9:30am Mass. Gaming Commission Public Hearing, Via conference call

10:00am Joint Committee on Financial Services, Committee Hearing

11:00am Mass. School Building Authority Public Hearing, Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence Street, Lawrence

11:00am Joint Committee on Municipalities & Regional Government, Committee Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Judiciary, Committee Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Election Laws, Committee Hearing

7:00pm You've Got a Friend in Joe: An Evening Concert with James Taylor & President Joe Biden

Healey Gets, Signs Overdue $3.1 Billion Closeout Budget » State House News Service

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey takes on role electing female Democrats nationally » NBC News

Under Fire, CCC's O'Brien Appeals to Court Over Meeting Rules » State House News Service

Massachusetts Blues: A majority of voters in the Bay State favor progressive policies, but don’t get them » The American Prospect

Tax revenue will likely fall short of forecasts by more than half a billion » Boston Herald

Gov. Healey’s Office Ordered Takedown of MBTA Podcast, Emails Confirm » Streetsblog Mass.

Whistleblower allegation: Harvard muzzled disinfo team after $500 million Zuckerberg donation » AP News

DEI gaps persist at Boston-area biotechs » Axios

Judge dismisses lawsuit against Holden over defiance of MBTA housing law » Worcester Telegram

DOJ watchdog slams Rachael Rollins in scathing report to Congress » Boston Herald

Former state GOP head declares he is not a racist or a bigot, sues Baker-aligned Republicans he claims falsely said he is » Universal Hub

NH: A N.H. bridge illustrates the challenge of Biden campaigning on his infrastructure law » Boston Globe

CT: City’s storefront revitalization program gains national attention. Latest business to open offers sweet treats. » The Hartford Courant

NY: Top Democrat in Westchester files to challenge Rep. Jamaal Bowman » Washington Post

NJ: The Police Force Where Female Officers Warn Other Women to Stay Away » New York Times

IL: Pritzker says feds must ditch work fees for migrants » The Center Square

VA: Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney declares candidacy for governor » Richmond Dispatch

VA: What Virginia Democrats' proposed abortion rights constitutional amendment would do » Axios

FL: Florida court’s redistricting decision muddies waters for 2024 election » Orlando Sentinel

NC: New North Carolina congressional districts challenged in federal court on racial bias claims » AP News

FL: Florida GOP to consider discipline for party chair Ziegler accused of sexual battery » Orlando Sentinel

TX: Texas Republicans Reject Statement Against Associating With Nazis And Antisemites » HUFFPOST

CO: Slowing and uneven job growth in the 2024 forecast for Colorado » Axios

What Happened When the U.S. Failed to Prosecute an Insurrectionist Ex-President » The New Yorker

Opinion: A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending. » Washington Post

Liz Cheney—A GOP Congresswoman Until Last Year—Says Democrats Must Retake the House » Vanity Fair

Liz Cheney, outspoken Trump critic, weighs third-party presidential run » Washington Post

U.S. students' math scores plunge in global education assessment » Axios

Opponents of No Labels and other third-party presidential bids launch ads » Washington Post

Poll: Young voter enthusiasm plummets from 2019 » Axios

‘Plain historical falsehoods’: How amicus briefs bolstered Supreme Court conservatives » Politico

Democrats working on resolution condemning Hamas’ use of sexual violence » CNN

Eligible voters are being swept up in conservative activists' efforts to purge voter rolls » CBS News

Christie will join DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy on debate stage » Politico

Harvard, MIT presidents to testify on Capitol Hill over responses to the Israel-Hamas war » WBUR

Biden is spending most of the week raising money at events with James Taylor and Steven Spielberg » Boston Globe

Editorial: Some blunt advice, Mr. President, for today’s visit to Boston » Boston Herald

Battenfeld: Will Democrats accept 2024 election results if Trump wins? » Boston Herald

Grammy winner James Taylor is performing at a Boston fundraiser for President Biden » WGBH

Women are expected to hold as many seats on corporate boards as men in... 2044. We can do better. » Boston Globe

O'Brien Appeals To Be Judged Outside Of "Secret Proceeding" » State House News Service

O’Brien attorney calls charges against her laughable » Commonwealth Beacon

Robbins: Left’s bigotry unmasked in support of Hamas » Boston Herald

Prominent disinformation specialist files whistleblower complaint against Harvard » Boston Globe

A Fitchburg State professor’s new book traces the left-of-the-dial history of college radio » Boston Globe

Harvard Alumni Rebuke Its Israel Response With Mere $1 Donations » Bloomberg

Harvard, MIT, UPenn have ‘basically been the center’ of campus antisemitism, key GOP congresswoman claims ahead of hearing » Boston Globe

What costs $1,000 per student and might help children learn to read? » Boston Globe

Prominent disinformation specialist files whistle-blower complaint against Harvard » Boston Globe

Montigny wants UMD to spend unused Star Store funds on students. Here's his idea. » South Coast Today

These Massachusetts unsafe dams will be removed » News 22 WWLP.com

New $25 million Massachusetts dam removal project backed by ARPA bucks to kick off in Pittsfield » WAMC

DraftKings CEO, CFO sold combined $60M worth of stock shares in November » Boston Business Journal

Kerrigan: How PBMs are hurting local pharmacies » Boston Herald

Home health test consolidation sees Imaware buy Binx assets » Axios

Lawsuit over Mass. town not following state housing law thrown out by judge » MassLive

Newton council passes scaled-back plan to allow more multifamily housing in some areas » Boston Globe

Danvers ZBA approves Route 1 trailer park expansion fought by neighbors » Salem News

American Freedmen Commission for Cambridge is called historic action by descendants of slaves » Cambridge Day

The tents are gone from 'Mass. and Cass,' but concerns about care remain » WBUR

State leaders look for new ways to improve living conditions in Western Massachusetts » Western Mass News

Opinion: The migrant crisis is a problem for Democrats and Republicans are happy to exploit it » Boston Globe

Democrats push through migrant funding » Newburyport News

Saugus migrant population on the decline » Lynn Daily News Item

25 Investigates: Norfolk DA pushing back on federal probe of Karen Read Case » Fox 25 News

Boston police union approves new contract agreement » Boston Globe

College students at Smith, Mount Holyoke joining union wave » Gazette Net

Cambridge street signs to include Indigenous translations » Boston Globe

Boston city councilor rejects opposing panel on immigrant voting rights proposal, Republican leader says » Boston Herald

A biker’s crash on a publicly maintained road brings a hard-earned lesson on the limits of municipal law » Boston Globe

Amherst taking feedback on CDBG money » Gazette Net

NJ: Part-time officials, full-time perks » NJ.com

Online therapy for students has skyrocketed at U.S. schools » MassLive

Mass. families watch as Supreme Court questions Sackler shield in Purdue’s opioid settlement » Boston Globe

'There are ambulance deserts here.' What happens when a broken economic model puts emergency services at risk in Berkshire County? » Berkshire Eagle

Backers say safe injection sites prevent fatal overdoses. Massachusetts’ path is legally fraught » MassLive

Massachusetts Medical Society an unequivocal ‘yes’ on overdose prevention centers (Commentary) » MassLive

Medford rolls out body-worn camera program for police » MassLive

Mass lawmakers urged to upgrade child safety restraints: keep tots in rear-facing seats » Worcester Telegram

Police stun gun use continues to decline » Salem News

Editorial: Tackling the scourge of ghost guns, preventing the next tragedy a must in 2024 » Boston Globe

Shots fired: Normalizing crime in Boston » Boston Globe

Boston police recommit to solving murder of Rita Hester, whose death inspired Transgender Day of Remembrance » WGBH

Breaking logjam, Mass. House Democrats send year-end budget to state Senate » MassLive

Mass. lawmakers pass, Healey signs $3 billion spending bill, ending days-long standoff over migrant shelters » Boston Globe

Mass. Gov. Healey signs $3.1B budget bill; Bay State residents react » MassLive

Healey signs overdue $3.1B closeout budget » WGBH

New Revenue Forecasts May Leave State Budget Gap » State House News Service

Healey signs budget bill that includes money for overflow shelter site, union contracts » Boston Herald

The Legislature passed a bill funding migrant shelters and bargained pay raises. Gov. Maura Healey signed it into law » Berkshire Eagle

Massachusetts Democrats pass $3.1 billion budget after failed attempts » Axios

Healey Back From Phoenix With DGA Leadership Role » State House News Service

Middlesex tops Massachusetts counties in electric vehicle use » Axios

Vineyard Wind developer taps state offshore champion as CEO » E&E News

Vineyard Offshore names Alicia Barton as new CEO » Boston Business Journal

Wind developer Vineyard Offshore hires Alicia Barton to lead expansion » Boston Globe

Social Media Spotlight

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GBH News Climate change is coming for Massachusetts’ coast. Here’s the state’s new plan to protect it WCVB Channel 5 Boston Will hearing for CCC's O'Brien go forward as planned?

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Podcast Spotlight

WBUR The Common: $250 million for the state's family shelter system NPR Up First: Ex-Ambassador Charged As Agent, Houthi Attack, Nelson Mandela's Death Anniversary

Pioneer Institute Study Finds Massachusetts Saw Four-Fold Loss of Income to Net Outmigration » Pioneer Institute

Small Business Saturday to Kick off Free Parking at Select Locations on Saturdays Through Dc. 28 to Promote Local Engagement » City of Worcester

The Mass Leads Act Gains Momentum: Extending Permits and Offering Protections for Developers » Bowditch & Dewey

MTA statement on implementing new high-school graduation requirement » Massachusetts Teachers Association

MMA webinar covers key legal issues related to holiday displays » Mass. Municipal Association

Resident Charged with Arson in Apartment Complex Fire » MA Department of Fire Services

Critical Drought Declared Across Massachusetts » MA Department of Fire Services

Healey-Driscoll Administration, UMass Lowell and Boston University Launch New Initiative to Advance Clean Energy and Build Geothermal Workforce » MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Governor Healey Signs Executive Order Granting State Recognition to Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe » Office of Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll

MSA Honors Individuals at 2024 Law Enforcement & Corrections Awards Ceremony » Mass. Sheriffs’ Association