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The Lead |
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A Supreme Court Ruling Is About to Upend Life for Thousands of Massachusetts Immigrants The Supreme Court's decision this week to let the Trump administration revoke Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians isn't an abstract legal ruling — it's a gut punch landing right here in Massachusetts. An estimated 330,000 TPS holders nationwide are now on a fast track to losing their legal status and work authorization, and a significant chunk of them call Greater Boston home. Haitian communities in Mattapan, Brockton, and Springfield are particularly exposed. Kerry Doyle, a former ICE legal adviser under Biden who now practices immigration law in Massachusetts, put it plainly: "A lot of people are going to be in an extremely vulnerable position as a result of this." The human stakes are stark, but so are the economic ones. Advocates and healthcare executives are sounding alarms about what happens when you abruptly remove tens of thousands of workers — nurses, home health aides, construction laborers — from the workforce. State officials and legal groups like Lawyers for Civil Rights have vowed to fight back, but "every legal tool" is a promise that runs headlong into a Supreme Court that just ruled against them. Congressional advocates are pushing federal legislation to extend TPS protections, though that's a long shot in the current Senate. For now, families are waiting, teachers are watching children ask hard questions in class, and community organizations like Mattapan's Immigrant Family Services Institute are bracing for an overwhelming surge in need. What comes next: Watch for Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Governor Maura Healey to weigh in with formal state responses. Legal challenges at the circuit level are possible but face steep odds post-ruling. And if you want to understand the real-world ripple effects — economic and human — columnist Yvonne Abraham's piece on why this "victory" will cost everyone is worth your time. |
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What Else You Should Know |
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MassHealth Stops Covering Weight-Loss Drugs This Tuesday Starting July 1, roughly 22,000 MassHealth members will lose coverage for GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound when prescribed solely for weight loss — a policy change baked into Governor Healey's FY2027 budget meant to save $15 million a year. For people on Medicaid, "pay out of pocket" often means choosing between a $1,300-per-month drug and rent. The state says it will continue covering these medications for conditions like Type 2 diabetes, but the line between obesity and its comorbidities is rarely clean. |
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One Dead, Four Wounded in Mattapan Square Shooting A mass shooting in the early hours of Saturday morning on Blue Hill Avenue left one person dead and four others injured after ShotSpotter alerts drew officers to the scene around 1:45 a.m. A fifth victim made his own way to a hospital outside Boston. Police have an active investigation underway and are asking anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. No arrests have been announced. |
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Duck Boat Flips on Cambridge Ramp, 11 Injured A Boston Duck Tours vessel rolled onto its side Saturday afternoon on the boat ramp at 10 Museum Way after a tow rope snapped while pulling the mechanically disabled boat out of the Charles River. Thirty-one people were aboard; one was extricated and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. Duck Tours suspended operations for the rest of the day and is cooperating with State Police and the Coast Guard. If you've ever wondered whether those tow ropes are robust enough — now everyone's wondering. |
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Haverhill Sewer Lines Burst Into Merrimack River After Storm A Friday night thunderstorm overwhelmed Haverhill's sewer infrastructure, rupturing a 42-inch force main near the city's main pumping station and sending untreated wastewater into the Merrimack River. The mayor says drinking water is unaffected, but residents are being warned to stay out of the river while crews race to contain the spill. Aging infrastructure plus increasingly intense storms is becoming a recurring and expensive story across the Commonwealth. |
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Off-Duty State Trooper Punches Colleague, Relieved of Duty Massachusetts State Police relieved a trooper of duty after video surfaced showing the officer punching another off-duty trooper during a bar altercation. Neither trooper has been publicly identified. The department's Office of Professional Integrity and Accountability is investigating, and State Police say they will take "swift and appropriate action." The incident follows a period of heightened scrutiny over trooper conduct across the state. |
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Halifax Residents Revolt Over Beach Chaos at Monponsett Pond If you think your local beach situation is bad, spare a thought for Halifax. Residents showed up in force to a Select Board meeting last week to describe what they called "permissible mayhem" at the Monponsett Pond public beach — jet skis in swim zones, blocked emergency ramps, public intoxication, and a one-year-old struck by a wake. The board moved fast, passing an emergency motion to install a locked security gate at the 4th Avenue boat ramp. South Shore summer in full swing. |
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Worth Your Attention |
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Marshfield Special Election Early Voting begins July 6, with the full vote on July 25 to fill a vacant Select Board seat — a race that will break the current two-member deadlock over a $7 million budget override and a permanent Town Administrator hire. South Shore News → Massachusetts nurses are expected to strike in July — worth watching this week for announcements on which hospitals are affected and what negotiations look like heading into the holiday. WBZ / CBS Boston → |
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New on the Ballot
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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance: Candidates
PACs
Ballot Question Committees
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One More Thing |
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The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who needs to know what's going on — or just wants to sound smart at Sunday brunch. |
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