Must-Reads
Massachusetts
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Interim, or indefinite? No end in sight to Phil Eng’s double duty
Commonwealth Magazine
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ADUs in Mass. are off to a slow start. Here's how the state is looking to pick up the pace
WBUR
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In the No. 1 state for public education, this is one of the worst-performing school districts
Boston Globe
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Report finds DCF mistakenly closed Worcester family's case before death of 4-year-old girl
Worcester Telegram
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Worcester doesn’t have enough supermarkets. Some people blame the city’s tax rate.
WGBH
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A ‘revolving door of suffering’: Climate disasters by the numbers in Massachusetts
Boston Globe
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Boston City Council approves new property tax rates after state Senate again snubs Wu’s tax shift proposal
Boston Globe
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Mass. courts weigh AI efficiency, ethics angles
Commonwealth Magazine
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Annual state budgets now just a starting point for spending
State House News Service
National
Tariffs have cost US households $1,200 each since Trump returned to the White House, Democrats say
Boston Globe
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All the Musicians Who Have Told Donald Trump to Stop Using Their Music (This Term)
Vanity Fair
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How a Manosphere Star Accused of Rape and Trafficking Was Freed
New York Times
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Fox News caught avoiding camera angles that would expose Trump's tiny crowds: analyst
The Raw Story
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Why Republicans Lose Every Healthcare Debate
The Free Press
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Top Lobbyists 2025
The Hill
Today on Beacon Hill
9:00am
Health Connector Authority Board Meeting
Via YouTube
9:00am
Health Connector Board Meeting
Via YouTube
9:30am
MassAbility Performance Recognition Program
Great Hall, State House, Boston
10:00am
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC) Meeting
100 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Conference Room A, Boston and via Zoom
10:00am
Cannabis Control Commission Public Meeting
Union Station, 2 Washington Square, Worcester and via Teams
10:00am
Public Health Effects of Xylazine
Virtual Hearing
10:00am
Accessible Housing Commission Meeting
Via Zoom
11:00am
House Informal Session
House Chamber
11:00am
Senate Informal Session
Senate Chamber
11:45am
Mass. National Guard Birthday
Memorial Hall & Nurses Hall, State House, Boston
3:00pm
Joint Committee on Municipalities & Regional Government: Committee Hearing
Written Testimony Only
4:00pm
Senate Committee on Ways & Means: Committee Hearing
Written Testimony Only
Quote of the Day
“What’s important is what MWRA does to clean up the Charles, not what official category it’s assigned to.”
The Globe argues the debate over the river’s label misses the point: what matters is the MWRA’s actual cleanup work. They say progress comes from reducing pollution and upgrading infrastructure, not defending a particular water-quality designation.
News by Category
Beltway Politics
Business
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Open AI, Microsoft face lawsuit over ChatGPT's alleged role in Connecticut murder-suicide
WBUR
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Charlemont’s Berkshire East recognized by U.S. Rep. Neal as model for economic recovery
Daily Hampshire Gazette
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A farm may not grow in Westwood
Boston Globe
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US stats agencies need ‘immediate’ help to do their job, report says
Boston Globe
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Faneuil Hall badly needs a makeover. Two visions have emerged for how to pull it off.
Boston Globe
Cannabis
Civil Rights
Education
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Larry Summers’ wife — a powerful Harvard professor — tapped Jeffrey Epstein and Woody Allen to boost her poetry project
Boston Globe
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Rümeysa Öztürk can return to research at Tufts after judge orders reinstatement of student immigration record
Boston.com
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Harvard Sells Brighton Mills Property for $39 Million
The Harvard Crimson
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Two years since conservatives took over a liberal arts college, what’s been lost — and gained
MassLive
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Healey announces funding for food education
Western Mass News
Environment
Gaming
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Massachusetts Commercial Casino Revenue Increases
This Week in Worcester
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Treasurer Deb Goldberg opposes iGaming in Massachusetts
Athol Daily News
Health Care
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UMass Memorial Health approved to bring first proton beam to Central Mass.
Worcester Business Journal
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Boston Children’s Hospital plans new $640m pediatric psychiatric hospital with historic Hale donation
Boston Globe
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Boston Medical Center officer stabbed outside hospital, in critical condition: Boston Police
Boston Herald
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State council approves UMass Memorial to buy $54 million proton beam for cancer care
Worcester Telegram
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Boston Children's Hospital plans $640M psychiatric expansion
Axios
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Report: Massachusetts uninsured rate rises to 2.1%
State House News Service
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Primary care spending proposal sets the stage for legislative action in 2026
Commonwealth Magazine
Housing
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Massachusetts Governor Healey Champions Affordable Housing with New ADU Initiatives
Hoodline
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Small-Scale Massachusetts Landlords Join Rent Fight
The Latino Newsletter
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Mass. issues housing contest: Design your own granny flat and win $20K
MassLive
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Boston city councilors weigh eliminating all parking requirements for residential developments
Boston Business Journal
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Healey touts ADUs to expand housing options
The Eagle Tribune
Human Services
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Timeline: Before Worcester girl's death, DCF had ample warnings of neglect
Worcester Telegram
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Anderson: Myths that keep veterans from benefits
Boston Herald
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The case of a Worcester father charged with murdering his child reveals a critical lack of standards at DCF, state report finds
Boston Globe
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Understaffed DTA faces steep SNAP penalty risks
State House News Service
Immigration
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The Globe uncovered new details about the ICE detention of Rümeysa Öztürk. Here are takeaways.
Boston Globe
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Dedham pastor has rebelled against an archbishop before. Now it’s Richard Henning’s turn.
Boston Globe
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Progressive groups to hold ‘ICE Tea Party’ protesting Trump immigration crackdown
Boston Globe
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Activist Groups Plan 'Boston ICE Tea Party' Protest
New Boston Post
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Woman hospitalized, illegal immigrant in ICE custody after horrific hit-and-run
Boston Herald
Judiciary
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Two judicial nominees confirmed, two others emerge
StateHouse News Service
Labor
Local Government
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Hatfield voters approve budget corrections, balancing $14.91M spending plan
Daily Hampshire Gazette
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Millions in aid flowing again to Holyoke, while council spars over opaque finances
MassLive
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Worcester City Council sets tax rates; chooses lowest residential level
Worcester Telegram
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Quincy residents anxiously wait for how much new tax bill will be
Patriot Ledger
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Editorial: Clock ticking on Wu’s release of White Stadium taxpayer cost
Boston Herald
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Amid feedback from businesses, Whately opts for single tax rate
Daily Hampshire Gazette
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‘Make our schools a priority’: South Hadley grapples with looming $3M deficit
Daily Hampshire Gazettte
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Amherst council adopts housing plan, but splits on urging UMass to add more on-campus dorms
Daily Hampshire Gazette
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Michelle Wu promised an updated cost estimate for White Stadium ‘this calendar year.’ Now it’s looking like 2026.
Boston Globe
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Boston City Council backs calls for Mayor Michelle Wu to provide updated cost for White Stadium
Boston Herald
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Cities and towns seeking more flexibility on property tax increases
WGBH
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Battenfeld: Time to scrub Michelle Wu’s unchecked spending
Boston Herald
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Boston city councilor demands White Stadium cost update from mayor amid budget crunch
Boston Herald
Politics
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‘I love when my enemies hate me’: how Hasan Piker became one of the biggest voices on the US left
The Guardian
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Is the Wu administration squeezing millions from half-empty office towers with jacked-up tax assessments? | Emily Rooney teams up with Contrarian Boston to revive "Beat the Press" |
Contrarian Boston
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A Congressional candidate said he’d collaborate with a brewery in a new way to raise cash. Experts say that may be illegal.
Boston Globe
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Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial candidates weigh possibility of a primary debate
Union Bulletin
Public Health
Public Safety
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Suffolk Sheriff Tompkins seeks to dismiss seized emails in US extortion case
Boston Globe
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Moving up: 12 promoted at Worcester Police Department
Worcester Telegram
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Downtown New Bedford stores feel safe by day, wary by night. Here's why.
South Coast Today
State Finance
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Annual state budgets now just a starting point for spending
State House News Service
Taxation
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Boston tax fight: Is it personal between Wu and Spilka?
Boston Globe
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Tariffs have cost US households $1,200 each since Trump returned to the White House, Democrats say
Boston Globe
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Hingham Select Board Endorses Single Tax Rate
South Shore News
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Boston City Council sets property tax rates, effectively approving 13% residential hike
WBUR
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Boston City Council votes to set tax rates, homeowners to see 13% tax increase
Boston Herald
Transportation
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Lawmakers Say Infrastructure Needs More Funding, and Congestion Pricing Should Be On the Table
StreetsBlog
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Citing improvements, judge ends oversight of MBTA accessibility
WBUR
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MBTA has nearly met accessibility upgrades required in historic settlement: Here’s what’s different than when the T was sued
MassLive
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The Commuter Rail has made big gains. Advocates still think it could be better.
WGBH
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‘Much, much better’: Disabled MBTA riders see a new T 20 years after suing for change
WGBH
Utilities
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Eversource bill charges explained as customers question rising costs
Western Mass News
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‘Windmills are a disgrace’: Inside Trump’s war against a growing U.S. industry
Politico
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Rising electric bills lead to state scrutiny — but little relief for residents
Stateline.org
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Editorial: The MWRA’s tricky balancing act
Boston Globe
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Federal court ruling restart blocked MA offshore wind. 'No question'
Cape Cod Times
Press Releases
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Mayor Michelle Wu Announces city's Preservation of 16 Affordable Apartments in Roslindale and Celebrates Major Investment in Boston Acquisition Fund
City of Boston
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ICYMI: Pressley Convenes Freed Allston Car Wash Workers and Families Harmed by ICE Raid
Office of Congresswoman Alana Pressley
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REPORT: Solar and Storage Could Provide More than $313 Million per Year in Consumer Savings by 2030, Cut Gas Use, and Strengthen Winter Reliability
Solar Energy Industries Association
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Fall River Woman Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts
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Treasurer Goldberg Announces $98.8 million in Grants for 59 Municipal Water Projects at the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees December Meeting
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
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Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $1.8 Million to Build Talent Pipeline for Early Childhood Educators in Massachusetts
Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
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AG Campbell Announces Instructions For Consumers To Receive Restitution From $700 Million Google Settlement
Office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell
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Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $10 Million to Expand Regional Transit Service Across Massachusetts and New England
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
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AG Campbell Secures Court Victory Preventing Trump Administration From Unlawfully Cutting Billions In Disaster Preparedness Funding
Office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell
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Healey-Driscoll Administration Expands Veteran Suicide Prevention Efforts with Statewide Lethal Means Safety Training
Mass. Executive Office of Veterans Services