Boston, MA
Editorial: Kamala Harris’s joy & hope are great, but America needs real leadership
![Editorial: Kamala Harris’s joy & hope are great, but America needs real leadership Editorial: Kamala Harris’s joy & hope are great, but America needs real leadership](https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BHR-L-EDITORIAL-01_c2600d.jpg?w=1024&h=682)
The cheerleading is in overdrive at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, but behind all the hype, Democrats and the mainstream media are setting Kamala Harris up to fail.
Pundits and the press have tossed about the rollercoaster analogy in describing the campaign scene since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. The Hill had this breathless headline Thursday: “Stunning Harris rollercoaster reaches new apex at Democratic convention.”
The problem with rollercoasters is that they also go down.
Former President Bill Clinton hyped Harris as the “president of joy” during his Wednesday night speech. We’re all for joy. We’re also for a strong president who has the chops to lead the country.
Voters want to have a reason for joy beyond speeches and promises and declarations of love of country. Joy comes from being able to feed one’s family and pay the rent or mortgage without working two or more jobs. It’s thriving instead of struggling.
How will Harris make that happen?
Former First Lady Michelle Obama went all in on happy in her Tuesday night speech: “Something wonderfully magical is in the air,” she said. Obama spoke of “the contagious power of hope” and “the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.”
“Hope is making a comeback, Obama said.
A question: where has it been since 2021? Wasn’t Build Back Better supposed to usher in recovery after the pandemic and offer hope for a better, stronger future?
With Harris’s rollercoaster in the up position now, she hasn’t been generous with the details of how she’ll bring joy to America, or what plans she has to get us all to share in that brighter day.
She did offer her Agenda to Lower Costs for American Families. Included are a measure beefing up the child tax credit (CTC) to provide a $6,000 tax cut to families with newborn children, and restoring an expansion to the CTC passed as part of a the American Rescue Plan, pressing up to $3,600 per child tax credit for some families, The Hill reported.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget weighed in and estimated Harris’s proposals to expand the CTC could come with a price tag of $1.2 trillion from fiscal 2026 through 2035.
Harris’s plan would also expand the earned income tax credit (EITC), set up a tax credit for first-time homebuyers, extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credit expansion and efforts to support affordable housing. That all could cost upwards of $700 billion during the same time frame, CRFB noted.
Here’s where the hope comes in. Voters should hope that Harris’s free-spending agenda doesn’t spike inflation as Biden’s trillion-dollar binge did. Voters also should hope that the Fed wouldn’t have to respond with more rate increases, pushing up interest rates on credit cards.
We hope that Kamala Harris will do the round of town meetings, interviews and rallies with clear answers about job creation, the economy, government spending, national security and the border crisis.
Voters want answers, and they want to envision a future that’s built on smart planning and solutions, and not just hype.
Or hope.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Boston, MA
Shop owners in Boston say they were not told about construction work, now they are losing business
![Shop owners in Boston say they were not told about construction work, now they are losing business Shop owners in Boston say they were not told about construction work, now they are losing business](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/08/22/bcf21c9d-0b08-47b2-8bb3-2b0172574532/thumbnail/1200x630/3c577d5fcba3d667803e035e6470df68/xdraw-chan-charlestown-construction-2-frame-664.jpg?v=29ebd300d9a3cd24077d945a46991f72)
BOSTON – Stores in Boston’s Charlestown say they are losing business after construction work began on Main Street. The shops are barely visible behind the equipment and orange cones.
Boston Water and Sewer crews are doing much-needed maintenance work on the pipes around the neighborhood. However, the caution tape, noise, and construction equipment are impacting small businesses in the area.
“That’s the first customer I had today in two hours, and I probably won’t get another one, I hate to say it, all day,” Betty, a consignment store employee told WBZ-TV.
“Put some of us out of business”
It’s slow because the shop’s front door is a construction zone, with crews climbing in and out of a giant hole in the roadway.
“It’s not even blasting right now. You gotta hear the noise. They blast all day long,” the employee said.
“It’s going to put some of us out of business,” Amanda Mitchell added.
Mitchell owns two businesses in Charlestown – both impacted by the construction.
“No one said anything that there would be construction at all,” she said outside her boutique, Place and Gather. She showed up to work, surprised to see a giant hole at her front door.
“When you come in the morning and there are giant holes and the sidewalk is closed from all the way down there to all the way around the corner,” Mitchell explained. “Customers, Freedom Trail walkers don’t know how to physically get down over here.”
Boston says they notify residents two weeks before
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission said they notify businesses and residents by mail two weeks before construction begins. Parking notices go up two days before the work starts.
“The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) sends notices to residents and businesses who are affected by replacement or rehabilitation of our infrastructure (water, sewer, and drainage systems) two weeks prior to commencement of the work. In addition to the customer notifications mailed to residents and businesses prior to the commencement of work, the contractor also posts No Parking Notices on vehicles within the active work zone 48 hours in advance. BWSC apologizes if a business or a resident did not receive a notice of the construction work.” said BWSC Spokesperson Tom Bagley.
“I got zero heads up here,” Mitchell said. “This began last August.”
Mitchell explained that she understands the work is necessary. She just wants a warning before she’s greeted by a construction zone outside of her quaint boutique.
“Just communication. We want this work to happen, we just want a timeline.”
Boston, MA
Mindy Kaling defends Boston fans at DNC, praises Red Sox and NBA champ Jayson Tatum
![Mindy Kaling defends Boston fans at DNC, praises Red Sox and NBA champ Jayson Tatum Mindy Kaling defends Boston fans at DNC, praises Red Sox and NBA champ Jayson Tatum](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/kaling-boston.jpg)
Massachusetts native Mindy Kaling took her opportunity as host of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Wednesday night to come to the defense of Boston fans.
Speaking on stage at the United Center in Chicago, the renowned actress decided to combat the hate bestowed upon the state – most notably its fans – by pointing out some of Boston’s favorite things.
Actress Mindy Kaling speaks during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Guys, I couldn’t leave here without giving a shout-out to the amazing delegation from my home state, Massachusetts. I love you, Massachusetts. Everyone is always hating on us, but they just don’t get it,” she said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“Go Sox! Go Jayson Tatum!”
![Jayson Tatum holds NBA trophy at Red Sox game](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/tatum.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Jayson Tatum of the Celtics walks onto the field before a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 24, 2024, in Boston. (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Kaling also made reference to the state’s fascination with Dunkin Donuts coffee, and also Ben Affleck’s high-profile split from estranged wife Jennifer Lopez.
“Ben Affleck, hang in there!”
SOCIAL MEDIA CALLS OUT TIM WALZ COACHING HISTORY AFTER FORMER PLAYERS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT DNC
Tatum and the Celtics won the franchise’s 18th NBA championship this year after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Boston now has the most NBA titles out of any franchise in league history.
In an interview with Fox News Digital in January, Tatum praised Boston fans despite the criticism they have faced over the years.
“I’ve been very fortunate, seven years now, to be in Boston and they truly do have the best fans in the league,” he said. “They support us night in and night out. Just want to repay them with good basketball. They give us so much and energy at every game. You don’t want to let them down in that sense.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Boston fans have been criticized by several NBA players over the last few seasons. In 2023, Jaylen Brown said part of the fan base was “extremely toxic.” Former Celtics guard Kyrie Irving said many insults were hurled his way during a playoff game in 2022. LeBron James even said Boston fans were “racist as f—.”
![Jaylen Brown yells](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/Jaylen-Brown2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown reacts after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. (Peter Casey-USA Today Sports)
“They’re gonna say whatever the f— they want to say,” James said in 2022.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Boston, MA
The case for sending every kid to summer school – The Boston Globe
![The case for sending every kid to summer school – The Boston Globe The case for sending every kid to summer school – The Boston Globe](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/arfqM4u0h6YJ9ISJKMmCbJGSKIE=/506x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/7WCWAJFZWFCBXBDP25XIUMLBIE.png)
With coordination across multiple mayoral and school administrations, Boston After School and Beyond nurtured and grew what is now known as the “Fifth Quarter,” solving all sides of the summer program problem. It bundles funding from federal, state, city, and private philanthropic sources. Through research and data agreements, it ensures programs with the city’s seal of approval meet field standards and goals. And it attempts to end the annual parent scramble to find available slots by operating a user-friendly website of programs searchable by age, type, and cost (many are free).
How — and why — did the city rapidly create a national model for summer school?
First, the vast majority of children in Boston have caregivers who all have jobs. Summer programming is not a nice-to-have; it is a necessity for working families. Busy kids mean more parents can remain in the workforce, supporting their families and contributing to the local economy.
Summer enrichment provides more than just child care. Malcolm Gladwell’s 2008 book “Outliers” popularized a term educators long had intuited: “summer slide,” the decline of academic skills while children were on summer break. With a 1980s Baltimore study as the touchstone, the lagging achievement of low-income students, students of color, and other historically marginalized students was pinned on missing out on the academic enrichment, camps, or travel during the summer that their higher-income peers benefit from. A recent Gallup survey revealed that higher-income families are twice as likely to enroll their children in summer planning than lower-income families. Closing the summer access gap is a potential path to closing achievement and opportunity gaps.
I have seen this firsthand. In my 15 years as a public school teacher and principal, I ran summer school six times. Although I would describe the initial attitude of the children as one of resignation at best, with those same children I witnessed exceptional academic and social growth. More often than not, I saw that carry into the following school year.
There have been competing studies and data on the consistency and scale of summer learning loss, but the theoretical quickly gave way to the practical needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address children’s stalled academic progress, which disproportionately impacted lower-income students, school districts around the country leveraged federal recovery dollars to add learning time in the summers of 2021, 2022, and 2023. Some school districts made their academic year longer. Many, like Boston, invested millions to expand summer programs with an additional academic focus.
Does it work? Yes. A RAND-administered random control trial, the gold standard in social science, showed that students who regularly attended summer programs outperformed their peers academically.
The same research indicated those students made greater progress in social and emotional skills.
American schooling is inherently conservative, largely the same in its form, delivery, and calendar for nearly a century. Change is rare, even when something has a clear track record of working. To meet the needs of the families of today and achieve goals of equity, it is reasonable to ask whether summer learning should continue to be an appendage.
Why not incorporate it, and, for all who want or need it, just make “summer school” part of “school?”
Will Austin is founder and CEO of Boston Schools Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to high-quality education in the city.
-
Ohio1 week ago
Ohio taxpayers sent families $966 million for private school tuition: Capitol Letter
-
News1 week ago
Roger Stone says his email accounts were how the hackers got into the Trump campaign
-
Science1 week ago
Opinion: A route to safer chemotherapy
-
World1 week ago
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 901
-
World1 week ago
Ukraine recieves €4.2 billion from EU as part of recovery plan
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Dead Talents Society, hilarious supernatural comedy starring Gingle Wang
-
World1 week ago
A hidden ocean on Mars, would it spur human settlement?
-
Politics1 week ago
Fox News Power Rankings: Five themes emerge in the battle for the House gavel