After recent floods, Legislature must act now to strengthen climate resilience
These costs in life, property, and infrastructure are why the Massachusetts Legislature needs to take action now to build climate resilience. Governor Maura Healey's
Advertisement
It includes elements to support biodiversity and food security, remove excess carbon pollution, and support other resilience measures. However, two key areas of the proposal need to be improved: strengthening building codes and funding property buyouts in flood-prone areas.
The state's building code does not adequately account for the risks posed by climate change. One way to address this in the Mass Ready Act is through a 'stretch' resilience code, like what the state has done with building energy codes.
In Massachusetts, cities and towns cannot adopt stricter building codes than the state, so the state offers incentives to cities and towns to adopt a stricter state 'stretch' code. Massachusetts adopted an energy stretch code in 2009 and strengthened it to support even higher efficiency standards in 2024. Since then,
Boston and Cambridge have already taken steps toward better flood resilience. Boston has created a special zoning district to ensure that new construction in flood-prone areas meets higher standards for flood protection. These measures include requirements for elevated buildings and materials that can withstand flooding. In February 2023, Cambridge adopted flood resilience
Advertisement
Another component of the Mass Ready Act that needs strengthening is the approach to properties in flood-prone areas. The American way has been to act in defiance of extreme weather events, boldly stating, 'We will rebuild.' But it's time to consider that some places may no longer be safe to rebuild in.
A few US
Massachusetts has
The impacts of climate change are already here. The Mass Ready Act is a crucial step in combatting its effects, but it needs to be stronger and more comprehensive. The Legislature should act now, before the next disaster strikes.
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
MLK files: What's in them and what's left out?
Historians assessing the trove of newly released documents are cautioning people against the idea that they contain any groundbreaking information. Among details included in a newly released trove of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.: assassin James Earl Ray took dance classes and had a penchant for using aliases based on James Bond novels, according to researchers. Likely not among the nearly a quarter million pages released by the National Archives and Administration on July 21 is anything that changes the narrative cemented when Ray pleaded guilty to King's murder in 1969, historians say. "By all means the government should release all the documents that they have and they should have done it 20 years ago. The issue is about what our expectations are for what's going to be found," said Michael Cohen, a University of California, Berkeley professor and author of a book on conspiracies in American politics. "The idea that there's some sort of secret document showing that J. Edgar Hoover did it is not how any of this works. Part of the challenge is getting the American public to understand it's nowhere near as exciting." National Archives officials released the over 6,000 documents in accordance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January. Officials released the documents over objections from members of the King family. The files are available for the public to read online at the National Archives website. Historians say it will take weeks to fully understand what they reveal. Trump's Jan. 23, 2025 executive order also called for the release of records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. The full findings of the government investigations into the three killings have been hidden for decades, sparking wide-ranging speculation and preventing a sense of closure for many Americans. All three men were national and international icons whose assassinations — and the theories swirling around them — became the stuff of books, movies, controversy, and the pages of history itself. More: Trump's release of assassination docs opens window into nation's most debated mysteries What's in the King files? The newly released records come from the FBI's investigation of the King assassination, records the Central Intelligence Agency deemed related to the assassination and a file from the State Department on the extradition of James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty in 1969 to murdering King. David Barrett, a historian at Villanova University, said the files will likely contain new, interesting information. But as was the case with the JFK files released in March, the material likely isn't groundbreaking. "I'm not seeing anything that strikes me as surprising," said Barrett, author of multiple books on presidents and intelligence agencies. "Unless they want to write about the investigation, I don't know that this will have an impact on the scholarship." Noteworthy in the files, Barrett said, are details concerning how the FBI connected Ray to King, how they found him and extradited him back to the U.S. from the United Kingdom, where he had fled. "It does take weeks to go through these, so there might be some important revelatory things but I doubt it," said the political science professor. "It's not exactly what people were hoping for and not what the King family was fearing." Many of the files are also illegible due to age and digitization. Archives officials said the agency was working with other federal partners to uncover records related to the King assassination and that records will be added to the website on a rolling basis. 'Now, do the Epstein files': MLK's daughter knocks Trump over records release What's not in the King files? Not among the newly released documents are details of FBI surveillance into King that historians say could include recordings agency director J. Edgar Hoover hoped to use as blackmail against the Georgia preacher. Experts say Hoover's wiretappings of King's hotel rooms, which are believed to contain evidence of infidelity, are likely what his family fears being made public. The New York Times reported the recordings remain under seal pursuant to a court order until 2027. But UC Berkeley professor Cohen said the documents likely haven't been revealed for multiple reasons. "There's claims that these are major government secrets and so whatever they might contain might be true and that's not the case," Cohen said. "Any large-scale government investigation often includes all sorts of spurious claims, hearsay evidence, things of which there's no truth and part of the reason why they get withheld is bureaucratic inertia and also the need to check their veracity." What does the FBI have to hide? Hoover's recordings might also prove a double-edged sword for the FBI, according to Cohen: "Will these files contain things that will upset the King family? That's possible. But they'll also likely reveal just how massively the FBI violated King's civil liberties." FBI agents began monitoring King in 1955, according to researchers at Stanford University. Hoover believed King was a communist and after the Georgia preacher criticized the agency's activities in the Deep South in 1964, the original FBI director began targeting King using the agency's counterintelligence program COINTELPRO, Stanford researchers said. COINTELPRO was a controversial program that a 1975 U.S. Senate investigation slammed, saying: "Many of the techniques used would be intolerable in a democratic society even if all of the targets had been involved in violent activity," the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities said in its final report. "The Bureau conducted a sophisticated vigilante operation aimed squarely at preventing the exercise of First Amendment rights of speech and association." The agency went so far as to send King a recording secretly made from his hotel room that an agent testified was aimed at destroying King's marriage, according to a 1976 U.S. Senate investigation. King interpreted a note sent with the tape as a threat to release recording unless King committed suicide, the Senate report said. MLK assassinated in Memphis, April 4, 1968 The official story of how King died is that he was killed on the balcony outside his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. He stepped outside to speak with colleagues in the parking lot below and was shot in the face by an assassin. James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old escaped fugitive, later confessed to the crime and was sentenced to a 99-year prison term. But Ray later tried to withdraw his confession and said he was set up by a man named Raoul. He maintained until his death in 1998 that he did not kill King. The recanted confession and the FBI's shadowy operations under J. Edgar Hoover have sparked widespread conspiracy theories over who really killed the civil rights icon. King's children have said they don't believe Ray was the shooter and that they support the findings of a 1999 wrongful death lawsuit that found that King was the victim of a broad conspiracy that involved government agents. Department of Justice officials maintain that the findings of the civil lawsuit are not credible. Read the MLK files Looking to read the MLK files yourself? You can find them on the National Archives' website here. Most of the files are scans of documents, and some are blurred or have become faint or difficult to read in the decades since King's assassination. There are also photographs and sound recordings.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Trump escalates attacks on Obama and Clinton as questions swirl about Epstein
'Obama was trying to lead a coup,' Trump said. 'And it was with Hillary Clinton.' Trump's extended digression, which came during a visit with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, was a stark example of his campaign of retribution against an ever-growing list of enemies that has little analogue in American history. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It even prompted a rare response from Obama's office. Advertisement 'These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,' said Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesperson for Obama. 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.' After Trump's attack on Obama, reports continued to surface about his relationship with Epstein. CNN published photos of Epstein at Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, the president's second wife. Gabbard's report, which claimed there was a 'treasonous conspiracy' by top Obama officials, contradicted a lengthy study by the Senate Intelligence Committee that was signed by all Republican members of the committee, including Marco Rubio, now the secretary of state. Advertisement The Obama administration never contended that the Russians had manipulated votes; instead, the administration, and the Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, concluded that Russia mounted a major effort to influence voters. Still, in his remarks Tuesday, Trump claimed that he could have sent Clinton, the former secretary of state and another of his political rivals, to prison but chose not to. He said he would show no such leniency to Obama. 'I let her off the hook, and I'm very happy I did, but it's time to start after what they did to me,' Trump said. 'Whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people. Obama's been caught directly.' The president then listed even more enemies he wanted his Justice Department to target, including his former FBI director, James Comey and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, and former President Joe Biden. 'It would be President Obama,' Trump said. 'He started it, and Biden was there with him, and Comey was there, and Clapper, the whole group was there.' 'He's guilty,' he said of Obama. 'This was treason. This was every word you can think of.' Trump's campaign to exact revenge against his perceived enemies has taken many forms. Over the past six months, he has pulled protective details from former colleagues facing death threats from Iran. He has revoked or threatened to revoke the security clearances of Biden, members of his administration and dozens of others. His administration has taken steps to target members of the media seen as unfriendly, taken the hatchet to entire agencies perceived as too liberal, and fired or investigated government workers deemed disloyal. Advertisement The re-examination of the intelligence around the 2016 election began with John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, ordering a review of the agency's tradecraft that went into the intelligence community assessment in December of that year. The review was deeply critical of the Obama administration and the former CIA director, John Brennan. CIA analysts took issue with the speed of the assessment and accused Brennan of allowing an unverified dossier prepared by a former British intelligence officer to influence the assessment. But Brennan has long denied that the so-called Steele dossier had any impact on the assessment, and other former officials said that the analysts working on the report paid no attention to it, maintaining that it was unverifiable rumor. Ratcliffe wrote on social media that the review had shown that the process was corrupt, and then he made a criminal referral to the FBI. Last week, Gabbard issued another report that criticized the findings of the intelligence assessment even more directly. Gabbard's report suggested that in the winter of 2016, intelligence officials under pressure from the White House changed their assessment from one that Russia had failed to mount a significant effort to hack election infrastructure to one that the Kremlin was trying to boost Trump and denigrate Clinton, the Democratic nominee. But Gabbard's report conflated two different intelligence findings. Intelligence officials had concluded that Russia had not engaged in any major effort to hack election systems and change votes. But they also believed that Russia had tried to influence the election in various ways by releasing hacked documents to harm Clinton and sow dissent. Advertisement Gabbard has also called for several Obama officials to face criminal investigation, without naming them. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kotek calls for special legislative session amid ODOT layoffs, transportation crisis
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Nearly one month after Oregon's legislative session ended, Gov. Tina Kotek is calling on lawmakers to reconvene in Salem amid a shortfall in transportation funding, leading to historic layoffs in the state. On Tuesday, the governor called for a special session on Aug. 29, asking lawmakers to restore funds for basic road maintenance operations at the Oregon Department of Transportation along with other funding needs for local governments and transit districts. The call from the governor comes after Oregon's legislative session ended with the death of House Bill 3402 on the House floor, which aimed to bridge ODOT's $350 million funding shortfall and aimed to avert layoffs at the agency. CNBC ranks Oregon among most expensive states. Here's why 'In the weeks since the adjournment of the legislative session, my team and I have worked every day with legislators, local partners, and key stakeholders to zero in on a solution and a timeline for the legislature to come back together and address the state's most immediate transportation needs. Oregonians rely on these basic services, from brush clearing to prevent wildfires to snow plowing in winter weather, and they are counting on their elected representatives to deliver adequate and stable funding,' Kotek said in a statement on Tuesday. 'At the same time, ODOT acted prudently in the absence of this funding, initiating a first wave of layoffs on July 7 while also working to reduce the impact to basic services as much as possible. Subsequently, with the agreement of legislative leadership and with a plan for a special session now in place, I have directed ODOT to postpone the start date of layoffs for an additional 45 days, allowing impacted staff more time to make contingency plans for their livelihoods and their families,' the governor added. Kotek concluded 'I am confident that lawmakers will step up next month to avert these layoffs by approving the necessary funding for the state's transportation needs. I appreciate their partnership and am eager to be on the other side of this crisis.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The governor is aiming to bring more funding to the state highway trust fund for the 2025-27 biennium along with funds for the Statewide Transportation Fund. Kotek argues that funding ODOT will stop pending layoffs while also allowing the agency to maintain operations at facilities scheduled for closure. 'The special session will be focused on critical near-term solutions to stabilize basic functions at ODOT and local governments,' Kotek continued. 'This is just the first step of many that must be taken to meet our state's long-term transportation needs.' Portland-area residents flock from Washington, California ODOT has laid off over 480 employees out of an estimated 600-700 total layoffs, according to the governor's office, previously stating this marks the largest government layoffs in state history. Without action from state lawmakers – and depending on unpredictable winter weather – a second round of layoffs is expected in early 2026, the governor's office said. In response to the governor convening a special session, House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) said, 'This could have been prevented if Democrats had come to the table and considered House Republicans' alternative plan to fund ODOT by refocusing existing revenue instead of adding billions of dollars in new taxes on struggling Oregonians.' VIDEO: ClackCo deputies punched mentally disabled inmate 7 times, lawsuit claims The Republican leader added, 'This could still be prevented today, without a special session, if Democrats made the decision to use existing revenue from the emergency board. We can still protect these jobs without raising taxes — and we should. Republicans have represented the voices of the people and fought hard to find solutions that don't add new taxes. It's now time for Democrats to do the same. We invite Democrats to join us in funding essential services without raising taxes, to stand with Oregonians who cannot afford to shoulder more costs.' Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) furthered, ' 'Just weeks after the Legislature rejected the largest tax increase in Oregon history, the Governor is calling us back to Salem to try again, this time with less notice and less transparency. Republicans offered a common-sense plan to get ODOT focused back on its core mission, protect critical maintenance jobs, restore accountability, and avoid raising costs on hardworking Oregonians. Democrats didn't even give it a glance.' 3 Portland spots included in Yelp Elite's roundup of the nation's best fried chicken Bonham added, 'If Governor Kotek were serious about fixing our transportation system, she would start by repealing her executive order on project labor agreements. That one decision alone adds 20 to 30 percent to the cost of every project. Her concern over budget shortfalls rings completely hollow when she's knowingly forcing taxpayers to overpay by millions. Instead, she's playing politics with frontline workers to pressure lawmakers into voting for higher taxes.' The Senate Republican leader concluded, 'For decades, Governor Kotek and her party have prioritized spending on programs that line the pockets of special interests, such as costly housing initiatives that haven't delivered real results, while neglecting critical infrastructure needs. This mismanagement has directly contributed to the crisis we face today. Oregonians deserve roads that work, bridges that last, and a government that puts them first, not more status quo policies and backroom deals to reward special interests.' While discussing an amendment for HB 3402 — which included a bump to registration and titling fees with a 3-cent increase to the gas tax, allowing that money to go to ODOT — House Republicans argued that working Oregonians don't want more taxes. Meanwhile, Kotek said during the amendment's public hearing that not passing it would be catastrophic for Oregonians, noting possible ODOT job cuts could include roles for incident response teams and maintenance crews, which would be 'unacceptable' for Oregonians. House Minority Leader Drazan echoed the sentiments of her Republican colleagues, previously stating, 'It's really, really simple for us. Oregonians themselves have said our number one issue is affordability, and this is tone-deaf. It flies in the face of what Oregonians are telling us as policymakers that they need right now.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
