This is a web edition of GBH Daily, a weekday newsletter bringing you local stories you can trust so you can stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.
🌥️ Clouds eventually give way to sunny skies with temps creeping into the 70s. Sunset today is at 7:34 p.m.
Reactions are pouring in from across the commonwealth on news of Pope Francis’ death early Monday morning. The pope passed away at the age of 88.
Archbishop of Boston Richard Henning told GBH News yesterday that the pope brought a “radical humility, personal humility” to the role. While the airwaves have been flooded with praise for a transformative and humble leader, the pope’s legacy is a more complicated and troubled one for many focused on the issue of clergy sex abuse.
“My heart goes out to all of those who are deeply affected by [the passing of Pope Francis],” said Myra Russell, a Boston resident and survivor of clergy sexual abuse between the ages of 4 and 15 when she lived in Albany. For Russell, it was hard to hear Pope Francis talking about “world peace” while knowing the inner lives of abuse survivors are anything but peaceful.
Four Things to Know Today
1. Harvard University announced Monday that it was suing the Trump administration to halt a freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus. “The Government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” the university wrote in its lawsuit.
2. Monday was a beautiful day for a run in Boston. The sky was clear, the temperature was warm in the sunlight and chilly in the shade, and a steady breeze carried through the caverns of the Back Bay. The theme for the 2025 Boston Marathon was “Meet the Moment” — and there were plenty of memorable moments to choose from . GBH News reporter Estaban Bustillos was in the field throughout the day. Check out the recap of stories, photos, and more from the 129th marathon on a spectacular Patriots Day. Oh... and the Red sox won.
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3. A yearslong project to protect Chelsea and Everett’s residents and businesses from flooding is at risk after a major federal grant was pulled earlier this month. The Federal Emergency Management Agency canceled its $50 million grant for the cities’ Island End River Coastal Flood Resilience Project. The plan includes an above-ground flood wall to block water from spilling over the riverbanks, as well as ecological restoration of the marshes in the Mystic River tributary.
4. The Boston City Council has emphatically backed a plan to waive a special election for the seat currently held by District 7 Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who is expected to plead guilty to federal corruption charges on May 5 and to resign from the council at an as-yet-unspecified date. Before it can take effect, the home rule petition — which passed 9-3 late last week — needs to be signed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and then passed by the Massachusetts Legislature.
Cape Cod lobsterman turned NOAA gear expert caught in federal layoffs
Rob Martin doesn’t have the typical remote work setup.
“Come on the boat. Just don’t trip on the rope,” he warns visitors.
From his perch aboard the Resolve, his fishing boat that’s docked at Sandwich Marina, Martin, 60, has consulted with environmental police, advised policymakers, and, most meaningfully to him, helped fellow commercial lobstermen set up whale-safe fishing gear .
Eighteen years ago, Martin learned that his lobster gear had unintentionally entangled a humpback whale. It was, for him, a life-changing experience. Since then, he’s made it his mission to prevent entanglements. He began the pivot from full-time lobsterman to full-time equipment specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2020.
But four months ago, Martin started a new role within the agency, becoming, by technicality, one of hundreds of probationary employees at NOAA. In February, the Trump administration took aim at this group to cut down on federal spending. Probationary employees were fired, then rehired by court order, and last week, fired again.
For Martin, like many NOAA employees, the back-and-forth has been difficult.
