Election season is here
The Boston mayoral primary is a crucial event in the city’s political landscape, serving as the de facto final election in a town where a non-partisan Democratic primary sets the stage for a general election.

Massachusetts residents could lose food and health benefits under the new federal law
A report from Boston Indicators, the research center at the Boston Foundation, estimates that more than 40,000 adults in Greater Boston may be at risk of losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when the law takes effect.

YW Boston CEO Aba Taylor on recent race-based jobless trends
It’s even worse for Black American labor. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, that national rate among Black or African American workers age 16 and over is currently 7.5%, and has hovered above a discouraging 6.2% since the beginning of 2025.

Encyclopedia Climatica: What is an environmental justice community?
“You have these things that people don’t want in their neighborhoods but it’s essential — they somehow get into our neighborhoods. That’s what environmental racism is,” said Dwaign Tyndal, executive director at Alternatives for Community and Environment, a Roxbury-based environmental justice nonprofit.

BECMA prepares to move to permanent home
Nicole Obi, president and CEO of BECMA, explained that the Barr Foundation gave a strong offer of support where it would donate $500,000, if BECMA could raise the same amount, which it did and acquired $1 million. However, BECMA was still short and had to take out a loan to purchase the property.

Banner survey: School library access varies across Massachusetts
As the Massachusetts School Library Association marked its 50th anniversary in March, the Bay State Banner conducted a survey to assess the state of school libraries. The survey covered 302 of Massachusetts’ 319 public school districts, 52 of 73 charter districts and 221 private schools.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bad health care policy spreads like a virus
The spectacle of anti-vaccine nonsense coming from Florida last week would be hard to top but it was more than matched on Capitol Hill, where U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. engaged in serial science denialism before a combative chorus of Senate critics.

“Kids keep getting sicker and sicker,...
“Kids keep getting sicker and sicker, and these fools in Washington don’t want us to get vaccinated.”.

Let African American museum tell the truth about slavery
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump wrote.

Chicago’s streets still moving to America’s historic rhythms
As I stepped to the podium on the South Side, Donald Trump was taking the oath of office in Washington, D.C. His inaugural speech was a drumbeat for a new era of hostility toward immigrants and people of color.

IN THE NEWS
Currently serving as president of the Roxbury Cultural District (RCD), Akinwumi brings visionary leadership to Roxbury’s historic Nubian Square, advancing the district’s mission of celebrating the neighborhood’s rich artistic legacy while expanding opportunities for creatives, entrepreneurs and residents.

As elections near, prisoners and advocates push for voting rights behind bars
Professor DeAnza Cook, left, and Pastor Franklin Hobbs of Healing Our Land, center, with organizer Elly Kalfus, right, pose for a photo in front of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. They all met with inmates to help them cast ballots and advocate for voting rights on Friday, Sept.

Wu, Kraft at forum in advance of election
Left: Josh Kraft delivers remarks at the Jan. 31, 2024, meeting of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, where he was appointed chair of its board. Right: Mayor Michelle Wu answers press questions following her State of the City address at MGM Music Hall Jan.

Avoiding health misinformation
But not all online sources are trustworthy, and this can lead to bad health outcomes, whether you’re suffering from a common cold or in need of advanced treatment. Of course, you should never rely solely on the internet instead of a qualified healthcare professional.

Setting health goals
Thanks to innovations ranging from meal-planning apps to fitness trackers, we now have unprecedented access to tools that help monitor our progress and improvement. Here’s how to leverage technology to achieve your objectives, whether that means increasing activity, losing weight or improving your mental and emotional health.

Focus on gut health
Recent studies have shown that gut health directly affects aspects of our health far beyond that, including immune function and emotional health. That’s why it’s so important to establish a balanced diet that incorporates probiotics. You enhance your digestive health and strengthen your body’s defenses against illness.

Establish a morning routine
A well-structured morning routine can give your day vitality and purpose. Physical activity promotes cardiovascular health, stimulates our metabolism and benefits overall physical wellness. Mindfulness practices like yoga, journaling or meditation help with anxiety, stress and depression.

Get regular wellness checks
Wellness checks contribute to early detection and prevention of illnesses. During these appointments, healthcare providers conduct tests to get a comprehensive snapshot of your well-being.

Salt and your health
The mineral, prominently found in salt, shows up at high levels in processed food like chips, in certain deli meats and in fast foods. The World Health Organization reports that almost every country now exceeds recommended sodium levels, and in some cases consuming almost double the recommended amount.

Author brings African heritage to children’s books
The result was “Afia the Ashanti Princess: A Visit to the Motherland,” her debut children’s book written during the COVID pandemic. Inspired by her childhood in Ghana and later family trips back with her own kids, the story follows a young girl who dreams of becoming a princess and discovers her royal ancestry on a journey back home.

Hasbro chooses Boston for new headquarters
That includes, most notably, two others from Connecticut: General Electric from Fairfield in 2016 and Alexion Pharmaceuticals from New Haven the next year. From elsewhere in Massachusetts, it has drawn the AI company Dynatrace to downtown from Waltham and EMD Serono to the Seaport from Rockland within the last year.

Boston College is now 1-1 in the 2025 season
Boston College dropped an overtime thriller to Michigan State, despite the heroic play of quarterback Dylan Lonergan. In a knock-down, drag-out college football game that required double overtime to be decided, the home team Michigan State Spartans managed to escape with a 42-40 triumph.

Patriots begin Mike Vrabel era with a disappointing loss to Raiders
Week one of the 2025 National Football League season began filthy when Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was ejected just six seconds into the league’s opening game for spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first offensive play.

Boston Local Food Festival dishes out delicious, sustainable eats
Kerry Kokkinogenis, local food program manager at the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, said the festival has come a long way from its small beginnings. Now, she said, the food festival is the largest, local-only food event for the city and the region, as far as she knows.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month begins Monday and runs through Oct. 15 and Boston is ready to celebrate. Strap on your dancing shoes and prepare to salsa, merengue and bachata the month away..

Portia Zvavahera brings dreams and nightmares to life in ICA solo show
The dream world comes alive in “Portia Zvavahera: Hidden Battles / Hondo dzakavanzika,” an installation of seven gripping, large-scale artworks at the ICA Boston. This is the first solo U.S. museum show of Zimbabwean artist Portia Zvavahera featuring three works that have never been exhibited.

CineFest Latino returns with a powerful lineup of Latin American films
CineFest Latino Boston is an annual film festival dedicated to telling stories by and about Latinos. Their mission is to showcase the diverse, nuanced experiences of the Latino population and to combat harmful stereotypes. The festival returns this month for its third year and in the current moment, telling these stories feels more urgent than ever.

‘Primary Trust’ at Speakeasy Stage imagines a kinder, world
Speakeasy Stage kicks off the fall theater season with a tender tale of hope, change and kindness: “Primary Trust,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Eboni Booth that examines how fruitful unexpected changes can be when we have the courage to face them.

Pauline Bennett Way Dedication
The Bennett Family and community members to dedicate Turquoise Way in Mission Hill as “Pauline Bennett Way.” This dedication honors Pauline Bennett, a longtime community leader in Mission Hill and the late mother of William “Willie” Bennett, who was wrongfully accused of the murder of Carol Stuart in 1989.

Morgan Memorial Goodwill Service Awards
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries recently honored employees for their years of service at its annual Service Awards.