8:00am CSG Announcement, Nurses Hall

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

11:00am Senate Session, Informal Session

1:00pm Special Legislative Commission on Behavioral Health Promotion and Upstream Prevention, House Member's Lounge

For-Profit Schools, an Obama Target, See New Day Under Trump » New York Times The Education Department, whose scrutiny has led hundreds of campuses to close, is now led by Betsy DeVos, who has investments in the industry.…

Renewing the Democrats — and America » Boston Globe WHY HAVE DEMOCRATS struggled to defeat President Trump's most objectionable cabinet nominees? Because Hillary Clinton's 3 million popular vote margin obscures this nettlesome fact: Outside California,…

Sentencing commission backs repeal of mandatory minimums » Commonwealth Magazine IN ANOTHER SIGN of support for broad criminal justice reform, the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission voted to recommend abolition of mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes except murder. The move…

Progressive Moves To the Left and a Bit to the West… » Western Mass Politics and Insight SOUTH HADLEY—A flurry of progressive organizing, actions and meetings across the country has followed last November's election. The Pioneer Valley is no different, but there are challenges. Act…

Here's how black newspapers rank the U.S. presidents » The Washington Post Americans celebrate both Black History Month and presidential leadership in February. This is no coincidence. In 1926, the historian Carter G. Woodson urged his Association for the Study of Negro Life…

Breitbart News May Boot Milo Yiannopoulos Over Sex Comments » Fox Business Milo Yiannopoulos, the provocative conservative journalist who is often portrayed as a champion of the far right, is facing possible dismissal from his employer, Breitbart News, over comments he once …

Are Liberals Helping Trump? » New York Times 'It's like I need to get from Charleston to Atlanta, and suddenly the most beat-up car on earth shows up and says, 'Do you need a ride?' I think, wow, if I had any other way to get there, I'd choose i…

Draft DHS guidelines seek to aggressively detain immigrants » Berkshire Eagle The Homeland Security Department has drafted sweeping new guidelines aimed at aggressively detaining and deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, according to a pair of memoranda signed by D…

Tribes hope Trump's 'America first' helps first Americans » Berkshire Eagle Native Americans hope President Donald Trump doesn't forget America's first inhabitants as he promises to put "America first." Tribes have been reaching out to the Republican administration since it …

Keating: 'I haven't seen anything like this in decades' » South Coast Today As Cong. Bill Keating made his way through the Labor Council room, jam-packed with SouthCoast residents worried and frustrated about the country's future, he was, for a moment, taken back in time.…

Boston emerging as mobility innovation center » Commonwealth Magazine IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING that mobility – the movement of people and goods – is an incredibly hot space. Start-ups are cropping up across the entire value chain as significant capital is de…

Ira Stepanian will always be 'Big Ira' » Commonwealth Magazine WHEN IRA STEPANIAN, then president of BankBoston, asked me to join him as executive vice president for external affairs, I told him that I didn't know much about banking. “That's OK,” he s…

Worcester T&G by way of Tokyo » Commonwealth Magazine More than 120 Massachusetts daily and weekly newspapers learned on Thursday that they will report to ultimate bosses halfway around the world after the private equity firm that owns GateHouse Media an…

Duck boats face increasing calls for improvements, bans » The Sun Chronicle With their festive, party-like ambiance and ability to travel on land and in water, duck boats have long been tourist attractions for sightseers around the U.S. But a string of deadly accidents has le…

Local legislators on opposite ends of recreation marijuana law » The Metro West Daily News With nearly 80 bills filed on the matter, two MetroWest legislators will sit on the committee designed to oversee changes to the state's recreational marijuana law. …

Lawrence men first in state to be sentenced under new fentanyl trafficking law » Eagle Tribune

Adulting School Teaches Young Adults Grown-Up Skills » WBUR Transitioning to adulthood isn't new, but there is a more modern way to describe it: adulting. Get your car's oil changed? That's adulting. Cook dinner instead of order takeout? That's adulting.…

Trump to roll back climate rules » Berkshire Eagle President Donald Trump is preparing executive orders aimed at reversing Obama-era policies on climate and water pollution, according to individuals briefed on the measures. While both directives will…

Trump chooses military strategist as national security adviser » Boston Globe President Trump picked Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, a widely respected military strategist, as his new national security adviser Monday, calling him “a man of tremendous talent and tremendo…

Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador To U.N., Is Dead At 64 » WBUR Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin, a veteran diplomat who represented the former Soviet Union and Russian Federation for more than 40 years, died Monday while at work in the Permanent Mission of the Russian Fe…

Online lottery could yield windfall for private companies » Boston Globe If the state lottery moves online, the easy lure will probably mean more losses for many gamblers. But a handful of technology companies, armed with well-connected lobbyists, could reap a windfall.…

Health Insurance Woes Add To The Risky Business Of Farming » WBUR There are many challenges to farming for a living: It's often grueling work that relies on unpredictable factors such as weather and global market prices. But one aspect that's often ignored is the co…

2017 Health Care Policy Debates Ramp Up in Massachusetts » JD Supra With the unveiling of Governor Charlie Baker's FY2018 budget, the commencement of the 2017-2018 legislative session on Beacon Hill, and a new presidential administration underway in Washington D.C., t…

Central Mass. businesses bristle at proposed MassHealth changes » Worcester Business Journal The future of the American healthcare system may be in limbo, but in Massachusetts, political leaders are facing a stark certainty: The state Medicaid budget is unsustainable and reform is imperative.…

Local employers want ACA changed » Wicked Local Bedford Why it's important: President Donald Trump promised during his campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a different system of public healthcare. …

Can Massachusetts become a leader in digital healthcare? Gov. Charlie Baker's innovation chief Katie Stebbins argues yes » MassLive

Condo sales hit lofty heights last year in Boston » Boston Globe Condo prices in Boston hit fresh highs last year, thanks to sales at several new high-end buildings and the continuing demand for living in the core of the city.…

Congregations in Mass. preparing to shelter immigrants » Boston Globe Congregations in Massachusetts are joining dozens of US churches and synagogues that are helping to shelter illegal immigrants as the Trump administration intensifies deportation efforts.…

Supreme Court To Decide If Mexican Nationals May Sue For Border Shooting » WBUR The cellphone video is vivid. A border patrol agent aims his gun at an unarmed 15-year-old some 60 feet away, across the border with Mexico, and shoots him dead.…

Governors, Parole Board granting few pardons » The Newburyport News Alfred Waitt was arrested by Methuen police more than 35 years ago on charges of underage drinking, possession of marijuana and a pocket knife.…

Mass. Senate Considers Criminal Justice Overhaul » Valley News Eliminating minimum mandatory sentences, revamping the bail system and raising the age of those sent to juvenile court from 18 to 21 are just some of the steps the Massachusetts Senate is weighing as …

Senate looking to overhaul state's criminal justice system » Berkshire Eagle Eliminating minimum mandatory sentences, revamping the bail system and raising the age of those sent to juvenile court from 18 to 21 are just some of the steps the Massachusetts Senate is weighing as …

Officials Unveil Report Proposing Extensive Reforms For Mass. Criminal Justice System » WBUR

Beer at farmers markets, expunging marijuana arrest records: Western Massachusetts lawmakers file bills » The Republican With thousands of bills filed for the 2017 legislative session, Western Massachusetts lawmakers have been busy advancing their priorities.…

Lawmakers to re-write Massachusetts marijuana law » WWLP 22 Two state lawmakers have been chosen to re-write the controversial recreational marijuana law, which was approved by voters in November.…

House rejects proposed rule changes » State House News Service Beacon Hill Roll Call records the votes of local representatives on three roll calls from Feb. 2. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.…

Framingham: Lewis to serve on environment, public health committees » The Metro West Daily News Freshman State Rep. Jack Lewis, D-Framingham, has been appointed to four legislative committees consistent with the platform he campaigned on.…

STATE HOUSE ROUNDUP - Legislature's players are in place » Wicked Local Marion If March college basketball is one of the biggest drains of the year on workplace productivity, then Beacon Hill bracketology has the opposite effect.…

On Beacon Hill: Got a light? Burning issues and simmering feuds » State House News Service Recap and analysis of the week in state, and federal, government …

Local legislators step up to new roles » The Recorder Franklin County's legislative delegation has received its committee assignments for this session. …

HAND: Ross won't take pay raise » The Sun Chronicle State Sen. Richard Ross is putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to the recent legislative pay raises. …

How to fight climate change without Washington » Boston Globe MASSACHUSETTS WAS ALREADY planning for a Trump presidency way back in 2008. It just didn't know it yet.…

A doctor experiences pain, and it's a window toward empathy » Boston Globe About 13 years ago, Dr. Paul Konowitz, a physician at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, developed a painful blistering condition in his throat. He ended up with an infection in his esophagus. He was unable t…

Dear Vice President Pence: Stop peddling false hopes to dying patients » STAT News Dear Vice President Pence, Two weeks ago, you met with several families and encouraged them to lobby Congress for a federal 'Right to Try' law, which would allow people with fatal illnesses to gain ac…

Forget the tax returns; show me his brain scans » Boston Globe IN PRINCETON philosopher Harry Frankfurt's 2005 essay “On Bullshit,'' he makes a distinction between lies and B.S. that is perhaps more important right now than ever before.…

Column: Governor's health insurance fee endangers jobs » The Salem News Under a new proposal from Gov. Charlie Baker, Massachusetts would levy a $2,000-per-head health care tax on businesses with more than 10 employees whose workers are insufficiently excited about the em…

Editorial: Fund 'early' mandate » Boston Herald The early voting genie is officially out of the bottle. One million Massachusetts voters cast ballots during the 12-day early voting period in November, the first time the state offered early access t…

Editorial: Council out of order » Boston Herald At what point does the utter dysfunction plaguing the Governor's Council begin to scare away qualified judicial nominees, discouraging them from even putting their hats into the ring?…

Editorial: Driven to distraction » Boston Herald A new report says the number of traffic fatalities in Massachusetts is on the rise — as it is nationally — and experts believe the increase is linked in part to more drivers being focuse…

Our view: Tax battle looms on Beacon Hill » The Salem News There was no room in the state budget for a sales tax holiday last summer but plenty, apparently, for the legislative leadership to grant itself a big raise this winter.…

Bridging the urban-rural divide in Mass. » Commonwealth Magazine EVAN HOROWITZ AND JAMES PINDELL of the Boston Globe remarked in a November 14 article that “the Trump effect” occurred in Massachusetts as well: while Greater Boston voted more Democratic …

'This Is The Time That We Cannot Shy Away': Muslim-Americans Seek To Engage Politically » WBUR With her 3-month-old baby on her lap and her 2-year-old son strumming a guitar in the background, Nichole Mossalam ticks through her hypothetical platform as a candidate for Malden School Committee.…

Who will run for governor? » The Sun Chronicle The next state election is almost two years away, but potential candidates will be testing their voter appeal when they attend an annual Democratic breakfast in March.…

Political Notes: Governor's race off to early start » Cape Cod Times Jay Gonzalez, 46, a Democrat from Needham, announced last month he would seek the office currently held by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.…

The newest topic of therapist couch conversation? Politics. » Boston Globe For years, the therapist's office has been home to a predictable collection of issues: loss, grief, frustration, marital strife. Now, though, it's increasingly home to a new kind of stress.…

To Take Back Power, Democrats Need To Fire Up Millennial Voters » WBUR When young voters stuff the ballot boxes, Democrats win. We've witnessed this in recent presidential contests. Today's youth — the millennial generation -- played a crucial part in boosting Bar…

How Republican Governors are Turning New England Red » Go Local Worcester New England is often described as a solidly Democrat region. When one looks at the numbers, it is easy to see why. …

Scientists hold rally in Boston to protest threat to science » Berkshire Eagle Hundreds of scientists, environmental advocates and their supporters held a rally in Boston on Sunday to protest what they see as increasing threats to science and research in the U.S. The scientists…

Hilltown Dem quits over neglect by state party » The Recorder A prominent member of the state Democratic Party for four decades has resigned and left the party due to what he says is the party's blatant failure to address rural concerns.…

Healey tries to put murmurs of gubernatorial run to rest » State House News Service

Opioid deaths continued to climb in 2016 » Commonwealth Magazine THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DYING from opioid overdoses in Massachusetts each year continues to climb, according to a new state report projecting an estimated increase of between 13 and 24 percent from 2015 …

NRA Targets Massachusetts Attorney General's Enforcement Notice » WAMC The National Rifle Association is taking aim at Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey's enforcement notice clarifying what constitutes a "copy" or "duplicate" weapon under the state's assault weapo…

NRA urges backers to rally behind bills stripping Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey of authority to regulate firearms » The Republican The National Rifle Association (NRA) is urging its supporters to call Massachusetts lawmakers and push for passage of bills that would roll back Attorney General Maura Healey's crackdown on "copycat" …

All Outdoors: Legal fight on semi-automatic rifle regulations in Massachusetts continues » The Republican Last week, the state attorney general's office sought an extension on responding to the plaintiff's complaint, after NRA-ILA announced its financial and legal support of a lawsuit challenging the Mass…

Is Mass. Facing An Evidence Testing Problem? » WBUR A ruling out of Concord District Court calls into question the accuracy of breathalyzer machine tests in Massachusetts and could impact 20,000 drunken-driving cases in the state. The cases occurred be…

State trooper accused of making unauthorized recordings » Lowell Sun A Massachusetts State Police trooper is under investigation for allegedly video and audio recording traffic stops and arrests without departmental approval. A department spokesman tells The Telegram …

Baker seeks $259M for underfunded accounts » Lowell Sun BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker warned lawmakers last summer that they shouldn't override his budget vetoes because their annual budget failed to adequately fund some major spending needs. Lawmakers went…

Some of Gov. Charlie Baker's early retirees haul in six figures as part-timers » Boston Herald Hundreds of state workers who retired early under Gov. Charlie Baker's savings program were eventually put back on the state payroll — some in six-figure part-time jobs — costing taxpaye…

State Rep. Paul Mark to chair House Committee on Redistricting » Berkshire Eagle Berkshire County will have yet another high-level voice in state government this session with the appointment of Paul W. Mark, D-Peru, to the chairmanship of the House Committee on Redistricting. "I…

Events mark centennial of JFK's birth » State House News Service Events are getting underway in Boston to mark the 100th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's birth. The future president was born in Brookline on May 29, 1917, the second of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Ke…

Pols & Politics: Battle brews on extending T's Pacheco Law waiver » Boston Herald Gov. Charlie Baker said last week that the MBTA's Fiscal Management and Control Board should stick around well past its current 2018 expiration date — but another major reform at the T isn't ge…

Could Massachusetts run on all renewable energy by 2050? » Wicked Local Medford Every house, building and car in Massachusetts would be powered by renewable energy sources in the coming decades under a new bill in the state legislature.…

College students rally around campaign to power campuses with renewables » State House News Service

Social Media Spotlight

@votechynah bunewsservice

---

Massachusetts Gaming Commission MGC Meeting 2.16.17

---

Stan Rosenberg @SenStan Katherine Clark @RepKClark Charlie Baker @MassGovernor Sarah Peake @skpeake

---

Podcast Spotlight

WBUR Radio Boston: The Evolution Of Advertising On The MBTA WBUR Radio Boston: Is Mass. Facing An Evidence Testing Problem? NEPR News Now: Immigrants' Fear, Blood's Economy, Government's Tiff, A Son's Hunger Berkshire Eagle Berkshire Eagle Podcasts: Massachusetts Broadband Institute 'Last Mile' provider public hearing: Part 1