Boston, MA

Boston’s new district map likely to stand, attorneys indicate – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

June 15, 2023

Boston’s new district map likely to stand, attorneys indicate – The Boston Globe

Boston’s new political map looks most likely to stand, leaving the city on schedule for its elections this fall, after the attorneys who sued to block an earlier set of the boundaries indicated Thursday they are “unlikely” to try to obstruct the latest attempt.

“We don’t want to blow this up,” Glen Hannington, an attorney for the residents and neighborhood groups that sued last year, said in a phone interview Thursday after a status conference in the federal lawsuit. While such a challenge was not “off the table,” Hannington said, “I do think that this is going to come to its conclusion.”

After US District Judge Patti Saris ruled last month that the Boston City Council had likely used race in an improper manner in drawing its new district boundaries, the council had to scramble to redraw the map of city council districts in time to keep this fall’s municipal elections on schedule. Councilors voted 10-2 last month to approve the new map after a rushed, contentious process.

But uncertainty lingered over whether that new version might also face legal challenges, after the plaintiffs who had blocked the earlier version expressed concerns and asked Saris to review the new effort for “constitutional sufficiency.”

In a Zoom status conference Thursday afternoon, Saris said she had observed the council’s latest redistricting process and judged that it “was much more governed by the traditional principles” than last fall’s effort. The election is also looming, she noted, making any further litigation over the map tricky.

As far as the plaintiffs’ request that she review the new district boundaries, Saris said, “I need some clarity.” If their side wants to block the new map, they need to ask formally, she said.

“Unless it’s teed up correctly,” she told them, “I have nothing on the table in front of me.”

Attorneys on both sides of the case said they would meet early next week with the goal of reaching a resolution soon. Hannington said his side would ask the city for attorneys’ fees in the six-figure range.

Jennifer Miller, an attorney for the city, urged a speedy resolution to the case. She said election officials have only until July 21 to finalize ballots and send them to the printer for September’s preliminary election.

Agreement over the new map would resolve a long-running legal and legislative battle. A divided council spent many bitter weeks debating an earlier version of the map last fall, only to be forced to repeat the process in May in the wake of the federal court ruling. And since the judge ruled in early May, this fall’s elections have been cast into question. With the final district boundaries uncertain, it was unclear which districts some council candidates even lived in, complicating the work of election officials and political operatives alike.

“It’s important to bring some closure to this and rebuild some trust,” Saris said, “and just move forward in the democratic process.”

Emma Platoff can be reached at emma.platoff@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emmaplatoff.

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Boston, MA

Boston police arrest man, charged with numerous drug possession charges

Published

4 hours ago

June 1, 2025

Press Room

Boston police arrest man, charged with numerous drug possession charges

Boston police have arrested a 44-year-old Boston man following a drug bust in Dorchester

Bodio Hutchinson has been charged with:

Distribution of Class B (Crack Cocaine)
Possession with Intent to Distribute Class B
Possession with Intent to Distribute Class B (Subsequent Offense)

Police conducted a drug interdiction operation back on Tuesday after an increasing number of complaints from the community about open drug use and distribution in the area of 6 Lyndhurst Street.

Surveillance teams saw people loitering in front of the address and witnessed behavior consistent with street-level drug transactions.

Police deployed an undercover officer, who was giving documented buy money, and went up to a suspect, identified as Hutchinson, and retrieved a plastic bag believed to be crack cocaine.

Officers took Hutchinson into custody. While doing so, officers noticed a plastic bag containing four smaller baggies of crack cocaine was located next to where he had been sitting, along with his personal belongings.

During a subsequent search, officers recovered an additional 26 baggies from the suspect’s back pocket, as well as a medium-sized plastic bag of crack cocaine concealed inside a cigarette box. Officers also seized an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency totaling $119, which included the previously marked buy money.

Hutchinson is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court at an unspecified date.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Boston, MA

'Wait Wait' for May 31, 2025: Live in Boston with Jim Rice!

Published

22 hours ago

May 31, 2025

Press Room

Former Boston Red Sox player Jim Rice throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game four of the American League Division Series between the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on October 9, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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This week’s show was recorded in Boston with host Peter Sagal, judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, Not My Job guest Jim Rice and panelists Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Adam Felber, and Maz Jobrani. Click the audio link above to hear the whole show.

Who’s Bill This Time

An Even Worse Way to Fly; A Beauty Contest You’ll Never Win; Party News That Changes Everything

Panel Questions

Intro To Adulthood

Bluff The Listener

Our panelists tell three stories about romantic gestures gone awry, only one of which is true.

Not My Job: Baseball hall-of-famer Jim Rice answers our questions about green monsters

Legendary Boston Red Sox left fielder Jim Rice plays our game called, “Watch Out For THESE Green Monsters” Three questions about monsters that are green.

Panel Questions

A Pre-Marriage Mystery; A New Way to Do Something Old

Limericks

Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Your Teeth Will Never Be the Same; Having A Blast On Everest; An Appealing Scent of the Summer

Lightning Fill In The Blank

All the news we couldn’t fit anywhere else

Predictions

Our panelists predict, now that Clemson says double-dipping is okay… what surprising thing will they say is okay to do next?

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Boston, MA

Shakira concert canceled in Washington DC a day after nixed show in Boston

Published

2 days ago

May 30, 2025

Press Room

Shakira concert canceled in Washington DC a day after nixed show in Boston

A day after her Boston concert was canceled, Shakira’s tour is suffering another setback.

The popstar’s scheduled show in Washington, D.C. — which was part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour and WorldPride DC 2025’s Welcome Concert — on May 31 has also been canceled. The reasoning was “due to complications with the previous show in Boston,” according to a statement released by Nationals Park May 30.

“Shakira’s full tour production cannot be transported to Washington, D.C. in time for her scheduled performance,” the statement read. “As a result, the D.C. show has been canceled. Despite every effort to make it happen, it is not possible to move forward as planned.”

Ticketholders will automatically receive refunds for Ticketmaster and nationals.com purchases. Those who purchased from a third party should contact the seller.

Shakira shared a statement about her heartbreak over the show’s cancellation, writing, “Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am sad and heartbroken that I will not be able to be in Washington, D.C. with you tomorrow. I hope that I can come back to D.C., as soon as I am able.

“Meanwhile, please know that I am eternally thankful for your unconditional support.”

Why Shakira’s Boston concert was canceled

In a May 30 statement to USA TODAY, Live Nation said the cancelation of several shows at Fenway Park was due to issues discovered during routine checks before the Shakira show.

“Structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were canceled. All team members are safe,” the statement said. The issue also affected upcoming shows from Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn.

Shakira is next scheduled to perform in Atlanta June 2.

The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour kicked off in South America in February and began its North American leg May 13.

Opening up about the work that went into the tour, Shakira recently told USA TODAY, “I’ve worked so much on every detail of this show. I’m building the biggest setlist of my career.

“There are going to be visuals I created, the narrative and the details of them. There are 145 people on this tour to make it happen every night,” she explained. “I’ve created original music for the transitions in the show, new choreography and arrangements. I have 13 costume changes, so all of what I’ve learned these years of making music, I feel like this is a recap of that journey.”

Contributing: Anthony Robledo and Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY

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