The Massachusetts Teachers Association is again coming under fire for its actions related to the Israel-Hamas war. Jewish groups are slamming the union for holding an anti-racism program that boosts “antisemitic and anti-Israel falsehoods.”
Massachusetts
After steel beam falls from Boston tower, construction work is halted
Construction work has been halted on a $1.5 billion skyscraper project over Boston’s South Station amid an investigation into a steel beam that fell more than 20 stories Wednesday.
Work on South Station Tower has been shut down, the Boston I…
Cape Cod bridges to be owned, operated by Mass. under new agreement
When the two bridges to Cape Cod are finally built, Massachusetts will own them, not the federal government, under a new agreement announced Thursday that Gov. Maura Healey hailed as “an important step forward in our efforts to replace the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges.”
That agreement between Massachusetts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commits $700 million from the state and $600 million (pending congressional appropriation) from the Corps, for the project, according to an announcement. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will take the lead on constructing the two new bridges, which are still being studied.
The Bourne and Sagamore bridges, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, are more than 90 years old and have needed replacing. Officials said that the new agreement, a memorandum of understanding, lays out how the two sides will work together as they replace the Sagamore Bridge, then the Bourne Bridge.
“This agreement is an important step forward in our efforts to replace the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. From day one, our administration said we were going to do everything we can to deliver on this project that is critical for the economy of the Cape and our entire state,” Healey said in a statement.
The bridge replacement project previously received a $372 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Officials noted that it is a candidate for a $1.06 billion federal bridge investment grant.
The full cost of the project to replace the only roadways connecting Cape Cod with the rest of the state has been pegged at $4.5 billion.
World’s First: Mass General transplants pig kidney into a 62-year-old Weymouth man
Mass General announced the world’s first successful transplant today of a genetically edited pig kidney into a 62-year-old Weymouth man living with end-stage kidney disease.
Report: MGM Resorts considering sale of casinos in Mass. and Ohio
MGM Resorts International is considering selling its casinos in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Northfield Park, Ohio, according to a report from Bloomberg News, which cited people with knowledge on the matter.
The company, which operates 31 casinos globally, began consulting financial advisors upon review of MGM’s share price, which has risen less than 5% over the last two years despite growth in sales and profit. However, the discussions are in their early stages and may not result in any sales, according to the person, who asked to remain anonymous.
MGM declined to comment.
The Springfield location opened in 2018, seven years after the state legalized casino gambling, but has been less successful than the company had hoped. In 2023, the venue made $278 million in gambling revenue.
Opened in 2019, MGM Northfield Park is located about 20 miles outside of Cleveland and features a horse track and a casino.
Both casinos are owned by Vici Properties, Inc., a New York-based real estate investment trust specializing in casino and entertainment properties. A spokesperson for Vici declined to comment.
MGM has been looking to expand its online gambling presence globally, Bloomberg reported. The company has been exploring the world of online sports betting since the launch of its online gambling platform, BetMGM, in 2018, which came three months after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, legalizing sports betting on a state-to-state basis. According to the American Gambling Association, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting since the ruling. Massachusetts authorized it in January 2023.
BU grad workers vote to strike Monday
The Boston University graduate workers union voted Wednesday to go on strike Monday afternoon if they do not reach a contract agreement with the university.
The union, which represents roughly 3,000 graduate student workers at BU, voted last week …
