K-ZONE WPKZ FM105.3/AM 1280

Your Hometown Radio

listen nowLISTEN NOW
listen nowLISTEN NOW
K-Zone Studio Line 978.348.1280

Elizabeth Warren

Brandeis University bans Students for Justice in Palestine campus chapter following SJP support for Hamas

by

Brandeis University is banning the campus’ Students for Justice in Palestine chapter after SJP groups across the country applauded Hamas for the terrorist organization’s deadly attacks in Israel.

Brandeis SJP following Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 supported “Palestinian resistance in all of its forms” and rejected “the characterization of Palestinian resistance as ‘terrorism.’ “

Hamas terrorists murdered an estimated 1,400 Israeli civilians and troops in the surprise attack. Another 240 Israelis were kidnapped, and nearly 7,000 were injured.

The university in Waltham, which was founded by the American Jewish community a few years after the Holocaust, is no longer recognizing the Brandeis SJP chapter after national Jewish groups urged colleges to investigate their SJP chapters — including for possibly violating the ban against materially supporting a foreign terrorist organization.

“National SJP has called on its chapters to engage in conduct that supports Hamas in its call for the elimination of the only Jewish state in the world and its people,” Brandeis University said in a statement.

“Such expression is not protected by Brandeis’ principles of free speech,” the university added. “Students are welcome to express their support for Palestinians in a manner that complies with our rights and responsibilities.”

Brandeis SJP had organized a vigil for Palestine for Monday night, but the group announced that the vigil was canceled following the university’s decision to de-charter the SJP chapter.

“We recognize that such a decision is purely racist and goes against the values of Brandeis University, an organization that was built to fight racism in higher education,” Brandeis SJP wrote.

The student group also added, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” That phrase is an antisemitic slogan commonly featured in anti-Israel campaigns and chanted at demonstrations, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The slogan is a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said it was disappointed in the university’s decision to ban the SJP chapter.

“Make no mistake, Brandeis is punishing its students for nothing more than protected political advocacy,” FIRE Senior Program Office Zach Greenberg said in a statement.

“In this difficult moment, Brandeis could have demonstrated how students can engage with opposing viewpoints,” Greenberg added. “Instead, President (Ronald) Liebowitz is teaching them to simply silence those they hate. This betrayal of Brandeis’s free speech promises is a stain on the school’s 75-year reputation as a bastion for free inquiry.”

Meanwhile, Liebowitz recently signed on as a coalition founder of the national group called “Universities United Against Terrorism,” which is standing in support of Israel against Hamas.

“We, the presidents and chancellors of universities, colleges and higher education associations across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience,” the national group wrote with more than 100 signatures from higher education institutions.

UMass President Marty Meehan is also a coalition founder of the group.

Martin Meehan, President of University of Massachusetts in a 2106 file photo by Mark Garfinkel.
UMass President Martin Meehan is a founder of “Universities United Against Terrorism.” (Herald file photo)

 

$8B in federal infrastructure funding to Mass.

by

LOWELL — The last time U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey were in Lowell, they came bearing a check for $21.4 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for four Mill City bridges that span canals fed by the mighty Merrimack River.

On Friday, both were at UMass Lowell for an Infrastructure Investment Day event to talk about the $8 billion in federal funding the commonwealth is receiving for infrastructure investments such as roads, bridges, public transportation, climate and clean energy initiatives, among other projects.

“Infrastructure is in part about how we move around,” Warren said by phone before the afternoon meetings. “We have to think ahead. What are our transportation needs? Not from 20 years ago, but 20 years out.”

As the chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Policy, Warren led a Senate hearing on the economic impact of federal investments in Massachusetts. The afternoon consisted of three panels broken out by presentations from federal agencies, state leadership and community leaders.

The senators were joined in the first panel discussion by U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary for Infrastructure Kathleen Hogan and U.S. Department of Transportation Undersecretary of Transportation for Policy Carlos Monje, followed by Gov. Maura Healey and closing with UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen and other state and local leaders.

UML student and Student Body President Anthony Milisci attended the Senate hearing on behalf of the Student Government Association.

The public health major said his main focus was environmental health and clean energy, and that he was “interested in seeing how federal dollars have been impacting our campus specifically, but also the UMass system generally and Massachusetts as a whole.”

Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, Monje said, and finding ways to improve accessibility and safety while also decreasing the carbon footprint is a goal of the federal dollars, which Markey called a “revolution in infrastructure investment.”

“Clean energy money,” Markey said. “I know a lot is going to be going to UMass Lowell, but the same thing is going to be happening all across the commonwealth. We’re not just the Bay State, we’re the Brain State,” he said to laughter. “We’re six times smaller than California, but in actual dollars, we compete and that goes into our economy and makes a big difference.”

Gov. Maura Healey testifies before the Infrastructure Investment Day panel chaired by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, held at UMass Lowell's University Crossing on Oct. 20. (Melanie Gilbert/Lowell Sun)
Gov. Maura Healey testifies before the Infrastructure Investment Day panel chaired by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, held at UMass Lowell’s University Crossing on Oct. 20. (Melanie Gilbert/Lowell Sun)

Making a difference was the point of Healey’s remarks during the state panel discussion. She said her administration was “chasing hard after these federal dollars” and called the funding of “critical importance to our state’s goals and our future.”

She noted that many of the grants require as much as $3 billion in state matching funds to maximize how much might be awarded. Massachusetts, she said, already has set aside $2 billion.

“As unprecedented as these investments are, there’s still a limited number of federal dollars available,” Healey said. “That means there is fierce competition all across the country to bring these dollars home. Some states put their own funds on the table to combine with federal dollars in order to be competitive to win federal grants.”

Collaboration was the theme of Chen’s remarks during the local impacts hearing testimony. She called partnerships the way to maximize the federal dollars and realize “big things,” citing the university’s geothermal project as an example of that kind of community investment.

“The geothermal project is a great example of a partnership with a company, with the neighborhood, with the city,” she said. “It’s about creating this integrated ecosystem. We can only do big things if we do them together.”

Although no specific projects were presented during the public hearing, general ambitions included clean energy projects, expanding broadband access, rehabbing senior and low-income housing to be climate resilient, clean air, safe water, public safety, research and improvements to roads and bridges.

Senior Advisor to President Biden and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu met privately with a group of mayors to discuss Massachusetts’ infrastructure needs, but spoke briefly to reporters before he flew back to Washington.

“Massachusetts,” he said, “is punching way above its weight, and it’s a pretty heavyweight place, already.”

Warren agreed with his assessment, offering that “Governor Healey and her administration have been strong partners in infrastructure and other projects that received federal funding.”

That funding includes hundreds of millions of federal dollars to replace the Sagamore and Bourne bridges on Cape Cod and nearly $170 million to replace Lowell’s 40-year-old Rourke Bridge.

“One of the things that make this such an exciting moment, is that there’s enough infrastructure money on the table that local communities can dream a little,” Warren said by phone. “They can think about the kind of changes in their local infrastructure that will improve the quality of life for the people who live there.”

Ex-Elizabeth Warren 2020 staffers call on her to ‘demand an immediate cease-fire’ in Israel, Gaza

by

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is facing pressure from hundreds of her former staffers who are pushing her to “demand an immediate cease-fire” and de-escalation in the Israel-Hamas war, while an estimated 200 Israeli hostages are still captive in Gaza.

A letter signed by hundreds of ex-staffers from Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign comes after protesters chanting for a ceasefire were arrested as they tried to enter the senator’s Boston office on Wednesday. Also, progressive House reps introduced a cease-fire resolution earlier this week, which was backed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

The former Warren staffers in their letter, posted online late Thursday night, urged the senator to publicly call for a cease-fire and to introduce a cease-fire resolution in the Senate.

“We were horrified by the Hamas attack on October 7, and we are devastated for those who are dying as the Israeli army continues to commit unconscionable horrors in Gaza,” the former staffers wrote. “Through our grief, we implore you to take action.

“You must demand an immediate cease-fire in Palestine and the return of Israeli hostages, and take concrete steps to end Israeli occupation,” they added. “A child is killed every 15 minutes in Gaza — if you continue to be silent, you are complicit in this genocide.”

The ex-staffers in the letter ripped Israel, calling the major U.S. ally “increasingly fascist” that commits war crimes and enforces “brutal apartheid.”

Warren’s office did not immediately respond to comment on Friday. Warren was in Lowell for an Infrastructure Day event on Friday, and she only took one question regarding the Israel-Hamas war — which was about an American family trapped in Gaza.

“Senator Markey and I are working really around the clock with the State Department to do everything we can to get this family out of Gaza, and get American citizens out of the region who are trapped there and want to be able to leave,” Warren told reporters.

“We need for all of the hostages to be released,” she said. “We need humanitarian aid into Gaza. We need to get that humanitarian aid coordinator open. We’ve got a lot that needs to happen and it needs to happen fast to protect lives. That’s what matters here.”

The former staffers are also pushing for Warren to advocate for de-escalation in the region, and that the U.S. end unconditional military aid to Israel.

Her 2020 workers wrote that Warren is not living up to her campaign promises.

“We spent months, some of us years, fighting for you because we believed you shared our dream for the world to be a place in which every human being can live in dignity,” the ex-staffers wrote. “Your lack of moral clarity in the face of the genocide of Palestinians is a direct contradiction of the values your campaign stood for.

“One of your last calls to action for us at the end of your presidential campaign was to ‘always choose to fight righteous fights,’ ” they added. “We call on you to live up to your own words by demanding an immediate cease-fire, advocating for de-escalation, and addressing the root causes of the violence of the past 13 days — 75 years of brutal apartheid and occupation.”

Sun reporter Melanie Gilbert contributed to this report.

‘A devastating blow’: Lawmakers, higher ed officials react to Supreme Court’s repeal of affirmative action

by

The Supreme Court decided Thursday to strike down affirmative action, a long-held college admissions policy that permitted race to be factored into a potential student’s acceptance.

In the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, justices ruled the practice is unconstitutional and infringes on the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

Besides looking at test scores and GPAs, colleges attempted to address some applicants’ lack of educational resources by considering their background, and by doing so, they would increase the diversity on their campuses. Students from higher-income households tend to fare better on standardized tests than their lower-income peers, and the same goes for white and Asian students as compared to their Hispanic and Black counterparts, according to 2022 data provided by the College Board.

New Hampshire had already banned affirmative action prior to its federal repeal, meaning its private institutions will now also be affected.

After the court’s landmark ruling, many local lawmakers and universities shared their thoughts on the decision and the decades of precedent now turned void.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey held a press conference in Boston alongside current students and educational leaders to condemn “the far-right, extremist majority on the court” who have failed to protect people’s rights, he said.

Instead of advocating for those affected by systemic racism in the college admissions process, Markey said the Supreme Court is favoring the wealthy and privileged, and in turn, further widening the collegiate barrier to entry. He called the ruling “a devastating blow.”

“The decision to deny consideration of race in school admissions is grounded in the misguided notion that colorblindness is justice,” Markey said. “Colorblindness ignores deeply rooted institutional racism and its impacts on people based on the color of their skin. The Supreme Court of the United States is stomping on the dreams of our young people. The Supreme Court majority may think that they are blind to race, but what they are truly blind to is inequality, blind to injustice, blind to progress that our country must make. That is what the Supreme Court is blind to.”

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan stated the move “will benefit the wealthy and well off” while hurting underrepresented groups “who have been traditionally overlooked.”

“The notion that prohibiting colleges from considering race as a factor for admission protects Black and brown students is ridiculous,” Trahan wrote in a tweet. “This decision turns back the clock on the progress made to ensure more equitable access to higher education, particularly prestigious schools.”

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren had similarly harsh words for the court and its conservative majority.

“An extremist Supreme Court has once again reversed decades of settled law, rolled back the march toward racial justice, and narrowed educational opportunity for all,” Warren wrote. “I won’t stop fighting for young people with big dreams who deserve an equal chance to pursue their future.”

Academic diversity is important because it ensures all Americans can receive an education, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton wrote in a statement. Rather than examine the affirmative action decision, he said colleges can reconfigure their admissions tools to find alternative ways of providing educational opportunities for students.

“But rather than just looking at this decision’s negative aspects, schools should try to innovate and accomplish these goals without anybody thinking that they got a seat just because of the color of their skin,” Moulton stated. “We need to recognize the impact of systemic racism in our country and fix it with sustainable solutions.”

At Middlesex Community College, more than half of the campus community is racially and ethnically diverse, making the court’s overturning detrimental to the institution, said MCC President Phil Sisson.

Despite the expected negative impacts, Sisson stated the college will continue to create a welcoming environment for students from all walks of life, including first-generation students, students of color, LGBTQ+ students and “students from underrepresented communities.”

“Our community of learners come to us from different backgrounds and stages of their lives in order to start their education, advance in their careers, provide for their families, and update their skills for professional and personal enrichment,” Sisson wrote in a statement. “The Supreme Court’s decision today does not align with MCC’s mission; however, that will not stop us in fulfilling our mission. We will continue to support and guide students from all experiences to ensure everyone has access to higher education.”

UMass President Marty Meehan and the five chancellors across the UMass system — including UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen — signed a joint statement addressing the repeal. Administration is working to understand the ramifications of the court’s decision and its impact on UMass’s admissions, they wrote.

“The University of Massachusetts will continue to follow the law, and will do so while sustaining its deep and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” the statement reads. “We believe this is essential to the advancement of academic excellence and critical to the preparation of our students to succeed in a global economy.”

In a message to the campus community, Fitchburg State University President Richard Lapidus reassured students and faculty of the school’s commitment to “making higher education opportunities accessible for students.” Affirmative action’s demise doesn’t mean an end to the university’s longstanding goal of admitting diverse students, he sad.

“We believe in providing all individuals, particularly those who face socioeconomic barriers to opportunity and advancement, with the ability to earn a degree and contribute to the economic, social and civic life of their communities,” Lapidus wrote. “I am proud of the important work our institution does every day to support our students, now and into the future.”

Congressional quintet celebrate more than $20 million in federal funding for Massachusetts community projects

by

U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan, Jim McGovern and Richard Neal are touting successful efforts to secure federal funding for a number of community-based projects across the state in December’s end-of-year omnibus spending package.

In a press release, the lawmakers said they had secured over $20 million for 16 projects across the state, with more than $7 million directed toward projects in Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner. Markey said the projects existed “at the forefront” of efforts to promote “health, environmental, and economic justice across our Commonwealth.”

“These projects will use federal dollars to add beds and improve systems at regional hospital campuses, promote educational resources and programming for immigrant communities, and enhance critical water infrastructure for our cities and towns in Central Massachusetts,” he said.

Funding in Fitchburg included $450,000 for HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital’s Fitchburg Campus to acquire and install a digital breast tomosynthesis that will expand access to life-saving screenings. Additionally, $2 million was dedicated to Fitchburg State University’s Theater Block Revitalization Project to build a learning laboratory and black box theater to strengthen the city’s cultural and educational infrastructure.

Community Health Connections was awarded $2.5 million. CHC is a federally qualified health center that has served the low-income, underinsured, uninsured, publicly housed and homeless populations of Fitchburg, Leominster and other nearby communities for more than 20 years. The funds will be used to establish an 8,000-square-foot facility to meet the growing need of mental and behavioral health services for children, including outpatient therapy services, psychiatry, in-school therapy, therapeutic case management, peer mentoring and parenting classes.

North Star of Leominster was awarded $1 million to develop 15 units of affordable housing, while an additional $1 million was awarded to the city of Gardner to replace a 141-year-old water transmission main line and maintain the public health and safety of residents.

Trahan celebrated the work of the quintet and said “delivering for our state and our communities” has always been her “top priority.” Warren stressed the importance of these projects to the region while McGovern and Neal said these projects “will [affect] real change” and “undoubtedly go a long way” in their respective communities.

“I’m proud of all that the Massachusetts delegation has achieved together in securing funding that will make the Commonwealth an even better place to call home,” Trahan said.

“Federal investments like these will help fortify our aging water infrastructure, provide critical resources for immigrants and veterans, and advance health equity across this region,” Warren said. “I’ll keep pushing to ensure the federal government is a strong partner to communities across the Commonwealth.”

“These projects will effect real change, like expanding patient bed access and making our health system more equitable,” McGovern said in the press release. “For me, public service has always been about listening to and helping people, and after working with so many community leaders to move these projects forward, I’m proud we are delivering results and I look forward to seeing the impact these investments have on the Second District.”

“The more than $20 million in federal funding secured for central Massachusetts will undoubtedly go a long way in making many of these long-awaited projects a reality,” Neal said. “Congress has the fundamental responsibility to oversee the expenditure of the public purse, and I firmly believe that these projects are worthwhile investments for the people of central Massachusetts.”