More teacher strikes

Also: Why Trump's election makes things tricky for the Fed; the future of fall foliage [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   November 8, 2024  ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 64. Good Morning Boston, You made it to Friday. We have more fallout from the 2024 election and updates on the incoming Trump administration below. But first, there's a lot of local news to cover: - Finally, a deal: Lawmakers on Beacon Hill say they have a deal on the economic development bond bill that has been [stalled since the summer]( - although there's no details yet about what's in it. - What to watch for: The House and Senate had been hung up on exactly how much money to spend on incentives for the local biotech industry. The Senate also wanted to use the bill to pass a few policy changes, like [raising the age]( people can be tried in juvenile court to 18, changing the zoning of [a parcel of land in Everett]( a soccer stadium can be built for the New England Revolution, and allowing cities and towns to bring back happy hour. But it's TBD what, if any, of those survived negotiations. - What's next: State Sen. Barry Finegold and state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the two Democrats who negotiated the deal, say they're aiming to vote on the bill next week. (That will likely require calling lawmakers back for [a special formal session]( - Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: Gov. Maura Healey is [recommending six new potential pardons]( to the Governor's Council. - Return of the teachers strike: School is canceled in two North Shore communities today. That's because educator unions in Gloucester and Beverly voted yesterday to immediately go on strike. It's the first teachers strike in Massachusetts since Newton teachers [shut down schools for over two weeks]( this past winter. - Zoom in: Teachers say they're fighting for increased parental leave and higher pay, particularly for paraprofessionals. "We are really focused on our paraprofessionals earning a living wage," Matthew Lewis, the vice president of the Union of Gloucester Educators, told WBUR's Fausto Menard. He added that one paraprofessional "has been working for 24 years and only earns $25,000 a year." Gloucester and Beverly school officials argue their municipal budgets can't stomach the unions' proposed contracts. - Zoom out: Teachers strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, but have been happening with growing frequency over the last few years. The state's top teachers union says the temporary disruption and fines are "[worth it]( to win wage increases and other lasting benefits. - Meanwhile: High school students in nearby Marblehead [staged a walkout Thursday]( support teachers, as prolonged contract negotiations there raise concerns about a strike. - High and dry: Almost all of Massachusetts is now officially in a drought (and many areas are on high alert for wildfires), thanks to our near-rainless late-summer continuing into fall. [As WBUR's Miriam Wasser reports]( the conditions in central and northeastern Massachusetts - including Boston - are now considered "critical" and residents are being asked to take extra steps to conserve water. - What should you do? The state is asking people in those "critical" regions to "aggressively reduce indoor water" by taking shorter showers, running dishwashers/washing machines only on a full load, and fixing any toilet or faucet leaks immediately. That's in addition to local restrictions on outdoor water use. - The big picture: It's not unusual for the Northeast to experience droughts, but Miriam reports that scientists say climate change is making them [more acute and possibly more frequent](. - Too early for Christmas music? The Snowport holiday market in Boston's Seaport opens for its fourth annual season today. Located at 100 Seaport Boulevard, it's open seven days a week through Dec. 29. ([Click here for hours]( - By the numbers: This year's market features 120 small businesses - a fifth of which are new to the market. Organizers say 65% are from New England and 83% of the business owners identify as either Black, Indigenous, a person of color or female. - In related news: The giant Norway spruce that will serve as this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree began the journey from its small western Massachusetts hometown to New York City yesterday. [Check out photos from the tree-cutting ceremony](. P.S.- What issue did some Boston polling stations encounter on Election Day? Take our [Boston News Quiz]( test your knowledge of this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [Why Trump won - 9 takeaways from the 2024 election]( Trump not only won in the Electoral College, but he won so big that he expanded his coalition with historic demographic shifts. [Read more.]( [Why Trump won - 9 takeaways from the 2024 election]( Trump not only won in the Electoral College, but he won so big that he expanded his coalition with historic demographic shifts. [Read more.]( [Across Massachusetts, Trump fans celebrate while Harris supporters worry and wonder what's next]( Although Vice President Harris won the state's 11 electoral votes, more than 35% of voters cast their ballots for President-elect Trump. Residents who voted for both candidates reflect on the outcome. [Read more.]( [Across Massachusetts, Trump fans celebrate while Harris supporters worry and wonder what's next]( Although Vice President Harris won the state's 11 electoral votes, more than 35% of voters cast their ballots for President-elect Trump. Residents who voted for both candidates reflect on the outcome. [Read more.]( [The Fed cuts interest rates - but Trump's election could make things trickier]( The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point. How much further rates fall could depend on how President-elect Trump approaches his second term. [Read more.]( [The Fed cuts interest rates - but Trump's election could make things trickier]( The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point. How much further rates fall could depend on how President-elect Trump approaches his second term. [Read more.]( [A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge]( Maine voters approved a referendum limiting donations to so-called super PACs that spend independently in candidate elections. The law imposes a $5,000 limit for donations to super PACs and supporters fully expect a lawsuit that could go to the U.S. Supreme Court. [Read more.]( [A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge]( Maine voters approved a referendum limiting donations to so-called super PACs that spend independently in candidate elections. The law imposes a $5,000 limit for donations to super PACs and supporters fully expect a lawsuit that could go to the U.S. Supreme Court. [Read more.]( [Donald Trump has chosen Susie Wiles to serve as his chief of staff]( A longtime veteran of Florida politics, Wiles served as a senior staffer on Trump's campaign, helping guide his path to victory. She will be the first female chief of staff in U.S. history. [Read more.]( [Donald Trump has chosen Susie Wiles to serve as his chief of staff]( A longtime veteran of Florida politics, Wiles served as a senior staffer on Trump's campaign, helping guide his path to victory. She will be the first female chief of staff in U.S. history. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - It's the first night of Noirvember. The Brattle and Coolidge Corner theaters' annual series will showcase classic crime films through Thanksgiving Eve. "It's always been a grand American coping mechanism to process our anxieties through pulp," writes film critic Sean Burns. He highlights the best movies to catch in [this preview](. - A New Hampshire researcher has created a three-decade-long log of leaf observations. Here's [what she's noticed as the seasons have become warmer and what it means for the future of fall foliage](. - In a reimagining of the Shakespeare classic, Broadway in Boston's production of "& Juliet" gives the title character a chance to explore life without Romeo. It's set to pop music by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry and more. WBUR theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair writes it's a "[joyous, exhilarating voyage with a satisfying end]( - Laura McTaggart [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that the 2024 election reveals the limits of the bonds between veterans. Meanwhile, Miles Howard [makes the case for devoting more attention to local politics]( in Massachusetts in the wake of Trump's election. What We're Reading 📚 - The Most Insidious Legacy of the Trump Era ([The Atlantic]( - Trump Bump 2.0? Experts Expect Another Audience Surge, With Caveats. ([The New York Times]( - The most disrespected person in America is still the Black woman ([The Boston Globe](   Food For Thought [The golden age of apples: How the fruit went from drab to delicious]( For decades, supermarkets sold just a few varieties of apples. Here & Now talks to an apple researcher about how and why that number has exploded. [Read more.]( [The golden age of apples: How the fruit went from drab to delicious]( For decades, supermarkets sold just a few varieties of apples. Here & Now talks to an apple researcher about how and why that number has exploded. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [The Fleet's fresh new look.]( 😎 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.](   [Donate](   # # 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](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.