Pike, is shuttered indefinitely. Newton health officials closed the store Tuesday afternoon, saying demolition work inside the store may have released asbestos. It will only re-open once any asbestos is removed or contained, officials said. Heads up: All Lynn ferry trips are canceled once again today due to rough seas, according to the MBTA's website. P.S.— You can still get tickets to tonight's CitySpace live taping of Ronald Young Jr.'s critically acclaimed podcast “Weight For It." The show starts at 7 p.m. |
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| | | Nik DeCosta-Klipa Senior Editor, Newsletters | | |
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Said Ahmed and the Rev. Miniard Culpepper are both political newcomers battling to fill the seat of disgraced former councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson in District 7, an area that includes high poverty rates, low homeownership and poor health outcomes. Read more. |
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President Trump said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping "agreed to almost everything" in their nearly two-hour meeting in South Korea, which Trump said was "friendly." Read more. |
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A western Massachusetts aide to Gov. Maura Healey was arrested Tuesday evening after authorities said they seized 8 kilograms of cocaine that were to be delivered to him at a state office building. Read more.
excerpt: A judge ordered LaMar Cook, 45, held without bail at a court appearance Wednesday pending a dangerousness hearing, according to online court records. He pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking 200 grams or more of cocaine, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. Cook served as deputy director of the governor’s western Massachusetts office, making $115,668 a year until Saturday, when a spokesperson for Healey said he was fired “effective immediately.” |
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Officials say at least 25 people have died across Haiti. In Cuba, officials report collapsed houses and blocked roads, with 735,000 people in shelters. Jamaica faces widespread power outages and communication blackouts. Read more. |
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In Massachusetts, six Head Start agencies won't get their funding on Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues. Advocates and state leaders are worried that children and their families will suffer. Read more. |
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- In a first-of-its-kind agreement, the MFA in Boston has officially returned two monumental stoneware vessels to the descendants of the enslaved potter who made them. The museum then bought one of the pots back, as WBUR's Andrea Shea reports.
- Chris Lambton, a Dennis Select Board member who you may know better as a former TV host and runner-up on "The Bachelorette," is taking another step into Massachusetts politics. As WBUR's Chris Van Buskirk reports, the Cape Cod Democrat launchced a campaign yesterday for the House seat held by state Rep. Chris Flanagan, who was arrested on federal fraud charges earlier this year.
- From a meditative new chapter from a favorite musician to a '90s alt-rock inspired album that explores the modern age, here's our music critics' roundup of the top local music released this October.
- Few people can claim their birth informed the ending to one of the 20th century’s most iconic novels. But as Tom Putnam, the former president of the JFK Presidential Library, writes in this Cognoscenti commentary, that was the case for Patrick Hemingway, who died recently at the age of 97.
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- The DEA said it arrested 171 ‘high ranking’ Sinaloa Cartel members. A Spotlight investigation found that’s not true. (The Boston Globe)
- When This Reporter Comes Calling, the White House Insults Go Flying (The New York Times)
- ICE and CBP Agents Are Scanning Peoples’ Faces on the Street To Verify Citizenship (404 Media)
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Looking for a dose of Halloween magic in Boston? While Salem’s spooky history often steals the spotlight, there’s no need to travel north for some haunted fun. From eerie tours to creative parties, Boston boasts plenty of its own goosebump-worthy happenings. Read more. |
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