In the News

Democrats press Musk on X’s ‘hostile stance’ toward independent research of its platform By Laura Feiner Three Democratic lawmakers are pressing Elon Musk on his social media platform’s “hostile stance” toward independent research efforts after X, formerly known as Twitter, sued a nonprofit research group that found an increase in hate speech after the… Read more »

Lori Trahan: 1 year of promises kept with the PACT Act “Keeping our promise.” That’s a phrase that gets used a lot in Washington — probably too much. But last August, Congress finally passed a law to keep a long-overdue and important promise to a group of individuals who represent the very best of our nation — our veterans. When the difficult decision is made to send servicemembers into… Read more »

Lawmakers target chemical promoted online as ‘suicide kit’ By Colin Hogan  EW BEDFORD — A chemical compound that has been promoted as a “suicide kit” on internet blogs and chat rooms was used in three Massachusetts suicides this year. Since 2016, the deadly chemical has been the method for 18 suicides in Massachusetts and more than 173 documented exposures nationwide. Niche… Read more »

Cambodian Americans continue to push for democratic Cambodia By Melanie Gilbert LOWELL — Cambodia’s general election on July 23 resulted in a landslide victory for the Cambodian People’s Party, whose candidate, Prime Minister Hun Sen, has ruled the country for nearly four decades. “I don’t call it an election,” City Councilor Vesna Nuon said by phone on Friday. “I call it a… Read more »

New Congressional bill aimed at confronting NIL challenges facing NCAA athletes released By Steve Berkowitz Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., on Wednesday are formally relaunching their legislative efforts concerning college athletes’ ability to make money from their name, image and likeness, introducing a bill aimed at widening those opportunities in a… Read more »

NEW NIL BILL PUSHES ATHLETES’ RIGHTS, INCLUDING GROUP LICENSING By Michael Mccann The crowded world of name, image and likeness (NIL) bills in Congress expanded on Wednesday as U.S. Rep. and former Georgetown University volleyball player Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) reintroduced an NIL bill.  The College Athlete Economic Freedom Act… Read more »

Legislation to help students working maintain Massachusetts SNAP benefits By Duncan Maclean Senator Markey and Representative Lori Trahan have introduced a bill called the “Bridging the SNAP Gap Act” which would change how young adults’ income is counted in their household totals to make sure they are fed and families get their full benefits all while not discouraging students from… Read more »

Cambodian elections: Free and fair or done deal? By Melanie Gilbert  LOWELL — National general elections in Cambodia take place on July 23, but nobody is holding their breath on the outcome of the contest. That’s because former Khmer Rouge commander and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has held power for more than 38 years, has threatened, outlawed or arrested away his… Read more »

Methuen gets $500K for pollution cleanup plans By Monica Sager  METHUEN — The city has been selected to receive $500,000 for a pollution assessment grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop clean up plans throughout the community. The EPA selected 14 communities in Massachusetts to receive grants that will total $8.74 million in competitive EPA Brownfields… Read more »

‘A devastating blow’: Lawmakers, higher ed officials react to Supreme Court’s repeal of affirmative action By Cameron Moresberger The Supreme Court decided Thursday to strike down affirmative action, a long-held college admissions policy that permitted race to be factored into a potential student’s acceptance. In the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and… Read more »