Pressley hosts meeting on hunger
A longtime Somerville resident and single mother, Lauers said she lost about 80 percent of the income she earned from her small cleaning business after business dried up in the pandemic. Even though her children were receiving child support payments along with $80 a month in federal food assistance, she continued to struggle.

SBA administrator meets with local entrepreneurs
Meeting with reporters after the gathering, Guzman said the SBA is moving from its focus on saving small businesses during the height of the pandemic to helping many of those same businesses scale up. For that, the SBA is looking to local community development finance agencies and local government to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Legislators release tax cut proposals
The package, which in many ways mirrors tax cut proposals released by Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this year, would include $500 million on one-time tax rebates of $250 for Massachusetts residents earning between $38,000 and $100,000, but exclude lower-income tax payers.

Motherlode of gold a mixed blessing for Uganda
That discovery, reported to be 320,000 metric tons, presents an implausible amount considering world production is just 3,000 metric tons annually. The amount of gold suddenly available to be mined in a country slightly smaller than Oregon would, no doubt, create a precipitous reduction in gold value.

Black Men & Boys Commission holds hearing
A few dozen people gathered in a conference room of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Roxbury last Wednesday for a historic meeting as the city’s Black Men and Boys Commission held its first public listening session, and first formal public appearance, in the organization’s history.

America’s higher education system should work for everyone
Young Americans have a major business decision to make well before the age of maturity. Even before graduation from high school they must decide whether to go to college. The usual reason for college is to enable youngsters to acquire the skills to enable them to be employed at a high-income professional level.

“If I can’t save enough for college, I’ll just go to work after high school.”
“If I can’t save enough for college, I’ll just go to work after high school.”.

It’s time to stop gun violence in America with new approaches
There have been over 300 mass shootings in this country this year. That’s more than one a day. Our national laws aren’t working to stop the violence. It’s time to look and learn from other countries. We might be able to implement what has worked elsewhere to stop mass shootings in this country.

Unlikely voters hold key for Democrats
It’s no accident that those least likely to vote in the midterms are young, minorities, and lower-income persons. They are traditionally the most marginalized, and the least apt to be the target of any prolonged, focused, civic, or political engagement effort by not just the GOP but Democrats too.

IN THE NEWS
State Representative Carlos González, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, has been appointed to the conference committee to resolve the differences between H4807/S2951 — An act financing the general governmental infrastructure of the Commonwealth.

Council probes white nationalist demonstration
After nearly 100 white supremacists marched through downtown Boston, resulting in brief violence, city councilors and activists have called into question the Boston Police Department’s response and the effectiveness of the city’s counterterrorism and intelligence agency.

Candidates press for votes in 5th Suffolk
BPDA Assistant Director of Diversity and Equity Christopher Worrell and former Boston Chief Diversity Officer Danielson “Donny” Tavares are competing against perennial candidate Althea Garrison for the seat, which includes precincts in Dorchester and Roxbury.

‘Revival: Materials and Monumental Forms’
Combining a delightful shuttle ride across Boston Harbor with a captivating exhibition at its site located in the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina in East Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston (ICA) offers visitors a splendid way to spend a summer day.

Summer by the sea
As part of increasing efforts to make Boston Harbor and the waterfront accessible, non-profit organization Boston Harbor Now has released a robust event schedule for the summer, centered on welcoming people of all backgrounds and creating unique experiences on the water.