9:00am Race Equity & Business hosted by the Boston Business Journal, Via Zoom

10:00am Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Forum featuring Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, Via webcast

12:00pm Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, Oversight Hearing

1:00pm House Session, Full Formal Session

1:00pm Senate Session, Full Formal Session

Birthdays: Rep. Jerald Parisella

Legislators Left with Lingering Questions After Vaccine Hearing » State House News Service

OPINION: Does the GOP have a problem with the vaccine? » Boston Globe

Charlie Baker bats back calls to mandate coronavirus vaccines for cops, corrections officers declining shots » Boston Herald

OPINION: Pandemics and gun violence are real life, not ‘theater’ » Roll Call

Expert Warns Against Setting Tax Rate in Constitution » State House News Service

FL: Prison budget cuts lead to Florida Senate drama » Tampa Bay Times

Ballard adds top Walsh aide » Politico

NJ: Bill allowing N.J. police to notify parents of underage weed, alcohol use could be sent to Murphy Thursday » NJ.com

Group pushes for reform to vocational school admissions » The Bay State Banner

NY: Top health officials told to prioritize COVID testing for Cuomo's relatives » Times Union

NY: New York Lawmakers Reach Deal to Legalize Marijuana » The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Republicans request access to ‘undeliverable’ mail-ballot applications » Boston Herald

The Boston Police Commissioner Scandal And Other Things On Kim Janey's Mind » WGBH

Democrats Begin Push for Biggest Expansion of Voting Since 1960s » New York Times

REPUBLICANS BRAVELY ANNOUNCE PLANS TO DO NOTHING TO STOP MASS SHOOTINGS » Vanity Fair

RI: Governor McKee names five finalists for lieutenant governor » Boston Globe

CA: Newsom swats away Democratic challengers. Will his party live to regret it? » Politico

Third stimulus check: Rep. Richard Neal, lawmakers press IRS, Social Security Administration on delayed checks for ‘some of the most vulnerable Americans’ » The Republican

In Wake Of Dual Shootings, Warren Calls For Immediate Vote On Assault Weapons Ban » WGBH

The situation on the southern border is Biden’s first political crisis as president ― whether he wants to admit it or not » Boston Globe

Biden to hold first news conference amid growing challenges » Boston Globe

More women are leading Boston area startups. But still not nearly enough » Boston Globe

Fans are coming back to TD Garden, and it’s been a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ of ticketing and seating during COVID-19 » Boston Globe

$127K to Be Refunded to Wrongly Charged Boston Sports Clubs Members » NBC Boston

Massachusetts Restaurants With Outdoor Winter Dining Switch Gears » WGBH

Outdoor dining on Railroad Street to continue this summer, as merchants air concerns » the Berkshire edge

Baker administration hires McKinsey to study work post-pandemic » Boston Globe

McKinsey tapped for Baker’s future-of-work study » Boston Business Journal

Rentals gone wild on Cape Cod and the islands with summer ‘booked’ » Boston Herald

Game Time: TD Garden ready to welcome back fans » Boston Herald

Editorial: Women vs. violence: The work is far from over » Boston Globe

Opinion: A new day in Boston, and a new fight against racism » Boston Globe

Lawmaker Writes Open Letter to Duxbury Football Team Following Anti-Semitic Play Calls » NBC Boston

State lets Boston and Worcester schools delay return to full-time classroom instruction » Boston Globe

Duxbury football coach fired over team’s use of anti-Semitic terms in recent game » Boston Globe

BMR High School receives grant to support STEM Career Learning » Valley Breeze

Letter castigates Smith over handling of 2018 incident where no bias was found » Gazette Net

MCLA locks down apartment complex after COVID-19 outbreak » Berkshire Eagle

Testing their resilience: Area college students reflect on time in pandemic » Gazette Net

State allows Worcester schools to delay return to full-time in-person learning » Worcester Telegram

Duxbury fires football coach, cancels Friday night’s game over ‘Auschwitz’ audible » Boston Herald

Mosquito spray opt-out window open through May 15 » Gloucester Times

Natick To Study Water Contaminant With $135K State Grant » Brookline Patch

Cape sharks close to shore: New data shows ‘high potential for overlap with recreational water users’ » Boston Herald

Hub air pollution remains persistent problem » The Bay State Banner

$400 million bond bill for new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home clears first legislative committee » The Republican

Baker administration relaxes visitation, activity restrictions at nursing homes » the Berkshire edge

Broad Institute launches $300 million initiative to fight diseases with artificial intelligence » Boston Globe

State relaxes visitation, activity rules at nursing homes » The Eagle Tribune

Once again, thousands of children have come to the border. So much for a new day on immigration » Boston Globe

Biden taps Harris to lead response to border challenges » Boston Globe

Governor's Council hears testimony from Westborough District Court judicial nominee » The Metro West Daily News

Pittsfield attorney nominated for Probate Court judgeship » Berkshire Eagle

US jobless claims drop to 684,000, fewest since pandemic erupted a year ago » Boston Globe

Airport Workers' Union Push Interrupted by Pandemic » State House News Service

‘People shouldn’t be afraid of the word white privilege’: New labor secretary talks inequality, racism and union power in first interview » Washington Post

Journalists at the medical news site Stat will join The Boston Globe’s union. » New York Times

In stop at picket line, AG Healey pledges backing of St. Vincent nurses » Worcester Telegram

Dear Jo with Sen. Jo Comerford: What economic recovery and climate justice have in common » Gazette Net

Voters urged to learn how laws are made on Beacon Hill » Boston Globe

Senator invites Duxbury football team to meet with him » Commonwealth Magazine

Blasting Boston’s ‘concrete ceiling’: Acting Mayor Kim Janey vows to lead with ‘equity lens’ » The Republican

Kim Janey sworn in as acting mayor of Boston; ‘Today is a new day’ » Boston Globe

Tewksbury Selectmen hear presentation on affordable veteran housing project » Lowell Sun

Janey Pledges “Bold” Leadership as Boston’s New Mayor » State House News Service

'It's disrespectful': Great Barrington officials push for talks on fairground purchase » Berkshire Eagle

Brockton City Council looks to avoid special election following Cruise's resignation » The Enterprise

Battenfeld: Kim Janey ignores ‘acting’ title and assumes power as Boston mayor » Boston Herald

Is Trump’s exit bad for Baker? » Commonwealth Magazine

After Campaign-Style Stops in Worcester, We Ask Attorney General Maura Healey if She's Running for Governor » Spectrum News

Baker's Approval Wanes, But He Remains The Man To Beat » WBUR

State could soon add FEMA vaccine site » WCVB

COVID-19 vaccine may not provide full protection for transplant patients » Boston Globe

1,865 confirmed cases, 54 deaths, and 62,563 vaccinations: See today’s new COVID-19 data from Mass. » Boston Globe

COVID hospitalizations tick up for third straight day as active infections rises to 27,374 on Wednesday » The Republican

Wilmington Survivors React To Long-Awaited State Study Linking Cancer Cluster To Contaminated Water » WBUR

Baker not interested in vaccine mandates – for now » Commonwealth Magazine

Campaign urges public to ‘carry a lifeline’ of Narcan » Boston Globe

Local leaders were outraged by the COVID-19 relief bill’s funding for Chelsea and Everett. Ayanna Pressley says it’s only a ‘downpayment.’ » Boston.com

New Effort Will Bring J&J Vaccines to Homebound » State House News Service

Facebook and Twitter must do more to stop spread of disinformation about COVID vaccine, Attorney General Maura Healey says » The Republican

Pandemic has put up new obstacles for survivors of domestic violence » WHDH

It doesn’t matter what most Americans want. It doesn’t matter how many people die. Those who could protect us from you too often won’t » Boston Globe

Charlie Baker backs Massachusetts’s strict gun laws as a national model » Boston.com

State commission to provide additional oversight, monitoring of Hampden County Regional Board of Retirement » The Republican

Why states have a problem with tech » Commonwealth Magazine

Cities Shorted Under Fed Funding Formula Getting $100 Mil » State House News Service

Things We Never Thought We’d Miss about Taking the T » Boston Magazine

PVTA secures $487K for bus route linking Northampton, Holyoke Mall and Springfield Union Station » The Republican

MBTA extends use of shuttle buses on Orange Line stretch until April 11 » Boston Herald

Guest columnist Mike Hempstead: Consider a power system based on stored renewable energy » Gazette Net

Social Media Spotlight

boston_mayor repmcgovern massgov

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GBH News Mass. Ed. Commissioner On Letting Boston, Worcester & Other Districts Delay Full Classroom Return Boston City TV Mayor Janey Media Availability

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Podcast Spotlight

WBUR Radio Boston: Jeff Immelt Unravels His Controversial Tenure At General Electric The MassINC Polling Group The Horse Race: Episode 174: Mayor May Not Tech Freedom Tech Policy Podcast: No, Florida Can’t Regulate Online Speech NPR The NPR Politics Podcast: Guns Are A Key Part Of American Political Identity. That Makes Reform Unlikely.

HB4586 - An Act to further address challenges faced by municipalities, school districts and state authorities resulting from COVID-19

MMA webinar reviews digital equity planning and programs » Mass. Municipal Association

Pressley, Warren Celebrate $1M Secured for Black Economic Council of Massachusetts » Office of Congressman Ayanna Pressley

Southcoast Health Recognized by the White House for Sustainability Efforts » Southcoast Health

House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Protect America’s National Security, Support U.S. Allies, Surge Humanitarian Aid to Gaza » Office of Congresswoman Lori Trahan