Boston, MA
Out of Boston City Hall love spat come serious questions for Wu – The Boston Globe
But questions arising from this messy incident are not so easily swept away — although Wu is trying to do just that.
Huang was the neighborhood business manager for the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, at a salary of $70,469. Khudaynazar was chief of staff for the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, at a salary of $83,769.
The two were arrested and charged last week after police responded to a call from an apartment in Chinatown, where Khudaynazar told police she bit Huang in self-defense because he wouldn’t let go of her wrists, according to a Globe account of the police report. When police began to arrest Huang, Khudaynazar said, “I don’t want that, I was lying, I was lying.…I bit him,” according to the report.
She then allegedly tried to close the door, while telling police, “we both work for the city of Boston, we both work for the mayor’s office.” At one point, Khudaynazar allegedly began to hit an officer on the chest while shouting obscenities. Huang also allegedly told police, “We both work for the city, this is unnecessary.”
Khudaynazar was charged with assault and battery on a police officer and assault and battery on a household member. Huang was charged with assault and battery on a household member. Both pleaded not guilty at their arraignments.
Citing police reports, several media outlets, including the Boston Herald, also reported that Khudaynazar allegedly told police that Huang was cheating on her and she went on a date with his boss. Huang also allegedly told responding officers that Khudaynazar and his boss “booked a hotel room and she came here to rub it in my face.”
The boss referred to has not been named in any reports. But City Councilor Ed Flynn has called for the resignation of Segun Idowu, the city’s chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, who oversees the office for which Huang works. In an interview, Flynn said he is also calling for an independent investigation into the incident in order “to restore public trust.”
Josh Kraft, who is challenging Wu in the mayor’s race, has called for Wu to release the internal report and to disclose whether the fired workers are receiving severance payments. Kraft has also called upon Wu to disclose Idowu’s “role” in the incident.
Put aside the obvious political motivations of two Wu critics, including one who is seeking her job, and both Flynn and Kraft raise valid issues.
Asked if Idowu is involved in any way, a spokesperson for Wu told me via text that she did not have “anything to share” on that. While Khudaynazar did not report directly to Idowu, there could be potential power dynamics in play given that he is a member of Wu’s Cabinet, and it’s fair to ask Wu to address that. Meanwhile, a group of Black leaders has signed a letter that supports Idowu, and describes calls for his resignation as “unfounded and politically motivated.”
Another tangential question: What work is the Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, where Khudaynazar was employed, actually producing?
Established in 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the office was set up as a civilian body to investigate complaints of Boston Police Department misconduct and holds subpoena power.
At the time, Wu was one of 12 city councilors who voted for it, and then-mayor Marty Walsh signed the ordinance that created it. Since then, as the Globe recently reported, OPAT has experienced turnover and vacancies and failed to hold public meetings or produce public reports.
Last October, Boston 25 News reported that the OPAT website was “full of broken links, making information inaccessible to the public.” When I checked, the last meeting and report listed on the current website dated back to January 2024. But a Wu spokesperson said the OPAT team has met, has investigated 143 complaints, and plans to release a report in July.
Wu appointed Evandro Carvalho, a former prosecutor and former state representative, as executive director a year ago. As he recently told the Globe, “We’ve had some challenges in terms of fulfilling all the functions, but we’ve been working hard to build capacity to make sure these gaps are closed.” In that interview, Carvalho also said that recent hires included a chief of staff.
It’s unclear what specific qualifications Khudaynazar had for a job that should require a certain level of experience and maturity.
Political work attracts young people, and young people sometimes do dumb things that should not define their entire lives. But when you work for the public, you are accountable to the public. That’s a tough lesson for Khudaynazar and Huang.
There’s also a lesson for Wu. Who gets hired and fired sends a message about workplace priorities, culture, and oversight. Especially in an election year, that message matters.
Joan Vennochi is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at joan.vennochi@globe.com. Follow her @joan_vennochi.
The Boston Harborwalk, a 43-mile park and pedestrian pathway that stretches along the city’s coastline, will soon extend further north into Charlestown and beyond.
The city’s Planning Department this week approved putting the estimated $5.5 million project out for bids from contractors. The extension will connect to the existing Harborwalk and stretch along Terminal Street and the Little Mystic Channel.
“The new pathway will be beautifully landscaped and furnished with seating, shade shelters and exercise equipment,” said Planning Department Director of Real Estate Rebecca Tomasovic during the Boston Planning and Development Agency Board meeting on Thursday.
Tomasovic explained that currently, the land is unused and overgrown. Pedestrians in the area are limited to Terminal Street, which has no sidewalks and is used primarily as a truck route. The Harborwalk extension will allow safe pedestrian travel between Chelsea Street and the Charlestown Athletic Fields, she said.
Planning for the Boston Harborwalk began in the 1980s, according to its website. In addition to walkways, it includes green space, seating, informational signage, exhibit spaces, cafes and other amenities. When the Harborwalk is complete, it will stretch close to 50 miles between Chelsea Creek in East Boston and the Neponset River in Dorchester.
Beyond pedestrian safety and recreation, the Harborwalk is also part of the city’s planning for climate sustainability for the future.
A 2022 report from the Office of Climate Resilience recommended the Charlestown extension, as well as elevating the existing Harborwalk paths in the area, as the height protects against rising sea levels and flooding.
“The Harborwalk is both highly vulnerable to the impacts of sea-level rise and presents an opportunity to create a resilient coastal edge,” officials wrote in the report. “Redesigning the Harborwalk along the Little Mystic to incorporate coastal resilience infrastructures provides opportunities not only to reduce risks from flooding but also to enhance the benefits this amenity provides.”
In October, the city was awarded a $500,000 grant from MassTrails, a division of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The city also expects to use over $1 million from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in the form of mitigation funds from the nearby Encore Casino and $750,000 in private donations through the Mystic River Watershed Association.
The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled this season without their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But against the Celtics, it was other veterans who stepped up, the old Bucks shined in a victory.
1. Bobby Portis Jr A+
The 30-year-old has struggled all season but against Boston, Bobby Portis was out if this world. Portis went for a season high 27 points on an absurd 84.6% from the floor. Portis knocked down 5 of his 6 three pointers and gathered 10 boards. Portis presence on the defensive end is always strong, but it was the offense tonight propelling the Bucks to the win.
2. Kyle Kuzma A+
The 30-year-old turned back the clock against the Celtics producing a season high 31 points and shooting 76% from the field. Kuzma anchored the Bucks comeback scoring 25 of his 31 points in the second and third quarters. The Bucks trailed by as many as 14 and ran it up to a 21-point lead late in the fourth.
3. Kevin Porter Jr. A+
Kevin Porter Jr. gathered his first triple double of the season with 18/10/13. The 25-year-old continues to be one of the few bright spots for Milwaukee in a career year. Porter was getting whatever he wanted offensively and created for his teammates at a high level. Most notably Kyle Kuzma who accounted for 7 of his assists.
On the darker side of things, Myles Turner was extinct on the offensive end yet again. Turner had four points and was one of six from the floor while only gathering 3 rebounds. Turner did however help the Bucks hold the Celtics to 13 third quarter points, swinging the momentum back in Milwaukee’s favor. But Turner still has to be better, and prove his worth. Turner played 0 minutes in the fourth quarter, a troubling trend we have seen throughout the season, although tonight didn’t call for his presence.
This was exactly the game the Bucks needed, a win against a top team in the East, but also a win without Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the win is a bright spot in a rather dull season, every win counts in their current sitaution. As more losses could make a Giannis trade more likely.
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Holiday deliveries are stacking up on Boston doorsteps and police warn that means porch pirate season is back.
In the past year, one in four Americans was a victim of package theft with losses averaging between $50 and $100 per incident, according data in a report on package thefts in 2025 from security.org.
December is the peak month for porch pirates, with households receiving 10 more packages on average at the end of the year than at the start, the report found. Additionally, those who live in apartments and condos are over three times as likely to have packages stolen than people in single-family homes.
The crimes are something Boston residents are no stranger to.
During the holiday season in 2024, South Boston was terrorized by an individual the Boston Police Department dubbed the “Tom Brady of Porch Pirates.”
A 34-year-old woman named Kerri Flynn was arrested in connection with the thieveries on Christmas Eve 2024, after a Boston police cadet saw her in South Boston holding two bags stuffed with unopened packages.
Prosecutors ultimately dismissed her charges related to the South Boston thefts, as she pleaded guilty to charges in two other larceny cases. Flynn was sentenced to a year of probation with conditions to remain drug-free with screens and undergo a substance abuse evaluation with treatment.
To avoid another season of stolen gifts, Boston police are urging residents to take precautions and released a video on the topic Thursday.
The department advises to track deliveries and be home — or ask a neighbor — to grab them, or use secure options like lockers or scheduled drop-offs. Police also say to install a doorbell camera and immediately report any missing items, regardless of price or size.
Carriers like Amazon, FedEx, UPS and USPS also have a few more pieces of advice, like requiring signatures for high-value items and to avoid leaving packages out overnight.
Amazon recommends using Lockers or Hub Counters and enabling Photo-on-Delivery, while UPS suggests signing up for My Choice to redirect packages to Access Points. USPS also offers “Informed Delivery” and options to hold for pickup — all tools that may keep holiday gifts from getting intercepted before they reach the tree.
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