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Parody songs and Dunkin' drinks: What Mass. pols joked about at the St. Patrick's Day breakfast
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It's a stormy Monday. While the more severe weather hitting the mid-Atlantic state will miss us, Massachusetts could still see damaging winds and potential flooding today. The good news is it should clear up in time for St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday. Click here for Danielle Noyes' full forecast on the busy 24 hours of weather.
Speaking of St. Patrick's Day:
Breakfast at the Local 7: The annual pre-parade St. Patrick's Day breakfast in South Boston for local politicians had one notable absence yesterday: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. As WBUR's Eve Zuckoff first reported Friday, Wu skipped the event for the first time to instead attend church with her family. Wu has continued to trade barbs with the event's host, state Sen. Nick Collins, over her blocked proposal to temporarily shift more of Boston's property tax burden from residents to businesses. “We do wish the mayor was here to join us this morning, but we understand she found it just a little bit too taxing," Collins joked yesterday. Here are some of the other quips and jabs politicians made at the breakfast at the Local 7 Union Hall:
- Most repeatedly roasted: The Trump administration, which was the subject of many of jokes in the Democrat-filled room — from Rep. Stephen Lynch to Senate President Karen Spilka to Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. Healey and Driscoll in particular referenced health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s comments on Dunkin' coffee, and joked about some drinks Dunkin' could make that he'd approve of. "We got a brain worm cold brew," said Healey. " Preferably you drink it while doing pullups in jeans," Driscoll added.
- Most self-deprecating: Healey, who joked about the turnover rate in her cabinet. Eight cabinet members have left the Healey administration since she took office in 2023, and last year, Healey asked MBTA General Manager Phil Eng to serve a dual role as interim transportation secretary after the departure of Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "I'm really excited to announce our new cabinet," Healey joked. "It consists of 12 Phil Engs. When you do a good job, you get more work!"
- Most palpable tension: Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Auditor Diana DiZoglio, who exchanged jabs related to DiZoglio's ongoing effort to audit the state government. " It might not come as a surprise to many of you, but Diana and I aren't in rooms very often together," Campbell said. "Yet it doesn't seem to stop her from talking about me everywhere she goes."
- Most musical: DiZoglio, who fired back with a song — as is quickly becoming tradition. This time, it was a parody of Raye's "Where is My Husband!" — except she sang, "Baby, where the hell is my audit?" Watch the video here.
Onto the parade: Police reportedly made 17 arrests during Sunday afternoon's St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie, but The Boston Globe reports that the event felt more controlled than previous years. Check out photos of the parade here.
Reporting ICE: Massachusetts has launched a new portal where members of the public can report “alleged misconduct” by federal immigration officers. State officials say the effort will help identify patterns of potential abuse and could inform legal or policy actions, amid the Trump administration's aggressive deportation campaign. The portal is a part of the Healey administration's larger demand for accountability from ICE. WBUR's Simón Rios has more details here.
- How it works: The portal allows users to upload photos and videos, along with written reports. They are also required to submit their name and email address, and consent to the use of the information for legal proceedings or in public reports by the governor or attorney general.
Files fallout: A group of Harvard University professors and students are calling on the university to remove the name of Jeffrey Epstein associate Les Wexner from the Harvard Kennedy School's main building. Epstein was the longtime money manager for Wexner, the billionaire former CEO of Victoria's Secret. In recently un-redacted documents, the FBI once described Wexner as an "unindicted co-conspirator" of Jeffrey Epstein. (Wexner told lawmakers last month that he was "conned.")
- The Harvard Crimson reports that the request to remove Wexner's name from the Kennedy School building was formally submitted Friday through Harvard’s official denaming framework. The review process typically takes several months.
P.S.— The first liquid-fueled rocket was launched 100 years ago today, just outside of Worcester, by scientist and Clark University professor Robert Goddard. The achievement paved the way for future space travel. Click here for Solon Kelleher's roundup of all the ways the Worcester area is celebrating the anniversary this week.
