7:35am Sen. President Karen Spilka on 89.7 Morning Edition, WGBH Studios, 1 Guest Street, Brighton

9:00am Youth Mentoring Day, Grand Staircase & Great Hall, State House, Boston

11:00am Senate Session, Informal Session

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

12:00pm "Ask the Governor" with Gov. Charlie Baker on 89.7 Boston Public Radio, WGBH Studios, 1 Guest Street, Brighton

1:00pm Department of Environmental Protection Public Hearing, MassDEP Western Regional Office, 436 Dwight Street, Springfield

5:30pm Campaign Kickoff for Republican State Committee Candidate Sean Rausch

6:00pm Fundraiser for State Sen. Candidate Steve Hall

School Funding Law Leads Baker to Propose $304M in New Aid » State House News Service The $44.6 billion spending plan, which House and Senate lawmakers will redraft and debate in the spring, includes $355 million in new spending associated with the funding overhaul. The bulk of that mo…

Editorial: Time to roll the credits on the state's film tax giveaway » Boston Business Journal From an economic standpoint — which is the intent of a tax credit — this would be a mistake. The $80 million or so the state will give to the film industry in fiscal 2020 could be put to far bette…

A role for employers in battling opioid scourge » Boston Globe The effort is an outgrowth of a study the taxpayers group conducted in 2018 that measured the economic toll that addiction is taking in the state. Among the eye-popping numbers: an annual loss of $2.7…

Brookline lawyer announces campaign to succeed Joe Kennedy III — and become state’s first Latino congressman » Boston.com Ben Sigel, a Brookline resident and lawyer, announced a bid Tuesday to succeed Rep. Joe Kennedy III and also to become the first Latino congressman in Massachusetts history.…

Mass. Senate Plans To Release Comprehensive Climate Change Bill » WBUR State Sen. Mark Pacheco, chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, has pushed for a comprehensive climate bill for years, and provided the legislative impetus.…

Is Deval Patrick running for vice president? » Boston Herald “This is a relevancy run for president,” said Republican strategist Patrick Griffin. “It reminds them that he’s still there, for a Cabinet position, being on the short-list for vice president.…

Sanders Widens Lead In N.H. In New WBUR Poll » WBUR The new WBUR poll ... finds Sanders is the choice of 29% of likely Democratic primary voters. That's well ahead of Buttigieg, who led in the last WBUR poll in December but is now in second place with …

Trump impeachment lawyer Jay Sekulow’s first brush with fame: attacking Orlando’s Pride Month rainbow flags » Orlando Sentinel In 250,000 letters sent out in July of that year by Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice, Sekulow wrote of the flags, “What I saw in Orlando made me realize just how far our nation has …

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard files defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton » ABC News Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard filed a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton on Wednesday for defamation alleging that the former secretary of state suggested the congresswoman and 2020 Democratic presidential c…

Housing activists push for return of rent control » The Bay State Banner Neighborhoods of color are disproportionately rent-burdened ... Now is the time, she said, to right the “gross injustice” imposed upon families in 1994.…

Baker proposes all-new MBTA board » Commonwealth Magazine GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is proposing to replace the existing five-member Fiscal and Management Control Board with a new seven-member board that would include the secretary of transportation and a represent…

'It's not just TV': Inside Steyer’s South Carolina surge » Politico Biden still has a wide lead in the polls, but the billionaire businessman has made an impression with voters.…

Trump Says He’s Willing To Tackle Entitlements ‘Toward The End Of The Year’ » HUFFPOST The president once promised he wouldn’t be “like every other Republican” who wanted to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.…

Despite Late Start, Deval Patrick Says He’s Still A Strong Contender For President » CBS Boston Former Massachusetts governor and 2020 presidential candidate, Deval Patrick, joined the presidential race in November, once his wife’s cancer went into remission – and that has left him playing f…

Here’s which 2020 presidential hopefuls are visiting New Hampshire this week » Boston Herald Here’s a look at which 2020 presidential hopefuls are visiting New Hampshire in the upcoming week.…

Former Governor And 2020 Candidate Deval Patrick Calls On Democrats To “Take The Long View” » WGBH Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick defended his chances in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary next month while on Greater Boston Wednesday, pointing to the number of undecided Demo…

Chartering private jets hardly in line with Green New Deal » Boston Herald When it comes to climate change, are liberal proponents of the costly Green New Deal and other radical environmental initiatives bamboozling Americans?…

Hey Log Cabin Republicans, Trump is not your friend » Boston Globe Three years into his disastrous reign, it takes some pretty serious mental and moral gymnastics to ignore indisputable facts and argue for this president’s fitness for office.…

Cynics Are Wrong. The Impeachment Trial Matters. » Bloomberg Politics It’s true that Senate oratory won’t determine whether Trump is convicted. But it will contribute to history’s judgment and the course of U.S. democracy.…

Deval Patrick, back in former Chicago neighborhood, studies up on economic barriers » Berkshire Eagle When Deval Patrick was a child, people stepped inside the Currency Exchange, on the poor side of Washington Park, because they didn't have bank accounts.…

Back in Dorchester, Patrick cracks jokes with old friends and urges them to help his presidential campaign » Boston Globe Taking a brief break from the whirlwind of his presidential campaign, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick returned home to Boston to address a group of longtime friends and political allies We…

Deval Patrick dismisses low polling in Massachusetts homecoming » Boston Herald Deval Patrick knows he entered the 2020 presidential race late. So does his wife. So do his biggest Bay State supporters.…

Chiofaro unveils plan for $1.2 billion waterfront tower » Boston Herald Developer Donald Chiofaro has finally given Bostonians a peek at his long-envisioned plans for a skyscraper on Boston’s waterfront.…

MetroWest is a thriving hub, but many residents face income inequality, financial strain » The Metro West Daily News The Foundation for MetroWest launched its Impact MetroWest program Wednesday, which is aimed at identifying strengths and challenges in the region and bringing forward initiatives to improve the quali…

Two more former Insys executives get prison » Boston Globe Two more former pharmaceutical executives will go to prison for conspiring to bribe doctors and nurses to prescribe a highly addictive opioid painkiller. One got a longer sentence than prosecutors wan…

Developer unveils his 600-foot-tall vision for Boston’s waterfront » Boston Globe After years of vague discussions about the size and shape of a skyscraper he wants to build on Boston’s waterfront, developer Don Chiofaro is laying his cards on the table.…

Mary Nee retires as head of the Animal Rescue League of Boston » Boston Business Journal After nearly eight years heading the Animal Rescue League of Boston and more than four decades serving in top government and nonprofit posts in Massachusetts, Mary Nee has announced she’s retiring. …

Academics, authors come to the defense of fired Babson College employee » Boston Globe Dozens of academics, free speech advocates, and bold-type authors, actors, and musicians — including Salman Rushdie, Joyce Carol Oates, and Rosanne Cash — have come to the defense of a Babson Coll…

Boston disability rights group partners with Sundance film festival » Boston Business Journal The Ruderman Family Foundation, a Boston-based disability rights organization, is teaming up with Sundance to promote inclusion and diversity at the independent film festival this year, which gets und…

Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito Celebrate Career Tech Initiative at Greater Lawrence Technical School » WHAV Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito are celebrating the launch of the Career Tech Initiative Greater Lawrence Technical School this afternoon.…

Local representatives chime in to save FSU pool » Sentinel & Enterprise For months, residents have been calling on Fitchburg State University officials to keep the Recreation Center Pool open. But to their dismay, mechanical issues have left the facility closed for weeks …

Franklin County school districts grapple with fallout from Superintendent Michael Buoniconti’s affair with employee » The Republican Two Franklin County school boards that share one superintendent — Michael Buoniconti, who recently acknowledged an affair with an employee — have not agreed on whether he should stay or go.…

Report: Expanded hours boost school breakfast participation » News 22 WWLP.com Massachusetts schools that revamped their breakfast programs last year to serve the meal after the start of the instructional day, instead of before, experienced “notable increases” in participati…

Coalition takes field hockey concerns to State House » Boston Herald Frustrated that their concerns have not been addressed by administrators and the MIAA, opponents of boys playing against girls in field hockey took their cause to the State House this week.…

Poll shows Massachusetts majority oppose cost of TCI » Boston Herald A new statewide poll shows that the majority of Massachusetts residents are circumstantially opposed to the Transportation Climate Initiative, a regional agreement that would raise gas prices in an ef…

Lawmakers discuss merits, drawbacks of adding 5 cent deposit to nip bottles » WHDH Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering adding alcohol nips to the state’s bottle bill.…

Street Trees Could Help Boston Adapt To Climate Change. If They Can Survive, That Is » WBUR Mike Nichols is covered in dirt. He’s kneeling in the bed of a landscaping truck parked on a street in East Boston.…

State DCR Grant To Fund Improvements At Blue Hills Observatory » Brookline Patch The Blue Hills Observatory and Science Center will undergo improvements to enhance the visitor experience with updated interpretive displays and new signage as part of Massachusetts Department of Cons…

Do Massachusetts residents support the TCI? Depends how you ask the question. » Boston.com A new poll released this week by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, a Boston-based conservative nonprofit whose sister group is actively rallying opposition to the TCI, illustrated how Bay Staters’ opi…

Why did Justina Pelletier’s parents’ relationship with Children’s deteriorate? » Boston Globe Just 15 months before relations between doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital and Linda and Louis Pelletier erupted over the hospital’s psychiatric treatment plan for the couple’s daughter, Just…

Spotlight on doctor payments » Boston Business Journal The relationship between companies that make drugs and medical devices and the doctors who recommend them has always been seen by some as problematic. During the recent opioid epidemic, that suspicion…

Two large apartment buildings planned for former Channel 56 site in Dorchester » Boston Globe Developers on Wednesday filed preliminary plans for two apartment buildings — 15 and 17 stories — for the site of the old Channel 56 television studio between Morrissey and the Southeast Expresswa…

The solution to Boston’s housing and congestion crisis? Western Mass. » Boston Globe With high speed rail, plus a major attitude adjustment, Western Massachusetts could be Greater Boston’s new hot neighborhood.…

DCF must own up to the nightmare it created » Boston Globe If the state‘s child welfare agency wants to recruit more foster parents, it better treat them better than it has treated the family at the center of a court case.…

Massachusetts auditor’s report shows fraudulent claims for public assistance total nearly $12 million » The Republican A report issued Wednesday by the office of Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne M. Bump says investigators in her office found that various “bad actors” defrauded state public-assistance programs by near…

Haggerty, Ciccolo, Friedman Pass Nicky's Law » Brookline Patch Last week, Representative Michelle Ciccolo (D-Lexington) and Representative Rich Haggerty (D-Woburn), along with their colleagues in the House of Representatives, unanimously passed legislation to cre…

US to impose visas restrictions for pregnant women » Boston Globe The Trump administration is coming out with new visa restrictions aimed at restricting “birth tourism," in which women travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can have a coveted U.S. pass…

Baker taps lawyer for return to Nantucket clerk-magistrate post » Mass Lawyers Weekly Gov. Charlie Baker on Jan. 22 nominated Donald P. Hart to serve as a clerk-magistrate at Nantucket District Court. Hart was a clerk-magistrate at the court from 2013 to 2018.…

State Rep. Nangle reports $8,700 legal fee » Lowell Sun State Rep. David Nangle paid $8,700 to a Boston-based law firm, according to a campaign finance report filed by his office on Tuesday.…

Sen. Boncore provides residents with legislative updates » East Boston Times-Free Press At last week’s Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (JPNA) monthly meeting Sen. Joseph Boncore briefed residents on some of the legislative accomplishments over the past year that directly benefi…

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Sen. Eric Lesser and Rep. Bud L. Williams attend farewell of Rev. Calvin J. McFadden, Sr. » The Republican Rev. Dr. Calvin J. McFadden, Sr.’s 10 years pastorage has come to an end with a farewell celebration in his honor, attended by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, State Senator Eric Lesser and State Representat…

Rantgate Reconsidered — Plus, The #FITN Ghosts Of Governors Past » WGBH That thing Gov. Charlie Baker said at the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, right after Rep. Ayanna Pressley spoke — oof. Seriously, what was he thinking? Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis kick it around…

Meehan: 2020 doesn’t feel like just another year » Commonwealth Magazine A NEW YEAR HAS DAWNED and for me, and I think for many, 2020 doesn’t feel like “just another year.”…

Mr. MacDonald Out Of State Senate Race » The Bourne News Bourne Selectman Jared P. MacDonald will not be running for the state Senate seat recently vacated by Viriato M. (Vinny) deMacedo. Mr. MacDonald said he has withdrawn from the race after missing the d…

Northampton health officials vote down tobacco sales restriction » Gazette Net After considering a change that would remove tobacco sales from convenience stores, the Board of Health last week ended up voting down the proposal.…

The FDA isn’t ready for the next E. coli outbreak » Boston Globe Leafy green vegetables have become the leading cause of E. coli poisoning. And the federal government still lacks the means, and maybe the will, to take it on.…

Gov. Baker Proclaims January "Cervical Cancer Awareness Month" » Brookline Patch Gov. Charlie Baker has officially proclaimed January "Cervical Cancer Awareness Month" in Massachusetts. The proclamation was issued at the request of Charlestown's Kate Weissman, a cervical cancer su…

Passengers Screened, State on Lookout for Coronavirus » State House News Service Passengers aboard a flight arriving from China were screened at Boston's airport Wednesday night as health officials around the world work to contain an outbreak of a new strain of a disease that's si…

State earmarks nearly $2 million in grants for local fire safety education programs » Boston Globe Nearly $2 million in state grants will be given to 248 municipal fire departments across Massachusetts to fund fire safety programs for children and seniors, Governor Charlie Baker announced Wednesday…

11 Boston police officers assigned to school unit don body cameras » Boston Globe Eleven Boston police officers assigned to a school unit started wearing body cameras this week in a move authorities hoped would improve trust between the community and police and reflect transparency…

Area communities to receive fire safety education grants » The Eagle Tribune Communities across the state will be receiving grant money from the state to fund fire safety programs geared towards children and older adults.…

Prosecutors drop charges against former Springfield officer accused of beating teen » Boston Globe Federal prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a criminal case against a former Springfield narcotics detective who had been accused with a colleague of using excessive force during the arrest of two boys n…

A changing approach to domestic violence in Mansfield » Wicked Local Mansfield It was two days since a police had responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in a Mansfield neighborhood. Officers Mike Fenore and Dave Sennott were standing on the porch where the call had come…

Nearly $4 million for Bridgewater firefighter training site included in governor's budget » The Enterprise Gov. Charlie Baker's proposed budget released Wednesday includes nearly $4 million in operating funds for a firefighter training facility in town.…

Foxboro police among those to receive grants to promote safety programs for children, seniors » The Sun Chronicle Foxboro is among the 10 Attleboro area police departments and 235 in the state who will receive a share of $2 million in state grants to fund fire safety programs geared toward children and older adul…

More firearms seized under 'red flag' law » The Eagle Tribune Police have seizes weapons belonging to at least 20 people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others under the state's "red flag" law, according to newly released data.…

Baker Isn't Betting On Casinos In Proposed Mass. Budget » WBUR Massachusetts's underperforming casinos may yet reverse their fortunes and produce the tax windfall their operators forecast, but Gov. Charlie Baker isn't betting on it.…

Our View: A season for budget reality » The Eagle Tribune Fall is the season of promises in the Massachusetts Legislature, when lawmakers pass major pieces of legislation before heading home to tout their accomplishments over the holidays.…

Editorial: Let teens be teens, not voters yet » Boston Herald Marketers love teens — they have a lot of buying power and, thanks to their social media savvy, are innate influencers.…

Empowering teens would help overcome voter apathy » Lowell Sun State lawmakers will have the opportunity to review two bills that have the potential to revive interest in local politics and drive voter turnout. Both measures would allow teens as young as 16 to vo…

Community Compact IT Grant announced in Springfield » News 22 WWLP.com Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and several other elected officials gathered in Springfield Thursday to discuss the importance of improving technology throughout the state.…

Debit card lottery purchases OK under Baker budget » Worcester Telegram Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg has been pressing lawmakers for years to allow the cash-only Massachusetts Lottery to enter the modern age and shed its exclusive reliance on cash.…

EDITORIAL: Revenue might not pay for the promises » Newburyport News Fall is the season of promises in the Massachusetts Legislature when lawmakers pass major pieces of legislation before heading home to tout their accomplishments over the holidays.…

Why sales tax revenues are soaring » Commonwealth Magazine FOR OVER TWO DECADES no retail organization across the country has been more engaged in Main Street taxation fairness than the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.…

Film tax credit gets support from Rivera, local leaders » The Eagle Tribune City and town leaders are pressing lawmakers to make permanent a popular, yet controversial subsidy that doles out tens of millions of dollars worth of tax credits to Hollywood studios.…

Springfield-Boston rail service? Lawmaker’s message is that it’s long overdue » Boston Globe When Governor Charlie Baker visits Springfield Friday, US Representative Richard Neal will join him to celebrate the last piece of the long-awaited Union Station renovation: a new elevator to the trai…

Charlie Baker is proposing a fivefold increase in Uber and Lyft fees » Boston.com The money would go toward improving the MBTA. But the two companies aren't happy about it.…

Baker’s MBTA board successor wouldn’t have Boston seat » Boston Herald Gov. Charlie Baker rolled out his proposal for the MBTA’s next oversight board — a plan that doesn’t include a designated Boston seat.…

Baker Seeks Increase in Ride-Hail Service Fees » WGBH After blaming ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft for clogging roads and operating with "little oversight" in a speech Tuesday night, Gov. Charlie Baker proposed in his annual budget to hike the …

Here’s how Charlie Baker wants to replace the MBTA’s oversight board » Boston.com Five years after the turbulent winter of 2015, the MBTA’s Fiscal Management and Control Board is approaching its expiration date. And in his budget proposal Wednesday for the upcoming year, Gov. Cha…

Easthampton residents question traffic plan around new school project » Gazette Net A new traffic plan, to be put into place during the construction of the combined K-8 school, drew significant concerns from residents during a one-hour meeting on Wednesday.…

Rep. Sabadosa: Western Massachusetts Needs Transit Funding, Too » Streets Blog Mass State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton, a Democratic member of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation, is pressing for a dedicated source of state funds for the fifteen tr…

Baker proposes $1 fee per ride-hailing trip » Commonwealth Magazine Would use portion of money to boost MBTA funding…

Gov. Baker proposes 500% ride share fee increase to support Mass. transit » WCVB The fee, which would be added to all ride share fares would among to an increase of 80 cents each ride to help fund Mass Transit in Massachusetts.…

'Lack of investment in transit system not just a Boston problem,' Walsh says » WCVB With climate and transportation topping Gov. Charlie Baker's agenda for 2020, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh took the issues to Washington.…

Panel to hear arguments about Pilgrim's emergency zone » Cape Cod Times Members of the region’s legislative delegation and those who continue to keep close watch on Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station will argue to keep the emergency planning zone around the plant during a he…

Net-zero target called most aggressive in world » Commonwealth Magazine A handful of states, and some countries have similar goal…

Baker’s net-zero goal is business-as-usual » Commonwealth Magazine ON TUESDAY, two notable public figures gave public addresses on the topic of climate change, illuminating the bridge that exists between what society needs to do to tackle climate change, and what soc…

Social Media Spotlight

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WGBH News Former Governor And 2020 Candidate Deval Patrick Calls On Democrats To “Take The Long View” WCVB Channel 5 Boston High school students encourage Massachusetts legislators to lower voting age

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Podcast Spotlight

Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray The Horse Race: If I Had a Billion Dollars WPKZ 105.3FM/AM1280 The K-Zone: Congresswoman Lori Trahan WGBH Boston Public Radio: Jon Gruber On The Economics Of Paid Parental Leave WGBH The Scrum: Rantgate Reconsidered — Plus, The #FITN Ghosts Of Governors Past WAMC Northeast Report: Mass. State Rep Behind Medicare For All Bill To Speak In Pittsfield NCSL Our American States: Building Democracy: The Story of Legislatures | Episode 1

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