10:00am Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Virtual Hearing

10:00am Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Public Hearing

11:00am House Session, Informal Session

12:00pm Senate Session, Full Formal Session

1:00pm Department of Labor Standards Public Hearing, Via Webex

1:00pm Joint Committee on Public Service, Public Hearing

1:00pm Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness & Management, Public Hearing

Birthdays: Rep. Colleen Garry

Driven by covid deaths, U.S. life expectancy dropped by 1.5 years in 2020 » Washington Post

State awards $7.5M in grants to improve child care sites » Boston.com

Free school lunches for all Mass. kids? Experts argue in support of state bill. » Boston.com

Boston Teachers Union Releases First Proposal In New Contract Negotiations » WBUR

As Free Transit Gains Momentum Across U.S., It's A Big Boston Mayoral Race Topic » WBUR

In latest clash over Wuhan lab, Fauci tells Sen. Rand Paul: ‘You do not know what you’re talking about’ » Washington Post

Medical debts are bigger than was known, totaling $140 billion » Boston Globe

‘Shockingly low’: How Mattapan came to have Boston’s lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate » Boston.com

Heavily Latino SEIU Backs Janey For Boston Mayor » WGBH

In hearing, Baker tells Legislature ‘time is of the essence’ for spending federal COVID aid » Boston Globe

The Elusive Dream of the 15-Minute City » Governing

Big infrastructure bill in peril; Republicans threaten filibuster » Boston Globe

Brady, Biden play political football at White House Super Bowl celebration » Boston Herald

State encouraging fishing and seafood industries to apply for federal relief funds » News 22 WWLP.com

Maine passes nation’s first law to make big companies pay for the cost of recycling their packaging » Boston Globe

Massive re-do of Somerville’s Union Square set to break ground » Boston Globe

Jeff Bezos thanked every Amazon employee and customer ‘because you guys paid for all of this,’ prompting criticism » Boston Globe

People are finally returning to the office — and their desks feel like time capsules from March 2020 » Boston Globe

Rachel Lopez to chair North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors » Leominster Champion

Southwick petition for massive online car dealership withdrawn: Carvana pledges to look elsewhere » MassLive

Labor judge rules Hanover cannabis dispensary violated federal law » Boston Business Journal

Opinion: Radical and unyielding, Gloria Richardson’s activism cannot be erased » Boston Globe

Mass Maritime training ship TS Kennedy involved in near-land strike » Fox 25 News

Should the COVID-19 vaccine be required for students, faculty, and staff at schools this fall? » Boston.com

Everyone Should Wear A Mask In Schools, Vaccinated Or Not, U.S. Pediatricians Say » WBUR

After a year of tensions with district leaders, Boston teachers propose new contract to improve working conditions » Boston Globe

Massachusetts gets hazy from wildfires out west: Unhealthy air quality alert should go away, but tornado risk on Wednesday » Boston Herald

Report Finds Ships Violating Speed Limits In New England, Increasing Risk To Right Whales » WBUR

Editorial: The heat is on cities — and it’s not going away » Boston Globe

Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez press Congress to work Civilian Climate Corps into final budget reconciliation bill » MassLive

Poker Summit May Be In The Cards » State House News Service

Rep. Kane receives award from rare disorders patient advocacy organization » Community Advocate

Albireo gets FDA, European approval for pediatric liver disease drug » Boston Business Journal

$26 billion settlement with opioid distributors, J&J expected to be announced in the next few days » Boston Globe

Southcoast Health to require COVID-19 vaccination for employees, providers and staff » South Coast Today

33 Test Positive For COVID-19 At Nursing Home In West Yarmouth » WBUR

‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’: Worcester celebrates new residential development that will expand footprint of Polar Park community with 228 market-rate units » MassLive

Early education programs get financial boost from state » News 22 WWLP.com

Garlick elected chair of new disabilities commission » News 22 WWLP.com

Budget provision sets standard on visa document » Commonwealth Magazine

Conditions at Springfield courthouse tied to poor health of employees; ‘sick building’ in need of immediate repairs » MassLive

A desire to serve: South Hadley native Andrew Covington making a name as a prosecutor » Gazette Net

Economic upheaval raises stakes around job training in Mass. » WHDH

Worker advocates blast state — again — for failing to protect workers from COVID » Boston Globe

AG Healey funds summer work for Lynn, Salem, and Peabody organizations » Lynn Daily News Item

Berkshire jobless rate ticks up for first time in six months » Berkshire Eagle

Retirement Credit Eyed to Pay Back Essential Public Workers » State House News Service

Lowell Election Commission seeks to hire expert to subdivide districts for 2021 election » Lowell Sun

Haverhill Mayor Says He Supports Overhauling City’s Electoral System » WGBH

With federal aid, small towns keep it simple » Commonwealth Magazine

Charlie Baker’s Cape Cod fundraiser back on the books for September » Boston Herald

City council race: Deeqo Jibril running for District 4 » The Scope

Edwards, influential city councilor from East Boston, endorses Wu for mayor » Boston Globe

Cape Cod is weathering a surge in COVID cases at the height of tourism season — including many among vaccinated people » Boston Globe

366 confirmed cases, 6 deaths, and 7,513 vaccinations. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass. » Boston Globe

Delta variant now makes up 83 percent of COVID-19 cases in US » Boston Globe

More than half of Mass. children ages 12 to 15 have received a COVID-19 shot, but push may have plateaued » Boston Globe

Ferriabough Bolling: Mask up – we’re not out of the COVID woods yet » Boston Herald

Massachusetts coronavirus cases rise 366, the highest single-day count since late May » Boston Herald

Harvard report: Pandemic affect on kids shows negative academic and social impacts » Boston Herald

Moratorium Bill Could Block Women’s Prison in Norfolk » State House News Service

Howie Carr: From lab scandal to pool death, a statie’s sad story » Boston Herald

Boston police emphasize de-escalation, disengagement in mental health calls » Boston Globe

Activists seek moratorium on prison construction » Commonwealth Magazine

Gov. Baker Urges Legislature To Quickly Spend Federal COVID Funds » WAMC

Economic experts back Massachusetts Legislature’s slow approach to spending federal coronavirus relief dollars » Boston Herald

Fall Hearings Underscore Go-Slow Rescue Act Approach » State House News Service

Legislative budget writer says Baker ignored law in spending plan » Commonwealth Magazine

Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway first registration deadline is Thursday » Boston Herald

How Mass. May Use Millions From Opioid Settlements » WBUR

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s $186 million ARPA investment leaves little for COVID variant response, top state Democrats say » MassLive

Lawmakers question Baker's plan to spend billions in federal funds » Boston Business Journal

Tewksbury To Get Bridge And Road Repair Funds From State Bill » Tewksbury Patch

Karyn Polito announces over $6 million in funding for ‘Complete Streets’ program » Boston Herald

All lanes of I-93 south in Medford will reopen ‘at some point’ Wednesday, officials say » Boston Globe

What Would It Take for Boston to Become a Car-Free City? » Boston Magazine

CFO Anticipates Regional Transit Authority Funding Vote Soon » State House News Service

Seaplanes will finally launch from Boston Harbor in just a few weeks » Boston Globe

Western Massachusetts communities get grants for roadway, sidewalk safety » MassLive

Feud between energy giants puts state’s climate goals at risk » Boston Globe

Social Media Spotlight

massdot repkclark massgov

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GBH News Two Local DACA Recipients On What A Federal Judge’s Ruling Means For Them WCVB Channel 5 Boston Massachusetts reports more than 700 new breakthrough COVID-19 cases in past week

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Podcast Spotlight

NPR The NPR Politics Podcast: Two Sites That Explain How Facebook Outrage Totally Reshaped Media Union of Concerned Scientists Got Science?: Ep. 114: Off the Charts: Zombie Fires, Drought, and Heat Domes

Directions

MassHousing Announces New Round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program Capital Grants » MassHousing

Fossil Fuel Companies Make Billions in Profit as We Suffer Billions in Losses: 2024 Edition » Union of Concerned Scientists

City of Boston and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Announce BlueBikes Support During 2024 MBTA Closures » Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Time to Speed Up the Pace of the Legislature » Progressive Mass

MBTA Commuter Rail and Keolis to Run Special Event Train Service for April 27 Match Between New England Revolution and Inter Miami CF » Keolis

Neal Opening Statement at Hearing on Biden Administration’s 2024 Trade Policy Agenda » Office of Congressman Richard Neal

Antisemitic Incidents in New England Soared 205 percent in 2023 » Anti-Defamation League

House Budget amendments need your voice! » National Association of Social Workers - Mass Chapter