Advertisement
Boston's Morning Newsletter
Are you a laid off federal worker? Massachusetts wants to help you find a new job here
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.
The Celtics are on to the next one. After finishing off the Orlando Magic last night, the C's will face either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons in the second round of the playoffs. (While we wait for the Knicks and Pistons to finish their series, read Cognoscenti contributor Kimberly Witt's tribute to Celtics fandom and family.)
Now to the news:
Fed up? Massachusetts is making a push to keep workers affected by the Trump administration's sweeping federal cuts employed here in the Bay State. Gov. Maura Healey's office kicked off a series weekly virtual office hours yesterday to help introduce laid-off workers to the state's career resources. "We want to make sure that as individuals navigate these really trying times, they are able to rapidly get connected to career resources and hopefully find an opportunity to leverage their skills right here in Massachusetts," Lauren Jones, the state's labor and workforce development secretary, told WBUR's John Bender.
- For laid-off federal workers, the state is holding weekly virtual sessions every Tuesday at noon through May 27. State officials say they'll introduce workers to the existing resources available through the state's MassHire Career Center, such as career coaching, resume help and connections to private sector employers.
- Beginning May 15, the state will also offer weekly Thursday sessions for all other workers, with a nod to non-federal employees who may be impacted by the downstream effects of the Trump administration's cuts. (Think laid-off researchers who lost grants or HeadStart preschool teachers.)
- By the numbers: As of last month, there were about 46,000 federal workers based in Massachusetts, according to state officials. They aren't sure yet how many will be affected by federal cuts, but members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation have highlighted a number of local layoffs by the Department of Education, Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- What's next: MassHire is also planning a statewide virtual job fair in early summer.
Advertisement
Logan Airport's largest airline, JetBlue, is feeling the effects of Trump's trade war. During an earnings call yesterday, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said the company has reduced its number of flights (or in her words, made "capacity adjustments") and swapped out some bigger planes for smaller ones to match falling travel demand in the uncertain economic environment. Geraghty added the airline is considering "additional capacity reductions" and other cost-saving measures, too.
- Zoom in: JetBlue recently abandoned plans to add service to new destinations from Logan, such as Nova Scotia and Long Island. (In the case of the latter, the new route was canceled just two days before its first flight.)
- Zoom out: American Airlines, Southwest and Delta have also recently reduced their flight schedules and/or withdrew their financial forecasts. Per the Associated Press, all three cited weakening sales among economy-class leisure travelers.
Milton voters passed one of the largest property tax increases in the town's history yesterday, staving off potentially steep budget cuts, from the town library to the police department. The successful $9.5 million property tax override now allows the town to increase property taxes in the coming fiscal year by more than the 2.5% state limit.
- Zoom in: That means the owner of the average single-family home in Milton (valued at just over $1 million) will see their tax bill go up by just over $1,000 to $12,8857, compared to what would have otherwise been a nearly $400 increase.
- Zoom out: The Boston Globe reports 2025 could be a historically high year for municipal tax override votes, due to rising costs, school budgets and federal pandemic relief funds running out.
Harvard University released its final reports yesterday on antisemitism and anti-Arab bias on campus. As WBUR's Emily Piper-Vallillo reports, the over 500 pages of reports paint the picture of an increasingly alienating culture at Harvard. Almost all Muslim faculty, students and staff who were surveyed — and over half their Jewish peers — said they faced a penalty for sharing their political views. And nearly half of Muslim respondents said they felt physically unsafe on campus. Among Jewish respondents, 15% said they felt physically unsafe on Harvard's campus.
- What's next: Members of the anti-semitism task force acknowledged their report comes at a complicated political moment, as the Trump administration tries to cut funding from Harvard over allegations it didn't do enough to respond to antisemitism. But the task force said reforms should come from the inside. Read Harvard President Alan Garber's full letter on the reports and next steps here.
P.S.— We're officially one month out from the WBUR Festival, and tickets are going fast. Secure your seat today (and check out the packed lineup) on our website.
