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The Latest on COVID-19
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Last update: 9/25/20 4:57 PM
Healey Alleges Law Firm Took More than $90,000 in Kickbacks
9/25/20 4:40 PM
Attorney General Maura Healey has filed suit against a Massachusetts law firm alleging it accepted of tens of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks, but the firm denies the charges against it and says there was no quid pro quo.
Walsh Urges Protesters to be Peaceful, Wear Masks
9/25/20 1:46 PM
Heading into a weekend where multiple protests are planned, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh cautioned protesters Friday to spurn violence and observe public health precautions.
Boys and Girls Clubs Face $20 Mil in Lost Revenue
9/25/20 1:43 PM
Boys and Girls Clubs in the state expect to lose $20 million in revenue by the end of 2020 due to the pandemic and are grappling with the sustainability of operations, according to the director of the organization representing the clubs.
FERC Gives Quick Okay for Compressor Station Startup
9/24/20 5:42 PM
Federal regulators gave energy giant Enbridge the green light on Thursday to start service at the Weymouth natural gas compressor station, removing the final hurdle to the facility's operation less than two weeks after an emergency shutdown prompted new controversy.
Baker Activates 1,000 National Guard Members
9/24/20 4:40 PM
Gov. Charlie Baker activated up to 1,000 members of the Massachusetts National Guard on Thursday in case guardsmen are needed to facilitate demonstrations or keep the peace at large-scale events, his administration said.
Regulators Close In On Marijuana Home Delivery Plan
9/24/20 4:20 PM
The Cannabis Control Commission filled in the blanks Thursday of its long-discussed marijuana home delivery rules, agreeing upon a framework that creates two types of delivery licenses and settling on a timeline that would have new cannabis industry rules in place in about a month.
Cape Food Pantries Ready to Meet Region’s Needs
9/24/20 3:21 PM
With food insecurity skyrocketing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, Cape Cod officials want the public to know that local pantries are fully equipped to help anyone in need.
Region’s Reps Continue Call for New Stimulus Bill
9/24/20 3:01 PM
Arguing U.S. Senate Republicans have not yet offered a viable deal for a COVID-19 relief package, three U.S. House Democrats from New England called on their Republican colleagues in the upper chamber Thursday to sit down at the negotiating table and work towards passing federal aid.
Casinos Expanding Operations After Limited Reopenings
9/24/20 2:19 PM
It's been almost three months since the slots parlor and casinos in Massachusetts reopened and regulators said Thursday that each of the gambling facilities are now starting to expand their offerings.
Citing Taylor Case, Baker Again Presses for Policing Reform Bill
9/24/20 1:59 PM
Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday again voiced interest in a quick resolution for the policing reform bill that's been tied up in a conference committee for almost two months, tying the matter to the death of Breonna Taylor.
Senate Session Summary - Thursday, Sept. 24
9/24/20 1:52 PM
The Housing Committee has not yet acted on legislation intended to guarantee housing stability during the COVID-19 emergency (S 2831 / H 4878), and the Senate agreed Thursday to give committee members until the end of October to make a recommendation. Housing Co-Chair Rep. Kevin Honan is a lead sponsor of one of the bills.
Pandemic Highlights “Calling Cards” of the West
9/24/20 1:10 PM
[Story Developing] The COVID-19 pandemic that has upended public life in Massachusetts could drive new interest in living and working in the state's western region, officials and local business leaders said Thursday.
House Session Summary - Thursday, Sept. 24
9/24/20 1:03 PM
The House on Thursday sent a new bill (HD 5181) for review that would mandate the use of face coverings when in any indoor or outdoor public setting. Sponsored by Reps. Jon Santiago and Mindy Domb, the legislation sent to the Committee on Public Health seeks to prevent a COVID-19 resurgence, and among other things, also requires travelers coming into Massachusetts from a state with a 5 percent positivity rate or higher to quarantine for two weeks.
District Court Nominee Brings Legal, Life Experience
9/23/20 5:45 PM
It isn't Michelle Fentress' years or her resume that most excite members of the Governor's Council, the elected officials tasked with approving new judges in Massachusetts -- it's her life experience.
Local Fed Chief Flags Worries Heading Into Fall
9/23/20 4:47 PM
The head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is not as optimistic about what's to come for the national economy as other monetary policymakers and he says it's due to his concern about a second surge of COVID-19 cases, the absence of additional financial aid from Congress, and an expectation that impacts of the pandemic will spill over from one sector to others.
Local Shares of School Funding Under Review
9/23/20 4:14 PM
State officials have opened an online portal to submit comments on an element of the school funding formula targeted for additional study under an education finance overhaul passed last November.
Bar Seating, Larger Party Sizes OK at Restaurants Next Week
9/23/20 3:40 PM
Bars in Massachusetts will remain closed until there is a vaccine or breakthrough treatment for COVID-19, but barstools in restaurants could be occupied as soon as Monday.
Baker Rips Washington, But Distances Self From Elections
9/23/20 3:13 PM
Days after urging the U.S. Senate to wait until after the election to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat, Gov. Charlie Baker lashed out at members of Congress from both parties on Wednesday for potentially allowing a vacancy on the court to close the door to a compromise on coronavirus relief funding for states.
New Bedford Bar President Picked for Judgeship
9/23/20 2:10 PM
Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday sent the name of the New Bedford Bar Association president to the Governor's Council for a Probate and Family Court judgeship, and the council signed off on Baker's choice of a high-profile former Suffolk County prosecutor for a Superior Court seat.
Advances - Week of Sept. 27, 2020
9/25/20 5:04 PM
The calendar turns to October Thursday, opening up a six-month stretch of the year's coolest weather, which this year carries extra significance due to COVID-19. Massachusetts is trying to sustain the fragile progress it has achieved since the spring.
![After Gov. Charlie Baker rose to the defense of mail-in voting Thursday, and said it was "appalling" for an officeholder to suggest anything other than a peaceful transfer of power, he received a Twitter jab around 7:30 a.m. Friday from President Donald Trump. [Sam Doran/SHNS]](https://www.statehousenews.com/content/frontpage_photo/2020/09-24_Baker_1.jpg "After Gov. Charlie Baker rose to the defense of mail-in voting Thursday, and said it was \"appalling\" for an officeholder to suggest anything other than a peaceful transfer of power, he received a Twitter jab around 7:30 a.m. Friday from President Donald Trump. [Sam Doran/SHNS]")
Weekly Roundup - Tweeted At
9/25/20 4:47 PM
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has long been a prime target of President Trump's tweets, and has been known to, on occasion, dish it right back over social media. Sen. Ed Markey's primary win over Rep. Joe Kennedy III earned him a few acknowledgments -- if not by name -- on the presidential Twitter feed earlier this month. And on Friday, it was finally Gov. Charlie Baker's turn.
![Attorney General Maura Healey announced criminal charges Friday against two top leaders at Holyoke Soldiers' Home. [Screenshot]](https://www.statehousenews.com/content/frontpage_photo/2020/09_25_Healey_Charges.jpg "Attorney General Maura Healey announced criminal charges Friday against two top leaders at Holyoke Soldiers' Home. [Screenshot]")
Two Charged in Holyoke Soldiers' Home Deaths
9/25/20 2:34 PM
In what Attorney General Maura Healey described as the first case of its kind nationwide, two top leaders at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home will face criminal charges for their alleged role in exacerbating a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the facility.
![Western Massachusetts business leaders touted the region's quality of life and lower density as features that could become even more appealing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Screenshot]](https://www.statehousenews.com/content/frontpage_photo/2020/09-24_WMass.jpg "Western Massachusetts business leaders touted the region's quality of life and lower density as features that could become even more appealing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Screenshot]")
Pandemic Highlights “Calling Cards” of the West
9/24/20 6:25 PM
As Massachusetts works to claw its way back from the economic upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, business leaders in the western part of the state see an opportunity to generate new interest in the region's offerings.
!["It would be unfortunate if later in the year a district had to go remote because the virus spiked back up in their community and they recognize 'Wow, we could have had our kids back on for a couple months, or maybe even six months,'" Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said Thursday. [Sam Doran/SHNS]](https://www.statehousenews.com/content/frontpage_photo/2020/09-24_Riley_3.jpg "\"It would be unfortunate if later in the year a district had to go remote because the virus spiked back up in their community and they recognize 'Wow, we could have had our kids back on for a couple months, or maybe even six months,'\" Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said Thursday. [Sam Doran/SHNS]")
Baker Grades School Reopenings: “Fine Start”
9/24/20 5:57 PM
The back-to-school season in Massachusetts "is off to a fine start," Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday as his administration continued its multi-day push around the importance of in-person learning in communities where COVID-19 risks are classified as low.
Takeout Takeaways: Rosenberg Returning As Lobbyist
9/24/20 5:30 PM
When Stanley Rosenberg left Beacon Hill in the spring of 2018 under less than desirable circumstances, no one could say for sure if or when the Amherst Democrat might resurface after a career spent in public service. But Rosenberg, who once ascended the political platform in Massachusetts to become the first openly gay and Jewish president of the Senate, is back, and in a position he never imagined for himself. He's a lobbyist.
Eighth Infection as West Nile Virus Reaches Peak Levels
9/24/20 4:17 PM
The risk of West Nile virus infection is at it peak and most of the West Nile activity in the state continues to be focused around the Boston area, public health officials said Thursday as they announced an eighth human case of the virus this year.
![Gov. Charlie Baker: "It is appalling and outrageous that anyone would suggest, even for a minute, that if they lose an election, they're not going to leave. Period." [Sam Doran/SHNS]](https://www.statehousenews.com/content/frontpage_photo/2020/09-24_Baker_8.jpg "Gov. Charlie Baker: \"It is appalling and outrageous that anyone would suggest, even for a minute, that if they lose an election, they're not going to leave. Period.\" [Sam Doran/SHNS]")
Baker Balks at Trump Comments on Power Transfer
9/24/20 3:46 PM
Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he and other public officials "will do everything we can to make sure that the people's will is followed through" after this fall's election.
Holyoke Home Board to Consider Walsh Next Week
9/23/20 5:01 PM
Trustees tasked with oversight of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home will meet next week to discuss how to proceed after a judge said only they, not the state's health and human services secretary, could decide whether to fire Superintendent Bennett Walsh for his handling of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak.
![Gov. Charlie Baker, speaking Wednesday at Mill City BBQ and Brew in Lowell: "Getting kids back to the classroom, obviously, is something that we believe is critically important to our success and to our kids' success going forward." [Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe/Pool]](https://www.statehousenews.com/content/frontpage_photo/2020/09-23_Baker_POOL-Globe-Walker.jpg "Gov. Charlie Baker, speaking Wednesday at Mill City BBQ and Brew in Lowell: \"Getting kids back to the classroom, obviously, is something that we believe is critically important to our success and to our kids' success going forward.\" [Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe/Pool]")
Baker: Use Three Weeks of Data to Decide Schooling Models
9/23/20 1:50 PM
Amplifying his administration's desire to see more children return to school, Gov. Charlie Baker is turning up the pressure on cities and towns with low COVID-19 transmission rates, urging them to stick with their plans for in-person learning and not make snap decisions based on a single party or cluster of infections.
High Court Hopefuls Given 'Til Oct. 16 to Apply
9/23/20 1:31 PM
It's going to be another few weeks before the full pool of candidates emerges for the Supreme Judicial Court seat made vacant by the recent death of Chief Justice Ralph Gants, Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday.
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