Ongoing drought increases fire risk across Massachusetts, wildfires blaze
Massachusetts has remained in a critical drought for three months, causing wildfires across the state, straining firefighters and heightening restrictions as the dry weather persists.
The drought, which has been categorized as a level three critical drought according to the Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, marks an unusually low precipitation level across the state over the fall season.
Besides Cape Cod, the state has remained in an eighth to 11-inch deficit of rainfall, which has made conditions across the state susceptible to brush and wildfires. With many fires spreading across reservations and dense woodland areas, restrictions have been put in place on outdoor events and activities to reduce risk of these fires beginning.
Blue Hills Reservation, which spans Milton and Canton, has been battling flames since Nov. 18 and has remained ablaze, filling surrounding towns’ skylines with smoke as it continues.
Great Barrington has been dealing with a fire in the East Mountain area that began Nov. 18, caused by human activity in the area. Chief Fire Warden for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Dave Celino spoke at a press conference addressing concerns, declaring all these instances as human-caused.
“Day after day, our local fire departments are responding to illegal burns in the backyards of residences, or campfires. Many of these fires are starting from abandoned campfires. Our message is just simple: Until we get a break in the action here, weather-wise, please, please follow the warnings and the messaging that you are seeing out there. It’s for real here,” said Celino.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation has placed temporary bans on charcoal and open flames within state parks, with only certain small fires for grills being permitted. Restrictions regarding fires on personal property have been strictly enforced with the risk of brush fires continuing to rise.
As of Nov. 19, there have been 37 active wildfires across the state. Firefighters have continued to battle flames, but without heavy rainfall, embers in the soil will continue to pose a risk to densely populated forests and wildlife. While this issue continues, Massachusetts officials have urged residents to practice water conservation to not strain the necessary resources first responders need.
North Shore teachers strike for fair contracts at State House
Gloucester, Beverly and Marblehead teachers unions brought their strikes to the Massachusetts Statehouse Nov. 19, calling on Gov. Maura Healey to back their fight for an updated contract.
Hundreds of teachers, paraprofessionals and their supporters gathered on the front steps of the Statehouse at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday to hear the voices of union leadership and school staff before filing inside. The Beverly and Gloucester strikes began officially Nov. 8 and Marblehead the ninth with votes from the three unions, which all belong to the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
According to Margaret Rudolph, a Gloucester schools paraprofessional, teachers have been working under an expired contract for 509 days. Rudolph described that bargaining began in March 2023 before being forced into 11 unsuccessful mediation sessions beginning in January 2024 with the school committee.
“Mediation is misleading. It sounds like it would be a positive thing, but in reality, it shuts down any meaningful conversation between educators and the school committee,” said Rudolph.
The unions are striking for pay raises, especially for paraprofessionals and classroom aides, longer parental leave and improved support for students facing social-emotional struggles, as reported by The Boston Globe.
“Our administration has proposed 10 parental paid sick leave days. If my administrator cannot email Gloucester educators back in five business days, mothers should not have to be expected to go back to work. Two weeks is not enough,” said Abby Ash from the Union of Gloucester Educators.
In a statement, Healey said while she appreciates educators and their requests, she is focused on returning students back to learning.
“It is unacceptable that school has been closed for more than a week in Marblehead, Gloucester and Beverly. I’m urging both parties to reach an agreement as soon as possible for the good of our kids, families, educators and staff,” Healey said Tuesday.
Judges fined the Beverly and Gloucester unions $50,000 Nov. 12 with a $10,000 increase each day they remained on strike, according to the Associated Press.
Ukraine strikes Russia with US missiles
On the 1000th day since Russia began its war with Ukraine, Nov. 19, U.S.-made ATACMS missiles were launched across the Ukraine border into Russian territory.
This action was taken two days after the Biden administration gave the go ahead on firing the long-range weapons, on Nov. 17.
The ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System, have the ability to travel distances up to 190 miles and cause unimaginable damage.
Allowance of the missiles were triggered after 10,000 North Korean troops were recently deployed in and around Kursk, according to the U.S. and its allies.
The intention is for the ATACMS to be used to strike Russian weapon stockpiles and airfields, to halt their attack on major Ukrainian cities as well as their advancement of the battlefield.
Though at a conference in the afternoon of Nov. 19 he refused to comment on the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on their own long range weapons as well as the U.S.’s ATACMS additions and the intention to use “all of this.”
At roughly 3:25 a.m. local time, an attack at a facility in Bryansk was made by Ukraine and included the newly approved weaponry according to a claim made by the Russian Defense Ministry.
The approval completely reverses a previously U.S. policy that stated Ukraine was not allowed to use the long-range weaponry because it was thought as an escalation of the war.
This hold had extended to U.K. weaponry called Storm Shadow long-range missiles because of its U.S. components. However, it is expected that because of the Biden administration’s green light, these missiles with the capability of traveling a distance of up 155 miles will be added to the Ukrainian arsenal.
Though the recent approval has made a huge leap in Ukrainian defenses, NPR reported citizens like soldier and historian Maksym Sviezhentsev are concerned it was too little too late.
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful. The help of the U.S. has still been invaluable. But it has not been enough to let us win the war,” he said. “I’m just thinking how many lives could be saved if those restrictions were lifted a year ago?”
With a new term of presidency around the corner, Trump’s ability to revoke these authorizations is on many Ukranians’ minds.
Trump cabinet selection continues
President-elect Donald Trump continued to nominate candidates to his cabinet after previous picks prompted division among Senate Republicans.
Trump announced Nov. 19 that Mehmet Oz, known for his daytime medical advice program “The Dr. Oz Show,” was his choice to lead the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, reported NPR.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said Oz was a “qualified and capable” physician who would guarantee quality healthcare for Americans.
“He is an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor, and world-class communicator, who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades,” the statement said.
Oz ran as a Republican for one of Pennsylvania’s United States Senate seats in 2022 and was endorsed by Trump, but lost to Democrat Sen. Jon Fetterman. Oz has faced criticism for years from promoting questionable medical advice on national television and testified before the Senate after he was accused of false advertising, according to NPR.
Also Nov. 19, Trump selected Linda McMahon, co-chair of the second administration’s transition team, to head the Department of Education. McMahon served as the leader for the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, The New York Times reported.
McMahon, former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, has been a long-time supporter of Trump. As one of the leaders in Trump’s transition, she has worked to vet other potential cabinet picks.
McMahon was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2009, where she served until she resigned to run for Senate in 2010. After she lost her first race against Democrat Richard Blumenthal, McMahon was defeated again in 2012 by Democrat Chris Murphy, according to The Times.
Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to shut down the Education Department, including in a video posted to social media in October 2023, according to NPR.
“One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states,” said Trump.
Dismantling the Department would require an act from Congress.
