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Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
MAGA comes for one of its own: Pam Bondi
That has parts of MAGA world, which has been obsessed with Epstein since he died by suicide in a New York jail while awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking charges in 2019, in a twist. 'This is Jeffrey Epstein; this is the most famous pedophile in modern-day history,' Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said during an Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Greene said that Ghislaine Maxwell, a close Epstein confidante convicted of federal child sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison, had 'a little black book' of more than 2,000 names, including 'famous celebrities, world leaders, foreign leaders, and very rich businessmen.' Advertisement Among Epstein's high-profile friends were Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Trump, who once called the mysterious and mysteriously wealthy man with a private island Advertisement From Vice President But some, like far-right extremist For years, right-wing conspiracy theorists have claimed that Epstein was murdered in his jail cell to protect the identities of those who may have been blackmailed by him. Now far-right figures ranging from Before he was reelected, Trump was asked during a While Trump said that he would do so, he also hedged, claiming that he would be wary because 'you don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there 'cause it's a lot of phony stuff with that whole world.' (He didn't elaborate.) But he added that it would be 'interesting' to find out more about Epstein's death, which he called 'a weird situation.' Advertisement The joint DOJ/FBI memo confirmed that Epstein died by suicide. Now, neither Trump nor anyone in his administration wants to talk about the alleged Epstein client list that was before it wasn't. At a recent Cabinet meeting, he 'I mean, I can't believe you're asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, where we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas,' the president said, referring to the catastrophic flash floods that have killed at least 120 people. 'It just seems like a desecration.' As much as Trump wants this subject buried, not all of MAGA is ready to let this go away quietly. This even led to the odd sight of Karoline Leavitt, Trump's press secretary, being From the attorney general's neglect of due process for immigrants being snatched from communities nationwide to her willingness to Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Beacon Hill faces the fiscal reckoning of that ‘big beautiful bill'
'With President Trump and congressional Republicans making drastic cuts to the services and programs that the people of Massachusetts rely on, there is significant economic uncertainty surrounding this budget,' Healey noted in the Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up An executive branch hiring freeze, announced in May, will remain in place for the next year and a 2 percent raise for thousands of executive branch managers scheduled to go into effect in January has been canceled for now at an estimated savings of $17 million. Advertisement Also taking a hit will be one health care perk for state employees. 'The high-cost of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have put extraordinary pressure on the [Group Insurance Commission],' Healey noted in her message, 'and like other states, we believe it is the right time to scale back coverage of those drugs to only those patients for whom the medication is medically necessary.' The savings from that move are estimated at $27.5 million. And while the governor vetoed 28 specific line items totaling $130 million, she also filed a supplementary budget that same day totaling $130 million — $100 million in a 'flexible pool of resources' that the administration could tap later in the year and $30 million for a housing preservation and stabilization fund. Both are contingent on 'federal spending decisions.' But Healey's big ask in that newly filed budget bill is for authority to cut not just from the budgets of executive agencies — she has that already — but to be able to trim spending from other accounts, including local aid and quasi-public agencies. Executive agencies account for only about 55 percent of state spending, according to Gorzkowicz. The enhanced powers she is seeking would only kick in if revenues — either tax revenues or federal revenues — fall short by more than $400 million. And it would be for this fiscal year only, something that might make it more palatable to legislative leaders in the event the state is truly up against a budgetary crisis. Advertisement But the administration is also looking for permission to use capital dollars funded by state bonds to pay the salaries of some Department of Transportation employees currently employed with federal dollars, if those federal funds are cut. Sorry, but that's just a bridge too far in the contingency budgeting process. There are reasons — millions of dollars in reasons — why the state is currently prohibited from paying employees, transit employees in particular, with capital money, starting with its utter fiscal irresponsibility. It's rather like instead of paying the plumber who just unclogged your drain, adding his bill to your mortgage and paying it out over the next 30 years or so. The interest adds up. And the state has been here before — covering the operating cost of everything from personnel to paper clips — by paying for them with long-term bonds. There was a time not that long ago when the state positively binged on the practice — bonding the salaries of some 'These personnel expenses crowd out investments in capital as every dollar in the capital budget used to fund personnel costs results in one less dollar available to fund capital investments,' according to a budget document filed back then by the administration of Governor Deval Patrick. (Much of the increase was attributed to the previous administration of Governor Mitt Romney.) 'Funding these employees on the capital budget is also more expensive than funding them on the operating budget due to the interest expense incurred on the related borrowings.' Advertisement Hence the But apart from that ill-advised budgetary sleight of hand, Healey and her team are the ones best positioned to respond in real time to a fiscal crisis. Lawmakers, who continued to lard up the budget and its companion allocation of Fair Share proceeds with As surely as back to school season follows summer, a new fiscal reality looms this fall. Massachusetts needs to be ready for it. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Boston Globe
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The unlikely defenders of girls facing genital mutilation in Kenya
For generations, morans have been champions of tradition in Samburu culture: guardians of community honor, masculine ideals, and long-held customs. Among the customs they are responsible for upholding is female genital mutilation (FGM) — a Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up 'I've seen what it does to our sisters,' says James Lelelit, 28, a former enforcer of the tradition turned anti-FGM activist. 'They bleed. They suffer infections. They drop out of school. Some never recover. I couldn't stay silent anymore.' Advertisement What makes this movement extraordinary is that it is not the result of outside pressure. It is coming from within the heart of the community. What's emerging in Samburu is not only an effort to champion women's rights and health, but a redefinition of masculinity. For young men raised to measure their worth by dominance and tradition, embracing compassion is no small feat. Advertisement In the past, anti-FGM messages often came from outsiders and were met with resistance. But today, morans are leading the conversations. They are young men who have seen firsthand the pain FGM causes their sisters and classmates. They are part of a generation more exposed to education, mobile technology, and evolving ideas about human rights. Crucially, they frame their opposition to FGM not as a rejection of traditional culture but as a way to protect it. The hope is that this insider-led movement — in which warriors are speaking out and families are listening — will continue to grow. The transformation is fragile, but if sustained, it could mark a turning point not just for Samburu but for other communities where the custom remains entrenched. FGM is illegal in Kenya, yet it continues in rural communities where government enforcement is weak and old customs remain deeply ingrained. In Samburu County, nearly From warrior to defender In a region where tradition often outweighs legislation, the morans are making all the difference. 'Everything changed when we started talking to the warriors,' says Samuel Leadismo, a Samburu warrior, founder of the Pastoralist Child Foundation, and former enforcer of FGM. Leadismo's transformation into a defender of girls' rights began after he attended a community training by a local NGO that challenged old beliefs about FGM. It wasn't the facts alone that shifted his views but the girls' and women's harrowing testimonies. The knowledge hit differently because it came from people he trusted and because the people at the training asked him to reconsider what it truly meant to be a protector. Advertisement Today, he works to convince other young Samburu warriors that they have the power to end the practice. 'Morans have influence,' he says. 'If they decide to marry only girls who are not cut, everything changes.' Indeed, this redefinition of masculinity — from enforcing harmful tradition to defending girls' bodies and futures — is what makes the movement so powerful. In a community where identity is rooted in heritage, warriors like Leadismo are showing that honoring culture can involve change. Rather than rejecting tradition outright, they are reframing it — turning strength into advocacy and authority into protection. Their new stance has already had an effect. Families are increasingly choosing to let their daughters go through alternative rites of passage, including community-led ceremonies that celebrate a girl's coming of age without FGM. According to the Pastoralist Child Foundation, thousands of girls in the region have undergone these alternative rites of passage and remained in school. Joy Lemasian, 17, remembers the day she told her father she did not want to be cut. 'He looked angry at first,' she recalls. 'But then my uncle, a moran, told him, 'The world is changing. Let her go to school.' That saved me.' Lemasian now dreams of becoming a teacher. Her story is becoming more common, but she knows the danger hasn't disappeared. 'Some girls are still cut in secret,' she says softly. 'But now, at least we have people to talk to. People who believe in us.' The morans occupy a unique space between the elders, who are often guardians of tradition, and the youth, who are hungry for change. Their voices carry weight in a society where age and gender roles are tightly defined. Advertisement Even some elders are beginning to come around. 'At first, I thought the boys were being disrespectful,' says Moses Lekilelei, a village elder in the town of Archers Post. 'But then I listened. They are not rejecting our culture. They are saving our daughters.' Yet there has been backlash. In some villages, morans who speak out have faced threats or been ostracized. 'We were told we were no longer real men,' says Peter Loeku, 26. 'But I asked them — how is a real man one who causes harm to a child?' Loeku admits the fight is slow. 'We need more schools, more role models. And we need to stop pretending this is just a women's issue. It affects all of us.' Internationally, the story is being watched closely. The United Nations Population Fund warns that without faster progress, up to 89 million girls could still be at risk of FGM by 2030. Samburu's example offers hope. 'Being a moran used to mean strength, pride, silence,' says Lelelit. 'Now it means asking questions. It means choosing what kind of man you want to be.' As the sun sets over the hills, the gathered morans in Samburu rise to leave. One of them ties his red cloth tighter around his waist and turns to speak. 'We are still warriors,' he says, smiling. 'But now we fight for something better.'
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump dawdles on aid, sanctions as Ukraine turns to Europe for help
The diplomatic stalemate followed an offensive by Russia on key Ukrainian territory. That, in turn, was followed by a Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up And so it goes. Advertisement President Trump, who vowed during his campaign to end the bloody conflict on Advertisement The latter, of course, actually do have a chance to move the needle — even a handful of Republican leaders like 'It's clear to me — and I think it's becoming clear to President Trump — that the Russians are playing games,' Graham told But the bill Graham is proposing — which now has Thus the threat — new sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, and uranium — remains just a threat. 'He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,' But what has the dealmaker-in-chief done about that? Arms shipments to Ukraine Ukraine is particularly in need of more Patriot missiles and launchers for its air defense system. Secretary of State Yes, a nation that was once considered the greatest military power in the world is now asking others to pass the hat for Ukraine military assistance. Advertisement The Europeans, being on the front lines of the horror that Putin has unleashed on Ukraine, have indeed stepped up — both for Ukraine and in taking seriously their own need for self-defense. British Prime Minister He cited 'war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyberattacks,' and 'growing Russian aggression,' in British waters and skies. NATO Secretary General Ukraine's needs are expected to be high on the agenda for the NATO summit in the Hague at the end of June, he assured, 'making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay in the fight, to be able to bring this terrible Russian war of aggression against Ukraine to an end which has to be lasting, which has to be durable.' There was a time when those would be the words, the enduring message, coming from the White House — a message of peace through strength and engagement with allies. Trump has been all about making America great again — or so he says. But America can not stand proudly on the world stage if it stands alone, abandoning allies and allegiances that go back decades. Advertisement Putin has made himself and his unbridled ambitions abundantly clear. He isn't crazy, he's simply ruthless. Trump can continue to allow Putin to play him like a well-tuned Stradivarius or he can use the tools at his disposal — sanctions on Russia, tariffs on nations that buy energy from Russia, and the release of military aid to Ukraine — and actually show he means business this time. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Boston Globe
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump's Oval Office tantrum won't end Ukraine war
Advertisement Indeed, the one thing that Trump did manage to accomplish when he berated Zelensky for his alleged lack of gratitude toward the United States is to roust European leaders, who quickly jumped to Zelensky's defense, promising a Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up The current phase of the war started three years ago when President Vladimir Putin of Russia sent troops into neighboring Ukraine in a bald effort to seize territory by military force. Ukraine fought back with impressive tenacity, aided by the United States and other Western powers, and the conflict is now at something like a stalemate. A cease-fire would be a first step toward a diplomatic resolution. The question is what, exactly, it would look like, and what would happen next. Macron has said he doesn't anticipate sending any peacekeeping troops to Ukraine unless and until a cease-fire deal has been negotiated and in operation for a month. 'The question is how we use this time to try and obtain an accessible truce, with negotiations that will take several weeks and then, once peace has been signed, a deployment,' Advertisement 'We want peace,' Macron said. 'We don't want it at any price, without guarantees.' One thing is clear, though — that any meaningful Ukraine deal will require at least the grudging participation of the United States. And Trump was sadly on point when Europe's offer of financial aid — London has just lent Ukraine about Trump does want a deal. He needs a deal. He said 'I know Zelensky very well and I know Putin very well. I have a good relationship and … they respect me.' If Trump truly wants to focus on China — and he should — he needs to get the war in Ukraine off his plate. And get it off his plate in a way that doesn't needlessly antagonize European allies he presumably wants on his side when it comes to China, Iran, and any number of other issues. Putin needs a deal too. Some Advertisement The issue now is, as Zelensky attempted to explain to Trump and Vice President JD Vance, how to strike and police a cease-fire deal with a man who can't be trusted to abide by a deal — who has a long history of violating every deal he has ever signed, including, as Zelensky has noted, one on the exchange of prisoners with Ukraine. Enforcement will be the key to a secure and just cease-fire agreement, leading to a longer term peace agreement — and if Europe can sign on for part of that heavy lift, so much the better. Zelensky 'We are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States,' Zelensky said. 'There hasn't been a single day when we haven't felt grateful.' If Trump is looking for an olive branch, he has it. Bullying and boorishness won't advance the cause of peace — or that mineral deal he still covets. It's time for the diplomats to take over. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
