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A fear of reprisal against Massachusetts shouldn’t silence criticism of Trump, Elizabeth Warren says – The Boston Globe

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A fear of reprisal against Massachusetts shouldn’t silence criticism of Trump, Elizabeth Warren says – The Boston Globe


US Senator Elizabeth Warren said Sunday that Massachusetts elected officials critical of President-elect Trump cannot afford to remain silent over his threat to conduct mass deportations and other proposed policies, despite concerns that the incoming administration could retaliate against the state.

Elected officials must speak up when they have concerns about Trump and his policies, Warren said during an interview on WCVB-TV’s “On The Record” program. She also touched on President Joe Biden’s pardon for his son and whether Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson should resign in the wake of her arrest Friday.

She made these comments as some local officials have expressed anxiety that Massachusetts could see far less federal assistance than under past administrations, with Trump returning to the White House next month and Republican majorities to take over in both chambers of Congress. Massachusetts was one of the few states where a majority of voters didn’t support Trump’s re-election in November, and many local politicians publicly supported his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We cannot start out by rolling over and playing dead in the hopes that if we do that, Donald Trump and his team will leave us alone,” said Warren. “Look, our job is to speak up.”

Warren signaled there is concern the incoming Trump administration will try to claw back federal funds allocated to replacing the Sagamore bridge on Cape Cod. Officials are trying to ensure the money is secure before Trump returns to office, according to Warren.

“With any other administration on God’s green earth, of course it would be guaranteed. It’s already been allocated and so on. What we are working feverishly to do is to literally lock the doors and windows so there is no way to pull that money,” Warren said.

The state had been working to obtain federal funding to help replace the Bourne bridge, but Warren did not sound optimistic about securing those funds.

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“That’s going to be harder right now,” Warren said.

Trump has also pledged to deport millions of people across the country and has been rebuked by many of the state’s elected leaders including Warren, Governor Maura Healey, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

Healey and Wu have said State Police and Boston police would not assist in mass deportations, while Boston and several other communities have declared themselves sanctuaries for undocumented people residing in those places.

In the interview Sunday, Warren pushed back when WCVB reporter Sharman Sacchetti asked Warren whether she was concerned that those statements put “Massachusetts in the crosshairs” of the incoming Trump White House.

“It is a question that reflects [that] reality, but that is a reality we cannot give into,” Warren said. “It is a reality that says, ‘You want me to start censoring myself on everything I say, if I think the Trump administration is wrong?’ We can’t do that.”

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As an example, Warren reiterated her criticism of Trump’s choice for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, an Army National Guard major and combat veteran, who has faced allegations of excessive drinking and sexual assault. Hegseth, who is also a former Fox News host, has been criticized for saying women “straight up” should not serve in combat roles.

“Do you think I shouldn’t speak out on Hegseth just because Donald Trump nominated him?” Warren said.

Warren did not call for the resignation of Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who was arrested and charged Friday in federal court after prosecutors said she took $7,000 as part of a kickback scheme.

Those allegations against Anderson undermine public confidence in elected officials, said Warren, who expressed uncertainty that she could continue as a city councilor.

“It certainly casts a pall, and it certainly raises a question of whether she can effectively do her job,” Warren said.

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Warren said she opposed Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden. She did support a blanket pardon for Justice department officials who investigated Trump, including ones who looked into his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol.

“When Donald Trump has openly said that he intends to use the FBI and the Justice Department, to attack his political enemies who were just doing their jobs in the Justice Department and trying to enforce the law, that’s a time when blanket pardon should be on the table,” Warren said.

Material from prior Globe coverage and the Associated Press was used in this report.


John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.

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Globe Top 20 boys’ volleyball poll: Braintree bumps up, Newton South slips – The Boston Globe

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Globe Top 20 boys’ volleyball poll: Braintree bumps up, Newton South slips – The Boston Globe


It’s that part of the volleyball season in which league opponents are facing each other for the second time, and Acton-Boxborough sure is making it interesting.

This Revolution squad, which was swept by Westford and Newton South, defeated both in a combined nine sets the second time around. A 6-6 record does not warrant a significant a rise in the Globe’s Top 20 boys’ volleyball poll, but it’s certainly a team on the right trajectory.

Needham moves up a spot after sweeping Newton South and pushing Brookline to an intense fifth set, and now the Warriors have defeated Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in five sets without dropping a set in any other in-state match. Needham and Natick await their rematches, though the Redhawks are the top dog in the MIAA’s Division 1 power rankings due to their strength of schedule.

Lexington held on in five against Chelmsford, Braintree swept Milton, and Barnstable continues to only have one set loss on the year (in its first matchup). Record based on results reported to the Globe.

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The Globe’s Top 20 boys’ volleyball poll

The Globe poll as of May 2, 2026. Teams were selected by the Globe sports staff.


AJ Traub can be reached at aj.traub@globe.com. Follow him on X @aj_traub and Instagram @ajt37.





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Inside NBC10 Boston’s investigation into a ‘tenant from hell’

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Inside NBC10 Boston’s investigation into a ‘tenant from hell’


The NBC10 Boston Investigators have been uncovering so-called professional tenants for years now, and now we’re getting a behind-the-scenes look at the reporting process on perhaps the most shocking story yet.

Ryan Kath joins JC Monahan on this week’s Just Curious with JC to discuss a story that is drawing attention from thousands — the story of an elderly Boston resident trapped inside her own home with the “tenant from hell”.

An elderly homeowner reached out to the NBC10 Investigators about her ordeal with a tenant living on the first floor of her property in Dorchester. Despite not paying rent, it took more than a year and numerous housing court appearances to get an eviction.

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Since airing in April, the story has struck a nerve with tens of thousands of people, highlighting the broad scope of the issue.

See the full interview to learn how the story came to be, and what the reception has been, in the player at the top of this story and on NBC10 Boston’s YouTube channel.



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Sayres: Pet sale ban would take Massachusetts backwards

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Sayres: Pet sale ban would take Massachusetts backwards


Senate Bill 3028, under consideration by legislators, would ban the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores, closing several family-owned businesses in Massachusetts. Proponents of the legislation say that these small businesses are a necessary sacrifice in the name of finding more homes for shelter animals and combating “puppy mills,” or irresponsible dog breeders.

But as a longtime shelter animal advocate who used to advocate for bills like S. 3028, I’ve learned that these pet-sale bans simply don’t help on either front.

In theory, it might seem logical: Ban pet stores from selling dogs, and people will go to shelters instead. But in reality, that’s not what happens at all.

Families go to pet stores precisely because they are looking for dogs that aren’t at the local shelter. They often have a specific breed of dog in mind. They may need a hypoallergenic dog that doesn’t shed, or a dog with predictable temperament or behavioral traits.

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If they can’t get a dog from a local store, then they’ll look elsewhere – typically on the Internet.

Go on TikTok or Craigslist, and you’ll find no shortage of people hawking puppies. Where do these dogs come from? It’s anyone’s guess, but it’s likely that many are sourced from puppy mills.

Which is ironic. Proponents of S. 3028 say banning retail pet sales will fight puppy mills. In reality, it will help puppy mills.

California gives proof to this. A Los Angeles Times investigation following the state’s ban on pet stores selling dogs found that “a network of resellers — including ex-cons and schemers — replaced pet stores as middlemen.”

Nor has California’s ban on retail pet sales reduced animal shelter overcrowding. Shelters in Los Angeles and San Francisco are struggling to deal with crowding in animal shelters more than five years after the ban was passed.

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As the former head of the national ASPCA, and a former executive director of the San Francisco SPCA, I always advocate that people adopt from shelters. But I also recognize that people want choices in where to get a dog. We should make sure that these avenues are well-regulated for animal and consumer protection.

And that’s why S. 3028 is counterproductive: It drives dogs and families away from pet stores, which are regulated brick-and-mortar local businesses, and into the black market where there are essentially no regulations to protect people and animals.

If Massachusetts goes down this road, it won’t stop with dogs and cats. Activists will lobby, as they have in Cambridge, for the entire Commonwealth to ban the sale of all pets at pet stores. Fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, you name it.

Where then will people get pets?

Some families will just drive to New Hampshire, as some Bay Staters already do for other goods. But others, particularly less-advantaged people without personal vehicles, will either have to turn to shady online marketplaces or perhaps not get a pet at all.

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The human-animal bond is something that all people should be able to experience and cherish. We can make the process of getting a pet both convenient and well-regulated so that animals and consumers are protected. Banning pet sales under S. 3028 would take us backwards.

Ed Sayres is the former CEO of the ASPCA and former president of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose career in animal welfare spans four decades.



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