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Chamber News

Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Free rewards are not free

Business groups across the country are stepping up the fight over credit card swipe fees with another attempt to convince Congress to reform the system. Proposed legislation would require banks with more than $100 billion in assets that issue credit cards to allow their cards to be processed on at least two unaffiliated networks ā€” Visa or Mastercard plus at least one competitor, writes Andy Medici for the BBJ...

Greg Reibman

Monday, June 19, 2023
Happy Juneteenth

Many offices, including the chamber, are closed today in recognition of Juneteenth. But it's an appropriate moment for all of us to consider how we can make our workplaces and communities more diverse, equitable, inclusive ... and welcoming. Hereā€™s the video replay from our recent panel program focused on our workplaces featuring three of the honorees from our Business Leaders of Color project in collaboration with our partner Colette Phillips from Get Konnected!

Greg Reibman

Friday, June 16, 2023
This time the kids have advice for the grownups

Massachusetts' 41-year-old bottle bill does not apply to noncarbonated beverage containers such as sport drinks, ice teas, fruit juices, and, yes, water -- all drink options that have gained popularity over the decades and far too often end up as litter on our streets, parks and in our favorite river. But a report last year found that Massachusetts could cut down on plastic litter, create less garbage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save cities and towns millions of dollars annually by expanding the

Greg Reibman

Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Who would do this?

Itā€™s an act of vandalism thatā€™s hard to fathom. Late last week, vandals snuck onto the grounds of the nonprofit Newton Community Farm, uprooting hundreds of plants from the cityā€™s only working farm. ā€œSomeone, or multiple people, took basil, scallions, eggplant, and cucumbers planted in the field and trays of cucumber, tomato, kale, corn, and other seedlings from the new greenhouse,ā€ writes Sue Bottino, the nonprofitā€™s executive director...

Greg Reibman

Friday, June 9, 2023
News we've all been waiting for

Finally, a few weeks back, the independent Needham Observer made its debut, providing the town with its first credible written news reporting in years. And there's a new, second site, covering all things Needham now too: Needham Local just soft launched with plans to expand this summer...

Greg Reibman

Thursday, June 8, 2023
MA Chambers Policy Network calls to rebuild UI system trust

The Massachusetts Chambers Policy Network, of which the Charles River Chamber is a member, is deeply concerned that a routine audit found that the Department of Unemployment Assistanceā€™s (DUA) wrongly used $2.5 billion in federal money to fund state unemployment benefits during the previous Administration. The Healey Administration is now working with the federal Department of Labor on how to rectify the error...

Greg Reibman

Tuesday, June 6, 2023
More roofs over more people's heads

Newton is just under six months away from a deadline to comply with the new law that requires communities to make it easier to build multifamily homes close to transit. Cobbling together a plan hasn't been -- and won't be -- easy in a city where housing has long been the third rail of politics...

Greg Reibman

Friday, June 2, 2023
Some worrisome news this morning

Weā€™re waking up to some news that could potentially be devastating for businesses statewide. A routine audit has found that Massachusetts mistakenly used about $2.5 billion in federal money to fund jobless benefits during the pandemic -- payments that should have been made by the state, reports Larry Edelman and Jon Chesto at the Globe.

Greg Reibman

Tuesday, May 30, 2023
We need more, but we're building less

When Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll joins us Friday at our Spring Business Breakfast, she will, no doubt, emphasize the priority she and the Healey administration have placed on addressing our housing crisis. Hereā€™s hoping Driscoll will inspire all of us (including the many elected local officials who will be joining us at the Needham Sheraton) to follow the lead set by Lexington and rezone for more transit-oriented housing than required under the MBTA Communities Law.

Greg Reibman

Monday, May 29, 2023
MARE selected as beneficiary for 2023 chamber golf & pickleball tournament

The Charles River Regional Chamber has chosen Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 32rd Annual Golf Tournament happening in conjunction with its first-ever Pickleball Outing at Wellesley Country Club on Monday Aug. 7. Each year, the chamberā€™s golf committee selects a different local nonprofit whose mission includes working with children and families to be the recipient of a portion of the tournamentā€™s proceeds.

Greg Reibman

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