More than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital have voted to authorize a one-day strike beginning Wednesday, July 8, making this shaping up to be the largest nurses' strike in Massachusetts history. Add in roughly 450 clinicians at MGB Home Care — also represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association — and you're looking at a workforce action that will ripple across one of the state's most prominent hospital systems.

The core dispute is money: nurses say Mass General Brigham has refused to offer cost-of-living raises that keep pace with inflation, while the MNA argues hospital executives have spent months stonewalling contract negotiations. But here's the kicker that's drawing the most attention: even though the nurses' strike is technically one day, Brigham management has announced plans to lock nurses out of the building for an additional four days after the strike ends. That means patients, families, and the broader healthcare system should be bracing for a potential five-day disruption at one of New England's busiest hospitals.

Watch this one closely. MGB leadership has so far framed this as a staffing-logistics issue, but a multi-day lockout of thousands of nurses — at a hospital that regularly handles some of the most complex cases in the region — is a decision with real consequences. The clock is now ticking toward July 8.

Full story at WCVB →

A Storm Team 5 Weather Alert is in effect Wednesday through Friday, with temperatures forecast to hit 100 degrees Thursday — and a heat index that could feel like 110°F. The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Watch for most of the state (Cape Cod and the Islands are excepted). If you have elderly relatives, neighbors without AC, or kids in non-climate-controlled buildings, now is the time to make a plan.

Alvin Campbell Jr. — convicted earlier this month of raping six women while posing as an Uber driver, and the brother of Attorney General Andrea Campbell — is scheduled to be sentenced this afternoon in Suffolk Superior Court. He faces up to life in prison on three counts of aggravated rape. Campbell secretly recorded the assaults on his phone; that footage was central to the prosecution's case. Six survivors testified over the four-week trial.

The State Ballot Law Commission ruled late Friday that two Republican statewide candidates — lieutenant governor hopeful Anne Manning Martin and attorney general candidate Michael Walsh — are ineligible to appear on September's primary ballot, following hearings on signature fraud complaints. It's a significant blow to the GOP field heading into the fall, and raises fresh questions about the party's bench strength in down-ballot races.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday threw his support behind incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic primary against Rep. Seth Moulton, calling Markey "one of the strongest progressive voices" in the Senate. Sanders notably sat out the 2020 primary between Markey and Joe Kennedy III, so this is a meaningful signal. Moulton has been moving left on the trail — calling to abolish ICE, returning AIPAC money — but the Sanders stamp gives Markey a credibility boost with the progressive base that's hard to replicate.

Gov. Maura Healey has frozen applications for a 20-year sales and use tax exemption for data centers — a program she agreed to in the 2024 economic development law — until the state has "strong protections in place" against higher utility bills for residents. With AI-driven data centers consuming enormous amounts of power and water, Healey is threading a needle: welcoming the tech economy while trying not to hand ratepayers the bill. The framework she released requires developers to bring their own clean energy to the table.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Jacob Mick, 31, of Northborough, died Sunday from injuries suffered in an off-duty motorcycle crash in Grafton. Mick joined the department in 2023 and was assigned to the Holden Barracks. He is survived by his wife and an infant daughter. Col. Geoffrey Noble called his death "an enormous tragedy." The Worcester District Attorney's office is investigating.

Brigham and Women's nurses strike begins Wednesday, July 8 at 7 a.m. — if you or a family member has an upcoming procedure at Brigham, it's worth calling ahead now to understand what services will be affected. WCVB →

The Supreme Court is still expected to rule this week on birthright citizenship — a decision that could affect hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S. and has significant implications for Massachusetts families and immigration policy. WCVB →

Abington's new youth mental health advisory committee is taking shape — if you're a parent, provider, or resident in the Abington area, the newly formed seven-member standing committee is an early-stage effort worth watching as the town works to close a stark gap in youth programming. South Shore News →

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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

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026
• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026
• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

OCPF →

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