THE MASS BRIEF

Friday, July 31, 2026

The Lead

Today's the day Beacon Hill hits pause — but don't expect the usual all-nighter theatrics. Formal legislative sessions wrap up Friday, which for years meant lawmakers pulling a 23-hour marathon to jam through everything before recess. Not this time. Under rules the Legislature changed last year, lawmakers gave themselves permission to keep negotiating unfinished bills well past the July 31 deadline, even without formal sessions running. The result: a noticeably chiller State House this week, even as a huge pile of unresolved legislation — a sweeping energy policy overhaul, a public records law revamp, and more — heads into limbo.

House Speaker Ron Mariano told reporters Thursday there's "less potential" for another 3:30 a.m. spectacle, and conference committees are still grinding through their assignments on their own schedule. That's arguably healthier lawmaking — nobody wants trillion-dollar energy policy hashed out by exhausted staffers at 4 a.m. — but it also means less public pressure and less urgency. Bills that don't have a natural deadline attached to them have a funny way of drifting for months in this building.

The one big item that did cross the finish line this week: the immigration "sensitive locations" compromise (more below), which cleared conference committee Wednesday and is headed for votes. Watch what does and doesn't get done in the next few weeks — because "informal session" doesn't mean "no session," it just means much lower visibility, and much more leverage for whoever has the Speaker's or Senate President's ear. Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

Wu shakes up Streets Cabinet after cyclist's death. Mayor Michelle Wu is installing Chris Osgood — a City Hall veteran who ran the department under Marty Walsh — as interim chief of streets, replacing Nick Gove starting Monday. The move comes three weeks after Louisa Gag, a city planner and bike-share advocate, was killed by a truck on Tremont Street, and as Wu faces criticism that her response has been more letter-writing than action. The city and MBTA will also hold new community meetings on a revised, less controversial design for the long-stalled Blue Hill Avenue overhaul. Boston Globe →

Beacon Hill strikes immigration enforcement deal. Legislative negotiators unveiled a compromise Wednesday expanding "sensitive locations" protections against warrantless civil immigration arrests to schools, health centers, and child care facilities — not just courthouses. It codifies the SJC's 2017 Lunn decision and bars new local-federal enforcement partnerships, though it preserves the Department of Correction's existing ICE agreement. Houses of worship were notably left out, reportedly to avoid a First Amendment court challenge. CommonWealth Beacon →

Senate passes a journalist shield law. Massachusetts has been one of just nine states without legal protection for reporters' confidential sources — that could change after the Senate unanimously tacked Sen. Rebecca Rausch's shield law amendment onto a broader public records bill Thursday. Courts could still compel disclosure, but only under a tough "clear and convincing evidence" standard. Boston Globe →

Abington police chase ends in a teenager's death. A 17-year-old, identified as Sebastian Hamilton, died Wednesday when a stolen SUV he was driving crashed into a tree during a brief police pursuit. Four teen passengers, ages 14 to 17, were seriously injured. The officer involved has been placed on administrative, non-punitive leave while the crash is investigated. Boston Globe →

Stoughton's police chief and town manager both sidelined. The Select Board placed Police Chief Donna McNamara and Town Manager Thomas Calter on paid leave Wednesday night pending an independent investigation into dueling allegations — McNamara says Calter harassed and pushed her out; she's now suing him and the town in Norfolk Superior Court, alleging gender discrimination. Boston Globe →

MIT and other grad schools brace for visa fallout. New Trump administration rules ending open-ended student visas — replacing them with a four-year window requiring renewal — take effect in September and could hit long-haul doctoral programs hard. International students make up 40% of MIT's graduate body, and professors warn the change could choke off the talent pipeline that fuels American research. Boston Globe →

Worth Your Attention

Aug. 5: Boston City Councilor Miniard Culpepper plans to file a resolution calling for correctional officers involved in Shacoby Kenny's in-custody death at South Bay to be placed on leave, after the medical examiner ruled it a homicide. Boston.com →

Ongoing: Boston and MBTA officials begin a new round of community meetings this summer on the revised Blue Hill Avenue redesign — a chance for residents to weigh in before another round of construction planning. Boston Globe →

Sept. 23-24: Boston hosts the second-ever National Urban Rat Summit, bringing together city officials and researchers to compare notes on rodent control strategies. Boston Globe →

Track all bills →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Ballot Question Committees

• Massachusetts Single-Payer Ballot Question Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/29/2026

Change of Purposes

• Anne Brensley — Statewide, Lieutenant Governor → Statewide, Secretary of State — Filed: 7/28/2026

OCPF →

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• The Massachusetts House votes today on the revamped primary care reform bill, with the Senate's spending-target provision now baked in. Boston Globe →
• Expect House and Senate votes on the PROTECT Act compromise later this week, with Governor Healey positioned to sign by week's end. WBUR →
• Rhode Island State Police officially cut the ribbon Thursday on their new $41.3 million Southern Public Safety Complex in West Greenwich, replacing barracks that have served troopers since the 1930s. Boston Globe →

Track all bills →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Ballot Question Committees

• Massachusetts Single-Payer Ballot Question Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/29/2026

Change of Purposes

• Anne Brensley — Statewide, Lieutenant Governor → Statewide, Secretary of State — Filed: 7/28/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

The Lead

The Saugus liquor license hearing that wrapped up yesterday is the kind of bureaucratic proceeding that usually flies under the radar — except this one is tied to the death of a Massachusetts State Trooper, and the details coming out are damning. The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission spent an hour Tuesday weighing what to do about Tribu Mexican Kitchen and Bar on Route 1, the Saugus restaurant that served Hernan Ramon Marrero nine drinks — seven of them free — in the hours before he got turned around on Route 1 and slammed head-on into State Trooper Kevin Trainor's cruiser in May, killing him.

The timeline investigators laid out is hard to read: Marrero posted a photo of his margarita on social media captioned "Second stop!!!" at 9:20 p.m. By the time he left at 1:56 a.m., his blood alcohol was 0.192 — more than twice the legal limit. The ABCC took no action Tuesday, instead taking the matter "under advisement," which means Tribu keeps pouring drinks while regulators decide what, if anything, happens to its license. That's likely to frustrate Trainor's family and colleagues, and it raises a bigger question that state lawmakers have been kicking around for years: whether Massachusetts' patchwork of local licensing boards and the state ABCC actually holds bars accountable when overserving turns deadly, or whether "under advisement" is where these cases quietly go to die. Expect pressure to build on the commission to actually rule — and possibly for legislators to revisit liquor liability law before this fades from the news cycle.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

T fares are staying cheap into the fall. Governor Maura Healey and MBTA GM Phillip Eng announced the half-off commuter rail pass deal will run through November, plus three new pilot discounts on buses and subway service. Healey says Friday commuter rail ridership is up 50% since the discounts started — proof, her office argues, that price is a bigger barrier than people assumed. GBH News →

Speed cameras could be coming to a school zone near you. Buried in the Legislature's $575 million economic development bill is a Senate-approved provision letting cities and towns install traffic cameras in school zones and construction areas — one per 5,000 residents, triggered at 11+ mph over the limit. Boston, the nation's most collision-prone city, is a likely test case if this survives conference committee. Boston Globe →

A state trooper is accused of stealing a contractor's excavator. The POST Commission suspended 26-year-old Joseph Franklin's law enforcement certification after he was charged with larceny and witness intimidation stemming from a dispute over tree work at his Palmer property. He's due back in court August 6. Boston Globe →

Stoughton's town hall drama isn't cooling off. More than a dozen residents packed a Select Board meeting Tuesday night — many in matching orange "I Support Chief McNamara" shirts — to back Police Chief Donna McNamara, who filed a harassment and gender discrimination lawsuit against Town Manager Tom Calter this week. Calter, notably, skipped the meeting despite being scheduled to speak. WCVB →

A Natick couple's eBay nightmare finally has an ending — a $55.7 million one. Ina and David Steiner, who run a small e-commerce trade publication from their Natick home, settled with eBay after former company employees terrorized them for years with harassment deliveries — a bloody pig mask, live spiders, even a fake Craigslist ad turning their home into a "swingers" destination. Several ex-eBay executives went to prison over the scheme. WBZ/CBS Boston →

A vacant Fort Point office tower is becoming apartments. Boston's Zoning Board of Appeal approved converting the old LogMeIn building at 320 Summer Street into 145 apartments — 46 studios among them — using the city's office-to-residential pilot program, which comes with a 75% property tax break for 29 years. It's a small but real sign that Boston's push to refill empty downtown office space with housing is gaining traction. Universal Hub →

Worth Your Attention

• The Massachusetts House takes up bills Wednesday on Alzheimer's/dementia first-responder training and ALS home care services — part of a busy Ways and Means Committee push this week. GBH News →
• Starting August 3, new (and never formally announced) campaign finance disclosure rules kick in ahead of November elections — nonprofits doing public policy advocacy should pay close attention before they trigger donor disclosure requirements unknowingly. CommonWealth Beacon →
• Massachusetts senators are pushing to join a multistate social worker licensing compact, tucked into the Senate's economic development bill — worth watching as it heads to conference committee with the House. CommonWealth Beacon →

Track all bills →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Americans4Hindus-Massachusetts Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/23/2026

Change of Purposes

• Anne Brensley — Statewide, Lieutenant Governor → Statewide, Secretary of State — Filed: 7/28/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

The Lead

Beacon Hill's end-of-July deadline has arrived, and this year it actually feels like it might mean something. For decades, lawmakers have treated July 31 as the finish line for major legislation before the two-year session effectively goes quiet, and past years have ended in genuine chaos — doors slamming, leaders pacing between offices, bills dying at 3 a.m. This year, according to WBUR's rundown of where things stand, the vibe on the Hill is different, but the stakes are just as high, with a housing bond bill, transportation policy, and a wide-ranging economic development package all still in play.

Buried in that economic development bill are two of the most consequential road safety changes Massachusetts has considered in years. Senator Will Brownsberger of Belmont added an amendment that would let the state deploy speed cameras in school, safety, and construction zones — a real shift for a state that has resisted automated enforcement for years. He also added a provision creating a "rebuttable presumption" that truck drivers are at fault in fatal crashes with cyclists or pedestrians if their vehicles lack safety features like side guards and backup cameras. That measure lands weeks after cyclist Louisa Gag was killed in a truck collision in Boston, and it's already drawing pushback over tort law implications, per GBH News.

What happens next: the House and Senate need to reconcile their competing versions of the economic development bill, and Governor Maura Healey, House Speaker Ron Mariano, and Senate President Karen Spilka will be doing what they always do this time of year — negotiating behind closed doors until something either passes or doesn't. If the housing bond bill or road safety provisions get stripped out in conference committee, they may not resurface until next session. Watch for late nights at the State House through Thursday.

Full story at WBUR →

What Else You Should Know

The T is handing out discounts, and yes, it's an election year. Governor Healey announced Tuesday that two popular commuter rail discounts — including 50% off monthly passes — will run through November, alongside three new pilot programs: free rides for seniors 75+ who don't drive, cheaper express buses ($1.70 flat fare starting Sept. 1), and an expanded two-hour "unlimited" transfer window between subway and bus. It's good news for riders' wallets regardless of the political timing. WBUR →

Four State Police troopers face a judge over a trainee's death. Sergeant Jennifer Penton and Troopers Edwin Rodriguez, David Montanez, and Casey LaMonte are due in court Tuesday on involuntary manslaughter charges tied to the September 2024 death of academy trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who died a day after a boxing exercise despite showing concussion symptoms. Penton also faces a perjury charge related to her grand jury testimony. WCVB →

Stoughton's police chief is suing the town that suspended her. Chief Donna McNamara filed suit against Stoughton and Town Manager Thomas Calter, alleging sex discrimination and harassment, and is asking a judge to order her immediate reinstatement. Calter, a former state representative, denies the claims and says an IT review found no harassing communications. Boston Globe →

Harvard's academic workers just authorized a strike. The Harvard Academic Workers union, representing roughly 2,500 non-tenure track researchers and teachers, voted to authorize a strike after 43 bargaining sessions produced no deal. Members say they can't afford to live in Greater Boston despite working for one of the wealthiest universities on Earth. Boston Globe →

A school bus company just paid $2.4 million for price-fixing in three towns. Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced a settlement with Beacon Mobility Corporation, accused of colluding with a competitor to inflate special-ed busing rates in Lynn, Dedham, and Saugus between 2022 and 2025. Most of the money goes back to the affected communities. Boston Globe →

A Natick couple just won $56 million from eBay's harassment scandal. David and Ina Steiner, who run an e-commerce newsletter, were subjected to years of stalking and bizarre threats — including live insects and a bloody pig mask mailed to their home — by former eBay employees trying to silence their reporting. eBay previously paid $3 million in a related criminal case; this civil settlement closes the loop. WCVB →

Worth Your Attention

This week: Legislative leaders race the July 31 deadline to finish major bills, including housing bonds and road safety measures — expect news well into the night through Thursday. WBUR →

Tuesday: Four State Police troopers appear in Worcester court on charges tied to trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia's 2024 death. WCVB →

August: The full DNC membership votes on the new presidential primary calendar that would bump New Hampshire from first to third — a decision Granite State Democrats are still fuming about. Boston Globe →

Track all bills →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Americans4Hindus-Massachusetts Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/23/2026
• American Workforce Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/22/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Monday, July 27, 2026

The Lead

Karen Spilka enters her ninth year as Senate president — a feat no one's pulled off since Bulger

When the Massachusetts Senate gavels back in this week, Karen Spilka will be doing something that hasn't happened since the mid-1990s: leading the chamber into a ninth consecutive year as president. The last person to do it was William Bulger, whose multi-decade reign over the Senate became such a cautionary tale about entrenched power that lawmakers later imposed term limits on the job specifically to prevent a repeat. Spilka has now outlasted that guardrail — the deadline that would have forced her out simply came and went, and enough of her colleagues were fine with that.

Why does this matter beyond State House trivia? Because Senate presidents shape everything from housing policy to how the state spends its now-enormous Millionaires' Tax windfall — $3.38 billion and counting, a record haul that's fueling education and transportation spending while reigniting fights over whether high earners are being taxed into leaving the state. Spilka's continued grip on the gavel means continuity on priorities like childcare investment and climate spending, but it also raises real questions about power concentration in a Legislature already criticized for opaque, top-down decision-making. Longtime Senate watchers will be looking at who benefited from committee assignments and who got sidelined to keep her there.

The bigger question is what comes next: does an unprecedented ninth-year presidency embolden Spilka to go bigger on her legacy items, or does it just entrench the status quo further? Expect more scrutiny of how "temporary" leadership rules keep getting quietly erased on Beacon Hill.

Full story at MassLive →

What Else You Should Know

New Hampshire's primary demotion could hit Massachusetts wallets. The DNC's plan to bump New Hampshire from first-in-the-nation status to third behind South Carolina and Nevada isn't just a Granite State ego bruise — it threatens a whole ecosystem of Massachusetts political consultants, ad revenue, and career-building opportunities that depend on candidates flooding the neighboring state every four years. "It's an industry of its own," says Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh. Boston Globe →

Teen arrested after firing shots at Puerto Rican Festival in Franklin Park. A 15-year-old allegedly fired four shots into the air near a crowd of festivalgoers Saturday night, including one round after locking eyes with police — sending families fleeing the park. He faces eight charges and is due in Boston Juvenile Court. Boston Globe →

A Hingham road rage shooting started over a thrown napkin. Steven License, 60, allegedly fired two shots at a truck driver outside a Hingham library after a dispute that began when his wife tossed a napkin out the car window and the driver — who "cannot tolerate littering" — followed them. License is held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Wednesday. Boston.com →

Belmont teacher arrested on child pornography charges. Leon Dyer, 45, taught at Belmont Middle School and also worked at a Middleborough summer camp. The district says there's no indication of misconduct involving students but has suspended his access and banned him from school property. Boston.com →

Mass. Lottery finally goes online. After years of hand-wringing about staying relevant, the Lottery launched Mass. Lottery Online on Monday, letting people buy tickets and play digitally for the first time. The agency brings in more than $1 billion a year for the state, and officials say the digital pivot is about survival, not just convenience. WWLP →

Federal appeals court keeps Boston judge's block on Trump mail ballot restrictions. A weekend ruling upheld a Massachusetts federal judge's decision blocking the administration's proposed voter list and mail ballot rules, a win for voting rights advocates ahead of the midterms. MassLive →

Cape Cod is trying to bring back the wild oyster — and it's about more than seafood. In Mashpee, shellfish technicians are dumping thousands of live oysters onto man-made reefs to help restore habitat that once protected the coast naturally. Advocates say oyster reefs, salt marshes, and seagrass could do the storm-protection work of seawalls while cleaning water and rebuilding fish habitat — a cheaper, greener bet as climate-fueled storms intensify. WBUR →

Worth Your Attention

Hanson Select Board's school governance deal — a proposed trade-off giving Hanson a two-thirds veto on Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee decisions in exchange for absorbing busing costs — heads toward finalization after last week's conceptual vote. South Shore News →

Belmont teacher Leon Dyer is expected to be arraigned Monday in Cambridge District Court on child pornography charges. Boston.com →

Duxbury's Powder Point Bridge rehabilitation remains stalled, with the Selectboard also weighing new e-bike enforcement rules and PFAS notification requirements — worth watching if you're on the water or the road down there. South Shore News →

Full budget details →

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Americans4Hindus-Massachusetts Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/23/2026
• American Workforce Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/22/2026

OCPF →

One More Thing

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Good morning. It's a sunny start before midweek rain moves in, so get outside today — we'll walk you through what you need to know first.

The Lead

Southeastern Massachusetts is becoming the GOP's best shot at relevance in a deep-blue state — and it's not an accident.

Bristol and Plymouth counties gave President Trump his strongest Massachusetts numbers in 2024, Republicans flipped a state Senate seat there that Democrats had held for decades, and now GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve and running mate Shawn Oliver — a New Bedford city councilor — are treating the region less like a campaign stop and more like a base to build from. Oliver stood in front of fishing boats in New Bedford this week pitching a "South Coast economic plan" aimed at port revitalization and rolling back regulations on commercial fishermen, framing the region as one that's "too often left behind" by Beacon Hill Democrats.

The strategy makes sense on paper: these are working-class, historically Democratic communities with real economic grievances — fishing industry decline, manufacturing losses, affordability pressure — that don't always track with the priorities of the Boston-Cambridge political class. Whether Shortsleeve and Oliver can actually convert that resentment into statewide traction is another question; Massachusetts Republicans have flipped legislative seats before without it adding up to real power. But if the GOP is going to matter in this state at all over the next decade, this is where it starts. Watch Bristol and Plymouth counties closely as the fall campaign heats up — they're the closest thing Massachusetts has to a political weather vane right now.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

The RIDE's new bag rules are quietly cutting off seniors and disabled riders from groceries. A policy change last August requiring MBTA paratransit users to collapse and stow shopping carts inside their own seating area — rather than in the trunk or rear of the van — has left longtime riders like 79-year-old Dorchester resident Lillie Bryan rationing what she buys. More than 50 RIDE patrons showed up at a T board meeting this month wearing "Secure Our Dignity" shirts; the T says the rule frees up space for wheelchairs and walkers on the shared service. Boston Globe →

Stoughton's police chief and town manager are both under fire, and the town is bracing for more. The Select Board meets behind closed doors Wednesday to discuss Police Chief Donna McNamara — pulled off the job earlier this month with no public explanation — and Town Manager Thomas Calter, amid resident calls for Calter's ouster. McNamara's attorney says she's preparing legal action against Calter and the town; a rally supporting her is planned for this afternoon. Boston Globe →

Mayor Wu is promising concrete barriers for bike lanes after a city planner's death. Louisa Gag, a Boston transportation planner and bike advocate, was killed on Tremont Street near Roxbury Crossing when a truck struck her. Facing criticism at Gag's vigil that her administration had slowed its street-safety push, Wu pledged an audit of the Streets Department, faster City Hall response times, and cast-in-place concrete barriers like those on Congress Street. WBZ/CBS Boston →

Maine Democrats picked their new Senate nominee — and it matters here too. Former state Senate president and logger Troy Jackson won a lopsided nominating vote Saturday to replace Graham Platner, who dropped out after a sexual assault allegation he denies. Jackson now faces five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a race that could decide Senate control — a race Massachusetts political operatives and donors will be watching closely given the proximity and shared media market. WBUR →

Offshore wind's federal freeze could mean rolling blackouts, one congressman warns. With Trump administration policy changes stalling Massachusetts offshore wind projects, idle port terminals and rising energy bills are becoming the norm — and at least one member of the state's delegation says the grid itself could be at risk if the freeze continues. MassLive →

Massachusetts is sending firefighters west. Gov. Maura Healey dispatched a crew to northern Minnesota to help battle wildfires that have been degrading air quality across the region — a reminder that "someone else's" climate disaster keeps becoming everyone's problem. WWLP →

Worth Your Attention

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Americans4Hindus-Massachusetts Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/23/2026
• American Workforce Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/22/2026

OCPF →

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Mayor Wu's street safety letter is a start — but the fight over who controls Boston's streets is just getting started.

Sixteen days after city planner and bike advocate Louisa Gag was killed by a truck on Tremont Street, Mayor Michelle Wu put her plan in writing Friday: more permanent concrete barriers on bike lanes, truck side-guard enforcement, fixed sidewalks and curb ramps, and two senior staffers — including former streets chief Chris Osgood — brought back to lead the effort. The city will start with the most dangerous gaps near Boston Common and the Public Garden, and Wu says outside advisors will "assess" her Streets Cabinet, a nod to activists who specifically demanded the ouster of current chief of streets Nick Gove.

Here's the thing: this is a real, substantive response, but it's also clearly a negotiated document. The open letter that 4,000 people signed gave Wu until July 31 to answer five specific demands, including bringing back a "build fast and fix later" approach abandoned after community pushback in prior years. Wu's letter commits to more durable barriers and consultation — but stops short of promising the fast-and-loose implementation style advocates want, and it doesn't commit to removing Gove. That gap between what was asked for and what was delivered is where this story goes next. Expect cycling advocates to keep pressing, especially since no one has been charged in the crash that killed Gag, and the investigation into the recycling truck driver remains open.

The bigger subtext: Boston has been here before — big promises after a death, incremental follow-through, then quiet until the next tragedy. Whether this time is different depends on whether Wu's "million details about every single street," as she put it, actually get resolved before the next election cycle, not after it.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Senate says no to Healey's noncompete fix. Governor Maura Healey wanted to close a loophole in the state's 2018 noncompete law that lets employers skip paying "garden leave" to workers bound by these agreements. Both House and Senate leaders left it out of their economic development bills after pushback from major employer groups, meaning the issue is dead for this legislative cycle unless it resurfaces in conference committee. Boston Globe →

The Senate just took a real swing at the housing crisis. Tucked into that same sprawling economic development bill: a provision legalizing two-family homes on any residential lot statewide — essentially ending single-family zoning as we know it. Combined with existing accessory dwelling unit rules, most lots could technically become three-unit properties. Senate Ways and Means chair Michael Rodrigues says the exodus of 25-to-40-year-olds from Massachusetts keeps him up at night; this is the Senate's answer. CommonWealth Beacon →

Southie senator counters Wu with his own tax plan — while fighting for his seat. State Senator Nick Collins got a property tax relief proposal unanimously added to the Senate's economic bill, boosting exemptions for older homeowners and letting cities tap surpluses for rebates. Collins argues Boston's real surplus is closer to $1.7 billion, not the $552 million reported — and he's pushing this as Wu backs a primary challenger against him this fall. WBUR →

Spilka is about to do something no Senate president has done in 30 years. Karen Spilka will lead the Senate into a ninth consecutive year next week — a feat only possible because Senate Democrats scrapped an eight-year term limit rule back in 2023. Asked when she'll step down, Spilka said, "I do believe that I will know when it's time to go, and that's when I'll go." Translation: not yet. CommonWealth Beacon →

A tissue, a road rage spiral, and gunshots at the Hingham library. Steven License, 60, is being held without bail after allegedly firing two shots in the library parking lot Thursday, following an argument that started when his wife tossed a tissue out their car window on Route 53. The other driver told police he "cannot tolerate when people litter" — an oddly Massachusetts sentence if there ever was one. License is due back in court Wednesday for a dangerousness hearing. Boston Globe →

A Norfolk police romance blew up department morale for years. An independent investigation found that a former deputy chief and a former sergeant in the Norfolk Police Department had an "inappropriate personal relationship" that compromised an internal affairs probe and eroded trust department-wide. Both have since left the force. Boston Globe →

Maine Democrats formally nominate their new Senate candidate today after Graham Platner's campaign imploded amid sexual assault allegations. Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and former state senate president, is expected to get the nod to face Senator Susan Collins in a race that could decide Senate control. WCVB →

Steven License's dangerousness hearing is set for Wednesday in the Hingham library shooting case — worth watching given the road rage circumstances and his firearm license status. Boston Globe →

Cambridge City Council punted its ShotSpotter vote — watch for it to resurface at a future council meeting as the debate over the gunshot-detection system continues. WBZ/CBS Boston →

Full budget details →

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Americans4Hindus-Massachusetts Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/23/2026
• American Workforce Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/22/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Friday, July 24, 2026

Good morning. It's the last Friday before lawmakers scatter for their traditional end-of-July "we swear we'll keep negotiating" break, which means Beacon Hill crammed a year's worth of news into 48 hours. Grab your coffee — there's a lot.

The Lead

The House just passed the biggest change to Massachusetts abortion law in years — and almost nobody outside the State House noticed.

On Wednesday, the House voted 119-33 to scrap the current law's specific list of exceptions for abortions after 24 weeks — the ones covering life endangerment, health risks, "lethal fetal anomaly," and "grave fetal diagnosis" — and replace them with something simpler and much broader: whatever a doctor decides is medically appropriate. Rep. Christine Barber of Somerville, the bill's sponsor, put it plainly: "We found that this care is so complicated, there is no way to encompass every possible exception. It should be between a doctor and a patient." Nine Democrats broke ranks to vote no, alongside every Republican who voted.

Here's why this matters beyond the vote tally: if the Senate follows suit before the session winds down July 31, Massachusetts would land among the least restrictive states in the country for late-term abortion — a distinction that will get plenty of national attention in a post-Dobbs landscape where blue states are increasingly defining themselves in opposition to red-state bans. Supporters say the current exceptions are too narrow and have forced women with serious complications to travel out of state for care that should be available at home. Opponents, including Massachusetts Citizens for Life, argue the change removes meaningful guardrails entirely.

The ball's now in the Senate's court, and then Governor Maura Healey's desk — her office wouldn't say Wednesday whether she'd sign it. Given the compressed timeline (session technically ends next week, though new rules give lawmakers more breathing room than in past years), expect this to move fast, and expect it to become a flashpoint heading into a busy fall of ballot questions and political maneuvering. Full story at CommonWealth Beacon →

What Else You Should Know

AG Andrea Campbell is investigating the MassHousing scandal the Globe uncovered. After the Spotlight Team's investigation found $1.4 million awarded to developers who submitted invoices for work that apparently never happened — plus a MassHousing executive who bought a discounted West Roxbury home from those same developers — Campbell's office confirmed it's now probing potential fraud and conflicts of interest. This one's not going away. Boston Globe →

Steve Kerrigan, the guy running the state Democratic Party, admitted to sufficient facts in a drunk driving case. Kerrigan blew a .089 after being pulled over in Southborough in June, lost his license for 45 days, and issued a statement taking "full responsibility." Governor Healey, who endorsed him for the party chair role, called it "unacceptable" but said she'd spoken with him directly. Awkward timing for a party gearing up for a big midterm push. Boston Globe →

Somerville is having second thoughts about police body cameras — after years of pushing for them. A $232,000 state grant is about to expire, and city councilors who once championed the technology are now wrestling with budget strain and rising skepticism about surveillance tools generally. "It's a weird position to be in," said Councilor Jon Link. Boston Globe →

A road rage incident outside the Hingham Public Library sent one person to the hospital Thursday. A passenger in one of two vehicles fired a gun during the confrontation, injuring himself — not by gunshot — and police still haven't located the other driver. The shooter has a valid gun license; the investigation continues. Boston Globe →

Haitian TPS holders lose legal status Monday, and Boston advocates are making a last push. Dozens rallied at City Hall Plaza Thursday urging Senate passage of a bill extending Temporary Protected Status, after a June Supreme Court ruling let the Trump administration end protections for Haitians and Syrians. City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, who is Haitian, told the crowd: "We stand in their place and we stand in solidarity with them." GBH News →

The $850 million plan to redevelop the shuttered Carney Hospital in Dorchester just got a lot more detailed. The 341-page filing calls for demolishing the empty Steward Health Care buildings and replacing them with a healthcare center, 500 units of housing, retail, education space, and new green space linked to Dorchester Park. The campus has sat vacant for two years — this is the clearest picture yet of what comes next. WBUR →

The Senate wants to ban crypto ATMs after scammers stole millions from Massachusetts residents. Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott says scammers routinely walk victims straight to these kiosks — found in convenience stores and liquor stores across the state — to convert cash into Bitcoin that's gone in minutes. Nationally, the FBI says such scams cost $389 million last year. WBUR →

Worth Your Attention

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Americans4Hindus-Massachusetts Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/23/2026
• American Workforce Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/22/2026

OCPF →

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Opening statements loom in the Lindsay Clancy trial — and the jury has been chosen through an unusually raw process

Seventeen of eighteen jurors are seated in Plymouth Superior Court for the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother charged with strangling her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan — in January 2023. Opening statements are expected Friday, following a third day of jury selection that has been notable for how personal and clinical it's gotten: prospective jurors were asked directly whether they or a family member had been diagnosed with postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety, and whether they could fairly weigh an insanity defense.

This matters beyond the tragedy itself. Clancy's defense hinges on the argument that she was in the grip of severe postpartum psychosis — hearing voices, attempting suicide by jumping from a second-story window, and slashing her own neck and wrists — when she killed her children while her husband was out getting takeout. She remains paralyzed from the waist down and appears in court in a wheelchair. How this jury, and eventually the public, receives that defense could shape how Massachusetts — and the country — talks about postpartum mental illness and the legal system's capacity to handle it. It's not hyperbole to say this case could become a reference point the way other high-profile insanity defenses have.

Expect an emotional few weeks. Several women have already left the courtroom in tears just from the jury questioning. Testimony starts Friday.

Full story at Boston Globe →

The House just voted to loosen the state's abortion law. Massachusetts lawmakers passed a bill 119-33 that would let physicians perform abortions after 24 weeks based on their own professional judgment, not just in narrowly defined emergency cases. Rep. Michael Day said the change was partly driven by cases involving trafficking victims who couldn't access care in time under current law. Mass General Brigham and other health systems backed the bill, which now heads to the Senate. WBUR →

Stoughton's police chief says she's being pushed out over her gender. Chief Donna McNamara — who led the department through the fallout of the Sandra Birchmore scandal — found out via press release that Town Manager Thomas Calter had installed a deputy as acting chief without telling her. Her lawyer says McNamara filed a harassment complaint accusing Calter of "misogynistic words and actions" and trying to force out the department's first female chief without cause. Calter isn't commenting. This one's going to get uglier before it gets resolved. Boston Globe →

Healey tries again on her Parole Board pick. After the Governor's Council rejected her last nominee for being too pro-prosecution, Governor Maura Healey nominated... another former prosecutor. Kaitlyn O'Leary, currently the Parole Board's deputy general counsel, previously prosecuted homicides and sexual assault cases in Bristol and Plymouth counties. Her confirmation hearing is set for August 12 — worth watching whether the Council's objections were really about her résumé or something else. Boston Globe →

The state's wealthy aren't fleeing — they're paying. New Department of Revenue numbers show the "millionaire's tax" surtax brought in $3.38 billion last fiscal year, up 13% and nearly triple original projections. Advocates from the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition say it's proof the predicted exodus of high earners never materialized. The money funds free school meals, free community college, and free regional transit — programs that just got a lot harder to argue against defunding. CommonWealth Beacon →

Federal election monitors are coming to Massachusetts this fall. The Trump DOJ announced it's sending monitors to six states, including Massachusetts, for the upcoming primaries — part of a broader push tied to unsubstantiated claims about noncitizen voting. Experts say the practice itself is routine, but voters and poll workers should understand what monitors can and can't do under the law before Election Day confusion sets in. Boston.com →

A former Miss Hall's headmaster is indicted over abuse she allegedly ignored. Jeannie Norris, who ran the elite Pittsfield girls' school from 1996 to 2012, is charged with reckless endangerment for allegedly sitting on "numerous reports" about teacher Matthew Rutledge's inappropriate conduct with students. Rutledge, who taught at the school for over three decades, faces separate rape charges from two former students. Boston.com →

The state Senate votes today on an economic development bill that includes a "fun agenda" of amendments to make pandemic-era rules — later last calls, outdoor drinking districts — permanent before they expire July 31. WBUR →

Kaitlyn O'Leary's Parole Board confirmation hearing before the Governor's Council is scheduled for August 12. Boston Globe →

Opening statements in the Lindsay Clancy trial are expected Friday in Plymouth Superior Court. WBZ/CBS Boston →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• American Workforce Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/22/2026

OCPF →

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The House votes today to make Massachusetts' abortion law one of the broadest in the country.

Lawmakers are expected to pass a bill this afternoon that strips away the state's existing four-part test for late-term abortions — the one that currently requires doctors to show a pregnancy termination after 24 weeks is necessary to save the patient's life or in similarly narrow circumstances. In its place: a single standard, "the professional judgment of a physician." Full stop.

This isn't a minor tweak. It cleared House Ways and Means on a 23-6 vote Tuesday, with Speaker Ron Mariano and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz framing it as taking the Legislature out of exam-room decisions entirely. Somerville Rep. Christine Barber, the bill's sponsor, says she was moved by stories of Massachusetts patients forced to travel out of state — burning savings, losing support networks — for care that current law makes too legally fraught for local doctors to provide. Six Republicans voted no in committee, and expect a similar, mostly party-line split on the floor today, the final formal session day of the year.

The politics here are notable: Massachusetts already has some of the country's most permissive abortion laws, and this bill would push it further than nearly any other state, at a moment when the national landscape has gone the opposite direction since Dobbs. If Governor Healey signs it, as expected, it becomes another marker in the blue-state strategy of building a legal buffer against future federal restrictions — and near-certain fodder for the fall campaign trail regardless of what happens in Washington.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Nine ballot questions. A state record tied. Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office finalized the order Tuesday after a last-minute challenge to the marijuana repeal question (now officially Question 8) failed. Voters will also decide on public records reform, ending party primaries, Election Day registration, and a fight over the Chapter 62F tax rebate law — expect two- to three-page ballots in most towns. WBUR →

Senate Democrats are quietly trying to kill a tax rebate question before voters ever see it. An amendment from Winchester's Sen. Jason Lewis to repeal Chapter 62F — the law that triggered $3 billion in taxpayer rebates in 2022 — already has 19 cosponsors, enough for a majority. If it passes this week, it would gut a ballot question already headed to November voters, drawing fury from anti-tax groups who say Beacon Hill is trying to preempt the electorate. CommonWealth Beacon →

The Senate also wants to end single-family zoning as we know it. Buried in a $325 million economic development bill: a provision letting duplexes be built by-right almost everywhere in Massachusetts. Right now 96% of residential land allows single-family homes by right, but only 38% allows duplexes. Sen. Julian Cyr calls it "unlocking a huge amount of capacity" for housing; towns would keep control over design and height. WBZ/CBS Boston →

Boston University will pay the city $104 million over five years — the largest PILOT deal in Boston history and BU's first written agreement with the city in over 25 years. Annual cash payments jump from $6.3 million to $8.3 million, plus $66.8 million in community benefits, as Mayor Michelle Wu keeps leaning on institutions to fill budget gaps property taxes can't. WBUR →

A bullet tore through a Brockton Catholic Charities office Tuesday afternoon, passing clean through an exterior wall and into a staffed office before hitting an interior door. Nobody was hurt, police say the building wasn't the target, and no suspects have been named — but staff at the food pantry and elder-outreach center are, understandably, shaken. Boston Globe →

A homicide investigation shut down Green Line service at Boylston and Tremont early Wednesday morning after police found a man with severe "trauma to his body" near the T stop around 5:15 a.m. Eastbound trains are skipping the Boylston stop as detectives work the scene — on top of the Red Line's ongoing 10-day shutdown between Alewife and Park Street. Rough week to be a T rider. WBZ/CBS Boston →

• The House votes today on the late-term abortion bill in what's expected to be the final formal session of the year — worth watching for the roll call and any floor amendments. CommonWealth Beacon →
• Jury selection resumes today in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in Plymouth Superior Court — 12 of 18 jurors seated so far, with an insanity defense expected to be the central fight. Boston Globe →
• The Senate's primary-care bill faces a July 31 deadline in the House — it aims to address a shortage so severe that 30% of Massachusetts residents report trouble finding a doctor. WBUR →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Boston Leads Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/16/2026

OCPF →

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• The state Senate debates its economic development bill — including those AI safety guardrails — on the floor this Thursday, July 23. GBH News →
• Public comment opens this Friday on the Army Corps' $10 billion Boston flood protection draft plan — worth watching if you live near the waterfront. WBUR →
• The Norfolk County DA Democratic primary field of seven candidates keeps making news ahead of the September 1 primary — worth following if you're in that county. Boston Globe →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Boston Leads Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/16/2026
• Results for Norfolk County Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/15/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Monday, July 20, 2026

Good morning. Jury selection starts today in one of the most difficult trials Massachusetts has seen in years, gas prices are creeping back toward $4 as the Iran conflict grinds on, and there's a lot happening south of Boston this week. Let's get into it.

THE LEAD

The Markey-Moulton primary has a progressive-enthusiasm problem — and it's not who you'd think.

While young insurgent Democrats are knocking off establishment incumbents from Brooklyn to Boulder, Massachusetts' marquee Senate primary between 80-year-old incumbent Ed Markey and 47-year-old Congressman Seth Moulton has left plenty of Bay State liberals cold. The complaint, echoed from convention floors to Discord servers: Markey's the recognized progressive but is pushing 81; Moulton's younger but reads as too centrist for a base that's increasingly hungry for fire, not just seniority.

This isn't a fringe gripe. Wilmington School Committee member Nicholas Golden, 32, told the Globe he's backing Markey but really wanted Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to jump in — she flirted with a challenge before ultimately endorsing the incumbent. That "what if" is exactly the energy fueling races elsewhere, and its absence here says something real about how Massachusetts Democrats, despite the state's deep-blue reputation, keep producing top-of-ticket races that feel more generational-succession-plan than movement politics.

Why it matters: Markey has leaned hard into his climate-warrior, Green New Deal legacy to fend off the "he's too old" critique, while Moulton keeps trying to thread a needle between military-veteran moderate and next-gen alternative — a pitch that isn't quite landing with the loudest voices on the left. Watch for outside progressive groups (Justice Democrats, Sunrise, etc.) to either finally wade in with real money, or sit this one out entirely, which would be its own kind of statement about where Massachusetts fits in the national progressive map right now. Full story at Boston Globe →

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW

Body found near Pressley's husband's Mattapan property died of gunshot wound. Police say the person found dead Saturday inside a rental property owned by Conan Harris, husband of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, died of a single gunshot wound; the victim was "known to the Commonwealth," and Boston Police's homicide unit is investigating. The house on Malta Street is currently on the market for $1.15 million. WBZ / CBS Boston →

Lindsay Clancy murder trial opens today with jury selection. More than three years after prosecutors say the Duxbury mother strangled her three young children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — the trial is finally getting underway, with 18 jurors expected to be seated for a case that could run 6 to 8 weeks and feature over 200 witnesses. Clancy's defense is expected to argue severe postpartum depression and medication overload. Boston.com →

Immigration courts are being flooded with "mega masters" hearings, and advocates say that's the point. At Chelmsford Immigration Court, judges are now seeing 100+ cases in a single morning — several times normal caseload — as the Trump administration tries to clear its backlog fast. Lawyers say the compressed timelines mean legitimate asylum claims are getting steamrolled, with people who had hearings scheduled two years out suddenly summoned on days' notice. WBUR →

Healey wants to cap ticket resale prices at 110% of face value. Inspired partly by Noah Kahan's four sold-out Fenway shows and his advocacy in Vermont, Governor Maura Healey is folding the "Great Divide Act" into her closeout supplemental budget — meaning a $100 ticket couldn't resell for more than $110. State Sen. Dylan Fernandes filed the original bill last month. Boston.com →

TSA workers in New England are bracing for privatization under Trump's pick to run the agency. David Cummins, a former Serco executive, told senators the push to expand private airport security contractors is "pro-worker," but Mike Gayzagian, who heads the union representing TSA staff in New England, isn't buying it. Logan Airport screeners are watching closely. WBUR →

Phil Eng isn't giving up his double duty at MassDOT and the T anytime soon. Both Eng and Healey say there's no timeline for splitting the transportation secretary and MBTA general manager roles he's held simultaneously — a structure that's drawn scrutiny given the sheer scope of running both agencies at once. MassLive →

WORTH YOUR ATTENTION

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Boston Leads Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/16/2026
• Results for Norfolk County Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/15/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Sunday, July 19, 2026

Good morning. World Cup's over (well, almost — final's today), the T actually pulled it off, and there's a lot happening in Mattapan that we're still trying to make sense of. Let's get into it.

The Lead

Boston police are investigating a death at a Mattapan home owned by Rep. Ayanna Pressley's husband — and the mystery is only deepening.

Officers responded to 25 Malta St. around 1:52 p.m. Saturday after a call to "investigate person" and found someone dead at the multi-family home. Boston PD's homicide unit is now leading the investigation, which department spokespeople are calling, cautiously, a "death investigation" — meaning we don't yet know if this was a crime, an accident, or something else entirely. The property is owned by Conan Harris, Pressley's husband, though a spokesperson for the congresswoman says it's a rental and the family doesn't live there — they're in Hyde Park. The realtor selling the home (yes, it's on the market) told reporters the tenants had lived there "for a while."

Here's why this matters beyond the tabloid surface: a sitting member of Congress now has her family's property at the center of an active homicide-unit investigation, at a moment when she's already a lightning rod nationally. Expect this to generate outsized coverage relative to what's actually known, and expect Pressley's office to face pressure to say more than "deepest condolences to the impacted family." The real story right now is thin — no identity released, no cause of death, no arrests — but thin stories about powerful people's property rarely stay quiet for long in this town. Watch for the medical examiner's findings and whether police classify this as a homicide in the coming days.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

The T actually delivered during the World Cup — mostly. Nearly 20,000 riders per busy match day, shrinking wait times, no major safety incidents. GM Phil Eng is practically glowing, though the $80 marked-up Foxborough round-trip tickets and the South Station street-closure standoff with the city remain sore points nobody's fully resolved. The takeaway: when the T is properly funded and staffed for a single event, it works. The question everyone's avoiding is why that can't be Tuesday. Boston Globe →

The House's "transparency" bill isn't. In the wake of the 2024 ballot question where 72% of voters said the state auditor should be able to audit the Legislature, House Speaker Ron Mariano's chamber passed a bill that limits what Auditor Diana DiZoglio can actually request to 17 narrow categories — essentially gutting the spirit of what voters approved. This comes right as AG Andrea Campbell backed off representing DiZoglio in her lawsuit against the Legislature, after signals the SJC would force her hand anyway. If you voted yes on that question, this is worth five minutes of your outrage. CommonWealth Beacon →

Citizens Bank drops private prison contracts after months of pressure. Following sustained protests — including a coalition that collected pledges for over $24 million in threatened withdrawals — Citizens ended its credit facilities with CoreCivic and The Geo Group. The bank says it's just a shift in the companies' financial needs, not activism working. Cambridge City Councillor Marc McGovern, who pulled his campaign funds from Citizens months ago, isn't buying that framing and says he's keeping his money elsewhere anyway. Cambridge Day →

Abington finally offloads its shuttered schools — and turns a profit doing it. The Select Board finalized a deal with Causeway Development to redevelop the long-vacant North and Center Schools into 56 units of mixed affordable housing, preserving the 1938-39 Art Deco exteriors. The town nets about $2 million upfront and sheds all future liability, while expecting $350,000-$400,000 in new annual tax revenue per building once complete. Six years in the making — a real case study for other towns sitting on empty school buildings. South Shore News →

ICE agents are shooting people during traffic stops without following basic police protocol, experts say. After ICE agents killed two people in their vehicles within six days — including a Biddeford, Maine shooting that's now generating national scrutiny — law enforcement trainers say the agency's tactics violate its own use-of-force policy. The Maine shooter, David Brouillette, has since been accused by two ex-wives of a documented history of violence and threats, raising serious questions about DHS vetting during its hiring surge. This isn't a Massachusetts story exactly, but with ICE activity ramping up across New England, it's one to watch closely. Boston Globe →

Two fatal shootings in Boston overnight put homicide detectives on double duty. A 25-year-old man was shot and killed inside an Allston apartment building on Rugg Road Friday night — neighbors called it shocking, no arrests yet, police are looking for a shirtless man seen fleeing the scene. WCVB →

Worth Your Attention

• Today's the World Cup final watch party — Argentina vs. Spain, City Hall Plaza, thousands expected for Boston's last big public gathering of a jam-packed summer that also included Sail Boston and America 250. WBZ/CBS Boston →

• Marshfield's Select Board continues its hearing on the "self-pour" beer system at Train4Life gym, after members raised concerns about facial-recognition alcohol dispensing near a facility packed with teenagers — no new date set yet, but expect this back on an upcoming agenda. South Shore News →

• Anne Brensley has pivoted to a write-in campaign for Secretary of State after failing to gather enough signatures for lieutenant governor — worth watching how much traction a write-in bid actually gets against an incumbent field. WWLP →

Full budget details →

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Fraylin Angelina (Republican) — Senate, 1st Essex — Filed: 7/13/2026

PACs

• Boston Leads Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/16/2026
• Results for Norfolk County Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/15/2026
• Better Future for Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Citizens for an Affordable Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026

OCPF →

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Good morning. It's a split weekend on the forecast front — today brings storms and unhealthy air, tomorrow's your reward — so plan accordingly. Let's get into it.

The Lead

A record nine questions could hit your November ballot — and the MassHousing scandal is a reminder of why oversight matters.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office confirmed Friday that nine ballot questions have cleared the signature threshold to go before voters this fall, tying the all-time high set back in 1994. That's a lot of democracy for one ballot: proposals touching all-party primaries, expanding public records law, a natural resource conservation fund, collective bargaining rights for public defenders, Election Day registration, single-family home zoning, a state revenue cap with rebates, a repeal of the 2024 gun law, and a push to ban retail sales of recreational marijuana. One more — a cannabis repeal signature challenge — is still working its way through the Ballot Law Commission, with a decision expected by Wednesday.

This flood didn't happen by accident. Massachusetts' ballot initiative process has become the release valve for ideas that can't get traction on Beacon Hill, and this year the Legislature's own dysfunction fed the pileup — lawmakers have been talking for months about overhauling the process because they're tired of playing defense against citizen petitions. The Supreme Judicial Court already knocked two high-profile measures (rent control and an income tax cut) off the ballot after ruling Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office botched the certification and summary language. That's not a small thing: the AG's office is supposed to be a neutral referee here, and getting it wrong on two separate high-stakes questions raises real questions about how carefully that process is being run.

Which brings us to the other story that should worry anyone who cares about government functioning honestly: Tony Richards II, the MassHousing executive at the center of a Globe Spotlight investigation, resigned Friday. Richards handed out $1.4 million — more than half a program's funding — to two developers who'd sold him his own West Roxbury house at a steep discount just months earlier, a conflict he never disclosed. The developers then allegedly submitted fake invoices for work that was never done. Both stories point to the same underlying issue: the guardrails meant to catch conflicts of interest and bad paperwork before real money and real trust are lost. Expect legislative hearings on MassHousing's oversight, and expect the ballot question fight to get uglier — and more expensive — as we head toward November.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

South Shore football coach charged after leaving baby home alone to drive drunk. Bradley Leal, the newly hired head coach at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and a math teacher at Plymouth South, was charged with OUI and child endangerment after allegedly leaving his 15-month-old son home alone while driving drunk from a Weymouth bar in June. He's resigned from the school and faces an additional reckless endangerment charge later this month. Boston Globe →

Wu pledges action after cyclist's death — advocates say they'll believe it when they see it. Following the death of city transportation planner Louisa Gag, struck by a truck while biking on Tremont Street, Mayor Michelle Wu vowed at an emotional vigil to speed up stalled street-safety projects. Advocates note 17 planned safety projects have stalled and say City Hall stopped regularly meeting with them over a year ago — so they're watching for follow-through, not just words. GBH News →

Boston councilor demands independent review of school bus safety. City Councilor Erin Murphy is calling on the state to investigate Boston Public Schools' transportation contractor, Transdev, after a WBUR/ProPublica investigation found none of more than 70 serious crashes over a decade were recorded in the company's federal safety record. The push follows the death of kindergartner Lens Joseph, run over by his own school bus last year. WBUR →

Trump administration moves to kill offshore wind, citing national security. The administration is halting projects and buying back leases, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum pointing to a classified Pentagon report claiming turbines interfere with radar and sonar. Massachusetts, home to some of the country's most advanced offshore wind development, has a lot riding on how this plays out. Boston.com →

MassDems want the AG candidate's public financing cut off over forged signatures. Party chair Steve Kerrigan is asking state campaign finance regulators to deny public funds to Republican attorney general candidate Michael Walsh after the Ballot Law Commission found more than 1,000 forged signatures on his nomination papers. A judge returned Walsh to the ballot on a technicality even while calling the fraud evidence "overwhelming," and Norfolk and Plymouth County prosecutors have opened criminal investigations. State House News Service →

World Cup gave the economy a lift, but not everyone's feeling it. The Fed's latest Beige Book found tourism and retail spending up across New England thanks to World Cup crowds, but low- and moderate-income households are reporting more stress and higher demand for assistance, largely driven by high grocery and necessity prices. CommonWealth Beacon →

Worth Your Attention

Wednesday: The state Ballot Law Commission is expected to rule on the challenge to the cannabis repeal question, which will finalize whether Massachusetts voters see eight or nine questions this fall. Boston Globe →

July 28: Whitman-Hanson's former head football coach Bradley Leal is due to be arraigned on a reckless endangerment of a child charge tied to the June drunk-driving incident. Boston Globe →

Sunday: Boston hosts its final World Cup watch party at City Hall Plaza for the Argentina-Spain final, capping off a summer that also included Sail Boston and America 250 events. WBZ / CBS Boston →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Fraylin Angelina (Republican) — Senate, 1st Essex — Filed: 7/13/2026

PACs

• Boston Leads Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/16/2026
• Results for Norfolk County Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/15/2026
• Better Future for Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Citizens for an Affordable Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026

OCPF →

One More Thing

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THE MASS BRIEF

Friday, July 17, 2026

The Lead

A week after transportation planner Louisa Gag was killed by a recycling truck while biking on Tremont Street, the anger hasn't faded — it's organized. Thousands signed an open letter demanding Mayor Michelle Wu's administration stop stalling on street safety, and a tearful Wu showed up to Gag's vigil at City Hall Plaza Thursday night to absorb it in person. New details from the crash investigation make the moment feel even rawer: the truck driver swerved around a turning car, hit Gag, and reportedly kept going for several blocks before stopping.

This is bigger than one tragic crash. Gag worked for the city's own transportation department — she was, in the cruelest possible irony, one of the people Boston pays to make streets safer. The letter, signed by roughly 2,300 residents plus thousands more supporters, accuses Wu of 18 months of "stalling and re-studying" already-designed, already-funded safety projects, and demands a permanent chief of streets, published construction timelines, and restored transportation funding that critics say got quietly cut from the budget. Wu's response — promising to "accelerate" projects and order a full design review of Tremont Street and other high-crash corridors — is the kind of pledge every mayor makes after a death like this. The real test is whether it survives past the next news cycle.

What happens next: advocates say they'll be watching for actual paving crews and bike lane construction, not another round of "process." Wu is up for reelection, and this is now a defining test of how she balances neighborhood pushback against bike infrastructure with the growing chorus saying that caution is costing lives. Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

Duplexes everywhere? The Senate wants to try it. Massachusetts Senate Democrats are moving a bill next week that would let duplexes be built "by-right" on any residentially zoned lot in the state — no special permits needed. It's tucked into a broader economic development package that also touches AI regulation, liquor licenses, and e-bike rules, but the duplex piece alone could reshape suburban zoning in a state where nearly 60% of homes are single-family. CommonWealth Beacon →

Healey wants Noah Kahan's help fighting scalpers. The governor unveiled the "Great Divide Act" — named for Kahan's album — which would cap concert and sporting-event ticket resale at 110% of face value and limit resale fees to 10%. Ticket industry groups immediately noted the bill leaves the primary market (aka Ticketmaster, which handles 90% of sales) largely untouched. WBUR →

Healey also wants $100 million more for struggling schools. With districts facing shrinking enrollment, rising transportation costs, and threats of teacher layoffs, the governor is proposing an extra $100 million on top of the $7 billion already budgeted for K-12 this year. It needs legislative sign-off, but comes as districts warn they may need to cut extracurriculars and mental health support. CommonWealth Beacon →

The wrong-way crash that killed a state trooper: driver was drunk. An investigation into the May crash that killed State Trooper Kevin Trainor on Route 1 in Lynnfield found driver Hernan Marrero's blood alcohol was more than double the legal limit — he'd been served nine drinks at a Saugus restaurant before getting on the highway going the wrong way. WBUR →

Nurses and hospital staff get new protections. The state Senate unanimously passed a bill making it easier for police to arrest people who assault healthcare workers, and giving assaulted workers paid leave to recover and pursue prosecution. It now needs to be reconciled with a tougher House version that would make such assaults a felony. WBUR →

Boston officers shot at during a Dorchester stop. Rasiel Carbuccia, 20, allegedly opened fire on two Boston police officers Wednesday night with a ghost gun before fleeing through backyards; he was wanted on an outstanding assault warrant and had previously been found mentally incompetent in another case. Neither officer was hurt, but the cruiser's windshield took a bullet. Boston Globe →

Worth Your Attention

• The Senate is expected to vote next week on its economic development bill, which contains both the duplex zoning change and the Mass Save income-verification reforms currently drawing advocate pushback. CommonWealth Beacon →
• Rasiel Carbuccia's dangerousness hearing is set for July 28 in Dorchester Municipal Court. Boston Globe →
• The Massachusetts GOP primary heats up September 1, with frontrunner Mike Minogue already looking past rival Brian Shortsleeve toward a general-election matchup with Healey. GBH News →

One More Thing

Somewhere between officiating Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding and touring New England, Adam Sandler found time to cold-call the Nantucket Police Department's non-emergency line asking, politely, if there were any outdoor basketball courts on the island. There were. He played. Witnesses report "great passing," "decent lay-ups," and a noted reluctance to shoot. WBZ / CBS Boston →

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Good morning. It's smoky, it's hazy, and if you're heading underground on the Red Line next week, it's about to get a lot more complicated. Let's get into it.

The fallout from Monday's fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford, Maine, has metastasized into something bigger than one tragic traffic stop — it's now a full-blown crisis of trust between federal immigration enforcement and just about everyone else, including the politicians who are supposed to have some sway over it.

Start with the whiplash policy reversal: On Tuesday, ICE reportedly agreed to pause non-urgent traffic stops after Senator Susan Collins personally lobbied DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. By Wednesday morning, President Trump had blown that up on Truth Social, declaring the traffic stop "one of ICE's most important and effective Crime Fighting tools" and vowing not to give it up "on my watch." A White House official later confirmed the pause was overturned entirely — all within about 24 hours, while a memorial for Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, the 26-year-old Colombian father shot dead by an agent, was still gathering flowers on a Biddeford street corner.

That whiplash has consequences far beyond Maine. Collins, already the most endangered Senate Republican in the country, had staked some of her reelection credibility on brokering exactly this kind of de-escalation — and Trump undercut her without even saying her name. Meanwhile, Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain is demanding body cameras become mandatory for agents and wants the traffic-stop ban made permanent, not "a temporary public relations move." And Governor Janet Mills, who has called for ICE to be abolished if it won't reform, got chased away from the memorial site Wednesday by protesters who accused her of failing to protect residents in the first place — proof that even sympathetic elected officials are catching blame for a federal agency they don't control. Expect this story to keep bleeding into Massachusetts politics too, especially as Beacon Hill Democrats watch how a swing-state Republican senator navigates an issue that isn't going away. Full story at Boston Globe →

Healey wants $100 million more for schools — days after signing the budget. Governor Maura Healey filed a supplemental budget Wednesday that would send an extra $112 per student to every district in the state, funded by millionaires tax revenue, as communities across Massachusetts grapple with teacher layoffs and program cuts from this year's tight budget cycle. It now heads to the House, where education advocates are pushing for fast action. GBH News →

The Red Line goes dark north of Park Street starting Tuesday. The MBTA is shutting down service to Alewife for 10 days of "critical" infrastructure work, with shuttle buses that could take 70 minutes to cover the route. There's an express shuttle between Harvard Square and South Station via the Pike, but if you commute through Cambridge, plan on a rough back half of July — and mark your calendar, because a similar Orange Line shutdown is coming in late August. Boston Globe →

Boston City Hall still won't say much about the crash that killed transit planner Louisa Gag. A week after the cyclist and former Wu intern was struck and killed by a construction truck, the city hasn't released the driver's name, the vehicle's owner, or how the crash actually happened. Advocates who knew Gag are furious, pointing to the administration's recent removal of protective bike lane barriers as evidence City Hall isn't serious about street safety. Boston Globe →

Massachusetts is getting stiffed on disaster aid, and it's not random. A new AP analysis finds Trump has denied disaster declaration requests at a higher rate than any president since 1989 — and the denials disproportionately hit states that didn't vote for him. Massachusetts is among four Democratic states, along with New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, still waiting on federal help for February's snowstorm. WBUR →

The House passed a pet welfare bill, minus the pet shop ban. Lawmakers voted 151-1 for legislation that creates a new protocol for seizing neglected animals and removes barriers to public housing for pet owners — but stripped out the Senate's provision banning pet store sales of cats, dogs, and rabbits. That fight now heads to a conference committee. WBUR →

Moulton wants Markey's medical records. Congressman Seth Moulton is calling on all sitting senators and Senate candidates to release health disclosures, a not-so-subtle jab at 80-year-old incumbent Senator Ed Markey as the two square off in next year's Democratic primary. The two met for their first debate Wednesday night. GBH News →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Fraylin Angelina (Republican) — Senate, 1st Essex — Filed: 7/13/2026

PACs

• Results for Norfolk County Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/15/2026
• Better Future for Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Citizens for an Affordable Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026

OCPF →

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The ICE crisis just got a Massachusetts governor's attention — again.

Governor Maura Healey said Tuesday she's "sick to her stomach" over Monday's fatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian man legally authorized to work in the U.S., who was killed by an ICE agent in Biddeford, Maine — just a short drive from the New Hampshire border and well within the orbit of a region Healey has to think about constantly. It's the second fatal shooting by ICE agents into a vehicle in about a week, following an earlier incident in Texas, and a third immigration-related death Tuesday in Florida, where a man fleeing federal agents was struck and killed by a tractor trailer. The pattern is now impossible to ignore: agents claim they're targeting someone, the person shot turns out not to be the target, and the agency's explanation shifts by the hour.

What makes this more than a Maine story is the response it's triggering across the region. Trump administration officials have quietly ordered ICE to pause most vehicle stops — a real, if temporary, retreat — after Maine's Republican Senator Susan Collins personally called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to demand it. Healey, who made similar demands after ICE agents killed two people in Minnesota earlier this year, is once again calling for the agency to be "called back" entirely, arguing untrained, uncertified agents without body cameras are operating with zero accountability. Meanwhile in Biddeford — a mill city built by generations of immigrants that literally blocked a KKK march in 1924 — residents are holding vigils at the same river crossing where that stand happened a century ago.

Here's what to watch: whether the vehicle-stop pause holds, whether Mullin's agency actually implements body cameras (Collins says she wants that mandatory), and whether pressure from swing-state Republicans like Collins — who's up for reelection and facing a primary challenge from former Maine CDC chief Nirav Shah — turns into real policy change or just another news cycle. For Massachusetts, where Healey has spent much of this year positioning herself as the loudest statehouse critic of ICE tactics, expect more of this fight to play out at press conferences here, not just in Augusta or D.C.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Wu is picking fights with her own party's incumbents. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is doing something no recent Boston mayor has done: openly campaigning against sitting Democratic state senators — the ones who blocked her tax proposals — by backing their primary challengers. It's a break from the backroom-dealing style of predecessors like Marty Walsh and Tom Menino, and it signals Wu is betting her political future on reshaping Beacon Hill rather than climbing to higher office herself. WBUR →

The Merrimack Valley bus strike is over, but the free-ride math problem isn't. A 10-day strike by drivers and mechanics left thousands of car-less riders stranded and nearly 30 routes dark before ending Friday with a temporary deal. The bigger issue looms: Massachusetts has poured growing money into fare-free buses statewide (all 15 regional transit authorities now charge nothing), but this strike exposed how fragile that model is when budgets, labor, and exploding ridership collide. Boston Globe →

A GOP lieutenant governor hopeful is officially off the ballot. The Supreme Judicial Court denied Anne Manning Martin's appeal after election officials found more than 1,200 fraudulent or invalid signatures among her nomination papers. She's out of the September 1 Republican primary for lieutenant governor, leaving Shawn Oliver as the GOP's likely nominee. GBH News →

Worcester still hasn't acted on police oversight, ten months later. After a federal investigation found Worcester police used excessive force and discriminated against Black and Latino residents, an independent think tank recommended a civilian review board back in October. City Manager Eric Batista and Mayor Joseph Petty have promised action repeatedly — but nothing has happened, and residents are losing patience. GBH News →

The SJC just made it harder for small towns to block solar projects. The state's highest court ruled that Petersham — a heavily forested Central Mass. town near the Quabbin — improperly denied a permit for a solar and battery storage project over tree-preservation concerns. The ruling clarifies that towns need a specific public-safety rationale, not general worries about deforestation, to block these projects — a big deal as solar developers increasingly eye rural land statewide. CommonWealth Beacon →

New Bedford is rethinking festival safety after a juvenile stabbing. A minor was arraigned on assault with intent to murder charges after a triple stabbing at Buttonwood Park during the Whaling City Festival left three people injured. Mayor Jon Mitchell says the city will review safety protocols and consider earlier closing times for future events. Boston Globe →

• Legislative conference committee negotiations continue on the Big Tech/social media and school phone-ban bills, with lawmakers still deciding whether to merge the two or split them into separate final bills. CommonWealth Beacon →

• Municipalities can now apply for Healey's new "Build for Mass" infrastructure loan programs — $75 million in low-interest financing for clean energy, seawalls, water systems, and downtown projects, announced Tuesday at a Local Government Advisory Commission meeting. CommonWealth Beacon →

• Massachusetts's Congressional delegation just introduced a water infrastructure emergency bill in response to July's Haverhill sewer pipe break that sent untreated wastewater into the Merrimack River — worth tracking as Congress takes it up. State House News Service →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Fraylin Angelina (Republican) — Senate, 1st Essex — Filed: 7/13/2026

PACs

• Better Future for Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Citizens for an Affordable Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026

OCPF →

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THE MASS BRIEF

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Good morning. It's the anniversary of the deadliest fire Massachusetts has seen in decades, and the state still doesn't have all the answers. Let's get into it.

The Lead

A year ago today, a fire tore through Gabriel House, an assisted living facility in Fall River, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more in the state's deadliest fire in decades. Today, the building still sits scorched and empty — a physical reminder that Massachusetts has yet to fully reckon with what happened, or why.

Here's what we still don't know: whether owner Dennis Etzkorn will face criminal charges. Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office has been investigating for a year and hasn't said. The official cause-of-fire report hasn't been made public. And Etzkorn, it turns out, had no liability insurance — meaning the families of victims and survivors are now preparing a new lawsuit that reaches beyond him to other defendants who might actually be able to pay out. State Senator Mark Montigny, who's pushed hard for fire safety reform in the fire's aftermath, put it bluntly: the tragedy exposed "the state's tolerance for poorly run assisted living residences." Lawmakers have passed a package of reforms since the fire, but Montigny and others say it's just a start.

What happens next matters far beyond Fall River. Massachusetts has an aging population and a growing number of assisted living facilities operating with limited oversight compared to nursing homes. If regulators and prosecutors don't finish the job here — naming a cause, assigning accountability, tightening rules with teeth — the lesson other facility owners take away might be that a decade of neglect only costs you a bad news cycle. Survivors like Donna Murphy, who lost close friends in the fire, are still waiting for something that looks like justice. Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

GOP AG candidate stays on the ballot despite "substantial evidence" of fraud. The state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled Monday that Michael Walsh, the Massachusetts GOP's endorsed pick for attorney general, can appear on the September primary ballot — not because the fraud allegations against his campaign were disproven, but because the Democratic Party official who challenged him filed his objection by email and first-class mail instead of certified mail. Justice Frank Gaziano ruled the technicality doomed the challenge regardless of the underlying evidence. Norfolk and Plymouth County DAs are still investigating the signature fraud allegations separately. Boston Globe →

Wu breaks with Beacon Hill tradition, campaigns against sitting state senators. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is backing primary challengers against two longtime incumbent state senators who blocked her tax priorities — an unusually direct move in a State House culture where mayors typically work backchannels rather than knock on doors themselves. It's a break from how predecessors like Marty Walsh and Tom Menino played the game, and it signals Wu may be more interested in reshaping Beacon Hill than eyeing higher office. WBUR →

A second fatal ICE shooting in a week, this time in Biddeford, Maine. A 26-year-old Colombian man was fatally shot by an ICE agent Monday morning after what DHS describes as a botched vehicle stop. Maine Senator Angus King says Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin initially told him the victim was the target of an arrest warrant — then called back three hours later to say he wasn't. Neighbors described hearing agents scream "do not get out of the car" before shots rang out, and the victim's wife being restrained from running into the street. The FBI and Maine AG's office are investigating. WBUR →

Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts face an impossible deadline. With work permits and legal protections set to expire in coming weeks for roughly 19,000 Haitian immigrants statewide, Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office released an emergency planning guide to help parents with uncertain immigration status figure out custody arrangements for their American-born children. It's a grim but necessary read for affected families. WBUR →

Gas companies are quietly spending big in towns trying to quit gas. Ten Massachusetts communities pledged to go "fossil fuel free" starting in 2024, but a CommonWealth Beacon investigation found utilities have spent roughly $100 million upgrading gas infrastructure in nine of those same towns since the pledges took effect — pipe replacement that continues regardless of new-building bans. It's a reminder that going green on paper doesn't untangle decades of buried infrastructure, or the bills that come with maintaining it. CommonWealth Beacon →

Lindsay Clancy's murder trial is a week away. A Plymouth Superior Court judge ruled Monday that other women won't be allowed to testify about their own postpartum mental illness experiences when Clancy stands trial for allegedly killing her three children in 2023. Jury selection begins in exactly one week, with defense attorney Kevin Reddington calling it the most emotionally difficult case of his decades-long career. Boston.com →

Worth Your Attention

• Waltham police need your help. Victoria "Tori" Amore, 17, has been missing since July 3 and left home without medication for seizures and severe allergies — call Waltham PD at 781-314-3600 with any information. Boston.com →
• Sail Boston continues through the week along the Harbor Walk, with tall ships and international crews still docked in the harbor. WCVB →
• The Legislature's session ends July 31 — watch for last-minute action on housing reforms that advocacy groups say didn't go far enough in the FY27 budget. State House News Service →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Fraylin Angelina (Republican) — Senate, 1st Essex — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Paul Saccardo (Democratic) — House, 6th Norfolk — Filed: 7/8/2026

PACs

• Better Future for Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Citizens for an Affordable Massachusetts Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/13/2026
• Progressive Cambridge Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/8/2026

OCPF →

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Full budget details →

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Paul Saccardo (Democratic) — House, 6th Norfolk — Filed: 7/8/2026

PACs

• Progressive Cambridge Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/8/2026

OCPF →

One More Thing

Sen. Lindsey Graham's death overnight scrambles Washington — and it matters here too

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican and one of President Trump's closest allies in the Senate, died Saturday evening after what his office described only as a "brief and sudden illness." He was 71, running for a fifth term, and just a day earlier had announced a deal with the Trump administration on a new package of Russia sanctions — a sign of how central he'd become to the administration's foreign policy, especially on Ukraine and Iran.

Why should Massachusetts readers care about a South Carolina senator? Because the mechanics of what happens next carry real national weight. Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement to serve until a special election — and that appointment will instantly become one of the most closely watched seats in the Senate, given the chamber's razor-thin margins and Graham's outsized role shaping GOP foreign policy. Expect a scramble among South Carolina Republicans for the seat, national attention on how Trump influences the pick, and ripple effects on everything from Ukraine aid votes to Iran policy debates that Graham was steering personally just days ago. Massachusetts's own congressional delegation, several of whom have sparred with Graham over the years on the Senate floor, will now be legislating without one of the chamber's most consistent hawks in the room.

Full story at Boston.com →

A third trooper hit by a wrong-way driver since Kevin Trainor's death. Early Saturday, a Holyoke man allegedly drove the wrong way on I-91 in Chicopee, swerved into a State Police cruiser — injuring a trooper and his K-9 — then struck another car head-on. It's the third such incident since Trooper Trainor was killed in May, and it's going to intensify pressure on the state to look hard at wrong-way crash prevention on Massachusetts highways. Boston Globe →

Healey steers $18.6 million toward 662 new homes in Gateway Cities. Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Pittsfield, Taunton, and Worcester are all getting tax credits to turn old mills and historic downtown buildings into housing. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll unveiled the awards at the Durfee Block Apartments in Fall River, which alone will bring 22 new rental units downtown. It's a modest dent in the state's housing shortage, but exactly the kind of adaptive-reuse project officials say they want to see more of. Boston.com →

The Justice Department is sending "monitors" to watch Boston's September primary. Federal officials say they want eyes on Boston and Fall River after Boston's 2024 ballot shortage debacle, and they're explicitly warning Secretary of State Bill Galvin against letting noncitizens near the polls — something Galvin denies is happening. This is worth watching closely as a test case for federal-state friction over election administration. Universal Hub →

Anna Maria College's bankruptcy leaves students holding the bag on promised scholarships. Graduates who were counting on state scholarship money say they still haven't been paid, and some worry the aid could quietly convert into a loan. The state's Department of Higher Education insists that won't happen — but for students already dealing with the fallout of their college's collapse, the uncertainty itself is a real burden. MassLive →

Federal research funding overhaul could hit Massachusetts harder than anywhere else. The state pulls in more NIH funding per capita than any other, and the Trump administration's push to restrict international research partnerships — part of a broader "domestic-first" overhaul — threatens collaborations like an MGB-Harvard-MIT Alzheimer's study that depends on global data sharing. Researchers say the slowdown could cost patients real time on diseases with no cure. Boston Globe →

A Cambridge family mourns Xavier Bautista, shot dead near Sennott Park on July 4th. Bautista, a Cambridge DPW worker and father of a five-year-old, was killed blocks from where his own mother still lives — the same park where he played as a kid and later brought his son. His fiancée and sister are speaking out about the toll of losing him so suddenly. Cambridge Day →

Tuesday, 7 p.m. — State Rep. Marjorie Decker and challenger Evan MacKay face off in their third debate of the campaign, hosted by Cambridge Day at Street Theory Collective in Central Square. Cambridge Day →

Tuesday and Wednesday — StormTeam 5 has declared Impact Weather Days as heat and humidity push temperatures to 95–100 degrees with a heat index near or above 100. Check on elderly neighbors and plan accordingly. WCVB →

Ongoing — Springfield's new food truck regulations are already squeezing vendors at the Bay Street market; worth watching how the city responds to vendor pushback. WWLP →

Full budget details →

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Paul Saccardo (Democratic) — House, 6th Norfolk — Filed: 7/8/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 7/6/2026

PACs

• Progressive Cambridge Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/8/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Abundant Housing Legalize Starter Homes — N/A, No office — Filed: 7/6/2026

OCPF →

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