11:00am House Session, Informal Session

11:00am Senate Session, Informal Session

Former Top House Dem Sentenced To 15 Months In Prison » State House News Service

With ridership way down, MBTA faces ‘fiscal calamity,’ top watchdog warns » Boston Globe

How did Boston miss its moment to elect a Black leader? » Boston Globe

New Balance chairman Jim Davis bet $495,000 on Annissa Essaibi George. Tuesday, it paid off » Boston Globe

‘Nothing went wrong in Boston,’ Galvin said as votes were still being counted Wednesday morning » Boston Globe

NY: De Blasio rebuffs calls to release Rikers inmates amid jail crisis » Politico

Is Boston America’s Most Racist City? Ask a Black Bostonian for Once » Boston Magazine

Republicans are still a bigger obstacle to vaccination than Black Americans » Washington Post

‘Fascist and tyrannical’: US vaccine mandates induce rightwing hysteria » The Guardian

4 key policy differences that could drive the race between Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George » Boston.com

ME: Ten Months After Senate Election Loss, Sara Gideon Still Has $10 Million in Unused Campaign Funds » The Intercept

Trump Wants General Milley Charged With Treason for Making Him Look Stupid » Vanity Fair

FL: Florida leads nation in nursing home resident and staff COVID-19 deaths » Tampa Bay Times

Voters shrug at Boston’s ‘historic’ mayor’s race » Commonwealth Magazine

Keller @ Large: Hidden Winners And Losers Of Boston’s Preliminary Mayoral Election » CBS Boston

After prelim, Essaibi George super PAC quickly targets Wu » Dorchester Reporter

Editorial: Shot silence should put reps on the sidelines » Lowell Sun

Ed Markey, Lori Trahan condemn ‘Instagram for Kids’ after report reveals Facebook knew about negative mental health impacts on youth » MassLive

From ATMs to drug stores, you can now buy bitcoin almost anywhere » Boston Globe

Framingham software company soars in market debut on Wednesday » Boston Globe

College students are back, and they brought their appetites » Boston Globe

Lawn Gatherings Fill Some Of Convention Biz Void » State House News Service

MassMutual fined $4M over ex-employee’s GameStop trading » Boston Business Journal

Raytheon becomes the latest big Massachusetts company to mandate the Covid vaccine » Boston Business Journal

Maura Healey challenges Texas abortion law, joined by 23 attorneys general » Boston Herald

Kwong: Help on way for Timony, Tenney school traffic woes » The Eagle Tribune

Massachusetts National Guard begins training to help with school transportation » Boston Globe

Gov’s remote learning ban sparks concern » The Bay State Banner

North Shore School Districts Still Hiring As New Year Is Underway » Salem Patch

Some say it’s time for companies to reduce excess packaging or pay the price » Fox 25 News

Let the science decide on forever chemicals in water » Gazette Net

Letter: TCI will mean health benefits, while curbing climate change » The Andover Townsman

Plainville casino revenues hold steady while lawmakers consider allowing it to go beyond slots » The Sun Chronicle

Gaming Commissioner to serve as POST executive director » News 22 WWLP.com

Price Caps Among Menu Of HPC Cost Control Recommendations » State House News Service

Urgent care meeting the need for COVID testing, keeping hospitals from getting overwhelmed » Boston Herald

Baystate reporting most COVID hospitalizations in Massachusetts by more than double, caused by low vaccination rate in Hampden County » MassLive

Officials Break Ground on Phase III of Orient Heights Housing Project » East Boston Times-Free Press

Lack of action at Mass and Cass has cost Greater Boston Food Bank $1M and counting, says CEO » Boston Herald

States learning how many Afghan evacuees coming their way » Boston Globe

Efforts Underway To Resettle 900 Afghan Evacuees In Mass. » WBUR

Livestream Goes Dark On Council That Vets Judges » State House News Service

Kelley Confirmed For Federal Judgeship In Mass. » WBUR

Court officials, legislators leave closed-door meeting with state officials with mixed feelings over ‘sick courthouse’ crisis » MassLive

Attorneys, staff protest as state officials meet at troubled Springfield courthouse » MassLive

Gov. Baker nominates Cathleen Campbell as Associate Justice of the Superior Court » News 22 WWLP.com

SJC upholds $21m verdict against Phillip Morris » Commonwealth Magazine

Remote notary service could become permanent » The Eagle Tribune

Auto body shops continue to protest labor rates » News 22 WWLP.com

US jobless claims tick up to 332,000 as Delta variant weighs on economy » Boston Globe

Massachusetts teachers unions blast Charlie Baker over refusal on statewide teacher vaccine mandate » Boston Herald

These are the 30 metros with the strongest job growth during the Covid-19 recovery » Boston Business Journal

State Failed To Run Background Checks Before Granting Many Professional Licenses, Audit Finds » WBUR

Hill leaves Beacon Hill after two-decade tenure » Salem News

City Council Accepts 12 Grants and Donations » Everett Independent

Lee Select Board ready to pick town administrator search panel » Berkshire Eagle

NHS teacher-coach tapped to lead Amherst recreation department » Gazette Net

Ludlow rejects local mask mandate to curb COVID » MassLive

Boston City Council Sends Acting Mayor A Request For Pre-Paid Mail-In Ballots After Tabulation Delay » WGBH

Pipeline and climate change weighed by Longmeadow Select Board » The Reminder

Oak Bluffs lambastes state delegation on moped bylaw » Martha's Vineyard Times

Campaign finance reform pitched as way to diversify candidate pool » News 22 WWLP.com

SouthCoasters Mobilizing for Voter ID Initiative [OPINION] » WBSM

Opinion: Old Boston versus New Boston: Annissa Essaibi George is not the future » Boston Globe

Races for mayor, council shaping up in Easthampton » Gazette Net

Northampton’s preliminary election inching closer » Gazette Net

Crush of mail-in ballots caught officials flat-footed, leading to Election Night frustration in Boston » Boston Globe

City Council finalists reflect city’s growing diversity » Boston Globe

Battenfeld: Is Boston ready to become another Cambridge? » Boston Herald

Editorial: Low voter turnout sends a message about civic culture » Boston Globe

Michelle Wu, Annissa Essaibi-George ready for general election battle » Boston Herald

Boston will likely get to vote this November on whether the School Committee should be elected » Boston Globe

Massachusetts bill allowing political candidates to use campaign funds for child care would align state with 17 states » Boston Herald

Old School And New Talent Advance In Boston's At-Large Councilor Races » WGBH

Who advanced through the Boston City Council preliminary elections? » Boston Herald

With different visions for Boston, Wu and Essaibi George hit the campaign trail » Boston Globe

Opinion: An inclusive City Council ensures Boston’s government works for all » Boston Globe

Voter self-suppression in Boston » Boston Globe

These Boston neighborhoods gave Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George their preliminary election wins » Boston Globe

Moderna says new data supports need for Covid-19 booster » Boston Business Journal

Boston-area coronavirus wastewater tracker: Descent could be ‘earliest sign’ of region heading in right direction » Boston Herald

White House offers Nicki Minaj call to answer vaccine questions » Boston Globe

Massachusetts coronavirus cases spike 2,716 — the highest daily count since February » Boston Herald

Massachusetts Might Create A Statewide 'Vax ID' System, Gov. Baker Says » WGBH

Salem Could Require COVID Test Rule for Large, Ticketed, Indoor Events This Halloween » NBC Boston

Baker Exploring “Important” Vaccine Verification Options » State House News Service

Firefighters Blast Decision to Allow Toxic PFAS Chemicals to Stay in Their Gear » WCAI

'Dire' Mass and Cass situation costing Boston food bank $500K in security costs » WCVB

What to know about Barnstable County Commissioners' opposition to the proposed gun range » Cape Cod Times

Parole Board Recommends Commutation For William Allen » WBUR

More Than 90% Of State’s ARPA Money Not Allocated » WBUR

Baker talks about proof of vaccination, welcoming Afghan refugees, in radio appearance » Boston Globe

Baker cites ‘complexity’ in opposing same-day voter registration » WHDH

Democrats target cigarettes and vaping as potential sources to pay for $3.5 trillion economic package » Boston Globe

A new report says the MBTA is on the verge of ‘fiscal calamity.’ Is the millionaires tax the solution? » Boston.com

Report: MBTA On Course Toward “Fiscal Calamity” » State House News Service

Social Media Spotlight

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GBH News What Do The Preliminary Mayoral Results Say About Boston — And Its Future? WCVB Channel 5 Boston 'We didn't want to rush' Galvin says of election count

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Podcast Spotlight

Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast: What The Failed California Recall Does — And Doesn’t — Tell Us Tech Freedom Tech Policy Podcast: Epic v. Apple NPR The NPR Politics Podcast: With Big Plans And Small Margins, Can Democrats Pull Off Their Agenda?

Audit Identifies Barriers to Access in Operational Services Division » MA Office of the State Auditor

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden Pays $5,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law » MA State Ethics Commission

A Call for Climate Justice at the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights » Union of Concerned Scientists

Congresswoman Trahan Announces $3 Million In Head Start Funding For Making Opportunity Count In Fitchburg » Office of Congresswoman Lori Trahan

Whip Clark Statement on the Passing of Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. » Office of Congresswoman Katherine Clark

Administration opens Destination Development grant program » Mass. Municipal Association

Release: Airlines to disclose fees up front, give automatic refunds for cancellations, delays » MassPIRG

Ending the Tax Penalty Against Working Immigrants » Mass. Budget & Policy Center