Metro
DPU Orders Mass. Gas Companies to Cut Bills by 5 Percent
The companies have until Feb. 24 to file their proposals for adjustments, which will take effect on March 1. The move will afford residents some respite, with lower bills expected for the “peak season” months of March and April.
Biopharma Giant GSK to Expand Research and Development Footprint in Cambridge
International biotechnology company GlaxoSmithKline is moving its vaccine and infectious disease research teams to Cambridge, in a latest step to strengthen its presence in the Greater Boston area.
Woman Rescued from Freezing Charles River, Transported to Hospital with Serious Injuries
A woman was rescued from freezing water in the Charles River near the Massachusetts Avenue bridge near MIT on Tuesday morning.
Local Black-Owned Soapmaking Business Wins State-Wide Sustainability Award
The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts recently recognized a Cambridge Black-owned business as one of the most environmentally conscious small businesses in the state.
Allston Residents, Elected Officials Ask for More Benefits from Harvard’s 10-Year Plan
As Harvard finalizes its Institutional Master Plan in Allston, residents and elected officials called on the University to fulfill its previous promises and increase contributions to the Boston neighborhood.
Mass. Department of Public Utilities to Review Energy Delivery Rates After Complaints Over Skyrocketing Bills
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has promised to renegotiate energy delivery rates with oil and gas companies after Mass. Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 and several state legislators penned letters decrying residents’ surging heating bills.
Cambridge To Halt Funding for Transition Wellness Center Shelter as American Rescue Plan Funds Run Out
The City of Cambridge plans to halt funding to the Transition Wellness Center Shelter in June — removing the shelter’s 58 beds as the city struggles to accommodate its unhoused population. The temporary shelter was originally intended to close in 2023.
Advocates Raise Concerns As Boston PILOT Report Remains Unreleased
While property taxes comprise nearly three quarters of Boston’s revenue, nonprofits are exempt from paying this tax. Instead, the PILOT program asks large non-profits to voluntarily pay a portion of what they would have otherwise paid in property taxes. The 2024 report on contributions has yet to be released.
As Lab Property Grows Out of Reach for Kendall Square Startups, Many Shift To Leasing Coworking Spaces
The Crimson spoke to a range of commercial realtors, startup founders, and a commercial lab space owner to understand how the immense draw of Kendall Square has forced the myriad startup companies that define its ecosystem to adapt to more challenging economic conditions as they fight for a prized place in “the most innovative square mile on the planet.”
HKS Professor Expresses Optimism as Healey Announces Re-Election Bid
As Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 is preparing to seek re-election in 2026, Harvard Kennedy School professor Linda J. Blimes is optimistic about her chances to return to Beacon Hill.
City Council Plans To Put Proposed Charter Changes on 2025 Ballot
The Cambridge City Council set a tentative timeline for residents to approve changes to the city’s charter in a Nov. 2025 ballot measure — more than three years since the city voted to update the charter on a regular basis.
Cambridge Biopharma Firm Sage Therapeutics Sues Partner Biogen After Buyout Offer
Cambridge-based biopharmaceutical company Sage Therapeutics filed a lawsuit against their partner, the biotechnology company Biogen, after rejecting their $469 million buy-out proposal late last month.
Harvard Doubles PILOT Payments to Town of Southborough
Harvard will double its annual payments to the town of Southborough to $50,000 in response to a request from the city to increase their contributions to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, the University announced in a letter last month.
In ‘Landmark’ Vote, Cambridge Ends Single-Family Zoning
The Cambridge City Council voted 8-1 to approve a proposal eliminating single family zoning city-wide in a meeting Monday night, capping off over a year of laborious dealmaking between activist residents, experts, and councilors.
Cambridge Historical Commission Approves Chabad’s Demolition Plan
The Cambridge Historical Commission approved Harvard Chabad’s plan to demolish their 54-56 Banks St. property—a necessary step in their plans for expanding their building—in a Feb. 6 meeting.
Harvard Square Stirs the Pot With 15th Annual Chili Cook-Off
El Jefe’s Taqueria won the Harvard Square Business Association’s 15th annual “Some Like It Hot” Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, in which customers in Brattle Square to taste-test competing free chili samples from local restaurants.
Boston Fire Department Recovers Body From Charles River Near MIT
The Boston Fire Department recovered a body from the Charles River on Sunday after responding to a report that an individual jumped off the Massachusetts Avenue bridge near MIT.
Design Dispute Embroils Allston I-90 Project as Deadline Nears
After a decade of halting progress and disagreements over the design of a $2 billion infrastructure project in Allston, a coalition of government officials and advocates tasked with finalizing the proposal is under pressure to do so over the next year, or risk losing their federal funding.
Residents, Former Staff Allege Hostility and Unsanitary Conditions at Bay Cove Shelters
Residents and former staff of three shelters operated by Bay Cove Human Services in Cambridge alleged — in a public meeting, interviews, and more than 500 pages of public records obtained by The Crimson — that staff berated residents and shelters harbored unsanitary conditions.
‘We Are Here to Fight Back’: Massachusetts Legislators Decry DOGE Access to Treasury
Massachusetts politicians on Tuesday blasted Elon Musk’s moves to slash federal government spending while serving as an unelected official in Donald Trump’s administration.
Staff, Parents Ask for Clarity as CPS Transitions K-Lo Students to New Schools
While Cambridge Public Schools works to transition students from the Kennedy-Longfellow School, following a December vote to close the school, parents and staff are saying they need more agency and clarity over what happens next.
As Mass. Legislators Work to Ban Phones in Schools, CPS Students See Ups and Downs
As a bill prohibiting the use of cell phones in public schools is making its way through the Massachusetts state legislature, students at Cambridge Public Schools — where a similar policy was adopted last fall — raised concerns about the phone restrictions.
Here’s How Cambridge Residents Would Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis
The affordable housing crisis has plagued Cambridge for more than a decade. As councilors have failed to reach a consensus on how to address the issue, upzoning proposals consistently occupy Cambridge City council meetings week after week.
CPS Says Students Will Be 'Unaffected' by Trump Funding Cut for K-12 Schools
As the Trump Administration threatens to cut federal funding for school districts across the country, Cambridge Public School leaders assured parents that the district will maintain business as usual.
Kraft Officially Launches Boston Mayoral Campaign
Philanthropist Joshua Kraft officially announced his candidacy for Boston mayor on Tuesday — and lost no time criticizing Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 for a lack of results on her campaign promises.