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Could tariffs bring more manufacturing to Massachusetts?
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Congrats to the New England Free Jacks! The major league rugby team clinched its third consecutive championship over the weekend, making them the only New England team to win a championship trophy so far in 2025.
Searching for a silver lining: Could tariffs bring more manufacturing to Massachusetts? The state's incoming secretary of economic development thinks so. Eric Paley, a venture capitalist, will start his new gig in September. He told WBUR's Lynn Jolicoeur on All Things Considered that Trump's tariffs have created all kinds of challenges for global supply chains, but that they've also created opportunities for Massachusetts to compete in the burgeoning domestic manufacturing industry.
- Paley thinks Massachusetts has a real "opportunity to compete” in domestic manufacturing. "It's one of the reasons I'm seeing some of these companies say they're considering adding capacity here in the state," he said. Specifically, Paley wants to focus on helping companies expand into advanced manufacturing of things like 3-D printed materials, climate technology and health care. Massachusetts already has numerous initiatives that support advanced manufacturing like this, according to Paley. "Supply chains that go all over the world and have to figure out where they can do the best possible work at the right cost," he said. "There are companies that have chosen Massachusetts to do that."
- The scoop: Paley, who is the co-founder and a managing partner at Founder Collective, said two companies in his venture capital firm's portfolio are already planning to "build manufacturing capacity" in Massachusetts (but he's not quite ready to share which ones just yet).
- Listen: Paley also discussed Boston's collegiate talent and how the state should approach artificial intelligence in his conversation with Lynn. Listen to it here.
Goodbye brokers' fees? On Sunday afternoon, Massachusetts lawmakers released a $61 billion state budget agreement for FY26 and are set to vote on it today. The budget includes a number of spending cuts and policy changes, including a ban on passing broker's fees automatically on to renters.
- The new measure in the compromise bill puts the onus of the fee on the person who hired the broker, most often the landlord. (Tenants who hire a broker themselves will still be on the hook to pay those fees.) Broker's fees, which often amount to a month's rent, have historically been a limitation for some renters, Kathy Brown, executive director of the Boston Tenant Coalition, told the Boston Globe.
- What's next? After the expected final vote in the House and Senate today, lawmakers will float the agreement up to Gov. Maura Healey. She then has 10 days to review and sign.
ICYMI: Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell says she's confident the Supreme Court will ultimately uphold birthright citizenship, the doctrine that anyone born on U.S. soil is an American citizen. Before logging off for the summer, SCOTUS ruled Friday in the case over President Trump's attempted changes that lower courts could not issue nationwide injunctions blocking the policy from taking effect. But they did not rule on the constitutionality of Trump's order itself.
- What she's saying: "While we're absolutely disappointed that the Supreme Court did not take up the issues that really needed to be taken up and discussed, we're in court to strike down the sham of an executive order and to protect more than 150,000 babies born in the United States every year, whom the president has attempted to strip away their citizenship," Campbell said Friday.
- What's next: It's not exactly clear. The Supreme Court's ruling says Trump's order can take effect after 30 days, giving more time for state legal challenges.
- That's not all: The court also handed down five other decisions Friday; you can see them all here.
Meanwhile: After the Trump administration announced Friday that Haitians in the country under Temporary Protected Status no longer have protection from deportation, Healey said Massachusetts will do all it can to support its Haitian community. Massachusetts has one of the largest Haitian populations in the U.S., with nearly 15,000 TPS holders from Haiti. Healey called the decision “devastating” for the state’s workforce and economy.
All aboard: The MBTA is reopening two commuter rail stations today, following prolonged closures. Train service to Haverhill resumes after the station was closed last July so crews could replace a nearby bridge. Meanwhile, farther south on the Haverhill line, the T is unveiling the new fully accessible North Wilmington stop.
P.S.— The Dropkick Murphys are shipping up to Quincy for the city's 400th birthday. They'll be paying homage to their hometown with a free concert on July 12.
WBUR's Nik DeCosta-Klipa contributed to today's newsletter.
