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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.

Boston author resurrects the race Detroit tried to erase

The book argues that Massachusetts had a chance to become America's auto capital.

History

Boston-based journalist Eric Moskowitz spent years digging into a forgotten 1909 cross-country car race.<ul><li>He found a hometown company that won the race, only to get written out of history.</li></ul>Why it matters: Moskowitz&#x27;s new book, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;The Hardest, Longest Race,&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250282675/thehardestlongestrace/" data-vars-content-id="5a7669c7-f63e-45b0-a9cc-aec2a859382c" data-vars-headline="Boston author resurrects the race Detroit tried to erase" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250282675/thehardestlongestrace/" target="_blank">&quot;The Hardest, Longest Race,&quot;</a> argues that Massachusetts had a chance to become America&#x27;s auto capital before a factory fire, political sabotage and Henry Ford&#x27;s relentless Detroit PR machine buried the truth.

The Boston legacies you won't see on the freedom trail

Several new and upcoming markers highlight the city's diverse history.

An Islamic cultural center, a temple, a zen garden — these are some of the sites being recognized as Boston celebrates the nation&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="semiquincentennial" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/america-250-christianity-founders" data-vars-content-id="cc23f7a0-3196-42e2-ad24-d0e846e5a06c" data-vars-headline="The Boston legacies you won&#x27;t see on the freedom trail" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/america-250-christianity-founders" target="_self">semiquincentennial</a>.Why it matters: These institutions haven&#x27;t drawn massive crowds of patriotic tourists, but their legacies paint a picture of the communities that shaped one of the nation&#x27;s oldest cities.

Charles River Museum's Tesla exhibit asks: Who owns an idea?

A Waltham museum explores Nikola Tesla's work with the Waltham Watch Company.

A new exhibition at the Charles River Museum of Industry &amp; Innovation explores the historic — and at times strained — partnership between inventor Nikola Tesla and the Waltham Watch Company.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Nikola Tesla: The Speed of Innovation&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.charlesrivermuseum.org/nikola-tesla-the-speed-of-innovation" data-vars-content-id="b14bf47f-1c7c-4483-ba67-af551038e8c6" data-vars-headline="Charles River Museum&#x27;s Tesla exhibit asks: Who owns an idea?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.charlesrivermuseum.org/nikola-tesla-the-speed-of-innovation" target="_blank">&quot;Nikola Tesla: The Speed of Innovation&quot;</a> revisits a question that still shapes innovation today: Who owns and profits from an idea?

Sail250 begins: Your Parade of Sail and tall ships cheat sheet

Dozens of ships, including 50-plus military vessels from 21 countries, are coming to Boston.

Things to Do

Boston welcomes more than 50 military ships from 21 countries starting Saturday for Sail250, the culmination of the multicity tall ships celebration.The intrigue: You don&#x27;t have to know the difference between a bow and a flying jib to appreciate the spectacle.

Boston Harbor braces for Tall Ships' 4 million expected visitors

Crowds will gather to watch 60 ships from Argentina, Colombia, India and other nations.

Sixty ships from around the world will dock along Boston Harbor next month for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tall Ships" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/02/boston-biggest-events-2026-guide" data-vars-content-id="605f19d8-061f-4e0e-b7ef-f9df91c21056" data-vars-headline="Boston Harbor braces for Tall Ships&#x27; 4 million expected visitors" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/02/02/boston-biggest-events-2026-guide" target="_self">Tall Ships</a>.The intrigue: The international gathering of military ships could bring an estimated 4 million people to Boston&#x27;s waterfront as the U.S. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="celebrates 250 years" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/12/america-250-birthday-polling" data-vars-content-id="605f19d8-061f-4e0e-b7ef-f9df91c21056" data-vars-headline="Boston Harbor braces for Tall Ships&#x27; 4 million expected visitors" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/12/america-250-birthday-polling" target="_self">celebrates 250 years</a> — all while the city hosts <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the World Cup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/06/22/scotland-tartan-army-leaves-boston-world-cup" data-vars-content-id="605f19d8-061f-4e0e-b7ef-f9df91c21056" data-vars-headline="Boston Harbor braces for Tall Ships&#x27; 4 million expected visitors" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/06/22/scotland-tartan-army-leaves-boston-world-cup" target="_self">the World Cup</a>.

"The work of belonging": Bronze plaques will highlight Boston's diverse history

Embrace Boston will unveil 20 markers to highlight communities that shaped the city.

Boston&#x27;s last remaining immigrant-founded synagogue blends in with the rows of brownstones on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Beacon Hill" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/06/05/boston-travel-guide-best-things-to-do" data-vars-content-id="1104e6e1-c5a9-48f5-a714-05da085b176c" data-vars-headline="&quot;The work of belonging&quot;: Bronze plaques will highlight Boston&#x27;s diverse history" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/06/05/boston-travel-guide-best-things-to-do" target="_self">Beacon Hill</a>, but a bronze plaque will soon highlight the Vilna Shul&#x27;s place in city history for all to see.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nation&#x27;s 250th birthday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/06/03/america-250-freedom-250-national-mall-white-house-drama" data-vars-content-id="1104e6e1-c5a9-48f5-a714-05da085b176c" data-vars-headline="&quot;The work of belonging&quot;: Bronze plaques will highlight Boston&#x27;s diverse history" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/06/03/america-250-freedom-250-national-mall-white-house-drama" target="_self">nation&#x27;s 250th birthday</a> isn&#x27;t just a time to celebrate its white, male founders, but also a chance to highlight the diverse communities that have shaped it along the way, Boston cultural leaders say.

What Ireland's 1926 census release means for Irish Bostonians

The new records are connecting Bostonians to their ancestors.

A century after Ireland&#x27;s first census as a free state, Boston College provost David Quigley got his hands on copies of census forms his relatives filled out.<ul><li>They were among the 2.9 million people who participated in 1926 and whose records were recently made public.</li></ul>

Substation trading cards highlight Boston history

The trading cards highlight MBTA and substation history.

A rescue hook. An Orange Line train. A historic blackout.<ul><li>These are the details of Roslindale&#x27;s history highlighted in the Substation&#x27;s trading card series.</li></ul>

Boston celebrates 50 years of "Rocky Horror" with doc screening

Fifty years ago this month, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" midnight screenings debuted in NYC.

Culture

&quot;The Rocky Horror Picture Show&quot; has outlived the Soviet Union, Y2K and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19 pandemic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/health/coronavirus" data-vars-content-id="89c3f8a9-86ea-4435-9215-41be43236002" data-vars-headline="Boston celebrates 50 years of &quot;Rocky Horror&quot; with doc screening" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/health/coronavirus" target="_self">COVID-19 pandemic</a>.<ul><li>Boston-area fans will celebrate its legacy on Saturday with a documentary showing that pays tribute to the cult classic and its fandom.</li></ul>

Federal grant jumpstarts long-delayed Old State House stabilization in Boston

A new federal grant will fund the stabilization project, which previously fell through.

A project to stabilize the Old State House and its plaza — where steel beams have rusted and face an increasing risk of collapse — finally received federal funding after years of starts and stops.Why it matters: The 313-year-old building and plaza&#x27;s ability to bear a heavy load, like a truck rolling by the fire lane, is compromised, according to the civic group that oversees it.<ul><li>The structural flaws will pose a danger to pedestrians in downtown Boston if left unaddressed.</li></ul>