GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Friday issued an order prohibiting most gatherings of 250 or more people, but his administration stopped short of requiring all of the state’s K-12 schools to […]
Health
Posted inThe Download
Social distancing on a personal level
Now that just about everything is shutting down, it’s time to start thinking about social distancing at a personal level. The goal of social distancing is to reduce interactions between […]
Posted inUncategorized
Social distancing on a personal level
NOW THAT JUST about everything is shutting down, it’s time to start thinking about social distancing at a personal level. The goal of social distancing is to reduce interactions between […]
Posted inUncategorized
Advocates: No evictions during pandemic
YOU FEEL SICK. But you could get evicted from your home if you don’t show up in court. What do you do? Boston-area activists are mounting a campaign to end evictions during […]
Posted inThe Download
Advocates: No evictions during pandemic
You feel sick. But you could get evicted from your home if you don’t show up in court. What do you do? Boston-area activists are mounting a campaign to end evictions […]
Posted inUncategorized
Why it’s crucial to ‘flatten the curve’ of coronavirus
THE NUMBER OF cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts hit 92 yesterday. And in a state of almost 7 million residents that’s cause to declare a state of emergency? Some may […]
Posted inThe Download
Why it’s crucial to ‘flatten the curve’ of coronavirus
The number of cases of coronavirus in the state hit 92 yesterday. And in a state of almost 7 million residents that’s cause to declare a state of emergency? Some […]
Posted inHealth Care
Nursing homes to limit access to residents
WITH THE ELDERLY particularly susceptible to the coronavirus, the Baker administration is putting in place a series of measures to shield residents of nursing homes from visitors and workers carrying […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker declares virus state of emergency
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER declared a state of emergency on Tuesday to give state government more tools and flexibility should the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts continue to spread. As the number […]
Posted inUncategorized
Catch-22 on coronavirus tests
IT’S A HARROWING STORY. You have most of the symptoms of coronavirus. You’ve self-quarantined at home for two weeks. You’re not getting any better. But the local hospital can’t test you […]
Posted inUncategorized
What about riding the T?
HOW SERIOUS ARE local concerns about spread of the coronavirus? Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, an annual rite that draws hundreds of thousands of people to South Boston, has been […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker calls on schools to cancel all trips abroad
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday urged the state’s colleges and high schools to cancel all organized trips abroad, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expands its travel […]
Posted inHealth Care
Healey, 7 firms sign $1m mental health settlement
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY announced a settlement on Thursday with five health insurers and two behavioral health firms, dismissing alleged violations of mental health parity laws in return for $1 […]
Posted inUncategorized
State suspending farm food benefits program
AT A MONTHLY WINTER FARMERS market run by Roots Rising in Pittsfield, shoppers can buy apples, canned tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, and winter squash. A shopper using SNAP benefits can […]
Posted inHealth Care
Senate passes mental health bill
SEN. JULIAN CYR has struggled with anxiety and depression since childhood. As a boy who was gay, he was bullied in school, had panic attacks and developed an eating disorder. […]
Posted inDrug Addiction
Healey sues JUUL for creating youth vaping epidemic
MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL Maura Healey on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the e-cigarette giant JUUL Labs, alleging that the company intentionally created the epidemic of youth vaping by marketing and […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Anita Walker betting culture is good for your health
With a portion of the state’s casino revenues, the Massachusetts Cultural Council is testing whether arts and culture can be prescribed just like medicine. The organization is running three pilot […]
Posted inThe Download
Anita Walker betting culture is good for your health
With a portion of the state’s casino revenues, the Massachusetts Cultural Council is testing whether arts and culture can be prescribed just like medicine. The organization is running three pilot […]
Posted inUncategorized
U-Haul won’t hire smokers in Mass., 20 other states
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS across Massachusetts stopped hiring smokers in 1997 as part of a pension system overhaul. In 2011, the Massachusetts Hospital Association implemented the same policy for its […]
Posted inUncategorized
Healey sues e-cig firms under new law
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY is suing eight online electronic cigarette retailers, alleging they violated a law passed less than a month ago barring the sale of flavored tobacco products to Massachusetts […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t take away religious exemption for vaccines
I AM AN IVY LEAGUE-TRAINED physician who currently treats families of children and adults with developmental disabilities. I come in frequent contact with parents who use the religious exemption for […]
Posted inUncategorized
ROE Act is good policy, politics
ON NOVEMBER 5, 2019, Virginia voters made history by voting to flip both chambers of the state legislature and creating, for the first time, a pro-choice majority. This sea change […]
Posted inEconomy
Vaping ban ends with mixed results
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE PUBLIC HEALTH officials acknowledged that they still do not know what is causing lung injuries and illnesses among some people who vape, and reiterated that […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker mystified by response to vaping ban
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH HIS TEMPORARY BAN on vaping product sales set to end next week when public health officials adopt a new set of vaping rules, Gov. Charlie […]
