Business Confidence Slips but Remains Positive

Boston Herald – Confidence among the state’s employers saw a downturn in March, reversing slight gains seen in February and following the failure of several banks and while inflation continues to push prices and wages higher.

“Business confidence fell precariously close to pessimistic territory during March as Massachusetts employers managed challenges ranging from inflation to rising interest rates to banking disruptions,” the Associated Industries of Massachusetts wrote in their March Business Confidence Index.

According to the survey of Bay State employers, confidence fell from February to March by a full 2-points, slipping from 53.5% confidence to 51.5%. According to AIM’s math, that means businesses are feeling optimistic, but just barely, and that’s the lowest confidence the index has shown since October of last year.

Sara Johnson, who chairs AIM’s board of economic advisors, said with the release of the index that improving economic activity elsewhere can account for retreating fears of a looming recession but that the index still shows employers are facing too tough a market for talent.

House Democrats Ready Tax Relief Bill For Thursday Session

State House News – House Democrats will unveil a tax relief and reform bill today with plans to bring it forward for a vote later in the week, Speaker Ron Mariano said Monday.

Mariano told reporters House leaders will make their proposal public on Tuesday and then bring it to the floor for a vote during a formal session planned for Thursday, bookending the rollout of the House Ways and Means Committee fiscal year 2024 budget bill.

He provided few details about the forthcoming package, saying only that it will be “based on a lot of the things that we had talked about” last year when lawmakers initially approved a suite of tax code changes and then backed away from the topic.

“Everything is on the table,” Mariano repeated when pressed on specific policies. The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on Gov. Maura Healey’s tax relief bill but has not made a recommendation on the nearly $1 billion in tax policy measures proposed by the new governor. The timing of the vote on Thursday means it will occur after House Democrats release their fiscal 2024 budget, which may need to account for tax relief measures. Mariano has also talked about spreading proposed tax relief out over multiple years.

Massachusetts Banking on CHIPS Money, though Big Projects have been Slow to Materialize

Boston Globe – Texas Instruments wants to plow up to $30 billion into new chip factories in its home state. Intel is eying a $20 billion investment for two semiconductor fabrication plants in Arizona. And in upstate New York, Micron plans a massive new fab campus, starting with $20 billion in spending just in the first phase.

The race is on for federal funds to help shore up these dreams. Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act into law last summer to spur domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing and grow an industry that seemingly gets more vital by the day. Chip makers are responding to the call with dozens of projects, big and small.

But not in Massachusetts. At least not yet. In fact, of the 50-plus manufacturing projects tracked by the Semiconductor Industry Association since the CHIPS bill was introduced three years ago, only one can be found anywhere in New England, in Wilton, Connecticut.

So, what gives? Are Massachusetts policymakers chasing the chip money now flowing out of Washington, or is the state at risk of falling behind in the dash for dollars? The answer to both questions could be “yes.”

Let’s start with the good news. Governor Maura Healey and her economic development secretary, Yvonne Hao, made CHIPS money a top priority. They pressed the Legislature in the past few months to authorize up to $200 million in bonds to make Massachusetts applications more competitive by providing potential matching funds for federal assistance. The Senate leadership agreed to the $200 million, while the House preferred $50 million. In the end, the two sides split the difference, and authorized $125 million in borrowing for CHIPS efforts.

To kick things off, Healey pledged $40 million of that money to the quasi-public Massachusetts Technology Collaborative-led application for the Department of Defense’s “Microelectronics Commons” program. The funds could go to research, workforce training, and moving technical advances from startups into chip-manufacturing fabs. This new program represents the first tranche of CHIPS funds to be made available, and it’s a relatively small fraction of the nearly $53 billion bounty — $1.6 billion in total over five years.

Unemployment Declines to 3.5 Percent as Labor Market Shows Strength

The Hill – The U.S. economy added 236,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate declined to 3.5 percent, as labor markets stayed tight despite interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Analysts were expecting the economy to add 238,000 jobs and for the unemployment rate to hold steady at 3.6 percent.

The U.S. labor market has remained strong in the face of nine consecutive rate hikes by the Fed, but the central bank is still projecting the unemployment rate to hit 4.5 percent this year, according to its latest summary of economic projections.

While jobless claims for the week ended April 1 dropped by 18,000 to 228,000, numbers for the previous week received a substantial revision upward, leading some analysts to believe that slacker labor markets were on the horizon.

But Friday’s jobs report continues a familiar story of a remarkably resilient labor market distinguished by high churn in the face of nine consecutive interest rate hikes by the Fed. Employers added 311,000 jobs in February following a whopping addition of 504,000 jobs in January.Even as unemployment ticked down in line with the Fed’s mandate of maximum employment, Friday’s jobs report showed moderating growth in wages, which is good news for price stability.

Are Inflation Pressures Easing?

Boston Globe – For more than a year, the Federal Reserve’s inflation fighters have been tightening their grip on the American economy with nine straight interest rate hikes. A key goal has been to slow the sizzling pace of hiring to help cool price pressures.

So far, the job market has refused to crack.

Hiring was surprisingly robust in both January and February, confounding forecasters. The unemployment rate remains barely above half-century lows.

The latest economic signs, though, increasingly suggest that an economic slowdown may be upon us. Employers are posting fewer job openings. More Americans are lining up for unemployment aid. Manufacturers are in retreat. America’s trade with the rest of the world is shrinking. And though restaurants, retailers and other services companies are still growing, they are doing so more slowly.

“The economic data seem to show the economy slowing down dramatically in the first quarter of 2023, bolstering the hopes of Fed officials that less demand will somehow bring inflation down,″ Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at the research firm FWDBONDS LLC, wrote this week.

As Burnout Mounts, Push for a Four-Day Work Week Grows

Boston Globe – Mike Melillo was at home in Newport, R.I., on a Sunday afternoon early in the pandemic, trying to get ready for the usual round of Monday morning meetings, when it hit him. He was miserable — burned out by endless Zoom meetings, as work blurred into life even more than before; missing out on spending the weekend with his wife and 6-month-old daughter in order to hit the ground running the next day.

In that moment, Melillo fired off an e-mail announcing that his tech company, the Wanderlust Group, was adopting a four-day week, with no extended hours or reduction in pay, and Monday now officially belonged to employees — whether it was a day to get organized or an extension of the weekend.

The pandemic opened employers’ eyes to the possibilities of remote work — as well as to the added stress and search for meaning that led to workers leaving their jobs in droves. And as companies started exploring new ways of working, and keeping and attracting employees, some have been rethinking not just where people do their jobs but how much time they spend doing them.

Overall, the length of the average US work week dropped slightly in the past few years, according to new Brookings Institution research. But for many people, such as those who use the Microsoft Teams videoconferencing platform, it went up — especially on nights and weekends. Making jobs more efficient and reining in this time-creep is crucial for workers’ well-being, advocates note, and some employers are going to extremes by slashing time out of the long-established 40-hour work week.

A Chat with Boston’s New Director of Tourism John Borders IV

Boston Globe – John Borders IV took the helm of the Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Entertainment, and Sports in late January, nearly three years after the pandemic brought travel to a standstill.

The Dorchester native (and now Roslindale resident) previously served in a range of jobs, from working with the Celtics to the Deval Patrick administration. Now Borders is exploring how to make Boston more interesting for out-of-towners returning to the city, as well as for people who already live here, of course. He has already planted seeds for activities and events across the 23 neighborhoods, though ask about future plans and his lips tighten up.

One thing is for sure, he said, “The city is open for business.”

The Globe chatted with Borders about his priorities and where he would take a Boston tourist himself.

Will Millionaires Leave Massachusetts?

Boston Globe – On a weekend morning last month, a recently retired CEO met some friends for brunch in a Back Bay condo tower. Everyone there had enjoyed long careers in investing, medicine, and other ventures in Boston. Now, contemplating their golden years, they began to discuss what would come next. Over lox, bagels, and a commanding view of the city below, the conversation eventually turned to — what else? — the “millionaires tax.”

One of the friends was grousing about the newly passed ballot initiative, which places an extra 4 percent tax on incomes of over $1 million. That led to chatter about the estate tax, and how much of their money Massachusetts would claim when they die. One couple had established residency in Florida, the executive recalled. Another was considering it. It seemed the question on

“People at this age bracket start thinking, ‘Should I cash out and move?’ Which is all pretty normal,” said the executive, who asked for anonymity so as not to betray the confidence of his friends. “But the tax thing really accelerates the conversation.”

When voters passed the millionaires tax last fall, it was hailed by progressives as a win for middle- and lower-class residents. It could raise $1 billion or more a year for schools, roads, and transit by taxing fewer than 1 percent of people in the state. But now, some of that 1 percent are assessing their options. They may not speak openly about it, but among the well-heeled, there’s a simmering sense that the state has become less welcoming.

MBTA Falls behind Peer Transit Agencies on Hiring Bus Drivers, Restoring Service

Boston Globe – The MBTA bus driver workforce is shrinking. And the issue has forced the agency to cut service repeatedly over the last year.

For its part, the T has said the shortage mirrors most transit agencies nationwide. But a Globe review of six large US transit agencies found the T’s peers have had more success digging themselves out of the crisis. And they’re all doing something different than the T: They allow new drivers to start as full-time employees, giving them an opportunity to make higher wages immediately.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, New Jersey Transit, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority have hired and retained enough drivers to restore pre-pandemic service. (New York and New Jersey agencies restored service in summer 2020.) Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are well on their way, each with about 95 percent of the bus drivers needed to restore pre-pandemic service, according to spokespeople. Chicago Transit Authority declined to provide the number of bus drivers needed to restore service, but a spokesperson said the agency has about 86 percent of its budgeted bus driver positions filled.

Meanwhile, the number of bus drivers employed by the T continues to decline despite an aggressive hiring campaign that began in December 2021. The T is down to 1,460 bus drivers this month, about 87 percent of its pre-pandemic staff, according to T spokesperson Joe Pesaturo. And it’s hundreds short of its goal to have 1,823 this year.

IRS Pledges more Audits of Wealthy, Better Customer Service

Boston Globe – The IRS released details Thursday on how it plans to use an infusion of $80 billion for improved operations, pledging to invest in new technology, hire more customer service representatives and expand its ability to audit high-wealth taxpayers.

While some Republicans have suggested without evidence that the money from the Democrats’ landmark climate change and health-care bill would help create a mob of armed auditors to harass middle-class taxpayers, new IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said it will not include spending for new agents with guns.

The agency’s newly released strategic operating plan lays out the specifics of how the IRS will allocate the $80 billion, through fiscal year 2031, that was approved in that legislation.

Some improvements have been long expected, such as bringing more paper-based systems online and answering taxpayers’ phone calls promptly. Others are more ambitious: continuing to explore ways to create a government-operated electronic free-file tax return system, for example.

No hiring boost is foreseen for the criminal investigation unit, which represents 3 percent of the agency’s workforce and employed roughly 2,077 special agents as of the 2022 budget year, according to the IRS’ annual report. Those are the agents who may be armed.

State Gambling Commission Rejects Betting on Boston Marathon

Boston Globe – At a time when DraftKings, the Massachusetts online betting giant, seems ubiquitous — with nonstop advertising and a foothold in every major sports franchise in Boston — one storied institution, the Boston Marathon, has said no.

The state’s gambling commission on Thursday rejected the company’s request to allow betting on this year’s Marathon, following a stern letter opposing the move from the race organizer, the Boston Athletic Association.

During a public discussion before the 4-0 vote, the four commissioners present Thursday expressed various concerns, including the short timeline between the request from DraftKings and the Marathon on April 17, and what they described as the company’s lack of communication with the BAA about the request.

The proposal was “not ready for prime time,” said commissioner Bradford Hill, noting that the BAA’s opposition was a significant factor.

DraftKings had asked the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to allow betting on the Marathon’s top 20 male and female professional finishers. (The top 10 men and women earn prize money: $150,000 for first place, declining to $5,500 for tenth.)

The denial will have consequences for DraftKings far beyond Massachusetts, as the company had also sought approval for betting on the Marathon in every state where it operates. As of Thursday morning, three states — Oregon, Wyoming, and Kansas — had authorized DraftKings to accept bets on the race, a company spokesperson said.

Health Care

Masking against COVID-19: Should it Stay or Go in Health-Care Facilities?

Worcester Telegram & Gazette – If the feelings at Christopher House are any indication, there is deep division in the health care community about wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19.

“I’m happy to get rid of them,” said Debbie Sherman, a physical therapist at the skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility on Belmont Hill.

Sherman explained masks limit her ability to interact with patients, a barrier to a personal connection that is vital to effective care. Also, some patients can’t breathe sufficiently if they have to wear a mask, she said.

Down the hall, Linda Harris had a different opinion. A physical therapist assistant who has worked at Christopher House for 10 years, Harris believes masks must be worn to keep COVID-19 at bay and not risk the lives of patients.

“We need to keep wearing masks,” said Harris. “It benefits patients and keeps them healthy.”

This small sample size could describe the divisions inside health care facilities across Massachusetts as the state announced it will end a universal mask mandate in health care settings on May 11. It’s the same day the federal government officially declares an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Texas Judge Halts FDA Approval of Abortion Pill

Politico – A Texas federal judge ruled Friday evening to suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone — one of two drugs used together to cause an abortion — virtually banning the sale of the pills across the country. The decision, however, will not take effect for a week, giving higher courts time to consider the appeal the Biden administration filed Friday night and delaying for now the impact on hundreds of thousands of patients who use the medication both for abortions and treating miscarriages.

U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, sided with anti-abortion medical groups that challenged the federal regulation of the drug, ruling that both the initial approval of the pills in 2000 as well as more recent FDA decisions allowing them to be prescribed via telemedicine, sent by mail and dispensed at retail pharmacies, are unlawful.

Meanwhile, a Washington State federal judge issued a conflicting order Friday night that blocks the FDA from rolling back access to the pills in the dozen blue states that brought the lawsuit.

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, clashes with Kacsmaryk’s in that it orders the FDA to maintain the status quo, raising the likelihood that the issue could go before the Supreme Court.

An ‘Antiabortion Screed:’ Health-Care Providers in Massachusetts React to Texas Decision

Boston Globe – Alarmed by a court ruling Friday invalidating a popular abortion medication, providers in Massachusetts are preparing contingencies that include stockpiling the drug, mifepristone; switching to solely using a companion medicine that is less effective; and making plans for a possible increase in surgical abortions.

Reproductive health advocates also warned that the decision by US District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of Texas could have far-reaching consequences beyond access to abortion, affecting patients who use mifepristone for other purposes and threatening the availability of contraceptive and gender-affirming treatments.

Kacsmaryk ruled that the Food and Drug Administration should not have authorized mifepristone, more than 22 years after it was first approved and hit the market. However, he stayed his ruling until Friday to give the Biden administration an opportunity to appeal.

Still, many warned that even the uncertainty over what will happen next is a hazard, as women may avoid care out of fear.

Massachusetts Weighs Letting Judges Order Mental-Health Care

ABC News – When Ashoke and Vinita Rampuria’s son returned home after taking a year off from college, to complete his course work, he didn’t seem like himself.

“He was unable to complete tasks. He was lying on the sofa,” said Ashoke Rampuria, a resident of Acton, Massachusetts. “He took some jobs but could not hold them.”

In 2011, his son was diagnosed with what Rampuria described as a severe mental illness. He soon began cycling in and out of health care facilities, appearing to get his illness under control and then slipping back once released. In 2021, the couple said their son used a new medication and was able to hold a job for three months, but did not continue on the drug.

All along, Rampuria said he and his wife lacked a crucial tool – the power of a judge to order their now 36-year-old son, currently at a psychiatric hospital in Lynn, Massachusetts, into mandatory outpatient care.

Massachusetts, along with Connecticut and Maryland, are the only states that don’t give courts that authority.

Unpaid Caregivers Urge Healey to Get More Support to Families

WGBH – Ali Harris first met her husband-to-be at age 18. More than four decades later, she became his sole caregiver, meeting all of his hygeine, health and emotional needs around the clock.

Harris recalls how her husband’s moods and behaviors changed as his dementia and Parkinson’s disease progressed. In one particularly harrowing accident, he became agitated and pulled a door down on himself. Harris, who uses a walker, remembers having to crawl across the floor to rescue him.

“It’s just me and him,” she remembers thinking. “What am I supposed to do? I used to joke, ‘Has anybody got some Navy SEALs? Like, who can you send in?’”

Her husband has since passed away. But the acute needs of other caregivers in Massachusetts, she says, remain pressing.

As Harris sees it, homebound people and their caregivers often fall through the cracks in policymaking. She and others who shared their priorities for state government through GBH’s “Have Your Say: Gov. Healey’s Agenda” project say the estimated 780,000 family members providing unpaid care in Massachusetts are a population that needs more attention and support from state officials.

“They’re not thinking about me having my husband bite my finger, or me physically crawling on a floor that I might not be able to get up from to get a door off of my husband,” Harris said.

Budget and Taxation

House Leaders to Propose Making Eviction-Protection Measure Permanent

Boston Globe – Massachusetts House leaders will attempt to revive and make permanent a pandemic-era renter protection law, which would bar landlords from evicting financially struggling tenants who have applied for rental assistance.

The proposal, which Democratic leaders will fold into the House’s annual budget plan they intend to unveil Wednesday, would add to a list of policy changes that lawmakers first embraced during the depths of COVID-19 and have since moved to extend — in some cases, forever — even as other vestiges of the pandemic fall away.

The emergence of the eviction protection measure, however, is unexpected. The Legislature allowed the original — but temporary — measure known as Chapter 257 to lapse at the end of March despite pleas from homeless and housing advocates to keep it in place until at least July 2024. Evictions have begun rising to pre-pandemic levels, and Chapter 257, supporters argued, was a proven way to stave off pushing potentially thousands into homelessness.

House Democratic leaders agree, despite allowing the measure to expire.

“This was really effective in creating fairness within the process, in making sure that people got a full vetting of their application for rental assistance before any eviction process proceeded,” said state Representative Aaron Michlewitz, a Democrat from the North End and the chamber’s budget chief. “We’re confident in the success of it.”

Three Affordable Housing Projects in the Berkshires are About to Get More Than $7 Million

Berkshire Eagle – Three affordable housing projects in the Berkshires are in line for more than $7 million in state and federal money.

Several Berkshire properties are receiving state and federal aid as part of an effort to facilitate the addition of 460 affordable housing units throughout the Commonwealth.

Gov. Maura Healey announced last week more than $62 million in state and federal aid for 12 projects through Permanent Supportive Housing Grants. The program specifically supports “projects that are affordable and accessible, close to transit and retail amenities, and offer a sense of community,” according to the Governor’s office.

Three of those projects are in The Berkshires: the Bracewell House in North Adams, First Street Apartments in Pittsfield and West Housatonic Apartments in Pittsfield.

Housing at the Library? It May be Coming to Your Boston Neighborhood

Boston Globe – Land is hard to come by in Boston, and as the city seeks to dig out of a housing crisis that is deepening by the day, planners are on the hunt for new ways to find space for apartments. Their latest target? Libraries.

The Mayor’s Office of Housing this week asked for redevelopment proposals for the Boston Public Library’s West End branch, on Cambridge Street near Mass. General Hospital, a site they hope to see transformed into a mixed-use development that combines a new library on the ground floor with desperately needed affordable housing units on top.

It’s one of three such BPL sites set to add housing in the coming years, a concept that has gained popularity in cities such as New York and Chicago as they seek to replicate other mixed-use models such as building housing at shopping malls.

“It’s a natural fit, affordable housing and libraries,” said Joe Backer, a senior development officer in the Mayor’s Office of Housing who has led the West End planning effort. “New families having a chance to live in the West End neighborhood, at affordable rents… above their local library. It’s an idea that has grabbed a lot of attention.”

The exact vision for the West End site is so far vague, but a community input process that began in 2020 has established some parameters. A finished development could range anywhere from 5 to 10 stories tall, with a 17,500-square-foot library on the first floor or two, and subsidized apartments at varying levels of affordability, according to planning documents.

“This vision puts an emphasis on creating high-quality, affordable housing that will serve a variety of households … across multiple income tiers,” the RFP reads.

Residents of the area have said that they’d prefer to see larger apartments that could serve families or seniors, and that the building not overshadow key pieces of the surrounding neighborhood, like the historic Otis House next door.

New Bank Urged to Keep SVB Housing Funds Intact

Boston Herald – Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and its purchase by First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, members of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation are urging the bank’s new owners to keep intact SVB’s commitments to affordable housing in the state.

“It is clear that SVB had extensive investments and partnerships in the affordable housing sector that should be continued,” the reps and senators said in a letter sent Thursday. “In the middle of a worsening affordable housing crisis, it is critical that there is a continuation of these activities under new ownership to avoid the disruption of local affordable housing development pipelines and initiatives.”

The letter is addressed to the CEO of First Citizens and is signed by Reps. Stephen Lynch, Ayanna Pressley, Bill Keating, Jim McGovern, Katherine Clark, Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan and Jake Auchincloss and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey.

It lays out SVB’s extensive reach in Massachusetts’s affordable housing sector after the acquisition of Boston Private Bank & Trust Company in 2021, including financing 18 affordable housing developments with over 800 units currently under construction which will be “largely dependent on the fulfillment of the outstanding lending and investment obligations made by SVB.”

Jacqueline Vose, executive director of strategy and community investment for First Citizens Bank, said she and other bank officials have started talking with “key Boston community leaders.” Further discussions are scheduled in the coming days.

“First Citizens Bank is proud of its 125-year strong track record of supporting the communities where we live and work,” Vose said in a statement. “We take seriously our commitment to invest in and support our communities through affordable housing and other community development initiatives.”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Brookline and Somerville Team Up to Find Ways to Buy More from Women and People of Color

WGBH – The city of Somerville and the town of Brookline are teaming up to launch a major study of disparities that prevent minority- and women-owned businesses from getting their fair share of government contracts.The two municipalities will share the costs of the study — which could run as much as a quarter million dollars — and they say that while the recommendations will be unique to each community, the findings should be broadly useable across Greater Boston to help cities and towns expand opportunities for disadvantaged businesses. Funding for the study will come from the federal pandemic relief money.

Cities generally use disparity studies to provide legal justification for implementing what effectively serve as affirmative action programs for companies, such as government contracts reserved specifically for businesses that the study found were not getting their fair share of city work.

In 2021, Boston released a disparity study showing that 0.4% of prime contracts the city awarded to private enterprises over a five-year period went to Black-owned businesses.

In response, Mayor Michelle Wu launched a “sheltered market” program — the first of its kind in the state — reserving certain contracts for women- or minority-owned businesses. In the first three months of that program, the city steered more than $700,000 to two minority-owned firms for cleaning and event management services.

Somerville and Brookline issued a joint request Wednesday for a contractor to conduct a disparity study for the two municipalities that will, among other things, “Determine whether a legally defensible basis exists for establishing a race and/or gender conscious contracting program … and the appropriate and most effective parameters of such a program.”

Healey Names Lynn’s Trujillo to Latino Empowerment Council

Item Live – Lynn resident Carolina Trujillo, the Citizens Inn executive director and consultant to Essex Media Group’s La Voz, a Spanish language newspaper, has been named to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Latino Empowerment.

“It’s an honor to be part of the Latino leadership identified in the state of Massachusetts,” said Trujillo. “I think that there’s a lot of great things that will come as a result of that.”

The proclamation to create the council was signed by Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday.

Trujillo mentioned that the Latinx community is facing significant disparities in education, home ownership, and food insecurity, and said that her role in the council will be to help take actions that will have a lasting and real effect.

“We really are tasked with finding solutions that are tangible solutions that can be implemented,” she said. “So it’s a very action-driven team, and this is something the governor was pretty adamant about.”

She said that she is excited to work with communities across the North Shore, especially those like Lynn that have a minority-majority.

“I think that it’s critical that we have representation and a voice at the table where we can really look into solutions and implementation. And also, we can gather the communities and their voices when we propose these solutions,” she said.

Greater Boston’s Black Population becoming More Diverse, Dispersed

Commonwealth Magazine – When the president of Cape Verde visited Massachusetts, after meeting with Gov. Maura Healey at the State House, his big public appearance didn’t come in Boston but at Brockton High School, where President José Maria Neves got a rock star welcome when he spoke at the school auditorium. It’s no wonder why: About 800 students at Brockton High, or 22 percent of its study body, were born in the archipelago nation off the west coast of Africa.

While the timing was a coincidence, Neves’s visit to Brockton underscores several big themes in a new report documenting changes in the Black population of Greater Boston.

The report, released Thursday morning by the Boston Foundation, highlights a Black population whose makeup has become increasingly diverse and where foreign-born residents now account for more 37 percent of the region’s Black population, the largest share among any large metropolitan area in the US.

It also shows that growth in that population over the last 40 years has taken place almost entirely outside Boston itself, which had long dominated as the center of the region’s Black population. In 1980, three-quarters of the region’s Black population (76 percent) lived in Boston with 24 percent living outside the city. By 2020, that had been flipped almost entirely, with 64 percent of the region’s Black residents living outside Boston.

The “diversity of the Black population has exploded in recent years,” said James Jennings, an emeritus professor at Tufts University and co-author of the report, “Great Migration to Global Immigration: A Profile of Black Boston,” which was prepared in conjunction with Embrace Boston.

Is ‘Ladies’ a Microaggression? Diversity Experts Explain after Superintendent Candidate Loses Job Offer

Boston Globe – After the leading candidate for superintendent of Easthampton Public Schools claimed he lost his job offer for using the word “ladies” in an e-mail, he said he was “shocked” because he “grew up in a time when ‘ladies’ and ‘gentlemen’ was a sign of respect.”

Vito Perrone, leading candidate for superintendent of the Easthampton Public Schools, said his job offer was abruptly rescinded after he wrote an e-mail to the School Committee chairwoman and another female colleague, addressing them as “ladies.”

He wasn’t the only one; more than 150 people showed up to protest the school committee’s decision to revoke Vito Perrone’s offer, and the Globe’s initial story racked up more than 750 comments, with plenty of readers supporting the salutation.

But in today’s modern workplace, is “ladies” respectful or a microaggression? Unless you’re singing along to Beyoncé, experts say it’s probably best to steer clear of the term.

While not everyone will be offended, several diversity and inclusion experts told the Globe, the word has a long and complicated history, and can hold negative connotations when used in inappropriate settings, such as in contract negotiations in Perrone’s case. Instead, it’s best to ask people how they want to be addressed to avoid alienating or upsetting anyone, they said.

Elisa van Dam, vice president of allyship and inclusion at the Institute for Inclusive Leadership at Simmons University, said the word “ladies” can be infantilizing in a professional setting. Perrone had used the term to address two women in leadership positions, School Committee Chair Cynthia Kwiecinski and the committee’s executive assistant, Suzanne Colby.

“The idea of lady does not correlate or does not lead you to a woman who is in charge and in power and has her work really under control,” Dam said. “It’s none of the things that you want to be thought of as a woman in business or in any kind of hiring situation.”

Energy/Environment

Loggers, Activists, Wildlife Biologists await Healey’s State Forest Plan

WGBH – When Maura Healey was running for Massachusetts governor, she called for a moratorium on commercial tree-cutting on state forests. It was meant as a pause, while the state figures out how its forests can help address climate change.

Since taking office, Healey has stayed quiet about this. But loggers say a moratorium is essentially already in effect. And both opponents and supporters of Healey’s pledge want details

On a chilly March morning in Belchertown, logger Ken Conkey and his sons were harvesting some Eastern white pine trees in a privately owned forest.

“That’s my son, Hayden, in one of our forwarders,” Conkey said, pointing to a vehicle that looks like a big tractor with an arm to grab the logs after they’re cut.

“He’ll come along and he’ll pick all these trees up, put them on it and bring it out to the landing to be shipped,” Conkey said.

A timber harvesting vehicle, called a forwarder, grabs and transports trees that have been cut on private forest land in Belchertown, Massachusetts, in March 2023.

The felled trees are shipped to pulp and sawmills which buy the wood — part of our rural economy.

Besides logging on private land, a quarter to a half of Conkey’s business is usually on state land — last year in the woods in the Quabbin Reservoir and the Chester-Blandford State Forest.