In the News

Clean energy revolution charges up with new fusion facility at Devens By: Veer Mudambi DEVENS — Massachusetts has a history of being at the forefront of revolutions. The first shot in the American Revolution was fired in Concord, and the Industrial Revolution was fueled by the mill towns and cities along the Merrimack River — both of which, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan pointed… Read more »

Congressional quintet celebrate more than $20 million in federal funding for Massachusetts community projects By: Shane Rhodes U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan, Jim McGovern and Richard Neal are touting successful efforts to secure federal funding for a number of community-based projects across the state in December’s end-of-year omnibus… Read more »

New Devens fusion center to host US energy secretary By: Chris Lisinski  THE TOP ENERGY official in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet plans to visit Massachusetts on Friday to celebrate the opening of a new commercial fusion energy research center. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm plans to join elected officials and state policy leaders at a ribbon-cutting event in Devens,… Read more »

Twitter's new data access rules will make research harder By: Huo Jingan  Much of what we know about social media discourse is thanks to Twitter's longtime policy of allowing free access to its data. That has made Twitter data a treasure trove for researchers eager to study online behavior, including how falsehoods and conspiracy theories circulate. Kate Starbird remembers how… Read more »

Trahan spotlights over $1.1 million for COVID-19 food pantry By: Mike LaBella  LAWRENCE — Congresswoman Lori Trahan announced that $1,127,637 in federal funding is headed to Lawrence as reimbursement for the city’s program that provided food and meals to individuals in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded this funding through its Public… Read more »

Twitter curbs researcher access, sparking backlash in Washington By: Cristiano Lima  Twitter’s decision to restrict access to a key tool used to study the platform is sparking backlash from researchers and Democratic lawmakers, who say the move undercuts owner Elon Musk’s pledges to boost transparency at the social network.  On Thursday, Twitter announced that it will… Read more »

Lori Trahan receives two House leadership appointments By: Jacob Vitali  With her third term underway, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan is taking on two new responsibilities as a member of the House Democratic Caucus. Tuesday, Trahan shared the news she had joined House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, of Revere, as a senior member of her whip team. Clark previously held the position in… Read more »

Twitter research group stall complicates compliance with new EU law By: Sheila Dang  Jan 27 (Reuters) - The stalling of a Twitter program that was critical for outside researchers studying disinformation campaigns throws into question the company's strategy to comply with upcoming regulation in Europe, former employees and experts told Reuters. The European Union's new Digital… Read more »

Lori Trahan named co-chair of Congressional Cambodia Caucus By: Melanie Gilbert  LOWELL — In an exciting development for the 3rd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan was named co-chair of the Congressional Cambodia Caucus. Trahan, who was re-elected to her third term in November, has been a member of the bipartisan caucus since she was first sworn in as a representative… Read more »

Massachusetts Democrats press J&J for more info on children’s medicine shortage: ‘Key questions remain' By: Lauren Sforza  Massachusetts Democrats sent a second letter to Johnson & Johnson’s CEO on Thursday to once again demand more information on the shortages of children’s Tylenol and Motrin. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Democrat Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Katherine… Read more »