"No good options"

Also: Harvard faces new claims of discrimination from different direction; meet Boston's new youth poet laureate [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 30, 2024 🥶 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. Good Morning Boston, Today is slated to be the chilliest day of the week, but it's good weather to [check out the spots in our local ice skating guide](. Just bundle up (and remember: it [could be worse](. Now, let's glide into the news: - Wu ➡️ Washington, D.C.: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is headed to the nation's capital today to press President Biden's administration for more help handling the growing number of migrants arriving in Massachusetts. During [her appearance yesterday on Radio Boston]( Wu said she'll be "spending some time" with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "echo" Gov. Maura Healey's [recent call for more federal funding]( and get updates on the "bigger picture." - While Massachusetts' [strained family shelter system]( offers housing to homeless families and pregnant women, it's up to city-level shelters to house single homeless adults. Wu told WBUR's Tiziana Dearing that migrant individuals now account for "a good 25%" of Boston's shelter beds — and that the influx is growing. "It took five months for a thousand new residents to come to the Commonwealth, and then it was two months for the next thousand residents, and then it was a month for the next thousand residents," Wu said. "And that pace doesn't show any signs of letting up." - Meanwhile, Wu is [not happy with the Healey administration's plan]( to convert the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex, an active recreational complex in Roxbury, to an overflow family shelter. While "there are no good options," Wu said the proposal would put out local community programs. She added the move is "painfully familiar" for a neighborhood that, over the decades, has faced "disinvestment, redlining [and] disproportionate outcomes." - Ultimately, the Roxbury complex is owned by the state, which has final say over how it is used. Healey's office reportedly told lawmakers that it will begin acting as a temporary shelter tomorrow, [serving up to 400 people]( (including [the dozens staying overnight at Logan Airport]( - Day 8: Classes are canceled for an eighth straight day for Newton public school students, as the city's teacher strike wears on. While teachers say some progress has been made, a deal on a new contract remains elusive and many parents are on their [last nerve](. - What do the two sides disagree on? At least six areas, including annual raises, classroom aide wages, a requirement for there to be at least one social worker per building and some parental leave particulars. The Boston Globe has [the details — with charts!]( - Dismissed? We're nearly a month away from the Massachusetts presidential primary and the legal battle over Donald Trump's ballot eligibility continues. Yesterday, a single justice on the state's Supreme Judicial Court rejected the petition to keep Trump off the ballot, ruling the challenge was basically too early. Justice Frank Gaziano wrote the question of Trump's eligibility "will not become ripe until, and if, he is selected as his party's nominee for President." - Go deeper: The group's lawyer, Shannon Liss-Riordan, says she plans to appeal Gaziano's decision to the full SJC. You can [read more about the ruling and reactions to it here](. - Resolved: Cambridge's City Council unanimously passed its resolution last night calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. It has become [the second Massachusetts city to do so](. The [text of the resolution]( also directs officials to send a copy to Biden and members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation. - PSA: This is the first official week of tax season, and Massachusetts is [one of a dozen states]( involved in the IRS's new pilot program, Direct File, that will let some Americans file their taxes for free. (Sen. Elizabeth Warren is [pumped](. TurboTax? [Not so much]( - However, participation in this first year is limited.[Click here]( for a breakdown of the eligibility rules and how "Direct File" will work. P.S.— It's time to give some shine to the creatives in your life! The [nomination window]( is now open for the 2024 Makers. So, [tell us about]( your favorite local artist of color — whether they be musician, muralist, chef or other kind of inspiring creator. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Harvard faces more claims of discrimination — this time from Palestinian and Muslim students]( The attorney who drafted the complaint says parallel allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia serve as corroborating evidence that Harvard “is not addressing religious discrimination and religious harassment” across the board. [Read more.]( [Harvard faces more claims of discrimination — this time from Palestinian and Muslim students]( The attorney who drafted the complaint says parallel allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia serve as corroborating evidence that Harvard “is not addressing religious discrimination and religious harassment” across the board. [Read more.]( [When a white supremacist threatened an Iraqi DEI coordinator in Maine, he fled the state]( A school's diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator in Maine has left the state for fear of his family's safety after receiving a threatening, hateful letter from a white supremacist. [Read more.]( [When a white supremacist threatened an Iraqi DEI coordinator in Maine, he fled the state]( A school's diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator in Maine has left the state for fear of his family's safety after receiving a threatening, hateful letter from a white supremacist. [Read more.]( [Boston dedicates small portion of opioid settlement funds to grieving families]( Boston's first distribution of opioid settlement funds will go to families who've lost a member to an overdose. Initial grants for funerals, child care and housing are expected this summer. Boston plans to renew the $250,000 fund annually. [Read more.]( [Boston dedicates small portion of opioid settlement funds to grieving families]( Boston's first distribution of opioid settlement funds will go to families who've lost a member to an overdose. Initial grants for funerals, child care and housing are expected this summer. Boston plans to renew the $250,000 fund annually. [Read more.]( [Mass. man arrested, charged with threatening to bomb Attleboro synagogue]( John Reardon, 59, allegedly called Congregation Agudas Achim in Attleboro and left a threatening voicemail. He is accused of calling another local synagogue and another organization with ties to the Jewish community. The charge he faces carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. [Read more.]( [Mass. man arrested, charged with threatening to bomb Attleboro synagogue]( John Reardon, 59, allegedly called Congregation Agudas Achim in Attleboro and left a threatening voicemail. He is accused of calling another local synagogue and another organization with ties to the Jewish community. The charge he faces carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. [Read more.]( [Sen. Warren accuses Steward of 'putting profits over patients']( Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday that Steward Health Care's explanations for its financial woes "do not add up." Steward has blamed financial headwinds for jeopardizing operations at nine hospitals in Massachusetts, which serve tens of thousands of patients and employ more than 14,000 people. [Read more.]( [Sen. Warren accuses Steward of 'putting profits over patients']( Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday that Steward Health Care's explanations for its financial woes "do not add up." Steward has blamed financial headwinds for jeopardizing operations at nine hospitals in Massachusetts, which serve tens of thousands of patients and employ more than 14,000 people. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Meet Boston's next youth poet laureate: Parker-Vincent Alva. WBUR's Arielle Gray [reports]( the 15-year-old hopes to highlight the transformative power of poetry and make the genre more accessible. - A team of ocean explorers [believe they have found Amelia Earhart's long-lost plane in the Pacific Ocean]( — about 100 miles from where she and her navigator were supposed to refuel but never arrived. - When veteran Boston journalist Carmen Fields was little, she wished her dad had a normal 9-to-5 job. But eventually, she came to realize that Ernie Fields’ long absences were because he was leading what would become one of the longest-running outfits of the big band era. Now, Fields [has turned her father’s story into a book]( — with several local signings on the calendar in Belmont and Boston this week. - Bedford-based iRobot [says it will lay off 350 employees]( (or about 31% of its staff), after the e-commerce giant Amazon called off its plan to buy the Roomba-maker. The decision came amid antitrust scrutiny from both European and U.S. antitrust regulators.  What We're Reading 📚 - ‘No one seems to know who they are fighting’: How outdoor dining tore apart the North End ([The Boston Globe]( - How Ready Is Meta for the Biggest Election Year in History? ([Wired]( - The Death of the Washington Bureau ([Columbia Journalism Review](  Tell Me Something Good [The Pro Volleyball Federation for women debuts and draws a record crowd]( It's a new league and a new era for women's volleyball. The Pro Volleyball Federation held its first match in Nebraska. The seven team league will add three more teams in 2025. [Read more.]( [The Pro Volleyball Federation for women debuts and draws a record crowd]( It's a new league and a new era for women's volleyball. The Pro Volleyball Federation held its first match in Nebraska. The seven team league will add three more teams in 2025. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks at [the impact of closing Massachusetts' oldest men's prison, MCI-Concord](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: That's [one way to announce a snow day](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](   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. 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