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Boston state senator talks about his property tax disagreement with mayor

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Boston state senator talks about his property tax disagreement with mayor


A lengthy debate is playing out between Beacon Hill and Boston over property taxes.

Political leaders are seeking solutions as residential rates rise due to falling commercial values. At the heart of that debate is Massachusetts State Sen. Nick Collins.

“You have to make policy decisions backed by information, and that’s how we’re going to continue to approach policy debates in the Senate,” said Collins.

The Boston Democrat, who represents parts of the city including Southie and Dorchester, put forward legislation earlier this month to address the ongoing issue.

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“This authorization would allow cities and towns, and particularly the City of Boston, to issue rebates to taxpayers to mitigate the tax increase they just absorbed,” said Collins.

Property taxes are at risk of spiking at the start of 2026 as the city combats falling commercial property values.

That plan passed on a 37-1 vote and counters a proposal from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu that would temporarily shift more of the tax burden onto commercial properties.

Collins calls that idea a “march of folly” and a “bad idea.” Wu has said Collins did not bring up his concerns in the past and suggested he’s either misinformed or purposely misleading voters.

“The mayor is trying to use games and tricks to distract from the fact that the proposal was flawed,” he said. “It was overwhelmingly rejected by the Senate.”

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But some argue that Boston deserves to have a deeper ability to make these decisions because the city serves as the economic driver for New England.

Collins agrees, but only in part.

“Yes, but not bad ideas,” said he said.

Mayor Michelle Wu is proposing an increase on property taxes for businesses to help alleviate the financial strain for homeowners. NBC10 Boston’s Sue O’Connell hit the streets to see what Bostonians think of the ongoing debate.

The public tiff hasn’t slowed as the Senate’s plan now heads for the House of Representatives.

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“The only way that good tax policy — in this case, to provide relief to homeowners, not just in Boston but statewide — gets blocked is by politics,” Collins said.

Tune in Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Collins. He weighs-in on the ongoing disagreement with Wu and whether the lines of communication are still open despite that public back-and-forth.



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Boston, MA

Jets were 300 feet apart in Boston close call that forced Delta flight to abort landing, expert says

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Jets were 300 feet apart in Boston close call that forced Delta flight to abort landing, expert says


BOSTON (AP) — A Delta Air Lines jet was roughly 300 feet (90 meters) from an American Airlines plane during a close call at Boston’s airport that forced the Delta aircraft to abort a weekend landing attempt, an aviation expert said Sunday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident between two commercial flights that happened Saturday at Boston Logan International Airport.

Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer at Boeing, estimated the distance between the two jetliners using Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights. Curtis now coproduces a podcast about flight safety issues.

“This is a significant incident,” Curtis said, adding that it was particularly concerning because it involved two professional airline crews.

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He said federal aviation officials have been concerned about such runway incursions for a while now and will scrutinize Saturday’s close call.

Near-misses and runway incursions at U.S. airports will be the subject of a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation will seek ways to strengthen safety across the national airspace system.

The Delta flight from Dallas had to execute a go-around, or aborted landing, to avoid the American plane departing from an intersecting runway, according to the FAA and flight logs.

The crew of Delta flight 2351 coordinated with air traffic control to perform the go-around, an airline spokesperson said. The plane, which had 129 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely and deplaned normally, according to the spokesperson.

Go-arounds are safe, routine procedures performed at the discretion of the pilot or air traffic controllers, according to the FAA.

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Volunteer rescuer seriously injured Friday helping unresponsive teenage hiker in NH – The Boston Globe

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Volunteer rescuer seriously injured Friday helping unresponsive teenage hiker in NH – The Boston Globe


A volunteer rescuer was seriously injured while helping multiple hypothermic hikers who called for help near the summit of a New Hampshire mountain Friday night, officials said.

The rescuer, who had to be helped back to the trailhead, was carrying an unresponsive teenager through stormy conditions on Mount Lafayette in Franconia when they were hurt, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The hiker, 19-year-old Dmytro Grechko of New Jersey, later regained consciousness and was taken to Littleton Regional Hospital for treatment.

A small rescue team set out around 8 p.m.for reports that the two teenagers were suffering from severe hypothermia about an eighth of a mile below the summit, according to the statement. More than five hours later, rescuers found Grechko and his friend, 19-year-old Jason Fisher of New Jersey, who was cold and wet but remained conscious.

Rescuers began warming the teenagers, who had set out without warm clothing or lights, around 1 a.m., according to the Fish and Game Department. Additional crews were called to help carry Grechko to the Greenleaf Hut, a mountain hostel operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club located on the shoulder of the mountain.

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As crews worked to rescue the New Jersey teenagers, another group of hikers called for help about a mile away from the trailhead, the statement said. Rescuers found those hikers wet, cold, and suffering from hypothermia, and gave them lights and dry clothing before helping them to safety.

Crews reached the hut with Grechko just before 3 a.m. and began treating all rescued hikers for hypothermia and other cold-related injuries, according to the statement. Grechko later regained consciousness, and after the group was warmed and dried, rescuers escorted him down the Old Bridle Path. They reached the trailhead around 7:55 a.m.

The Fish and Game Department warned that conditions in the White Mountains can change rapidly and urged hikers to check forecasts from the Mount Washington Observatory before attempting a summit. Officials also reminded visitors to carry proper gear.

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“Hikers are encouraged to be prepared for their trek to include packing the ten essential items: map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets & pants, and a knife,” the statement said.


Lila Hempel-Edgers can be reached at lila.hempeledgers@globe.com. Follow her on X @hempeledgers and on Instagram @lila_hempel_edgers.





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FAA investigates close call between two aircraft at intersecting runways at Boston Logan International Airport | CNN

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FAA investigates close call between two aircraft at intersecting runways at Boston Logan International Airport | CNN


The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a close call between two commercial flights at Boston Logan International Airport on Saturday morning.

Flight tracking data shows the pilots of Delta Air Lines Flight 2351 aborted their approach for landing around 11:30 a.m. as American Airlines Flight 3161 was accelerating for takeoff on an intersecting runway.

Delta pilots performed an evasive go-around maneuver before the Airbus A319 landed safely and passengers deplaned normally, a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.

The two aircraft got within several hundred feet of each other, according to a CNN analysis of tracking data from Flightradar24.

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An air traffic controller asked the departing American Airlines flight where it was going, to which its pilot said the tower had cleared the aircraft for takeoff, according to air traffic control audio captured by ATC.com. American Airlines deferred questions from CNN to the FAA.

While experts say flying remains an incredibly safe way to travel, Saturday’s close call is the latest in a recent spate of aviation-related incidents the US, including four dramatic plane crashes, the ever-worsening problem of turbulence and strikingly similar close call and go-around investigations.

A go-around, or aborted landing, is an aviation term for discontinuing a landing and beginning an immediate climb, then following further instructions. The safety maneuver is used to prevent runway incursions – when aircraft, vehicles or people are incorrectly positioned on a runway – as well as to counter other hazards, like sudden wind shifts and less-than-ideal approaches.

While go-arounds can feel jarring to passengers, they are still considered common and happen daily in the US, Michael McCormick, a former FAA air traffic manager and an associate professor in air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, previously told CNN.

“Passengers aren’t told in advance it’s going to happen, but they’ll recognize it when suddenly they’re coming in to land and the aircraft just starts rising back up again,” McCormick said, again noting go-arounds are routine.

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“This is something that pilots practice in flight simulators on a regular basis,” he added.



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