Ian Prasad Philbrick
@ianprasad.bsky.social
I write Starting Point, The Boston Globe’s daily morning newsletter about the biggest news in Boston, New England, the country, and the world. Also a Mainer and New York Times alum. Sign up here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/newsletters/starting-point/
Democrats and Republicans who have defied Trump have gotten bomb scares, death threats, and been swatted in recent days. And as today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, a crackup in the Trump coalition could intensify America's political violence problem www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/25/n...
From bomb scares to swatting, the threat of political violence seems to be getting worse - The Boston Globe
Democrats and Republicans alike who defy Trump are getting death threats, and new divisions in his coalition could intensify the problem.
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November 25, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Democrats and Republicans who have defied Trump have gotten bomb scares, death threats, and been swatted in recent days. And as today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, a crackup in the Trump coalition could intensify America's political violence problem www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/25/n...
Very grateful to @weatherken.bsky.social for chatting with me about the outlook for New England this winter (spoiler: it’s looking snowier and colder than recent years) and how he does his job for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/24/n...
‘The scale of weather is widening’: A Globe meteorologist on how climate change makes his job harder - The Boston Globe
Ken Mahan explains the “tug of war” that will determine our winter weather, when to know what you’re in for this Thanksgiving, and how he tracks changing conditions.
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November 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Very grateful to @weatherken.bsky.social for chatting with me about the outlook for New England this winter (spoiler: it’s looking snowier and colder than recent years) and how he does his job for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/24/n...
As the penny vanishes into history, it has become a window into a vanished America. For today’s Starting Point, I dove into the @bostonglobe.com archives and found the humble coin embedded throughout our national story: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/20/n...
The penny may be history, but it’s leaving a mark on American culture, economics, and morality - The Boston Globe
The US has stopped minting pennies after 232 years, turning the copper-plated coin into a relic — and a window into a vanished world.
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November 20, 2025 at 7:51 PM
As the penny vanishes into history, it has become a window into a vanished America. For today’s Starting Point, I dove into the @bostonglobe.com archives and found the humble coin embedded throughout our national story: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/20/n...
Former Treasury secretary Larry Summers and Elisa New, the poetry expert he’s married to, were paid to be discerning. So why did they keep in touch with Jeffrey Epstein for so long? Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explores a few possibilities: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/19/n...
In the Epstein emails, a parable of intellectual clubbiness, proximity to power, and money - The Boston Globe
Why did Larry Summers and Elisa New keep in touch with Jeffrey Epstein long after he pleaded guilty to sex crimes?
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November 19, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Former Treasury secretary Larry Summers and Elisa New, the poetry expert he’s married to, were paid to be discerning. So why did they keep in touch with Jeffrey Epstein for so long? Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explores a few possibilities: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/19/n...
The war in Sudan has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, yet compared to Ukraine and Gaza it’s gotten a fraction of the public’s attention. As today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, the Sudanese community in Massachusetts hopes to change that www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/18/n...
Sudan’s civil war is arguably the world’s worst conflict. But few Americans know about it. - The Boston Globe
Sudan’s long-running civil war, overshadowed by Ukraine and Gaza, is a victim of global inattention and changing US priorities.
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November 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
The war in Sudan has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, yet compared to Ukraine and Gaza it’s gotten a fraction of the public’s attention. As today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, the Sudanese community in Massachusetts hopes to change that www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/18/n...
Season 2 of “The Harvard Plan,” a @bostonglobe.com and @wnyc.org podcast about Trump’s war on Harvard, has wrapped. I called up host @ilyamarritz.bsky.social to discuss Harvard-educated conservatives and how the school is responding to public backlash www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/17/n...
Is Harvard to blame for the public’s turn against universities? Inside Trump’s war on the school. - The Boston Globe
“The Harvard Plan” host Ilya Marritz discusses Claudine Gay vs. Alan Garber and how the administration is disrupting a decades-old consensus on higher education.
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November 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Season 2 of “The Harvard Plan,” a @bostonglobe.com and @wnyc.org podcast about Trump’s war on Harvard, has wrapped. I called up host @ilyamarritz.bsky.social to discuss Harvard-educated conservatives and how the school is responding to public backlash www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/17/n...
Newly released emails suggest that Trump knew more about Jeffrey Epstein’s behavior than he has let on. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains what might happen next www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/13/n...
Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein are under new scrutiny. Here’s what to know — and what’s next. - The Boston Globe
Newly released emails are renewing scrutiny on Trump’s ties to the late sex offender, and a newly sworn-in congresswoman could soon force a House vote on the issue.
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November 13, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Newly released emails suggest that Trump knew more about Jeffrey Epstein’s behavior than he has let on. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains what might happen next www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/13/n...
Reposted by Ian Prasad Philbrick
Spoiler: I said yes.
Many Democratic voters are frustrated with their leaders, much as Republicans were in the 2010s. For today's @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked @amandalitman.bsky.social whether a liberal Tea Party is brewing bostonglobe.com/2025/11/11/newsletters/starting-point-democrats-shutdown-tea-party
Is the Democratic Party headed for a Tea Party moment of its own? Some Democrats hope so. - The Boston Globe
From the shutdown deal to older politicians running for re-election, Democratic voters are angry. Some say their party should borrow tactics that remade the GOP in the 2010s.
bostonglobe.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Spoiler: I said yes.
Many Democratic voters are frustrated with their leaders, much as Republicans were in the 2010s. For today's @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked @amandalitman.bsky.social whether a liberal Tea Party is brewing bostonglobe.com/2025/11/11/newsletters/starting-point-democrats-shutdown-tea-party
Is the Democratic Party headed for a Tea Party moment of its own? Some Democrats hope so. - The Boston Globe
From the shutdown deal to older politicians running for re-election, Democratic voters are angry. Some say their party should borrow tactics that remade the GOP in the 2010s.
bostonglobe.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Many Democratic voters are frustrated with their leaders, much as Republicans were in the 2010s. For today's @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked @amandalitman.bsky.social whether a liberal Tea Party is brewing bostonglobe.com/2025/11/11/newsletters/starting-point-democrats-shutdown-tea-party
Maine's Aroostook County, where a fifth of residents get SNAP, overwhelmingly backed Trump last year. But as his administration cites the shutdown to try to cut benefits this month, Aroostook is struggling. Today's @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/07/n...
This Trump-voting county in Maine heavily relies on food stamps. The shutdown is hitting it hard. - The Boston Globe
About 20 percent of Aroostook County residents rely on SNAP benefits, which lapsed Saturday. The gap is too much for food banks to make up.
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November 7, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Maine's Aroostook County, where a fifth of residents get SNAP, overwhelmingly backed Trump last year. But as his administration cites the shutdown to try to cut benefits this month, Aroostook is struggling. Today's @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/07/n...
Streaks — and the photos that capture them — don’t just happen. So today’s Starting Point takes you behind the scenes of how “prepared luck” helped @bostonglobe.com photographer Matt Lee capture a moment of triumph for a team that’s been on a roll: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/05/n...
As the Patriots streak, a Globe photographer shoots - The Boston Globe
We’re taking you behind the scenes of how our photographer captured a moment of celebration as the Pats win game after game for the first time in years.
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November 5, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Streaks — and the photos that capture them — don’t just happen. So today’s Starting Point takes you behind the scenes of how “prepared luck” helped @bostonglobe.com photographer Matt Lee capture a moment of triumph for a team that’s been on a roll: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/05/n...
Today’s highest-profile races might not be in New England, but some of the country’s best pollsters are. For today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I spoke with them about where they think the biggest races stand www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/04/n...
For New England pollsters, Election Day ‘is a lot like the Super Bowl.’ Which will reign supreme? - The Boston Globe
The region’s large number of universities has made it a hotbed for political polling. But which will come the closest to the actual results?
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November 4, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Today’s highest-profile races might not be in New England, but some of the country’s best pollsters are. For today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I spoke with them about where they think the biggest races stand www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/04/n...
Reposted by Ian Prasad Philbrick
Great convo about literally building a better world.
“I am a progressive in the literal sense of the word, which is like, you need progress. [...] We will see if there’s pushback in Cambridge or not. [...] are people more scared about change than they are about the problem of high housing costs?”
“I am a progressive in the literal sense of the word, which is like, you need progress. [...] We will see if there’s pushback in Cambridge or not. [...] are people more scared about change than they are about the problem of high housing costs?”
The intra-Democratic debate over “abundance” can feel lofty and abstract. So for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked Cambridge city councilor @burhanazeem.bsky.social about how the zoning law he passed this year put abundance principles into action: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/03/n...
The ‘abundance’ movement wants to build more housing, mass transit, and more. Can it save Massachusetts — and the Democrats? - The Boston Globe
A Q&A with Burhan Azeem, a Cambridge City Councilor whose new housing law marries abundance with economic progressivism
www.bostonglobe.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Great convo about literally building a better world.
“I am a progressive in the literal sense of the word, which is like, you need progress. [...] We will see if there’s pushback in Cambridge or not. [...] are people more scared about change than they are about the problem of high housing costs?”
“I am a progressive in the literal sense of the word, which is like, you need progress. [...] We will see if there’s pushback in Cambridge or not. [...] are people more scared about change than they are about the problem of high housing costs?”
The intra-Democratic debate over “abundance” can feel lofty and abstract. So for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked Cambridge city councilor @burhanazeem.bsky.social about how the zoning law he passed this year put abundance principles into action: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/03/n...
The ‘abundance’ movement wants to build more housing, mass transit, and more. Can it save Massachusetts — and the Democrats? - The Boston Globe
A Q&A with Burhan Azeem, a Cambridge City Councilor whose new housing law marries abundance with economic progressivism
www.bostonglobe.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
The intra-Democratic debate over “abundance” can feel lofty and abstract. So for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked Cambridge city councilor @burhanazeem.bsky.social about how the zoning law he passed this year put abundance principles into action: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/03/n...
Bill Belichick’s second career — coaching collegiate football at UNC — is off to a bad start. But as today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, Belichick is hardly the first star to struggle after making a career pivot www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/n...
It’s not just Bill Belichick. Career pivots sometimes flop, even for the rich and famous. - The Boston Globe
Stars like Michael Jordan and Beyoncé have struggled to branch into new areas, too. But there also some common pitfalls to avoid.
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October 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Bill Belichick’s second career — coaching collegiate football at UNC — is off to a bad start. But as today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, Belichick is hardly the first star to struggle after making a career pivot www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/30/n...
Will Massachusetts’ new pay transparency law, which takes full effect today, succeed in reducing gender and racial wage gaps? Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explores: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/29/n...
Massachusetts’ wage transparency law takes effect today. Here’s what that means for you. - The Boston Globe
Requiring companies to post salary ranges may help boost earnings for women and people of color. But questions remain about how it will actually work.
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October 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Will Massachusetts’ new pay transparency law, which takes full effect today, succeed in reducing gender and racial wage gaps? Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explores: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/29/n...
“For hundreds of years we’ve been bending water to our will,” my colleague @shankman.bsky.social told me for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point about the threat that flooding poses to Massachusetts. Now “the water is pushing back.” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/28/n...
‘The water is pushing back’: A Globe reporter on how rising seas and heavy rains threaten Mass. communities - The Boston Globe
Climate change is bringing about a wetter New England. In some Boston neighborhoods and Massachusetts towns, that future is already here.
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October 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“For hundreds of years we’ve been bending water to our will,” my colleague @shankman.bsky.social told me for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point about the threat that flooding poses to Massachusetts. Now “the water is pushing back.” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/28/n...
The ongoing government shutdown is just the latest partisan fight over Obamacare, which continues to loom over our politics 15 years after it became law. And as today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, Massachusetts is a big reason why: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/27/n...
All these years later, we’re still fighting about Obamacare. Is it Massachusetts’ fault? - The Boston Globe
Mitt Romney’s model, Ted Kennedy’s death, and the health care compromises that help explain the partisan standoff over funding the federal government.
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October 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The ongoing government shutdown is just the latest partisan fight over Obamacare, which continues to loom over our politics 15 years after it became law. And as today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explains, Massachusetts is a big reason why: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/27/n...
ICE has detained several Brazilian teenagers living in Mass. in high-profile cases this year. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point tells the story of how so many Brazilian immigrants came to live here in the first place: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/22/n...
Trump’s immigration crackdown has targeted Brazilian communities in Massachusetts. Here’s how they got here. - The Boston Globe
The story of how so many Brazilians came to live in the state helps explain why several have been at the center of recent high-profile ICE detentions
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October 22, 2025 at 3:39 PM
ICE has detained several Brazilian teenagers living in Mass. in high-profile cases this year. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point tells the story of how so many Brazilian immigrants came to live here in the first place: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/22/n...
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is cruising to a second term even as the leaders of other Democratic cities struggle. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explores 4 reason why: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/21/n...
Michelle Wu is bucking the trend of unpopular Democratic mayors with smart politicking, good optics, and a bit of luck - The Boston Globe
As Wu is set to clinch a second term unopposed next month, she has a level of support that would thrill a third-world dictator.
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October 21, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is cruising to a second term even as the leaders of other Democratic cities struggle. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point explores 4 reason why: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/21/n...
Adopting symbols of American patriotism is often a smart tactical choice for protest movements. So for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked a few people at my neighborhood “No Kings” protest on Saturday about why they chose to do so: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/20/n...
‘We need to take back the flag’: Why patriotic symbols were all over the ‘No Kings’ protests - The Boston Globe
Adopting icons of American patriotism is often a smart tactical choice for protest movements. Some of the most successful ones in US history have done so.
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October 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Adopting symbols of American patriotism is often a smart tactical choice for protest movements. So for today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, I asked a few people at my neighborhood “No Kings” protest on Saturday about why they chose to do so: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/20/n...
Around 600 kids in Massachusetts’ child welfare system go missing each year. For today’s Starting Point, I spoke with two of my @bostonglobe.com colleagues who pieced together the tragic fate of one of those runaways www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/09/n...
Globe reporters pieced together the tragic fate of a runaway kid in Mass. Here’s how they did it. - The Boston Globe
600 kids in the state’s child welfare system go missing each year. Many are high-risk teenagers who sometimes don’t come back.
www.bostonglobe.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Around 600 kids in Massachusetts’ child welfare system go missing each year. For today’s Starting Point, I spoke with two of my @bostonglobe.com colleagues who pieced together the tragic fate of one of those runaways www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/09/n...
Some photographs have a way of defining presidencies. Will this image — which shows the aftermath of an immigration raid in Mass., taken by @bostonglobe.com photographer Craig Walker — end up being one of them? www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/08/n...
‘She’ll probably never let her daughter go again’: How a Globe photographer captured an image for our political moment - The Boston Globe
The photo, of a child whose father was arrested by ICE, shows the aftermath of Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement in Massachusetts
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October 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Some photographs have a way of defining presidencies. Will this image — which shows the aftermath of an immigration raid in Mass., taken by @bostonglobe.com photographer Craig Walker — end up being one of them? www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/08/n...
A renowned doctor accused of abusing hundreds of patients — and a medical system that should have stopped him sooner. Today’s Starting Point goes inside a wrenching new investigation from the @bostonglobe.com Spotlight team: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/02/n...
5 takeaways from a Spotlight investigation into a Boston doctor accused of abuse - The Boston Globe
Hundreds of patients have accused Dr. Derrick Todd of using his credentials and charisma to abuse them while working at Boston-area hospitals
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October 2, 2025 at 3:21 PM
A renowned doctor accused of abusing hundreds of patients — and a medical system that should have stopped him sooner. Today’s Starting Point goes inside a wrenching new investigation from the @bostonglobe.com Spotlight team: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/02/n...
The Red Sox beat the Yankees last night, continuing an exciting stretch for Greater Boston sports. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point checks in on where the region’s other major pro teams stand: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/01/n...
It’s an exciting moment for Boston sports. Here’s where the major teams stand. - The Boston Globe
The Sox beat the Yankees, the Pats have had a solid start to the season, and the region’s other pro teams are taking steps to recover.
www.bostonglobe.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The Red Sox beat the Yankees last night, continuing an exciting stretch for Greater Boston sports. Today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point checks in on where the region’s other major pro teams stand: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/01/n...