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☀️ We will see sunshine this afternoon with highs around 50. Sunset is at 7:10 p.m.

Today we take a closer look at the rising costs for construction materials that could make it even harder to address Massachusetts’ affordable housing shortage. But before diving into reporting from GBH News’ Sam Turken, let’s take a look at what’s happening across the region.


Four Things to Know

In a surprising about-face just days after news of a seemingly imminent campaign launch, real estate developer Tom O’Brien  announced Monday he would not run to unseat Boston Mayor Michelle Wu . O’Brien was set to join Wu, Josh Kraft, and activist Domingos DaRosa in a race to lead the city of Boston for the next four years. In a statement, he said he cares deeply about the city and gave a mayoral bid thoughtful consideration.

What started as a temporary solution to offset road and train congestions during transit closures is now a permanent option for commuters. The ferry routes connecting  downtown Boston with both East Boston and Lynn went into full-time service on Monday . The ferries previously ran as pilot programs during closures of the Sumner Tunnel and the Blue Line. 

A municipal judge has accused the federal government of violating a man’s rights by intervening in a local jury trial. Last week, Wilson Martell-Lebron appeared in court for a trial over charges that he provided false information on a driver’s license application and forged a document. During a lunch break on Thursday,  ICE agents detained him outside the courthouse . He had been free prior to that. Boston Municipal Court judge Mark Summerville said in so doing, ICE agent Brian Sullivan violated Wilson Martell-Lebron’s rights to due process and a fair trial.

Latino-owned business bump: The number of businesses owned by Latinos in the U.S. grew 44% between 2018 and 2023, even as entrepreneurial growth in the country declined overall,  according to a State of Latino Entrepreneurship report  from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Latino-owned businesses in Massachusetts experienced the fifth-highest growth in the country. Despite having a high rate of profitability — 84% of Latino business owners reported making a profit — the study found that white business owners were twice as likely to receive the funding they requested from banks or other lenders. 


Massachusetts homebuilders brace for tariffs to raise costs and slow production

If it were up to John Anderson, he would have more lumber stockpiled right now.

Anderson’s general contracting company Plumb House Inc. constructs big housing complexes across Massachusetts. As his crew prepped the foundation for a 230-unit building, Anderson walked to one end of the site where wood panels sat in several 15-foot-high stacks. The panels will make up just part of the building’s frame. Anderson is waiting on more panels — worth over $1 million — to be delivered.

The problem is they’re from Canada. With 25% tariffs on imports from America’s northern and southern neighbors possibly retaking effect Wednesday, Anderson says the price of the panels could go up about $200,000 before he’s able to get them.

“We’re going to have to come up with money that we don’t have in the budget to cover those tariffs,” he said. “I don’t want to pay for it all.”

Read the full reporting from Sam Turken here .