Elizabeth Warren officially declares presidential run in Lawrence, MA
Elizabeth Warren, the senior senator for Mass., has been gearing up for a presidential run for a couple months now but officially declared this past Saturday. Lawrence, Massachusetts was a strategic choice, it is a struggling city, home to a large immigrant population and the site of the historic Bread and Roses women-led labor strike of 1912. Warren touched on many of these themes in her speech, especially economic disparity by talking about her “ultra-millionaire tax” proposal and blue collar upbringing. President Trump was quick to comment on one of his biggest adversaries’ official entrance into the 2020 presidential run. He called Warren “Pocahontas” and made a reference to the Trail of Tears, a deeply problematic jab at Warren’s own problematic claim to have Native American heritage.
Many Boston-area restaurants close as rent continues to rise
In Boston, rent is increasing at a minimum of 3% a year, and will likely continue to do so in the foreseeable future. As a consequence of this, fewer and fewer new restaurants particularly those with independent owners rather than franchise restaurants–are setting up shop in town. In addition, many older, storied restaurants, such as L’Espalier and the 200-year-old establishment Durgin-Park, are shutting down, leaving employees with nowhere to go. Restaurants say that sometimes it is hard to pay for adequate staff given the city’s relatively high minimum wage.
Grillo’s Pickles delivers Valentines pickle bouquets
Boston retailer Grillo’s Pickles is offering bouquets for delivery this Valentines’ Day, but with a twist: rather than flowers, these bouquets are made out of pickles. “We’ve always had fun involving pickles around all types of holidays and we felt pickles needed a little more love during Valentine’s Day,” said Grillo’s founder and CEO Travis Grillo in a press release. “We know there are a lot of pickle lovers out there that would love nothing more than to get a Valentine’s Day gift loaded with their favorite snack. Not only is a pickle bouquet more beautiful than a dozen red roses, and healthier than a standard box of chocolate, it’s also far more creative.” If pickle bouquets tickle your fancy, these cost about $50 a pop and are available for next day delivery within the greater Boston area.
Boston officials seek more wetland protections
Environmental activists in the Boston metro area are saying that the city’s wetlands, which have long been prized for their ability to shelter endangered species, are vulnerable to the secondary effects of climate change. At the moment, there are minimal protections in place to help shelter the wetlands from the secondary effects of climate change, such as flooding, and the effects of continued residential and commercial development in the region. Activists are pushing a local Wetlands Protection Act to help alleviate this issue before irreparable damage is done to these wetlands. The proposed ordinance, filed in late January, has garnered support from a majority of city council members and Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s administration confirmed they are considering it. A recent report listed the wetlands as one of the city’s most important assets in terms of climate change resiliency, making them a high priority for protection in the coming years.
