Massachusetts News & Current Events

Lawmakers and environmental groups celebrate creation of the American Climate Corps. It's part of the Biden administration's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been overburdened by pollution. (Office of Sen. Ed Markey)

Monday, September 25, 2023

Lawmakers, youth activists celebrate creation of American Climate Corps

A new federal jobs program aims to mobilize tens of thousands of young Americans to address the growing threats of climate change. The American …

The Massachusetts community action agency Citizens for Citizens prepares to distribute the first shipment of diapers and other necessary supplies to low-income families through the federal government's first diaper distribution pilot program. (MASSCAP)

Diaper Pilot Program Aims to Keep Families Healthy, Working

Massachusetts groups will be part of a new federal pilot program to help low-income families ensure they have the diapers they need to keep both babie…

The 2023 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows 31% of Latino children and 18% of African-American children in Massachusetts live in poverty, compared to 7% of white children.<br />(Adobe Stock)

MA Part of Growing State Movement for Expanded Tax Credits

Massachusetts is on track to become the eighteenth state this year to enact targeted tax credits to help alleviate childhood poverty. New polling …

Media experts say to avoid being duped by disinformation, double and even triple check the source of a story, and then try to find this information elsewhere in other reputable places, like mainstream news outlets. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Tech Companies Scale Back Efforts to Control Election Disinformation

Introduced federal legislation aims to counter the growing threat of election disinformation as social media platforms scale back efforts to control i…

When voters sit down and talk to each other about electoral reform, their support for ranked-choice voting increases to nearly 60%, both for state primary and general elections, according to a poll by Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab. (Adobe Stock)

Boston Joins National Ranked-Choice Voting Movement

The push for ranked-choice voting is gaining momentum in cities across the country, including Boston - where organizers say it will help increase …

High school graduation rates in Massachusetts increased in the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022, which did not have to pass the MCAS due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Citizens for Public Schools. (Adobe Stock)

Parents, Educators Urge End to MCAS Graduation Requirement

Parents and educators in Massachusetts are joining forces to end the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) high school graduation requi…

Because of increased revenues in the recently passed state budget, many public school districts across Massachusetts will see the minimum aid per student double from $30 to $60. (Adobe Stock)

MA Lawmakers Approve Tuition Equity for Undocumented Students

Students won big in the recently approved Massachusetts state budget. Lawmakers approved an additional $150 million in financial aid for students …

Families receiving advanced Child Tax Credit payments were nearly three times more likely to catch up on rent after falling behind early in the pandemic, according to the group Children's HealthWatch. (Adobe Stock)

MA Lawmakers Work to Enhance Tax Credits for Working Families

As state lawmakers in Massachusetts debate the final details of tax legislation, community groups are urging them to include refundable tax credits …

All We Can Save Circles is a conversation initiative created by Katharine Wilkinson, who co-edited an anthology book of the same name. (Hell's Backbone Grill/Instagram)

Conversation Groups Spring Up about Climate Change

By Katherine Rapin for Nexus Media News.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for Commonwealth News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Netwo…

Americans' confidence in higher education has fallen to 36%, compared to 48% in 2018, with the rising cost of education likely a significant factor, according to a new Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Affordability Limits Higher Ed Access in MA as Public Confidence Declines

Advocates for higher education in Massachusetts say increasing costs and limited amounts of financial aid prevent too many deserving students from ear…

The costs of employing a dental therapist are about a third to a half that of a dentist, making hiring them an affordable way to treat more low-income and uninsured patients, according to the National Partnership for Dental Therapy. (Adobe Stock)

Dental Therapy Movement in MA Aims to Address Health Equity

More than 300,000 people in Massachusetts lack access to proper dental care, and health advocates said increasing the number of licensed dental …

An analysis of eight U.S. cities found that between 21% and 38% of 911 calls are related to mental health, substance use, homelessness and other quality-of-life concerns, all matters advocates said could be better addressed by people other than police. (Adobe Stock)

MA Considers Unarmed Response Units for Mental Health 911 Calls

Community groups in Massachusetts are calling for an end to armed police response to mental health-related 911 calls. The majority of calls are for …

Rates of severe maternal morbidity for people with disabilities -- including intellectual, vision, and mobility-related disabilities -- were found to be significantly higher between 2011 and 2020 than those for people without disabilities, according to the Department of Public Health. (Adobe Stock)

Report Shows Steep Decline in MA Maternal Health

Racial and gender inequities in Massachusetts have contributed to a steep decline in maternal health, according to a new report. The Department of …

Researchers say access to driver's licenses helps ensure the health of immigrants and other communities. California, for example, saw an 18% increase in registered organ donors the year it started licensing drivers without status. (Adobe Stock)

Undocumented Immigrants in MA Allowed License to Drive

Undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts are now able to apply for a driver's license regardless of their immigration status. The Work and Family …

The federal civil rights complaint filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights states that nearly 70% of Harvard's donor-related and legacy applicants are white, and they receive a substantial admissions boost based on their status. (Adobe Stock)

Civil Rights Complaint Challenges Practice of Harvard Legacy Admissions

Following the Supreme Court's decision to end race-based affirmative action, a Boston-based civil rights group is working to end the practice of …

The cost of free public higher education for Massachusetts has been estimated to be between $1 billion and $1.6 billion per yearm but advocates note that increased public higher education spending also leads to increased tax revenues and savings in state spending programs. (Adobe Stock)

Higher Ed Advocates: Cherish Act Could Help Counter Supreme Court Decisions

Education advocates in Massachusetts say state lawmakers could help counter the Supreme Court's recent decisions to end affirmative action and student…

Legislatures in 14 states have introduced bills this year that would implement ranked-choice voting. New York City had its first election using ranked-choice voting in 2021. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br /><br />

Empower Act in MA Extends Voting Rights, Allows for Ranked Voting

Legislation dubbed the Empower Act in Massachusetts would allow municipalities to lower the voting age and use ranked choice voting for local election…

Burning wood releases fine particulate matter, which is easily inhaled and can lodge deep in the lungs, where it can cause chronic heart and lung disease and trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Bills Aim to Close Biomass Loopholes in MA Clean Energy Laws

Environmental and community health advocates in Massachusetts are backing new legislation they say will close loopholes in the state's clean energy la…

A new report finds the 11 private colleges and universities of western Massachusetts alone contribute $3.3 billion annually to the regional economy, and are often the largest single employer and procurer of goods and services in many communities. (Adobe Stock)

Study Reveals Impact of Private Colleges, Universities on MA Economy

Private colleges and universities across Massachusetts have a more than $70 billion annual impact on the Commonwealth, according to a new report…

The child care crisis is costing the American economy $122 billion a year in lost earnings, productivity and tax revenue and putting great stress on parents, according to a new report. (Adobe Stock)

Inaccessible, Unaffordable Child Care Hurts MA Families

Massachusetts ranks first in the nation for education and children's health but a lack of quality child care poses great challenges for families…

Nearly 80% of Education Support Professionals have college degrees, and many carry large amounts of student debt, according to the Massachusetts Teachers Association. They are bargaining to ensure they can pay off their debt and climb the education career ladder. (Adobe Stock)

Education Support Professionals Create 'Bill of Rights' for Better Pay

Support staff in public schools across Massachusetts have created a "Bill of Rights" to help them organize for better pay and benefits. Known as …

Research shows children who live in households that receive the Earned Income Tax Credit have better school performance, greater college enrollment and increased work and income in adulthood. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Push for 'Tax Fairness' with Expanded Child Tax Credits

As Massachusetts lawmakers work to finalize tax-relief measures, advocates for low-income families are calling for an expansion of tax credits proven …

Physical inactivity in adults age 65 and older in fair or better health increased 6% between 2018 and 2021, according to United Healthcare's 2023 Senior Report. (Adobe Stock)

MA Makes Top Ten List of States for Senior Healthy Living

Massachusetts ranks tenth in the nation when it comes to healthy senior living, according to a new report. United Healthcare's 2023 Senior Report …

Fewer than half of transition-age young people received one or more of the federally funded foster-care services meant to prepare them for success as adults between 2013 and 2021, according to a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Fewer Youth Transition Out of MA Foster Care System

The number of children transitioning out of the foster care system has dropped significantly in Massachusetts, according to a new report. The number …

In a Pew Research Center survey, 57% of Americans cited reducing the budget deficit as a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year. That's up from 45% a year ago. (Adobe Stock)

MA Activists Urge Congress to Raise Debt Ceiling, Resist Spending Cuts

Local activists will rally in Boston Common tomorrow to urge Congress to lift the debt ceiling without cuts to social programs in return. President …

Community action agencies help families with housing assistance in Massachusetts, where a critical shortage of affordable rental homes often forces low-income households to forgo other necessities<br />such as healthy food and medical care to pay the rent. (Adobe Stock)

Community Action Month Honors Agencies Across Commonwealth

Community action agencies in the Commonwealth are working with state lawmakers to ensure funding of their work to alleviate poverty continues…

For every suicide death, it's estimated there are at least six survivors. The Zero Suicide Institute trains hospital staff to teach family members of people at risk how to detect and prevent suicide once a patient leaves the hospital. (Adobe Stock)

Hospitals Collaborate on Suicide Prevention, Treatment

Cambridge Health Alliance of Massachusetts is joining a new nationwide network of hospitals collaborating on suicide prevention. Research shows …

Researchers are studying how social media use relates to anxiety and depression through feelings of inadequacy relative to

Children's Advocates Applaud Kids Online Safety Act

Federal legislation aimed at protecting children and teens online has gained the support of leading advocates for children's health and privacy…

Elementary students who spend more than two hours a day on screens are more likely to have emotional, social and attention problems, while students who have screens in their bedrooms tend to perform worse on academic tests than do those who do not. (Adobe Stock)

Screen-Free Week Challenges Families to Power Down, Reconnect

Starting today, families throughout Massachusetts will swap their digital entertainment for the annual challenge of "Screen-Free Week." The global …

Educators in Massachusetts support passage of the Thrive Act, which would remove high-stakes testing requirements for graduation, end state takeover of public school districts with low test scores, and allow districts to create alternative assessment systems. (Adobe Stock)

MA Educators Rally for Passage of the Cherish Act

Hundreds of advocates for higher education will gather in Springfield today, where they will lobby in support of what they call a transformative …

Democratic lawmakers are calling for term limits to ensure each president has the opportunity to appoint the same number of Supreme Court justices each term, in an effort to make the high court more democratically representative. (Adobe Stock)

MA Lawmakers Call for Expansion of U.S. Supreme Court

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress are calling for an expansion of the U.S. Supreme Court due to what they said are "ethical lapses" and "partisan …

Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows Massachusetts has four counties in the top 20 list of most expensive places for child care, including Middlesex and Norfolk counties, where families pay more than $26,000 annually in child care expenses. (Adobe Stock)

MA Bill Would Let Candidates Use Campaign Funds for Child Care

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill to allow candidates seeking state or local office to use campaign funds for child care. Child care is …

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., says police brutality is a crisis plaguing Black and brown communities. Despite comprising only 13% of the U.S. population, Black people accounted for 26% of those killed by police in 2022, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence. (Office of Rep. Pressley)

MA Lawmakers Aim to End Qualified Immunity, Let People Sue Police

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation which would allow people to sue police officers and other state and local government…

Report: Wealthy Households Stay in MA Despite Higher Taxes

Higher tax rates for high-income households in Massachusetts are not causing them to leave the state, according to IRS data in a new report from the …

The U.S. military has released 1.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere since the War on Terror began in 2001, despite military leaders citing climate change as a national security threat. (WRL)<br />

War Tax Resisters Redirect Money Towards Peace

Tax Day is quickly approaching April 18 but some Massachusetts residents will resist paying their federal taxes as a war protest. War tax resistance…

Health care advocates fear restrictions on abortion medication could be especially harmful to African American women, who are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (ACLU Mass.)

MA Lawmakers Vow to Protect Abortion Medication Access

Massachusetts lawmakers are vowing to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, after two competing rulings by federal judges has left access …

Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a landmark climate law in 2021 which requires utilities like Eversource and National Grid to increase their renewable-energy portfolio by at least 3% every year. (Adobe Stock)

Boston Moves to Implement Climate-Friendly Building Code

Boston is set to become the eighth and largest city in the Commonwealth to implement a new state climate-friendly building code to reduce the use of f…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government gave the airline industry a $54 billion lifeline meant to keep the airlines running and cover payroll for 18 months, through September 2021. <br />(Adobe Stock)

Consumer Air Travel Complaints Surge Despite Fewer Travelers

The number of people who traveled on U.S. airlines last year remained below pre-pandemic levels but consumer complaints about the airlines nearly …

2023 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Dani Charbonneau, who runs the Project Vine Alternative Program at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, is the first Martha's Vineyard teacher to win the state's top award for educators. (MTA)

MA Teacher of the Year: “There’s Room for Alternatives”

Massachusetts, like other states, continues to struggle with a shortage of teachers. But for one English teacher at Martha's Vineyard Regional High …

The VOTES Act also ensures the Commonwealth joins the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, a multi-state consortium which aims to keep voter registration rolls up to date, encourage voter registration and prevent voter fraud. (Adobe Stock)

Funds Aim to Support Municipalities With Expanded Mail Voting

Voting rights advocates in Massachusetts are applauding Governor Maura Healey's budgetary backing of new policies stemming from last year's passage of…

New polling from the Massachusetts Teachers Association finds 83% of respondents favored establishing a state commission to study and make recommendations on a better student assessment system, one that considers more than just standardized test scores. (Adobe Stock)

Public Supports Changes to High-Stakes Testing for MA Students

As educators across Massachusetts prepare to administer high-stakes tests for students this spring, new polling shows the public supports changes to …

New data found for the third year in a row, the number of overall white supremacist propaganda incidents on U.S. college campuses dropped from 232 in 2021 to 219 in 2022, the lowest since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking campus incidents in 2017. (Adobe Stock)

White Supremacist Gatherings, Incidents Hit All-Time High in New England

Incidents involving white supremacist propaganda reached an all-time high last year in the U.S., including a dramatic surge of incidents across New …

According to Extinction Rebellion, at least eight activists have been arrested at the construction site of the East Boston substation since Eversource began work on January 11. (Extinction Rebellion)

Protests, Construction Continue at East Boston Substation

Environmental activists are calling on Gov. Maura Healy to end construction of the Eversource electrical substation in East Boston, and move it to …

Members of the group, Marked By Covid lobby for passage of HD.3821, to formally recognize Covid Remembrance Day. Bereaved community members will gather for a Covid Remembrance Day Interfaith event on Saturday, March 11 at 3:00 pm ET at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence. (Ritz Sullivan)

Efforts Underway to Formalize COVID-19 Remembrance Day in MA

Family members of those lost to Covid are urging lawmakers to pass legislation to formally recognize the first Monday in March as Covid Remembrance Da…

Nearly 60% of Massachusetts' incarcerated population is Black - but Black residents make up less than 20% of the Commonwealth's population, according to the Democracy Behind Bars Coalition. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Bills Aim to Restore Vote for People Incarcerated for Felony Convictions

Lawmakers in the Commonwealth are considering legislation to restore voting rights for people incarcerated on felony convictions. One bill would …

New England enjoys a diverse climate that is not often associated with drought. Yet in 2000, 2016, 2020 and 2022, New York and the six New England states experienced historic drought conditions not seen since the 1960s. (Adobe Stock)

New England Coordinates Regional Response to Climate Change

The six New England states are joining forces to ensure their emergency responders are well-trained to handle a predicted increase in the number of cl…

The Environmental Protection Agency proposes to lower the annual soot standards from 12 mcg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air) to a range of 9-10 mcg/m3, despite the agency's independent Scientific Advisory Committee recommending a standard between 8-10 mcg/m3.(Adobe Stock)

EPA Encouraged to Strengthen Air-Quality Standards for Soot

Environmental and health advocates say the Environmental Protection Agency's most recent proposal to strengthen national air-quality standards for soo…

The Post Disaster Mental Health Response Act will help those who experience multiple forms of trauma, including natural disasters, which for children are associated with a 16% increase in a mental health or substance use disorder by adulthood. (Adobe Stock)

Boston Marathon Bombing Survivors Celebrate Passage of Mental Health Law

Advocates for mental health are applauding the passage of a new law which will expand mental health support for survivors of natural disasters and ter…

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