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Today on Beacon Hill

8:30am Breakfast for Sen. Julian Cyr with Senate President Karen Spilka

9:30am Governor's Council Assembly, Governor's Council Chamber, Room 360, State House

10:00am Providers Council Human Services Rally, Great Hall, State House, Boston

10:00am Senate Session, Full Formal Session

11:00am House Session, Full Formal Session
Must-Reads
MASSACHUSETTS

‘A sobering statistic’: The typical house here now costs $950,000 » Boston Globe

'Prepare for all scenarios': Mass. businesses brace for federal ban on noncompetes » WBUR

Is Josh Kraft mulling a run for mayor? Many Boston political insiders seem to think so. » Boston Globe

Female inmates sue over jail relocations » The Eagle Tribune

Uxbridge voted against funding its schools; here’s what happens next » MassLive

MBTA Needs Control Board Again, GOP Leader Says » State House News Service

State Reports Decline In Chronically Absent Students » State House News Service

13 Mass. municipalities and 1 university use ShotSpotter. Critics wonder: Is it worth it? » WGBH

School-based mental health work gets $13M boost » NBC Boston

In Budget Or Health Bill, Tarr Seeks Steward Special Counsel » State House News Service

THE OTHER 49

VA: ‘How do you get hypothermia in a prison?’ Records show hospitalizations among Virginia inmates » AP News

GA: Fani Willis and presiding judge in Trump Georgia case win elections » Washington Post

FL: TV meteorologist blasts Florida’s new law that deleted most references to climate change » CNN

FL: DeSantis’s ‘Freedom Summer’ means no rainbow lights for Florida bridges » Washington Post

LA: Louisiana House passes bill making abortion pills controlled substances » Washington Post

AZ: 16 group home contracts not renewed, impacting hundreds in Arizona foster care » AZ Family

CA: California is on track for another record year spent on lobbyists » Cal Matters

CA: Fong elected to fill McCarthy’s seat in California » Roll Call

OR: Maxine Dexter, Backed By Super PACs And Pro-Israel Donors, Wins Oregon House Race » Huffington Post

WA: How reclassifying marijuana could impact Washington state » Axios

NY: Adams administration to bring Medicare Advantage push before N.Y.’s top court » NY Daily News

NJ: Minority motorists still face racial profiling by N.J. State Police despite reforms, watchdog says » NJ.com

NATIONAL

Inside the DNC strategy for Trump VPs » Axios

Biden blasts Trump's "unified Reich" video: "That's Hitler's language" » Axios

Dozens of House Democrats urge Alito to recuse himself from Jan. 6 cases » The Hill

Behind the alarming rise in US gun suicides among youth of color » The Guardian

Trump email falsely says Biden was ‘locked & loaded’ to ‘take me out’ in Mar-a-Lago search » Washington Post

The Alitos’ Monty Hall Problem » The Bulwark

Dems hammer Netanyahu for Gaza strategy: ‘Screwing his own people’ » The Hill

Ivanka Trump looks like the comeback kid – and we should all be afraid » The Guardian

5 takeaways from primaries in Georgia, Oregon and Kentucky » The Hill

"The House has yet to take up Senate-approved bills tackling prescription drug prices, the early education and care sector, competitive electric supply companies, home fuel leak insurance coverage, and automobile sales. The Senate, meanwhile, is sitting on legislation that already cleared the House reforming the long-term care sector, imposing new health care cost controls and hospital oversight, and allowing employees to take paid time off to vote in elections. Then there's the quartet of bills that have already won approval in both chambers, but since fallen into the void of closed-door House-Senate negotiations, and other measures that are likely to emerge but still exist only in the realm of ideas, like new climate and clean energy legislation. Adding up all of those bills laid out here produces a no-doubt incomplete list of 21 major pieces of legislation that still need more legislative action to hit Healey's desk. Did we mention there's exactly 10 weeks left until the end of formal sessions for the term? You can do the math on the pace that will be required."

Chris Lisinski, State House News Service

The legislature continues the tradition of procrastination, with a number of critical bills yet to be taken up with only 10 weeks of formal sessions left.
News By Category
Beltway Politics

President Biden in N.H. touts expanded VA benefits: ‘We leave no veteran behind’ » Boston Globe

Moore: Bidenomics 2.0 a scary scenario » Boston Herald

Business

Lender that charged sky-high interest rates on short-term loans agrees to exit Mass. » Boston Globe

Meet Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton, which now owns Putnam Investments » Boston Globe

Lyra cuts 75% of staff, looks to sublease Waltham, Watertown facilities » Boston Business Journal

Cannabis & Psychedelics

Could Martha’s Vineyard run out of weed? » Boston Globe

Pot laws are a buzzkill on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket » Boston Globe

Editorial: Weed shortage coming to Martha’s Vineyard » Boston Globe

Nantucket And Vineyard Dispensaries Join Forces In Lawsuit Fighting State Cannabis Regs » Nantucket Current

Civil Rights

‘This is a marathon, not a sprint’: For Boston reparations task force, redress is a work in progress » Boston Globe

Education

Staff at this Mass. elementary school express no-confidence in their principal » MassLive

Parents of campus activists speak out » WGBH

Herman signs on as Amherst-Pelham Regional superintendent » Gazette Net

Boston Public Schools makes uneven progress under 2-year-old state improvement plan » Boston Globe

Siggins: Debt-free college should be the goal » Boston Herald

Outraged by Brown’s threats of discipline over protests, some professors call for reform » WBUR

State reports decline in chronically absent students » WBUR

Environment

State kicks in $1.7M for Salisbury Beach project » Newburyport News

My Turn: Quabbin bill a bid for ‘more just future for our region’ » The Recorder

Woburn startup Gradiant has new tech to zap ‘forever chemicals’ » Boston Globe

Lenox leaders demand an improved disposal site for PCB toxins removed during Rest of River cleanup » Berkshire Eagle

Federal

A big survey asked Americans about their finances. Here are some trouble spots » WBUR

Gaming

Sports Betting Companies Balk At Discussing Limits On Bettors » State House News Service

Health Care

Baystate Health pitches plan for big regional health center » Gazette Net

Protesters at rally at Baystate hospital highlight plight of health care in Gaza, call out Neal, American Medical Association » Gazette Net

Ombudsman tapped to monitor care at Steward’s hospitals in Mass., elsewhere as bankruptcy case proceeds » MassLive

Housing

Mass. Home Sales Spring To Life In April » State House News Service

Addressing housing crisis: $98M overhaul to Great Brook Valley block breaks ground Tuesday » Worcester Telegram

Cape Cod shelter proposal leaves residents in the dust amid Massachusetts migrant crisis » Boston Herald

Opinion: Real estate tax knocks. Is nobody home at the State House? » Boston Globe

Our Opinion: The conversations that should shape state's housing plan » Berkshire Eagle

Human Services

Mass. House Poised To Pass Veterans Bill » State House News Service

Labor

‘There are no jobs’: PhD graduates struggle to build careers in academia » Boston Globe

Opinion: Not buying the industry line on fast-food wages » Boston Globe

Uber, Lyft drivers rally in Attleboro in support of ballot question to keep them independent » The Sun Chronicle

Legislative

Legislative Breakfast mobilizes local leaders, nonprofits » The Somerville Times

Local Government

Petitioned article draws many Wellfleet town meeting voters to microphone. What to know. » Cape Cod Times

‘A huge loss for the town’: For first time in two decades, no women are on Brookline’s Select Board » Brookline News

Minor, Kuhnlenz to fill two open spots on Belchertown Select Board » Gazette Net

Labonte wins tight Select Board race in Granby » Gazette Net

Russian hacker posted Lowell’s data from 2023 attack » Lowell Sun

Politics

Voters Losing Confidence in Direction of Massachusetts and Gov. Healey » WBSM

Editorial: Maura Healey poisons progress » Boston Herald

Pro-Palestine protestors picket outside Biden presidential motorcade, Seaport fundraiser » Boston Herald

Public Health

Governor Maura Healey to visit New Bedford to highlight mental health services » ABC 6

Gov. Healey announces new funding for student mental health program » WHDH

Public Safety

Federal judge dismisses dueling lawsuits by embattled Springfield cop Gregg Bigda and city » MassLive

Boston mayor, police seek to curb summer spike in gun violence » Boston Herald

Mayor Wu kicks off city's plan to mitigate community violence this summer » WBUR

Migrant accused of raping disabled girl at Massachusetts shelter has been indicted » Boston Herald

Mayor Wu kicks off city's plan to mitigate community violence this summer » WBUR

Taxation

Report: Boston Mayor Wu’s plan to increase commercial tax rates is bad for business » Boston Herald

Transportation

MeVa to expand services with $1.9M grant » The Eagle Tribune

How 'congestion pricing' would work in Boston » Boston Globe

MBTA bets on the future of Boston-area ferry service » Axios

Tibbits-Nutt Revenue Ideas Panned In Poll » State House News Service

How to pay for the East Boston ferry » Axios

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Recipe of the Week

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1/2 pound (225g) asparagus, cut on a bias into 2-inch pieces

1/4 pound shelled fava beans (about 1 cup; 120g)

1/4 pound shelled English peas (about 1 cup; 120g)

1/2 pound sugar snap peas (about 2 cups; 225g), split in half on a sharp bias

3 tablespoons (45ml) vegetable oil, divided

1/4 pound morel mushrooms (1 cup; 120g), trimmed and split in half lengthwise

6 whole árbol or Chinese hot dried chiles

2 teaspoons (4g) ground Sichuan peppercorns

1/4 cup pitted black olives (about 3 ounces; 80g), minced

4 scallions, white and green parts only, finely minced (about 2 ounces; 55g)

3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1/2 ounce; 10g)

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (about 1/2 ounce; 10g)

2 tablespoons (30ml) Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce

2 tablespoons (10g) finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons (10g) finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until bright green but still crisp, about 45 seconds. Use a fine-mesh strainer to transfer to a bowl of cold water. Cook fava beans, then peas, then sugar snap peas in succession until each is bright green but still crisp, transferring each batch of vegetables to cold water as they cook. Remove skins from fava beans and discard. Carefully drain all vegetables and transfer to a paper towel–lined tray to dry.

Heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add morels and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until browned on multiple surfaces, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Add another tablespoon vegetable oil to wok and heat over high heat until lightly smoking. Add green vegetables and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until vegetables are blackened in spots and tender, about 90 seconds. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms.

Heat final tablespoon oil in wok over high heat until shimmering. Add dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns and cook until aromatic, about 10 seconds. Add olives, scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return mushrooms and vegetables to wok along with Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Add cilantro and mint. Toss to combine and cook for 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to serving platter and serve immediately.

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