MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CITY AS CLASSROOM EFFORTS WITH LAUNCH OF BOSTON DESIGN ACADEMY

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CITY AS CLASSROOM EFFORTS WITH LAUNCH OF BOSTON DESIGN ACADEMY

BOSTON - Thursday, August 9, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, together with the City's Education Cabinet, the Timothy Smith Network (TSN), and the Boston Public Library, announced today the launch of the Boston Design Academy (BDA), a city-sponsored pilot designed to prepare Boston youth for careers in Boston's growing design economy. The programs began earlier this summer and will publicly launch at the Boston Public Library on Thursday, August 9. "I'm excited to announce an initiative that will provide our future leaders, innovators, and engineers with the tools to explore and create through STEAM learning," said Mayor Walsh. "Our students are familiarizing themselves with the most advanced technology available, and with the help of many of our committed partners, students will be prepared to enter the workforce with the experience and skills needed to succeed." Developed in collaboration with TSN as a lead partner, its affiliate Mbadika, and with the engagement of area industry leaders such as Microsoft, MassRobotics and Autodesk, Inc., the Boston Design Academy is an immersive six-week summer program for 25 students from TechBoston Academy. Over the course of the six weeks, BDA students will focus on product design and development while exploring STEAM-science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics-subject matter. Design experts from a variety of professions work with students and provide feedback on their designs. "For the last several years, the City, BPS and schools around the city have worked to redesign the high school learning experience in ways that make it more rigorous, take learning into community settings and allow students to learn about the things most aligned with their passions," said Boston's Chief of Education, Rahn Dorsey.  "The Boston Design Academy pilot is an example of the types of programming that we would like to see featured in future high school curricula and that we believe will increase post-secondary and career readiness among Boston students." "The Boston Design Academy is offering education and training in the design field that is not readily available or accessible to youth," said Milton Irving, Executive Director of Timothy Smith Network. "By working with experienced professionals and tools of the trade, we are preparing them to enter the future of work." On a typical day, students are presented with a design challenge and asked to use product design methods and tools to solve the challenge.  Each BDA student is assigned a Microsoft Surface Pro laptop with the latest professional design software, including Autodesk Fusion 360 and SketchBook, among others. At each step of the way, students integrate STEAM concepts and principles, and have the opportunity to visit local tech hotspots, including Microsoft's newly opened Garage, in order to complete their real-world design projects.   BDA is hosted at the Teen Central and historical archive spaces of the Boston Public Library's Central Library in Copley Square. BPL's modern Teen Central offers a media lounge, digital makerspace, diner-style seating, space for quiet study, and a large, diverse collections of books and more, and is a unique space for young people to learn in. Its central location also allows students daily opportunities learning from professionals who work in the area. "Boston Public Library is thrilled to host the Boston Design Academy program in Teen Central this summer; this challenging and fun curriculum will equip youth with highly desired skills that may lead to further study and exciting career possibilities in the technology and design fields," said David Leonard, Boston Public Library President. "It is great to see this new project emerge from our longstanding relationship with the Timothy Smith Network. We hope this is the first of many new partnership opportunities with BDA and the City of Boston's Education Department's 'City as a Classroom initiative.'" "Boston Design Academy equips students to apply academic learning to solve authentic challenges. Our next step as a school is to build on this experience to deepen classroom learning and connections to STEM careers," said TechBoston Academy Headmaster Keith Love.  "We want to thank the Education Cabinet and BDA partners." Another key City as a Classroom endeavor is the Autodesk Teacher Design Fellow initiatives. The program, which is now in its second year, has sponsored 30 three-week educator externships for teachers.  The 2018 cohort, consisting of teachers from Brighton High and Excel High, will be presenting at the Boston Design Academy along with BDA students at the Central LibraryMcKim building lower level A conference room on August 9 at 11:00 a.m.

AG HEALEY, LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS: PRINTING GUNS IS ILLEGAL AND A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY RISK

AG HEALEY, LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS: PRINTING GUNS IS ILLEGAL AND A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY RISK

AG Issues Public Safety Notice with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Chiefs of Police Association, Major City Chiefs of Police, and the District Attorneys Association

BOSTON – After winning a federal court order blocking the Trump Administration from allowing the publication of plans for downloadable 3D-printed weapons, Attorney General Maura Healey today joined with her law enforcement partners in issuing a public safety notice that details the serious violations of state law arising from the creation of these undetectable guns.

The notice, issued jointly with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Massachusetts Major City Chiefs of Police, and Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, is in response to a recent U.S. Department of State settlement, challenged by AG Healey, that would allow the company Defense Distributed to post files online that enable individuals to print firearms using 3D printers.

The public safety notice serves as a reminder that the creation, transfer, or possession of a weapon made with a 3D printer can subject an individual to serious criminal or civil liability under Massachusetts law.

“For years, the State Department correctly argued that making plans for 3D-printed guns available for anyone to download—including criminals and terrorists—would be a major threat to national security and public safety,” said AG Healey. “These 3D-printed weapons will be used to evade Massachusetts’ strong gun laws, and my office and our law enforcement partners will do everything we can to keep deadly homemade weapons off our streets and out of our schools.”

“Law enforcement in Massachusetts works very hard to make sure that firearms don’t fall into the hands of the wrong people: gang members, terrorists, or those with a history of committing violent crimes,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett. “We need to be vigilant to make sure this new technology doesn’t let these people evade the strong laws that protect the Commonwealth from gun violence.”

“Firearms built using 3D-printing technology are powerful, deadly weapons that could fall into the hands of dangerous individuals and pose serious safety risks for the public,” said Chief Brian Kyes, President of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs of Police. “We’re joining the AG’s Office to remind the public that unregulated, unregistered and untraceable 3D-printed weapons violate state law and carry serious criminal and civil consequences.”

“Weapons built with 3D printers evade state gun laws and make it even more challenging for law enforcement to do their jobs keeping the public safe,”said Chief Steve Wojnar, President of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. “These firearms pose a unique and serious threat, and we are joining Attorney General Maura Healey in issuing this notice to make sure Massachusetts residents know we are committed to protecting our communities and keeping these undetectable guns off the streets.”  

According to the notice, the state laws potentially implicated by the creation of a weapon using 3D printing include: 

           

·         Plastic Weapons: Weapons made exclusively from plastic or that otherwise cannot be detected by an x-ray machine or walk-through metal detector are unlawful, and cannot be sold, transferred, or possessed.

·         License Requirement: An appropriate state-issued license is required to possess or carry a weapon; sell, rent, or lease a weapon; and possess or purchase ammunition.

·         Reporting of Sales: Sales and other transfers of weapons must generally be reported to the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services by the transferee at the Massachusetts Gun Transaction Portal on the Internet, unless the weapon is purchased from a licensed dealer. The information required includes the caliber, make, and serial number of the weapon.

·         Safety Requirements: Only firearms that are on the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s approved firearms roster may be sold. Currently, no firearms made with 3D printing technology are approved for sale in Massachusetts.

·         Safe Storage: All weapons must be securely stored using a device approved by the Colonel of the State Police. There are enhanced penalties for weapons left unsecured around children.

·         Assault Weapons: The sale, transfer, or possession of any “assault weapon” is prohibited. Any weapon that meets the definition of an “assault weapon” under Massachusetts law, whether made in whole or in part out of plastic, is prohibited.

The multistate lawsuit AG Healey announced last week seeking to stop the Department of State’s action allowing firearms built using 3D printing technology won a temporary injunction from a federal judge in Seattle. AG Healey also led a multistate letter of 21 state attorneys general last week urging U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to withdraw from this settlement, writing that these actions recklessly disregard public safety.

The Department of State recently agreed to amend federal rules regulating the export of weapons on the United States Munitions List. The proposed rules would allow information about certain military weapons such as semi-automatic firearms, previously considered critical to national security and public safety, to be uploaded to the Internet.

The attorneys general argue that the Department of State’s settlement will facilitate violations of state and federal law and create unprecedented risks to public safety, allowing terrorists, transnational criminals, convicted felons, and individuals otherwise prohibited by federal and state laws from purchasing, manufacturing, selling, and possessing firearms to have unrestricted access to computer designs for unsafe, undetectable and untraceable firearms.

GBCCA國樂團9/8甄選新團員

      (Boston Orange)大波士頓區中華文化協會青少年國樂團為儲備國樂人才,定於九月八日(星期六) ,自下午一點至三點在文協活動中心 (437 Cherry Street, W. Newton, MA 02465) 甄試新團員。

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羅德島龍舟賽暨臺灣日9/8舉行 台灣青年首度組隊參賽

台灣隊員練習划龍舟。

                       (Boston Orange)駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處與羅德島州黑石谷旅遊局聯合舉辦的「2018年羅德島州龍舟賽暨臺灣日節慶」將於9月8日（週六）上午9時至下午4時在羅州普塔吉市（Pawtucket）普塔吉河畔（Pawtucket River）舉行（地點：Festival Pier, Pawtucket, RI 02860），歡迎大家前往觀賞龍舟賽、跳繩、吃餃子與吃西瓜比賽、欣賞中華民俗技藝表演、體驗台灣童玩與手工藝創作。

擠進新英格蘭首個台灣龍舟隊的英勇隊員們。

                      今年活動獎項豐富，當天一般划龍舟比賽頭獎為美金5千元，跳繩比賽頭獎為中華航空提供的紐約/舊金山/洛杉磯-臺北來回機票1張，吃餃子大賽頭獎為長榮航空提供的紐約-臺北來回機票1張，歡迎各界人士及僑胞共襄盛舉。

                    該活動全天並有民俗舞蹈表演及手工技藝展示與臺灣美食。羅州台灣日節慶已進入第19年，主要希望藉此增進主流社會人士對台灣文化的瞭解，促進雙方交流與情誼，歡迎僑胞踴躍參加。前述相關活動可至該旅遊局網站：www.dragonboat.ri.com或電話：401-724-2200查詢。(圖文均由波士頓經文處提供)

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation Announces $1.7 Million In Targeted Grants To Advance Women

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation Announces $1.7 Million In Targeted Grants To Advance WomenGrants Support 170 Organizations In Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island 

BOSTON, August 7, 2018 – Eastern Bank, America’s oldest and largest mutual bank, today announced $1.7 million has been granted to non-profit organizations focused on the advancement of women. Each year, the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation’s Targeted Grant program supports hundreds of community-based organizations working for progress on a specific issue in Eastern’s New England footprint. In 2018, in celebration of the Bank’s 200th anniversary and to honor its first depositor, Rebecca Sutton, Targeted Grants have been designated to support organizations addressing a range of issues that disproportionately impact women, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, health care, pay equity, and senior management and board representation.

“We believe in breaking down the barriers that stand between people and prosperity. That’s why Eastern is a strong advocate for the advancement of women,” said Bob Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank. “With each Targeted Grant, we aim to enhance the lives of our neighbors and contribute to real progress around the advancement of women in our local communities. On behalf of everyone at Eastern, we congratulate this year’s Targeted Grant recipients and thank them for working to level the playing field.” 

This year’s Targeted Grant program creates new opportunities and resources for women in areas where assistance is needed the most. The facts are staggering:- A woman is assaulted every nine seconds in the U.S. and one in three women has been a victim of physical brutality by an intimate partner, making intimate partner violence the single greatest cause of injury to women. 
- In Massachusetts, women earn 83 cents for every dollar paid to men. In New Hampshire, they earn 76 cents. African-American women nationwide earn 64 cents for every dollar earned by white men, and Latinas—only 56 cents. 
- In the sciences, women represent less than 25% of those employed in computer and mathematical occupations and only 15% in architecture and engineering. For women of color, this gap is even wider. Asian women, African-American women, and Latinas make up less than 10% of working scientists and engineers in the U.S. 
- Women receive more graduate degrees and they hold more faculty positions in colleges and universities, and yet, men hold the highest number of tenured university positions. 
- Only 32 women run Fortune 500 companies and only two are women of color. Less than 20% of all board seats in Fortune 1,000 companies are held by women. 
Eastern Bank’s Targeted Grants are awarded at $10,000 each to 170 nonprofits in communities from New Hampshire to Cape Cod and throughout the South Shore, North Shore, Metro West, Merrimack Valley and Greater Boston. For a complete list of the 2018 Targeted Grant recipients, click here.

As part of its effort to support the advancement of women and in addition to the Targeted Grants, Eastern Bank recently announced world champion, gold medal gymnast and ambassador for change, Aly Raisman, as its newest Partner For Good. Raisman’s advocacy has given rise to a movement to help end sexual abuse in youth sports. As part of the partnership, Eastern Bank will support her #FlipTheSwitch initiative with Darkness to Light to help end sexual abuse by providing its employees with the leading, evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention training program –Stewards of Children®. 

HSBC TO PAY $26.8 MILLION FOR SECURITIZATION OF SUBPRIME MORTGAGES

HSBC TO PAY $26.8 MILLION FOR SECURITIZATION OF SUBPRIME MORTGAGES

Hundreds of Borrowers Will Directly Benefit From Settlement; AG’s Office has Secured More than $375 Million from Wall Street Securitization Firms

            BOSTON – HSBC Securities (HSBC) will pay $26.8 million to settle allegations that it purchased and securitized unfair residential mortgage loans in violation of Massachusetts law, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Today’s case follows others brought by the AG’s Office against investment giants Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland, Countrywide Securities, JPMorgan, and Citibank regarding their roles in the subprime lending crisis. In pursuing these cases, the AG’s Office has recovered more than $375 million, including relief for thousands of residents across the state, in connection with securitization claims.

“HSBC’s securitization practices contributed to a financial crisis that deeply harmed Massachusetts communities and caused families to lose their homes,” AG Healey said. “We will continue to help consumers who were sold toxic mortgages by these banking institutions and are pleased that this settlement will provide significant relief for families that have suffered harm from unsustainable subprime loans.”

While HSBC did not originate the subprime loans in this case, it did purchase these loans from subprime lenders and securitize them. As noted in the assurance of discontinuance, filed Friday in Suffolk Superior Court, the AG’s Office alleges that many of these loans were presumptively unfair under Massachusetts law because they had debt-to-income ratios over 50 percent, included substantial prepayment penalties, had loan-to-value ratios over 97 percent, and included other problematic features.

Under the terms of the settlement, HSBC will pay a $5 million penalty to the Commonwealth and compensate governmental entities that allegedly suffered harm from HSBC’s actions, including cities and towns that incurred extra expenses due to the foreclosures caused by the unfair loans, such as Brockton, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Springfield, and Worcester. The remaining $20 million will be made available to eligible homeowners for principal reductions and related payments on the loans of eligible consumers and to assist borrowers who suffered foreclosure. 

Approximately 60 homeowners are eligible to receive payments in Middlesex and Worcester counties under the HSBC settlement. Approximately 50 homeowners are eligible to receive payments in Essex county. Approximately 25 homeowners are eligible to receive payments in Bristol, Hampshire, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties. Eligible consumers will receive a notice from the Office of the Attorney General. Homeowners with questions should contact Attorney General’s Insurance and Financial Services Hotline at 1-888-830-6277.

The HSBC case was handled by the staff of Attorney General Maura Healey’s Insurance and Financial Services Division, including Brook Kellerman, Burt Feinberg, Madonna Cournoyer, Peter Leight, Lilia DuBois, Diane Prend, and Glenn Kaplan.

台灣原住兒合唱團"永不止息的愛"演唱會 8/11羅德島 8/12 波士頓郊區