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| THE MASS BRIEF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saturday, October 3, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Lead
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| Brigham nurses set a strike date, and this one has no end date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nearly 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital will walk off the job Wednesday, October 14, unless the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Mass General Brigham reach a contract deal. The union filed its required 10-day notice Friday, and the strike would be open-ended. That's a very different animal from July, when nurses struck for a day and then found themselves locked out for four more, because the hospital had already contracted replacement nurses for a five-day stretch. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Why this matters beyond the picket line: the union is calling it the largest open-ended nurse strike in state history, and there's a cautionary precedent. In 2001, nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester stayed out for 301 days. The sticking points are familiar but stubborn: wages, health insurance costs, staffing shortages, and a cost-of-living adjustment. The union says MGB has "shut the door"; MGB says it's committed to a "fair and responsible agreement" and is prepared to keep providing safe care during a strike. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What to watch: whether either side blinks in the next 11 days, and whether state officials step in. Patients with scheduled procedures should expect questions, and neighboring hospitals may feel the ripple if volume shifts. Two sides that couldn't settle after a first strike will need a real change in posture to avoid a second. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full story at CommonWealth Beacon → | CBS Boston → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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What Else You Should Know
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| Minogue's $6.1 million September sets a spending record. Republican gubernatorial nominee Michael Minogue, largely self-funded, spent more than $6.1 million last month, mostly on advertising. That's roughly double the best single month reported by Gov. Maura Healey or Charlie Baker, and tops the $4.4 million Kerry Healey spent in October 2006. Healey raised about $623,000 and tapped $2.9 million from savings. Boston Globe → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minogue's pitch: kill the gas tax, narrow ICE focus. On Boston Public Radio, Minogue said he'd eliminate the 24-cent state gas tax and focus deportation efforts on violent criminals. He also leaned on his business background, arguing a $70 billion-plus budget has more than $120 million in savings to find. GBH News → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ICE raids are emptying New Bedford's Acushnet Avenue. After at least 24 arrests, many outside small businesses, foot traffic has cratered. Taqueria La Raza owner Iris de la Rosa says she may have to close if customers don't return, and even documented residents are staying home. Mayor Jon Mitchell has urged people to keep patronizing local shops. Boston Globe → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deaton tours the Burlington ICE facility. Republican Senate candidate John Deaton spent 90 minutes inside, calling conditions "better than your typical jail." Sen. Ed Markey, who faces him in an October 13 debate, has called the facility "deplorable." Separately, Deaton blamed Markey's rhetoric for a smashed window at his East Providence law office; Markey's campaign condemned all violence. WBUR → | CBS Boston → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AG Campbell wants to change the law for abuse survivors. After a state probe found nearly 1,000 children were abused by Catholic leaders in Springfield, Worcester and Fall River, Andrea Campbell is urging lawmakers to scrap the $20,000 charitable immunity cap, end the statute of limitations on civil suits over childhood sexual abuse, and open an indefinite "lookback" window. GBH News → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Judge: Cambridge police were justified in fatal shooting. An inquest ruling found officers acted lawfully when they shot William Woodworth, 64, in August. Body camera footage shows him pulling a gun as he exited his car. CBS Boston → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Worth Your Attention
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| Oct. 6 and 7, 6-8 p.m.: The New Bedford Light and League of Women Voters SouthCoast host candidate forums at Keith Middle School, covering the 9th Congressional District, Bristol DA, and state legislative races. The New Bedford Light → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oct. 13: Markey and Deaton face off in their scheduled Senate debate. WBUR → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nov. 3: Question 2 would let public defenders at the Committee for Public Counsel Services form a union, something state law currently bars. WBUR → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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End-of-Session Tracker
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⏳ Formal sessions ended July 31. Conferees were appointed in time, so talks run until the term ends Jan 5 — 94 days
Energy Affordability & Clean Power (H5175) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Economic Development (H5576) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (S2619) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Climate Resilience for Communities (S3064) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Student Learning & Mental Health (phone ban) (S2581) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention (H4767) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Ballot Question Campaign Finance Reporting (S2916) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Public Records & Government Transparency (H5469) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Primary Care (S3141) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Higher-Ed Infrastructure (BRIGHT Act) (H4769) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Pet Equity, Treatment & Safety (S3028) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned |
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💰 Money Watch
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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions
Big Spending This Week
Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance |
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This Week on Beacon Hill
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Tuesday, October 06, 9:00 AM Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security (1 bills) Topic: Please be advised that the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security will be soliciting written testimony for the bill listed below. Location: Written Testimony Only, Boston
Wednesday, October 07, 2:00 PM None Topic: MASSACHUSETTS PERMANENT COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 2026 NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATION Location: Great Hall of Flags, Boston Wednesday, October 07, 3:00 PM Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight Topic: Massachusetts Distracted Driving and Roadway Safety Location: B-2 , Boston |
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New on the Ballot
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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance: Candidates
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One More Thing
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