Good morning,

Finally, common cents from Congress.

Both houses have passed legislation that would allow businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel when pennies aren’t available.

The bill now heads to the White House and would take effect immediately, if signed.

This FAQ from the National Restaurant Association explains how the rounding would work and outlines new liability protections for businesses.

Why the change? Producing a penny cost 3.69 cents before the Treasury ended regular production last year. Under the bill, pennies would remain legal tender.

The nickel doesn’t add up either: It costs 13.31 cents apiece to produce, so the legislation would also allow the Treasury Secretary to test and evaluate new compositions.

Army medals didn't shield this man from deportation

After 19 months in ICE detention, a Waltham man who spent more than a decade guarding U.S. bases in Iraq was deported to Uganda last week, reports David E. Gumpert at the Waltham Times.

Gedion Masunsu worked for American military contractors there from 2010 to 2021. He reportedly helped save two American service members, including performing CPR on an unconscious soldier. He received two medals and three certificates of appreciation, including one from the Army's 1st Infantry Division.

In Waltham, Masunsu drove for Uber and worked as a health care aide. He completed the Waltham Police Citizens Academy. In 2024, he reportedly chased down a man in crisis near the Waltham YMCA and helped get him to police.

But last year, Waltham police arrested him after a domestic dispute with his partner, whom he later married.

All charges were dismissed within weeks. ICE picked him up anyway.

In April 2025, an immigration judge found his asylum claim credible and granted him protection from removal.

He was removed anyway.

On Friday, from Kampala, Uganda, he told Gumpert that he has no family or friends left in the country.  (Waltham News photo)

Newton residents push councilors to do something

Zero.

That's how many votes the Newton City Council has taken on citywide zoning reforms to address the city’s chronic housing shortage since it approved MBTA Communities zoning in 2023.

Not one new idea has even come before a council committee for a vote.

Frustrated by the lack of progress and serious deliberation, the advocacy group Newton for Everyone wants to force a real conversation.

They're collecting signatures for a citizen petition requiring the council to hold public hearings on three changes to the city's zoning ordinance aimed at allowing more by-right housing:

1. Multifamily housing and business uses in Newton's underused manufacturing districts.
2. Residential buildings up to five stories in existing business districts.
3. Up to four housing units on lots where current zoning allows two.

"Several simple changes to Newton's rules would bring us a great deal closer to being a more affordable and vital city,” the group said in a statement.

Under Newton's charter, a citizen petition signed by 50 registered voters compels the council to discuss the proposed change, hold a public hearing and vote on it within three months.

Newton for Everyone has collected more than 250 signatures in just a few weeks. The plan is to collect many hundreds more by the end of the year to demonstrate that residents want their councilors to act.

Residents can sign the petition at the Newton Harvest Fair, the chamber’s Fall Business Breakfast and other events.  

Email newtonforeveryone@gmail.com if you want help.

Wellesley offers businesses up to $30K in solar rebates

The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant is raising its solar rebate to $15,000 for residents and small commercial customers. Pending board approval, they'll also get a higher net metering cap.  For the first time, large commercial customers can get a rebate of up to $30,000.  Learn more or email questions.

Tuesday grab bag

• Don’t miss Larry Edelman's latest column in the Globe. It points to data showing that nine out of every 10 new jobs during the second Trump administration have been filled by women — even though the White House is focused on men’s work.
  
  
• Here’s the CBRE listing promoting the opportunity to purchase the retail and residential portion of Arsenal Yards from Boylston Properties, which I did not link to on Friday. It says AY’s retail drew 4.8 million customers in the last 12 months.  No asking price is listed.
  
  
• Wellesley’s Select Board continues its legal fight against the state’s effort to build housing on the MassBay Community College parking lot, holding yet another executive session on the topic tonight. Town Meeting authorized spending $900,000 in taxpayer dollars (on top of a prior $200,000 appropriation) on lawyers and related costs.
  
  
• Babson Greenworks will host the Greater Needham-Wellesley Sustainability Summit, "Rooted Together: Ecology, Community, Resilience," Nov. 6, noon to 5 p.m.
  
  
• The Massachusetts Women’s History Center hosts a gala, Nov. 9, to induct the first class of the Massachusetts Women’s Hall of Fame.
  
  
• PTC, which spent nearly two decades on Kendrick Street in Needham before moving to the Seaport in 2019, has been sold to Schneider Electric, a French clean energy tech company.  (BBJ)
  
  
• A Newton Beacon column by Chuck Tanowitz argues for more "front-yard retail" in Newton's villages. 
  
  
• Mochiko Hawaiian has closed its Newtonville and Boston Landing locations.
  (Boston Restaurant Talk)
  
  
• Also: The New York cookie chain Chip City has closed its four Boston area locations, including at Arsenal Yards. (Boston Restaurant Talk)
  
  
• The Rotary Club of Newton, in partnership with the West Suburban YMCA's Growing for Good Annual Campaign, is hosting Monster Smash, a Halloween-themed pickleball tournament, Oct. 30, at the Y’s Wells Ave. location. Register.
  
  
• Watertown’s Constantiam Bio has been awarded a $2.5 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the NIH. The grant supports development of a test to detect genetic risk for Alzheimer’s.
  
  
• The annual Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration in Newton is next Monday (Oct. 12) from 11-5 p.m. at Albemarle Park & Field. Volunteers are needed.
  
  
• The MA Office of Refugees and Immigrants has a free Legal Helpdesk for all TPS holders.
  
  
• Pumpkin inflation: In 1984, when the Topsfield Fair held its first giant pumpkin contest, the winning gourd tipped the scales at 433 pounds and earned its grower $100. This year’s record-breaking behemoth weighed 2,598 pounds — six times as much. The prize? $10,000 — 100 times bigger.

Trade war with Canada hits Massachusetts

Massachusetts exports $3.1 billion in goods to Canada every year, plus another $3 billion in services.

So it’s hardly surprising that three-quarters of respondents to an Associated Industries of Massachusetts survey report negative impacts from recent tariffs.

“It doesn’t matter the industry. Anybody in Massachusetts working in the innovation space, in advanced manufacturing or trying to bring in raw materials is seeing an impact. And that impact is being passed on to consumers,” AIM President & CEO Brooke Thomson tells GBH News’ Marilyn Schairer.

In August, the White House imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada responded with matching tariffs.

Then last week, the administration escalated the trade fight, banning nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian products, including motorcycles, dairy products and alcoholic beverages — from beer and cider to wine, whiskey and vodka.

Authors and Innovators turns 10. And it's still free.

If you’re like me, you never have enough time to read all the books you want to. So you need to choose carefully.

That's one reason I appreciate the annual Authors and Innovators Business Ideas Festival.

Curated and created by Larry Gennari and the Needham-based business law firm Gennari Aronson LLP, Authors and Innovators is a chance to meet and hear from an always interesting array of thought leaders and writers.

Plus, there’s plenty of time to network with fellow attendees, plus lunch and a wine-and-cheese reception. And it’s free.

Now in its 10th year, the event takes place Thurs., Oct. 22,  8:40 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the UMass Charles River Campus in Newton.

This year’s theme is “The Nimble Entrepreneur — what it takes to adapt and experiment.”

Our chamber is proud to sponsor the event.  Find the schedule here and RSVP.  Hope to see you there.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know whether it’s OK to eat an apple right off the tree when apple picking.

Let us know how we can help.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

I value your feedback

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.