The nine-word legal dilemma and four more stories

by CommonWealth Beacon staff June 28, 2025July 18, 2025

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The nine-word legal dilemma and four more stories

by CommonWealth Beacon staff, CommonWealth Beacon
June 28, 2025

<h1>The nine-word legal dilemma and four more stories</h1>
<p class="byline">by CommonWealth Beacon staff, CommonWealth Beacon <br />June 28, 2025</p>

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<p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from <em>CommonWealth Beacon</em>&nbsp;that you may have missed.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">This week, Jennifer Smith delves into how a flurry of lawsuits over the Trump administration’s proposed federal funding cuts hinges on nine words.</p>
<p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">Plus: the MBTA takes a union to court, lawmakers seemed supportive of Healey's energy affordability bill, Attorney General Campbell headed to DC, and a big job in the transit sector opens up.</p>
<p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading.</p>
<p class="has-light-gray-background-color has-background">— The&nbsp;<em>CommonWealth Beacon</em>&nbsp;team</p>
</section>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flurry-of-lawsuits-over-trump-cuts-hinges-on-nine-words"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/courts/flurry-of-lawsuits-over-trump-cuts-hinges-on-nine-words/">Flurry of lawsuits over Trump cuts hinges on nine words</a></h3>
<h6 class="wp-block-heading has-normal-font-size">By <a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/author/smithjennifer/">Jennifer Smith</a></h6>
<p>State officials, impacted groups argue that the administration is misusing a regulation to unlawfully yank funds.</p>
<p class="red-button"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/courts/flurry-of-lawsuits-over-trump-cuts-hinges-on-nine-words/">READ MORE</a></p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/mbta-sues-union-in-effort-to-fire-supervisor-in-misconduct-case/">MBTA sues union in effort to fire supervisor in misconduct case</a></h3>
<h6 class="wp-block-heading has-normal-font-size">By <a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/author/gintautas-dumcius/">Gintautas Dumcius</a></h6>
<p>The case is an example of the sort of outcome of a process that has drawn criticism from those who say it makes it too difficult to fire employees who have engaged in what appears to be egregious misconduct or poor performance.</p>
<p class="red-button"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/mbta-sues-union-in-effort-to-fire-supervisor-in-misconduct-case/">READ MORE</a></p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/energy/healeys-energy-affordability-bill-gets-support-tough-questions-on-beacon-hill/">Healey’s energy affordability bill gets support, tough questions on Beacon Hill</a></h3>
<h6 class="wp-block-heading has-normal-font-size">By <a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/author/bhaamati/">Bhaamati Borkhetaria</a></h6>
<p>The governor faces a challenging balancing act to lower energy bills while still moving forward on climate goals.</p>
<p class="red-button"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/energy/healeys-energy-affordability-bill-gets-support-tough-questions-on-beacon-hill/">READ MORE</a></p>
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<h6 class="wp-block-heading has-normal-font-size">By <a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/author/smithjennifer/">Jennifer Smith</a></h6>
<p>“I’ve been telling folks, regardless of how you feel about the 14th amendment, pick the amendment that you like,” Attorney General Campbell said, “because they can come after that one too.”</p>
<p class="red-button"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/politics/in-washington-campbell-defends-states-efforts-against-trumps-executive-overreach/">READ MORE</a></p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/mbta-commuter-rail-operators-ceo-heads-back-to-france/">MBTA commuter rail operator’s CEO heads back to France&nbsp;</a></h3>
<h6 class="wp-block-heading has-normal-font-size">By <a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/author/gintautas-dumcius/">Gintautas Dumcius</a></h6>
<p>The change at the top of Keolis Commuter Services comes as its contract, held by the company since July 2014, is set to expire June 2027.</p>
<p class="red-button"><a href="https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/mbta-commuter-rail-operators-ceo-heads-back-to-france/">READ MORE</a></p>
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<p>John McDonough, Paul Hattis, and <strong>Matt Veno</strong> of the Group Insurance Commission discuss the GIC’s last-minute $240 million infusion from state coffers to cover claims for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year.</p>
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The nine-word legal dilemma and four more stories

CommonWealth Beacon staff, CommonWealth Beacon
June 28, 2025

The Saturday Send

Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. 

This week, Jennifer Smith delves into how a flurry of lawsuits over the Trump administration’s proposed federal funding cuts hinges on nine words.

Plus: the MBTA takes a union to court, lawmakers seemed supportive of Healey's energy affordability bill, Attorney General Campbell headed to DC, and a big job in the transit sector opens up.

Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading.

— The CommonWealth Beacon team

Flurry of lawsuits over Trump cuts hinges on nine words

By Jennifer Smith

State officials, impacted groups argue that the administration is misusing a regulation to unlawfully yank funds.

READ MORE

MBTA sues union in effort to fire supervisor in misconduct case

By Gintautas Dumcius

The case is an example of the sort of outcome of a process that has drawn criticism from those who say it makes it too difficult to fire employees who have engaged in what appears to be egregious misconduct or poor performance.

READ MORE

Healey’s energy affordability bill gets support, tough questions on Beacon Hill

By Bhaamati Borkhetaria

The governor faces a challenging balancing act to lower energy bills while still moving forward on climate goals.

READ MORE

Campbell defends states’ efforts against Trump’s executive overreach

By Jennifer Smith

“I’ve been telling folks, regardless of how you feel about the 14th amendment, pick the amendment that you like,” Attorney General Campbell said, “because they can come after that one too.”

READ MORE

MBTA commuter rail operator’s CEO heads back to France 

By Gintautas Dumcius

The change at the top of Keolis Commuter Services comes as its contract, held by the company since July 2014, is set to expire June 2027.

READ MORE

Job Board

• Senior Reporter — CommonWealth Beacon

• Senior Director of Offshore Wind — Environmental League of Massachusetts

• Senior Manager, Technology Market Transformation — Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP)

ADVERTISE YOUR JOB LISTING

Why a quasi-independent state agency needed a quick $240 million

John McDonough, Paul Hattis, and Matt Veno of the Group Insurance Commission discuss the GIC’s last-minute $240 million infusion from state coffers to cover claims for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year.

LISTEN NOW

New Episode Coming Monday at 6am!

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appears on The Codcast about her start in politics and being both an introvert and a mayor, why she’s a Democrat, the super PACs crowding into this year’s election, and her media diet.

Published by MassINC

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To unsubscribe from the Saturday Send, click here. 

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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The Saturday Send

Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed.

This week, Jennifer Smith delves into how a flurry of lawsuits over the Trump administration’s proposed federal funding cuts hinges on nine words.

Plus: the MBTA takes a union to court, lawmakers seemed supportive of Healey’s energy affordability bill, Attorney General Campbell headed to DC, and a big job in the transit sector opens up.

Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading.

— The CommonWealth Beacon team

Flurry of lawsuits over Trump cuts hinges on nine words

By Jennifer Smith

State officials, impacted groups argue that the administration is misusing a regulation to unlawfully yank funds.

MBTA sues union in effort to fire supervisor in misconduct case

The case is an example of the sort of outcome of a process that has drawn criticism from those who say it makes it too difficult to fire employees who have engaged in what appears to be egregious misconduct or poor performance.

Healey’s energy affordability bill gets support, tough questions on Beacon Hill

By Bhaamati Borkhetaria

The governor faces a challenging balancing act to lower energy bills while still moving forward on climate goals.

Campbell defends states’ efforts against Trump’s executive overreach

By Jennifer Smith

“I’ve been telling folks, regardless of how you feel about the 14th amendment, pick the amendment that you like,” Attorney General Campbell said, “because they can come after that one too.”

MBTA commuter rail operator’s CEO heads back to France

By Gintautas Dumcius

The change at the top of Keolis Commuter Services comes as its contract, held by the company since July 2014, is set to expire June 2027.

Senior Reporter — CommonWealth Beacon
Senior Director of Offshore Wind — Environmental League of Massachusetts
Senior Manager, Technology Market Transformation — Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP)

ADVERTISE YOUR JOB LISTING

Why a quasi-independent state agency needed a quick $240 million

John McDonough, Paul Hattis, and Matt Veno of the Group Insurance Commission discuss the GIC’s last-minute $240 million infusion from state coffers to cover claims for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year.

LISTEN NOW

New Episode Coming Monday at 6am!

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appears on The Codcast about her start in politics and being both an introvert and a mayor, why she’s a Democrat, the super PACs crowding into this year’s election, and her media diet.

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The nine-word legal dilemma and four more stories

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