Advertisement
Boston's Morning Newsletter
Boston officials to formally apologize to two Black men wrongfully arrested in infamous Stuart murder
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
While you admire Minnesota’s brand-new state flag and imagine what Massachusetts’ own could be if only someone would resuscitate our seal redesign effort (cough, cough… cod flag), here’s what to know today:
Epilogue: Less than 48 hours after a multi-platform investigation on the infamous Carol Stuart killing wrapped up, Boston is officially saying sorry to the two Black men wrongfully arrested during the fallout. Mayor Michelle Wu is expected to host a press conference this morning to issue a formal apology on behalf of the city to Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett for their arrests more than three decades ago.
- The 1989 saga — in which Charles Stuart orchestrated the shooting of his pregnant wife in Mission Hill and then told police the culprit was a Black man — led to widespread harassment of local Black men by police and is considered one of the most notorious examples of racism in Boston’s recent history. While then-Mayor Ray Flynn offered the Bennett family a private apology, the city never gave a public apology. “Acknowledging this painful moment and apologizing for the City’s wrongdoing is an effort to aid in the healing of those still living with this trauma and our City as a whole,” Wu’s office said last night.
- Watch: The press conference will be live-streamed at 10 a.m. on the city’s website. According to Wu’s office, Swanson is expected to attend, along with family of Bennett. (Bennett himself has mostly stayed out the spotlight in recent years.)
- Go deeper: HBO and The Boston Globe teamed up on the three-part documentary. But there’s also a new podcast and print investigation series on the Stuart case and its scarring aftermath that’s worth diving into. The Globe also published five takeaways (paywall) from the new investigation into the case, which includes how police ignored several tips that Charles was the killer and highlights new evidence that his brother Matthew may have played a larger role in the shooting.
In the dark: There are still over 20,000 customers without power in Massachusetts following Monday’s storm, as the state’s two main utilities make progress fixing wind-damaged lines. Eversource is aiming for “substantial restoration” tonight (that means at least 99% of customers in all communities have power), while National Grid estimates all of their customers will get power back by Thursday night.
- Zoom in: National Grid spokesperson Michael Dalo said most tree limbs and downed lines are now cleared, making it easier for crews to restore power. “With the weather holding up and being friendly to us, we’ve been able to really attack the outages today,” Dalo said Tuesday. That includes replacing over 350 poles.
No confidence in Newton: Teachers in Newton have casted a vote of no confidence in the city’s mayor and school committee, as new contract negotiations drag on. According to the Newton Teachers Association, little progress has been made during the past 14 months.
- Newton teachers have pushed for larger annual cost-of-living raises to keep up with rising costs, along with several other changes. And while Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has proposed a 3.5% boost to the school district’s budget, the union says the school committee’s latest proposal demands they drop their other proposed changes in exchange for the increased raises.
Revolution evolution: The New England Revolution have a new coach. The team announced yesterday that Caleb Porter will take the reins in 2024, after former head coach Bruce Arena quit this summer amid allegations he made “insensitive and inappropriate remarks.”
- While Arena is perhaps the most accomplished coach in American soccer, Porter has some on-field accolades of his own: The 48-year-old is one of only six coaches to win multiple MLS championships — and one of three to do so with multiple teams (the Portland Timbers in 2015 and Columbus Crew in 2020). Here’s hoping he can add a third to the list.
In the Ocean State: Providence commuters have a new option to get around the partial I-195 bridge closure. Beginning today, Rhode Island is launching a free walk-on ferry between Bristol and Providence. The service is set to run every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week through March 29. Click here for more details on parking and connecting shuttles.
P.S.— All we want for the holiday season is for you to take our end-of-year survey. It will take you 60 seconds or less, but helps us get to know you so much better and improve this newsletter. Thanks!
