9:00am American Heart Association Heart on the Hill, Great Hall, State House, Boston

10:00am Safe Routes to School Awards, Grand Staircase, State House, Boston

11:00am Senate Session, Informal Session

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

11:30am ROE Act Lobby Day, Room 222, State House, Boston

1:00pm Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, Public Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Financial Services, Public Hearing

5:00pm Re-Election Campaign Kickoff for Worcester City Councilor Matt Wally

5:30pm Sen. Eric Lesser's Annual Spring Reception

5:30pm Dash the Debt Fundraiser for Rep. Christina Minicucci

5:30pm Congressman Jim McGovern's Latino Fiesta

5:30pm Campaign Kickoff for Brockton City Council Candidate Rita Mendes

6:00pm Sen. Patrick O'Connor's Spring Reception

6:30pm ELM Earth Night 2019 with Commonwealth Environmental Leadership Award Winners Congresswoman Katherine Clark & Massport CEO Thomas Glynn, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston

8:00pm Executive Office for Administration & Finance/Department of Conservation & Recreation Public Hearing, Community Rowing, Harry Parker Boathouse, 20 Nonantum Road, Brighton

Birthdays: State Senator Michael Rodrigues

Trooper in OT scandal says many of his colleagues also committed fraud, bosses knew about it » Boston Globe A former State Police trooper facing sentencing for his role in the overtime fraud scandal told a federal judge this week that almost every member of his troop used the same scheme with the knowledge …

A state senator apologized after his drunk driving arrest. Next week, he’s fighting the charges in trial. » Boston Globe After his March 2018 arrest on drunken driving charges, state Senator Michael D. Brady was repentant, apologizing publicly to his family, his constituents — even to police — before announcing he h…

In battle against vaping, AG sues national retailer, alleging it targets underage consumers » Boston Globe In her latest battle against the e-cigarette and vaping industry, Attorney General Maura Healey is suing a national retailer for allegedly violating Massachusetts law that regulates the sale and adver…

Betting notes: DeLeo wants floor vote on sports bill » Commonwealth Magazine THERE ARE SCORES of variables for lawmakers to consider as they put together a regulatory scheme to legalize sports betting, but Speaker Robert DeLeo has already made up his mind on one important aspe…

The Movement To Skip The Electoral College Is Picking Up Steam » FiveThirtyEight The effort to bypass the Electoral College and choose the president via the national popular vote has historically seemed like a long shot. But after an impressive string of legislative victories this…

How Massachusetts Prisoners (Recently) Lost the Right To Vote » WGBH Only two states allow felons to vote while in prison. It wasn’t long ago that Massachusetts did too.…

New England lawmakers reiterate calls for impeachment inquiry after Mueller’s remarks » Boston Globe Soon after Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered his first public comments on the Russia investigation Wednesday, some New England lawmakers were calling again for the House Judiciary Committee to …

Mueller’s report is done and so is Mueller » Boston Globe For the last two years, Robert Mueller has maintained his sphinx-like silence as he investigated Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump. …

The endgame pieces to take down Trump are in the Mueller report » Boston Globe “We’re in the endgame now.” When he finally spoke, that was the message from Dr. Strange, a.k.a. Robert Mueller.…

Seth Moulton may be one of a few candidates who don’t make the first debates. Will it matter? » Boston Globe There are two Democratic presidential candidates from Massachusetts — but it’s looking increasingly likely that only one will make the party’s first round of debates next month.…

Mitch McConnell’s Grand Plan Was Obvious All Along » The Atlantic The Senate majority leader’s assertion that his election-year blockade of Merrick Garland doesn’t apply to 2020 shouldn’t come as a surprise. …

Massachusetts congressional delegation divided on pushing for Trump impeachment » Boston Herald Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s refusal to exonerate President Trump of obstruction of justice in his bombshell remarks Wednesday have some Massachusetts members of Congress calling for impeachment…

Restoring our faith in business and government » Boston Globe I’ve been very lucky in my career. But my luckiest break wasn’t getting fired in 1981 — although that was pretty lucky.…

Newest Boston hotel’s name sounds familiar » Boston Globe Boston’s newest hotel has a familiar name: the Four Seasons. After more than four years of construction, the high-end chain opened its second location in the city this week.…

For these biotech workers, love (of music) is the drug » Boston Globe Plenty of rock musicians have been into drugs. But members of four cover bands performing Thursday at Boston’s Royale club actually put it on their resumes.…

How the Merrimack Valley won, despite losing Amazon’s HQ2 contest » Boston Globe When three Merrimack Valley municipalities teamed up in 2017 to try to lure Amazon’s second headquarters to an old telecom plant in North Andover, the odds of success looked long.…

Somerville cybersecurity firm Recorded Future to be acquired for $780M » Boston Business Journal Private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Recorded Future Inc., a Somerville cybersecurity company backed by the investment arms of Googl…

With time short, New Bedford charter bill inches along » Commonwealth Magazine A CONTROVERSIAL and time-sensitive New Bedford charter school bill inched along on Beacon Hill Wednesday as the House sent the legislation to the Education Committee for review.…

UMass should be audited for money mess, Pioneer Institute says » Boston Herald The Pioneer Institute is calling for the “impartial and independent” state comptroller’s office to audit the University of Massachusetts system in the wake of the think tank’s blistering repor…

10 Hampshire College trustees resigned in April » Gazette Net The first week of April was a time of significant upheaval for Hampshire College's board of trustees. In the span of one week, the college president and three trustees - including the board's chairwom…

Adjunct faculty describe struggles, seek benefits » Gazette Net Deanna Putnam has to share four cubicles with 500 other adjunct professors to manage meetings with 14,000 students. Wendy Daley will split her time teaching across two campuses next semester to make e…

State Budget Includes $9.4 Million For Woburn Schools » Brookline Patch On May 24, Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington) joined her Senate colleagues in voting on a $42.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 (FY20), making substantial investments in key areas related t…

[Update] Deadline closing in on New Bedford charter bill » South Coast Today A controversial and time-sensitive New Bedford charter school bill inched along on Wednesday as the House sent the legislation to the Education Committee for review.…

No law can be effective if it is not enforced » Cape Cod Times Like state Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster, I recently found myself behind an 18-wheeler that was spewing trash - but unlike him, I felt helpless to do anything about it because I’m not a police off…

Protecting the planet » The Barnstable Patriot Even as many politicians at the federal level continue to stick their collective heads in the sand when it comes to the issue of climate change, many states, including some in New England, have adopte…

Tensions rise at Barnstable commissioners meeting about shark attacks » Boston Herald Tensions flared at a Barnstable County Commissioners meeting Wednesday as residents begged for an end to deadly shark attacks and researchers pushed back against a proposal to use an acoustic sound ba…

Pittsfield Leaders Want State To Cap Nip Bottle Pollution » WAMC The Pittsfield City Council is calling on the Massachusetts State Legislature to take action on a very specific kind of pollution. …

Wendell State Forest protesters accuse DCR of “intentional stonewalling” » The Recorder The group protesting a state logging project in Wendell State Forest has accused the state Department of Conservation and Recreation of withholding information about the project.…

How To Think About Mueller’s Statement » FiveThirtyEight After two years of drama, special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election ended on Wednesday morning with a quiet, even anticlimactic coda. In his first…

Delaware North, chaired by Bruins owner, wants in on professional sports betting » Boston Globe Delaware North, the multibillion-dollar hospitality company whose chairman, Jeremy Jacobs, owns the Boston Bruins and TD Garden, wants to offer sports betting in Massachusetts, should state lawmakers …

Delaware North seeks sports betting partnership » Worcester Telegram The company that owns the TD Garden had an apparent change of heart Wednesday about how it wants to be involved in sports betting if it is made legal in Massachusetts.…

Lawmakers warned of online gaming's health, social costs » State House News Service .Not enough attention is being paid to the social and public health consequences of legalizing sports betting, particularly the ability to place wagers online or through mobile applications, expanded …

On gambling, weigh the pro game only » Sentinel & Enterprise Legalized sports wagering in the not-too-distant future looks like a sure bet in Massachusetts. Whether it will include betting beyond professional sports is a matter currently being debated on Beacon…

Mass. Policymakers To Draw Boundary On College Sports Betting » WBUR Whether bettors should be allowed to place wagers on collegiate sporting events and whether legalization would be successful without collegiate betting emerged as a key consideration in the first of t…

Kennedy health center names new CEO » Worcester Business Journal Worcester's Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center has chosen former Democratic National Convention CEO Steve Kerrigan as its new president and CEO.…

Workforce Woes Creating Crisis In State's Human Services, Advocates Tell Legislators » WBUR With stagnant wages, frequent turnover and the growing pressure of student loan debt, human services providers face a staffing crunch that leaves them without sufficient resources to meet the needs of…

Progressives Find Political Success, and Pushback, as Prosecutors » Governing Next month, voters in Queens, N.Y., will select their first new district attorney in nearly 30 years. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has become a star on the Democratic left, has endorsed…

Mass. courts plan to soften courthouse cellphone ban » State House News Service The state Trial Court on Wednesday detailed steps it would take to begin rolling back bans on cellphones, if appropriate, in dozens of Massachusetts courthouses, citing a report that detailed how full…

Comerford, Whipps to talk food access, local issues at Quabbin Harvest » The Recorder Food access and farming, energy and education are just some of the key issues to the North Quabbin region that local legislators will discuss on Friday.…

Kennedy shows leadership for the arts » Lowell Sun On May 13 I had the opportunity to hear about the progress that COOL, the Lowell Cultural Council, and other arts organizations are making to ensure the culture remains central to the city's civic and…

Sen. Kennedy gives first speech on senate floor » State Sen. Ed Kennedy, D-Lowell, delivered his inaugural address on the senate floor, speaking in favor of a budget amendment he filed to secure $100,000 for a new STEM building on Middlesex Community…

Abandoned Building Committee continues review of unoccupied homes in Athol » Athol Daily News After more than a year on hiatus, the Vacant and Abandoned Building Committee reconvened last week to continue its review of unoccupied buildings in town.…

Lowell settlement scraps city’s current electoral system » Commonwealth Magazine New approach expected to boost minority representation …

Mayors Appear Increasingly Concerned About Infrastructure » Governing More than half of mayors discussed it during their annual State of the City addresses this year -- double the number four years ago. …

State Sen. Eric Lesser to host annual ‘Thrive After 55’ event » The Reminder State Sen. Eric Lesser will be bringing the third annual edition of “Thrive After 55” to the Springfield College Field House on June 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.…

A Lawsuit Challenged Lowell's Voting System. 2 Years Later, The City Agreed To Change It » WBUR Lowell will likely have a new electoral system by the end of the year.…

Topsfield's Angus McQuilken considers run in 6th District » Wicked Local “What has me considering a candidacy is, frankly, frustration,” he said during an interview with the Transcript at the Daybreak Café in Topsfield. “I am frustrated with the lack of progress on …

Remembering a fiscal and regulatory conservative » The Barnstable Patriot Citizens for Limited Taxation lost its best known voice with the passing of Barbara Anderson in 2016. Now, it has lost its hardest worker as well.…

Springfield prosecutor Karen A. McCarthy nominated to state Parole Board by Gov. Charlie Baker » The Republican Continuing a membership shuffle at the Massachusetts Parole Board, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday nominated a career prosecutor from Western Massachusetts to serve out the remainder of a former membe…

DA cites North Attleboro child porn case in push for bail reform » The Sun Chronicle Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn is citing a local child pornography case against a Level 3 sex offender and convicted rapist as a case that “highlights the need for common sense bail r…

Man whose case spurred effort to expand pre-trial detention in custody » The Salem News A man charged with meeting a teenage girl on Snapchat and convincing her to go with him to an Amesbury hotel last year was taken into custody in a Salem courtroom Wednesday after a judge revoked his b…

Bill could prevent a suspect's release before dangerousness hearing » Worcester Telegram State Rep. Paul K. Frost says if Gov. Charlie Baker’s public safety legislation is approved, it will prevent someone who intentionally shoots another person - like the 17-year-old who allegedly shot…

Sen. Rodrigues to help lead budget conference » South Coast Today Six lawmakers were named Thursday to negotiate differences between the House and Senate versions of a $42.8 billion fiscal 2020 state budget.…

State watchdog gets third pay raise in three years » Boston Globe For the third time in as many years, a state board has awarded Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha a pay hike, pushing his salary to more than $185,000, the maximum allowed under state law.…

Senate kills proposal calling for more transparency on state-issued credit cards » Boston Herald A proposal to give the auditor access to state-issued credit card records and keep employees accountable was shot down in the Senate budget debate process last week at the hand of the Ways and Means c…

Biz groups split on millionaire's tax » Sentinel & Enterprise Buckle up, because the road to establishing a Massachusetts "millionaire's tax" on the state's wealthiest earners has been a long and winding one, with several years of debate to come.…

Rep. Ferguson supports bill providing $2.3 million in road and bridge funding for the First Worcester District » The Landmark State Representative Kimberly Ferguson (R-Holden) is supporting legislation that will provide over $2.3 million in funding assistance to the First Worcester District for local road and bridge repairs …

State representatives approve funds for local road and bridge projects » News 22 WWLP.com Lawmakers wrapped up their debate on Wednesday around transportation funding that could improve roads and bridges across the state.…

Springfield launches $4.1M roundabout for ‘notorious’ Six Corners intersection (photos, video) » The Republican City and state officials gathered Thursday to formally launch a $4.1 million “roundabout” road construction project at the “notorious” Six Corners intersection, culminating years of neighborho…

Pilgrim Is Closing. So Then What Happens To The Radioactive Waste? » New England Public Radio This week, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station will power down for the last time. …

Social Media Spotlight

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Podcast Spotlight

WAMC Midday Magazine: Massachusetts Hearing Focuses On Sports Betting Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith The Horse Race: Everybody Runs WPKZ 105.3FM/AM1280 The K-Zone: Cannabis Control Commissioner Jen Flanagan WBUR WBUR News: Black Leaders, Rollins Discuss The Reformer DA's Leniency Plan For Non-Violent Offenses WBUR WBUR News: Rep. Jim McGovern On Mueller Statement WGBH Boston Public Radio: DNC Chair Tom Perez on Boston Public Radio: May 29, 2019 WBUR Radio Boston: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley Calls For Impeachment

Massachusetts Weekly Unemployment Claimant Data 06-10-21 » MA Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Senate Passes Post-Retirement Work Waiver Extension » Massachusetts Retirees

Tremont Strategies Group Welcomes New Additions To Government Affairs Team » Tremont Strategies Group

$4.6 Million Rapid Reemployment Grant Program Launches in Massachusetts » MA Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

MassDOT, MAPFRE Insurance Reminder: Summer Road Safety » MassDOT

Upcoming Wellington Circle Study Virtual Public Meeting » MassDOT

MassDEP Assesses Penalty to Sira Naturals for Environmental Violations at its Milford Manufacturing Facility » MA Department of Environmental Protection

What a Week It’s Been » Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance

Led by Sen. Lewis, Fair Share Amendment Advances to the Ballot » Office of MA State Senator Jason Lewis

MMA urges House to protect local control of municipal reprecincting process » Massachusetts Municipal Association

New Measures to Boost Home Ownership, Wages, and Economic Equity in Boston » City of Boston

Boston Police Department Police Reform Policy Update » City of Boston

On the Anniversary of 1982 Nuclear Weapons Freeze Rally in Central Park, Senator Markey and Rep. McGovern Reintroduce Expansive Legislation to Halt Dangerous 21ST Century Global Nuclear Arms Race » Office of U.S. Senator Ed Markey

Senator Markey Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Dr. Anthony Fauci, Research Institute Heads From Politically Motivated Termination » Office of U.S. Senator Ed Markey

AG Healey Sues Orthodontist for Illegally Charging MassHealth Patients for Missed or Cancelled Appointments » Office of MA Attorney General Maura Healey

Drawing Democracy Coalition Urges MA Senate to Pass Reprecincting Bill to Ensure Equitable Redistricting Process: » Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Drought Conditions Improve in Some Commonwealth Regions, Worsen in Others » Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency