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By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — The workforce shortage that has left employers across sectors scrambling to keep operations running in recent years isn’t likely to let up “any time in the rest of anybody’s lifetime,” one of the nation’s leading economists recdently...

By SAM DRYSDALE

On the route to decarbonization, the state is so far on target with its goals, the Healey administration says, but there is more work to be done with the most intense period of rapid decarbonization quickly approaching.Gov. Maura Healey’s...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Calling it “historic,” Gov. Maura Healey unveiled legislation this week — timed to coincide with Veterans Day — that will increase benefits, modernize services and promote inclusivity for hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts veterans.Filed...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — As lawmakers look at regulating building and infrastructure materials in pursuit of the state’s emission reduction goals, the concrete industry wants to been seen as a partner, not a foe, in the effort to make Massachusetts greener.New York...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — A Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a request to put a temporary hold on the Healey administration’s plan to cap the number of families in the state’s strained emergency shelter system.The decision followed an emergency court hearing...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Two of the state’s top elected officials are encouraging colleges and universities in Massachusetts to find new approaches to “advance diversity, break down barriers, and increase access for historically underrepresented groups” in light of...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Framing her new legislation as “historic” and “urgent,” Gov. Maura Healey detailed a wide-ranging $4 billion-plus housing bill Wednesday at several stops throughout the state, including Springfield, and speculated that its passage could...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Students are still performing well below pre-pandemic levels on the latest batch of statewide standardized test results, though education department officials say the scores show that the “achievement slide” from COVID-19 “has halted and...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Massachusetts students will receive sex and health education that is intended to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community and teach about bodily autonomy, mental and emotional health, dating safety, nutrition, sexually transmitted infections...

By SAM DRYSDALE

While state spending has shifted recently with a renewed focus on making higher education more affordable, a new report found that enrollment at Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities is down, which researchers partially blame on decades of...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Advocates for decriminalizing psychedelic drugs are hoping to get traction on Beacon Hill and in Massachusetts cities and towns this year, though they are taking different approaches to changing the law.Grassroots coalition Bay Staters for...

By SAM DRYSDALE

Calling the spate of domestic violence crimes that Massachusetts has seen in recent months “a statewide crisis,” Secretary of State William Galvin announced Wednesday the launch of a new grant program that aims to make victims aware of the services...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — A swath of regulatory changes are coming to Massachusetts’ cannabis industry, including measures to clear the way for people with past criminal records to work in marijuana shops and to allow all cities and towns to eventually host cannabis...

By SAM DRYSDALE

Following a pedestrian safety assessment that showed almost half of all Massachusetts pedestrian fatalities or serious injuries happened within 300 feet of a bus stop, the Department of Transportation is looking to use federal funds to make safety...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — The state has issued more than double the number of learner’s permits in the last 10 days than this time last year, after a law went into effect July 1 allowing undocumented immigrants who live in Massachusetts to apply for driver’s...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Facilities that burn wood to create energy should not be eligible for credits under a state program that rewards generators of “clean heat,” advocates said last week, arguing that two bills would close loopholes in the state’s climate...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Without additional financial support, climate-friendly building regulations could “push homeownership out of reach” for some Massachusetts families, according to a new report from the the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Anyone with a cellphone in their pocket can likely be tracked — to the grocery store or the gym, to work or school, to religious services or health care appointments. With prolific data available on Bay Staters’ day-to-day lives, a bill seeks...

By SAM DRYSDALE

The federal government is sending $147 million Massachusetts’ way to expand high-speed internet in the state.The funding is part of $42 billion in federal funds announced by President Joe Biden for broadband expansion across the country on Monday from...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — On college campuses, where drinking and drugs are often a pervasive part of student culture, students recovering from addiction face high risks of relapse and social isolation, according to supporters of a bill that would create a safety net...