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Healey blasts ICE, presses GOP rivals

Gov. Healey is demanding her Republican challengers denounce the agency's tactics.

Politics

Gov. Maura Healey blasted <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ICE&#x27;s deadly enforcement tactics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/07/13/ice-deaths-continue-to-climb-in-2026" data-vars-content-id="3ddbb820-ed79-45f3-9612-8c33a5bafda4" data-vars-headline="Healey blasts ICE, presses GOP rivals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/07/13/ice-deaths-continue-to-climb-in-2026" target="_self">ICE&#x27;s deadly enforcement tactics</a> yesterday and demanded her Republican gubernatorial rivals denounce the federal agency.Why it matters: Healey&#x27;s comments came after ICE agents fatally shot two people in one week — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one in Maine, one in Texas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/man-shot-and-killed-by-ice-agent-in-maine-was-not-the-subject-of-a-warrant-lawmakers-say/" data-vars-content-id="3ddbb820-ed79-45f3-9612-8c33a5bafda4" data-vars-headline="Healey blasts ICE, presses GOP rivals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/man-shot-and-killed-by-ice-agent-in-maine-was-not-the-subject-of-a-warrant-lawmakers-say/" target="_blank">one in Maine, one in Texas</a> — intensifying a national debate over the agency&#x27;s tactics.

How Sail250 connects a diaspora

Dozens of military ships from 21 countries are berthed along the Boston Harbor until Thursday.

America at 250

Sail Boston and the Colombian tall ship&#x27;s visit brought something I&#x27;ve never experienced with my family in Medellín: a chance to learn about our nation&#x27;s maritime history.<ul><li>So I put on my Colombia jersey and headed to Pier 11 in Charlestown on Sunday.</li></ul>

Wildfire smoke casts yellow haze over Boston, more expected Wednesday

Smoke from Canadian and Minnesota wildfires turned the Boston sky yellow-orange

News

Canadian and Minnesota wildfire smoke drifted into Massachusetts on Tuesday, casting a yellow-orange tint over the sky and blocking out direct sunlight.Why it matters: The smoke&#x27;s so thick it dented afternoon high temperatures and prompted forecasters to pull a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="planned heat alert set for Wednesday." data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-yellow-sky-wildfire-smoke-air-quality/" data-vars-content-id="86c1607e-92f2-48bc-9414-e73551c8c3cf" data-vars-headline="Wildfire smoke casts yellow haze over Boston, more expected Wednesday" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-yellow-sky-wildfire-smoke-air-quality/" target="_blank">planned heat alert set for Wednesday.</a>

New faces challenge sitting DAs across four Mass. counties

From Suffolk to Bristol, primaries are testing whether voters want continuity or a reset.

Massachusetts district attorney races in 2026 are pulling in fresh faces and familiar names, with contested races in four counties testing whether voters want change in local prosecutions.Why it matters: These races will decide how prosecutors approach criminal diversion, police accountability and victim advocacy for the remainder of the decade.

A dangerous heat wave rolls into Mass. this week

Temperatures could reach as high as 103 on Thursday.

Climate

A &quot;heat dome&quot; is forecast to bring dangerously high temperatures to much of the eastern half of the U.S. this week.<ul><li>The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="extreme heat" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/26/heat-wave-dome-july" data-vars-content-id="82942e1f-9e39-4dbf-965c-27750c5bb37d" data-vars-headline="A dangerous heat wave rolls into Mass. this week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/26/heat-wave-dome-july" target="_self">extreme heat</a> could last through July 4 celebrations.</li></ul>

Why chaos gardening with native plants is taking over Massachusetts yards

Local experts say you need a little intention to help native plants thrive.

Chaos gardening — the viral TikTok trend of scattering seeds and &quot;letting nature decide&quot; — is surging across the country as demand for native plants reaches new heights.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Native" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/04/16/native-plants-michigan-yards-wildlife-experts" data-vars-content-id="f24ea706-ed8e-427b-a8d3-cb6ef9703542" data-vars-headline="Why chaos gardening with native plants is taking over Massachusetts yards" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/04/16/native-plants-michigan-yards-wildlife-experts" target="_self">Native</a> chaos gardens appeal to New England homeowners seeking lower-maintenance yards that also help local wildlife thrive.

Mass. Senate previews rival energy savings plan

Senate president Karen Spilka previewed a plan for $10 billion in ratepayer savings over 10 years.

The Senate could be headed for a collision with the House over how to lower <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="energy costs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/04/27/massachusetts-electric-bills" data-vars-content-id="dff4ae43-8a78-47e5-9189-2bacb8eb419d" data-vars-headline="Mass. Senate previews rival energy savings plan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/04/27/massachusetts-electric-bills" target="_self">energy costs</a> for Massachusetts residents, one of the top issues for voters this year.Why it matters: Senate president Karen Spilka previewed the Senate&#x27;s new energy bill Thursday.<ul><li>It differs from the House-passed plan on how much Massachusetts should cut climate programs in pursuit of ratepayer relief.</li></ul>

Greater Boston's sewage problem may continue through 2050

A state proposal would reduce, but not eliminate, combined sewer overflows in major storms.

Environment

Cambridge and Arlington residents find themselves running and pushing strollers through sewage-tainted waters every time heavy rains flood the Alewife Brook Reservation.<ul><li>A state proposal would reduce, but not eliminate, the amount of sewage overflow from certain pipes into Boston-area waterways by 2050.</li></ul>

Blizzard dumps 2 feet of snow over Greater Boston

Flight cancellations, power outages and other disruptions may take several days to fully resolve.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="blizzard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/17/winter-storms-boston" data-vars-content-id="37929781-6095-4982-b396-7cc6beb43788" data-vars-headline="Blizzard dumps 2 feet of snow over Greater Boston" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/17/winter-storms-boston" target="_self">blizzard</a> is over, and now comes the hard part: digging out, getting power back and resuming the work week.Why it matters: Flight cancellations, power outages and other storm-related disruptions may take several days to fully resolve, state officials say.

Bostonians slashed tires and egged cars over parking spots after snowstorm

Tensions heated up on Boston's streets in the two weeks after the Jan. 25 storm.

Public Safety

To say Bostonians lost their cool after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="last month&#x27;s snowstorm" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/26/massachusetts-snowfall-storm" data-vars-content-id="f8fe85d3-e46e-46a8-8f59-a5130a4015dc" data-vars-headline="Bostonians slashed tires and egged cars over parking spots after snowstorm" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/26/massachusetts-snowfall-storm" target="_self">last month&#x27;s snowstorm</a> is an understatement.<ul><li>Dozens of people got involved in spats over shoveled spaces, with some finding their tires slashed, cars egged or other damage, per records reviewed by Axios.</li></ul>

Boston area braces for back-to-back storms this week

Greater Boston is in for back-to-back storms across six days.

Boston-area residents should brace for messy commutes Wednesday night and Thursday morning as the first of three storms passes through Massachusetts.The big picture: Greater Boston is in for back-to-back storms across six days, and forecasts suggest they will bring wetter snowfall than the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="previous storms" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/26/massachusetts-snowfall-storm" data-vars-content-id="0343aacd-c267-461e-bd96-74ac6ef8deeb" data-vars-headline="Boston area braces for back-to-back storms this week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/26/massachusetts-snowfall-storm" target="_self">previous storms</a>.

Utilities change course on charging interest on winter relief

Utilities asked state regulators early this week to let them charge interest on the deferred amount.

The Healey administration fended off an attempt by utility companies to charge interest on energy costs deferred under the governor&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="winter relief plan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/22/healey-energy-bill-cut-massachusetts-winter-electric-gas-relief-fund" data-vars-content-id="06acfa04-cbd0-4312-bd58-5c95341bd51d" data-vars-headline="Utilities change course on charging interest on winter relief" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/22/healey-energy-bill-cut-massachusetts-winter-electric-gas-relief-fund" target="_self">winter relief plan</a>.Why it matters: The relief plan could have cost households more in the long run if utilities charged interest on the deferred amount.

Winter storm dumps over a foot of snow on Greater Boston

The snow storm shuttered Massachusetts schools and workplaces Monday.

The snow storm has lived up to the hype and halted the Monday morning commute for most in eastern Massachusetts, shuttering schools and workplaces across the state. The big picture: The storm has dumped more than a foot of snow across Greater Boston since late Sunday morning.

MGB study shows racial disparities in extreme temperature-related deaths

Extreme weather events and temperature shifts may only expose more vulnerable populations to health risks.

Health

Extreme heat and cold have led to more than 69,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past 25 years, a new study led by investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests.Why it matters: Climate change is contributing to extreme weather events and temperature shifts, which may only expose more vulnerable populations to health risks.

Climate 🌿

A dangerous heat wave rolls into Mass. this week

Why chaos gardening with native plants is taking over Massachusetts yards

Mass. Senate previews rival energy savings plan

Greater Boston's sewage problem may continue through 2050

Blizzard dumps 2 feet of snow over Greater Boston