10:00am Executive Office of Health & Human Services Public Hearing, Via Webex

1:00pm Senate Session, Full Formal Session

Birthdays: Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, Rep. Joseph Wagner, Rep. Patricia Haddad, Rep. Angelo D'Emilia

Local Officials And Congressional Leaders Decry Investors Who Put Affordable Housing At Risk » WBUR A WBUR investigation last week detailed the legal battle between the Boston nonprofit Tenants' Development Corp., and a Colorado investor, Alden Torch Financial, that's trying to block TDC from owning…

RI: Beginning Friday, R.I. business restrictions are relaxing. Here’s what you need to know » Boston Globe Among the changes: restaurants can increase capacity to 80 percent, bars still have to use plexiglass, and masks will still be required indoors…

Sheriff Hodgson blasts call to defund ICE illegal immigrant program » Boston Herald Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson is blasting a push by Democratic lawmakers to defund collaboration between ICE agents and local police that’s been on the books since 1996.…

Mass General Brigham’s plan for surgical centers in suburbs stirs controversy » Boston Globe A group of rival health care companies has mounted an opposition campaign to block the expansion plan, worried that the state’s biggest health care provider will become even more powerful at their e…

FL: DeSantis signs controversial Florida election law with 2022 looming » Herald Tribune The governor, who is up for re-election in 2022, signed the measure live during a Fox News Channel interview from a West Palm Beach hotel after speaking at an event hosted by Club 45 USA, which is a f…

Housing starts slowed in Greater Boston in 2020 » Boston Business Journal New U.S. Census Bureau data released this week shows housing starts slowed slightly in the Boston metro area and across Massachusetts. That slowdown came during the coronavirus pandemic but despite ho…

FL: DeSantis and his confederates in FL’s GOP Legislature: They don’t care about bettering the state » Florida Phoenix DeSantis and his confederates in Florida’s Republican Legislature are only interested in pleasing the deep-pocketed hegemons who enable them to hang onto power. They don’t care about bettering the…

Massachusetts nurses rally against ‘violent’ healthcare workplaces » Boston Herald “What we do know is that the workplace is dangerous, it’s violent, and it’s getting more violent,” state Rep. Denise Garlick, D-Norwood, told the Herald at a rally in front of the State House …

NJ: Lawmakers move to extend Covid-19 liability shield to co-ops, homeowners associations » Politico NJ The bill, the text of which registers just 167 words, would take those groups off the hook for any illness, injury, death or other damages arising from or related to Covid-19 — excluding any acts or…

NY: Pro-Adams PAC run by charter school proponent takes shape as mayor’s race kicks into high gear » Politico NY An executive at an organization that lobbies on behalf of charter schools is launching a fundraising effort to boost the mayoral candidacy of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams — the latest push …

U.S. adds just 266,000 jobs in April, far below expectations » Axios The U.S. economy added 266,000 jobs last month — way short of the nearly 1 million jobs economists were expecting. The unemployment rate ticked higher to 6.1%.…

The great bamboo hunt: Arizona’s bizarre vote-examination effort gets more bizarre » Washington Post “There’s accusations that 40,000 ballots were flown in to Arizona and it was stuffed into the box, okay?” Brakey said. “And it came from the southeast part of the world, Asia, okay? And what t…

Nurses Want Legislative Action, Not More Gestures » State House News Service Rep. Denise Garlick, a past MNA president, filed the workplace violence prevention bill with Sen. Joan Lovely. "Workplace violence has long been prevalent in the health care arena for a variety of rea…

Editorial: The world’s largest democracy on life support » Boston Globe The Biden White House needs to offer India’s people more than aid. It needs to insist that its leadership uphold the principles of democracy.…

Opinion: Biden’s not ‘meh’ — he’s the anti-Trump » Boston Globe Words do matter. Joan Vennochi’s description of President Biden’s first 100 days left me with a resounding “meh” in my ears.…

Boston business leaders launch campaign to raise $10 million for Latino Equity Fund » Boston Globe The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial inequity have drawn millions of corporate dollars to underserved communities during the past year.…

NY AG: ISPs behind millions of fake net neutrality comments » Boston Globe The Office of the New York Attorney General said in a new report that a campaign funded by the broadband industry submitted millions of fake comments supporting the 2017 repeal of net neutrality.…

Wahlburgers at MGM Springfield plans opening by end of May » MassLive Wahlburgers plans to open its new location at MGM Springfield by the end of this month, the casino’s management told state regulators Thursday.…

Gov. Charlie Baker visits Lowell’s Panela to announce last round of small-business grants » Lowell Sun Gov. Charlie Baker stopped by Colombian restaurant Panela in downtown Lowell to announce the latest, and likely final, round of small business grants, totaling about $5 million.…

Governor Baker to provide remarks at 2021 Massachusetts STEM Summit » News 22 WWLP.com Governor Baker and other officials will deliver welcoming remarks at the 2021 Massachusetts STEM Summit Thursday morning.…

Construction worker killed in concrete wall collapse at Newton home under renovation » Boston Globe A 55-year-old construction worker was fatally injured Thursday when a concrete wall fell on him while he was working in the foundation of a house undergoing renovation in Newton Highlands, making him …

Golfers’ return to the links bolsters Acushnet » Boston Globe Investors sure liked the swing of Acushnet Holdings Corp. during its first quarter, and sent the stock up 20.25 percent Thursday to close at $51.60 after the Fairhaven-based golf supplies manufacturer…

State releases $5 million in final round of funding to support minority and women-owned small businesses » Spectrum News In an effort to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic, the state awarded a final round of grants as part of their COVID-19 Business Relief Program.…

Interstate Tax Competition Could Hurt Mass., Group Says » Law 360 States offering tax breaks and subsidies to lure new residents and businesses could hurt Massachusetts' pandemic recovery unless the state's leaders consider making the state more business friendly, a…

Moderna’s CEO says he ‘didn’t lose a minute of sleep’ over potential waiver of vaccine patents » Boston Globe Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel on Thursday shrugged off the Biden administration’s support for suspending patents for coronavirus vaccines, saying drug firms in other countries would strugg…

Baker: Pandemic punctuated importance of STEM fields » WHDH From the development of vaccines to ubiquitous use of digital platforms, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the wide reach of science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields across public l…

ACLU calls for independent investigation into 16-year-old Mikayla Miller’s death » Boston Herald The ACLU of Massachusetts is calling for an “independent investigation” into 16-year-old Mikayla Miller’s death as about 1,000 people held a vigil in the Hopkinton girl’s memory.…

Florida governor signs voting restrictions into law, making the state the latest to add hurdles to voting » Boston Globe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday enthusiastically embraced former president Donald Trump’s demand for tougher election laws, signing into law a slew of new voting restrictions in a staged live …

Massachusetts Pioneers Rules For Police Use Of Facial Recognition Tech » NPR Massachusetts lawmakers passed one of the first state-wide restrictions of facial recognition as part of a sweeping police reform law.…

Vigil Held For Mikayla Miller, As Investigators Probe Circumstances Around Her Death » WBUR Investigators in Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan's office continue to probe the circumstances around Miller's death amid growing frustration over the lack of conclusions from her office about …

Mikayla Miller remembered as a ‘bright and shining star’ at Hopkinton vigil » Boston Globe A crowd of several hundred people gathered on the Town Common late Thursday afternoon to grieve and honor Mikayla Miller, a Black 16-year-old whose death last month has unleashed a wave of anger and s…

Comprehensive Sex Education Curriculum Approved By Worcester School Committee » New Boston Post The Worcester School Committee approved a so-called comprehensive sex education curriculum Thursday night.…

Opinion: State must close the loophole that permits unvaccinated children into schools » Boston Globe The need to ensure our children are protected, not just from COVID-19, but also from all vaccine-preventable diseases is paramount.…

Death, taxes and ivory towers » Boston Business Journal America’s biggest cities are at a crossroads brought on by decades of mismanagement, shifting demographics and the deep budget shocks delivered by the Covid-19 pandemic. For many, the revenue levers…

Les and Terry Campbell’s ‘lasting contributions’ to Quabbin Reservoir will impact generations to come (Editorial) » MassLive Fall foliage gracing a quiet waterfront. Sparkling blue waters roll over a rocky shore. Brilliant white snow overflows into a babbling brook. A stand of birch trees, their newly-forming leaves in spri…

Letter: Capture the power of trees » Lynn Daily News Item On March 26th, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a new era of Climate Policy with a mandate to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. By 2030, just over eight years from now, the goal is for a 50 perce…

‘A good team’: Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Richard Neal say Western, Central Massachusetts, will keep House seats following Census » MassLive U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal needs about 56,000 people. U.S. Rep. James McGovern needs about 21,000. And — hemmed in by state borders and facing a slow growing population in Central and Western Massach…

Moderna, Pfizer stocks keep dropping after Biden backs sharing coronavirus vaccine patent » Boston Herald Vaccine stocks continue to drop after the Biden administration backed waiving intellectual property rules on the shots, but Moderna’s CEO is trying to stop the bleeding, saying the breakthrough form…

Healey Secures $6.65 Million from Drug Company for False Marketing » Cape Cod Online Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office has secured $6.65 million from Indivior plc and Indivior Inc. to settle allegations related to aggressively and falsely marketing the drug Subox…

Local Officials And Congressional Leaders Decry Investors Who Put Affordable Housing At Risk » WBUR Local officials and federal lawmakers this week took aim at what they say is a threat to long-term affordable housing — investors looking to extract profits from low-income properties funded by taxp…

In Feel-Good COVID Presser, Baker’s Tone Sharpens When Talk Turns To Housing » WGBH Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signaled Thursday that as the state emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the aggressive creation of new housing is likely to become his administration’s top priority.…

Gov. Charlie Baker sees housing production as antidote to price spikes » Lowell Sun With zoning reforms that he sought for years to accelerate housing production now law, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that failing to spark more production as the state moves past COVID-19 would be …

DCF sued in connection with Patrick Rose case » Boston Herald A Boston family has sued the Department of Children and Families, alleging that the agency compounded the nightmare of their abuse by now-disgraced cop Patrick Rose.…

Chicopee Rep. Joseph Wagner to lead Holyoke Soldiers’ Home bill talks » News 22 WWLP.com The Legislature appointed six lawmakers Thursday to negotiate the differences between House and Senate versions of legislation financing the construction of a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.…

Chicopee Rep. Joe Wagner will lead conference committee to consider $600 million Holyoke Soldiers’ Home bond bill » MassLive State Rep. Joseph Wagner will lead a six-member committee tasked with resolving a $600 million bond bill to finance a new Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and additional veterans’ services across the sta…

After David Almond’s death, Massachusetts House, Senate disagree on how to advance DCF reforms » MassLive Massachusetts lawmakers reaffirmed this week their commitment to enact child welfare reforms in the wake of 14-year-old David Almond’s death in October.…

Massachusetts program celebrates 1 million meals delivered during COVID-19 pandemic » WCVB A community organization in Massachusetts that has worked to help provide food for those in need is celebrating a major milestone.…

DiDomenico Highlights ‘School Meals for All Bill’ at 53rd Annual Walk for Hunger » Chelse Record In celebration of Project Bread’s 53rd Annual Walk for Hunger event, Senator Sal DiDomenico participated in a live panel discussion on his Universal School Meals legislation.…

Sheriff Hodgson blasts call to defund ICE illegal immigrant program » Boston Herald Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson is blasting a push by Democratic lawmakers to defund collaboration between ICE agents and local police that’s been on the books since 1996.…

Massachusetts nurses rally against ‘violent’ healthcare workplaces » Boston Herald Nurses are lobbying lawmakers on Beacon Hill to pass a series of bills they say would offer them better protection in their “dangerous” workplaces, and improve patient care.…

US job growth slows sharply in sign of hiring struggles » Boston Herald America’s employers added just 266,000 jobs last month, sharply lower than in March and a sign that some businesses are struggling to find enough workers as the economic recovery rapidly strengthens…

As Summer Approaches, Cape Cod Faces Workforce Shortage » Cape Cod Online The Cape Cod COVID-19 Response Task Force said at its weekly meeting that it is still on track to reach its regional vaccination goal ahead of Memorial Day weekend.…

Gobi testifies in support of bills honoring dedicated civil servants » Athol Daily News Sen. Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), former chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, testified Tuesday before the committee on a pair of bills she has sponsored this ses…

Orange opts to make Juneteenth paid holiday this year » The Recorder The Selectboard voted unanimously to make June 19 a paid holiday for Orange’s hourly workers this year, and the town expects to approach the union during contract negotiations to pitch the idea of t…

Residents persuade mayor to back off Northampton kennel site » Gazette Net Rain did not deter about 50 people from gathering at Ray Ellerbrook Field on Wednesday evening to talk about a city dog kennel proposed in the surrounding neighborhood.…

N. Hadley Village Hall sold » Gazette Net Hadley couples who independently own the North Hadley Sugar Shack and Bramucci Construction are joining together to buy the historic North Hadley Village Hall from the town.…

Amherst health board votes to keep downtown mask mandate to protect against COVID » MassLive The town’s Board of Health on Thursday voted unanimously to maintain its COVID-19 face-covering order in the downtown area.…

EDITORIAL: Primary access » Newburyport News One way Democrats and Republicans make sure they remain political gatekeepers, here and everywhere, is by keeping a firm grasp on whose name gets on the ballot, particularly for a statewide election. …

Acting Mayor Kim Janey’s campaign hired signature collectors » Boston Herald Acting Mayor Kim Janey has hired people to collect signatures to get her on the ballot, an unusual move in the Boston mayoral race.…

Is a public official accountable for the behavior of their closest relatives? » Boston Globe Andrea Campbell’s brother shouldn’t keep her from becoming mayor, and her family’s troubles with the law could make her a more empathetic politician.…

Battenfeld: Kim Janey struggles to pull ahead despite incumbency powers » Boston Herald Acting Mayor Kim Janey is finding out that incumbency power comes with risks as well as benefits as she struggles to pull ahead of her mayoral rivals.…

Parents call on governor to lift several coronavirus restrictions on kids » Boston Herald A group of parents is calling on the Baker administration to prioritize lifting “unnecessary” COVID-19 restrictions on children.…

669 new coronavirus cases reported in Massachusetts schools in the past week » Boston Herald A total of 669 staff and students in Massachusetts schools have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week, a decrease of 143 cases from the week prior, according to data from the Department…

Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine rollout: 464,357 doses in past week, a major drop from previous record week » Boston Herald More than 464,000 coronavirus vaccine doses were given across Massachusetts during the past week, a significant drop from the record-high total in the previous week.…

13 Massachusetts cities and towns at high risk for coronavirus as transmission slows » Boston Herald The number of cities and towns at high risk for COVID-19 transmission dropped by half this week, declining for the fourth straight week as transmission slows and vaccines become more widely available.…

Editorial: Reaching most vulnerable next Mass. vax target » Lowell Sun Gov. Charlie Baker has indicated Massachusetts will begin to “gradually close” its seven mass vaccination sites, which he said have been instrumental in making the state a national leader in the n…

Mass. Tops 650,000 Confirmed COVID Cases; 5 New Deaths Reported » NBC Boston Massachusetts public health officials have now confirmed more than 650,000 coronavirus cases as 1,004 more were reported Thursday, along with 5 new deaths.…

High-risk communities, hospitalizations down as Mass. makes progress in pandemic » WHDH Massachusetts is making progress in the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of hospitalizations and high-risk communities going down.…

Coronavirus updates: 'High-risk communities fall to 13, including Lawrence, Haverhill » Newburyport News The number of cities and towns the Department of Public Health considers to be at the highest risk for COVID-19 transmission was cut in half over the last week and now just 13 communities remain "in t…

District Attorney Rollins Convenes Hinton Lab Initiative Summit » Chelse Record Opening a summit to craft a systemic response to the malfeasance of the “management” of the Hinton Lab, District Attorney Rachael Rollins today said that any results from the lab while it employed…

Opinion: Bipartisanship at the cost of true policing reform is no real victory » Boston Globe Legislation could preserve the very thing that has shielded officers from accountability: qualified immunity.…

SJC grills state lawyer over SORB ouster » Salem News If then-Gov. Deval Patrick hadn’t mentioned his brother-in-law’s case when asked about state Sex Offender Registry Board Chairwoman Saundra Edwards’ departure in 2014, her whistleblower lawsuit …

Gov. Baker stands by his re-opening plan despite criticism from both sides » News 22 WWLP.com The governor is standing by his re-opening timeline for the Commonwealth, despite criticism from health experts and the business community.…

Social Media Spotlight

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Podcast Spotlight

WBUR Radio Boston: To Mask, Or Not To Mask? That Seems To Be The Existential Question MassBar Association MassBar Beat: Medicare Explained Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast: Politics Podcast: How Partisanship Explains Our Pandemic Behavior NPR The NPR Politics Podcast: Patents Are Just One Piece Of The Global Vaccine Manufacturing Problem Crooked Media Pod Save America: “Republicans cancel a Cheney.”

SB31 - An Act authorizing certain investments by the Treasurer of the town of East Bridgewater