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Cambridge to begin guaranteed income program for single-parent households » Boston Globe Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui announced Thursday that the city, through a public-private partnership, has raised $1.5 million for an initiative that gives out $500 a month to 120 households headed by a lone c…

As Advocates Push For Gun Control, Business Is Booming For Springfield's Smith & Wesson » WBUR In the latest quarter, the company sold more than 600,000 guns and accessories — a quarter of a billion dollars worth of weapons. That represents a doubling of sales from a year ago, the company's t…

Unemployment claims hit pandemic low in Mass. » Boston Business Journal Massachusetts saw just more than 14,700 new unemployment claims last week, according to preliminary data, its lowest total since March 2020, when Covid-19 first began shutting down businesses.…

Dams, Bridges And Paid Sick Leave: What The Mass. Delegation Hopes To Insert In Biden's Infrastructure Plan » WBUR As Neal's committee gets to work, he is looking out for his own priorities: "Bridges across Western and Central Massachusetts. Dams in Springfield, all the way to Northampton. A big issue for me, cert…

Protesters demand reopening of cases of police-involved deaths » Boston Globe In front of banners that read “How many weren’t filmed? Jail killer cops” and “Reopen the cases. Prosecute the police. Justice for all,” Brock Satter of the group Mass Action Against Police …

RI: RI lawmakers fling 'racist,' 'liar' accusations at each other » Providencer Journal Ruggerio wrote: "In light of your recent floor comments describing a conversation that never occurred between you and me, your letter continues your unfortunate practice and pattern of lies, falsehood…

FL: Florida Senate passes ‘anti-riot’ bill, sends it to DeSantis to sign into law » Orlando Sentinel The Florida Senate on Thursday approved an “anti-riot” bill championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, sending it to him for signature into law over the objections of Democrats and civil rights g…

NJ: New Jersey governor makes new push for ‘sweeping’ new gun laws » Politico NJ The governor, a liberal Democrat who is up for reelection this fall, said the measures were “perhaps the most sweeping gun violence prevention package in the nation” and would “guarantee unquest…

Sinema And Manchin Headlining Event For Anti-Union Group Fighting $15 Wage » The Daily Poster Weeks after voting to kill a $15 minimum wage, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin will headline the national conference of the restaurant lobbying group that led the battle to block the wage increas…

NY: Yang under fire for appearance in video suggesting violence toward women » Politico NY "We have seen four years of a president who joked about sexually assaulting women and still got elected," said fellow mayoral candidate Maya Wiley during an emotional Zoom press conference Thursday, h…

'A nicer version of Trump': GOP donors flock to DeSantis » Politico The Florida governor has cultivated relationships with many of the party's biggest givers, who admire his opposition to strict Covid mitigation policies.…

Ivanka Trump’s Vaccine Selfie Didn’t Go Over as Planned » Vanity Fair Perhaps even more worrisome, though, were the reactions from people not pissed at Princess Purses’s flaming hypocrisy, but angry at her for getting the vaccine in the first place.…

House Budget Generates Mix of Reactions » State House News Service Within minutes of the House budget being released Wednesday, people and groups weighed in with likes, dislikes and analysis of the $47.65 billion spending plan. Some focused on the bill as a whole whi…

Non-Profits Argue Against Another Delay in Charitable Deduction » State House News Service Massachusetts Nonprofit Network CEO Jim Klocke said a further delay will make it harder for nonprofits, many of which had to put critical fundraising events on hold during the pandemic, to continue to…

GA: Report: New Ga. election law rates well for access but a ‘step backward’ » Georgia Reporter A national election researcher says Georgia’s controversial new voting law is a “step backward” from the state’s 2020 election, but the state remains one of the most accessible in the nation f…

The Democrats’ Giant Dilemma » Politico John Fetterman’s blue-collar progressivism has endeared him to Pennsylvania voters. Why are so many Democratic leaders opposing his Senate run?…

Markey and colleagues introduce bill to expand Supreme Court with four new justices, get pushback » Boston Herald U.S. Sen. Edward Markey is making his case to add four more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it doesn’t look like top Democrats or Republicans are willing to hear it.…

Senator Markey, House Democrats propose bill to expand number of Supreme Court justices to 13 » Boston Globe Massachusetts Senator Edward J. Markey on Thursday announced he is introducing a bill that would expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court, arguing that increasing its size would restore just…

Opinion: What’s afoot, politically? » Boston Globe It has not gone unnoticed that the Biden administration has ushered in a new era of women’s footwear.…

Editorial: Biden’s mission: Stand up for Ukraine » Boston Globe A new executive order on sanctions could be used to protest Russian troop build-up on the border.…

Saying farewell to the Greatest Generation » Boston Globe The movement to hold the first state funeral for someone who was not a president or a general is gaining traction, with the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation signing on.…

Businesses get a one-month reprieve from huge increase in unemployment fees » Boston Globe As the State House looks to soften the impact, businesses now have until June 30 to pay the first unemployment bills of the year.…

Regulators seek to revoke Robinhood’s Massachusetts license » Boston Globe A legal fight between Massachusetts regulators and the popular consumer investing platform Robinhood escalated Thursday as Secretary of State William Galvin’s office said it would seek to revoke the…

North Shore restaurant owners look forward to normalcy » Lynn Daily News Item Since Gov. Charlie Baker removed all capacity caps on Massachusetts restaurants March 1, the North Shore restaurant scene has slowly — very slowly — begun to regain its pre-COVID-19 momentum. “…

Massachusetts offers employers more time to pay unemployment tax bills » Boston Business Journal The Baker administration notified Massachusetts employers on Thursday that they now have until June 1 to pay their unemployment insurance tax bills, amid mounting outrage over the unexpectedly high pa…

FEMA funeral program for coronavirus deaths: Scammers are trying to exploit families » Boston Herald Scammers are targeting people who lost a loved one to coronavirus and telling them they will register the family for up to $9,000 in reimbursement under the FEMA funeral assistance program, warns Mass…

Swan Boats to return to Boston Public Garden lagoon in May » Boston Globe Last summer, the iconic Swan Boats were kept out of the lagoon in the Boston Public Garden for the first time in 143 years, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Editorial: Flanagan expands public-health crusade » Lowell Sun For the majority of her 25-year career in public service, Jennifer Flanagan has been an energetic champion for mental-health, public-health, and disability services.…

Lynn senator sponsors bills to improve school infrastructure, reduce segregation » Lynn Daily News Item State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) is sponsoring three bills that would allocate more money to school districts with a large amount of low-income students, in the hopes that it will help solve segre…

State auditor says Westfield State University needs to tighten financial practices with vendors » The Republican Massachusetts auditor Suzanne Bump says Westfield State University’s mistaken 2020 transfer of $1.75 million to an unauthorized account resulted from a a poor system of checking information provided…

Federal judge upholds Boston exam school admissions policy » Boston Globe A federal judge on Thursday upheld the Boston school system’s temporary changes to its admission policy for its exam schools, a victory that may allow acceptance letters to go out by the end of the …

Article proposes naming Saugus Middle-High School athletic complex after Christie Serino, Jr. » Lynn Daily News Item Members of the Saugus community are pushing to rename the town’s new Middle-High School athletic complex after longtime hockey coach Christie Serino, Jr.…

Judge rules in favor of new Boston exam schools admissions policy, saying it is ‘race-neutral’ » Boston Herald A federal judge has upheld a new, temporary admissions policy at Boston’s elite exam schools, calling it “race-neutral,” despite the parent group that brought the lawsuit claiming it was discrim…

Cheating allegations engulf Dartmouth medical school » Boston Globe A Dartmouth medical student was halfway through a timed practice test for a high-stakes board exam last month when an e-mail flashed on her phone. She was startled to find a formal message on her medi…

Massachusetts schools report 1,095 students and 184 staff members with COVID, pooled testing shows positivity rate of 1.03% » The Republican A total of 1,279 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Massachusetts schools in the past week, state education officials said Thursday, the highest weekly total to date.…

Climate change law codifies environmental justice » Commonwealth Magazine MASSACHUSETTS RECENTLY took a significant step towards addressing the problem of climate change, passing An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. In addition to impo…

Once controversial fish ladder quietly attracting species to Manhan River » Gazette Net Once a controversial project in Easthampton beset by delays and unanticipated expenses, the city's fish ladder, which allows fish to pass through the dam on the Manhan River off Northampton Street, qu…

Columnist Johanna Neumann: 100% Renewable: Getting there while preserving nature » Gazette Net With the proposal of a set of solar arrays in Shutesbury, totaling 190 acres, two undeniable truths have come into play.…

Federal pols weigh in on proposed machine-gun range » Cape Cod Times With plans set to move forward with a proposed multipurpose machine-gun range, members of the state’s Congressional delegation echoed the concerns of the community and environmental organizations in…

State Rep. Driscoll files legislation aimed at Blue Hills deer hunt » Patriot Ledger After the Blue Hills deer hunt banned shotguns this past year, Rep. William Driscoll, D-Quincy, has filed a new bill designed to end the hunt altogether.…

Casino and Slot Parlor Activity Rebounds to Pre-Pandemic Levels » State House News Service By any metric, March was the best month for the casinos and slots parlor in Massachusetts since before the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Can Mass General Brigham integrate? » Commonwealth Magazine This effort is reportedly driven by wealthy businessmen Scott Sperling, Jonathan Kraft, and John Fish–the trio of board chairs of the parent system and the system’s two flagship hospitals – Mass…

House Approves $400M For New Holyoke Veterans Home » State House News Service Just over a year ago as reports of multiple deaths at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke started to circulate, the calls started to pour into the office of former Rep. Aaron Vega, where Rep. Patricia Duffy…

Massachusetts House unanimously passes $400 million bond bill for new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home » The Republican Plans to reconstruct a long-term care facility for veterans in Holyoke are finally coming together. Massachusetts House lawmakers approved a $400 million bond bill to finance the reconstruction. The B…

Lack of mental health beds means long ER waits » Commonwealth Magazine FOUR YEARS AGO, a Pittsfield woman named Christine told MassLive about her experience waiting with her young son in the hospital emergency room for three days until the hospital could find an inpatien…

Report: Eviction efforts disproportionately hitting communities of color » News 22 WWLP.com A disproportionate number of eviction filings in Boston involved households of color during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report published by the housing justice group City Life / Vida Urb…

Haverhill and Plaistow YMCA Readies for ‘Mission Possible’ Gala with a Little Help From Friends » WHAV The combined Haverhill YMCA and Plaistow Community YMCA is gearing up for its “Mission Possible” Virtual Legacy Gala with a little help from friends.…

Some 12-Person Jury Trials To Resume In Massachusetts Next Month » WBUR Some 12 person juries will resume in Massachusetts next month, marking the first time full jury trials will be held since the pandemic began.…

After a year of working from home at a card table, I’m paying the price at the physical therapist » Boston Globe As an avid runner, swimmer, and cyclist for about 30 years, I’ve suffered my share of injuries. But it was another activity that caused excruciating pain to erupt in my back and left leg six weeks a…

Jobless claims drop as labor market rebounds » The Eagle Tribune New jobless claims in Massachusetts dropped last week as the state's pandemic-battered labor market continued to rebound. At least 14,704 new applications for state benefits were filed for the week en…

Editorial: Diversity ownership vies with unions for contracts » Boston Herald A dustup over requiring a project labor agreement when building the new $400 million Holyoke Soldiers’ Home highlights a problem with efforts to include more minority- and women-owned businesses in …

Town Meeting Approves Budget; Economic Recovery Expected » The Bourne News After four hours of discussion and debate on several financial articles including the municipal budget, Falmouth Town Meeting passed the 2022 operating budget at virtual Town Meeting on Monday, April …

Cambridge will test guaranteed income payments with 120 city households led by single caretakers » Cambridge Day An initiative will offer $500 no-strings-attached monthly payments via debit card to 120 eligible single caretaker households over an 18-month period beginning in August, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui announc…

Haverhill Housing Policies Net the City State Interest Rate Cut on Water and Sewer Project Loans » Haverhill’s housing policies are being rewarded with an interest rate cut on its water and sewer project borrowing.…

Nahant Town Meeting article seeks to enact eminent domain over East Point » Lynn Daily News Item The Nahant Board of Selectmen voted, 3-0, to place an article on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant that would give the town authority to take control over a portion of the East Point property currently …

Somerset coming apart at the seams » Commonwealth Magazine THE SOUTH COAST community of Somerset seems to be pulling apart at the seams, as rancor over stop-gap development at Brayton Point prompted the chair of the Board of Selectmen to resign her position a…

Senate’s toned-down voting bill fails to stop backlash from election officials and voting-rights groups » Florida Phoenix Republican state lawmakers are backing down from plans to ban ballot drop boxes and to make it harder to request mail-in ballots, but that has not quelled widespread criticism of their efforts to make…

Support for Puerto Rico autonomy grows in western Mass. » Gazette Net Considered the world's oldest colony, Puerto Rico has been under U.S. control since the United States invaded the island during the Spanish-American War in 1898.…

Mass. COVID-19 death toll in nursing homes drops by 1,200 as the state adopts a new way to report long-term-care deaths » Boston Globe Massachusetts nursing homes were ground zero for COVID-19, reporting some of the highest death rates in the country, especially in the early months.…

1,884 confirmed cases, 5 deaths, and 95,048 vaccinations: See today’s new COVID-19 data from Mass. » Boston Globe Massachusetts reported 1,884 new confirmed coronavirus cases Thursday, while the seven-day average edged down to 1,827 from 1,834 the day before.…

Here's How To Book A Vaccine Appointment In Massachusetts » WBUR Almost 2 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Almost 3 million have received their first shots and likely have second shots booked.…

59 Massachusetts cities and towns at high risk for coronavirus transmission, down from last week » Boston Herald The number of cities and towns at high risk for COVID-19 transmission dropped by 23% this week as some local officials said there are signs for optimism among case and positivity rates.…

AG Maura Healey Reminds Public ID, Other Info. Not Required For Vaccine » WBZ As more people become eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine in Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey said she wants to remind the public and vaccine providers about what is not required to get the …

Sorrow of Billy Evans' death hits home in Berkshires: 'We’ve lost one of our own, and he won’t be home again' » Berkshire Eagle From the rainy street outside St. Stanislaus Kostka, onlookers could just make out the inside of the church, its cavernous ceiling and cross bathed in a warm, orange glow.…

Compassionate release revoked for two convicted killers who survived COVID-19 » Boston Globe Two convicted killers who were granted compassionate release in January while hospitalized with COVID-19, and on ventilators, were sent back to prison Monday after recovering from the virus, according…

White Milton police officer to face charges for allegedly threatening, intimidating Black teen over support for Black Lives Matter » Boston Globe Patricia Lio, 52, also allegedly attacked her husband, who tried to quell the September confrontation at their Westwood home.…

Protesters Gather On Beacon Hill, Demand Prosecution Of Police Officers Who Kill People » WBUR Protesters gathered at the State House Thursday evening to call for the investigation and prosecution of officers accused of police brutality and violence.…

Eight years after Newtown shooting, Sandy Hook Promise continues violence prevention work » Berkshire Eagle Eight years ago, Mark Barden stood in the White House Rose Garden to make a plea for action on gun violence.…

Howie Carr: State Police hiring failures one for the books » Boston Herald Where do the Massachusetts State Police keep finding these guys? Meet Joel Devine – suspended without pay since January, living in New Hampshire (according to the Attleboro Police), and charged with…

Officer William Evans Laid to Rest in Adams » iBerkshires U.S. Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans was brought to his final resting place Thursday afternoon after the Northern Berkshire community paid their final respects.…

Dozens rally to reopen the investigations in Boston police killings of two Black men in wake of Daunte Wright slaying » Boston Herald About 150 ralliers — including the mothers of two Black men killed by Boston Police — gathered at the State House undeterred by the rain and demanding accountability from police.…

Adams says goodbye to Billy Evans: 'It’s the least we can do for a man who died protecting us' » Berkshire Eagle They started gathering slowly, just after 12:30 p.m., in the downtown area under dark skies and a steady downpour.…

Former Suffolk County Prosecutor's Behavior Was 'Troubling,' Not Criminal, Investigation Finds » WBUR Former Suffolk County Prosecutor Adam Foss, now a high-profile criminal justice reform advocate, did not engage in criminal conduct while he worked in Boston. That's the conclusion of an independent i…

Investigation Into Suspended Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White Has Cost The City Nearly $45K, So Far » WGBH The law firm investigating suspended Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White has so far billed the city just under $45,000, according to documents obtained by GBH News under the state open record law.…

Former Suffolk assistant district attorney violated expectations but didn’t break law, probe finds » Boston Globe A former Suffolk assistant district attorney who was accused of sexually harassing young women was found by an independent investigation to have engaged in behavior with female interns that violated t…

Mass. House budget plan avoids cuts, tax hikes; some still concerned with education funding » Berkshire Eagle Without cutting services or raising taxes on individuals, Massachusetts House leaders have proposed to increase spending to $47.65 billion in their Wednesday budget recommendation for the 2022 fiscal …

New Hampshire goes mask-free with summer tourism expected to be ‘huge’ » Boston Herald The Granite State is now mask-free, with Gov. Chris Sununu telling the Herald that summer tourism will be “huge.”…

New federal aid will help Berkshires, but lawmakers say they need more say in spending » Berkshire Eagle A new wave of federal funds headed to Massachusetts, state lawmakers say, provides an opportunity to make investments in Berkshire County’s long-term future.…

In the 1950s, a nickel was a child’s ticket to a Boston joyride » Boston Globe Joyriding on what was then the Metropolitan Transit Authority was a thrill for kids back when we were less supervised. In the 1950s, my sister and her girlfriend would take me with them. The fare was …

Baker Renews Bid to Further Regulate TNC Drivers » State House News Service Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday renewed his effort to update data collection and safety regulations on ride-hailing companies in Massachusetts, and included a proposed reform of the state's ban on surg…

Baker bill would collect more data from ride-hailing services, enhance safety » Boston Herald Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday filed legislation to increase data collection from ride-hailing companies, a move he said would allow transportation growth “in a safe and responsible manner.”…

MBTA touts commuter rail electrification progress » Lynn Daily News Item The MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board announced Monday it has made progress toward the electrification of the commuter rail.…

Massachusetts vehicle inspection system could be fixed by this weekend, RMV says » WCVB State employees and representatives of a third-party vendor are visiting 1,800 auto shops across Massachusetts as work continues to restore the network of vehicle inspection systems.…

Our View: End yearly auto inspection » The Sun Chronicle Automobile inspections have been on hold in Massachusetts for more than two weeks. The state ought to take this opportunity to look at its inspection system and turn in a different direction.…

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GBH News The Significance Of U.S. Troops Withdrawing From Afghanistan After 20 Years WCVB Channel 5 Boston Navy giving out shots at Hynes

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Podcast Spotlight

WBUR Radio Boston: Rep. Moulton On U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan The MassINC Polling Group The Horse Race: Episode 177: Mayorals? For Spring? Groundbreaking. Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast: Why Serious Changes To Policing Are So Unlikely To Happen Crooked Media Pod Save America: “Daunte Wright should be alive today.”

Baker-Polito Administration Files Legislation to Improve Public Safety and Data Reporting Requirements for Transportation Network Companies » Office of Governor Charlie Baker

AG Healey Reminds Public that ID Cards, Social Security Numbers, and Health Insurance are Not Required to Get Vaccinated » Office of Attorney General Maura Healey

In quotes: Vice President Kamala Harris » Strategies for Children

Projects Grants Awarded to 161 Cultural Organizations » Mass. Cultural Council

Middlesex Sheriff’s Office announces upcoming correction officer exam » Middlesex Sheriff’s Office

DOR Issues Estimate for Fall 2021 CPA Trust Fund Distribution » Community Preservation Coalition

AHA Media Alert: Information and resources on heart rhythm issues and pacemakers » American Heart Association

City of Lynn, MassDOT, and MBTA Announce Completion of First-ever Bus Lane in Lynn and a Network of Bike Lanes to Improve Commutes for Thousands of Essential Workers » MBTA