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Today on Beacon Hill

Joint Rule 10 deadline - Last day for reports by Joint Committee on Health Care Financing

Birthdays: Rep. Jerald Parisella

"My mother is not expendable. Your mother is not expendable. We will not put a dollar figure on human life. We can have a public health strategy that is consistent with an economic one. No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market.'

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

Speaking about the balance of economy and health during the worldwide pandemic.
News By Category
Beltway Politics

Coronavirus has forced Biden far from his comfort zone — and it shows » Boston Globe

We will remember Dems’ stimulus holdup » Boston Herald

Business

Beer, wine can be sold with takeout, delivery, Lt. Gov. Polito says » WCVB

Baker files bill that would allow temporary sale of take-out beer, wine in Massachusetts » Turn to 10

Attorney general warns Bruins owner she has her eyes on him » Universal Hub

TD Garden ushers laid off three days after Bruins announce fund for workers » Boston Herald

Law firms were already ramping up for bankruptcy work. Then the coronavirus hit. » Boston Business Journal

Arts shutdown cost $58 million » Commonwealth Magazine

Are you essential or not? » Commonwealth Magazine

Small businesses plead for government help at all levels to stay afloat » Boston Globe

Baker wants construction work to continue, despite the pandemic » Boston Globe

Layoffs hit Sun Chronicle as coronavirus hammers newspapers » WPRI.com

Coronavirus triggers layoffs, pay cuts at Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder » The Republican

In weighing safety against the economy, Trump offers a false choice, experts say » Boston Globe

Charlie Baker seeks to allow beer and wine delivery, flexibility for municipalities » Boston Herald

‘We’re going to lose the gems that make our restaurant scene so wonderful’ » Boston Globe

SouthCoast officials expect businesses will comply with closures but are on the lookout just in case » South Coast Today

Grocery stores install plexiglass at checkout to protect cashiers, customers from coronavirus » Boston Herald

Gov. Charlie Baker to announce new safety guidelines for construction workers » WCVB

'It's Very Tough': Retailers Across Mass. Shut Down Under State Order Worry About Future » WBUR

Restaurant Closures Create Ripple Effects, Leaving Suppliers Feeling The Sting » WGBH

Marty Walsh: Businesses ignoring coronavirus order will be ‘reminded’ to close » Boston Herald

Mass. manufacturer borrows $80M in face of coronavirus » Boston Business Journal

DeLeo Taking Orders on To-Go Restaurant Drinks » State House News Service

Cannabis & Psychedelics

Marijuana dispensaries turn to making hand sanitizer » Boston Business Journal

Domestic Relations

Coronavirus isolation: Fertile grounds for domestic violence » Boston Herald

Education

WGBH Distance Learning Center » WGBH

Western Mass. Educators Seek Solutions For Chronic Shortage Of Teachers Of Color » New England Public Radio

Teachers, parents urge state to cancel MCAS testing » Boston Globe

Still waiting for laptops, some Boston students struggle to stay connected to teachers, school » Boston Globe

Environment

Marty Walsh suspends plastic bag ban for essential businesses in Boston » Boston Herald

Backlash grows against reusable grocery bags as virus spreads » Boston Globe

Mass Audubon, Trustees, Closing Their Outdoor Facilities » WBUR

Federal

White House, Congress agree on $2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill » Boston Herald

Americans will get coronavirus checks soon » Boston Herald

Baker criticizes Senate, not Trump » Commonwealth Magazine

Senate Reaches Historic Deal On $2T Coronavirus Economic Rescue Package » New England Public Radio

Health Care

Massachusetts hospitals scramble to get more ventilators before deluge of coronavirus patients » Boston Globe

The country needs medical supplies. Will Trump compel companies to make them? » Boston Globe

Boston hospital workers test positive for coronavirus as nurses call for more help » Boston Herald

Mass. Virus Fight Gets More Lab Testing, Equipment » State House News Service

How Coronavirus Has Changed Senior Care In Mass. » WBUR

Health Experts Are Scouring The State For Places To Put Temporary Emergency Hospitals » WBUR

James and Kim Taylor donate $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital to fight coronavirus » Boston Globe

Mass. Nurses Association sounds alarm on lack of protective equipment tests » Boston Herald

House, Senate Differ on Bill Empowering Nurses » State House News Service

Housing

One Boston landlord offers tenants relief as officials mull rent, mortgage moratoriums » Boston Herald

Human Services

Dorchester minister hands out $800 to ‘people in need’ while East Boston soup kitchen provides vouchers » Boston Globe

Immigration

Activists cite Anne Frank in push to free ICE detainees as coronavirus spreads » Boston.com

Judiciary

Howie Carr: While we’re stuck at home, hackerama works the system » Boston Herald

Coronavirus causes three Worcester County courthouses to shut down after judge tests positive for COVID-19 » The Republican

Labor

Partners Health offers wage plan for sidelined employees » Boston Business Journal

Self-employed concerned over unemployment as coronavirus pandemic worsens » Western Mass News

Rush to collect unemployment benefits hits online roadblock » WCVB

In new poll, 16% of Mass. residents report losing their jobs since pandemic » Boston Business Journal

Legislative

From a Distance, New Rep Joins Mass. House » State House News Service

Local Government

Friedman and Billerica's Lombardo support bill to empower cities and towns to reschedule municipal elections in the wake of coronavirus » Wicked Local Burlington

Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant expects schools will be closed until at least the end of April » The Metro West Daily News

Newburyport committee recommends no changes to remote meeting policy » Newburyport News

Gov. Baker Says Parks Can Stay Open, But Cities And Towns Have Closed Them Anyway » CBS Boston

Public Health

Two more coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts, state tops 1,000 cases » Boston Herald

Virus notes: Finding purpose » Commonwealth Magazine

Harvard president tests positive for coronavirus » Boston Globe

A stopgap measure to treat respiratory distress » Mit News

More state action sought to protect Vineyard, Nantucket » Cape Cod Times

Map: State Coronavirus Websites and Number of Reported Cases » GovTech

UPDATED: A Resource Guide to Coronavirus for Government Leaders » GovTech

Boston Coronavirus News: Saying Goodbye for Now to Reusable Bags, the Olympics, and Nonessential Businesses » Boston Magazine

COVID-19 cases at Bridgewater prison facility up to 10 » Commonwealth Magazine

Harvard’s Bacow, wife test positive for COVID-19 » Commonwealth Magazine

Coronavirus Updates For Western New England: Region's Death Toll Rises To 31 » New England Public Radio

Controversial BU lab is only one in New England with live coronavirus » Boston Globe

382 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Mass. as state death toll rises to 11 » Boston Globe

What could we do differently if we allowed our pandemic priorities to change us for the better? » Boston Globe

Some Mass. Prisoners Are Being Released In Response To The Coronavirus Outbreak » WBUR

Amid coronavirus, a surge in calls to Massachusetts suicide prevention hotline » Boston Globe

Massachusetts COVID-19 Advisory Board created » News 22 WWLP.com

Coronavirus Response Resources Guide for Government Leaders » Governing

Massachusetts coronavirus tests conducted at faster clip, but state’s lab still lags » Boston Globe

Public Safety

Coronavirus response: National Guard delivering supplies to hospitals, tents to Massachusetts jails » The Republican

State Government

Fed Stimulus Bill Looms Large for Massachusetts » State House News Service

Keller @ Large: AG Healey On Coronavirus Scams, Bipartisan Collaboration » CBS Boston

Protecting the 2020 election starts with easing ballot access » Boston Globe

Lottery tanks with everyone locked up inside » Boston Herald

Governors Leapfrog Feds on Coronavirus Response » Governing

State hires local company to power coronavirus message distribution » WCVB

Relief Bill Could Deliver Big Stimulus to Mass. » State House News Service

Editorial: Bite the bullet. Call for a lockdown now. » Boston Business Journal

Baker extends statewide school closure until early May, as coronavirus death toll rises to 15 » Boston Globe

Transportation

LRTA and MRTA reduce bus service » Lowell Sun

RMV announces more changes amid coronavirus pandemic » Boston Globe

Job Board
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Recipe of the Week

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)

  • 2 tsp. honey

  • 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour

  • 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt

  • 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan

  • Flaky sea salt

  • 2–4 garlic cloves

Directions

  1. Whisk 1¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!).

  2. Add 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour and 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.

  3. Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. This puppy is going to rise! Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. If you're in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.

  4. Generously butter a 13x9" baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that's thinner, crispier, and great for snacking. The butter may seem superfluous, but it’ll ensure that your focaccia doesn’t stick. Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into center of pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball. (We learned this technique from Alexandra Stafford, who uses it to shape her no-knead bread.) Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.

  5. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it up to 1 hour.) Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you probably won't need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, like you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan). Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

  6. Hold off on this last step until you're ready to serve the focaccia: Melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Peel and grate in 2–4 garlic cloves with a Microplane (use 2 cloves if you’re garlic-shy or up to 4 if you love it). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until garlic is just lightly toasted, 30–45 seconds. (Or, if you prefer raw garlic to toasted garlic, you can grate the garlic into the hot butter, off heat, then brush right away.)

  7. Brush garlic-butter all over focaccia and slice into squares or rectangles.

  8. Do Ahead: Focaccia is best eaten the day it's made, but keeps well in the freezer. Slice it into pieces, store it in a freezer-safe container, then reheat it on a baking sheet in a 300° F oven.

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