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CommonWealth Beacon
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Politics, ideas, & civic life in MA. CommonWealth Beacon's in-depth coverage is a primary news & information source for policymakers, civic leaders & citizens. www.commonwealthbeacon.org
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ICYMI: Gov. Healey’s budget plan is spending Massachusetts into a corner #OPINION
Gov. Healey's budget plan is spending Massachusetts into a corner
Tax revenues are slowing, costs are rising, and the Healey administration continues to grow state government as if the bill will never come due.
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February 8, 2026 at 1:46 AM
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ICYMI: Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024
Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024
"Out of 45.9 million total claims in 2024, 20.4% were denied by health insurers in Massachusetts, the Health Policy Commission said in a report released Thursday. Denials due to 'strictly clinical reasons'...
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February 7, 2026 at 11:39 PM
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BALLOT QUESTIONS: Rent control opponents sue to keep measure off the ballot
Rent control opponents sue to keep measure off the ballot
Four landlords who own and lease residential units in Massachusetts are the named plaintiffs in the suit seeking to kill the rent control measure. They are suing Attorney General Andrea Campbell...
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February 7, 2026 at 11:01 PM
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New in OPINION: How Boston – of all places – offers lessons for the NFL on hiring diversity

commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/how-...
How Boston – of all places – offers lessons for the NFL on hiring diversity
Boston has learned, slowly and imperfectly, that inclusion doesn’t happen at the finish line. It comes from institutions and leaders who invest in pipelines and relationships long before that point.
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 7, 2026 at 7:48 PM
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NEW: Rent control opponents sue to keep measure off the ballot

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Rent control opponents sue to keep measure off the ballot
Four landlords who own and lease residential units in Massachusetts are the named plaintiffs in the suit seeking to kill the rent control measure. They are suing Attorney General Andrea Campbell...
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 7, 2026 at 5:38 PM
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ICYMI: From T support to school aid, surtax emerges as crutch for state budgeting
From T support to school aid, surtax emerges as crutch for state budgeting
Gov. Maura Healey’s spending proposals has reopened debate about whether voters intended for the surtax on high earners to fund only new investments or anything related to transportation and education.
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February 7, 2026 at 2:47 PM
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ICYMI: As Super Bowl betting surges, Kayshon Boutte’s story highlights a growing risk for young people #OPINION
As Super Bowl betting surges, Kayshon Boutte's story highlights a growing risk for young people
With the Patriots heading back to the Super Bowl this Sunday after an improbable turnaround following two straight losing seasons, excitement across New
buff.ly
February 7, 2026 at 2:14 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
ICYMI: Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary
Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary
In a letter to members of the Democratic State Committee, Galvin, 75, said he is “seeking to extend my service as Secretary of State through 2030.” In anticipation of the 2028 presidential election,...
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February 7, 2026 at 1:14 AM
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GATEWAY CITIES: Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom
Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom
The state and federal funding landscape continues to shift while homelessness in Western Massachusetts has reached unprecedented levels in the aftermath of the pandemic. Holyoke had the highest unsheltered...
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February 6, 2026 at 11:01 PM
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OPINION: Tax revenues are slowing, costs are rising, and the Healey administration continues to grow state government as if the bill will never come due.
Gov. Healey's budget plan is spending Massachusetts into a corner
Tax revenues are slowing, costs are rising, and the Healey administration continues to grow state government as if the bill will never come due.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
NEW: Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom

commonwealthbeacon.org/housing/holy...
Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom
The state and federal funding landscape continues to shift while homelessness in Western Massachusetts has reached unprecedented levels in the aftermath of the pandemic. Holyoke had the highest unsheltered...
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 6, 2026 at 4:20 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
ICYMI: Despite improvement, Mass. unemployment system remains one of the worst in the country by some measures
Despite improvement, Mass. unemployment system remains one of the worst in the country by some measures
The Bay State boosted its rate of timely unemployment payments in November and December, but it still ranked in the bottom three states in that span, and legislative leaders are mostly silent on the issue.
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February 6, 2026 at 2:05 PM
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HEALTH: Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024
Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024
"Out of 45.9 million total claims in 2024, 20.4% were denied by health insurers in Massachusetts, the Health Policy Commission said in a report released Thursday. Denials due to 'strictly clinical reasons'...
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 12:37 PM
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ICYMI: Providers seek $115 million to care for homeless adults
Providers seek $115 million to care for homeless adults
Individuals without children do not have the same emergency housing protections as families do under the state's Right to Shelter Law, said Michael Libby, executive director of the Somerville Housing...
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February 6, 2026 at 3:33 AM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
New in OPINION: Gov. Healey’s budget plan is spending Massachusetts into a corner

commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/gov-...
Gov. Healey's budget plan is spending Massachusetts into a corner
Tax revenues are slowing, costs are rising, and the Healey administration continues to grow state government as if the bill will never come due.
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 6, 2026 at 1:46 AM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
NEW: Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024

commonwealthbeacon.org/health-care/...
Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024
"Out of 45.9 million total claims in 2024, 20.4% were denied by health insurers in Massachusetts, the Health Policy Commission said in a report released Thursday. Denials due to 'strictly clinical reasons'...
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 5, 2026 at 11:39 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
ICYMI: Transparency in procurement can help close the racial wealth gap #OPINION
Transparency in procurement can help close the racial wealth gap
Procurement transparency may sound technical. In reality, it goes to the heart of how wealth is built—or excluded—in the Commonwealth. 
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February 5, 2026 at 11:23 PM
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EDUCATION: From T support to school aid, surtax emerges as crutch for state budgeting
From T support to school aid, surtax emerges as crutch for state budgeting
Gov. Maura Healey’s spending proposals has reopened debate about whether voters intended for the surtax on high earners to fund only new investments or anything related to transportation and education.
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 11:01 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
OPINION: With the Patriots heading back to the Super Bowl this Sunday after an improbable turnaround following two straight losing seasons, excitement across New England is reaching fever pitch. But the […]
As Super Bowl betting surges, Kayshon Boutte's story highlights a growing risk for young people
With the Patriots heading back to the Super Bowl this Sunday after an improbable turnaround following two straight losing seasons, excitement across New
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 4:41 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
ICYMI: Was a vote to seize Northeastern land for conservation in ‘bad faith?’
Was a vote to seize Northeastern land for conservation in ‘bad faith?’
The justices grappled with when it might be necessary for them to probe the intentions of a town meeting, in this case by digging into whether Nahant is trying to make legitimate use of eminent domain...
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February 5, 2026 at 3:13 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
NEW: From T support to school aid, surtax emerges as crutch for state budgeting

commonwealthbeacon.org/education/fr...
From T support to school aid, surtax emerges as crutch for state budgeting
Gov. Maura Healey’s spending proposals has reopened debate about whether voters intended for the surtax on high earners to fund only new investments or anything related to transportation and education.
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 5, 2026 at 2:46 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
New in OPINION: As Super Bowl betting surges, Kayshon Boutte’s story highlights a growing risk for young people

commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/as-s...
As Super Bowl betting surges, Kayshon Boutte's story highlights a growing risk for young people
With the Patriots heading back to the Super Bowl this Sunday after an improbable turnaround following two straight losing seasons, excitement across New
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 5, 2026 at 2:13 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
GOVERNMENT: Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary
Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary
In a letter to members of the Democratic State Committee, Galvin, 75, said he is “seeking to extend my service as Secretary of State through 2030.” In anticipation of the 2028 presidential election,...
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 12:37 PM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
NEW: Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary

commonwealthbeacon.org/shns/galvin-...
Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary
In a letter to members of the Democratic State Committee, Galvin, 75, said he is “seeking to extend my service as Secretary of State through 2030.” In anticipation of the 2028 presidential election,...
commonwealthbeacon.org
February 5, 2026 at 1:13 AM
cwbeacon.bsky.social
ICYMI: Canceling citizenship ceremonies at Faneuil Hall was an affront to its history #OPINION
Canceling citizenship ceremonies at Faneuil Hall was an affront to its history
This wasn’t just a canceled ceremony; it was the quiet erasure of a tradition that once made American citizenship visible, contested, and public.
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February 5, 2026 at 12:19 AM