Boston, MA
Celtics without Horford, Smart for G1 vs. Heat
MIAMI — Boston Celtics starters Marcus Sensible (midfoot sprain) and Al Horford (well being and security protocols) will miss Sport 1 of the Japanese Convention finals towards the Warmth in Miami, the group introduced about two-and-a-half hours earlier than tipoff Tuesday evening.
Sensible suffered the sprain in Sport 7 towards the Bucks on Sunday, and had been listed as questionable for the sequence opener in Miami.
Horford’s absence, in the meantime, comes as a complete shock, with no indication of any problem with the veteran ahead till the group introduced that he had entered the protocols. Celtics coach Ime Udoka mentioned he initially discovered about Horford’s standing round 5 p.m. Tuesday. He would not say if Horford examined constructive.
“As at all times, we do not touch upon the standing of our guys,” Udoka mentioned. “He is feeling effective. We’ll go from there. Wait to see outcomes and exams and future exams.”
Sources informed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Celtics count on to be with out Horford by way of a minimum of Sport 2 on Thursday evening.
“It is not sure,” Udoka mentioned, when requested how lengthy Horford is likely to be out. “It is extra of a medical query, truthfully. However there are completely different protocols and exams that must be handed, and we’ll know going ahead, however it’s not a particular that he is out for 2 video games.”
This marks the third time Horford has been positioned within the league’s well being and security protocols. He examined constructive for COVID-19 in the course of the preseason, after which was positioned within the protocols once more in December.
It means the Celtics would require extra from Robert Williams III, who missed Video games 5 and 6 towards Milwaukee as a result of a bone bruise in his left knee — the identical one he had surgical procedure on late within the common season, forcing him to overlook three-plus weeks. He was additionally lively for Sport 7 of the Bucks sequence, however didn’t play, as Udoka mentioned he wished to be cautious with the middle as he returned and did not need to shake up his rotation.
Sources informed Wojnarowski that Williams ought to have the ability to play vital minutes in Sport 1 towards the Warmth after a number of good days of apply in his buildup to a return.
“Rob is obtainable, identical to he was [in Game 7],” Udoka mentioned after Monday’s apply earlier than the group flew to Miami. “I discussed he’d be on a wanted foundation, and he is obtainable, no minutes restriction. I am at all times going to be somewhat bit cautious with guys coming off a layoff with out touching the courtroom, however it’s somewhat bit completely different beginning a brand new sequence versus being injected right into a Sport 7 or Sport 6 or regardless of the case was earlier than. However he is obtainable, wanting higher on daily basis, and getting extra assured in that.”
Sensible, the NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr, suffered the damage in Boston’s Sport 7 victory over Milwaukee, when he took a tumble over Bucks famous person Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“It is how he reacts to remedy all through the day,” Udoka mentioned after Tuesday morning’s shootaround when requested about Sensible’s probabilities of enjoying. “The swelling is there, the soreness is there, however we hope he has good remedy and we’ll see the way it goes. It is nonetheless sore. However he has an extended day — an additional hour or two, and we’ll see how he feels. Legitimately questionable.”
Information of the absences of each Sensible and Horford had an instantaneous sports activities betting influence. The Sport 1 level unfold moved from Warmth -2.5 to Warmth -4 at Caesars Sportsbook.
Guard Derrick White and ahead Grant Williams will begin of their locations.
The Warmth, in the meantime, once more will likely be with out Kyle Lowry, who was dominated out Monday because of a hamstring pressure.
Boston, MA
Why I opposed Mayor Wu’s tax proposal – The Boston Globe
Earlier this year, when a study produced by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis suggested Boston reevaluate how it finances government services, city officials pushed back, initially dismissing concerns and defending exponential spending increases. That defensiveness, though, quickly shifted to panicked claims of a dire economic scenario and prompted Mayor Michelle Wu to seek legislative approval to raise taxes on businesses more than state law allows. Such an abrupt and dramatic about-face was notable, to say the least.
The Wu administration then went on to suggest that residents would see a 33 percent increase in their taxes and risk losing their homes if this new tax increase did not pass the City Council and the Legislature. For months, city officials escalated their rhetoric, while refusing to share official data that would, in fact, show that Boston’s fiscal issues were not unmanageable. Even if the business tax hike passed, the city still planned to raise residential taxes by 9 percent in 2025, just as it did in 2024. Residential relief was never on the table.
The City Council and the House of Representatives passed the legislation without the city’s official valuation data, so I called for a pause in the Senate until the city disclosed the data. Upon their release, the data showed that the economic sky was not falling. They also showed that lawmakers did not have to accept the false choice of having to risk cratering the Boston economy to mitigate a spike in residential property taxes.
Ample due diligence is required to make informed public policy decisions. Matters that impact residents and businesses must be debated based on objective data and facts — not guesswork, conjecture, or political agendas.
When this matter came before the Senate at the end of its formal session this summer, I made my concerns known. It was clear that downtown businesses were not the only entities that would have suffered disproportionately under the city’s proposed tax increase. Small businesses would have suffered just as much, if not more.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, raising commercial tax rates beyond the current state limit is “not good public policy.” Doing so raises “constitutional issues” and poses “an impediment to attracting and retaining business.”
There are other tax relief options, such as increasing exemptions for homeowners, low-income residents, and seniors. Working together with Governor Maura Healey, the Legislature did exactly that this session by passing the largest tax relief package in a generation along with sweeping housing and economic development legislation. The tax relief package includes significant increases to the Child and Family Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit.
We did this collaboratively while also increasing wages for state employees, improving the Commonwealth’s bond rating, and managing a 2.7 percent growth in our budget while providing record levels of local aid to Boston. Boston, on the other hand, grew its budget 8 percent year over year — a total of $350 million — and 21 percent over the past three years.
What this 10-month process has shown is that City Hall must be more transparent and demonstrate fiscal restraint — not pile more costs onto residents and businesses. To provide residential tax relief, the mayor and City Council should increase the maximum residential exemption from 35 percent to 40 percent.
The city could pay for this by:
▪ Drawing from the surplus rainy day fund without impacting the city’s bond rating, per the recent Moody’s report;
▪ Redirecting funds generated via the Article 80 process from the Bluebikes program to residential relief;
▪ Cutting redundant external programs;
▪ Executing other prudent but targeted cuts like the governor did in mid-fiscal 2024 to balance the state budget.
Whether taxes go up on Boston residents or by how much is strictly up to the mayor and the City Council. Like the state, the city can provide relief for taxpayers, stimulate economic growth, and balance a budget. But it requires being data driven and fiscally responsible.
There’s still time to do so. For the sake of Boston’s taxpayers and the city’s fiscal health, I hope they take the time to get it right. Because it’s clear: the numbers don’t lie.
Nick Collins is state senator for the First Suffolk District in Boston.
Boston, MA
Snowy weather causes gridlock traffic at Logan Airport in Boston
BOSTON – Holiday travel is in full swing with Christmas just days away and travelers at Logan Airport in Boston spent the day dealing with delays from snowy weather.
Delays nationwide
There was gridlock traffic at Logan as travelers embark on their holiday excursions. Donna Ragucci just flew into New England from Florida.
“I am so excited, I get to see my sister and we are going on the trolley today and North End,” Ragucci said.
AAA said snowy weather conditions on Friday led to delays, spinouts and disruptions with flights.
“Overall, we’ve seen a pretty strong volume, which is what we forecasted, a record number of people traveling this year,” said AAA Northeast spokesperson Mark Schieldrop. “There was a storm system that affected a good swath of the country, so Chicago and Boston are two major hub airports, so anytime you have delays or cancellations in one part of the country, we often see a little bit of a domino effect.”
Kevin Walker said this is his first and last time traveling for the holidays.
“Well, we got here yesterday morning and our flight was canceled right when we got here,” said Walker.
AAA said more than 119 million people will travel during from now and Jan. 2. While most flights are on time at Logan there are several delays and cancellations leading to holiday angst.
“Hasn’t been great, my first flight was cancelled and now I guess I didn’t make the cut off for this flight, so now they can’t check the bag but yeah, it’s alright. I got a JetBlue flight tomorrow,” traveler Abbey Reynolds said.
“It’s different because I’m driving this year, so we got the dog coming with us, so I just hope the flight goes OK for the two kiddos and we meet them on the other end,” said a Brookline man heading to North Carolina with his family.
Coping with travel stress
Paul Pierre is heading back to Columbus, Ohio and has his own philosophy when it comes to traveling.
“Don’t let the small stuff upset you. You just go through the airport and you do your best and be kind and you’ll get through it,” Pierre said.
“I’m a therapist, so I practice meditation, go to the gym,” said Ragucci.
“It is what it is, like, I’m not going to get that bent out of shape over it,” said Reynolds.
Boston, MA
Next Weather: WBZ Mid-Morning Update For December 22
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