Mayor Walsh said today he opposes an effort to change Faneuil Hall's name just because Peter Faneuil owned slaves and was active in both the direct slave trade and the Triangular Trade that helped finance the purchase of yet more slaves. Read more.
Mayor Walsh today announced creation of a new city fund aimed at reducing racial inequity in Boston by supporting non-profit groups working on public health, youth employment, education and the arts for minority and immigrant residents. Read more.
Differing opinions: Bok and Campbell.
The Boston City Council voted 8-5 today to approve Mayor Walsh's spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1, with the main issue being whether to make even more drastic changes in the police budget than the $12-million shift out of the police overtime account proposed by the mayor. Read more.
Mayor Walsh today declared racism a public-health crisis in Boston and announced he is shifting $3 million from the Boston Police overtime fund to public-health efforts - and that he will also the City Council to approve another $9 million shift from police overtime to efforts aimed at ending racial disparities in Boston. Read more.
Mayor Walsh said this morning that tax losses due to the Covid-19 shutdown could mean a budget hole of between $65 million and $80 million for the city budget in the fiscal year that begins in just three weeks. Read more.
Mayor Walsh announced today that 200 Boston restaurants have won approval for outdoor seating - and can begin using the parking spaces out front if they don't have enough room on neighboring property or the sidewalk.
At a City Hall press conference this morning, Mayor Walsh said fireworks complaints in May were up 2,300% over last May. He then emphasized that was not a typo - the city got 650 fireworks complaints last month, compared to just 27 a year ago. Read more
WBZ reports on Mayor Walsh's thoughts on the events of the last few days, has more to say at his press conference.
At a City Hall press conference today Mayor Walsh and Police Commissioner William Gross vowed not to let rioters repeat last night's performance in Boston and to keep Boston a safe haven for people to protest in. Read more.
Note: Time updated.
Outside City Hall and livestreamed on the city YouTube channel.
Mayor Walsh today announced a new program called Healthy Streets to get more people biking and riding the bus - with plans to figure out how to let restaurants add new outdoor seating.
Walsh said the city is laying new bike lanes to connect downtown with the city's existing bike lanes in the South End and the Back Bay, by using traffic barrels and signs on: Read more.
No way to hold it without bringing together large numbers of people in close proximity, Mayor Walsh said. Read more.
Mayor Walsh today announced a $6-million fund to help barber shops and other small businesses in Boston buy masks, partitions and other equipment they might need to re-open under new coronavirus regulations. Read more.
Mayor Walsh said today he has "major concerns" about beaches reopening this weekend and urged people who go to stay away from other people. Read more.
Mayor Walsh said today that office buildings in Boston will re-open a week later than in the state because the sheer potential crush of people going back to work here means the city needs to spend some extra time working with office-building owners and employers to ensure things are done safely. And he urged barbers, salon owners and religious leaders to think long and hard about whether they're really ready to re-open safely. Read more.
Mayor Walsh said today that city transportation planners have started looking at expanding sidewalks out into the street, at least temporarily, to give restaurants and other businesses more room to conduct business as the weather gets nicer and they're still constrained by Covid-19 social-distancing requirements. Read more.
Mayor Walsh said today the city is working with local health centers and hospitals to more than double the number of active-infection Covid-19 tests done each day in Boston, and is working on a long-term plan where residents can begin to get antibody tests at primary-care centers. Read more.
Marty Walsh shows how to make a mask out of an old T-shirt. Walsh also says he hopes Boston gets to the point where it can distribute free masks to residents.
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