Maura Healey

In Worcester County, total opioid-related deaths increased to 331 in 2022, up from 281 the previous year. This 17.8% increase is one of the highest statewide.

Multifamily residential developers have been proposing thousands of apartments throughout Central Massachusetts, but communities are resisting the push for more housing to protect their resources and what residents and officials see as their town’s character.

Gov. Maura Healey plans to continue a high-dollar commitment to the life sciences sector that began under former Gov. Deval Patrick, and her administration is also launching a new platform to recruit diverse hires to the sector and provide training opportunities.

As the House and Senate prepare for budget negotiations to get underway in a few weeks, a coalition advocating for debt-free public higher education is making a final push for historic investments into the sector with the advent of newly available surtax funds.

CVS Pharmacy has reached an agreement with state Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office to pay $6.15 million to settle allegations it failed to follow prescription pricing procedures in several Massachusetts locations, including Worcester.

Gov. Maura Healey has named Edward Augustus as state housing secretary, according to a source familiar with the process, turning to a former state senator and Worcester city manager to serve as point person on one of her top priorities.

Competitive electric suppliers that purport to offer cheaper rates while in reality costing Massachusetts residents hundreds of dollars each year could be thwarted by Attorney General Andrea Campbell and lawmakers this session.

A public health standards bill that died on the last governor's desk is back before the Legislature, and supporters are more hopeful since there's a new occupant in the corner office.

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue revealed Wednesday preliminary tax revenue collections for April were $4.782 billion, which is $2.162 billion, or 31.2%, below collections from April 2022.

State officials next week plan to jump-start the process for creating the administration's economic development plan, a framework that all new governors must produce during their first year in office.