Salaries in the spotlight

Also: Jack Connors' far-reaching legacy; car inspections resume [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   July 24, 2024  ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 74 and a chance of showers. Good Morning Boston, We take two days off from sending this newsletter (two days!), and suddenly the president is [dropping his reelection bid]( Boston's [mayor is pregnant]( and everyone is [talking about coconut trees](. Before we review what happened while we were gone, let's look to today's news: - How much does that job pay? Massachusetts is on the verge of giving jobseekers more insight into how much money they should expect to make when applying for a new job or asking for a raise. Beacon Hill lawmakers plan to vote today on a compromise salary transparency bill - one of the flurry of bills lawmakers are sending to Gov. Maura Healey's desk before the legislative session ends next week. (Healey's office says she "has long supported efforts to make pay and hiring more equitable and transparent" and looks forward to reviewing the bill.) Here are three things it would do. - All job postings by employers (businesses, nonprofits, government entities, etc) with 25 or more workers would be required to include the wage or salary range for the position being advertised. The requirement takes effect a year after the bill is signed. While the bill doesn't set specific guidelines for the range, it must be a "good faith" reflection of what the employer plans to pay. - The bill would also require those same employers to share the pay range whenever an employee is getting promoted or transferred to a new position - and it gives workers the right to request info on their current job's salary range at any point. - Finally, the bill would require employers with 100 or more workers to file (already federally required) employment data with the state, so officials can better track local wage gaps. - Zoom out: Pay range transparency laws have gained steam in recent years, according to the Center for American Progress. As of last year, [at least eight other states]( had enacted similar laws. [Supporters say]( women and people of color - who are  [often underpaid compared to their white, male counterparts]( negotiate for better pay. - In related news: Financial services giant State Street has [agreed to allocate $4.2 million for future pay adjustments]( to resolve allegations of gender pay discrimination at four of its Boston-area offices. Ok, now for a speed round of local news that happened while we were off: - Massachusetts' top Democrats have rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's presidential nominee, following President Biden's [historic decision to step aside](. Harris [got the unanimous endorsement of all 116 delegates]( that the state party plans to send to the Democratic National Convention next month. - Zoom out: Harris now has [the apparent support of enough DNC delegates to secure the nomination](. The big question is who she will choose as a running mate. Here's [a look at the top contenders](. - Zoom in: Harris plans to [attend a fundraiser this Saturday in the Berkshires]( historian Heather Cox Richardson and musicians James Taylor, Yo Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. - Massachusetts residents can once again get their cars inspected. The RMV [announced inspections will resume today]( after the statewide system was knocked offline by last Friday's massive tech outage. The RMV is also giving an extension to anyone whose cars failed inspection and needed a retest this month. (If that's you, get it done before Aug. 10.) - The Healey administration is placing even more limits on access to the state's emergency shelters through major changes to the system's waitlist and overflow sites. [Click here for the details on the new restrictions]( (which take effect next Thursday) and the options for families in need. - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is [expecting her third child]( (and first daughter), but says it won't affect her reelection plans. - Karen Read's retrial has been [scheduled to start in late January]( though her lawyers will be back in court in a few weeks to push for the dismissal of two of the three charges against her. - Massachusetts and four other New England states got a $450 million federal grant [aimed at encouraging residents to install electric heat pumps](. - Taunton Mayor Shauna O'Connell was [arrested for allegedly biting her husband and hitting him]( with a small "crowbar/gasket cleaner." - TD Bank is planning to close seven (of its 135) branch locations in Massachusetts, including two in Boston. Boston.com has [the list](. P.S.- We had some big local names on Radio Boston reacting to this week's bombshell political news. Listen to [Wu's full interview on Monday]( and [Sen. Elizabeth Warren's appearance on Tuesday](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Jack Connors, Boston power broker and philanthropist, dies at 82]( Connors left a far-reaching legacy in philanthropy, business and politics. "There's probably not a mayor or a governor or college president or city councilor who didn't know him, talked to him, learned from him," former Gov. Charlie Baker told WBUR in an interview. [Read more.]( [Jack Connors, Boston power broker and philanthropist, dies at 82]( Connors left a far-reaching legacy in philanthropy, business and politics. "There's probably not a mayor or a governor or college president or city councilor who didn't know him, talked to him, learned from him," former Gov. Charlie Baker told WBUR in an interview. [Read more.]( [Secret Service director resigns in wake of Trump assassination attempt]( U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned from her job, according to a statement released by the White House. [Read more.]( [Secret Service director resigns in wake of Trump assassination attempt]( U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned from her job, according to a statement released by the White House. [Read more.]( [11 Harvard protesters banned from graduation will get diplomas]( The 11 students were among 13 seniors total had their degrees withheld in May after being disciplined by the university's Administrative Board for participation in a pro-Palestinian encampment in Harvard Yard that stretched for 20 days. [Read more.]( [11 Harvard protesters banned from graduation will get diplomas]( The 11 students were among 13 seniors total had their degrees withheld in May after being disciplined by the university's Administrative Board for participation in a pro-Palestinian encampment in Harvard Yard that stretched for 20 days. [Read more.]( [Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu can expect a mixed reception as he addresses Congress]( The Israeli leader speaks Wednesday to a joint meeting of Congress amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Republicans are strongly supportive of Israel, while Democrats are increasingly critical. [Read more.]( [Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu can expect a mixed reception as he addresses Congress]( The Israeli leader speaks Wednesday to a joint meeting of Congress amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Republicans are strongly supportive of Israel, while Democrats are increasingly critical. [Read more.]( [Delta's flight delays and cancellations prompt Dept. of Transportation investigation]( Chaos is still underway at Delta Air Lines, as the airline has entered its fifth day of cancellations and delays following Friday's global software outage. [Read more.]( [Delta's flight delays and cancellations prompt Dept. of Transportation investigation]( Chaos is still underway at Delta Air Lines, as the airline has entered its fifth day of cancellations and delays following Friday's global software outage. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - [A new entrance to Boston Arnold Arboretum is opening]( this summer. WBUR's Barbara Moran reports it's part of a larger effort to make it easier for locals to find their way into the massive green space. - Katie Gavin, of MUNA/"Silk Chiffon" fame, is out with her first single ahead of this weekend's Newport Folk Festival. WBUR's Maddie Browning talked to Gavin (and her cat Button) about the new track, her political activism and finding inspiration in relationship turmoil. [Listen to "Aftertaste" and read the full Q&A here.]( - Moose are iconic to New Hampshire - but it's getting harder to find them. Two NHPR reporters [went on a moose tour to learn why](. - Meg Heckman [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that the "viability" question about Kamala Harris - or any candidate - carries a specific type of misogyny, one that's cloaked as pragmatism and deeply internalized across the political spectrum. What We're Reading 📚 - Flooding, bacteria, hostility: So much for Walden Pond's tranquility ([The Boston Globe]( - Speed limit on busy Route 3 is going up ([GBH News]( - The Decathlete Who Picked Up a Gun ([The New York Times](   Tell Me Something Good [Team saves entangled leatherback sea turtle in Cape Cod Bay]( A team of scientists from the New England Aquarium, responders from the Center for Coastal Studies and the Barnstable Harbormaster freed the turtle who was tangled in rope last Thursday. [Read more.]( [Team saves entangled leatherback sea turtle in Cape Cod Bay]( A team of scientists from the New England Aquarium, responders from the Center for Coastal Studies and the Barnstable Harbormaster freed the turtle who was tangled in rope last Thursday. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [A reminder to give the whales some space.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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