"This is inexcusable"

Also: How a Mass. nonprofit helps prep students of color for top colleges; 5 things to do this weekend [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 17, 2023 ⛅ Cloudy, with a high near 76. Good Morning Boston, The city's oldest annual Italian festival, [the Fisherman's Feast]( kicks off tonight in the North End and — fingers crossed — we should have consistent blue skies by the weekend to enjoy it. (Just maybe don't take [outdoor dining tips from New York City Mayor Eric Adams]( Let's get to the news: - We're waiting: Last week, after [declaring the local influx of unhoused migrants a state of emergency]( Gov. Maura Healey called on local residents for help — [through donations]( and by [opening their homes to homeless families](. But an increasingly loud chorus of top Massachusetts officials are also pleading for help from the top. Healey, the state's congressional delegation and Attorney General Andrea Campbell are all pushing President Joe Biden's administration to speed up federal work permits for new immigrants and refugees so families can support themselves here. In [a letter Wednesday with 18 other state attorneys general]( Campbell wrote the permits have been "needlessly delayed" for thousands of legal migrants due to wait times of "10 months or more," among other hangups with the federal approval process. "This is inexcusable," they wrote. - Inside the "invisible crisis": The wait times are especially taxing for Massachusetts, the only state in the country that guarantees temporary housing for families with children. Combined with the state's lack of affordable housing, the recent influx of migrants — many fleeing violence and unrest in countries like Haiti and Venezuela — has put [an unprecedented strain]( on the state's safety net. Healey's office said last week that 5,550 families — or over 20,000 people — are in the state-run family shelter system. Healey called the situation "unsustainable." - Mounting pressure: Campbell is hardly the first to press the Biden administration on the issue. Healey sent [a letter]( last week urging for executive action to expedite the work permit process. She [told Radio Boston earlier this month]( that she's had local businesses "begging" to hire migrants at the state's [intake center and shelter on Cape Cod](. "They want to work and we've got a lot of employers here who want to put them to work," Healey said. - How exactly could the feds help? The state's all-Democrat delegation has praised Biden for [ending Title 42]( and opening new doors for vulnerable migrants to come to the U.S. But in [a July 31 letter]( the 11-member group said the feds could help more by automatically granting provisional work approvals to certain legal migrants and making permit renewals less onerous. (Campbell's [letter]( echoed several of the same requested policy changes.) - Listen: WBUR's Gabrielle Emmanuel, who has been reporting closely on the crisis, is on [today's episode of The Common]( to explain Healey's emergency declaration and what comes next. - MBTA stations on the Red Line may soon be stocked with naloxone, better known as Narcan, the nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. WBUR's Martha Bebinger reports the new state budget includes nearly $100,000 for the initiative. The plan calls for three publicly-accessible naloxone boxes at each Red Line station. - The back story: Jay Garg, a Harvard student involved in the college's overdose prevention group, began [lobbying for the project with a few fellow students]( after seeing that about 10% of overdoses in Cambridge happen at MBTA stops. The idea was then [picked up by a Quincy state senator](. - What's next: MBTA officials say they'll develop a plan to roll out the initiative in the coming months. In the meantime, a T spokesman noted transit police already carry Narcan. - Cape concerns: Some business leaders on Cape Cod are having sleepless nights over Healey's [new plan for rebuilding the Sagamore and Bourne bridges](. Under the new phased strategy, the state is prioritizing funding for the Sagamore's replacement, while laying the groundwork to replace the Bourne shortly thereafter. - What's the worry? Paul Niedzwiecki, the CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, is uneasy that funding uncertainties could result in the "[structurally deficient]( Bourne Bridge getting rehabilitated, rather than replaced. If that were to happen, there would be highly disruptive closures compared to building new bridges next to the current ones. "We're talking about potentially a full closure of that bridge for anywhere from six to 12 months, and that would cause an economic dislocation on the Cape that we may not recover from," Niedzwiecki told WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez. - To be clear: Healey's administration says they're still committed to fully rebuilding the Bourne Bridge, just not in the first phase. P.S.— Calling all transit wonks: Mayor Michelle Wu wants your opinions — or maybe just you — on Boston's [new MBTA board seat](. Wu, who gets to appoint the new board member, tweeted Wednesday that she's seeking opinions and applications for the seat. You just have to be a Boston resident, dedicated MBTA rider and prepared to give yourself some [extra time]( while taking the T to your morning meetings. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How a Mass. nonprofit helps ready students of color for top colleges]( With intensive academic instruction and pre-college counseling, Thrive Scholars is on a mission to see its students — overwhelmingly students of color from low-income households — win seats at the nation’s top schools. [Read more.]( [How a Mass. nonprofit helps ready students of color for top colleges]( With intensive academic instruction and pre-college counseling, Thrive Scholars is on a mission to see its students — overwhelmingly students of color from low-income households — win seats at the nation’s top schools. [Read more.]( [Ruling deals blow to access to abortion pill mifepristone — but nothing changes yet]( A federal appeals court would restrict the use of mifepristone, a pill used in medication abortions. But previous action by the Supreme Court means the status quo holds for now. [Read more.]( [Ruling deals blow to access to abortion pill mifepristone — but nothing changes yet]( A federal appeals court would restrict the use of mifepristone, a pill used in medication abortions. But previous action by the Supreme Court means the status quo holds for now. [Read more.]( [Boston city officials: district is fully staffed with school bus drivers]( The new school year begins for most Boston students on Sept. 7. Officials said they are still in the process of training additional bus drivers and bringing on more bus monitors. [Read more.]( [Boston city officials: district is fully staffed with school bus drivers]( The new school year begins for most Boston students on Sept. 7. Officials said they are still in the process of training additional bus drivers and bringing on more bus monitors. [Read more.]( [Man convicted of 2015 murders in Brazil arrested in New Hampshire]( Immigration officials say a former Brazilian military police officer who was convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for his role in the 2015 deaths has been arrested in New Hampshire. [Read more.]( [Man convicted of 2015 murders in Brazil arrested in New Hampshire]( Immigration officials say a former Brazilian military police officer who was convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for his role in the 2015 deaths has been arrested in New Hampshire. [Read more.]( [Nurse assistant exams to be offered in languages other than English, opening career pathways]( Hundreds of aspiring nurse aides can start taking their certification exams in Spanish and Chinese next year. The current English-only exam for certified nurse aides has prevented non-native speakers — including those with years of nursing experience in other countries — from accessing the entry level health care role here. [Read more.]( [Nurse assistant exams to be offered in languages other than English, opening career pathways]( Hundreds of aspiring nurse aides can start taking their certification exams in Spanish and Chinese next year. The current English-only exam for certified nurse aides has prevented non-native speakers — including those with years of nursing experience in other countries — from accessing the entry level health care role here. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Don't stress if you can't make it into the North End for the Fisherman's Feast. There's an abundance of weekend options across the city, from a beer-and-arts festival this evening at Boston Landing to Jamaica Plain's Porchfest to a block party at the ICA Watershed in Eastie. Check out [the full lineup here](. - As any new plant owner knows, overwatering can be as bad as under-watering. That's sort of the case for this fall's foliage forecast, too. Massachusetts forestry experts says leaves will still be beautiful, albeit "a little different than a typical year” due to ["moisture stressed" trees](. - Meanwhile, local cranberry growers say they won't be bogged down too much by all the rainy weather. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association [said it still expects a "solid" haul this year]( accounting for nearly 25% of all cranberries harvested across the country. - Last year, the British Film Institute created considerable controversy with its list of the 100 all-time greatest movies. But critic Sean Burns says the top 10 films are indisputably outstanding. And beginning next week, [you'll be able to catch those top picks at the Somerville Theatre](. - An ode to theater camp: When you’re a kid or a teenager, it can often feel like adults aren’t taking you seriously. Theater camp wasn’t like that, WBUR's Amy Sokolow [writes in this commentary]( "We all had jobs to do, and we stepped up to the challenge."  What We're Reading 📚 - The New York Times Has Had a Summer of AI Anxiety: “They’re Freaking Out” ([Vanity Fair]( - Trader Joe’s employees protest alleged retaliation against union organizers ([GBH News]( - McConnell in Winter: Inside the GOP Leader’s Attempt to Thwart Trump ([Politico](  Tell Me Something Good ['Boston's tallest and biggest baby': Franklin Park Zoo welcomes new giraffe calf (CBs Boston)]( The zoo is asking the public for help naming the giraffe. [Read more.]( ['Boston's tallest and biggest baby': Franklin Park Zoo welcomes new giraffe calf (CBs Boston)]( The zoo is asking the public for help naming the giraffe. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [explains the family migrant state of emergency in Massachusetts with WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: What's your [most unpopular Boston opinion]( I'll go first: The [zipper merge technique]( is good and everyone should do it. 😎 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 © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.