Kendra Lara

With two of Boston City Council's most left-leaning members having lost their seats in preliminary balloting, some are questioning whether the Council’s progressive streak will continue into the next term with a body that could no longer have a majority of people of color.

When voters in Roxbury and parts of the South End and Fenway go to the polls for the city’s Sept. 12 preliminary, there will be no shortage of choices in four City Council districts.

Michael Flaherty’s sudden announcement that he would not seek re-election to the City Council — little more than a week after signatures were due — has cast a spotlight on the race for the four at-large seats on the 13-member body.

Boston City councilors passed a resolution last week calling on the administration of Mayor Michelle Wu to increase the percentage of affordable housing required in new housing developments to 20% from the current 13% and to lower the building-size threshold at which the policy takes effect from nine units to five units.

A City Council hearing on the idea of using civilian flaggers instead of police details on some construction projects got heated Monday as Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone refused to surrender the microphone after exceeding the five-minute limit for testimony, prompting councilors to walk out of the hearing, held at the Bolling Building in Roxbury.

A woman whom the Boston Globe alleged suspected Ricardo Arroyo of sexually assaulting her after she blacked out at a party in 2007 hit back at the weekly newspaper in a statement released Wednesday stating that Arroyo was never a suspect in her assault and charging that an investigator hired by District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s campaign told her she would be part of a political scandal.

Thousands of protestors gathered at the Boston Common Saturday afternoon as part of a nationwide wave of demonstrations against efforts underway to restrict abortion rights.

District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara delivered her maiden speech last week, calling for immigrants to have the right to vote in local elections.