9:30am Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture, Public Hearing

10:00am Domestic Violence Awareness in Immigrant Communities, Grand Staircase, State House

10:00am Asian American Commission Advocacy Day at the State House, Great Hall, State House

10:00am Mass. Gaming Commission Meeting, 101 Federal Street, 12th Floor, Boston

10:00am Joint Committee on Housing, Public Hearing

10:30am Cannabis Control Commission Meeting, One Ashburton Place, 21st Floor, Boston

10:30am Joint Committee on Financial Services, Public Hearing

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

1:00pm Joint Committee on Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure, Public Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Public Health, Public Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Municipalities & Regional Government, Public Hearing

6:00pm Geography of Incarceration in a Gateway City Presentation with Rep. Mary Keefe, Family Health Center of Worcester, 26 Queen Street, Worcester

6:30pm Oktoberfest Celebration for Sen. Patrick O'Connor

6:30pm Chelsea Community Meeting with Congressman Mike Capuano, Chelsea Soldiers Home, 91 Crest Avenue, Chelsea

7:00pm Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: A Community Approach, Canton Public Library, 786 Washington Street, Canton

Special Election for Sen. James Timilty's seat

Baker: Rep candidate will help us "hold the line on taxes" » State House News Service Gov. Charlie Baker endorsed Haverhill School Committee member and Republican Shaun Toohey on Monday for the 3rd Essex District House seat that opened up over the summer when longtime Haverhill lawmake…

Senators unveiling first draft of health care reform » State House News Service A group of senators that has been writing health care cost control legislation will release its bill Tuesday and one of its chief sponsors said the bill is "a very substantial piece of legislation." …

"Intermediate plan" may be next on Washington's health care merry-go-round » State House News Service Gov. Charlie Baker and the state's all-Democrat Congressional delegation have spent much of 2017 fending off Republican health care proposals, but President Donald Trump said Monday that more are comi…

Taking on Trump is good for Massachusetts — and for Maura Healey » Boston Globe In Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey is already party to 18 suits against the Trump administration — and Trump has only been in office since January. Her legal activism lines up wel…

Robo call during Pats game annoys fans, Feeney » The Sun Chronicle If you got an annoying automated telephone call from state Senate candidate Paul Feeney during Sunday's Patriots game, Feeney wants you to know he is annoyed, too. …

McCain condemns 'half-baked, spurious nationalism' in clear shot at President Trump » The Washington Post An emotional Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) launched a thinly veiled critique of President Trump's global stewardship Monday night, using a notable award ceremony to condemn “people who would rather…

Report finds state lab withheld breathalyzer test results » Boston Globe The head of a state crime lab office was fired Monday after investigators found that staff withheld exculpatory evidence from defense lawyers in thousands of drunken-driving cases since 2011, a disclo…

Sen. Eric Lesser launches website to push for east-west rail » The Republican State Sen. Eric Lesser brought his statewide whistle-stop tour to a close with a rally at Union Station in Springfield on Monday evening, drawing dozens of people who support linking Boston to Springf…

Black leaders irked with Liz Warren » Boston Herald Black community leaders say U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren should have stayed out of Boston's mayoral race instead of endorsing Mayor Martin J. Walsh in a decision they say is a snub to minority neighborh…

Democrats Can't Afford Another Six Years of Diane Feinstein » Observer On October 15, California State Senator Kevin de Leon formally announced his bid to challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2018. An advocate of single-payer health care who provides voters with a viable p…

Gov. Baker: State's health subsidy issue will be taken care of 'one way or another' » Worcester Telegram & Gazette BOSTON - Gov. Charlie Baker is looking for ways to offset the expected loss of federal subsidies to health insurers through the end of the year, but deferring to Congress for now to put money behind 2…

The trouble with Democrats: Two leaders discuss party's 'rural problem' » The Daily Yonder Jay Clarke of Virginia and Matt Barron of Massachusetts each got attention for criticizing the way Democrats seem to have ceded the rural battlefield to Republicans. With Virginia's gubernatorial race…

Michael Goldman: Is it just me ... » Lowell Sun Is it just me or did the public call by Secretary of Defense James Mattis for the U.S. military to be "ready" regarding President Donald Trump's final North Korea decision send shivers down your spine…

Trump and McConnell try to project unity on GOP agenda » Boston Globe President Trump and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell sought to project unity Monday amid heightening tensions between the president and Senate Republicans that have complicated the legislative a…

Seth Moulton is Focused on 2018, But What's Next? » National Journal Seth Moulton's mind is on the midterms. But if he wants to explore beyond that, he's got the right Rolodex.…

Trump's Army pick has lavished Congress with campaign cash » Boston Globe When Raytheon's top lobbyist faces senators for his confirmation to become secretary of the Army, the hearing may answer a crucial question: How much good will does half a million dollars buy in Congr…

Ipswich clam company wins both chowder awards » Wicked Local Ipswich Ipswich Clambake, 196 High St., took both the people's choice and the judges' award for best chowder at the 22nd annual Ipswich Lions Club chowderfest Saturday.…

Vertex pledges $500 million for charitable efforts over 10 years » Boston Globe Vertex Pharmaceuticals is taking a big step toward bolstering its standing in Boston's civic circles and addressing a local talent shortage by committing to spend $500 million on charitable efforts, i…

Mass. Small Business Owner At Trump's Order Signing Flabbergasted By Public Reaction » WBUR A western Massachusetts business owner faces a boycott of his stores after attending an event with President Trump last week. But he says he's being unfairly targeted.…

Mass. biopharma jobs, investments rose substantially in 2016 » State House News Service

15 attorneys general oppose Trump's transgender military ban » Boston.com Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is leading a group of 15 Democratic attorneys general in opposing President Donald Trump's administration's plan to bar transgender individuals from openly …

Massachusetts AG Maura Healey files court brief opposing President Donald Trump's transgender military ban » MassLive Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey led a group of 15 attorneys general in filing a court brief on Monday opposing President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S.…

Lowell elections bias suit heading to court » Lowell Sun A federal judge will hear arguments Tuesday on the city's request that he dismiss a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming that Lowell's election system discriminates against minorities.…

Millions of women say 'Me too' about sexual harassment » Boston Globe One woman recalled a man in a park jamming his hand down her pants when she was 16. Another said she was accosted by her resident adviser in college. Still another said her boss told her he would give…

No bail for Robert Barre, accused of triggering City Hall lockdown, vandalizing Holyoke High School buildings » MassLive A city man arrested on vandalism and gun charges Friday after he allegedly tagged buildings at Holyoke High School and triggered a lockdown at City Hall was ordered held without right to bail at his a…

Belmont resident appointed to state education board » Wicked Local Belmont Belmont resident Amanda Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of Latinos for Education, was appointed to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Gov. Charlie Baker announced.…

The sky's the limit: Bristol Aggie building 'drone airport' » Herald News Bristol County Agricultural High School students will be getting a head start in the evolving 21st century agricultural industry with the addition of an agricultural drone center by the end of the yea…

APCC Testifies in Opposition to Water Regulation Change » Cape Cod Online The Association to Preserve Cape Cod has provided testimony to the Massachusetts Legislature opposing a proposed bill regarding the Environmental Protection Agency.…

Sen. Ross backs legislation to protect state's critical species » Wicked Local Franklin State Sen. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, is co-sponsoring legislation to protect the critical role of pollination. The state's Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture recently he…

Plainridge banked $14.9 million in September » The Sun Chronicle Plainridge Park Casino had another good month in September, bouncing back from a slight dip in revenue the month before.…

Genetics research is booming. So why are there so few doctors who specialize in the field? » STAT News Research grounded in genetics is booming: Therapies are in the works to treat a number of rare, inherited disorders, from blindness to nerve disease. But there's a shortage of doctors trained to diagn…

Ashland unveils veteran-only parking signs » The Metro West Daily News “We cannot do enough helping our (veterans), it's as simple as that,” state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, said, at an unveiling ceremony for newly designated veteran-only parking spaces Fr…

Immigrant At Center Of Landmark SJC Ruling Is Arrested » WBUR The man at the center of a landmark Massachusetts court decision on immigration detention has been charged with unarmed robbery and assault and battery.…

Breed discrimination unfairly driving up homeowner's rates, lawmakers told » State House News Service

State Sen. Mike Barrett calls for reform to prison 'fine time' » Wicked Local Waltham

Yes, Yahoo can give dead man's family members access to his email account, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court says » MassLive Yahoo can provide a dead man's family members with access to the man's email account.…

Union: Privatization effort 'failed' » Boston Herald The union representing the MBTA's bus mechanics is claiming the transit agency has received just one bid in its pursuit to outsource some of its bus maintenance operations — a sign, it claims, …

Mass. Asian-American Caucus More Active Than Ever » South Coast Today October will be a productive month for the Massachusetts Asian-American Caucus, working on legislation to “ensure we're being counted,” while also sharing themed cultural days at the State…

Three candidates seek to fill Timilty's seat in special election Tuesday » Wicked Local Mansfield Three candidates are vying to fill James Timilty's senate seat in a special election Tuesday, Oct. 17. Timilty, a Democrat, represented the Bristol Norfolk district. He stepped down this spring to tak…

Margaret Farmer Endorses Lydia Edwards for City Council » North End Waterfront East Boston resident and former candidate for Boston City Council Margaret Farmer endorsed Lydia Edwards for Boston city councilor.…

Milford selectmen appoint Water Commissioners » Wicked Local Milford MILFORD – Moving swiftly toward finalizing the purchase of the Milford Water Company by the end of the year, selectmen voted unanimously Monday to appoint the town's first three water commissio…

Winchester residents urged to build cross-cultural bridges at forum » Wicked Local Winchester On Tuesday Oct. 10, the Winchester Multicultural Network organized a panel of experts to host a dialogue with citizens concerned about the ongoing national rise of discriminatory and intolerant acts. …

CITY ELECTION 2017: Taunton School Committee candidates talk about the state of the district » Taunton Gazette With the Nov. 7 city-wide election just three weeks away, we thought we'd give voters a chance to get to know the candidates a little better. All 10 Taunton School Committee candidates took part in th…

Mayor Sarno, Unify Against Bullying tag-team in fight against bullies » MassLive Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is no stranger to using the bully pulpit that comes with his office, and on Monday he used it to speak out against bullying.…

Grafton voters keep town clerk, Planning Board elected » Worcester Telegram & Gazette Voters at fall town meeting Monday made it clear they wanted to keep a direct hand in choosing their town clerk and Planning Board.…

Mashpee voters approve recreational pot moratorium » Cape Cod Times The debate over recreational marijuana sales in Mashpee will continue for at least another 15 months.…

Pot commission assembling budget based on 40-person staff » State House News Service

Somebody throw this poor guy a bone » Boston Globe As mea culpas go, Dave Ratner's was a doozy. “I was duped,” he said. “I am an idiot.”…

Even after Equifax and Wells Fargo, GOP sides with big financial institutions » Boston Globe The Equifax data breach and the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal have given America a peek into business practices at some of America's biggest financial institutions. In both companies, a related pr…

Boston is primed for Amazon » Boston Globe Amazon is offering one city a winning lottery ticket. The home selected for its second headquarters campus can expect a concentration of tens of thousands of men and women with talent, education, and …

Lindsay N. Sabadosa: Urges support of ACCESS bill in Legislature » Gazette Net On Oct. 3, before a State House committee of eight men and only two women, business, insurance and advocacy groups testified unanimously in favor of the so-called ACCESS bill.…

Dave Ratner: I was duped by the White House. I do not support Trump's executive order on health care (Letters) » MassLive As a longtime small business owner, nothing is more important to me than supporting local businesses, their employees and our community.…

Editorial: The Arroyo legacy » Boston Herald A report commissioned by the Massachusetts Trial Court reveals both ugliness and incompetence in the office of the register of Suffolk Probate and Family Court, thus serving as a 68-page reminder that…

LETTER: Sees Holaday as important to city's future » Newburyport News To understand how important it is to re-elect Mayor Holaday, we must remember what this city was like before she held office and how unfortunate it would be to go back.…

Our view: Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance should come clean » Gloucester Times Months after voting themselves a pay raise, Statehouse Democrats are still getting slammed with criticism. And rightfully so given the state's difficult financial straits, which only look to get more …

Not such a 'nothingburger' after all » Boston Globe Governor Charlie Baker may find himself choking on a “nothingburger” as revelations have come to light about the massive flood of dark money into last fall's pro-charter-school ballot camp…

Viewpoint: Mass.-Israel relationship is strong in cybersecurity, but competition is growing » Boston Business Journal

One Reason for Fatherlessness, Family Breakdowns, Mayhem, and Social Injustice » State House News Service

Dan Koh, the former chief of staff of Marty Walsh, has a lot of high-profile donors from the world of sports and business » Boston.com Dan Koh turned more than a few heads earlier this month when he announced he raised $755,000 in just the first month of his congressional campaign. Following Sunday's federal filing deadline, we have …

Koh piles up campaign donations from outside district » Gloucester Times Democrat Dan Koh is leading the money race among those seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas — but most of his campaign cash is coming from outside the district he wants to represent.…

Gov. Baker endorses Toohey in advance of special election » Eagle Tribune While Toohey — who ran unopposed in the Republican primary on Oct. 10 and will face City Councilor Andy Vargas in the Nov. 7 general election — has been touting his relationship with the…

Haverhill Democrats to hold unity rally » Eagle Tribune The Democratic City Committee will hold a unity rally Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Barking Dog Ale House on Washington Street. …

Lowell City Council candidates weigh in on city's effort to combat opiate crisis » Lowell Sun During the first six months of 2017, the number of fatal overdoses decreased nearly 50 percent compared to the same six months last year. …

Political Notes: Flores considers run for Senate » Cape Cod Times Barnstable Town Councilor John Flores may have his sights set on a higher office.…

Koh's cash poured in from sources outside Congressional district » State House News Service When a candidate for Congress raises over $800,000 in his first month of campaigning, it gets rivals' attention. But when that same candidate later discloses that 95 percent of contributions came from…

Gov. Charlie Baker heading to Washington to speak on opioid epidemic » MassLive Gov. Charlie Baker is traveling to Washington, D.C. on Monday to speak at a panel discussion on the opioid epidemic in the U.S.…

Keller @ Large: 60 Minutes Investigation Into US Opioid Crisis » CBS Boston “The drug companies, frankly, are getting away with murder,” said President Donald Trump yesterday. And while the president talking about soaring drug prices, on Sunday night a joint 60 Mi…

House takes first step to ban bump stocks » Daily Times Chronicle BOSTON - Representative Michael S. Day joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass an amendment to the 2017 Supplemental Budget that would ban the sale, purchase, or ow…

Greenfield Fire Chief deployed to assist Puerto Rico hurricane response » WWLP 22

Koutoujian elected state sheriffs' association president » Your Arlington Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian has been elected by his peers to serve as president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association.…

Sheriff Peter Koutoujian Elected President Of The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association » Peabody Patch From the Middlesex Sheriff's Office: Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian has been elected by his peers to serve as president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association (MSA).…

Terror cells, gangs not covered by wiretap law, guv's lawyer says » State House News Service The state's wiretap law will turn 50 next year, and top law enforcement officials on Monday pressed lawmakers for an update they said would help it catch up with evolutions in both crime and technolog…

Baker bill would update Massachusetts wiretap law » WWLP 22 Under current wiretap law in Massachusetts, police can only use electronic surveillance for investigations into “organized crime.”…

Eldridge, Hogan vote to ban 'bump stocks' » Wicked Local Lancaster

'Millionaires' tax' would make Mass. an outlier in capital gains tax, says group » Boston Business Journal Massachusetts now rates in the middle of the pack on capital gains taxes, but the proposal would change that for the worse, according to the Pioneer Institute.…

MBTA awards rail car contract » Worcester Business Journal

MBTA set to start live-streaming oversight panel's meetings on Oct. 23 » MassLive The panel tasked with overseeing the troubled MBTA is scheduled to start streaming its regular meetings on the Internet.…

Time to put pedal to the metal » Commonwealth Magazine WE GENERALLY THINK of Eversource, National Grid, and other utilities as the providers of the electricity we need to keep the lights on. That they are, but over the next 20 years they will also increas…

Massachusetts transportation officials admit vehicle inspection stations could have used more help after troubled launch » MassLive Massachusetts transportation officials admitted inspection stations could have used more help before the vehicle check program saw an update on Oct. 1.…

South Coast Rail permits sought for Fall River tracks » Herald News

Massachusetts AG reviewing report on Eversource, Avangrid constraining pipelines » Utility Dive

Social Media Spotlight

wbur senjohnfkeenan heartmass

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CBS Boston Keller @ Large: Why Do They Keep Lying To Us? Roll Call Trump Keeps Adding to the Congressional To-Do List

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Karen Spilka @KarenSpilka Mayor Marty Walsh @marty_walsh John McCain @SenJohnMcCain

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Podcast Spotlight

Governing The 23%: Conversations With Women in Government: Former Gov. Chris Gregoire on the "Bloodsport" of Politics Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast: Steve Bannon’s War Against The GOP WBUR Bostonomix: Report: Natural Gas Companies Artificially Constrained Supply, Costing New Englanders Billions

Dave of Dave's Soda and Pet City posed with President Trump. Now he's under fire » Boston Globe

Massachusetts deploying 10-person emergency management team to Puerto Rico » The Republican

Here are the 25 most in-demand jobs in Massachusetts right now » Boston Business Journal

T union claims MBTA has received only one bid for bus maintenance » Boston Herald

Surgeons reflect on roles in opioid crisis » Lowell Sun

Baker looking for ways to offset loss in federal health subsidies » Lowell Sun

Between the Lines: Immigrant abuse - Where's the outrage, Happy Valley? » Valley Advocate

Choices for Stewardship: Recommendations to Meet the Transportation Future » Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth

After Former Employee Blows the Whistle on Short-Staffing at Columbia Gas, Senators Markey and Warren Demand Answers » Officer of Sen. Ed Markey

Statement on the Report of the Commission on the Future of Transportation » Transportation for Mass.