A new analysis from the MassINC Policy Center puts a hard number on something a lot of Massachusetts families have been feeling in their bones: the cost of maintaining a middle-class life here has exploded. In just four years — from 2020 to 2024 — the income a two-parent, two-kid family needs to stay afloat jumped from $117,000 to $174,000. That's nearly a 50 percent increase, and it outpaced inflation by 28 percentage points. Let that sink in for a second.

What's driving it? Housing, mostly. Massachusetts home prices have risen faster than any other state, rents now routinely exceed what a mortgage payment would cost, and healthcare expenses have shot up over 150 percent in two decades. The net effect is a quiet economic squeeze that doesn't always show up in the headline inflation numbers but shows up everywhere else — in families cutting back, in retirement accounts not growing, in the nagging sense that doing everything right still isn't enough. Meanwhile, the top 10 percent of earners now account for nearly half of all consumer spending — a record high. The two Massachusetts economies are pulling further apart.

What happens next is partly a Beacon Hill question. Governor Healey's administration has made housing production a centerpiece of her agenda, but supply takes time. Expect this data to become ammunition in Statehouse budget fights, on the campaign trail, and frankly in every conversation anyone in this state has about whether Massachusetts is still a place regular people can afford to live.

Markey wins the party nod, but Moulton is officially in the race. At the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention in Worcester on Saturday, U.S. Senator Ed Markey won the party's endorsement with nearly 73 percent of delegate support — but U.S. Representative Seth Moulton cleared the 15 percent threshold he needed to land on the primary ballot, locking in what should be one of the more consequential Senate primaries in the country this fall. Age, generational change, and the direction of the Democratic Party are all on the table. Boston.com →

Another wrong-way crash on Route 1. Another trooper hurt. Less than a month after Trooper Kevin Trainor was killed by a wrong-way driver on Route 1 in Lynnfield, another wrong-way driver struck a State Police cruiser Sunday morning in nearby Peabody. The trooper suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Lucas Benedetto, 41, of Newburyport, faces OUI and other charges and is set to be arraigned in Peabody District Court. The State Senate already passed legislation after Trainor's death to expand wrong-way detection technology — the question now is how fast it gets implemented. WBZ / CBS Boston →

Somerville layoffs spark a union — and a council pushback. After 13 Somerville city hall staffers were laid off due to budget shortfalls last month, the City Council voted to recognize the newly formed Somerville Workers United union. A notable detail: a majority of the workers who were let go had already signed union cards or were leading organizing efforts. Councilor Will Mbah also pushed through resolutions demanding the mayor's office explain the layoffs and present a restructuring plan — a sign that the council isn't planning to just let this one slide. Cambridge Day →

One year later, Marcelo Gomes walks across the stage. On the exact anniversary of his detention by ICE agents who pulled him over on his way to volleyball practice, Milford High School senior Marcelo Gomes da Silva received his diploma Sunday, surrounded by the community that rallied behind him. His arrest last year — the agency later acknowledged he wasn't even their intended target — drew national attention and became a symbol of the immigration crackdown's reach into ordinary lives. "I knew that I would do my best to give back to this community," he said. Hard not to feel something about this one. Boston Globe →

Halifax Select Board calls it "rock bottom" — and means it. In their first meeting after a chaotic, multi-night annual town meeting, the newly reorganized Halifax Select Board didn't sugarcoat things. Members publicly acknowledged late financial data, staffing friction, and general disorder — and vowed to overhaul the town's budget process to earn back voter trust. The board also formally adopted the name "Select Board," retiring the old "Board of Selectmen" title. It's a small South Shore town reckoning with real dysfunction, out loud. South Shore News →

A Massachusetts corrections officer died on duty. Officer John Edwards, a 28-year veteran of the North Central Correctional Institute in Gardner, died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency while on the job. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Commissioner Shawn Jenkins and the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union both offered statements honoring his service. Boston Globe →

Lucas Benedetto arraignment, Tuesday, Peabody District Court — The Newburyport man charged in Sunday's wrong-way crash on Route 1 is set to be arraigned; watch for the court proceedings as the legislature's wrong-way driving legislation remains in motion. WCVB →

Green Line signal delays, back to normal (mostly) — If you're riding the D Line through Union Square toward Lechmere this morning, the MBTA says service has resumed after Sunday's signal problem, though residual delays are possible. Plan accordingly, as always. Universal Hub →

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

• Josh Bowdridge (Republican) — House, 4th Worcester — Filed: 5/28/2026
• Corey Lambo — House, 3rd Berkshire — Filed: 5/26/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Safer Tech at LastTreeLaws.com — N/A, No office — Filed: 6/1/2026

Change of Purposes

• Karen Hayes — City Councilor, Malden → Mayoral, Malden — Filed: 5/28/2026

OCPF →

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