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MassInsider

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021

Today on Beacon Hill

10:00am Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Virtual Hearing

10:00am Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Public Hearing

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

12:00pm Senate Session, Full Formal Session

1:00pm Department of Labor Standards Public Hearing, Via Webex

1:00pm Joint Committee on Public Service, Public Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness & Management, Public Hearing

Birthdays: Rep. Colleen Garry

Must-Reads

Driven by covid deaths, U.S. life expectancy dropped by 1.5 years in 2020 » Washington Post

State awards $7.5M in grants to improve child care sites » Boston.com

Free school lunches for all Mass. kids? Experts argue in support of state bill. » Boston.com

Boston Teachers Union Releases First Proposal In New Contract Negotiations » WBUR

As Free Transit Gains Momentum Across U.S., It's A Big Boston Mayoral Race Topic » WBUR

In latest clash over Wuhan lab, Fauci tells Sen. Rand Paul: ‘You do not know what you’re talking about’ » Washington Post

Medical debts are bigger than was known, totaling $140 billion » Boston Globe

‘Shockingly low’: How Mattapan came to have Boston’s lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate » Boston.com

Heavily Latino SEIU Backs Janey For Boston Mayor » WGBH

In hearing, Baker tells Legislature ‘time is of the essence’ for spending federal COVID aid » Boston Globe

The Elusive Dream of the 15-Minute City » Governing

“It was the intent of the Legislature that that $200 million was, as we would say, ‘break glass in case of emergency’ funds because we are very concerned about what we are hearing from public health officials, not only here in Massachusetts but around the country, that this new Delta variant is very aggressive, is much more contagious, than the prior Corona-19 virus,”
Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues
Lawmakers and Baker continue to have disagreements over the state's ARPA money after Baker put $186 million towards those in congregate care settings. Legislators argue they were not part of the conversation.

News By Category

Beltway Politics

Big infrastructure bill in peril; Republicans threaten filibuster » Boston Globe

Brady, Biden play political football at White House Super Bowl celebration » Boston Herald

Business

State encouraging fishing and seafood industries to apply for federal relief funds » News 22 WWLP.com

Maine passes nation’s first law to make big companies pay for the cost of recycling their packaging » Boston Globe

Massive re-do of Somerville’s Union Square set to break ground » Boston Globe

Jeff Bezos thanked every Amazon employee and customer ‘because you guys paid for all of this,’ prompting criticism » Boston Globe

People are finally returning to the office — and their desks feel like time capsules from March 2020 » Boston Globe

Rachel Lopez to chair North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors » Leominster Champion

Southwick petition for massive online car dealership withdrawn: Carvana pledges to look elsewhere » MassLive

Cannabis & Psychedelics

Labor judge rules Hanover cannabis dispensary violated federal law » Boston Business Journal

Civil Rights

Opinion: Radical and unyielding, Gloria Richardson’s activism cannot be erased » Boston Globe

Education

Mass Maritime training ship TS Kennedy involved in near-land strike » Fox 25 News

Should the COVID-19 vaccine be required for students, faculty, and staff at schools this fall? » Boston.com

Everyone Should Wear A Mask In Schools, Vaccinated Or Not, U.S. Pediatricians Say » WBUR

After a year of tensions with district leaders, Boston teachers propose new contract to improve working conditions » Boston Globe

Environment

Massachusetts gets hazy from wildfires out west: Unhealthy air quality alert should go away, but tornado risk on Wednesday » Boston Herald

Report Finds Ships Violating Speed Limits In New England, Increasing Risk To Right Whales » WBUR

Editorial: The heat is on cities — and it’s not going away » Boston Globe

Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez press Congress to work Civilian Climate Corps into final budget reconciliation bill » MassLive

Gaming

Poker Summit May Be In The Cards » State House News Service

Health Care

Rep. Kane receives award from rare disorders patient advocacy organization » Community Advocate

Albireo gets FDA, European approval for pediatric liver disease drug » Boston Business Journal

$26 billion settlement with opioid distributors, J&J expected to be announced in the next few days » Boston Globe

Southcoast Health to require COVID-19 vaccination for employees, providers and staff » South Coast Today

33 Test Positive For COVID-19 At Nursing Home In West Yarmouth » WBUR

Housing

‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’: Worcester celebrates new residential development that will expand footprint of Polar Park community with 228 market-rate units » MassLive

Human Services

Early education programs get financial boost from state » News 22 WWLP.com

Garlick elected chair of new disabilities commission » News 22 WWLP.com

Immigration

Budget provision sets standard on visa document » Commonwealth Magazine

Judiciary

Conditions at Springfield courthouse tied to poor health of employees; ‘sick building’ in need of immediate repairs » MassLive

A desire to serve: South Hadley native Andrew Covington making a name as a prosecutor » Gazette Net

Labor

Economic upheaval raises stakes around job training in Mass. » WHDH

Worker advocates blast state — again — for failing to protect workers from COVID » Boston Globe

AG Healey funds summer work for Lynn, Salem, and Peabody organizations » Lynn Daily News Item

Berkshire jobless rate ticks up for first time in six months » Berkshire Eagle

Retirement Credit Eyed to Pay Back Essential Public Workers » State House News Service

Local Government

Lowell Election Commission seeks to hire expert to subdivide districts for 2021 election » Lowell Sun

Haverhill Mayor Says He Supports Overhauling City’s Electoral System » WGBH

With federal aid, small towns keep it simple » Commonwealth Magazine

Politics

Charlie Baker’s Cape Cod fundraiser back on the books for September » Boston Herald

City council race: Deeqo Jibril running for District 4 » The Scope

Edwards, influential city councilor from East Boston, endorses Wu for mayor » Boston Globe

Public Health

Cape Cod is weathering a surge in COVID cases at the height of tourism season — including many among vaccinated people » Boston Globe

366 confirmed cases, 6 deaths, and 7,513 vaccinations. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass. » Boston Globe

Delta variant now makes up 83 percent of COVID-19 cases in US » Boston Globe

More than half of Mass. children ages 12 to 15 have received a COVID-19 shot, but push may have plateaued » Boston Globe

Ferriabough Bolling: Mask up – we’re not out of the COVID woods yet » Boston Herald

Massachusetts coronavirus cases rise 366, the highest single-day count since late May » Boston Herald

Harvard report: Pandemic affect on kids shows negative academic and social impacts » Boston Herald

Public Safety

Moratorium Bill Could Block Women’s Prison in Norfolk » State House News Service

Howie Carr: From lab scandal to pool death, a statie’s sad story » Boston Herald

Boston police emphasize de-escalation, disengagement in mental health calls » Boston Globe

Activists seek moratorium on prison construction » Commonwealth Magazine

State Government

Gov. Baker Urges Legislature To Quickly Spend Federal COVID Funds » WAMC

Economic experts back Massachusetts Legislature’s slow approach to spending federal coronavirus relief dollars » Boston Herald

Fall Hearings Underscore Go-Slow Rescue Act Approach » State House News Service

Legislative budget writer says Baker ignored law in spending plan » Commonwealth Magazine

Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway first registration deadline is Thursday » Boston Herald

How Mass. May Use Millions From Opioid Settlements » WBUR

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s $186 million ARPA investment leaves little for COVID variant response, top state Democrats say » MassLive

Lawmakers question Baker's plan to spend billions in federal funds » Boston Business Journal

Transportation

Tewksbury To Get Bridge And Road Repair Funds From State Bill » Tewksbury Patch

Karyn Polito announces over $6 million in funding for ‘Complete Streets’ program » Boston Herald

All lanes of I-93 south in Medford will reopen ‘at some point’ Wednesday, officials say » Boston Globe

What Would It Take for Boston to Become a Car-Free City? » Boston Magazine

CFO Anticipates Regional Transit Authority Funding Vote Soon » State House News Service

Seaplanes will finally launch from Boston Harbor in just a few weeks » Boston Globe

Western Massachusetts communities get grants for roadway, sidewalk safety » MassLive

Utilities

Feud between energy giants puts state’s climate goals at risk » Boston Globe

Press Releases

Weighted Lottery for Vocational HS Admissions is in effect; proposal to block this backed by vocational superintendents in the House budget was NOT included in the final House-Senate Conference Committtee » Vocational Education Justice Coalition

Brown Rudnick Advises Vor Bio in $125 million Global License Agreement with RemeGen for Ex-China Rights to Telitacicept » Brown Rudnick

Supreme Court Upholds Parental and Religious Rights in Landmark LGBTQ Storybook Ruling » Mass. Family Institute

93 Healthcare Professionals at BMC – Brighton File for Union Election to Join the Massachusetts Nurses Association, Citing Need for a Stronger Voice in Patient Care and Working Conditions » Mass. Nurses Association

Fenway Health Commends Supreme Court Braidwood Decision Preserving Access to PrEP & Other Preventive Care » Fenway Health

AFSCME’s Saunders on SCOTUS decision: We remain undeterred in our commitment to defend our freedoms and democracy » American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

Massachusetts RMV Program Initiatives and Staff Receive AAMVA Awards » Massachusetts Department of Transportation

AG Campbell Issues Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Trump v. CASA » Office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell

Trump Administration Terminates $45 Million to Protect Massachusetts Farms, Forests, Wetlands » Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

MassDOT Announces $6.8 Million Shared Streets & Spaces Program Awards » Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Highway Division

Mass NOW and MTPC’s Second Annual Trans Period Pride » Mass NOW

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