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.
⛅Breezy and very warm with times of clouds and sun; high of 77. Sunset is at 7:41 p.m.
Four Things to Know Today
1. Shady solar: A growing number of Massachusetts residents have faced legal battles with a California-based company named Sunrun Inc., an investigation by the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting has found. The company — with billions of dollars in assets — touts itself as the country’s leading provider of solar panels for homeowners wanting to finance clean energy without actually owning the panels. But some customers say they didn’t get what they were promised after signing complicated contracts, in many cases leaving them with higher costs or a system that didn’t work at all.
2. Worcester transpo advocates eye bus system: A coalition of mass transit enthusiasts say Worcester needs an expanded and more efficient bus service. They’re proposing the city adopt a bus rapid transit system akin to the MBTA’s Silver Line. Advocates want buses that would operate in their own dedicated lanes and trigger or extend green lights for speedier service. The proposed service would operate alongside Worcester’s existing bus system, but would specialize in connecting distant areas of the city like UMass Chan Medical School and Worcester State University. The coalition says in addition to decreasing travel times, the bus rapid transit system could prompt some residents to ditch their cars for bus seats, helping reduce emissions and prevent traffic accidents.
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3. Spilka slams Trump: Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka issued a scathing denunciation of President Donald Trump Monday in a speech pegged to Trump’s first 100 days in office, saying she sees the United States entering a “dark chapter” that’s rendering the country unrecognizable. “I for one, my friends, cannot sit idly by as we hear story after story, day after day, of residents being grabbed off the streets, kidnapped, and held with no access to justice,” Spilka said, citing the recent detentions of Rümeysa Öztürk in Somerville, Juan Francisco Méndez in New Bedford, and Kseniia Petrova at Logan Airport as examples.
4. BPR speaks with local Ukrainians: President Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours” on the campaign trail. But 100 days into his administration, his Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently suggested the United States might soon back away from peace deal negotiations altogether. And on Monday, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire next week after Trump said he thought Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy would give up the Crimean Peninsula as part of a truce deal. Zelenskyy has previously said Ukraine could not give up its claim. Ukrainians are still looking for a peace agreement amid the uncertainty, said Vsevolod Petriv, president of the Boston chapter of the Ukrainian Congress Committee .
This Boston gym was built for neurodivergent people to get fit
On a recent afternoon at a West Roxbury gym, Brendan Bartczak was doing farmer’s walks — walking back and forth with a 20-pound dumbbell in each hand. Next up, his trainer Nanea Kay counted as he did squats.
People are lifting weights and doing bench presses nearby. For a gym, it’s notably quiet. There is no loud music or TV screens.
Inclusive Fitness was specifically designed for people who are neurodivergent and who have intellectual disabilities. While there are some gyms and organizations that offer fitness and recreation programs for neurodivergent clients, very few have been designed with those needs in mind from the ground up.
