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Boston mayoral race: Janey giving ‘serious consideration’; Campbell releasing coronavirus plan » Boston Herald Janey, the current city council president, has brought on political communication outfit Northwind Ventures, a firm led by major Massachusetts power player Doug Rubin.…

Here's the story behind the decade-long battle to reform beer distribution laws » Boston Business Journal Breweries could only leave contracts through a lengthy, convoluted process, during which the distributor could effectively stop selling their product.…

Healey sitting on large campaign warchest » Commonwealth Magazine Baker and Polito turned heads with their fundraising during the month of December, with Baker taking in $165,418 and Polito collecting $165,944. It was Baker’s largest one-month haul in more than tw…

UMass report critical of Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse for pursuing student relationships, sources say » The Republican Sources familiar with the report’s findings say it is critical of the 31-year-old Morse, a onetime lecturer at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, for using dating apps to aggressively pursu…

Millionaires tax remains popular in latest poll of Mass. voters » Boston Business Journal A new survey from the Boston-based MassINC Polling Group showed that 72% of voters back the surtax. Twenty percent said they oppose it, while 7% said they're unsure. The high support comes whether the…

‘It was like looking at evil’: The Capitol attack through the eyes of the Massachusetts delegation » Boston Globe But Representative Ayanna Pressley had two reasons to be afraid: She has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that puts her in the high-risk category for coronavirus, and she is one of four Democratic rep…

Anti-Semitism seen in Capitol insurrection raises alarms » Boston Globe (T)he Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and the Network Contagion Research Institute released a report that identified at least half a dozen neo…

Ocasio-Cortez says she feared for her life in Capitol attack » Boston Globe New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she thought she was going to die when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol last week and she feared some law enforcement offic…

FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR ANDY BIGGS HELPED PLAN JANUARY 6 EVENT, LEAD ORGANIZER SAYS » The Intercept THE HEAD OF the House Freedom Caucus, Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, helped plan the January 6 event that culminated in a storming of the Capitol, according to Ali Alexander, a lead organizer …

McConnell is said to be pleased about impeachment, believing it will be easier to purge Trump from the G.O.P. » New York Times Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has told associates that he believes President Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is pleased that Democrats are moving to impe…

Parler Users Breached Deep Inside U.S. Capitol Building, GPS Data Shows » gizmodo Gizmodo has mapped nearly 70,000 geo-located Parler posts and on Tuesday isolated hundreds published on January 6 near the Capitol where a mob of pro-Trump supporters had hoped to overturn a democrati…

NY: ’There is no excuse’: N.Y. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis blasts longtime adviser for ‘Heil Hitler’ remark » Daily News Nicole Malliotakis, New York City’s only Republican congresswoman, sought to distance herself on Tuesday from a longtime adviser who posted a video of herself shouting “Heil Hitler” as part of a…

Capitol riot fueled by deep network of GOP statehouse support » Politico Lawmakers from more than a dozen states attended the Jan. 6 rally, while scores more cheered on the “Stop the Steal” movement from afar. And in the days since the insurrection, these Republicans c…

Scoop: House freshmen at war after Capitol siege » Axios The conversation started when Greene — a fierce defender of President Trump and former QAnon backer — sent a National Pulse article to the chain claiming the president’s approval numbers had inc…

IVANKA TRUMP APPARENTLY THINKS SHE’S GOING TO RIDE THIS INSURRECTION OUT AND BE PRESIDENT ONE DAY » Vanity Fair It was a joint decision by the couple, and, in some sense, a joint job. Between themselves, the two had made an earnest deal: If sometime in the future the opportunity arose, she’d be the one to run…

Opinion: The lawlessness of the ‘law and order’ party » Boston Globe Forget GOP calls for unity. What they want for Trump and his enablers is immunity without accountability for fomenting an attempted coup.…

McConnell privately backs impeachment as House moves to charge Trump » Boston Globe Sen. Mitch McConnell has concluded that President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses and believes that Democrats’ move to impeach him will make it easier to purge Trump from the party, acco…

Impeaching Trump again is a political no-brainer for Democrats » Boston Globe There is a certain logic in believing that if the first thing House Democrats do in their new term is impeach a soon-to-be former president they had already impeached a year earlier, there could be po…

Republicans join impeachment push as Trump warns of its ‘tremendous danger’ » Boston Herald The U.S. House continued rushing headlong toward impeaching President Trump for the deadly U.S. Capitol siege, with Republican lawmakers opening the door for their colleagues to break with the preside…

Republicans joining the push for likely impeachment today » Boston Globe The US House rushed ahead Tuesday toward impeaching President Donald Trump for the deadly Capitol attack, taking time only to try to persuade his vice president to push him out first. Trump showed no …

‘It was like looking at evil’: The Capitol attack through the eyes of the Massachusetts delegation » Boston Globe On the day Congress was set to count the electoral votes certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, Representative Seth Moulton was one of the first members of the Massachusetts delegation to a…

Republicans meet violent insurrection with calls for unity instead of punishment for Trump » Boston Globe As House Democrats speed toward impeaching President Trump for a second time, numerous Republicans declared that holding the commander in chief accountable for inciting a violent assault on Congress w…

Opinion: The Greatest Threat To Our Democracy Is Inaction » WBUR Last week our democracy was assaulted — again. With the urging of the president himself, who with his family and political allies baited the crowd with lies and then unleashed them on Congress. Insu…

Three House Republicans say they will vote to impeach Trump » Boston Globe Three Republicans, Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming, John Katko of New York, and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, became the first to announce they would vote to impeach Trump.…

Opinion: Freedom of association and the Big Tech purge » Boston Globe In a ruthless display of muscle last week, America’s Big Tech companies banished President Trump and many of his fervent supporters from social media, and they did it without even breaking a sweat.…

Boston Fed president sees ‘robust recovery’ in second half of 2021 » Boston Globe After 10 months of pandemic-induced hardship for many, the start of COVID-19 vaccinations and a new round of government relief spending have set the stage for a strong rebound in economic growth and e…

Grubhub is helping Girl Scouts sell cookies to Massachusetts residents this year as a way to stay socially distant during COVID pandemic » The Republican Delicious boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas and Lemon-Ups are at the touch of a button this year. Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts are selling Girl Scout cookies through Grubhub this year as a…

Future of food delivery fees up to Gov. Baker » Commonwealth Magazine GOV. CHARLIE BAKER will be the final arbiter of a dispute between restaurants and food delivery apps over how much the apps can charge for providing delivery services.…

Airbnb reviewing inauguration bookings for hate group members » News 22 WWLP.com In the wake of a mob assault on the U.S. Capitol carried out by rioters from around the country, Airbnb announced Monday it is stepping up its crackdown on users affiliated with hate groups.…

A Massachusetts lawyer is suing Google for $1,000 for including him in search results » Boston.com Matthew Sandofsky says that the search engine should count as a consumer reporting agency and therefore should not return search results on someone without permission.…

UMass-towns liaison Maroulis takes development chops to W.D. Cowls » Gazette Net Tony Maroulis, a longtime advocate for the business community in the Amherst region, will be bringing his expertise to the continuing growth of The Mill District in North Amherst village center.…

Boston Private-SVB deal is likely to shake up local wealth management » Boston Business Journal The battle to bank Greater Boston’s ever-expanding population of tech millionaires is about to get more heated with Silicon Valley Bank’s proposed $900 million acquisition of Boston Private Financ…

Healey appoints new commissioner to Mass. marijuana agency » Boston Globe Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Tuesday that her office has appointed Ava Callender Concepcion of Dorchester to the state Cannabis Control Commission, capping a series of recent …

Ava Callender Concepcion appointed to Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, filling public safety seat » The Republican Ava Callender Concepcion has been appointed to the Cannabis Control Commission, filling the public safety seat vacated by Britte McBride, officials said Tuesday.…

Concepcion Appointment Returns CCC to Full Strength » State House News Service The Cannabis Control Commission will return to full strength for the first time since May after Attorney General Maura Healey tapped a Dorchester attorney with State House connections to fill the last…

Early ed lobby pleads for inclusion in pool testing » News 22 WWLP.com It’s “unconscionable” to exclude the early education and care industry from a K-12 pool testing program announced last week by the Baker administration, the industry said Monday.…

No Instruction Manual: Mass. School Districts Navigate Closures With Little Help From State » WGBH Massachusetts Secretary of Education James Peyser echoed a familiar refrain when asked what school districts should do as COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts soared to new highs.…

Early education virus testing pilot in the works, Peyser says » News 22 WWLP.com State officials are working to develop a COVID-19 testing pilot program focused on early education and care, Education Secretary James Peyser said Tuesday.…

Many Massachusetts schools plan to reopen, but teachers among last in vaccine line » Boston Herald Districts across Massachusetts this week laid out plans for students to return to the classroom this spring, but teachers are among those last in line for vaccines with the potential for them to wait …

Harvard removes Republican Elise Stefanik from advisory committee » Politico Stefanik was among the 147 House Republicans who voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory.…

Shellfish Group poised to govern shellfish hatchery » Martha's Vineyard Times A bill sponsored by state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, to provide greater autonomy to the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group with a 15-year lease at the John T. Hughes Hatchery and Research Stat…

Real estate groups push for veto of climate bill, saying it could thwart economic recovery » Boston Globe A business-backed lobbying push over one controversial provision could end up sinking a far-reaching climate and energy bill that the Massachusetts Legislature passed on the penultimate day of its two…

The New Climate Bill Won’t Make Or Break A Proposed Biomass Plant In Springfield. But Another State Plan Will » WBUR In the week since the legislature delivered a massive climate bill to Governor Charlie Baker, there’s been a lot of talk — and some misconception — about how it will impact a proposed wood-burni…

Editorial: Sign the climate bill, governor » Boston Globe Charlie Baker could pocket-veto an urgent, pathbreaking climate bill passed by the Legislature. He shouldn’t.…

Sen. Crighton, Rep. Ehrlich Urge Gov. Baker To Sign Climate Bill » Swampscott Patch Marblehead and Swampscott legislators tout mandates to drive down greenhouse emissions to "net zero" by 2050 and create "green" jobs.…

Shields Health buys largest specialty pharmacy competitor » Boston Globe Shields Health Solutions, the Stoughton specialty pharmacy company, said Tuesday it acquired ExceleraRx Corp., its main competitor, in a deal that will increase its leverage with drug makers and compa…

State suspends admissions to Hadley nursing home amid COVID outbreak » The Republican A 154-bed nursing home here is barred from accepting new patients following six additional COVID-19 deaths and 92 cases among residents and staff, which resulted in a National Guard deployment to prov…

Holyoke Soldiers’ Home trustees soldier on under new leadership » The Republican Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe led his first Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke board of trustees meeting Tuesday night, as leaders of the state-run care facility struggle to get out from under the dark cloud of th…

10 months later, workers still struggling to get unemployment » WCVB As record unemployment continues 10 months into the pandemic, some people are still struggling to get their unemployment payments.…

Baker signs campus sexual assault bill, approves deal affecting craft brewers » Commonwealth Magazine GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Tuesday signed six bills with statewide implications, including a bill to provide more rights and resources to students involved in cases of sexual misconduct on campus and a lon…

‘No, I have not always felt safe,’ Cambridge’s Rep. Decker, others discuss State House security » Wicked Local The alarming events last week at the U.S. Capitol followed by the FBI’s warning that armed protesters may descend on state Capitols ahead of the presidential inauguration have raised questions about…

Two more lawmakers turn down pay raise » News 22 WWLP.com Two more state lawmakers have told Treasurer Deborah Goldberg that they will not be accepting the $4,280 raise in annual salary due to legislators for the new session, bringing the total number of law…

Walsh says Boston ‘is not just my hometown, it’s my heart’ in likely final State of the City address » Boston Globe In what was likely his final State of the City address, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Tuesday night that the city is well-positioned to rebound from an unprecedented pandemic, while imploring peop…

Marty Walsh: ‘State of our city is deep-down Boston strong’ as mayor prepares to leave » Boston Herald Mayor Martin Walsh’s State of the City address doubled as a farewell speech, with the at-times tearful mayor declaring that the “state of our city is deep-down Boston strong” as he looked to set…

Greenfield winter carnival will be online this year » News 22 WWLP.com Greenfield Recreation will host their annual winter carnival online since the in-person event had to be canceled due to the pandemic.…

Chelmsford town manager blames budget shortfalls on “paltry” state aid » Lowell Sun Throughout the Select Board, School Committee and Finance Committee’s joint meeting Monday night, Town Manager Paul Cohen decried budget shortfalls and the likelihood of increased property taxes in …

Mayor Walsh Bids Emotional Farewell to Boston in State of the City Address » NBC Boston An emotional Boston Mayor Marty Walsh delivered what may have been his last State of the City address on Tuesday, as he prepares for a new post as President-elect Joe Biden's labor secretary.…

Poll finds racial tilt on government priorities » Commonwealth Magazine BLACK AND LATINO residents of Massachusetts are more likely than white residents to support a stronger government intervention in society, according to a poll released Wednesday by the MassINC Polling…

Police Commissioner Gross would face hurdles, anti-police bias if he runs for Boston mayor » Boston Herald Police Commissioner William Gross would face formidable challenges if he runs for Boston mayor, testing anti-police sentiment that could prevent him from winning progressive votes.…

Former Mass Rep. Peter Torkildsen Calls For Trump's Impeachment » WGBH Two dozen former Republican members of Congress, including a former representative from Massachusetts, are calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment.…

Martinez-Dominguez announces she's running for mayor of Lawrence » The Eagle Tribune Vilma Martinez-Dominguez has spent the last several years maintaining a presence around City Hall as community development director, and now she hopes to take on a bigger role - mayor of Lawrence.…

Lawmakers May Be Pulled Into Boston Mayoral Election Debate » State House News Service With Mayor Martin Walsh preparing to leave City Hall, the Boston City Council is considering changing the rules that require a special election if Walsh resigns before March 5 in order to avoid holdin…

Massachusetts to open first mass vaccination site at Gillette Stadium on Thursday » Boston Herald Gillette Stadium will become the state’s first mass injection site when it opens on Thursday, laying out a game plan to massively scale-up a coronavirus vaccine rollout that has so far been “bumpy…

If you’re over 75, the vaccine is coming, but the stress of knowing when and where is weighing on families » Boston Globe Massachusetts officials are preparing next month to launch the most ambitious phase yet of their COVID-19 vaccination program — inoculating every state resident age 75 or older. And there are indica…

Gov. Baker: More than 141,000 vaccinated in Massachusetts so far » News 22 WWLP.com Baystate Health is expecting another shipment of the coronavirus vaccine after running out of its first dose on Monday.…

Massachusetts Not Changing COVID Vaccine Timeline Despite Latest CDC Guidelines » CBS Boston The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging states to start vaccinating people 65 and older. “It’s time to move on to the next phase of the vaccination campaign,” Secretar…

COVID-19 vaccination sites extremely busy across Mass. » Western Mass News A COVID-19 vaccination update came from Governor Charlie Baker Tuesday, as first responders have begun getting their shots. The governor said the 119 vaccination sites set up around the state are extr…

COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin In Mass. Addiction Treatment Programs » WBUR After 10 months of contending with the coronavirus pandemic, the largest addiction treatment provider in Massachusetts expressed relief as it began vaccinating workers and long-term patients against t…

Most new COVID-19 infections in North Adams linked to restaurants » Berkshire Eagle At least six COVID-19 cases have been linked to one North Adams restaurant, as dining venues appear to be driving virus spread throughout the city. The Board of Health met on Tuesday night to discuss …

Mass. reports 4,906 new confirmed coronavirus cases, 67 new deaths » Boston Globe The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rose by 4,906 Tuesday, while the seven-day average was 6,120. The new cases brought the state’s total to 422,474.…

Baker says vaccine will be administered to those in shelters, prisons, and senior housing » Boston Globe Governor Charlie Baker said Wednesday that Massachusetts will start administering the COVID-19 vaccine Monday to the more than 94,000 people who live and work in congregate care settings such as priso…

FBI Boston: No specific threats ahead of Biden inauguration, but ‘intelligence can change by the second’ » Boston Herald The leader of the FBI Boston Division on Tuesday said there were no specific threats of armed protests in four area states ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, but warned that “intel…

State capitols increase security ahead of Biden’s inauguration » News 22 WWLP.com State capitols across the country are on high alert as we get closer to the January 20 inauguration. The FBI said they are concerned about the possibility of armed protests in all 50 state capitols ah…

State using facial recognition tools to identify Capitol rioters » Western Mass News As police work to identify people who breached the Capitol building last week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said facial recognition technology is being used to identify people who may be from …

Baker sees use for facial recognition in DC probes » Commonwealth Magazine GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said on Tuesday he was glad that the state still has access to facial recognition technology as officials attempt to identify and prosecute Massachusetts residents who engaged in th…

Security At State Capitols Stepped Up Amid New Safety Concerns » WAMC State capitols across the region are beefing up security amid heightened safety concerns following last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.…

Howie Carr: How does a pension just shy of $20,000 a month sound? » Boston Herald Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon to the Methuen City Council: “You can’t fire me, I quit!” And so he has … not quit, exactly, but he is filing his retirement papers. It’s tough to walk aw…

Boston firefighter sex discrimination case settled for $3.2 million » Boston.com A former Boston firefighter who said she was sexually harassed by male colleagues while on the job, then denied a better position as retaliation for reporting the harassment, has reached a $3.2 millio…

'Hopefully, this will slow the spread': First responders vaccinated against COVID-19 » The Metro West Daily News Police Detective Eddie Arena hasn't hugged his "Ma" for months, because of social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.…

Baker: “No Known Threats” Here After Violence in DC » State House News Service With the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden being planned just eight days from now, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday that the state is not aware of any threats at this point that would warrant a…

Spilka: No Mass Pike toll increases to help pay for Allston Multimodal Project » The Metro West Daily News MetroWest and Central Massachusetts commuters will not bear the financial burden of the upcoming Allston Multimodal Project if a provision in the $16.5 billion Transportation Bond Bill is passed.…

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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