Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Grants for Career and Technical Education in Correctional Facilities

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Grants for Career and Technical Education in Correctional Facilities Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century grants, also known as Perkins V, will provide $234,000 to train incarcerated individuals EVERETT – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that they have awarded $234,000 in grant funding for career and technical education in correctional facilities in four counties. This funding, provided through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is to establish or substantially improve career and technical education programs that prepare people to succeed in in-demand career pathways such as manufacturing and welding. “These grants will help give individuals access to relevant career and technical skills while in custody,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We want returning citizens to be prepared to join the workforce on day one, earning family-sustaining wages and reducing recidivism.”    “We are strengthening our workforce statewide by offering technical training opportunities to individuals who have historically faced barriers to employment,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “These grants offer training and experience for important industries across the state.”   Students receive an industry-recognized credential or certificate through the eligible programs, which are delivered fully, or in part, via technology-based distance learning. The grant funding enables meaningful collaboration between correctional institutions, community corrections, career and technical education providers, and local area employers. Programs include transition support services that are tailored to support success in the career pathway before and after release, as well as rigorous educational activities that develop the academic, technical, and career management knowledge and skills required to secure employment in an identified career pathway or enroll and complete a postsecondary program in the pathway.   “Career and technical education is an important part of Massachusetts’ future,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “We are creating pathways for incarcerated adult learners to gain the skills and experience needed to enter high-demand industries such as welding, manufacturing and more."   “We are pleased to help adult learners in correctional facilities gain these essential career and technical skills,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We seek to support returning citizens as they reenter their communities and rejoin the workforce.” The grant recipients are: Bristol County Sheriff’s Office (North Dartmouth): $63,208 for hands-on welding education and training Essex County Sheriff’s Office (Lawrence): $64,100 for hands-on hardscape (structures incorporated into a landscape) education and training Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (Greenfield): $44,999 for foundational manufacturing training Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (Ludlow): $61,693 for hands-on welding education and training

Governor Healey Condemns CDC Rollback of Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

Governor Healey Condemns CDC Rollback of Childhood Vaccine Recommendations 

Governor Healey ensures safe and effective vaccines continue to be recommended and available for all children in Massachusetts  

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey condemned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s decision to significantly reduce the number of recommended routine childhood vaccines. Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health are making clear that despite these misguided federal decisions, Massachusetts will continue to recommend and provide easy access to all the vaccines that for decades have enabled families to protect their children from preventable diseases.  

“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are yet again putting the health and wellbeing of our children at risk. They’re abandoning longstanding vaccine recommendations that have been proven to safely and effectively protect our children from diseases,” said Governor Maura Healey. “In Massachusetts, our vaccine recommendations continue to be rooted in science and evidence. We are making sure all Massachusetts families can get the vaccines they need to keep their children healthy.” 

“The decision to change CDC’s childhood immunization schedule is reckless and deeply dangerous. It abandons decades of rigorous, evidence-based science and replaces clear public health guidance with confusion and doubt,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “At a moment when we are seeing measles outbreaks, the resurgence of whooping cough, and a flu season that has already taken the lives of children in our state, this ill-advised federal action puts families in an impossible position and puts infants, children, and communities at risk. Families count on public health leaders to help protect their children, and we in Massachusetts will not back away from that responsibility.” 

For decades, CDC’s childhood immunization schedule has recommended 17 routine childhood vaccines based on science, data, specific disease risks, population needs, and public health realities of the United States.  

Under the new CDC guidance, vaccines that are no longer routinely recommended include those for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza, COVID-19, and meningococcal disease. These vaccines could be administered based on “shared clinical decision-making” between families and health care providers. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also is no longer routinely recommended except for certain known high-risk groups.  

Governor Healey has taken several steps in recent months to ensure that vaccines remain available in Massachusetts. Last year, she signed legislation granting the state Department of Public Health (DPH) authority to set independent standards for vaccine recommendations rather than rely on the federal government’s recommendations. Now, DPH can set immunization schedules and requirements in Massachusetts, including for the Childhood Vaccine Program.  Massachusetts is also a member of a bipartisan coalition of state and city health departments to coordinate on vaccine recommendations.    

曾御宸高票連任 麥德福市2027年起改制市議員增為11人

曾御宸（右一）等7名麥德福市議員就職。（讀者提供）

                   （Boston Orange 周菊子麻州綜合報導）麻州麥德福市（Medford）市1月4日早上舉行就職典禮，連任的市長Breanna Lungo-Koehn和曾御宸（Justin Tseng）等7名市議員在聯邦眾議員克拉克（Katherine Clark）的祝福中上任，成為該市2027年市長改制為一任四年之前的最後一任舊政府官員。

波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏（左一），組長黃耀良（右起）和波士頓僑教中心
主任高家富祝賀曾御宸連任麥德福市議員。（檔案照片，周菊子攝）

                  麥德福市是一個人口約6萬人的小城市，亞裔成長快速，從2000年的3.9%攀升至2020年的大約12%。其中在國外出生居民佔24.2%，25歲以上居民擁有學士以上學歷者，比例高達57.6%，「移民權益」和「友善城市」因此成為該市的熱門政治話題。

                  2025年的選舉，麥德福市長Breanna Lungo-Koehn是在無人競爭之中同額當選，將展開她一任兩年的第四個任期。由於麥德福市居民在2025年11月的選舉中，以70%的高票，通過修憲案，2027年選舉時，麥德福市市長的任期將改為一任四年，市議員席位也將由現在的7人，增加為11人。

曾御宸宣誓就任麥德福市議員。（讀者提供）

                  這一改變，源自於麥德福憲章審查聯盟（Medford Charter Review Coalition）以該是憲章過於簡陋，自1986年以來從未大動，向市長施壓，要求更新政府架構，於是市長Breanna Lungo-Koehn在2022年任命11名市民組成「憲章研究委員會」。

                  包括2021年當選時才21歲，還在哈佛大學就讀，之後2度連任，如今還在哈佛法學院深造的該市最年輕市議員，父母都來自台灣的曾御宸在內，在麥德福市7名市議員中，有6人是新組織「我們革命的麥德福（Our Revolution Medford）」成員，全力支持修憲，並推動「分區制」，以避免權力集中在少數富裕社區。2026

聯邦眾議員Katherin Clark親自出席麥德福市長及市議員就職典禮，送上祝福。（讀者提供）

將是麥德福市邁向大改變的開始。（更新版）

波士頓市長吳弭許諾 第二任設“市長辦公時間”，簡化許可申請流程

波士頓市長吳弭就任第二個市長任期。（周菊子攝）

        （Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導）波士頓市長吳弭(Michelle Wu) 1月5日在波士頓交響樂廳，滿臉帶笑的數成就，看未來，自信滿滿的宣誓就任第二個市長任期。她說，進步需要勇氣，擁有許多個美國第一的波士頓，有自己的路要走，不會等人給許可。

            吳弭市長在發表就任講話時宣佈，侃侃而談她在第二個任期內要做的事。

波士頓市長吳弭（左一）在家人陪伴中宣誓，第2度就任。

第一個是“市長的辦公時間（Mayor’s Office Hours）”。今年開始，她將和內閣，以及鄰里服務辦公室到全市各地，直接和居民對話，聆聽哪些可行，哪些不行的意見，即時的移除任何市府服務問題。

其二，“簡化許可流程“。無論是開張生意，舉辦街區派對，或者是蓋新家，吳弭市長說，她們將簡化每一項市府流程，並訂定服務優異標準。

吳弭充滿自信，宣誓就任波士頓市長。

其三，“提供課前，課後項目，減少學童為上學搭巴士，花在交通上的時間“。吳弭誓言要把波士頓這美國最古老的公校學區打造成為最好的，波士頓所有家庭首選的學區。她們將重新檢視學校分派學位做法，以期更簡單，更可預測，減少學生花在交通上的時間，還要從2027學年開始，為每一所波士頓公校提供高品質的課前和課後項目。

波士頓市長吳弭主持波士頓市議員的宣誓就任。（周菊子攝）

吳弭還宣布了喜訊，指出上個月，麻州學校建築管理局（Massachusetts School Building Authority）才選擇了波士頓公校（BPS），要重建麥迪遜公園職業技術高中（Madison Park Technical Vocational High School），明年還要為全美最好的學生體育場，波士頓自己的“白體育館（White Stadium）“剪綵。

吳弭也揚言，波士頓將護衛學校，醫院，科學創新，藉由機械人學和氣候科技來重塑未來，從家庭及耆英的需求及可負擔性的角度來解決住房問題，建造新社區，三層房屋，為所有居民提供最好的服務，打造可以讓波士頓再繁榮250年的經濟。

波士頓13名市議員中只有第七區一名新人。（周菊子攝）

            1月14日出生的吳弭市長，再過幾天就要邁過作為年輕人的40歲關卡。回看她在一肩挑起扶養全家的責任之際，仍能完成哈佛大學法律博士學位，並在聯邦參議員老師伊莉沙白華倫(Elizabeth Warren)，以及波士頓市長萬寧路提攜下，一路從市政府實習生，到當選不分區市議員，市議會議長到市長，然後在2025年以將近93%，這從1874年以來波士頓市長選舉中的最高得票率，當選連任，再從她的堅定對抗川普政府，在全美，甚至羅馬，歐洲知名度暴增，就算她躊躇滿志也不為過。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長廖朝宏應邀觀禮。（周菊子攝）

            這天，她在可容2600多人，世界上的第一個音樂廳，波士頓交響樂廳（Boston Symphony Hall）中，當著麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey），聯邦眾議員Ayanna Pressley，麻州眾議會財政委員會主席麥家威（Aaron Michlewitz），還有駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長廖朝宏出席觀禮的隆重中，由丈夫Conor Pewarski，以及兒子Blaise, Cass，女兒Mira陪同，在麻州高等法院副法官，韓裔Sara Kim主禮中宣誓就任。

波士頓市長吳弭和13名市議員在波士頓交響樂廳宣誓就職。

            發表就任講話時，吳弭市長以波士頓市交響樂廳是由著名建築師，也是發明了1.9秒完美殘響的哈佛大學物理教授所設計為引，借喻波士頓市也是這樣，完美的結合科學與藝術來致力服務公益。

            吳弭說，2026年誌記了她麾下政府已接掌政權4年零2個月，也是美國誕生250週年。

波士頓僑社有陳仕維夫婦，雷國輝，陳文珊夫婦，以及不在照片中的黃周麗桃，
梅麗梨等人出席觀禮。（周菊子攝）

            250年前，就是在1月5日這天，一位移民之子，也是波士頓公校的校友亨利諾克斯（Henry Knox），想要把60噸大砲從300英里遠的Ticonderoga堡帶到多徹斯特高地去，好幫助喬治華盛頓對抗英軍，但是哈德遜河（Hudson）在太陽照射下，冰層稀薄得讓人發愁。亨利諾克斯和夥伴們花了好幾天鑽洞引水造冰，才終於鋪出可行之路。

            4年前，她是在波士頓市政府大樓宣誓就任波士頓市長，那時候他們像似陷身不斷衍變，威脅著要把人分開的的病毒中，可能永遠冒不出頭，但是他們仍然抱著希望。

麻州眾議會財政委員會主席麥家威（Aaron Michlewitz）（中）。（周菊子攝）

            因為在波士頓，她們知道，障礙是繞過舊思維，創新，制定新標準的機會。將近4個世紀以來，波士頓都是美國的創新與進步中心，是革命理想萌芽的地方，是創意、勇氣、想像力及意志克服了不可能的地方。4年前，她們也是這樣展開工作的。

            她們承諾要把波士頓變成每一個人的家，從公安開始，然後一起把槍支暴力降到有記錄以來的最低點。他們拒絕接受破碎的美沙酮英里（Mass & Cass）現狀，連結了全市力量來永久的終止了那兒的紮營狀況，也為數以千計人們連繫上恢復之路。

麻州州長Maura Healey等人在典禮開始前和熟人打招呼。（周菊子攝）

            她們以前所未有的態度，把住房當作優先項目，建造了4,200戶可負擔住家，另外還有2,000戶在建造中。他們處理過時了的區域規劃及官僚程序，把空置的市有土地，以及丟空的辦公室大樓改建成數以百計的新住家，幫助更多的波士頓家庭第一次成為了屋主。

就職典禮有旗隊出場，十分隆重。（周菊子攝）

            她們擴大了波士頓學前項目，來服務5,000個家庭，幫助了200個新的托兒服務者開門服務。她們教了2萬名小孩學習如何游泳、騎自行車，擴大了全市的青少年體育項目，讓波士頓市每一個小孩和他們的家人可以免費進博物館，看表演。波士頓市公校的畢業率和上課率都提高了。到2028年秋計時，她們將會為每一名高中生提供大學預科課程。

            她們為波士頓居民及企業節省了2億3000萬元的能源費用，和2年前相比，把零售空置率減少了一半，有3條巴士路線可免費搭乘，還重鋪了100英里的道路，好讓人們可以享受從來沒有過的走路，騎自行車更安全。

            

波士頓交響樂廳有2652個座位。（周菊子攝）

吳弭市長接著抨擊川普政府的削減緊急預算，教育和住房資金，打貿易、關稅戰，譴責聯邦政府在校園和街道上“綁架”人民，還動用軍隊來鎮壓和平城市，但波士頓市將是自由的燈塔，是一切都有可能的地方。

            吳弭以女兒Mira蹣跚學步的情景來和250年前亨利諾克斯為運送大砲造冰鋪路，奠定了美國的立國基礎相比，指稱邁出嘗試腳步，才是波士頓持續成長繁榮的關鍵。

應邀出席觀禮的市府工作人員中，警察局社區參與總監陳孔恩，消防局副局長
黃瑞瑜，市長的夥伴策略顧問陳綽敏等人都在會場。（周菊子攝）

波士頓市長吳弭誓言居民可以信賴市政府。（周菊子攝）

MAYOR MICHELLE WU'S INAUGURATION REMARKS AS PREPARED

Boston Mayor Michell Wu swearing in for her second term. BOSTON - Monday, January 5, 2026 - Below are Mayor Michelle Wu's remarks as prepared for her inauguration on Monday, January 5, 2026: Good morning Boston, and Happy New Year! Congratulations to the Boston City Council, and a special welcome to our colleague, new to elected office—but not new to service—Reverend Councilor Miniard Culpepper.  Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her family. To all our Councilors: Thank you for your faith in our city and your dedication to service as we strive to uphold the values on which our nation was founded. When you take your oath of office in the most acoustically perfect concert hall in America, the words ring with a special weight. Massachusetts Governor Maura healey was present. Boston Symphony Hall was the first concert hall in the world to be designed by renowned architects and a Harvard physics professor—who invented a formula to design this space with the perfect reverberation time: 1.9 seconds. Every angle and every surface, every statue tucked in every nook, reflects that uniquely Boston blend of science and the arts to serve the public good. Thank you to our hosts at the BSO for sharing this beautiful venue with us, and for opening your doors to all the children of Boston as partners in our Boston Family Days program. Director General of TECO Boston Charles Liao is invited to attend. Governor Healey, Congresswoman Pressley, Congressman Auchincloss, Chairman Michlewitz, Leader Moran and Ellie, to my fellow mayors here today, all of our state, county, and federal officials: Thank you for your partnership. Chinatown community leaders are also present. To our City workers, thank you for making everything we do possible. To my husband Conor; to Blaise, Cass, Mira, and my entire family here today—thank you so much and I love you. And to the people of Boston: Thank you for the honor of continuing our work together. Thank you for choosing to be a city that doesn’t settle or fold, for believing that a better world is possible, and working together to build it no matter what stands in our way. 2026 marks four years and two months since our administration took office—and 250 years since our nation was born. 250 years ago on this very day, a young man—the son of immigrants, and a BPS alum—was standing on the banks of a half-frozen river, focused on getting home to  Boston. Henry Knox was on a mission to bring cannons from Fort Ticonderoga—over 300 miles—to Dorchester Heights, where, with command of the high ground, General George Washington and the patriots could liberate Boston from British control. But between Knox and his city lay a nearly impossible obstacle for 60 tons of cannons to cross: The Hudson River, thawing in the sun, its surface a mosaic of splintering ice.  Without the cannons, he knew Boston would never be free. Without Boston, he knew the revolution would fail. So, over the next few days, Knox and his men crept out onto the ice in the coldest part of the night, drilling holes to let the water flow up from below and freeze over in thickening layers. Faced with an impossible challenge, he did what Boston has always done best: With a blend of creativity and courage, imagination and will, he forged a path forward. Four years ago, I was sworn in as mayor in the only building in Boston more beautiful than this one: City Hall. It was a small gathering, everyone was masked up, and it felt—at the time—like we might never emerge from the endless cycle of constantly-evolving viruses threatening to keep us apart. Still, we had hope. Because in Boston, we know obstacles are opportunities to go beyond old ways of thinking—to innovate and set a new standard for the world to meet. For nearly four centuries, Boston has been the center of American innovation and progress: The place where revolutionary ideas get their start, where the impossible is overcome with creativity and courage, imagination and will. So, four years ago, we got to work forging the path forward. We promised to make Boston a home for everyone, starting with safety; and together, we drove gun violence down to the lowest levels on record. We refused to accept the broken status quo at Mass and Cass, coordinating a citywide response to permanently end encampments and connect thousands of people to recovery.  We prioritized housing like never before, building 4,200 affordable homes with another 2,000 under construction, tackling outdated zoning and red tape, converting vacant City lots and empty office buildings into hundreds of new homes, and helping more Boston families become first-time homeowners than ever before. We expanded Boston pre-K to serve 5,000 families and helped 200 new childcare providers open their doors to our littlest learners. We taught more than 20,000 kids how to swim and ride bikes; expanded youth sports citywide; and made museums and performances free for every Boston kid and their family. Boston Public Schools graduation rates and attendance are up, and we’re on track to offer early college classes to every high school student by the fall of 2028. We saved residents and businesses more than $230 million dollars on energy bills, cut our retail vacancy rate nearly in half compared to two years ago, and made three bus routes fare-free. We repaved more than 100 miles of roadway, made it faster to fix sidewalks, and protected more miles of road for safe walking and biking than ever before. We’ve seen how much is possible because of how far we’ve pushed forward, together. And we need to keep pushing. Because, right now, in some ways, the world feels helplessly stuck—like we know what problems need fixing, but we’ve lost faith we can fix them. Today, the forces we face aren’t British troops on the Common or ships in our harbor, but they demand no less ingenuity.  Isolation, polarization, and misinformation are fraying our connection to trust, truth, and each other. Core industries are losing workers to competitors overseas. And against this backdrop, the federal government is taking aim at the ways we take care of each other: They have slashed funding for emergency management, research, housing, education, and life-saving care; abducted our neighbors off sidewalks and outside our schools; crushed small businesses with trade wars and tariffs; trashed clean energy projects to profit billionaire donors; carried out unconstitutional military campaigns; and illegally deployed our troops against our own families and neighbors in peaceful American cities. This federal administration has plundered our economy, ravaged our reputation, torched our institutions, and destroyed the lives of our people. But, when in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a city to stand as the beacon for freedom and proof of what’s possible—a testament to the endurance of American ingenuity and civic success, Boston will be that beacon.  We are Boston. And we will not appease or abet any threat to our city, and we will not wait for permission to build the world our families deserve. Over the next four years, Boston will be the proof that the nation we fought for is possible—a place where we take care of each other and take on the challenges that matter the most.  In our second term, we will reinforce the very foundations of our democracy: Local government as the bedrock for getting results. Making Boston the best city for families means getting the basics right and delivering on our most fundamental, most important work every day. Repaving streets and sidewalks, tending to our playgrounds and parks, and ensuring that every block of our city is healthy and safe, beautiful and welcoming for every one of our residents.  Nearly a century and a half before our nation was born, Bostonians were hosting town meetings to tackle together the challenges they couldn’t tackle alone. Our public parks, our schools, and our libraries were the first in the country because Boston was determined to be a democracy that’s direct and effective, focused unflinchingly on the public good.  This legacy lives on in every pothole filled, every library book borrowed, every playground full of laughter. We will continue to make city services more efficient, responsive, and accessible in every way possible, across every neighborhood.  Starting this year, together with members of my Cabinet and the Office of Neighborhood Services, we will hold Mayor’s Office Hours across Boston: An opportunity to connect directly with residents, hear what’s working and what’s not, and unstick any city service issues in real time.  And, to ensure that every community member can count on City Hall, whether you’re opening a business, throwing a block party, or building a new home—we’re going to streamline every city permitting process and set the bar for excellence in constituent services. In this second term, on that foundation of excellence, we will build the country’s oldest public school district into the best—so that BPS is the first choice for all of our families.  Two miles from here, Boston opened the first public school in the country—the same school where Henry Knox learned to read. Two hundred years before the rest of the nation, we made a choice to make education a right. Today, we also choose operational excellence, academic rigor, and high expectations in every classroom.  We’ll continue rightsizing our district, investing in facilities and student supports, and improving transportation. We refuse to accept that accessing high quality education means crisscrossing our children all over the city rather than ensuring that, in every corner of Boston, the best school is just down the block.  We will revisit school assignment to be simpler and more predictable, reduce time students spend on the bus, and reinvest in advanced coursework, arts, and athletics. And because learning shouldn’t be confined to the first and last bell, with our community partners, we will offer quality before- and after-school programming available and accessible at every BPS school by the start of the 2027 school year.  And we will invest in the facilities our students and families deserve. Just last month, the Massachusetts School Building Authority selected BPS to start the process for a full rebuild at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. And next year, we’ll cut the ribbon on the best student athletics facility of any public school district in the country at Boston’s own White Stadium. With partnerships across every sector of the city focused on our schools, we will build reliable pathways to student success and make it our mission to get every last detail right for our BPS communities.  An educated citizenry is the lifeblood of Boston’s proud tradition of civic engagement, and the key to our economic success. And in this moment, we must continue to secure our sources of economic prosperity and defend the engines that drive innovation all across America.  We will fiercely defend our universities, our hospitals, and our life sciences and innovation sector, so they can keep generating the breakthroughs that drive the progress our city is known for and that our country needs. We will ensure that Boston remains the place where people come to do good in the world, to solve the toughest problems that haven’t been solved: We will work smarter and harder to recruit the scientists and companies curing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, harness clean energy, and improve lives all over the world. We will partner with higher education and industry to nurture and benefit from the innovation that will reshape the future, from robotics to climate tech. Together, we will prepare workers for emerging technology to expand their opportunities rather than be replaced. We will use our infrastructure investments and purchasing power to make our communities resilient against rising seas and stronger storms, and power our City with cleaner, more affordable energy. We will expand careers in green industries, including the construction trades, building operations, facilities management, stormwater infrastructure, horticulture, and engineering.   And for our city to flourish, Bostonians must be able to grow up and grow old here. We will work to address the housing needs of our families and seniors, focusing on solutions they want and can afford. Over the next four years, we will continue inventing new ways to use public planning, public finance, and public land to create the homes our residents need, because we know that housing is a public good.  We are the city that created whole new neighborhoods out of swampland and invented the triple-decker to tackle the housing crises of our past. We will not be defeated by the affordability crisis of the present. Together, we will deliver the best city services to all of our residents, set the standard for public education, and build an economy that will thrive for another two-and-a-half centuries.  If we can invent America, then we can be the city that forges the path forward in this moment. But right now, backstage, there’s someone who doesn’t know anything about acoustics or walking on ice. In fact, she’s just barely learning to walk. But, here with me this morning on this very stage, she took one wobbly step, then another, then looked up and laughed.  They weren’t her very first steps, but they were her first in a little while.  Unlike her older brothers, who couldn’t wait to go from wobbling to walking and running, Mira decided that, after taking her first two steps—and a tumble—a month ago, she wasn’t sure she wanted to do it again. But, this morning, on this stage, she chose to try again knowing she might fall.  250 years ago, Henry Knox didn’t charge onto the ice of the Hudson. He wrote a letter to Washington explaining the challenge he faced. He took a moment to gather himself and reflect, but he didn’t wait for certainty, either.  With creativity and courage, imagination and will, he forged a path and pressed on—knowing the ice might not hold. Mira doesn’t know about Knox, or the physics that explain why her laughter this morning hung in this hall like a bell.  She doesn’t know that every March, we celebrate Evacuation Day here in Boston because Knox was creative and brave—because he dared to find a way forward, and because the ice held.  But some part of her already knows that progress takes courage—the willingness to take the next step when the ground isn’t certain. Every one of us, from our earliest days, is living proof that last month’s impossible can become this morning’s milestones—that if we are only willing to try, with a little help from each other, we can build the future our families deserve. Thank you for the honor of building it together. God Bless the city and people of Boston. Let’s get back to work.

DPU Reaches Settlement Agreement with Competitive Supplier

 DPU Reaches Settlement Agreement with Competitive Supplier 

 

Direct Energy agrees to donate over $100,000 to Boston Medical Center’s Clean Power Prescription program and will cease telemarketing activities for one year

 

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) recently entered into a settlement, also known as an Informal Remedial Plan, with Direct Energy Services, LLC, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., for its noncompliance with the DPU’s requirements for competitive suppliers. The Plan is a direct result of the DPU’s investigation into the company’s business practices, specifically for telemarketing activities.  

 

As part of the settlement, the company will donate $101,750 to Boston Medical Center’s Clean Power Prescription program, a first-in-the nation program that allows the Center’s providers to write their patients’ prescriptions for reduced utility bills using renewable energy generated by the hospital. The program helps to support the physical, economic, and environmental health of BMC patients. 

 

This marks the first time the DPU has posted an Informal Remedial Plan online, providing transparency for customers and illuminating to the public the DPU’s rigorous oversight of competitive suppliers. The Plan was issued by Commissioner Liz Anderson in her capacity as the Delegated Commissioner overseeing regulation of licensed competitive energy suppliers in Massachusetts. 

 

“The DPU’s competitive supply team has long fought to protect consumers from predatory tactics of competitive suppliers, through both formal proceedings and often unseen compliance efforts that make an impact,” said Liz Anderson. “As the Delegated Commissioner for competitive supply matters, I have the privilege of leading this dedicated team so we can continue to do what is right for consumers and hold suppliers accountable for compliance with the state’s laws and regulations.”

 

The investigation revealed that the company did not use an introductory marketing script at the beginning of 407 calls between July 2024 and June 2025, as required by the DPU. Marketing scripts, which must be recited at the beginning of every call, are designed to provide customers with non-deceptive information regarding the competitive supply company by specifying the name of the company, that the company is a licensed electric supplier, and that the company is not affiliated with local utilities or municipal energy programs.  

 

The Informal Remedial Plan resolves the company’s noncompliance in this instance.  As part of the Plan, the company will not engage in outbound telemarketing activities in Massachusetts for one year, effective December 19, 2025. Outbound telemarketing includes telephone marketing and sales activities, including contacting existing or previous customers, initiated by the company or its third-party vendors.  

The Plan does not affect the company’s license to provide electricity supply services to existing customers in Massachusetts.  

DAN KOH ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING $2M+ RAISED IN LESS THAN ONE QUARTER

DAN KOH ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING $2M+ RAISED IN LESS THAN ONE QUARTER

 

 

Koh’s fundraising includes over 3,000 contributions, with a median donation of $50

and supporters from every city and town in MA-6.

 

 

Andover, MA – Today, Democratic House Candidate Dan Koh announced that he raised over $2M since launching his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District. His supporters gave a median contribution of $50 and included individuals from 100% of the cities and towns in the district. It is a record for any Massachusetts House candidate in history.

 

“I’m deeply humbled by the thousands of people who are dedicated to this campaign to lower costs and fight for our democracy,” said Dan Koh. “What matters most isn’t numbers — it’s the conversations, the doors knocked, and the trust built by listening to working families, labor leaders, grassroots supporters, and community members across the district. That’s what wins, and that’s how we’ll deliver on day one.”

 

A dad of two young kids and the son of a Korean-Lebanese immigrant family, Koh takes the fight against our affordability crisis and MAGA extremism personally. His story is only possible in a proudly diverse America. Koh will bring his experience in the White House, Boston City Hall, and on the Andover Select Board to Congress to deliver for families on day one.

 

“I’m asking the voters of Massachusetts’ 6th District to send me to Congress to take the fight directly to Trump and MAGA Republicans who are driving up costs for working families,” Koh said. “The response to this campaign shows that people want leaders who are willing to do the work, listen first, and fight hard to get results.”

 

The record-breaking fundraising is powered by individuals, with the campaign receiving over 3,000 contributions since mid-October. It is without a dime of corporate PAC money – a pledge Dan has made to stop corporate influence in elections.

 

Koh’s campaign continues to build momentum with support from dozens of local elected and community leaders, more than ten labor unions, Vice President Harris, and a growing grassroots movement across the district.