Massachusetts voters will head to the polls this November with a genuinely unusual question in front of them: do you want to un-legalize recreational marijuana? The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled Friday that a ballot measure to repeal the 2016 pot legalization law was properly certified by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, clearing the last major legal hurdle to get the question onto the fall ballot. Barring something unexpected, organizers just need to collect a final round of signatures — a formality at this point — and it's locked in.

This is a big deal. Massachusetts has built a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry over the past several years, with thousands of jobs, hundreds of licensed businesses, and significant tax revenue attached to it. The repeal campaign, backed heavily by Virginia-based anti-marijuana group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, argues that legalization has caused real harm to communities. Opponents of the repeal call it an existential threat to the industry and note that the campaign collected some of its signatures under misleading pretenses — a challenge that was already dismissed by the State Ballot Law Commission.

What happens next: expect an expensive, bruising campaign on both sides. The cannabis industry has pledged to fight back hard. Advocates for repeal will lean on public safety concerns, particularly around youth use. And Massachusetts voters, who approved legalization by a comfortable margin a decade ago, will ultimately decide whether they've changed their minds.

A 14-year-old was arrested Friday and charged with armed robbery after allegedly pulling a gun on two neighborhood kids — David Byrne, 12, and Juliette Byrne, 11 — who were selling lemonade on their street corner Wednesday afternoon. The community responded by setting up a solidarity lemonade stand, and word of the arrest arrived in the middle of the street party. A second suspect, believed to be even younger, is still being sought.

The Massachusetts House passed legislation Wednesday that would set statewide standards for how books can be removed from public and school libraries — joining about a dozen other states with similar "Freedom to Read" laws. A companion bill already cleared the Senate, so the measure is now on its way to Governor Maura Healey, who is widely expected to sign it. Library advocates say the bill is a necessary response to a record wave of book-removal efforts that has accelerated since 2021.

State health regulators approved the partnership between Mass General Brigham and CVS MinuteClinic that would convert 37 MinuteClinic locations into primary care clinics — but they're not exactly enthusiastic about it. The Health Policy Commission says it "remains uncertain" whether the model will actually deliver comprehensive primary care, noting limitations like no oral health screenings, no controlled substance prescriptions, and no telehealth at launch. The deal is also expected to raise commercial healthcare spending by roughly $40 million. Worth watching closely.

Plans to swap out diesel trains on the Fairmount Line for cleaner, quieter battery-powered cars have been pushed back from 2028 to at least 2030. The T says the delay is to ensure the new vehicles are more accessible for riders with mobility issues, which sounds reasonable — though it's cold comfort for Dorchester, Hyde Park, and Mattapan residents who've been waiting years for a meaningful service upgrade on one of the system's most underserved lines.

The Brockton public school district has retained an independent investigator to look into a student's complaint against Mayor Moises M. Rodrigues, following a dramatic graduation ceremony confrontation last weekend where a mother charged the field mid-speech, publicly accusing him of inappropriate behavior toward her daughter. State Police are also investigating. Rodrigues has acknowledged an interaction at a May parade made a student uncomfortable but has not elaborated further.

Governor Healey signed a supplemental budget Friday directing surplus Fair Share revenue — that's the millionaires' tax money — toward MBTA improvements, Regional Transit Authorities, early literacy programs, high-dosage tutoring, and child care affordability. The bill also helps cities and towns cover extraordinary snow removal costs from this past winter and creates a new tax credit for farms that donate surplus food to food banks. Real dollars going to real priorities.

World Cup Fan Fest capacity warning: If you're planning to catch a game at the FIFA Fan Festival on City Hall Plaza this weekend, know that registrations for Friday and Saturday are already full — and Mayor Wu has clarified that even having a registration doesn't guarantee you'll get in. Plan accordingly, or find one of the 100+ free watch parties around Greater Boston. Boston.com →

Marijuana repeal signature deadline looming: Organizers backing the recreational marijuana repeal ballot question need to clear a final signature threshold this month to lock in their November ballot spot — a formality by most accounts, but the clock is ticking. CommonWealth Beacon →

Salem moves toward ranked-choice voting: The Salem City Council voted 10-0 Thursday to advance a home rule petition that would bring ranked-choice voting to the city's municipal elections. The petition now heads to the Legislature for approval. 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

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026

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After more than 30 hours of deliberations spread across five days, a Suffolk County jury delivered its verdict Thursday: guilty on 21 of 22 counts. Alvin Campbell Jr., 45, was convicted of aggravated rape, rape, kidnapping, indecent assault and battery, and photographing an unsuspecting nude person — charges stemming from a predatory spree between 2017 and 2019 in which he repeatedly posed as a rideshare driver to prey on women leaving downtown Boston bars. He faces up to life in prison at sentencing on June 29.

The case has been impossible to separate from one name: Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Alvin's younger sister and the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Massachusetts. Andrea Campbell deleted a social media post last month in which she said she was "praying for survivors" while also expressing concern for her brother. Her office did not comment on the verdict Thursday night. That silence is notable — and understandable. There is no clean script for this moment. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, whose office prosecuted the case, said the verdict sends a clear message to survivors: "We will always stand by them, and with them."

The jury deadlocked on one additional rape count, and prosecutors say they haven't yet decided whether to retry Campbell on that charge. What happens next, practically speaking: pre-sentencing reports, likely victim impact statements at the June 29 hearing, and almost certainly a sentence that puts Campbell away for a very long time.

🏥 The Senate is about to pick a fight with hospital systems over primary care. Next week, the Massachusetts Senate will vote on legislation that would more than double the share of health care dollars flowing to primary care — without increasing total health care spending, meaning specialists and hospital systems would effectively lose revenue. Senator Cindy Friedman, the bill's architect, is clear-eyed about the battle ahead. The bigger question: the House has shown zero appetite for this fight before the legislative session closes. CommonWealth Beacon →

🏛️ MassHealth has seven months to prepare for a federal earthquake. Experts at this week's Medicaid Summit laid out the stakes: starting January 1, 2027, adults on MassHealth will face an 80-hour monthly work requirement, and eligibility will be redetermined every six months instead of annually. State officials are still sifting through nearly 400 pages of federal guidance. The coverage losses could be significant — and the clock is ticking. CommonWealth Beacon →

👨‍💼 The Brockton mayor situation keeps getting worse. New reporting reveals that Brockton Public Schools sent Mayor Moises Rodrigues a letter — dated May 26, more than a week before the high school graduation — explicitly telling him to stay away from the ceremony to avoid contact with a student who had accused him of wrongdoing. That detail directly undermines Rodrigues' suggestion that he didn't know who his accuser was. The school district has now hired an independent investigator, and State Police are involved. GBH News →

💔 A Springfield eighth-grader drowned on a school field trip. The student died Wednesday after drowning at High Meadow day camp in Granby, Connecticut. Several fellow students witnessed the tragedy. The child was taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center but did not survive. Springfield Public Schools is grieving, and the community is asking hard questions about supervision at recreational facilities. Boston Globe →

⚽ Massachusetts taxpayers are spending at least $91 million on the World Cup — and FIFA keeps the revenue. State public safety agencies expect to spend roughly $23 million, the MBTA another $35 million, and the Foxborough commuter rail station rebuild adds $33 million more. The host agreement between the city and FIFA? Not public. Boston Soccer 2026, the local nonprofit partner, won't release it. Smith College economist Andrew Zimbalist, who studies mega-events for a living, isn't optimistic about the return on investment. The Fan Festival opened Friday — though not without hiccups: some fans who had confirmed reservations received last-minute denial notices. WCVB →

⚖️ A Boston federal judge slapped down Texas AG Ken Paxton's lawsuit against Somerville-based ActBlue. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns ruled that Paxton weaponized his office to harass the Democratic fundraising platform — which is headquartered in Somerville — in retaliation for ActBlue funding Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. The judge's language was blunt: the lawsuit was filed "in retaliation for (and in an attempt to suppress)" ActBlue's political activity. Case dismissed. Universal Hub →

Alvin Campbell Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced June 29 in Suffolk Superior Court — victim impact statements are expected, and the aggravated rape convictions each carry a potential life sentence. Boston.com →

The Massachusetts Senate is expected to vote next week on its primary care overhaul bill — if you have thoughts, now is the time to contact your senator, because the legislative window is closing fast. CommonWealth Beacon →

Heat advisory in effect through 8 p.m. tonight — inland temperatures hitting the low-to-mid 90s, with a level-two storm risk west of Route 495. The coast gets a break from the sea breeze; the Connecticut River Valley does not. WCVB →

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

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026

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The story developing around Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues moved from uncomfortable to genuinely alarming this week. A Brockton High School student has obtained a temporary harassment prevention order requiring Rodrigues to stay at least 100 yards away from them — and Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office are now formally investigating a complaint the student and their family filed with Brockton Public Schools. The mayor's own account confirms he had an interaction with a student at the city's May 22 Huntington Day Parade that "made the student uncomfortable." The full picture became public when the student's mother stormed the graduation stage last Saturday, screaming at Rodrigues while he stood at the podium. He kept talking. She was escorted away.

This is no longer a graduation-ceremony curiosity — it's a criminal investigation involving a sitting mayor and a minor. The court order is impounded because of the juvenile's age, so details are thin, but the DA's office isn't being subtle about where this is headed. Rodrigues hasn't stepped aside or addressed the substance of the allegations beyond calling his interaction with the student something he wants to cooperate with schools on. That posture is going to get harder to maintain as the investigation proceeds.

What happens next: Watch for the DA's office to signal whether this becomes a criminal matter, and watch the Brockton City Council to see if there's any appetite to force the mayor's hand. For a city already navigating tough fiscal and school challenges, having this cloud over City Hall is not nothing.

Full story at GBH News →

South Boston kids robbed at gunpoint — at their lemonade stand. Two children, ages 11 and 12, were setting up a lemonade stand on West 9th Street Wednesday afternoon when two suspects — described as juveniles themselves — returned with a firearm, grabbed the cash box, and ran. The kids put their hands up and weren't hurt. Their father said he was proud of how they handled it. Boston Police are investigating and looking for the suspects.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Lawrence officer dragged two blocks during traffic stop is expected to survive. Officer Ariel Cruz, 27 and a father of three, was critically injured Tuesday night when a passenger in a stopped car jumped into the driver's seat and accelerated away with Cruz caught on the vehicle. He was dragged across the pavement and slammed into a parked car before coming free. Flown to a Boston hospital by helicopter, Cruz has since been able to communicate with family. The driver was arrested in New Hampshire.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Boston City Council chaos over Wu's budget. Eight people were arrested Wednesday after protesters staged a die-in on the City Council chamber floor to oppose Mayor Michelle Wu's cuts to youth jobs funding. The disruption shut down proceedings for two hours. After order was restored, councilors voted 12-1 to approve $11.8 million in amendments to Wu's $4.9 billion budget. The amended budget now goes back to Wu, who can veto any or all of the changes — setting up a potential standoff at City Hall.

Boston Globe →

South Coast Rail's second phase is going nowhere fast. A year after commuter rail finally arrived in New Bedford, Fall River, and Taunton, leaders celebrated the milestone at a Bridgewater State conference last week — but the celebration was tinged with frustration. The full build, which would add stops and electrify the line, has no financing plan and isn't in the MBTA's five-year capital budget. State Sen. Mark Montigny, who has been pushing for this since 1993, joked that flying cars will arrive first. He's not entirely wrong to be cynical.

CommonWealth Beacon →

Massachusetts needs 60,000 new immigrants a year just to tread water. A new report from Boston Indicators and MassInc finds the state must bring in at least 60,000 new immigrants annually through 2030 to prevent a shrinking labor force. Immigrants already make up roughly a quarter of the state's workforce and contributed an estimated $7.4 billion in state and local taxes in 2024. Health care, higher education, and construction are most at risk from any slowdown — which, given the current federal immigration environment, is not a hypothetical.

Boston.com →

Rachael Rollins wants her old job back — sort of. The former Suffolk County District Attorney, who left to become U.S. Attorney before resigning in 2023 amid a scathing federal watchdog report, sat down with GBH News Wednesday in her first interview since announcing a run to unseat current DA Kevin Hayden. Rollins called her time as U.S. Attorney "incredibly messy" and said she feels "shame" about what happened — but argued DOJ policy backed her actions and that her leadership record speaks for itself. Whether Suffolk County voters agree is, as she put it, an open question.

GBH News →

Alvin Campbell Jr. jury still deliberating — after more than 25 hours over five days, no verdict yet in the case against the AG's brother, who faces 22 counts including aggravated rape; Judge Mary K. Ames has dismissed the jury for each evening and proceedings continue. Boston Globe →

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has 10 days to sign or veto a bill placing a three-year moratorium on new charter schools — passed 56-12 in the House — and his silence so far is its own kind of answer. Boston Globe →

World Cup matches begin across North America, including Boston — and a new Emerson College poll finds 45% of Americans have no interest at all, though Hispanic and Black voters are following closely; make of that what you will before you decide whether to brave the crowds. WCVB →

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

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026

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The MBTA's board votes Thursday on a $3.4 billion operating budget — a nearly $300 million jump over the current year and part of a spending surge that has added more than $1 billion to the T's budget over five years. The plan includes hiring 550 more employees, continuing a hiring-and-investment binge that represents a deliberate departure from the austerity years under Gov. Charlie Baker, when the agency slashed hundreds of positions and, as federal investigators later concluded, created the safety conditions that contributed to runaway trains and slow zones.

The argument for spending big is simple: you can't cut your way to a functioning transit system, and the T's years of deferred maintenance prove it. The MBTA Advisory Board — which represents the cities and towns that help fund the system — is backing the budget, calling it a direct response to damage done by years of under-investment. Critics, including the Pioneer Institute's Jim Stergios, aren't buying it, calling the budget "bloated."

What happens next matters beyond the T's balance sheet. The agency leans heavily on state dollars to fill its gaps, and with the Legislature deep in budget negotiations, every dollar committed to the T is a dollar being weighed against schools, housing, and health care. Thursday's vote is largely a formality — but the broader question of whether Massachusetts can sustain this level of transit spending indefinitely is very much unresolved.

Mayor Michelle Wu and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng announced they've found enough money to keep Routes 23, 28, and 29 fare-free through the end of the year, just days before federal COVID relief funding was set to run out. Wu says the city is already looking for ways to keep the free rides going into 2027 — which is the harder problem, since this fix is essentially a one-year patch on a structural funding question.

Federal prosecutors announced a sweeping indictment Tuesday against 26 alleged members of the Trinitarios gang, tied to five murders and 19 attempted murders in Essex County. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said the arrests effectively dismantled the gang's Massachusetts leadership structure, including the head of the Lawrence chapter. The operation — dubbed "Operation Paper Machetes" — has now resulted in more than 50 arrests over two years, with the gang connected to at least 15 homicides since 2017.

A Lawrence police officer is hospitalized with serious injuries after a suspect wanted on two warrants jumped into the driver's seat during a traffic stop Tuesday evening and sped off — with the officer caught on the vehicle. Surveillance video showed the officer dragged across pavement before slamming into a parked car. Police are still searching for the suspect and the vehicle.

Gov. Maura Healey signed a law Monday allowing bars and restaurants to extend last call by an hour this summer, timed to the FIFA World Cup and other marquee events. Then, the very next morning, she told WEEI she personally supports bringing back happy hour — banned in Massachusetts since 1984. Healey framed it as a "local option" and tied it to her broader push for "vibrancy" and retaining young professionals. Expect a Beacon Hill debate on this one.

Massachusetts is using about $189 million in one-time surtax surplus funds to expand child care access this year — money for financial assistance, wait-list reduction, and early educator loan forgiveness. The catch: it's one-time money, and budget analysts are already warning advocates that locking in these gains will require a permanent funding source in next year's state budget. The surtax keeps generating revenue, but there's fierce competition for every dollar of it.

William Leger, 40, was sentenced Tuesday — exactly five years after the crash — to at least 24 years in state prison for the 2021 wrong-way collision that killed 19-year-old nursing student Ashley Forward of Lynn. Leger had robbed a Saugus 7-Eleven, fled in a stolen car, and drove south in the northbound lane of Route 107. Forward's mother and sister spoke in court about the life that was taken.

MBTA Board Budget Vote — Thursday: The T's board takes up the $3.4 billion FY2027 budget; if you care about transit funding or the long-term fiscal picture, this is the vote to watch. CommonWealth Beacon →

Rhode Island Legislative Session Wrapping Up Friday: The Ocean State's General Assembly is expected to adjourn Friday night, with a proposed Voting Rights Act shelved until next year despite a recent Supreme Court ruling gutting key federal voter protections. Boston Globe →

ATM Skimmer Warning in East Boston: Boston Police are alerting residents after a skimming device and pinhole camera were found on a Santander ATM inside the CVS at 210 Border St. — worth a look before you swipe anywhere unfamiliar. Boston.com →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

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

Candidates

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Stephen Foley (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Luisa Cestari (Republican) — House, 5th Middlesex — Filed: 6/4/2026

OCPF →

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Governor Maura Healey signed legislation Monday allowing bars and restaurants across Massachusetts to serve alcohol until 3 a.m. this summer, and permitting designated outdoor drinking zones through the end of July. The bill sailed through the House and Senate in a matter of days — rare speed for Beacon Hill — with the first FIFA World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium arriving Thursday. Healey, never one to miss a moment, reposted news of the pending bill on Instagram set to Post Malone’s “Pour Me A Drink.” Subtle.

The law is a genuine opportunity for Massachusetts businesses to capitalize on what could be the biggest tourism surge the state has seen in decades. But it’s not without friction. Hospitality workers have already raised concerns about extended hours straining already-stretched staff. Cities and towns still have to opt in — this isn’t automatic — so expect a scramble over the next few days as local officials decide whether to join the party.

On the transit front, the MBTA is making service adjustments through July 12, including extended subway and bus hours on match days. The catch: most Commuter Rail lines will run on reduced schedules during the tournament. If you’re on the Fairmount, Franklin/Foxboro, or Needham lines, check your schedule before you head out — some routes are significantly altered or replaced by shuttle buses on game days.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Massachusetts recorded 978 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2025 — the first time that number has been below 1,000 since 2013, and a nearly 27% drop from 2024. For context: the state hit a devastating record of 2,364 deaths in 2022. Health officials attribute the progress to expanded access to housing, harm reduction tools, and treatment. This is genuinely significant news, and it deserves more than a bullet point — but start here. GBH News →

Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve announced Monday that, if elected governor, he would veto the Legislature’s roughly $110 million in budget appropriations until lawmakers fully comply with Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s voter-approved audit. It’s a bold pledge — and almost certainly one the Legislature could override with a two-thirds vote. Still, it keeps the audit fight front and center heading into the 2026 race, and puts pressure on Healey, who has been quieter on the standoff than many transparency advocates would like. CommonWealth Beacon →

State Sen. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth is leading a bipartisan push to extend commuter rail service from Buzzards Bay to Boston on a year-round basis — the first time such service would exist since 1959. The plan would connect a feeder train to the MBTA’s South Coast Rail at Middleborough, for a total trip of about 93 minutes. Right now the Cape’s only rail option is the summer-only Cape Flyer. With housing costs squeezing year-round residents off the Cape, reliable transit to Boston isn’t a luxury — it’s an economic lifeline. Boston.com →

Boston federal Judge Leo Sorokin struck down a Homeland Security policy that would have imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, calling it an unlawful tax. Massachusetts and other states had argued the fee would gut their universities, hospitals, and tech sectors — all of which rely heavily on skilled workers with H-1B status. Sorokin vacated the policy entirely. Universal Hub →

The co-chair of the state’s Racial Imbalance Advisory Council writes in a sobering op-ed that two years after their landmark report documenting deep racial and economic school segregation across Massachusetts, state education leaders have done essentially nothing. Now families have filed suit. The core problem: Massachusetts’s municipal school structure locks kids into whichever district they happen to live in, concentrating high-needs students in a handful of underfunded urban districts. CommonWealth Beacon →

Beverly police are investigating after a phrase supporting Hitler was found written in an eighth-grade bathroom at a local middle school — notably while students in that grade are reading Elie Wiesel’s Night. The teacher’s union says the incident is part of a broader pattern of antisemitic incidents across multiple grade levels in the district. Superintendent Dr. Peter J. Cushing called the message “misguided and hateful.” WBZ / CBS Boston →

MBTA World Cup service changes are in effect now through July 12 — if you’re on Commuter Rail, especially the Franklin/Foxboro, Fairmount, or Needham lines, check your schedule before you travel. Boston.com →

The House is expected to vote today on a $70 billion immigration enforcement funding bill — the outcome will directly affect Massachusetts communities and could shape the state’s legal and political landscape heading into the fall. WCVB →

Free World Cup tickets for Massachusetts youth are being distributed through Boys & Girls Clubs, DCF, and community organizations — if you work with any of those groups, it’s worth checking in about availability. Boston Globe →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

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

Candidates

• Gary Gagnon (Unenrolled) — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Stephen Foley (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Luisa Cestari (Republican) — House, 5th Middlesex — Filed: 6/4/2026

OCPF →

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Boston paused this morning to remember one of its own. A memorial service for former Congressman Barney Frank drew a who's-who of Democratic politics to Faneuil Hall, where Governor Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former Senator Chris Dodd were among those celebrating the life of a man who spent more than three decades reshaping American politics from a Massachusetts congressional seat.

Frank, who died May 19 at 86, was many things: the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay, the co-author of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law that rewrote Wall Street rules after the 2008 crash, and a legislator whose wit was as sharp as his legislative instincts. Healey called him "brilliant and fearless," guided by a "deep moral seriousness." Wu called him "one of the most consequential figures in American history." High praise — and in Frank's case, hard to argue with.

What makes today's gathering notable isn't just the headliners. It's the moment. At a time when many of the causes Frank championed — LGBTQ+ rights, consumer financial protections, civil rights enforcement — are under pressure at the federal level, his legacy lands with particular weight. Massachusetts Democrats aren't just honoring a veteran politician today. They're reminding themselves what the job is supposed to look like.

All three major candidates for Massachusetts governor — incumbent Democrat Maura Healey and Republican challengers including former Abiomed executive Mike Minogue — have refused Boston Globe requests to release five years of personal tax returns. That's notable given that personal wealth and demands for government openness are central themes in this race, and Healey herself previously released returns when running for attorney general. Voters will have to decide how much that matters.

This is genuinely significant news: Massachusetts recorded 978 opioid overdose deaths in 2025, a nearly 27% drop from 2024 and the first time the number has fallen below 1,000 in over a decade. At the peak in 2022, more than 2,300 people died. State health officials credit expanded access to housing, harm reduction programs, and treatment — a reminder that evidence-based policy actually works when you fund it.

Massachusetts voters passed a ballot question in 2024 giving State Auditor Diana DiZoglio authority to audit the Legislature. The House last week passed a bill that would dramatically narrow that mandate, limit what documents auditors can see, and — here's the kicker — bar courts from compelling compliance. CommonWealth Beacon's editorial board calls it what it is: an anti-transparency bill dressed up as reform.

With the first matches at Gillette Stadium (temporarily rebranded "Boston Stadium") just days away, the Globe breaks down what commuters and ticket holders can actually expect: $80 pre-purchased train tickets required, trains departing Foxborough every 15 minutes after games, and a blocked-off section of Summer Street near South Station on match days. The bigger question — whether the MBTA can manage up to 20,000 fans per game without melting down — remains gloriously open.

With the federal Office for Civil Rights largely dismantled, parents and advocates are pressing Massachusetts to step up its own enforcement of school anti-bullying policies. Attorney General Andrea Campbell is aligning with that push, but researchers say bullying — particularly targeting kids of color, kids with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ youth — remains chronically underreported and under-addressed at the state and local level.

Fired Massachusetts State Police trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, sought an emergency delay Monday of his scheduled deposition in Read's wrongful death civil lawsuit, citing scheduling conflicts and personal circumstances. A judge is weighing how long to grant the delay. This comes one day after Read's legal team filed a misconduct complaint alleging inappropriate communications between investigators at both State Police and Canton PD.

Maine primary is tomorrow (Tuesday, June 9) — The Democratic Senate primary pitting populist newcomer Graham Platner against other candidates has tightened amid misconduct allegations; the governor's race is also on the ballot and may be closer than expected. Boston Globe →

Jury deliberations resume today in the Alvin Campbell Jr. trial — A Suffolk Superior Court jury is back at work deciding the fate of the AG's brother, who faces rape and kidnapping charges; jurors signaled Friday they were deadlocked on at least one count. WCVB →

Probable cause hearing today for former Plymouth officer — Former Plymouth police officer Samantha Pelrine and her husband Daniel Forand are in court today facing child rape charges stemming from alleged incidents in 2019 and 2020. WCVB →

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

• Gary Gagnon (Unenrolled) — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Stephen Foley (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Luisa Cestari (Republican) — House, 5th Middlesex — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Alexander (Al) Ozonoff (Libertarian) — Auditor — Filed: 6/2/2026
• John Foy (Unenrolled) — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 6/2/2026

OCPF →

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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

• Gary Gagnon (Unenrolled) — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Stephen Foley (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Luisa Cestari (Republican) — House, 5th Middlesex — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Alexander (Al) Ozonoff (Libertarian) — Auditor — Filed: 6/2/2026
• John Foy (Unenrolled) — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 6/2/2026

Ballot Question Committees

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

OCPF →

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The fight over the voter-approved legislative audit has officially left the realm of Beacon Hill squabbling and entered the courthouse. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio filed suit Friday in Suffolk Superior Court against Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ronald Mariano, and their respective clerks, demanding they comply with the 2024 ballot measure that authorized her office to audit the Legislature. The same day, she went on Boston Public Radio and called on Mariano to resign outright — calling him an “authoritarian” and saying it’s time for him to “retire, resign, move on.”

This is a genuine constitutional showdown, and it matters beyond the personalities involved. Voters passed that audit question. The House responded this week by passing a bill that would dramatically narrow its scope — essentially defanging it before DiZoglio could use it. DiZoglio is now asking Governor Maura Healey to veto that bill if it reaches her desk. Healey hasn’t weighed in publicly yet, which is its own political calculation: does she side with voters, or with the legislative leadership her administration depends on to get things done?

Mariano’s office responded to DiZoglio’s resignation call with a request that she “tone down the rhetoric” — which is the kind of answer that tells you everything about how seriously they’re taking her. What happens next: the Senate still needs to act on the narrowing bill, and Healey will face real pressure from good-government advocates to veto it. The lawsuit adds a legal track that could outlast all of them.

Read, acquitted last year of killing her boyfriend John O’Keefe, filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police alleging “a culture of bias and corruption.” The suit includes newly revealed text messages between fired trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton Sgt. Sean Goode — messages described as disparaging toward women, racial minorities, Jewish people, and the LGBTQ community. Now, DA candidates are calling on Norfolk DA Michael Morrissey to resign over his unit’s connection to Proctor. This story is nowhere near over.

U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island struck down the Trump administration’s freeze on immigration applications — including asylum, work permits, green cards, and citizenship — for people from 39 countries. The judge wrote that USCIS had thrown immigrants into “indeterminate legal limbo” using “pretextual” national security concerns that masked anti-immigrant bias. The ruling is the most sweeping legal setback yet for that policy, and Massachusetts advocates with clients caught in the freeze are celebrating — cautiously, pending an almost-certain appeal.

With a July 1 deadline looming, Massachusetts’ real estate industry is deeply divided over whether to accept a compromise that would introduce annual rent increase caps — and keep a far stricter rent control ballot measure off the November ballot. Developers and landlords have the money to fight it at the polls, but that’s a gamble: if the ballot measure passes, it could be one of the toughest in the country. The next few weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations could shape housing policy in Massachusetts for a generation.

The House voted 147-0 to allow Massachusetts bars to extend last call to 3 a.m. this summer, with local approval, running from June 8 through July 31. This is clearly timed to World Cup fever, and the Senate is expected to follow. Your town still has to opt in, so don’t start planning your 2:45 a.m. round just yet — check with your local licensing board.

New reporting reveals that Jing Sheng Dong — the driver whose bus crash on I-95 killed five Massachusetts residents last week — was cited by New Jersey State Police for failing to obey traffic signals just weeks before the fatal collision. That’s on top of speeding citations in Maryland and Virginia. Dong has held a commercial driver’s license only since 2024, and federal and state transportation officials are now publicly feuding over how he got it. Five families are grieving while regulators point fingers.

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ordered the federal government to pay nearly $15,000 to the attorney of an Ecuadorean woman who was detained for months while ICE repeatedly misrepresented her situation in court — and denied her medication for serious health problems. It’s a small dollar figure but a pointed rebuke from a federal bench that has been keeping a close eye on immigration enforcement in Massachusetts.

World Cup Security at Boston Stadium (Foxboro) kicks into high gear this week — Foxboro Police Chief Michael Grace is urging fans to arrive well early for matches, warning that security screening alone could take over an hour; the stadium closes to non-ticket holders starting Tuesday, and you’ll need a match ticket just to board the Boston Stadium Train. WBZ/CBS Boston →

Storms tonight — If you have outdoor plans this evening, keep an eye on the sky: WCVB’s StormTeam 5 is tracking a round of thunderstorms with damaging wind potential from roughly 6 p.m. to midnight, primarily north and west of Route 128; the South Shore and Cape Cod face lower — but not zero — risk. WCVB →

The Senate still needs to act on the legislative audit bill — Watch for movement next week; if it passes and lands on Healey’s desk, the governor will face one of the most politically loaded veto decisions of her tenure.

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

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

Candidates

• Gary Gagnon (Unenrolled) — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Stephen Foley (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Luisa Cestari (Republican) — House, 5th Middlesex — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Alexander (Al) Ozonoff (Libertarian) — Auditor — Filed: 6/2/2026
• John Foy (Unenrolled) — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 6/2/2026

Ballot Question Committees

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

OCPF →

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Karen Read isn't done yet. Two days after former Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode resigned amid an internal affairs investigation, Read filed a civil lawsuit Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, alleging that a "culture of bias and corruption" allowed two bigoted officers to run a fraudulent investigation against her. The complaint names fired MSP Trooper Michael Proctor — the lead investigator who was terminated in part for texting that he hoped Read would kill herself — and Goode, who worked the scene the night John O'Keefe died and testified at her first trial.

The lawsuit doesn't mince words. It calls both men "inveterate bigots" whose private text messages, obtained under court order, reveal years of misogynistic and racist language. One message showed Proctor using a crude sexual slur and an anti-Black slur to describe a Boston Police employee — the same department that, notably, declined to hire him before State Police did in 2013. Read is seeking unspecified financial damages, and her legal team's argument is essentially this: the agencies didn't just employ bad actors, they created the conditions for them to thrive.

What happens next is a long road through civil court, but this case has legs beyond the courtroom. The POST Commission — the state's police oversight board — still has Proctor's conduct in its sights, and Goode's internal affairs investigation isn't closed just because he resigned. The political pressure on State Police leadership to explain how both men rose through the ranks isn't going away either.

Someone caught on security camera Wednesday morning stole a clearly labeled Juneteenth package from outside the Museum of African American History on Beacon Hill, dragged its contents into a nearby alley, and set them on fire. The African Meeting House — the oldest surviving Black church building in the country, over 200 years old — sits right there. Museum CEO Dr. Noelle Trent called it deeply deliberate and alarming: "The smallest ember can start major devastation." Boston Police are investigating it as a suspected hate crime and asking the public to help identify the suspect, described as a white male in a dark jacket and white sneakers.

The Boston City Council voted Wednesday to approve a $1.73 billion Boston Public Schools budget that eliminates more than 400 student-facing positions, including paraprofessionals and in-school support staff. Rising healthcare costs and a decade-long enrollment decline of nearly 10,000 students are driving the cuts. Multiple councilors called their votes painful but necessary. The Boston Teachers Union had urged rejection. Meanwhile, the council punted on Mayor Michelle Wu's broader city operating budget, saying they need more time to work through amendments.

Officer Nicholas O'Malley, 34, was arraigned Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court on manslaughter charges in the March shooting death of Stephenson King Jr., a carjacking suspect who was fleeing a traffic stop in a stolen vehicle. Dozens of fellow officers packed the courthouse in a show of solidarity; King's family watched silently from the gallery. It's the first time in over 30 years a Boston officer has faced criminal charges under similar circumstances — a milestone that cuts two very different ways depending on who you ask.

Mayor Michelle Wu formally endorsed Latoya Gayle, a first-time candidate and child care advocate, in her bid to unseat state Senator Nick Collins of South Boston. Collins has been one of Wu's most persistent Beacon Hill adversaries, and the mayor's involvement makes this race a proxy fight that's hard to ignore. Gayle, 47, has spent years pushing for child care reform through the nonprofit Neighborhood Villages, and her supporters argue she'll actually show up for constituents Collins has long neglected. Primary day is coming — watch this one closely.

Tucked inside the legislature's $1.56 billion surtax spending compromise is a quiet but consequential move: the 20-cent per-ride fee on Uber and Lyft trips — established in 2016 and set to expire in January 2027 — will be extended. The state pulled in $18.17 million from the fee in 2024. Some lawmakers had floated raising or redesigning it to direct more money to communities hit hardest by ride-hailing traffic, but for now the status quo survives.

Massachusetts increased spending with minority-owned and diverse businesses by more than 20% in fiscal year 2025, reaching $4.5 billion total, according to a new state Supplier Diversity Office report. But the headline number obscures real gaps: the state missed its benchmarks for LGBTQ+-owned businesses and saw a 12% drop in certified veteran-owned firms. Officials acknowledge that the current political climate may be discouraging some LGBTQ+ business owners from enrolling in public diversity programs at all.

Boston City Council — Operating Budget Deliberations Ongoing: The council delayed a vote on Mayor Wu's full city operating budget this week; expect continued hearings and amendments in the days ahead. Keep an eye on the council's schedule at boston.gov for public meeting times.

Alvin Campbell Rape Trial — Jury Deliberating: The jury in the Suffolk Superior Court trial of Alvin Campbell Jr. — accused of posing as an Uber driver to assault intoxicated women — resumed deliberations Friday after hearing closing arguments Thursday. A verdict could come today. Boston Globe →

Weekend Weather Heads-Up: Today is hot and sunny across Massachusetts — upper 80s to near 90 inland — but a storm system moves in Saturday afternoon, with scattered showers and gusty winds possible from around 4–5 p.m. onward. WCVB →

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

• Gary Gagnon (Unenrolled) — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Jose Candelario Gonzalez (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Hampden — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Stephen Foley (Unenrolled) — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Luisa Cestari (Republican) — House, 5th Middlesex — Filed: 6/4/2026
• Alexander (Al) Ozonoff (Libertarian) — Auditor — Filed: 6/2/2026
• John Foy (Unenrolled) — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 6/2/2026

Ballot Question Committees

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

OCPF →

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Massachusetts voters spoke clearly in November 2024: audit the Legislature. Nearly two years later, the House's answer is a bill that Auditor Diana DiZoglio says “essentially negates everything that you voted for.” House Speaker Ron Mariano pushed through legislation Thursday that carves out so-called “constitutional functions” from any audit, creates its own narrow list of public records — bypassing the existing public records law entirely — and strips courts of any role in enforcing the process. Mariano called it a transparency milestone. House Minority Leader Brad Jones, a Republican, had a more vivid description: “a shit sandwich with extra pickles.”

What makes this remarkable is the bipartisan disgust. This isn’t a case of Democrats versus Republicans — it’s Beacon Hill versus everyone else. DiZoglio, who has been fighting this battle in court since the ballot question passed, called the bill unconstitutional and said lawmakers are “painting this as some sort of transparency measure” while actually building a shield. The fast-moving bill was designed partly to head off a separate ballot initiative that would subject the Legislature and governor’s office to the public records law — which tells you everything about what Beacon Hill thinks of voters weighing in again.

What happens next: the bill heads to the Senate, where it’s far from a done deal. And DiZoglio and reform advocates show no signs of standing down. If the Legislature doesn’t act to their satisfaction, expect that ballot question fight this fall to get very loud, very fast.

Full story at CommonWealth Beacon →

Karen Read Goes on Offense Fresh off her acquittal last summer, Karen Read filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department, alleging a “culture of bias and corruption” enabled a botched and potentially criminal investigation into her. The suit lands one day after Canton Police Sergeant Sean Goode — who testified at Read’s first trial and was under investigation for misconduct — resigned from the department. The legal reckoning from this case, it turns out, is far from over.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Boston Cop Arraigned on Manslaughter Charge Boston Police Officer Nicholas O’Malley pleaded not guilty Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court to voluntary manslaughter in the March shooting death of Stephenson King Jr., 39, who was a suspect in a Tremont Street carjacking. O’Malley says he fired because he believed the car was about to crush his partner; prosecutors say body camera footage tells a different story. O’Malley was released on personal recognizance — the case now moves toward trial in Superior Court.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Wu Picks a Fight on Beacon Hill Mayor Michelle Wu endorsed political newcomer Latoya Gayle over incumbent state Senator Nick Collins of South Boston on Wednesday — a rare and pointed move that escalates their two-year war over property tax policy. Collins has repeatedly blocked Wu’s efforts to shift more of the tax burden onto commercial real estate, and Wu is betting her post-reelection political capital can flip his seat. Whether that capital travels from City Hall to a state Senate primary is the real question here.

Boston Globe →

Rent Control Advocates Blink — Sort Of The coalition pushing a statewide rent control ballot question is offering lawmakers a way out: pass a local-option bill allowing cities and towns to adopt their own rent caps, and the ballot campaign goes away. The compromise is significantly looser than the original proposal — allowing rent hikes up to 10 percent and permitting increases between tenants — but it would ban no-fault evictions. Advocates have a July 1 signature deadline looming, so the clock is ticking on both sides.

Boston.com →

Boston’s Budget Chaos Continues The Boston City Council voted 10-3 Wednesday to punt Mayor Wu’s $4.9 billion city budget to next week, but did approve two big pieces of the puzzle: pulling nearly $70 million from emergency reserves to plug current-year deficits, and passing an $1.73 billion Boston Public Schools budget — by a tight 8-5 vote — that includes hundreds of job cuts. The teachers union had pushed the council to reject the BPS budget outright in protest; some councilors argued that would have solved nothing given the district’s real enrollment decline and rising costs.

Boston Globe →

ICE Grabs Driver Outside Peabody Courthouse Lucas Di Benedetto, 41, of Newburyport — charged with drunk driving after allegedly crashing his car the wrong way into a State Police cruiser on Route 1 — was taken into ICE custody by federal agents as he arrived at Peabody District Court Tuesday morning. The agents were waiting for him in the parking lot, with a camera crew in tow. A default warrant was issued in the state criminal case. The courthouse parking lot falls outside the protections of Massachusetts’s Protect Act, which bars ICE from state executive-branch property.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Senate teachers retirement vote: The Massachusetts Senate is taking up legislation Thursday (S 3109) that would give roughly 6,500–8,500 teachers who missed the window to enroll in the “Retirement Plus” enhanced benefits program back in 2001 another chance to sign up — righting what Senate President Karen Spilka called a “flawed rollout” two decades ago. CommonWealth Beacon →

Nantasket Beach this Friday: Hull police are boosting staffing Friday in response to social media posts about a planned large gathering at Nantasket Beach, with zero-tolerance enforcement promised for alcohol, disorderly conduct, and parking violations — worth knowing if you’re headed to the South Shore this weekend. Boston.com →

Mass. GOP ballot deadline: Friday is the last day for Republican candidates Mike Walsh (attorney general) and Anne Manning-Martin (lieutenant governor) to withdraw from the September primary, after state Democrats formally accused both of submitting fraudulent signatures to qualify for the ballot. Boston.com →

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:

Candidates

• Alexander (Al) Ozonoff (Libertarian) — Auditor — Filed: 6/2/2026
• John Foy (Unenrolled) — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 6/2/2026

Ballot Question Committees

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

OCPF →

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who should be paying attention.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

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Powered by South Shore 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

• Alexander (Al) Ozonoff (Libertarian) — Auditor — Filed: 6/2/2026
• John Foy (Unenrolled) — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 6/2/2026
• Josh Bowdridge (Republican) — House, 4th Worcester — Filed: 5/28/2026

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 →

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

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Attorney General Andrea Campbell dropped a bombshell lawsuit Friday, accusing UnitedHealthcare of defrauding MassHealth out of at least $100 million by systematically manipulating health assessments of elderly members to inflate what the state paid out. The alleged scheme involves the insurer misclassifying seniors enrolled in the Senior Care Options plan — bumping them into higher-need categories than their actual conditions warranted — to pocket bigger reimbursements from the Medicaid program.

The timing matters enormously. MassHealth is already staring down a budget crisis driven by looming federal Medicaid cuts, and the agency is slated to spend roughly $22 billion in fiscal 2027. Every dollar allegedly skimmed by a major insurer is a dollar that isn't going to actual care — or that becomes a justification for cutting benefits to the state's most vulnerable residents. Campbell is essentially arguing that UnitedHealthcare was gaming a system designed to serve low-income seniors and people with disabilities. UnitedHealthcare calls the suit "meritless" and says it mischaracterizes how managed care works. That defense will be tested in Suffolk Superior Court.

Watch how this intersects with the ongoing Beacon Hill debate over MassHealth spending. If Campbell can demonstrate systemic fraud at scale, it hands the Healey administration a potent argument about where budget problems actually originate — not from overgenerous benefits, but from corporate bad actors.

A 190-page report from Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro found that county sheriffs routed tens of millions of dollars through private bank accounts that were never subject to state oversight. Sheriffs also routinely overspent budgets and shuffled payroll funds to mask deficits. But Shapiro didn't let Beacon Hill off the hook — lawmakers and the executive branch both failed to set clear expectations or provide adequate oversight for years. This one lands on everybody's desk.

Lucas Di Benedetto, a 41-year-old Newburyport man accused of driving the wrong way on Route 1 in Peabody and crashing into a State Police cruiser, was grabbed by ICE agents outside Peabody District Court Tuesday morning before he could be arraigned. Agents told reporters they had been waiting for him to arrive. The state criminal case has now defaulted. It's a vivid illustration of how federal immigration enforcement is intersecting — and colliding — with the state court system.

More than 4,000 graduate student workers at Harvard ended their strike Monday after the university signaled new willingness to engage on key sticking points: pay parity between teaching fellows and research assistants, protections for non-citizen workers, and anti-discrimination provisions. No contract was signed, and the two sides return to the bargaining table June 9. Union leaders are cautiously hopeful. Harvard has been here before, and so have the grad students.

Workers at the beloved Brookline cinema rejected management's "last and final" contract offer — 67 percent voted no — over concerns about wages and scheduling. A strike date hasn't been set yet, but union officials say one is coming. The Coolidge Corner Theatre Union represents floor and projection staff at the nonprofit venue. Management says its offer included guaranteed raises, more paid time off, and better scheduling. Both sides say they don't want a labor dispute. Someone's going to have to blink.

A new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll of likely GOP primary voters finds Massachusetts Republicans split on Trump's job performance and divided on whether they'd vote for him again. Democratic Governor Maura Healey earns widespread disapproval among this group. In the gubernatorial race, former medical device executive Michael Minogue leads — but 40 percent of respondents are still undecided with the September 1st primary months away. Plenty of runway left.

The T launched a new public service campaign Tuesday highlighting escalator emergency stop buttons — a direct response to the death of Steven McCluskey, a 40-year-old father of two who fell at Davis Square in February, got trapped in the machinery, and lay there for 22 minutes while people walked past. The PSA will run on in-station digital boards. It's a small step after a genuinely horrifying incident, but awareness matters when the alternative is people walking by someone dying.

Rhode Island Senate votes Wednesday on a clergy sex abuse revival window bill that would let survivors bring expired civil claims against institutions like the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence — Senate leadership is all but guaranteeing passage. Boston Globe →

New Hampshire's candidate filing period opens Wednesday, which means Scott Brown officially locks in his long-shot Republican Senate primary challenge against Trump-endorsed John Sununu — the race to replace retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen gets real. Boston Globe →

The Massachusetts income tax cut ballot question is currently before the Supreme Judicial Court on a technical legal challenge — the SJC's decision on whether the question stays on the November ballot could come any day. CommonWealth Beacon →

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

• Josh Bowdridge (Republican) — House, 4th Worcester — Filed: 5/28/2026

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 →

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who should be paying attention.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

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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 →

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who should be paying attention.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

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Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

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The Doncev family from Greenfield was heading south on I-95 with a car full of homemade desserts, on their way to a wedding in South Carolina. Dmitri and Ecaterina, their 13-year-old daughter Emily, and 7-year-old son Mark never made it. Just after 2:30 Friday morning, a charter bus barreling through a work zone near Quantico, Virginia, slammed into their Acura. A fifth Massachusetts resident, Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, was killed in a separate vehicle in the same chain-reaction crash. Forty-four others were injured.

The bus driver, Jing Sheng Dong, 48, of Staten Island, was arrested Saturday at a Virginia hospital and charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Stafford County prosecutor Eric Olsen said there was probable cause to establish that Dong caused the crash through criminally negligent driving. Additional charges are pending. Dong will appear in court after his hospital release — and he'll be held without bond until then.

The Doncev family wedding did go forward in South Carolina on Sunday, now also a funeral of sorts for people who never arrived. There's no adequate frame for that. What comes next is a criminal case in Virginia — and almost certainly a civil one too — that will raise hard questions about bus driver fatigue, work zone safety, and oversight of motorcoach operations. Massachusetts families will be watching.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Senator Ed Markey walked out of the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention in Worcester on Saturday with 73 percent of delegate support, a commanding win against Representative Seth Moulton in what's shaping up to be the marquee race of the state's primary season. Moulton, who cleared the 15 percent threshold needed to stay on the September 1 ballot, spun his 27 percent as a moral victory against "the establishment." Markey, for his part, got his mic cut for going over time — and his wife had to physically carry his speech binder off the stage. Eighty years young, folks. Boston Globe →

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is quietly revisiting an idea she shelved in 2023: short-term tax abatements for developers who can break ground within 18 months. The discussions are preliminary, but they signal a notable shift for an administration that has long prioritized affordability mandates over market-rate incentives. Boston's housing construction has slowed significantly even as rents keep climbing — and with a rent control ballot question potentially freezing new development further, Wu may be running out of runway to course-correct. Developers are already saying it might be too little, too late. Boston Globe →

This one is infuriating: the MBTA never notified state or federal regulators after a man died in an escalator incident at Davis Square. According to NBC Boston's reporting, regulators only found out when the news broke publicly. It's a troubling reminder that the T's accountability problems aren't just about delays and derailments — they extend to how the agency handles, and apparently conceals, the most serious outcomes. Universal Hub →

While the Markey-Moulton showdown dominated the conversation in Worcester, Democrats also formally endorsed Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll for second terms at the convention. Healey is aiming to become only the second Democrat reelected governor in Massachusetts in the past 40 years — a stat that should probably get more attention than it does. WWLP Western MA →

Incumbent Representative Marjorie Decker and challenger Evan MacKay squared off Thursday in their first-ever debate, centered on a topic that drives reform advocates crazy: the opacity of the Massachusetts state legislature. MacKay, former president of the Harvard Graduate Students Union, leaned on their organizing background and called out "systemic corruption" on Beacon Hill. Decker pointed to her newsletter and social media posts as evidence of accountability. The two nearly split their district in 2024 — this rematch will be one to watch. Cambridge Day →

September 1 primary ballot is now set — With Moulton clearing the delegate threshold at Saturday's convention, the Markey-Moulton Democratic Senate primary is officially on for September 1; mark your calendar now if you want a say in who represents Massachusetts in Washington for the next six years. GBH News →

Boston housing policy worth watching — Mayor Wu's preliminary tax abatement conversations with developers are informal for now, but if they harden into policy, expect a public process — and a fight over how much the city is willing to give up in exchange for units. Boston Globe →

Full budget details →

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

Change of Purposes

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

OCPF →

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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

Change of Purposes

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

OCPF →

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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

Change of Purposes

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

OCPF →

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With the FIFA World Cup kicking off in less than two weeks, you’d expect the city of Boston and state transportation officials to have their act together. Not quite. Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration and MBTA leadership remain deadlocked over a seemingly straightforward question: who controls a stretch of Summer Street in front of South Station on match days?

The T wants to close that block to vehicle traffic for up to 10 hours at a time on game days — a reasonable-sounding ask given that up to 20,000 fans per match could be funneling through South Station to catch trains to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. MBTA General Manager Phil Eng put it bluntly in a letter to the city: it’s a matter of necessity for pedestrian safety. But Boston officials have pushed back, and after days of closed-door meetings, neither side has budged. The MBTA board was expected to address the standoff at its monthly meeting Thursday morning.

Here’s why this matters beyond the bureaucratic squabble: Boston sold the world on its ability to host a global mega-event. Seven games will be played at Gillette. The eyes of billions will be on this region. If the first match brings a crush of confused fans and a gridlocked Summer Street because two government agencies couldn’t coordinate a street closure, that’s not just embarrassing — it’s a genuine safety problem. Someone needs to blink, and fast.

Wu axes her own green infrastructure office — then says she doesn’t know the details. Mayor Wu laid off Max Rome, the city’s director of green infrastructure, and eliminated his office entirely — a striking move for a mayor who built her political identity around climate action and who released a 2030 Climate Action Plan just last month that mentions green infrastructure dozens of times. When reporters asked Wu about it Wednesday, she said she wasn’t familiar with the specifics. That answer is going to follow her. Boston Globe →

House Republicans come for Boston’s sanctuary policies. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and immigration subcommittee Chair Tom McClintock sent letters Wednesday demanding extensive records from Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden, and Sheriff Steven Tompkins — all related to the city’s immigration enforcement policies going back to 2022. The agencies have until June 10 to respond. This is the latest front in an ongoing federal-vs.-Boston battle, and it lands at a particularly awkward moment given that the Republican-controlled Congress is also scrutinizing cities nationwide. Boston Globe →

Rachael Rollins is officially back. The former Suffolk DA who resigned as U.S. Attorney in 2023 amid ethics violations has confirmed she’s running to reclaim her old job, turning in nomination papers with more than 1,600 certified signatures. She’ll face current DA Kevin Hayden and former Hayden staffer Linda Champion in what’s shaping up to be a crowded and complicated race. Rollins is leaning into community trust as her message — but hasn’t yet directly addressed the scandals that ended her federal career. Boston.com →

Healey’s municipal tax flexibility bill dies again — quietly. For the second legislative session in a row, Governor Maura Healey’s attempt to give cities and towns more revenue flexibility — including optional surcharges on meals, lodging, and car excise taxes — has died on Beacon Hill without a vote. With municipalities across the state laying off staff and canceling fireworks (more on that below), the Legislature’s continued reluctance to expand local revenue tools is worth noting. GBH News →

YIMBY legislation gets a boost from Driscoll. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll showed up at a Beacon Hill rally Wednesday to back legislation that would allow up to five housing units by right on lots served by water and sewer, eliminate parking minimums near transit, and make it easier to build on smaller lots. The bills, sponsored by Sen. Brendan Crighton of Lynn and Rep. Andy Vargas of Haverhill, have real momentum — and Driscoll’s presence signals the Healey administration is willing to push harder on housing supply this session. CommonWealth Beacon →

Carney Hospital site could become 500 apartments and a health campus. Developer HYM Investment Group and Dorchester nonprofit My City at Peace have filed a letter of intent with Boston’s Planning Department to redevelop the shuttered Carney Hospital campus on Dorchester Avenue into a mixed-use site with housing, healthcare, retail, and open space connecting to Dorchester Park. It’s early-stage, but this is one of the more significant redevelopment proposals the neighborhood has seen in years. Universal Hub →

MBTA Board Meeting — Today. The T’s board meets this morning and is expected to address the South Station/World Cup standoff; it’s worth watching for any resolution or further escalation. Boston Globe →

Massachusetts Democratic Convention — This Weekend in Worcester. Delegates gather at the DCU Center to weigh in on the Markey-Moulton Senate race; Alex Rikleen has already dropped out and endorsed Markey, who leads in the latest Emerson poll 37% to 32%. CommonWealth Beacon →

Cape Cod Commuter Rail proposal moves forward. State Senator Dylan Fernandes and transportation advocates are actively pushing a plan to extend commuter rail service from Middleboro to Bourne — a step toward giving the Cape a year-round transit connection to Boston for the first time. Public attention on this one will matter. WBZ / CBS Boston →

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

OCPF →

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Mayor Michelle Wu was supposed to return to her alma mater Wednesday to deliver the Class Day address at Harvard Law School — a feel-good homecoming story for a mayor who graduated from both Harvard College and HLS. Instead, she's staying home. Wu pulled out of the ceremony rather than cross the picket line of the Harvard Graduate Students Union-UAW, which has been on strike for five weeks. Her office says they spent days trying to broker a workaround and came up empty.

The optics here cut two ways. For labor, this is a genuine win — a sitting mayor of a major American city choosing solidarity over a marquis speaking slot. For Wu, it's a reminder of how carefully she's threading the needle right now: the same day she skipped commencement, roughly 200 protesters were chanting "Shame on you, Mayor Wu" outside City Hall over her $4.9 billion budget proposal that would cut grants for food pantries, immigrant services, and youth jobs programs. Canceling Harvard earns her goodwill on the left. But the community groups demanding she restore those cuts aren't feeling the love.

What happens next: the budget fight is the real story. The City Council deadlocked last week on a vote to push back on Wu's spending plan, and a marathon hearing stretched late into Tuesday night with over 100 residents signed up to testify. The council has until late June to act, and the pressure isn't going away.

Full story at Boston Globe →

Marlborough bus drivers walk off the job. Teamsters Local 170 members who drive for NRT Bus — which handles transportation for Marlborough Public Schools — went on strike Wednesday morning, forming a picket line outside the company's Hudson yard. The sticking point: affordable health care coverage. NRT says a tentative deal was reached last weekend before the union reversed course; the union says the company's "last and final" offer fell short. The school district says all routes are running as scheduled, suggesting replacement drivers are in play — which means this one could get uglier before it gets better. Boston Globe →

Rachael Rollins is back on the ballot. The former Suffolk County DA — who later became U.S. Attorney before her career imploded in an ethics scandal in 2023 — has officially qualified for the Democratic primary to reclaim her old job. She'll face incumbent DA Kevin Hayden and attorney Linda Champion. Meanwhile, the Norfolk County DA race is shaping up as a wide-open eight-person field after 50-year veteran Michael Morrissey decided not to seek reelection. Primary season just got a lot more interesting. Boston Globe →

World Cup watch parties: full speed ahead (probably). After months of bureaucratic limbo, Governor Maura Healey says more than a dozen Massachusetts communities awaiting FIFA public viewing licenses should have them in hand this week. Some towns had already given up and scaled back their plans — Framingham and Weymouth have bowed out entirely — but Healey's assurance should unblock the rest. The games start June 11. If your town is still planning something big, now's the time to find out. Boston Globe →

Lowell avoids firefighter layoffs — barely. A two-hour conversation at a café between Lowell's firefighter union president and City Manager Tom Golden produced a last-minute deal that preserved all 203 positions in the fire department. The agreement came just weeks after a massive Centralville fire displaced 44 residents and made the prospect of cutting six firefighter jobs politically toxic. Golden acknowledged the budget pressure isn't over, saying he hopes to revisit some cuts after the state finalizes its own budget. Boston Globe →

Cambridge drops ShotSpotter; police push back hard. The Cambridge City Council voted 5-2 last week to end the city's contract with ShotSpotter, the gunfire-detection technology it's used since 2014, citing privacy concerns and worries about federal law enforcement accessing the data. Now the Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association — representing about 200 officers — is firing back, calling the move a threat to public safety that "sets the city back more than a decade." The vote came just weeks after a shooting on Memorial Drive. Expect this debate to keep going. GBH News →

The Hanscom private jet expansion keeps slipping. The controversial proposal to add 17 new aircraft hangars and fuel storage at Hanscom Field — already sent back for further environmental review nearly two years ago — still hasn't produced its required supplemental environmental impact report. Developers had targeted October 2025, then year-end, then Q1 2026, then "around June." Now that's in doubt too. For the activists and officials who've been fighting this expansion over noise and emissions concerns, delays are a partial win. But the project hasn't gone away. CommonWealth Beacon →

Boston City Council budget hearings are ongoing — if you want to weigh in on Mayor Wu's proposed cuts to community grants, keep an eye on the council's schedule at cityofboston.gov.

The school cellphone ban is now in a House-Senate conference committee; the Legislature's informal deadline is end of July — a key moment to watch for anyone with kids in Massachusetts public schools. CommonWealth Beacon →

June 2 is the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers for statewide races, meaning the ballot picture — including that Rachael Rollins comeback — could still shift before the week is out. Boston Globe →

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

• Corey Lambo — House, 3rd Berkshire — Filed: 5/26/2026

OCPF →

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Boston firefighter Robert “Bobby” Kilduff Jr. fell from a third-story window battling a Dorchester house fire Saturday night and never came home. He was 53, a Marine Corps veteran, a 24-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, and — in one of those details that hits you in the chest — a third-generation firefighter. His department called him “BK.” Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall said he “embodied the courage, commitment, and selflessness that define this profession.” That’s not boilerplate. That’s a guy people knew.

The fire at 18 Treadway Road sent flames through all three floors and burned through the roof before crews knocked it down. Kilduff’s death is a gut-punch reminder that firefighting remains one of the most dangerous jobs in America, and that the people who run toward burning buildings are often the ones who’ve watched their fathers and grandfathers do it first. The city is mourning. The department is mourning. Over Memorial Day weekend, that mourning felt especially heavy.

Watch for a formal tribute in the coming days — these things tend to bring the full weight of Boston’s civic life to bear. In the meantime, Kilduff’s family, colleagues, and the Dorchester and West Roxbury communities are carrying something that no ceremony fully addresses.

Full story at Boston.com →

About 70,000 Uber and Lyft drivers in Massachusetts are now officially members of the App Drivers Union — the first certified rideshare union in the entire country. The Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations issued the certification last week, 18 months after voters approved it at the ballot. Governor Maura Healey is on board. Next step: actually bargaining a contract with the companies, which have promised to cooperate. The hard part starts now — and economists note that higher driver wages will likely mean higher fares for riders.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Federal law — the Trump administration’s sweeping 2025 tax-and-spending package — stripped subsidized health coverage from roughly 30,000 lawfully present immigrants in Massachusetts on January 1. The state has been aggressive in some areas, but this particular gap remains unfilled. Legal advocates warn the full impact could ultimately leave 300,000 Massachusetts residents uninsured and cost the state $3.5 billion a year in lost federal revenue. Victoria Poulos of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute laid it all out on CommonWealth Beacon’s Codcast.

CommonWealth Beacon →

When Union Hospital closed in 2020, Lynn lost its only hospital. Now, five acres of that site are being transformed into Solimine House — 150 units of affordable housing for residents 62 and older, with incomes up to 60% of area median income. The $85 million project broke ground in December and should be ready in late 2027. It’ll connect directly to a next-door PACE health center serving Medicaid and Medicare patients. It’s exactly the kind of adaptive reuse that cash-strapped Gateway Cities need more of.

CommonWealth Beacon →

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is widely loathed in Beacon Hill offices, has sued Democratic leadership over her right to audit the Legislature, and accused the attorney general of running interference. She’s also cruising to reelection with zero serious challengers from either party. The Globe’s profile paints a portrait of a politician who has turned institutional friction into a brand — and found that it plays well across party lines, especially in rooms full of people who already assume Beacon Hill is hiding something. Whether her audit crusade is principled or performative probably depends on who you ask.

Boston Globe →

Mayor Jon Mitchell told New Bedford residents a few weeks ago the city faced a $13 million deficit. Then the number became $32 million — with layoffs, a possible fire station closure, and tax increases on the table. The New Bedford Light digs into how the numbers ballooned so fast, and the picture that emerges is one of healthcare and public safety costs outpacing projections, plus a city council that says it learned the real number the same time the public did.

New Bedford Light →

The Marshfield Select Board met last week with just two members — one seat is vacant — and deadlocked 1-1 on sending voter-approved charter amendments to Beacon Hill. Residents had overwhelmingly backed expanding the board from three to five members and creating a town finance director, but without a third vote, the board can’t act. The vacant seat is creating a genuine governance crisis, and it comes just ahead of Annual Town Meeting.

South Shore News →

Two arraignments Tuesday: Sean Brewer, 58, of Winthrop faces manslaughter charges in East Boston Municipal Court after allegedly shooting his wife Jacklyn Berry during an argument Sunday morning; and Tyler Halley, 21, of Lawrence is expected in Lawrence District Court on a murder charge after a woman was found with a fatal head wound at a Canal Street apartment Saturday. WBZ / CBS Boston →

App Drivers Union celebration at the State House: Union and state leaders gathered today to mark the official certification of the App Drivers Union — the first step before bargaining begins with Uber and Lyft. WCVB →

New Bedford City Council budget deliberations continue: With a $32 million deficit on the table and potential layoffs and fire station closures in play, watch for the council to push back on Mayor Mitchell’s proposed budget in the coming weeks — this one is far from settled. New Bedford Light →

Full budget details →

Full hearing schedule →

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who needs to know what’s going on.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News

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

• Tony King (Democratic) — Senate, Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol — Filed: 5/19/2026

OCPF →

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News