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Wednesday, September 18, 2024

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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

MA: Civil Rights

A Massachusetts Teachers Association poll found 74% of poll respondents support a policy in which students would still take the MCAS, but would not need a passing grade to earn their diploma. (Adobe Stock)
English-language learners struggle to meet MCAS graduation requirement

Educators in Massachusetts say the MCAS high school graduation requirement is disproportionately affecting English language learners, the fastest …

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In 2015, the Supreme Court extended marriage equality to all 50 states in Obergefell v. Hodges. A new survey reveals the vast majority of same-sex couples married for love while 75% said they also married for legal protections. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />
Majority of married same-sex couples say marriage equality threatened

Twenty years after Massachusetts became the first state to permit marriage equality, a majority of same-sex married couples say it had a profound …

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Over the past two decades, 5,329 patients in the United States have utilized medical aid-in-dying laws, while at least 8,451 patients received a prescription, according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. (Adobe Stock)
MA could become 11th state with medical aid-in-dying law

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering legislation to allow medical aid in dying as an option for mentally capable, terminally ill adults…

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Students and faculty at Northeastern University in Boston surround a pro-Palestinian encampment on their school's campus, which stood for two days before administrators called in police to remove it. (Ehn)
Northeastern University students, staff condemn arrests, charges of antisemitism

Students and faculty at Northeastern University are demanding their school issue a public apology for what they say are false charges of antisemitism …

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128 of the 351 cities and towns in the state have had a change in their local clerk or chief election official since the 2020 presidential election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. (Adobe Stock) <br />
Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

Heightened scrutiny and harassment are helping fuel an increasing turnover rate of election officials in Massachusetts and beyond, according to a new …

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Supporters of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution said it is needed to protect future generations from crippling federal debt but opponents countered it could limit lawmakers' ability to cope with economic recessions or respond to national emergencies. (Adobe Stock)
Voting rights groups call constitutional convention efforts a threat to democracy

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering a resolution to convene a Convention of States, a process voting rights groups said could put civil …

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Uninsured people are more likely to support public health insurance programs, but are less likely to vote than people with health insurance. Studies show this trend has contributed to a lack of Medicaid expansion in states that could benefit from it. (Adobe Stock)
Doctors say voting is critical to improving U.S. health care system

Voting is not only good for democracy - it's also good for your health, according to one of the nation's largest medical associations. The American …

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There were 45 book challenges in Massachusetts in 2022 affecting 57 titles, however no books have been banned in the state, according to the American Library Association. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />
Legislation aims to classify book bans as federal civil rights violations

New federal legislation would classify discriminatory book bans as violations of federal civil rights law. The Books Save Lives Act would ensure …

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A 2021 poll conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found 65% of residents support same-day voter registration, compared to 28% who oppose it. (Adobe Stock)
MA groups push same-day voter registration to replace provisional ballots

Voting rights groups in Massachusetts say provisional ballot data from the 2022 statewide election highlight the need for same-day voter registration…

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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…

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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 …

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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 …

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