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A few weeks back, the Boston Herald ran a story on “speculation” that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu would step down for a job at Harvard University, where she attended both college and law school. Wu, according to the rumor, had been offered a job at Harvard because school leaders knew she was thinking about not serving out her full term as mayor. The piece also quoted Wu’s response when asked about the rumor, which was squishier than might have been wise. “No, not that I would share it with you,” Wu said when queried — and then, laughing, “I’m always honest.”
About a week later, Wu was far more emphatic when asked about the rumor on GBH’s Boston Public Radio. “There is absolutely no chance I would abandon this role for any other job, at any organization, any other level of government,” Wu said, adding: “Boston deserves a mayor who’s not eyeing the next big thing. This is the big thing.”
It seemed like that unequivocal denial would put the speculation to rest. And yet, days after Wu’s direct denial, the notion that a Wu-to-Harvard jump was imminent was still circulating in some quarters of Boston’s political world. Which raises an obvious question: why?
The answer may lie in just how versatile the rumor in question is for people who don’t like the mayor. If you’re a detractor, murmuring about Wu decamping for Harvard does several things at once. It provides a reminder to anyone listening that Wu, unlike any mayor in recent memory, is not originally from Boston, but came to Massachusetts to attend Harvard College — a detail that simmered below the surface in her 2021 contest with Annissa Essaibi George. It also paints Wu as an elitist, at least among people for whom “Harvard” functions as a pejorative.
The suggestion that Wu is ready to jump ship now, so early in her term, also hearkens back to earlier speculation — convincingly debunked by the Boston Globe’s Emma Platoff in March 2022 — that Wu had suffered one or more panic attacks as mayor, and been taken by ambulance to a local hospital as a result. And, while the Harvard rumor didn’t keep Enrique Pepén — who Wu endorsed and helped campaign — from advancing in last week's Boston preliminary election, it could undercut her efforts on the campaign trail between now and November if it keeps circulating and enough people give it credence. And if it keeps circulating and enough people give it credence, it could foster a broader perception that she’s governing as a lame duck, diminishing her ability to effectively make policy and lead the city.
It is, in short, a potent political weapon, even if it’s not true. And it’s materialized at a moment when Wu’s detractors, particularly on the conservative end of the local political spectrum, seem to be gearing up for some type of sustained effort aimed at weakening her before the next mayoral campaign. Think of that abortive “Save Our City” campaign linked to PR magnate George Regan, which was predicated (while it lasted) on the idea that, under Wu, Boston has lost its way and needs to be rescued.
Perhaps, as time passes and Wu doesn’t hold a press conference announcing that she’s headed to Harvard, the rumor will finally fade out. If so, though, brace yourself for another one to take its place.
Adam Reilly |
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James Berger checked in to the Sonesta Simply Suites hotel in Braintree last November during a moment of desperation. He and his nine-year-old daughter had lost their housing in Roxbury when the relative with whom they were living was evicted.
If he had been alone, he says, he likely would have found a rooming house. But as a single father, he was concerned about the safety and privacy of his daughter, Jamilla — then a fourth-grade student at the Higginson-Lewis School in Roxbury.
“I’ve got to be concerned for my daughter,” said Berger. “I just want her in a place where she feels stable.”
The Berger family’s plight is hardly unique. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data from 2018 to 2021 indicate that at any given time about 20,000 public school students statewide experience homelessness; about 4,000 of those students attend Boston Public Schools. Read more... |
While not required, it would include topics of consent, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, STIs, mental health and more. |
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The high-level employee also approved thousands of dollars of improper overtime for himself and staff, according to a Department of Correction report. |
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The state's marijuana regulators struggled to agree on an acting leader in the wake of Chair Shannon O'Brien's suspension. |
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Gov. Maura Healey spoke about the initiatives at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York City. |
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The Massachusetts state auditor wrote a song about being silenced in politics. |
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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced plans to launch a new cadet program to increase EMT recruitment. |
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Voters didn't let the councilors get past the preliminary election — the first time Boston incumbents didn't make it in four decades. |
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LGBT Asylum Task Force in Worcester provides housing, emotional assistance, and a path to independence for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. |
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View from the national seat |
Romney has announced that he will not run for reelection. Does the end of his career mark the end of the “Massachusetts Republican”? |
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The list is now estimated to include 1.5 million people, the overwhelming majority of whom are Muslim. |
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What’s coming up this week? |
- Friday at 7 p.m.: Join us for Talking Politics to hear from our expert guests on the latest in local and national politics. We’re on channel 2 and our YouTube channel, every Friday at 7.
- Tuesday at 12:50 p.m.: Tune in for the top dog. Gov. Maura Healey will be on Boston Public Radio with Jim and Margery taking listeners’ questions. Listen live at 89.7, or on our site.
- Next Thursday at 6 p.m.: Join us in person or via Zoom for “Iran at a Crossroads.” Many Iranians have lost hope of a better future, and the country seems at a crossroads. How should the United States deal with it? Tara Kangarlou, a global affairs journalist, will speak to the nation’s future at this GBH Forum Network event, in partnership with WorldBoston with support from the Lowell Institute.
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