10:00am Special Legislative Commission to Study and Examine the Civil Service Law, Virtual Hearing

10:00am Joint Committee on Education, Public Hearing

11:00am Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management, Public Hearing

1:00pm Department of Correction and Sheriff's Department Funding, Virtual Hearing

MacCormack Named Baker's Press Secretary » State House News Service The departure of Elizabeth Guyton from the administration has resulted in several Baker aides climbing the ladder in the governor's communications office, with Sarah Finlaw taking over for Guyton and …

NH: Pro-“America First” Republican Karoline Leavitt, 23, explores 2022 U.S. House run » wmur Leavitt’s interest in the race, first reported by the conservative news website NH Journal, adds an element of suspense to, and interest in, a potential race for the GOP nomination to potentially ta…

CT: Zooming Into the Statehouse: Nursing Home Residents Use New Digital Skills to Push for Changes » KHN The combination of a virtual legislature and nursing home residents equipped with internet access has created an opportunity most nursing home residents rarely have — to participate in their governm…

The Madness of Naomi Wolf » TNR The “Beauty Myth” author has gone from being a feminist icon to an anti-vaxxer banned by Twitter. But she’s always struggled with the truth.…

“Populist” Conservatives Rush to the Defense of Megarich Tax Dodgers » TNR For all the talk of the GOP’s new working-class focus, it’s as eager as ever to serve the interests of plutocrats at the expense of everyone else.…

House Agrees to Change in Redistricting Process » State House News Service The House bill would scrap the June deadline and authorize the Legislature to go first by redrawing boundaries for state and federal offices using Census tracts and blocks. Cities and towns would then…

Massachusetts lawmaker condones Hamas, calls for single state to replace Israel » Jewish News Syndicate “It is utterly shocking that a member of the Massachusetts Senate would elevate Hamas as a legitimate actor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said the Boston JCRC.…

Battle Within GOP Escalates With New Lyons Missive » State House News Service "These elected officials made it clear in a letter demanding my resignation that they'd sooner turn their backs on the bedrock American principles of free speech, free expression, and religious libert…

Jeffrey Toobin returns to CNN after Zoom call incident » Boston.com CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin returned to the network Thursday for the first time in more than seven months after he was caught masturbating on a Zoom call with former colleagues at The New Yorker.…

A new election forecast gives Democrats hope for 2022 » CNN The first midterm election of a newly elected president is almost always bad news for their party in Congress. Republicans lost 40 seats in the House in 2018, while Democrats dropped 62 seats in 2010.…

After State House loss, business leaders will need to regroup on higher-earners tax fight » Boston Globe The setback is a stark contrast to the stunning legal victory that five major business groups scored in 2018 when the state Supreme Judicial Court sidelined efforts to impose this new income tax surch…

OR: An Oregon lawmaker is ejected from office for helping a crowd breach the State Capitol. » New York Times Lawmakers in Oregon ejected one of their colleagues from office for the first time in state history late Thursday night, voting 59 to 1 to oust Representative Mike Nearman for his role in helping a fa…

The Geophysicist Who Stormed the Capitol » Politico Jeffrey Sabol lived in a quiet Colorado town and had some doubts about government spending. On January 6, he was photographed with a baton in his hand on the Capitol terrace. How does someone cross th…

ME: Maine ready to divest from fossil fuels, and activists hope for a domino effect » Boston Globe A new bill passed by Maine’s Legislature requiring the state to divest its pension investments and other funds from fossil fuel companies is being hailed by climate activists as a major milestone, f…

Katherine Clark weighs in on Ilhan Omar’s controversial tweet, as Ayanna Pressley comes to her defense » Boston.com “Imagine if Congress was as outraged by what Palestinians endure daily,” Pressley tweeted Thursday, along with the original clip of Omar’s exchange with Blinken.…

Mayoral candidates face an electorate that’s moving to the left » The Bay State Banner Recent polling has painted a picture of a Boston electorate ready to embrace progressive change, showing that 76% of voters support rent control, 60% want an elected school committee and 48% support r…

FL: Sexism + socialism: The Republican line on Democratic women candidates — do-nothings — is emerging » Florida Phoenix “Do-nothing.” “Delusional.” That’s the way Republicans are talking about Nikki Fried and Val Demings, the top Democratic women running for governor and U.S. senator in next year’s election…

‘Traitors Need To Be Executed’: ‘Stop The Steal’ Organizer Indicted In Jan. 6 Conspiracy Case » HUFFPOST “Some people, at the highest levels, need to be made an example of: an execution or two or three,” Hostetter told his audience. “Tyrants and traitors need to be executed as an example so nobody …

Massachusetts Community College Attendance Boosts Employment, Earnings » WBUR "There is a huge employment benefit," said Alicia Modestino, the research director for the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University and the study's lead author. The bigg…

Harvard expert quits FDA panel as furor over Biogen drug grows » Boston Globe The doctor, Aaron Kesselheim, announced his departure in a letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock. He is the third committee member to quit in the wake of the highly controversial approval.…

Jewish House Democrats, including Jake Auchincloss, tangle with Ilhan Omar over Israel » Boston Globe A dozen Jewish Democrats in the House have accused Rep. Ilhan Omar of likening the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban and giving “cover to terrorist groups,” marking the latest bitt…

Jewish Democratic lawmakers condemn Rep. Omar over ‘offensive’ tweet on US, Hamas, and Taliban » Boston Globe Divisions among Democrats over Israel intensified Thursday after a group of 12 Jewish Democratic lawmakers criticized Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota over a tweet she wrote that seemed to equat…

Future-proofing the presidency: Hiding the evidence » Boston Globe Donald Trump got away with thwarting investigations of wrongdoing by his campaign and his White House. Without reforms, future criminals could exploit the powers of the presidency to even more dangero…

Trump Justice Department secretly subpoenaed records of two House Democrats » Boston Globe The Justice Department under former President Donald Trump seized data from the accounts of at least two members of the House Intelligence Committee in 2018 as part of an aggressive crackdown on leaks…

Senators eye $579 billion in new infrastructure spending in $1 trillion plan » Boston Globe A bipartisan group of senators is eyeing an infrastructure deal with $579 billion in new spending as negotiators try to strike a nearly $1 trillion deal on President Joe Biden’s top priority, accord…

Opinion: The Party of Lincoln » New Boston Post For several decades, the progressive wing of the Republican Party has misrepresented the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln. In the 1960s, such politicians were accurately dubbed “Rockefeller Repub…

Want a ride into space with Jeff Bezos? This Boston auctioneer has your ticket » Boston Globe What’s it worth to take a 10-minute ride into space with the richest person on the planet? That answer will emerge from RR Auction, the Boston auction house that’s been charged by Jeff Bezos’s s…

Prices are jumping, defying expectations » Boston Globe Consumer prices rose in May at the fastest rate since 2008, a bigger jump than economists had expected and one that is sure to keep inflation at the center of political and economic debate in Washingt…

Senate Approves Keeping Certain COVID-19 Policies, but Rejects DiZoglio Restaurant Relief » WHAV The state Senate yesterday approved a package of pandemic policy extensions, but did not include certain continuing benefits for restaurants.…

Nonprofit Interise helps businesses pivot and rebound during pandemic » Boston Business Journal In September 2019, DPV Transportation scored a major contract: providing shuttle service for the Encore Boston Harbor casino. The new work allowed the company to nearly double in size, with more than …

Opinion: Juneteenth should be a national holiday » Boston Globe A new national holiday would not only commemorate the day of independence for enslaved Americans but also illuminate the continued struggle for true Black liberation.…

Barnstable High School teacher caught on camera tackling, injuring student placed on leave » Boston Herald A Barnstable High School teacher who was filmed violently tackling a student in a video that was shared widely on social media has been placed on administrative leave, according to the school district…

Duxbury football players used anti-Semitic slurs at practices as far back as 2010: Investigation » Boston Herald Duxbury High School football players used anti-Semitic slurs at practices as far back as 2010, while the coaching staff listened in to such hurtful play calls.…

State asked Holyoke receiver-superintendent Alberto Vázquez Matos to leave » Gazette Net The state education commissioner asked the receiver-superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools to resign earlier this year and paid him $102,500 in severance.…

Dartmouth medical school drops all cheating sanctions against students » Boston Globe The medical school at Dartmouth College has dropped sanctions against all students it had found guilty of cheating on exams, a stunning reversal that came after students vigorously maintained their in…

Jellyfish warning in Boston, Quincy and Nahant: Massachusetts agency sends out alert » Boston Herald Purple warning flags have been posted about the dangerous marine animals at Carson Beach in Boston, Nahant Beach in Nahant and Wollaston Beach in Quincy.…

Maine ready to divest from fossil fuels, and activists hope for a domino effect » Boston Globe A new bill passed by Maine’s Legislature requiring the state to divest its pension investments and other funds from fossil fuel companies is being hailed by climate activists as a major milestone, f…

Caring Health Center gets grant to join oral health substance use disorder project » MassLive Managing dental pain for those with substance use disorder will become easier thanks to a pilot project that Caring Health Center is participating in.…

Dana-Farber names Savin Hill native to senior VP post » Dorchester Reporter Dorchester native Caroline Powers has been named senior vice-president for External Affairs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She will start on June 21.…

Biogen's drug approval in Alzheimer's spurs three FDA advisers to resign » Boston Business Journal Three members of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel on diseases of the central nervous system have resigned over the controversial approval of Aduhelm, Biogen Inc.'s new Alzheimer'…

Maura Healey sues orthodontist with Lowell office for allegedly illegally charging MassHealth patients » Lowell Sun An orthodontist with an office in Lowell is being sued by Attorney General Maura Healey for allegedly illegally charging MassHealth patients for missed or cancelled appointments, officials announced o…

First-time homebuyer assistance in Boston expands up to $40,000, Kim Janey announces » Boston Herald First-time homebuyers in Boston can get a boost in assistance of up to $40,000 in down payment and closing costs, a significant increase compared to previous funding, Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced.…

System offered heat instead of relief to tenants during 90-degree days, set pre-climate change » Cambridge Day For three days of a heat wave in the past week, residents of LBJ Apartments, the public housing facility for elderly and disabled tenants on Erie Street in Cambridgeport, sweltered in their homes with…

Judge throws out plea deal that spared jail time for convicted Fall River mayor’s chief of staff » The Public's Radio A federal judge rejected a plea deal today that prosecutors reached with Gen Andrade, the former campaign manager and chief of staff to ex-Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia.…

California appeals court ruling upending assault weapons ban » Boston Globe California’s governor denounced in starkly personal terms a federal judge’s upending of the state’s restrictions on assault weapons as officials announced the filing Thursday of a formal notice …

Opinion: Garland wants to protect the rule of law from politics. This isn’t how to do it. » Boston Globe There’s an old legal adage that hard cases make bad law. But Attorney General Merrick Garland — in defending a string of Justice Department moves backing troublesome Trump administration legal pos…

Gov. Charlie Baker touts post-pandemic jobs program, $360K grant for Roxbury Community College » MassLive Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday touted a $360,000 grant for Roxbury Community College as part of the state’s Rapid Reemployment Program to help train — and place into high-paying jobs — residents…

Governor Baker announces rapid reemployment program » News 22 WWLP.com The Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of the $4.6 million Rapid Reemployment grant program, with the first round of grant funding totaling $360,000 being awarded today to six employer p…

Federal COVID Workplace Safety Rules Are Here. But Only For Health Care Workers » WBUR Fifteen months into the pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a mandatory workplace safety rule aimed at protecting workers from COVID-19.…

Opinion: There should be more three-day weekends — 52 to be exact » Boston Globe When Bostonians set out to enjoy a holiday weekend, they can look forward to finding respite from their daily work while simultaneously boosting the service and lodging economies, which desperately ne…

As Pandemic Lifts, Baker Announces New Program To Combat COVID-Induced Job Loss » WGBH A new state program will award $4.6 million in grants to get Massachusetts residents who lost jobs during the pandemic back into the workforce, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Thursday.…

Editorial: Council fires warning shot at Janey » Boston Herald That’s a nice job you have, Kim Janey — it’d be a shame if something happened to it. That’s the gist of the City Council’s message to Boston’s acting mayor when it gave itself the authorit…

Normalcy returns in Groton as Select Board meets in person » Lowell Sun For the first time in 15 months, the Select Board held an in person meeting, and at it they received a legislative update from state Sen. Edward Kennedy and state Rep. Sheila Harrington.…

Foxboro gets funds for remediation of former state hospital building and improvements to theater » The Sun Chronicle A host of budget amendments will provide about $500,000 for area capital improvements, the arts, battling homelessness and other human services.…

Select Board holding off on return to in-person meetings » The Inquirer and Mirror The Select Board is hoping to put off a return to in-person meetings through at least the fall, despite a state order that allows them return to the public-safety facility to conduct their weekly busi…

Former Massachusetts GOP leaders call on chairman Jim Lyons to resign » Boston Globe As tensions within the Massachusetts Republican Party rise to a fever pitch, seven former GOP leaders, including a lieutenant governor and congressman, on Thursday wrote that its chairman, Jim Lyons, …

‘Disgusting and unacceptable’: Antigay remarks by Republican state committee member spark rebuke from Gov. Charlie Baker » MassLive Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday forcefully drove home the message that bigotry and antigay rhetoric is not only repugnant — it’s also a losing political strategy in Massachusetts.…

Guest Column David E. Sullivan: Preserving the sanctity of the vote » Gazette Net Like so many others who cherish our democracy, I now fear for it. The insidious creep of misinformation, the dissemination of outright lies, assaults on the rule of law and efforts to erode hard-won v…

‘Inclusive’ Resolution Vote Inconclusive During Massachusetts Republican Party State Committee Meeting » New Boston Post The Massachusetts Republican Party’s state committee has approved a version of a resolution designed to affirm acceptance of homosexuals in the party but is still wrangling over portions of it.…

A fight is breaking out over how to redraw Massachusetts’ political boundaries — and Democrats are on both sides » Boston Globe A seemingly technical change in how the state will redraw its political boundaries has ignited a fiery intraparty battle on Beacon Hill, where the state’s top election official is accusing legislati…

MassGOP committee woman who made anti-gay statements: ‘I do not intend to be bullied into resigning’ » Boston.com A Massachusetts Republican Party committee member says she will not step down from her position, despite calls from some of the party’s top leaders, including Gov. Charlie Baker, after she made anti…

Charlie Baker, prominent MassGOP members call on Jim Lyons resign as chairman hits back at ‘woke mob’ lawmakers » Boston Herald A simmering squabble within the ranks of the MassGOP has reached a boiling point as party Chairman Jim Lyons hit back at lawmakers he accused of bowing to the “woke mob” and as Gov. Charlie Baker …

Massachusetts again reports zero high-risk ‘red zone’ communities, more than 3.9 million people fully vaccinated » Boston Herald Zero Massachusetts communities are at high risk for coronavirus, the second straight week the Bay State has reported no “red zone” cities or towns as COVID-19 cases continue dropping.…

85 confirmed cases, 7 deaths, and 31,202 vaccinations: See today’s new COVID-19 data from Mass. » Boston Globe Massachusetts reported 85 new confirmed coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing the pandemic total to 662,544.…

Biden lays out US vaccination donations, urges world leaders to join » Boston Globe President Joe Biden urged global leaders Thursday to join him in sharing coronavirus vaccines with struggling nations around the world after he promised the U.S. would donate 500 million doses to help…

Drop in childhood vaccinations during pandemic may raise risk of outbreaks of other diseases when schools reopen, CDC says » Boston Globe Routine childhood vaccinations dropped dramatically during the early months of the pandemic, and although those began rebounding last summer, many children and adolescents are still behind on shots, a…

Rural Communities Fall Farther Behind In COVID-19 Vaccination Rates » WBUR Rural communities outside America's cities are falling further behind in the race to vaccinate against COVID-19 as President Joe Biden's Fourth of July goal to reach 70% of American adults looms over …

Full vaccinations surpass 3.9 million in Massachusetts » Lowell Sun The end of the state of emergency is around the corner, but a series of COVID-era policies including remote public meetings and to-go cocktails are a step closer to remaining in effect.…

Sudders expecting 4M full vaccinations next week » News 22 WWLP.com Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders told members of the Health Connector board Thursday that she’s expecting Massachusetts to hit the milestone of 4 million people fully vaccinated a…

Massachusetts nearing Baker’s vaccination goal; no high-risk communities in state report » News 22 WWLP.com State public health officials made an exciting announcement on our vaccination progress, as doses continue across the Commonwealth. Thanks to that progress, local cities and towns are seeing sustained…

Bill Bratton on American policing and the challenge facing the Boston Police Department » Boston Globe The most successful police chief in recent history recounts his career, the most difficult year for police since the 1960s, and the imperative of the Boston Police Department looking outside its ranks…

‘His sacrifice is not a waste;’ Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel ‘Manny’ Familia bid farewell by sea of blue » MassLive When Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel Familia jumped into the pond at Green Hill Park last week trying to save a 14-year-old boy from drowning, he didn’t think about what may be the consequences of…

Juneteenth Is an Official State Holiday in Massachusetts [PHIL-OSOPHY] » WBSM The word "Juneteenth" was born by mixing June and nineteenth. If this is new to you, check out its history as one of the oldest celebrations commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, dati…

Massachusetts set to recognize Juneteenth as official state holiday » MassLive While this won’t be the first year Massachusetts has recognized Juneteenth as an important day in history for Black Americans, it will be the first year June 19 gets celebrated as an official state …

Senate votes to extend some COVID orders » Commonwealth Magazine WHILE THE PANDEMIC-related health emergency may be winding down, it will take time for society to return to a fully normal state. Lawmakers are now grappling with which aspects of pandemic life need t…

Mass. pandemic policy extensions up against time crunch » Berkshire Eagle Legislation to keep remote public meetings, eviction protections, health care flexibilities and an assortment of other pandemic policy adjustments on the books past next week cleared the Senate on Thu…

Howie Carr: Massachusetts lawmakers play soak-the-taxpayers game » Boston Herald The hackerama trotted out the usual cornucopia of cliches Wednesday as they rubber-stamped the proposed state income tax hike onto the 2022 ballot.…

The millionaire tax is now on the 2022 ballot in Massachusetts. Charlie Baker still opposes it. » Boston.com A day after Massachusetts lawmakers voted to put the so-called “millionaire tax” on the state’s 2022 ballot, Gov. Charlie Baker suggested Thursday that he remains opposed to the proposed constit…

Pittsfield rally kicks off local campaign for 'millionaire tax' ballot question » Berkshire Eagle More than 40 people gathered in Park Square on Thursday in support of the Fair Share Amendment, which would support investments in education and transportation by asking residents making more than $1 …

Town Of Easton Receives Award From Municipal Small Bridge Program » Easton Patch The Town of Easton was awarded $450,000 from the Municipal Small Bridge Program for the South Street culvert at a ceremony held at the Massachusetts State House on March 29, 2017.…

Hope on the Horizon for Reduced Rideshare Wait Times » NBC Boston Uber said the average wait time in Massachusetts is 40% longer than Philadelphia and 147% longer than New York City.…

Social Media Spotlight

patrickoconnor4 adamgomezma wbur

---

GBH News Rep. Katherine Clark On Democrats’ Plans To Push Forward Infrastructure Agenda & More CBS Boston Vaccinetime Twitter Account, Which Helped Many Find Appointments In Mass., Shuts Down For Good

---

KateLipperGarabedian @KateforRep Jeffrey N. Roy @jeffroy

---

Podcast Spotlight

WBUR Radio Boston: What Should Boston's Roads Look Like, Post Pandemic? Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast: Politics Podcast: Why Public Opinion Changed So Dramatically On Same-Sex Marriage NPR The NPR Politics Podcast: What's Behind The GOP's 'Critical Race Theory' Rhetoric? Crooked Media Pod Save America: “Does size matter?” (with Pete Buttigieg!)

HB98 - An Act authorizing Trevor J. Seaboyer to take the civil service examination for the position of firefighter in the City of Haverhill notwithstanding the maximum age requirement

HB100 - An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Stephen Melchin, an employee of the Trial Court of the Commonwealth