Healey's housing "game changer"

Also: Rachael Rollins resigns ahead of ethics report; finding the food's food of right whales [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 17, 2023 ☀️Sunny, with a high near 60. Good Morning Boston, Hope you didn't put that jacket into storage just yet. It's going to [get chilly tonight](. Before you dig through your closet, let's dig into this morning's news: - What difference does a housing secretary make? A day after Gov. Maura Healey appointed Massachusetts' first-ever cabinet-level housing secretary, [former Worcester city manager Ed Augustus]( the governor pitched listeners of Radio Boston on how the position will be a "game changer" for local residents struggling to find an affordable home. But it's a long game they're playing, so it will take time (i.e. years) to see the full effects. - Healey told WBUR's Tiziana Dearing the overall plan is to address the [regional housing shortage]( by building "thousands and thousands" of new housing units at all income levels. The hope is that increasing supply will drive down home and rental prices. - According to Healey, the focus of Augustus will be "working directly" with his former peers in local government to make that happen, "because a lot of this comes down to zoning and planning and working with our planning councils to develop — or, in some cases, rehab and preserve — housing throughout this state." - What about rent control? Healey has said she's OK with local cities implementing their own rent control policies, though they need state approval. WBUR's Steve Brown reports local rent control proposals are [going nowhere fast in the State House](. - There may be some relief on the near-horizon. [According to Banker & Tradesman]( a wave of major housing projects set for completion this year — from Cambridge to Dorchester to Worcester — could soon put some downward pressure on rent prices. - What's next: Augustus begins the new gig on June 1, a day after Healey's plan to split the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development into two different agencies takes effect. - For more: Listen to Healey's full interview on Radio Boston [here](. - Stop & Shop — the largest grocery chain in New England — is the latest local food retailer to get rid of plastic bags. The Quincy-based company says it will stop providing single-use plastic bags in all stores across the Northeast this July and begin charging 10 cents per paper bag. - A Stop & Shop spokesperson told WBUR's Amy Sokolow the policy change is part of an effort to "minimize waste and encourage customers to shop with reusable bags" — which the chain sells at its locations for as low as 10-cents per bag. - Zoom out: Competitors like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Wegmans have already ditched single-use plastic bags, which are banned in many Massachusetts communities, including Boston. [According to the Sierra Club]( 157 of the state's 351 cities and towns have some sort of plastic bag restriction. - What's next: Stop & Shop's sister company Hannaford [told WCVB]( it aims to stop using plastic bags at its Massachusetts locations in "the near future." - Dominick Pangallo is set to become the next mayor of Salem. According to the unofficial results of yesterday's special election, Pangallo — who served as chief of staff for former mayor-turned-Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll for the last 10 years — beat fellow finalist and former mayor Neil Harrington, winning 52% of the 9,234 ballots cast. - Pangallo will serve out the remainder of Driscoll's four-year term, which runs through 2025. - A red flag warning is again in effect today for almost all of Southern New England, as the dry and windy weather continues. Massachusetts Fire Warden Dave Celino tells WBUR's Dave Faneuf that the dry conditions, along with trees and thickets killed off from last year's drought, have led to rapidly spreading brush fires in the last week. - Somewhat unusually, the fire concerns also coincide with [a freeze watch for much of Massachusetts]( with temps expected to drop into the 30s and even 20s tonight. Get those plants inside! - News you can use: Seeing a red flag warning in your weather app?[Here's what you should do](. P.S.— NPR has [announced the winner of this year's Tiny Desk Contest](. And while they may not be [from Massachusetts]( this year, we still think Utah's Little Moon is [very much worth a listen](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Rollins to resign after Justice Department ethics probe]( Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins will resign after a months-long ethics investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general into her appearance at a political fundraiser and other potential issues, her attorney said Tuesday. [Read more.]( [Rollins to resign after Justice Department ethics probe]( Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins will resign after a months-long ethics investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general into her appearance at a political fundraiser and other potential issues, her attorney said Tuesday. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council will meet to consider new redistricting map as clock winds down]( City councilors hurled insults at each other while battling over a redistricting plan that's been struck down by a federal judge. Now they must agree on a new map in a very short period of time. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council will meet to consider new redistricting map as clock winds down]( City councilors hurled insults at each other while battling over a redistricting plan that's been struck down by a federal judge. Now they must agree on a new map in a very short period of time. [Read more.]( [The IRS is building its own online tax filing system. Tax-prep companies aren't happy]( The IRS is working to develop its own free electronic tax-filing system in a potential challenge to commercial products such as TurboTax. The agency plans a pilot test of the program next year. [Read more.]( [The IRS is building its own online tax filing system. Tax-prep companies aren't happy]( The IRS is working to develop its own free electronic tax-filing system in a potential challenge to commercial products such as TurboTax. The agency plans a pilot test of the program next year. [Read more.]( [To find right whales, some scientists want to find their food's food]( With climate change, their food source is migrating and the whales are moving, too. This makes it even more important to know where the are and where they’re going will be to protect them from fish gear entanglement and boat strike [Read more.]( [To find right whales, some scientists want to find their food's food]( With climate change, their food source is migrating and the whales are moving, too. This makes it even more important to know where the are and where they’re going will be to protect them from fish gear entanglement and boat strike [Read more.]( [Biden cuts a planned trip short as debt default threat looms]( After a White House meeting Tuesday with top congressional leaders on raising the nation's debt limit, President Biden canceled part of an upcoming trip to focus on the debt ceiling talks. [Read more.]( [Biden cuts a planned trip short as debt default threat looms]( After a White House meeting Tuesday with top congressional leaders on raising the nation's debt limit, President Biden canceled part of an upcoming trip to focus on the debt ceiling talks. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Former Celtics coach Doc Rivers is also now a former 76ers coach, too. Philadelphia [fired Rivers yesterday]( after they were knocked out of the playoffs by the Celtics. (This was the third time in Rivers' three years with the team that the 76ers were ousted in the second round of the playoffs.) - Psst: The Celtics' first game of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat is tonight at the TD Garden. - Massachusetts may [finally be able to move forward with part of a 2016 voter-approved law]( requiring pork sold in the state to come from pigs with a certain amount of living space, thanks to the Supreme Court. That's because the court upheld a similar California law in a case that put the implementation of the Bay State's law on hold. - New Hampshire [removed a historical marker in Concord detailing the life of a noted labor organizer and Communist]( — just two weeks after it was unveiled — after outcry from Republican lawmakers. However, some local activists are “distressed” that the removal sanitizes the state's history. - The Boston Symphony Orchestra has a new leader: Chad Smith. The current chief executive of the Los Angeles Philharmonic [will begin as the BSO's new president and CEO this fall]( after former leader Gail Samuel [stepped down in December](.  What We're Reading 📚 - How to Raise $89 Million in Small Donations, and Make It Disappear ([The New York Times]( - A Belgian Lesson in Taming the Automobile ([Bloomberg]( - I spent $900 on Taylor Swift tickets and won’t even get inside Gillette ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [This Connecticut affordable housing project is 2nd in U.S. to use sustainable timber method]( Unlike commonly used steel and concrete, mass timber employs wood, a renewable resource, and stores carbon in the building structure. [Read more.]( [This Connecticut affordable housing project is 2nd in U.S. to use sustainable timber method]( Unlike commonly used steel and concrete, mass timber employs wood, a renewable resource, and stores carbon in the building structure. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks at [cannabis equity efforts in Massachusetts — and where they have fallen short](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: The mayuh of Dunkin’ [won’t like this](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.