8:30am Gov. Charlie Baker on WGBH's Morning Edition with Joe Mathieu, WGBH Studios, 1 Guest Street, Brighton

9:30am Executive Office of Health & Human Services Public Hearing, Remote Access

12:00pm Ask the Mayor with Mayor Marty Walsh on 89.7 Boston Public Radio, WGBH Studios, 1 Guest Street, Brighton

12:00pm Conversation with Dr. Mark Keroack, President & CEO of Baystate Health, hosted by Sen. Eric Lesser, Streamed on https://www.facebook.com/EricLesserMA/

4:00pm Joint Committee on Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure, Public Hearing

‘Strokes and heart attacks don’t take a vacation.’ So why have emergency department visits sharply declined? » Boston Globe Some doctors worry that patients are ignoring their symptoms and delaying life-saving treatment over fears they may contract the coronavirus in hospitals.…

Here's how five Boston execs are preparing for life after Covid-19 » Boston Business Journal One chief executive said his company now has monitors that beep if one worker gets within six feet of another. Another predicted social distancing is likely to continue for up to six months. And anoth…

Biden’s strength with older voters could threaten Trump’s electoral path in 2020 » Washington Post A string of recent polls shows troubling signs for President Trump with older voters, a group central to his reelection effort that appears to be drifting away from him amid a pandemic that has been e…

Trump owes tens of millions to the Bank of China — and the loan is due soon » Politico Donald Trump is warning “China will own the United States” if Joe Biden is elected president. But Trump himself is tens of millions of dollars in debt to China: In 2012, his real estate partner re…

Bernie Sanders’s Most Vocal Supporter Lets Loose » The Atlantic Briahna Joy Gray is among the prominent progressives trying to divorce Joe Biden—and Democrats as a whole—from centrism, even if that means going on the attack.…

Harvard poll finds that a staggeringly low number of young Americans think the government is working as it should » Boston.com The semiannual poll of the nation’s 18-to-29-year-olds by the Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics found that just 8 percent of likely voters say the “government is working as it should be,”…

In The COVID-19 Era, How Will Massachusetts Vote? » WGBH Proposals for altering Massachusetts' 2020 elections vary, but there's widespread agreement that more voting by mail is necessary.…

City and town budgets hit hard » Commonwealth Magazine Cities and towns are no longer getting money from hotel and meals taxes, recreational marijuana sales, or excise taxes on new cars. Business and housing growth have come to a screeching halt. Levels o…

Stop Looking on the Bright Side: We’ll Be Screwed By the Pandemic for Years to Come » Politico What if instead of ushering in a new era of respect for science—including the obvious truth that most policy questions around science involve mixed evidence and relative probabilities rather than ab…

Trump asked if disinfectants could be injected to kill the coronavirus inside the body. Doctors answered: ‘People will die.’ » Washington Post “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute,” Trump said during Thursday’s coronavirus press briefing. “And is there a way we can do something like that by injection ins…

The Relation between Media Consumption and Misinformation at the Outset of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in the US » Harvard Kennedy School A US national probability-based survey during the early days of the SARS-CoV-2 spread in the US showed that, above and beyond respondents’ political party, mainstream broadcast media use (e.g., NBC …

'I have two leaders, God and Trump’: Massachusetts gun shop vows to remain open despite cease-and-desist order amid coronavirus closures » The Republican Claiming he only answers to God and President Donald Trump, a gun store owner in Middleborough is refusing to comply with Gov. Charlie Baker’s order to close amid the coronavirus outbreak.…

Biden builds early lead in battleground states » The Hill Polls released this week have mostly bad news for Trump, who finds himself trailing in new surveys of Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The president won all three states in 2016 and they will be am…

New HHS spokesman made racist comments about Chinese people in now-deleted tweets » CNN In a series of tweets on March 12, Caputo responded to a baseless conspiracy theory that the United States brought the coronavirus to Wuhan, China, by tweeting that "millions of Chinese suck the blood…

Elizabeth Warren's VP Chances: She's On 'A Very, Very Short List' » WBUR Former Vice President Joe Biden says he will be naming a panel soon to help him vet and select a running mate. Biden has said that he intends to name a woman, which has led to buzz around a number of …

CEOs prepare for long transition back to their offices » Boston Globe It’s a question on the mind of every CEO in town: When can we turn the lights back on in our offices?…

Boston’s cultural institutions hit hard times amid coronavirus pandemic » Boston Globe The sharks, penguins, and other critters still must be fed at the New England Aquarium. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, once victimized by an infamous theft, continues to require heavy security. …

Treading water: Small businesses, local nonprofits fight to stay afloat » Boston Business Journal The coronavirus pandemic has forced small-business owners into a chaotic new normal. Expansion plans have been put on hold while the crisis forces furloughs and layoffs, and causes business leaders to…

Cambridge biotech to return its PPP loan » Boston Business Journal A Cambridge startup that ended last year with $147 million in its pocket is returning the small-business loan it received.…

Massachusetts medical marijuana registrations spike 245% » Boston Globe A record-shattering number of Massachusetts residents obtained medical marijuana cards over the past month, a spike that followed Governor Charlie Baker’s decision to deem recreational cannabis stor…

How are community college students different? » Commonwealth Magazine Decisions about higher education funding and public policies are being made all the time, and they are always important; but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a new sense of urgency around better unde…

Berkshire County Superintendents Respond To Unprecedented School Year » WAMC Berkshire County school superintendents are preparing for remote learning to continue for the rest of the school year after Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that schools will not reopen …

HCC laying off 33 part-time employees » Gazette Net Citing the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Holyoke Community College will lay off 33 part-time, non-benefited employees…

Speakers push for legislation during virtual Earth Day celebration » The Recorder No movement in the history of the United States has failed once it involved more than 3.5 percent of the population participating in strikes, according to Sarah Reyes, coordinator for the Hampden Coun…

Administration considers leveraging emergency coronavirus loan to force Postal Service changes » Boston Globe The Treasury Department is considering taking unprecedented control over key operations of the US Postal Service by imposing tough terms on an emergency coronavirus loan from Congress, which would ful…

Federal rescue money eases coronavirus financial woes for some families, but others slip through the cracks » Boston Globe Just a few weeks ago, Tricia Riel found it hard to get out of bed some mornings, crippled by anxiety at the thought of the stack of bills awaiting her and her husband after they lost their jobs becaus…

Neal, McGovern lead debates on new $484B aid package, oversight committee » Gazette Net Two of the region's powerful politicians played pivotal roles on a pair of COVID-19 measures - a $484 billion aid package and the creation of a subcommittee to oversee coronavirus spending - approved …

DraftKings set to go public on Friday » Boston Globe DraftKings is set to become Boston’s newest publicly traded technology company, after completing a complex merger that will allow it to list its shares starting Friday.…

Casinos, Regulators Look for Lessons From Macau » State House News Service There is no timeline for when Massachusetts casinos might be able to reopen, but state regulators are starting to look into how gambling facilities in Macau, China got back up and running after having…

DraftKings starts trading Friday » Boston Business Journal DraftKings Inc. is becoming a public company as part of a previously announced merger agreement. The deal also brings in another gambling tech firm under the Boston-based sports gaming and online bett…

Lack of sports doesn’t stop DraftKings from going public » Boston.com Sports daily fantasy and betting website DraftKings will debut as a publicly traded company Friday against a backdrop of a near-complete shutdown of athletic competition across the globe due to the co…

COVID-19 fear keeping ill people away from ERs » Commonwealth Magazine A TRIO OF HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES joined Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday to warn against an alarming new trend – people with serious medical conditions staying away from hospitals out of fear of COVID-19…

Dr. Lee: We’re busy but in good shape » Commonwealth Magazine This is the seventh conversation between Dr. Jarone Lee, a frontline critical care and emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. …

Nurse frustrated with mask directives » Commonwealth Magazine MARK BRODEUR loves his work as an intensive care and emergency room nurse at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, but he is frustrated by directives coming from administrators on how staff should u…

Trauma On The Pandemic's Front Line Leaves Health Workers Reeling » New England Public Radio The scene at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx is unlike anything psychiatrist Bruce Schwartz has seen. Everyone, even interns and nurses in training, have been tapped to tend to the flood of…

COVID-19 Hits Elder Care Facilities In Mass. The Hardest » WBUR COVID-19 has killed more than 2,300 people in Massachusetts, and the hardest-hit group has been seniors living in long-term care facilities like nursing homes.…

Charlie Baker: Non-coronavirus patients avoiding hospitals ‘out of fear’ » Boston Herald Coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts reached a “staggering” single-day high on Wednesday, but Gov. Charlie Baker and health care leaders warned of a “second toll of the pandemic” as non-COVID-1…

Experts Optimistic Crisis Care Standards Won’t be Activated » State House News Service Several of the leading medical experts who developed the state's controversial plan to ration access to life-saving equipment like ventilators say they believe the state's hospitals will be able to we…

Hospitals to Patients: We’re Open for Business » State House News Service Tufts Medical Center officials have seen a 60 percent reduction in the number of patients seeking care for stroke-related symptoms.…

Brigham and Women’s nurse who survived coronavirus released from hospital; vows to return to job » Boston Globe Debora A. Buonopane insisted Thursday that her place is still in the emergency room at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where the registered nurse has helped critically ill patients for 31 years — esp…

‘They fought this and they won’: Hospital workers applaud, play songs as coronavirus patients finally go home » Boston Globe The upbeat songs are played over the hospital intercoms. The applause can be heard from far-off hallways. These are the sounds of celebration, of relief, of hope.…

Tech from MIT may allow caregivers to monitor coronavirus patients from a distance » Boston Globe A product developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is being used to remotely monitor patients with COVID-19, using wireless signals to detect breathing patterns of people who do not requ…

Massachusetts doctor who treated coronavirus patients is now on a ventilator, receiving plasma » Boston Herald A Massachusetts doctor who treated coronavirus patients — now “fighting for his life” on a ventilator at Tufts Medical Center after contracting the disease — has started receiving plasma in th…

Coronavirus Diagnoses In Staff Drop By Half After Boston Hospital Requires Masks For All » WBUR After Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston began requiring that nearly everyone in the hospital wear masks, new coronavirus infections diagnosed in its staffers dropped by half — or more.…

Mass. Congressional Members Fear Denials Of Medical Deferral Of Deportations Amid Crisis » WBUR Massachusetts Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, want more information from the Trump administration about its supposed reo…

The robot will see you now » Boston Globe A Boston hospital is using Spot, the dog-like robot of Internet fame, to screen for coronavirus.…

This nurse’s friends were skeptical about coronavirus. Then she drove north to work at MGH » Boston Globe For reasons she can’t explain, Liz Adams has always been a Red Sox fan. But up until two weeks ago, she’d never been to Boston. Or farther north than West Virginia for that matter. Born in Louisia…

Legislature passes moratorium on non-essential evictions and foreclosures amid COVID-19 » Wicked Local Saugus The Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate on Friday passed legislation that will provide a critical safety net for renters, homeowners and small businesses grappling with the economi…

Mass Legislature Approves Measures to Protect Residents from Evictions & Foreclosures During COVID-19 Crisis » Framingham Source Earlier this week the governor signed into law legislation which set a moratorium on most residential and small-business evictions and residential foreclosures for the duration of the COVID-19 State o…

For One Homelessness Nonprofit, It's Been A Coronavirus Tale Of Two Shelters » WBUR For people who live in emergency homeless shelters, keeping a distance from others is nearly impossible.…

Boston city councilors call for more equity in coronavirus relief funds » Boston Herald Boston city councilors and businesses are calling on Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration to be more equitable in handing out coronavirus relief money to small businesses, saying City Hall isn’t be…

Low-income and laid-off veterans struggle to access state benefits created for them » Boston Globe With job losses mounting during the pandemic, thousands of Massachusetts veterans are turning to a $72 million state program that is intended to provide them with emergency cash assistance for basic n…

In Lawrence, a soup kitchen takes its food on the road » Boston Globe “Look what the Lord provides,” Angelo Boria exclaimed, spreading his arms wide as pallet after pallet of carrots, mangoes, potatoes, and cheese were carted into a small church tucked inside an old…

Extended Closures Could Mean Some Mass. Day Cares Never Reopen » WBUR Day care providers in Massachusetts, already ordered closed since March 23, could struggle to ever reopen unless they can get more aid, according to early childhood advocates.…

Can we hold on to the lesson of communal responsibility that the coronavirus pandemic is teaching? » Boston Globe The human impulse toward kindness is in full flower this dark spring. The question is whether these individualized acts of charity can be translated into a broader societal response.…

A scientific experiment in going back to work amid coronavirus pandemic » Boston Globe What will it really take for people to go back to work safely again? A Kendall Square research institute plans to find out by conducting a scientific experiment — on itself.…

Self-employed workers file for unemployment benefits » Gloucester Times Hundreds of thousands of self-employed people who've lost work amid the COVID-19 outbreak filed requests this week for new federally-backed unemployment benefits.…

While in coronavirus lockdown, state Sen. Eric Lesser’s daughter steals show with nose boop during interview with WGBY » The Republican During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all making adjustments. For state Sen. Eric Lesser of Longmeadow, that means an occasional TV interview or video conference from his living room, where his daught…

Milton looks at virtual town meeting » Patriot Ledger The centuries-old tradition of town meeting could be going virtual this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Town Moderator Robert Hiss told the select board Wednesday night he’s putting togeth…

Haverhill Board of Health allows vehicle parades, with restrictions » The Eagle Tribune Birthday parades, school teacher parades and other neighborhood or citywide caravans can now resume, within reason, under additional emergency orders approved by the city's Board of Health.…

Greenfield providing masks to retailers, residents » The Recorder Just a week after Mayor Roxann Wedegartner announced a “strong advisory” for residents to wear masks when they’re out in public, she said homemade masks are being provided to first responders an…

Springfield city councilors say Western Massachusetts shortchanged on coronavirus testing, materials from state » The Republican City councilors said Thursday they believe the city and Western Massachusetts are being shortchanged when it comes to coronavirus testing and materials from the state.…

Warren endorses a slew of women in down-ballot 2020 races » Axios Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed 20 down-ballot women political candidates across the U.S. on Wednesday.…

Holyoke City Councilor David Bartley joins state rep race » The Republican Ward 3 City Councilor David Bartley has joined two other candidates in the race for the 5th Hampden District House seat being vacated by state Rep. Aaron Vega.…

'Liberate Massachusetts' rally draws few liberators » The Salem News A "Liberate Massachusetts" rally in front of Gov. Charlie Baker's house Thursday seemed to draw more reporters, law enforcement and supporters of the governor than protesters.…

Massachusetts COVID-19 Confirmed Cases See Largest One-Day Increase Yet » New England Public Radio Deaths linked to COVID-19 are still increasing in Massachusetts, but with more than 50% of hospital capacity open and available, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration and health care leaders on Thursday…

Tests Find Nearly 14% Of NYers Already Had COVID-19 » WAMC New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he’s opening an investigation of the state’s nursing homes who might have violated rules regarding how to care for COVID-19 patients. The announcement comes as …

Now Recovered, Dr. Monica Bharel Weighs In After Her Own Bout With COVID-19 » WBUR More than 46,000 cases of coronavirus have now been reported in Massachusetts and 2,360 of those people have died from the disease known as COVID-19.…

Should those with antibodies get a digital pass to go back to work? » Boston Globe In the race for an all-clear signal, Alex Pentland proposes a solution: a kind of digital passport that shows the carrier poses no risk of spreading COVID-19 and can safely resume normal life, includi…

Face Off: Pro-, anti-coronavirus shutdown protests staged in front of Charlie Baker’s house » Boston Herald Protesters on both sides of the stay-at-home debate butted heads outside Gov. Charlie Baker’s Swampscott home Thursday — both with and without masks.…

Mass. reports new daily high in coronavirus cases amid thousands of additional tests » Boston Globe Even before the state announced the latest count of coronavirus cases and deaths, Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday called the cumulative toll “staggering.”…

Health Commissioner Describes “Frightening” COVID-19 Battle » State House News Service Dr. Monica Bharel first thought the aches and pains she started feeling in late March were due to a lack of sleep and the long hours she was putting in as Department of Public Health commissioner in t…

Reopening the Economy Under COVID-19: States Plot a Way Back » Governing Governing is building a 50-state map to visualize the changes underway to declare states “Open for Business” even as the coronavirus remains at large across the country.…

We need more than a COVID-19 vaccine » Boston Globe The protests that have erupted, defying science and demanding a rapid reopening of the economy, risk spreading infection and show that, besides a COVID-19 vaccine, we need a vaccine against ignorance,…

Airflow a concern as restaurants, businesses plan to reopen post-pandemic » Boston Herald As restaurants and businesses start to think about reopening, public health studies and experts say airflow and distancing will be important factors in limiting infection from the coronavirus.…

Killing coronavirus: Summer sun and heat may have ‘powerful’ effect, says DHS official » Boston Herald Sunlight, heat and humidity may have a “powerful” impact on killing the coronavirus within one or two minutes, a Department of Homeland Security official said on Thursday.…

Coronavirus shutdowns could last several more weeks, Marty Walsh says » Boston Herald Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said coronavirus shutdowns could remain in the city for several more weeks as a top hospital doctor urged everyone to wait for cases to substantially subside before letting d…

Worcester is at peak, head of UMass says » Worcester Telegram While COVID-19 may have peaked in some other areas of the state, Central Massachusetts is still surging, the head of UMass Memorial Health Care said Thursday.…

Massachusetts House bill seeks to root out racial, geographic disparities from coronavirus pandemic » The Republican House lawmakers passed a bill that would enable lawmakers to collect more data and explore which parts of the state, if any in particular, have been shortchanged when it comes to coronavirus testing a…

State COVID-19 data show Holyoke, Northampton hardest-hit area communities » Gazette Net State health officials on Wednesday released the second round of weekly data detailing COVID-19 cases by cities and towns, showing that Northampton has the highest reported case count in Hampshire Cou…

New MA Coronavirus Laws On Evictions, Nursing Homes » Brookline Patch Two new laws either passed out of the state House or signed by Gov. Charlie Baker this week aim to help local residents get through the coronavirus crisis. Both were supported by local state Reps. Jac…

No, warm weather will not kill the coronavirus » Boston Globe Experts and studies suggest no one should get their hopes up as temperatures rise and spring turns into summer.…

Hampden Sheriff Nick Cocchi, DA Anthony Gulluni argue coronavirus not sufficient reason to release inmates early » The Republican A Massachusetts prison-inmate advocacy group is petitioning the state Supreme Judicial Court for the release of inmate potentially at risk of exposure to COVID-19, and once again the Hampden County sh…

State Lawmakers Urge Governor To Reduce Prison Population Faster As COVID-19 Spreads » WGBH A group of Massachusetts lawmakers on Thursday urged Gov. Charlie Baker to speed up efforts to reduce the population in the state’s prisons and jails amidst a growing outbreak of COVID-19.…

When it comes to its COVID-19 response, the MBTA could do more, study says » Boston.com When it comes to the MBTA’s response to protecting workers and passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study suggests there’s more that could be done.…

ConEd COVID-19 cases grow past 350 as utilities forced to adjust pre-pandemic emergency plans » Utility Dive Utilities responding to the challenges of COVID-19 have adapted practices developed for past emergency situations, but physical distancing requirements of the pandemic response in some instances have …

Social Media Spotlight

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MassGovernor COVID-19 Update: Health Care Leaders Discuss Available Hospital Capacity WCVB Channel 5 Boston Coronavirus has likely been spreading in Boston since February, researchers say Boston Herald Coronavirus in Massachusetts: Trump supporters protest Governor Charlie Baker to reopen economy

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Podcast Spotlight

WBUR Radio Boston: What's Behind The Protests Of Stay-At-Home Orders And Advisories WGBH Boston Public Radio: Paul Reville Calls Move To Online Learning A 'Sputnik Kind Of Moment' For Educators WBUR WBUR News: Rep. Joe Kennedy On The Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill The New England Journal of Medicine Audio Interview: Approaches to Covid-19 Vaccines and Antivirals Bloomberg Baystate Business: Chamber CEOs WBUR CommonHealth: Doctors Urge Patients Not To Avoid Treatment At Hospitals For Fear Of Coronavirus

HB4647 - An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency

HB4615 - An act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the covid-19 emergency

SB2645 - An Act providing for virtual notarization to address challenges related to COVID-19

HB4598 - An Act to address challenges faced by municipalities and state authorities resulting from COVID-19

HB4586 - An Act to further address challenges faced by municipalities, school districts and state authorities resulting from COVID-19

SB2631 - An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency

HB4616 - An Act to further address challenges faced by municipalities, school districts and state authorities resulting from COVID-19

HB4580 - An Act addressing challenges in municipal governance resulting from COVID-19

SB2598 - An Act authorizing waiver of the one week waiting period for unemployment benefits

SB2632 - An Act relative to nomination signatures

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