Government & Politics

Every student in Massachusetts would be able to attend community college for free starting this fall -- and take free regional public transit to get there -- and online Lottery sales would be legalized under a $58 billion compromise budget House and Senate negotiators filed Thursday evening.

The Senate voted 38-2 on its rewrite (S 2871) of the wide-ranging, House-approved legislation, a measure that supporters believe will plug holes in oversight of hospitals, especially for-profit systems like the bankrupt Steward Health Care.

Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said Wednesday that officials are in the dark for now on how the bidding process worked out for Steward Health Care's hospitals in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services has signed onto a 10-year lease at the Southbridge Innovation Center. 

Two Central Massachusetts nonprofits were among seven Massachusetts organizations to split $6.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support their outreach and case-management services targeted at ending veteran homelessness.

Within hours of surviving an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, former President Donald Trump was "doing well," according to aides, and looking forward to rejoining his supporters the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin this week where he is set to become the party's 2024 presidential nominee.

Senators dove into debate Thursday on a wide-reaching economic development bond bill by making official their latest push to revive happy hour in some Massachusetts communities.

More teenagers could be prosecuted in the juvenile court system under a policy that senators tacked onto their sweeping $2.86 billion economic development bill during deliberations Thursday.

House Democrats plan Wednesday to mount a late-session effort to prohibit cell phone carriers and other data providers from collecting or selling location information when Bay Staters seek abortions and other sensitive health care.

Several lawmakers asked Shapiro how he landed on the idea of receivership rather than other reforms, such as asking the executive branch to perform more CCC oversight, installing an auditor at the agency, or pressing the governor, attorney general and treasurer to replace commissioners.