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Cambridge bans all city departments from using the social media platform X
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.
It's a good morning to walk like a penguin and take it slow on the icy streets and sidewalks after last night's messy storm.
Now, to the news:
X-it stage left: Cambridge residents using the social media platform formerly known as Twitter will have to look elsewhere for municipal updates starting this spring. The Cambridge City Council passed a measure Monday night to ban all city departments from using what's now known as X. The ban officially takes effect in May. But Cambridge's main X account shared yesterday with its 21,000-plus followers that, effective immediately, it is "no longer posting information/engaging on X."
- Why? Councilor Ayah Al-Zubi, who co-sponsored the ban, said that the idea "came directly from our constituents over the past few weeks." Al-Zubi said that, under the ownership of Elon Musk, X has become a platform that "actively endangers the people we serve." (Since Musk took over in 2022 and unwound many content moderation efforts, researchers have documented a lasting spike in hate speech on the platform.) "Its owner has used it to spread disinformation, attack the programs working families depend on, and amplify the voices that want to see our most vulnerable neighbors harmed," Al-Zubi said.
- Proceeding with caution: Some councilors did express concern about the ban limiting social media communications between the city and residents. A city spokesperson confirmed that the ban applies to Cambridge's police and fire departments, which regularly post updates on X and have over 35,000 and 17,000 followers, respectively. "If the T isn’t working or if there’s a fire, just being able to check that really quickly is a very valuable service," said Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem, adding that "if we want to try and single out X in particular for a little while and see how that goes, I’m very open to it." Ultimately, the ban was unanimously approved by the Council.
- Now what? Cambridge's main X account pointed users to follow the city on its Bluesky account, Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor or via their daily email newsletter. The Council also adopted an amendment by Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler to create a social media policy with "clear criteria and metrics" on which platforms to use going forward. "Unfortunately, I think most social media platforms are owned and controlled by super-wealthy people who have been willing to open them up for some terrible things," Sobrinho-Wheeler said. "I don't want residents to think we're giving a stamp of approval to Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and all their oligarch owners."
The results are in: Texas state lawmaker (and Harvard master's degree holder) James Talarico won the state's nationally watched Democratic Senate primary yesterday. Meanwhile, longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn appears to be headed toward a runoff against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican race. NPR has five takeaways from the first primaries of the 2026 midterms here.
- Closer to home: Lowell-area voters elected state Rep. Vanna Howard in the special election yesterday to replace the late state Sen. Edward Kennedy. Meanwhile, Democrat Dru Tarr of Gloucester and Republican Christina Delisio of Manchester-by-the-Sea will advance to the March 31 special election for the Cape Ann seat of the late Ann-Margaret Ferrante, according to the Gloucester Times.
Admit six: Boston's Old State House and Old South Meeting House now offer free admission to SNAP recipients. Revolutionary Spaces, the nonprofit that oversees the two historic landmarks, announced the new deal yesterday as part of the Museums for All initiative. "We don't want pay to be a barrier to accessing these histories," Lou Rocco, the group's director of museum operations, told WBUR's Kevin Vu.
- How it works: Visitors who show an EBT card or WIC card can get free admission for up to six people. (Out-of-state residents must also show state ID.)
- Zoom out: Revolutionary Spaces joins dozens of other local Museums for All participants, including Boston Children's Museum and Museum of Science.
Green for green: Shrewsbury is celebrating the largest federal recycling program grant ever given to a Massachusetts community. Town officials told WBUR's Dan Guzman that the $2.7 million EPA grant will allow them to create a drop-off facility for recycling, giving them the ability to handle hard-to-recycle items like electronics and hazardous waste. (Right now, they only have curbside pickup.)
- The money will allow Shrewsbury to expand a pilot curbside compost pickup program to the entire town. " We think that the food composting program could reduce up to 1,000 tons per year of a general waste from the waste stream that's currently being incinerated," Town Manager Kevin Mizikar said.
P.S.— Boston released its 2025 list of the city's most popular dog names yesterday (which officials use to get people to read their annual reminder that Boston's dog registration deadline is March 31). And — surprise — Charlie and Luna are still top of the list. Read the full top 10 list of the city's most popular dog names and breeds here.
