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Beltway Politics
Stop letting senators play the stock market »
Boston Globe
When Richard Burr, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, and is therefore privy to nearly daily briefings about the possible impact of the deadly coronavirus, dum…
Joe Biden has a lot to say, only no one knows what he means »
Boston Herald
Hang in there, Sleepy Joe Biden – don’t let them muscle you out of the race for some Kennedy in-law like Andrew “Baby Doc” Cuomo.…
Business
Essential Or Non-Essential? For Some Mass. Businesses, The Definition Is Fluid »
New England Public Radio
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has ordered non-essential businesses in the state to shut their doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. But what is considered “essential” by the state coul…
Small businesses, big crisis »
Boston Business Journal
Overnight, Harpoon Brewery went from bustling to prohibition quiet. The coronavirus epidemic had already sidelined many businesses, with airlines canceling routes and hotel rooms going unoccupied. But…
Staying afloat: $2.2 trillion bill offers economic lifeline »
Boston Herald
In the coronavirus crisis, even doctors can face a cash crunch. Dr. Benjamin Ticho, an ophthalmologist in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, has seen his revenue plunge 80% as patients stay home and he cancels …
Boston construction ban sore spot between Marty Walsh, Charlie Baker »
Boston Herald
Some miffed Boston construction workers say Mayor Marty Walsh’s longstanding union ties are partially to blame for an ongoing construction ban halting at least 97 Hub projects and sparking an unexpe…
Plastics industry goes after bag bans during pandemic »
Politico
Plastic bag proponents see an opportunity in the pandemic that's turning nearly every American into a hand sanitizer-guzzling germaphobe.…
What to know about food availability in Mass. during the coronavirus outbreak »
Boston.com
With coronavirus significantly impacting the daily lives of residents across Massachusetts, many are having to pay more attention to how and where they get their food — and just how readily that foo…
Social Media Could Track Spread of Diseases Like COVID-19 »
Governing
Nine days before the WHO announced it, a tech startup found a news article about the not-yet-named COVID-19. If pertinent social media data was public, they might have spotted the disease even earlier…
Cannabis
In a pandemic, Nobody thinks we should smoke more weed »
Boston Globe
In New Hampshire, a guy who legally changed his name to Nobody is running for governor and thinks the idea of prohibiting recreational marijuana sales in neighboring Massachusetts is crazy and potenti…
Education
State sets ‘meaningful and productive’ K-12 learning goal »
Commonwealth Magazine
SHUTTERED K-12 SCHOOLS across Massachusetts are being urged by state officials to create a curriculum that would engage students stuck at home because of the coronavirus in “meaningful and productiv…
Baker Too Quick to Cancel School [OPINION] »
WBSM
When there is a crisis, elected officials seem to need to say or do something regularly to show that they are in charge and on top of things. Governor Andrew Cuomo's daily press briefings are a perfec…
School closures extended to May 4, Lynn plans for further »
Lynn Daily News Item
A day after School Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said he did not anticipate students would return to classes on April 7, as scheduled, Gov. Charlie Baker announced he was extending the statewide…
Harvard’s acceptance rate rises slightly to 4.92 percent »
Boston Globe
Harvard has accepted only 4.92 percent of applicants to the Class of 2024, admitting 1,981 out of the 40,248 who applied, the college said.…
Worcester School Committee OK's Student Opportunity Act spending plan »
Worcester Telegram
The School Committee on Thursday approved the district’s first plan for spending new money coming from the Student Opportunity Act, the school funding reform bill the state passed last year that is …
UMass to lose $70M in revenue to student refunds »
Boston Business Journal
University of Massachusetts officials said the system, which sent students home earlier this month, is expected to lose about $70 million in this fiscal year's revenues to student refunds.…
Environment
With Fewer Cars On The Road In Mass., Emissions Are (Slightly) Down »
WBUR
People still driving to work face a surreal scene on their commutes: no traffic.…
Federal
Nearly $2T stimulus package omits direct renewable sector aid after Trump, McConnell opposition »
Utility Dive
Relief for the renewable energy sector was not included in the $2 trillion support package the Senate unanimously passed on Wednesday.…
Gaming
With no games to wager on, bettors find a sparse, unappetizing menu of action »
Boston Globe
For the sports bettor hungering for action during this sports shutdown, the global menu these days offers the three-meals-a-day equivalent of haggis, vegemite and roasted grasshoppers.…
Health Care
Letter to Massachusetts: Doctors appeal for help fighting coronavirus »
Boston Herald
We want to continue serving you during this pandemic but we need your help. There is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) which is typically used to protect us from being infected with li…
Expectant mothers face searing anxieties over how coronavirus will affect pregnancy and childbirth »
Boston Globe
Every 20 minutes or so, Kate Casaletto tries to think of a funny joke. If the 27-year-old mother-to-be can’t come up with one, she calls her sister or her mother to chat — one of them is bound to …
Gov. Baker: Do Not Underestimate The Power And Importance Of Telehealth' »
CBS Boston
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker implored people to take advantage of telehealth during the coronavirus crisis.…
Medical Students to Graduate Early to Help Combat Pandemic »
NECN
Four Massachusetts medical schools are preparing to graduate their fourth-year students early to boost the number of doctors available to combat the coronavirus pandemic.…
Use of experimental COVID-19 drug grows in Boston: ‘There’s nothing else’ »
Boston Business Journal
With their emergency rooms filling up, doctors at some of the state’s biggest hospitals are testing an experimental drug that, in some cases, is the only option available to patients.…
Coronavirus: In Massachusetts, medical students graduate early to join the chaotic response to COVID-19 »
The Republican
Medical schools in Massachusetts got the green light to let their fourth-year students graduate early, allowing them to start their residencies ahead of schedule and join the battle against the corona…
Furloughs, Retirement Cuts And Less Pay Hit Mass. Doctors And Nurses As COVID-19 Spreads »
WBUR
As infections grow on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, so does stress for health care workers.…
Housing
Gov. Baker takes steps to protect low-income renters, homeowners during coronavirus outbreak »
WCVB
Gov. Charlie Baker has announced steps that the state is taking to help low-income renters and homeowners and prevent homelessness for vulnerable families during the coronavirus state of emergency in …
Real estate attorneys push Legislature to allow remote notarizations during pandemic »
Boston Globe
Home buyers and sellers face a new reality as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts what should be a busy time of the year. Open houses have been canceled or are being live-streamed. Video tours are quick…
Human Services
Essential Workers Can Get Free Daycare In Worcester »
Brookline Patch
The Seven Hills Foundation is offering the service after an emergency coronavirus declaration by Gov. Charlie Baker.…
DCF Closes 2 Offices, Says 1 Worker Has Coronavirus, Another Awaiting Results »
WGBH
The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families shut down two offices this week after learning that a social worker tested positive for COVID-19 and another was being tested for the virus, state…
Judiciary
Keeping notaries at a distance halts legal work »
Gloucester Times
From wills and trusts to home sales and loan refinancing, few legal transactions don’t require a notary public to witness the document signing.…
Labor
A staggering 3.3 million people filed for unemployment as economic toll mounts »
Boston Globe
Americans filed for unemployment pay in historic numbers last week, as coronavirus shutdown orders from Boston to Chicago to San Francisco triggered a tsunami of layoffs that is expected to swell the …
Coronavirus unemployment a ‘big challenge,’ Baker says, as state and national numbers spike »
Boston Herald
A historic number of people are filing for unemployment in the state and across the country as the coronavirus outbreak continues to put people out of work.…
Rush of claims raises concern about unemployment fund »
Newburyport News
The state is bracing for a tsunami of unemployment claims from laid-off workers, which is raising questions about the solvency of the state's unemployment trust fund.…
Stop & Shop hiring, Nordstrom to start furloughs »
Boston Globe
Stop & Shop will hire at least 5,000 new associates for regular part-time positions in its stores, distribution centers and delivery operations across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts …
Widespread computer glitches foil residents filing for unemployment benefits »
Boston Globe
For more than a week, Anthony Tiro, a laid-off union pipe fitter, has repeatedly opened his laptop and typed out a desperate plea for a call-back from the state agency that controls unemployment benef…
Massachusetts Unemployment Claims Skyrocket, Shattering All Previous Records »
WBUR
148,000 Massachusetts residents applied for unemployment last week, a nearly 19-fold increase over the previous week's 7,449 unemployment claims.…
Legislative
State Senate finds Fitchburg senator used taxpayer resources for political gain, violating rules and perhaps breaking the law »
Boston Globe
State Senator Dean A. Tran assigned his taxpayer-funded staff campaign tasks, asked them to help with fund-raising work, and had his public and political work so intertwined, one staffer said, he was …
Senate strips Tran of his leadership position »
Commonwealth Magazine
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE on Thursday stripped Fitchburg Republican Sen. Dean Tran of his leadership position and ordered him physically separated from his staff after the Senate Ethics Committee found…
Local Government
Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz tests positive for COVID-19 »
Gazette Net
Mayor David Narkewicz has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation and working from home, “where he hopes to make a full recovery from the virus,” his office announced Thursday.…
Islands to governor: Construction, landscaping should abide by stay-at-home »
The Inquirer and Mirror
The Select Board on Wednesday night signed on to a petition requesting that Gov. Charlie Baker exempt Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard from his statewide order designating construction and landscaping …
Charlie Baker says construction can continue amid the COVID-19 emergency. But mayors say otherwise. »
Boston.com
Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration is making clear to cities and towns across the commonwealth that construction can continue on amid the coronavirus emergency, even as other industries are forced …
Greenfield’s emergency ops center keeps preparing »
The Recorder
A few weeks ago, depending on what time of day it was, you could walk into the John Zon Community Center on Pleasant Street and find a City Council meeting being held in the large community room, a ch…
Amid coronavirus concerns, Brookline, Cambridge adjust pedestrian buttons to reduce touching »
Boston Globe
Brookline and Cambridge are posting signs around each of their communities advising people not to push pedestrian buttons at crosswalks in an effort to limit the number of surfaces residents must touc…
Natick town election postponed; finances in flux due to the coronavirus outbreak »
The Metro West Daily News
Selectmen haven’t set a date for the election. Meanwhile, town officials face falling revenues because of COVID-19.…
Baker appears to defer to Islands construction ban »
Cape Cod Times
Gov. Charlie Baker seemed to signal Thursday that he was OK with towns ignoring his administration’s call to withdraw construction moratoriums.…
Politics
William Weld and Tom Brady didn’t know when to quit »
Lowell Sun
Tom Brady is a lot like Bill Weld. He doesn’t know when to quit either. Whether in sports or politics, it is wise to leave when you are on top, or when your time is up, or both. The time to leave is…
Public Health
Hampshire HOPE: In a pandemic, many areas of concern for people facing substance use disorders »
Gazette Net
“I know this is an incredibly stressful and dizzying and overwhelming time - we're in a healthcare crisis the likes of which we haven't seen in our lifetimes. While this pandemic is upon us, it lies…
Swampscott orders residents to remain home amid pandemic »
Boston Globe
Governor Charlie Baker’s hometown of Swampscott has ordered residents to stay home except for “essential” activities and services and has banned non-essential gatherings outside the home, regard…
Coronavirus creeping into Massachusetts senior sites »
Boston Globe
The coronavirus is creeping into senior housing in Massachusetts, despite urgent efforts to isolate residents and bar visitors. More than 20 cases have been confirmed in at least six senior living sit…
Spring 2020, a season of hope — and dread »
Boston Globe
Two weeks ago, I had my last few social interactions: A friend came over for tea in the morning, a friend came for dinner. My husband was still going to his office. Our kids, who both live in New York…
Charlie Baker: Homeless to receive care at former Newton Pavilion amid coronavirus outbreak »
Boston Herald
The state is resurrecting the former Newton Pavilion health care center to help Boston’s homeless population hit by the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Thursday, and is seeking mo…
Charlie Baker: Process to get PPE ‘enormously frustrating’ »
Boston Herald
A fired-up Gov. Charlie Baker sounded off Thursday on the struggle to get personal protective equipment to the people battling the coronavirus on the front lines.…
Baker’s bill is a nimble reaction to evolving crisis »
Lowell Sun
Given the uncertain coronavirus time horizon, all levels of government must be the willing and able to juggle a balance between public health and the health of our economy.…
Surging Coronavirus Cases in New York Prompt Serious Measures in New England »
NECN
On Thursday, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo mandated anyone who recently traveled to New York City quarantine for 14 days. The governor also announced National Guard members will patrol bus and t…
Coronavirus cases way underreported in Massachusetts, across nation: Experts »
Boston Herald
The 2,417 figure of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts does not come close to reflecting the true number of infections in the Bay State, according to infectious disease experts who estima…
25 coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts, state tops 2,000 cases »
Boston Herald
Ten more people in Massachusetts have died from coronavirus, state health officials announced Thursday as they also reported 579 new cases, while the U.S. surpassed China for the highest number of cor…
“Messy Thicket” Impeding State Efforts to Fight COVID-19 »
State House News Service
As COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts rose to 25, a visibly frustrated Gov. Charlie Baker lobbed criticism Thursday at the federal government for the challenges states face in acquiring protective equip…
Gov. Charlie Baker Wants You To Stay At Home. He Just Won't Order You To »
WBUR
Millions of Americans in more than a dozen states are being urged — ordered, in many cases — to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As of Tuesday afternoon, Massachusetts became one o…
Fiery Mass. Gov. Baker expresses anger, frustration over obtaining gear »
WCVB
"Our first responders, our health care workers, everybody deserves to have that gear, and we're killing our selves trying to make that happen," Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker says.…
Boston Homeless Shelters Hope Re-Opening Of Newton Pavilion Will Improve Care For Coronavirus »
WBUR
Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that the state will provide additional services to the Boston homeless population by re-opening the former Newton Pavilion health care center at Boston Medical Center.…
Vaccine Development Is Risky Business. Biotechs Are Tackling The Coronavirus, Anyway »
WBUR
For biotechnology companies, responding to a sudden public health crisis, like the coronavirus, can be risky business.…
Baker Promises More Coronavirus Testing Is On The Way. He Can't Guarantee The Same About Equipment »
WBUR
So far more than 23,000 people in Massachusetts have been tested for coronavirus. That's up nearly tenfold from from about 2,600 state residents tested a week ago.…
Public Safety
Boston Police announce coronavirus guidelines for officers »
Boston Herald
The Boston Police Department has changed practices in response to the coronavirus outbreak, staggering shifts and telling officers to work remotely and social distance from members of the public when …
State Government
Mass. seeks disaster assistance as toll of pandemic mounts »
Boston Globe
State health officials on Thursday said the death toll from COVID-19 has reached 25 and the number of cases climbed by nearly 600, amid troubling signs that the coronavirus is creeping into senior hou…
Virus notes: Frustrated Baker almost says God-damned »
Commonwealth Magazine
IN A SIGN of his growing frustration with the challenges associated with acquiring personal protective equipment for frontline medical workers, Gov. Charlie Baker almost said “God damned” at a tel…
Baker asks all travelers arriving in Mass. to self-quarantine »
Boston Globe
Would-be visitors to Massachusetts should stay home, and anyone who must come to the state from elsewhere should self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, Gov. Charlie Baker said Friday — the latest…
Baker to Out-of-Staters: “Do Not Travel to Our Communities” »
State House News Service
With one of the nation's hottest coronavirus zones just 200 miles south on Interstate 95 in New York City, Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday urged people who are thinking about traveling to Massachusetts t…
Taxation
Gov. Baker Signs Reading Senior Tax Exemption Bill »
Brookline Patch
Gov. Charlie Baker has signed legislation to extend Reading's senior property tax exemption program another three years. The bill, filed on behalf of the town by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones…
Tax Deadline, So Far, Surives Wave of Postponements »
State House News Service
The federal government last week gave taxpayers three additional months to file annual tax returns, but at the state level, taxpayers are still operating with an April 15 deadline amid mixed signals f…
Mass. extends tax deadline to match federal date »
Boston Business Journal
The Massachusetts income tax filing deadline is expected to be extended by three months to July 15, aligning with the new deadline to file and pay federal income taxes under an agreement announced by …
Mass. income tax filing deadline extended to July 15 »
Boston Globe
Massachusetts will extend the state income tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to July 15, matching the new federal filing deadline, as the economy reels in response to the ongoing coronavir…
Transportation
Virus notes: MBTA fare revenue off $35m in March »
Commonwealth Magazine
MBTA OFFICIALS SAID on Wednesday that they expect fare revenue to fall as much as $35 million short of budget targets in March, but the transit authority is also being squeezed financially on a number…
Utilities
Utilities beginning to see the load impacts of COVID-19 as economic shutdown widens »
Utility Dive
It has been less than a week since states and major cities began instituting quarantines along with stay-home and shelter-in-place directives to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The full impacts on elec…
How COVID-19 is impacting 5 state energy legislation efforts »
Utility Dive
24 states have delayed legislative sessions and most others are shifting priorities toward the pandemic. That means state energy progress will likely take a hit this session, stakeholders say.…
Distributed storage could see growth in demand amid COVID-19 pandemic, analysts say »
Utility Dive
The COVID-19 pandemic may cause short-term delays and hiccups for distributed energy projects — but some industry players are optimistic that unlike other sectors, demand for distributed storage and…
Coronavirus could disrupt normal refueling practices for nuclear facilities as staffing concerns grow »
Utility Dive
The nuclear sector has sprung into action to screen employees for signs of the novel coronavirus and prepare for potential disruptions to their typical refueling practices in light of pandemic-related…
Massachusetts is 3 months from implementing nation's 1st clean peak standard »
Utility Dive
Massachusetts has finalized regulations to implement the nation's first Clean Peak Energy Standard (CPES), a mechanism designed to provide incentives to clean energy technologies that can supply elect…
Connecticut Telecoms Make Changes During Coronavirus »
GovTech
Several telecommunications and Internet companies in Connecticut are expanding services amid the coronavirus outbreak to allow more access and at some cheaper costs at a time when telecommuting is up …
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MassGovernor
COVID-19 Update: Federal Disaster Request, Other COVID-19 Response Efforts
WGBH News
Rep. Moulton Withdraws Name From Resolution Blaming China For COVID-19, Calls For More Testing
Charlie Baker
@MassGovernor
Diana DiZoglio
@DianaDiZoglio
Mindy Domb
@MindyForMA