Friday, March 31, 2023

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Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury; Georgia campaign fights to reopen local hospitals; New Mexico creates first-ever $100M conservation fund.

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Former President Donald Trump is indicted by Manhattan's district attorney, House Republicans take aim at renewables in new energy bill and House Dems introduce the Women's Protection Health Act.

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Small towns respond to a hidden housing and homelessness crisis, a new national weather prediction system will help close the gap between urban and rural forecasting, and more rural communities are eligible for a design project to boost economic development.

Massachusetts

2023 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Dani Charbonneau, who runs the Project Vine Alternative Program at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, is the first Martha's Vineyard teacher to win the state's top award for educators. (MTA)
MA Teacher of the Year: “There’s Room for Alternatives”

Massachusetts, like other states, continues to struggle with a shortage of teachers. But for one English teacher at Martha's Vineyard Regional High …

The VOTES Act also ensures the Commonwealth joins the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, a multi-state consortium which aims to keep voter registration rolls up to date, encourage voter registration and prevent voter fraud. (Adobe Stock)
Funds Aim to Support Municipalities With Expanded Mail Voting

Voting rights advocates in Massachusetts are applauding Governor Maura Healey's budgetary backing of new policies stemming from last year's passage of…


New polling from the Massachusetts Teachers Association finds 83% of respondents favored establishing a state commission to study and make recommendations on a better student assessment system, one that considers more than just standardized test scores. (Adobe Stock)
Public Supports Changes to High-Stakes Testing for MA Students

As educators across Massachusetts prepare to administer high-stakes tests for students this spring, new polling shows the public supports changes to …

New data found for the third year in a row, the number of overall white supremacist propaganda incidents on U.S. college campuses dropped from 232 in 2021 to 219 in 2022, the lowest since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking campus incidents in 2017. (Adobe Stock)
White Supremacist Gatherings, Incidents Hit All-Time High in New England

Incidents involving white supremacist propaganda reached an all-time high last year in the U.S., including a dramatic surge of incidents across New …


According to Extinction Rebellion, at least eight activists have been arrested at the construction site of the East Boston substation since Eversource began work on January 11. (Extinction Rebellion)
Protests, Construction Continue at East Boston Substation

Environmental activists are calling on Gov. Maura Healy to end construction of the Eversource electrical substation in East Boston, and move it to …

Members of the group, Marked By Covid lobby for passage of HD.3821, to formally recognize Covid Remembrance Day. Bereaved community members will gather for a Covid Remembrance Day Interfaith event on Saturday, March 11 at 3:00 pm ET at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence. (Ritz Sullivan)
Efforts Underway to Formalize COVID-19 Remembrance Day in MA

Family members of those lost to Covid are urging lawmakers to pass legislation to formally recognize the first Monday in March as Covid Remembrance Da…


Nearly 60% of Massachusetts' incarcerated population is Black - but Black residents make up less than 20% of the Commonwealth's population, according to the Democracy Behind Bars Coalition. (Adobe Stock)<br />
Bills Aim to Restore Vote for People Incarcerated for Felony Convictions

Lawmakers in the Commonwealth are considering legislation to restore voting rights for people incarcerated on felony convictions. One bill would …

New England enjoys a diverse climate that is not often associated with drought. Yet in 2000, 2016, 2020 and 2022, New York and the six New England states experienced historic drought conditions not seen since the 1960s. (Adobe Stock)
New England Coordinates Regional Response to Climate Change

The six New England states are joining forces to ensure their emergency responders are well-trained to handle a predicted increase in the number of cl…


The Environmental Protection Agency proposes to lower the annual soot standards from 12 mcg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air) to a range of 9-10 mcg/m3, despite the agency's independent Scientific Advisory Committee recommending a standard between 8-10 mcg/m3.(Adobe Stock)
EPA Encouraged to Strengthen Air-Quality Standards for Soot

Environmental and health advocates say the Environmental Protection Agency's most recent proposal to strengthen national air-quality standards for soo…

The Post Disaster Mental Health Response Act will help those who experience multiple forms of trauma, including natural disasters, which for children are associated with a 16% increase in a mental health or substance use disorder by adulthood. (Adobe Stock)
Boston Marathon Bombing Survivors Celebrate Passage of Mental Health Law

Advocates for mental health are applauding the passage of a new law which will expand mental health support for survivors of natural disasters and ter…


Revenue from the
Tax Loophole Could Be Costly for MA Public Schools, Transportation

The Commonwealth could lose up to $600 million in annual revenue meant for public schools and transportation if lawmakers fail to close a tax loophole…

A Baby Bonds program would differ from Massachusetts' current BabySteps Savings Plan. The latter is an opt-in program with a free $50 deposit when parents they open a 529 U.Fund savings account for their child within one year of their birth or adoption. (Adobe Stock)
MA 'Baby Bonds' Bill Aims to Close Racial Wealth Gap

Legislation introduced in the Commonwealth aims to reduce the racial wealth gap by creating a statewide "Baby Bonds" program. The investments are …


 

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