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Milford teen leaves State of the Union early after DHS post

The Department of Homeland Security singled him out in a post during President Trump's speech.

Politics

A Milford teen who was briefly detained by federal immigration agents last year went to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="State of the Union" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/25/2026-state-of-the-union-trump-key-moments" data-vars-content-id="b002d20b-4301-43ac-9a1c-070e816b1f9f" data-vars-headline="Milford teen leaves State of the Union early after DHS post" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/25/2026-state-of-the-union-trump-key-moments" target="_self">State of the Union</a> as a guest Tuesday — only to leave partway through after getting singled out online by the Trump administration.Why it matters: Marcelo Gomes da Silva <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="became a poster child" data-vars-click-url="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/ice-volleyball-arrest-eighteen-gomes-da-silva-milford/" data-vars-content-id="b002d20b-4301-43ac-9a1c-070e816b1f9f" data-vars-headline="Milford teen leaves State of the Union early after DHS post" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/ice-volleyball-arrest-eighteen-gomes-da-silva-milford/" target="_blank">became a poster child</a> for opponents of Trump&#x27;s immigration agenda, who say federal agents have kidnapped young, undocumented people with no criminal records who contributed to their communities.

Why John Henry probably won't bail like Bezos on the Globe

It comes down to money, power, and who has something to lose locally.

News

Massachusetts&#x27; own benevolent billionaire newspaper owner has every reason to stick around and almost none of the pressures that led <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jeff Bezos to decimate the Washington Post" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/05/washington-post-layoffs-bezos" data-vars-content-id="56d1870f-9318-4ee0-9c9a-c0f806ce06d5" data-vars-headline="Why John Henry probably won&#x27;t bail like Bezos on the Globe" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/05/washington-post-layoffs-bezos" target="_self">Jeff Bezos to decimate the Washington Post</a>.Why it matters: There are fundamental differences behind why Bezos and Boston Globe owner John Henry bought a newspaper in the first place and what it costs them to keep it.

Larry Summers resigns from Harvard professorship amid Epstein probe

Summers' exit is the latest in a reckoning on college campuses over ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Education

Larry Summers, the former treasury secretary and Harvard president, is officially out of a job at the university.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Summers&#x27; exit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/epstein-larry-summers-relationship-resignation" data-vars-content-id="563e3826-3363-4758-a31e-63e15953b48c" data-vars-headline="Larry Summers resigns from Harvard professorship amid Epstein probe" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/epstein-larry-summers-relationship-resignation" target="_self">Summers&#x27; exit</a> from his professorship at Harvard is the latest in a reckoning over U.S. college leaders&#x27; ties to sex offender <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jeffrey Epstein" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/13/epstein-files-fracture-trump-coalition-bondi" data-vars-content-id="563e3826-3363-4758-a31e-63e15953b48c" data-vars-headline="Larry Summers resigns from Harvard professorship amid Epstein probe" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/13/epstein-files-fracture-trump-coalition-bondi" target="_self">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.

Dunkin' is selling a 48oz "Bucket" for the iced coffee obsessed

The coffee giant is leaning into its New England roots with massive new cups and a single insulated mitten.

Dunkin&#x27; has been leaning hard into its New England roots this winter with two new releases that seem a bit too on the nose for the &quot;iced-coffee-in-a-blizzard&quot; crowd:<ul><li>A single insulated mitten for your iced coffee hand</li><li>And a massive 48oz &quot;Bucket&quot; size the likes of which are usually only found around PS Gourmet locations.</li></ul>

Waymo says robotaxis are ready to handle Boston's icy streets

The autonomous leader faces navigating Massachusetts' strict self-driving laws.

Travel

Waymo is laying the groundwork to bring its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="autonomous taxi service" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/09/self-driving-car-waymo-taxi-test" data-vars-content-id="7182a6dc-9630-42e3-9cec-aa7210dce6dd" data-vars-headline="Waymo says robotaxis are ready to handle Boston&#x27;s icy streets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/09/self-driving-car-waymo-taxi-test" target="_self">autonomous taxi service</a> to Boston, claiming the technology is ready to handle the city&#x27;s complex infrastructure and severe winter weather.Why it matters: In returning to Boston, one of the nation&#x27;s most challenging driving environments, Google&#x27;s autonomous ride-hailing company is signaling it&#x27;s ready for national expansion.

Proposal targets parking rules blamed for rising Boston housing prices

Boston leaders may end parking mandates that can add $50K per unit to housing costs.

The Boston City Council wants to spur housing construction by eliminating minimum parking mandates for new residential buildings.<ul><li>Why it matters: Removing these barriers to speedy construction is a growing trend around the region, with the goal of boosting housing supply and cutting costs.</li></ul>

Get ready for the worst holiday travel ever

Nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, with Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons bringing the worst traffic in Massachusetts.

Bay State travelers should gear up for a record-setting holiday <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="traffic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/11/03/boston-traffic-congestion-commute" data-vars-content-id="b197b665-269e-492b-8a23-467c770a15f7" data-vars-headline="Get ready for the worst holiday travel ever" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/11/03/boston-traffic-congestion-commute" target="_self">traffic</a> surge, with a national forecast of nearly 82 million Americans hitting the roads or skies between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1.

Flight chaos looms at Logan as FAA cuts flights

Thousands of Boston travelers may be stranded as FAA mandates 10% flight reduction at Logan.

Boston&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Logan Airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/02/13/logan-airport-uber-lyft-fees-increase" data-vars-content-id="b0247b43-c816-4ce5-b6f4-76ec12e3e7be" data-vars-headline="Flight chaos looms at Logan as FAA cuts flights" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/02/13/logan-airport-uber-lyft-fees-increase" target="_self">Logan Airport</a> is set to experience significant flight reductions starting Friday, as federal authorities force emergency capacity cuts due to the government shutdown.Why it matters: The Federal Aviation Administration wants a 10% traffic reduction at 40 major airports nationwide, including at Logan.<ul><li>That could strand thousands of New England travelers and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="disrupt holiday plans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/03/government-shutdown-thanksgiving-travel-delays-canceled-flights" data-vars-content-id="b0247b43-c816-4ce5-b6f4-76ec12e3e7be" data-vars-headline="Flight chaos looms at Logan as FAA cuts flights" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/03/government-shutdown-thanksgiving-travel-delays-canceled-flights" target="_self">disrupt holiday plans</a>.</li></ul>

Boston traffic congestion keeps getting worse

We're still under 2019 peaks, but congestion is on the up.

The good news: In Greater Boston, the time we spend in traffic has gone down by nearly 7% since before the pandemic.<ul><li>The bad news: Congestion is getting worse year after year, and we&#x27;re almost back to the heights of the 2010s, a new report finds.</li></ul>Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has been getting worse — or at least is different — since the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID-19 pandemic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/cdc-covid-vaccine-rules-recommendations-high-risk-fda" data-vars-content-id="30a50856-d922-487a-b109-a3f6f7c0b03c" data-vars-headline="Boston traffic congestion keeps getting worse" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/cdc-covid-vaccine-rules-recommendations-high-risk-fda" target="_self">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, even if the stats say otherwise.

Sound off: Is Boston traffic really that bad?

Do you think traffic congestion has gotten worse since the end of the pandemic?

Newton's new traffic light divides drivers

Some drivers say the light is causing backups and more delays.

Transit

A new traffic light in Newton is creating backups and long delays even when there&#x27;s no congestion, local drivers told <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CBS Boston" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/newton-traffic-light-needham-street/" data-vars-content-id="389934b3-b062-46b5-a892-ef0d634b82e1" data-vars-headline="Newton&#x27;s new traffic light divides drivers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/newton-traffic-light-needham-street/" target="_blank">CBS Boston</a>.Why it matters: The traffic light is either a godsend for kids trying to cross the street or the bane of every driver&#x27;s existence, depending on whom you ask.

Acela upgrade means faster, more frequent Boston-to-D.C. travel

Amtrak&#x27;s redesigned NextGen <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Acela" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/12/20/amtrak-station-guide-new-york-city-moynhian-train-hall-penn-station" data-vars-content-id="ef35ad31-6ce2-4f89-abb1-e2053a2a3d81" data-vars-headline="Acela upgrade means faster, more frequent Boston-to-D.C. travel" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/12/20/amtrak-station-guide-new-york-city-moynhian-train-hall-penn-station" target="_self">Acela</a> train service is coming later this month to South Station and the rest of the Boston-to-D.C. corridor.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="August 28 launch" data-vars-click-url="https://www.amtrak.com/nextgen-acela?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMBizpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHp31YmzHUgYobsl041N5ekLUTJQ9_pISHMX6VUc33660w655v8wi4VXtxMBB_aem_40WOhMOsneQ_Pa5Omk2kvg" data-vars-content-id="ef35ad31-6ce2-4f89-abb1-e2053a2a3d81" data-vars-headline="Acela upgrade means faster, more frequent Boston-to-D.C. travel" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.amtrak.com/nextgen-acela?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMBizpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHp31YmzHUgYobsl041N5ekLUTJQ9_pISHMX6VUc33660w655v8wi4VXtxMBB_aem_40WOhMOsneQ_Pa5Omk2kvg" target="_blank">August 28 launch</a> will be an upgrade to the country&#x27;s only high-speed passenger rail service along the Northeast Corridor.

The long, long road to taxing mileage in Mass.

Mass. could soon embark on the long, long road to taxing mileage.

Lawmakers are looking for the state to get closer to its climate-friendly emissions goal by targeting how many miles residents drive.Why it matters: Transportation accounts for 37% of all Massachusetts<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" emissions" data-vars-click-url="https://transitmatters.org/blog/from-vmts-to-tmts" data-vars-content-id="be75baa4-e576-422d-adce-b2a5cf935e6c" data-vars-headline="The long, long road to taxing mileage in Mass." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://transitmatters.org/blog/from-vmts-to-tmts" target="_blank"> emissions</a>, yet the state consistently trails behind its own goals to reduce greenhouse gases.<ul><li>Factoring miles driven into state policy — and possibly taxing them down the road — would be a sea change in the way Bay Staters move around the commonwealth.</li></ul>

Mass. Pike traffic nightmare this weekend

Drivers on I-90 will face severe disruptions this weekend as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bridge replacement work" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/traffic-and-construction-updates-newton-weston-bridge-replacementrehabilitation-at-i-90i-95" data-vars-content-id="2d31067a-d47e-4d1d-ba02-753344ece6f0" data-vars-headline="Mass. Pike traffic nightmare this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/traffic-and-construction-updates-newton-weston-bridge-replacementrehabilitation-at-i-90i-95" target="_blank">bridge replacement work</a> reduces the Pike to one lane in each direction around <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Newton" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/12/09/massachusetts-1-percent-top-earners-how-much" data-vars-content-id="2d31067a-d47e-4d1d-ba02-753344ece6f0" data-vars-headline="Mass. Pike traffic nightmare this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/12/09/massachusetts-1-percent-top-earners-how-much" target="_self">Newton</a> and Weston.