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Boston Mayor Wu: Mass and Cass has reached ‘new level of public safety alarm’

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Boston Mayor Wu: Mass and Cass has reached ‘new level of public safety alarm’


Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said conditions around Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue have reached “a new level of public safety alarm” over the past several weeks.

Wu said first responders, health professionals and outreach workers regularly encounter crowds of more than 200 people, an “untenable” situation exacerbated by the drug and human trafficking and violence that takes place along the troubled Mass and Cass area.

“In the last month or so, especially in the last couple of weeks, it has gotten to a new level of public safety alarm,” Wu said on Wednesday. “All of the non-city teams have said in the last few weeks the situation has gotten so dangerous that we are pulling our people out — we cannot be in there.”

Wu’s remarks, made on a “Java with Jimmy” podcast, come after the city’s police and firefighters have cited dangerous conditions along Methadone Mile, particularly from potential exposure to uncapped, hypodermic needles discarded after drug use.

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The risk prompted a state lawmaker, Sen. Nick Collins, to file a bill that would provide coverage for first responders who become ill from on-the-job exposure to uncapped needles.

“Mass and Cass is out of control,” Collins told the Herald last month, referring to the area as an “infectious petri dish.”

A Wu spokesperson said the mayor was also referring to data on the city’s Mass/Cass Dashboard, which shows the number of EMS incidents there sharply increased in April and continued to rise in June and July.

City Council President Ed Flynn is calling for Mass and Cass to be “declared both a public safety and public health emergency as it requires resources at the city, state and federal levels.”

“I continue to advocate for the urgent need to immediately arrest individuals breaking the law, committing acts of violence, and showing no regard for human dignity,” he said in a statement, referring to “drug traffickers, those engaged in the exploitation of women, and individuals assaulting outreach workers or first responders with weapons.”

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The city’s largest police union, the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association tweeted a video of tents pitched along a street in the area on Monday, saying the “deplorable conditions” at Mass and Cass continue.

“What began as a health crisis has morphed into a hotbed of criminal activity where those who should be protected are, instead, victimized by drug-dealing felons every day,” the union wrote. “Putting a fence around doesn’t make it any better.”

Wu said Wednesday that the tents “continue to be a challenge” in that they prevent those who respond to the area from seeing the activity that is occurring inside. This includes “drug trafficking, human trafficking, and violence,” along with the potential storage of weapons, she said.

“We’re planning to take a major step in trying to make sure that we are addressing that properly, and supporting our law enforcement side with the ability to better maintain public safety,” Wu said. “It’s gotten to the point where even those who are experts and do this every day have said it’s reached a new level that’s untenable.”

The mayor did not elaborate on what that plan would entail, and her office declined to comment on the matter.

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Wu tried to ban the homeless from pitching tents along Mass and Cass in May, but the order did not carry much weight with people in the area who unabashedly continued to set up their makeshift shelters.



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Boston, MA

Mayor Wu plans to return to City Hall Tuesday for cabinet meeting, with baby Mira in tow – The Boston Globe

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Mayor Wu plans to return to City Hall Tuesday for cabinet meeting, with baby Mira in tow – The Boston Globe


“I’ve had the support system to be able to keep plugging in and plugging away at the city’s issues,” Wu said on GBH. “My daily check ins with staff now happen over Zoom, and the doctor said to try to stay off my feet for about two weeks, so I’m right at that point as well.”

Wu gave birth to her daughter on Jan. 14, exactly two weeks ago Monday, and is taking the baby to her two week check-up later today, she said.

Mira will join her at City Hall on Tuesday “because I can’t be away from her for too long, with the nursing at this point,” Wu added.

In the interview, Wu also answered questions about her revived property tax home rule petition, as well as her mayoral challenger Josh Kraft. But she particularly doubled down on her commitment to upholding Boston’s law that bans local law enforcement from cooperating with requests from federal immigration authorities to detain people suspected of being undocumented immigrants, unless they are also wanted for a serious crime.

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“We don’t enforce federal immigration law — our police department takes care of criminal activity, and they focus on local issues, and whenever someone breaks the law, we hold them accountable here, regardless of their immigration status, which we do not ask about and interact with,” Wu said.

Wu’s comments drew a harsh rebuke from President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan last year, and last week, ICE Boston made some highly publicized arrests of people they said were in the country illegally.

A FOX News team embedded with ICE officials to document the operation, which Wu pointed to as evidence of authorities trying to “sensationalize and stoke greater fear about it.”

On GBH Monday, Wu also responded to the president’s threat of prosecuting local officials who “interfere” with his administration’s efforts to deport undocumented residents.

“There’s been a lot of bluster so far and a lot of [intentionally] trying to create drama and fear and sort of perception of fulfilling pretty draconian campaign promises,” Wu said.

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“The federal government will continue to do what they do on the federal side,” she continued. “We will continue to do what we do on the city side, which is keeping everyone safe here, and we don’t have the authority to, let’s say, stop or overrule what they’re doing in their domain, but neither do they in our domain, either.”

She said her administration has instructed school leaders to not allow any unauthorized adults in school buildings, including federal immigration authorities.

“Those spaces will continue to be spaces where we don’t ask about immigration status, and everyone is guaranteed to have access to a quality education,” she said. “We are going to be there to provide services for our residents, no matter what part of the city and no matter what background.”

“It doesn’t help anyone from a public safety impact when law-abiding residents and members of our community are forced into the shadows because of fear,” she added.

However, when asked whether she would go as far as former Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and offer City Hall as a refuge to undocumented residents, Wu stopped short.

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“I’m not one for performative actions that could theoretically put our residents at even greater risk,” said Wu. “We are going to do everything that we can to make sure we are implementing and providing the supports that are needed for our residents, but that has not been something that has come up as a helpful step.”


Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.





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Martin Sexton brings solo Abbey Road Show to Boston: ‘I try to make the guitar be the band’

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Martin Sexton brings solo Abbey Road Show to Boston: ‘I try to make the guitar be the band’


It was the green apple on the record’s label that caught Martin Sexton’s eye. Before Sexton had written the ’90s gem “Diner,” the deeply underrated LP “The American,” or any of the aces in his catalog, the singer songwriter was a sixth grader raiding his older siblings’ album collections. One day he came across “Abbey Road” and that green apple label in the basement.

“Having heard of the Beatles, I thought I’d give this one a play on the old Sears turntable,” Sexton told the Herald. “Though it was badly damaged, scratched, skipping, popping, and dusty, there was no hiding the brilliance. The songs reached out and grabbed me.”

“‘Abbey Road’ is the album that lit my fire as a kid,” he added. “Today it remains the most influential album that informs my writing, performing and recording style.”

Sexton recently decided to celebrate his old favorite with a tour devoted to the album — the Martin Sexton Abbey Road Show comes to City Winery Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 (tickets still remain for Jan. 31). For many locals, it’s a welcome return for an artist who got his start busking in Boston and went on to headline the Orpheum.

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“The Beatles in general have always been my favorite band,” he said. “From the early days to ‘Revolver’ to ‘Sgt. Pepper’ to the ‘White Album,’ their range is incomparable. I always wanted to put my own spin on ‘Abbey Road’ specifically. It’s basically what I was doing as a 16-year old sitting by the hi-fi with a guitar dreaming of the day I could perform to an audience.”

If you haven’t spun the record in a while, you might forget how deep and dynamic it is. “Abbey Road” is a masterpiece by three master songwriters spanning a dozen rock and pop styles over 17 tracks. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is an eight-minute epic that nods to acid rock, heavy metal, and jazz fusion. “Her Majesty” clocks in at under half a minute (although Sexton points out it has “16 chords crammed into this 23-second gem”).

“I was surprised at the simplicity of some of the chord changes and also at how complex others were,” he said. “The arpeggiated E7 flat 9 in ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ is a chord I’d never heard of and the hardest one I’ve ever learned to play, and it’s just freakin’ brilliant. I spent the summer in the Adirondacks leading up to the tour wood-shedding these tunes. ‘Sun King’ was the easiest and ‘Because’ was probably the hardest.”

Oh, by the way, Sexton is doing the whole album solo. It will be just him and his acoustic guitar.

“I try to make the guitar be the band, using it as a drum kit, a bass, etc., and using my voice as other things as well,” he said. “For example, I focused on George’s guitar solo on ‘Something’ by whistling it note for note to pay it homage.”

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Next up might be a covers album, which he’s never done. But he is writing fresh originals. In fact, working on this project pushed him to write more of his own stuff. Hopefully that means Sexton will be back in town — his hometown, if you talk to many of his fans — soon doing his own songs.

“Wherever I’m playing in the world I always hear from someone who first saw me in Harvard Square,” he said.

For tickets and details, visit martinsexton.com



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Boston Celtics Reportedly Interested in Trade for Pelicans Guard

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Boston Celtics Reportedly Interested in Trade for Pelicans Guard


The New Orleans Pelicans are 12-34 on the season after back-to-back blowout losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets. New Orleans is most likely out of playoff contention, and the focus should be on future building. The upcoming trade deadline could be a time to secure that.

Many contending teams in the league use the trade deadline to acquire pieces for a potential championship run. ClutchPoints writer Brett Siegel recently explored the NBA landscape ahead of the trade deadline in a couple of weeks, and Pelicans’ guard Javonte Green is a name who could be on the move to a contender.

“While they can’t move out of the second apron, the Celtics are another team exploring avenues to potentially save some money by trading Jaden Springer’s $4 million contract,” Siegel writes.

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He continues, “Pelicans swingman Javonte Green is a player the Celtics hold interest in, sources said, but New Orleans doesn’t want to take back more money. The Bucks, Nuggets, and New York Knicks have also been mentioned as teams holding a level of interest in Green.”

Pelicans guard Javonte Green dribbles the ball up the court during a regular season game.

Jan 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Javonte Green (4) brings the ball up court against Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New Orleans is slightly above the luxury tax and will most definitely move to dip under it. The team received a slight relief after guard Dejounte Murray missed Saturday’s game against the Hornets. Murray had incentives written in his contract for playing in 65 games this season, which now can’t happen because of his missed time.

The Pelicans signed Javonte Green this offseason after losing key bench players like Naji Marshall and Dyson Daniels over the summer. Green is averaging 21 minutes per game, 6.1 points, and 3.4 rebounds per contest. Green has been one of the healthiest players on the Pelicans this year, playing in 41 of the team’s 46 games.

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Zion Williamson Gets Brutally Honest After Blowout Loss to Warriors

New Orleans Pelicans Make Roster Move After Loss to Warriors

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