In the News

Democrats fear Musk may retaliate against Twitter researchers By: Cristiano Lima Democratic lawmakers and academics are calling on Elon Musk to commit to keeping Twitter data open to outside researchers, citing concerns that his cuts to key teams and firings of critics could foreshadow broader crackdowns against external scrutiny.  Two House Democrats… Read more »

Suicides Spur Suits on Amazon Sales of Legal-But-Lethal Compound By: Kaustuv Basu Like a lot of 17-year-olds, Tyler Muhleman wasn’t keen on going out to dinner with his parents. They thought nothing of it when Tyler stayed back in the house. When they returned two hours later with Tyler’s takeout, they called out for him. No answer. They found Tyler unconscious, his body blocking the… Read more »

Trahan blames GOP “extremism” for midterm losses By: Matt Murphy Even before Georgia voters decide a runoff election for U.S. Senate, Democrats ensured that they would retain control of that chamber in the new Congress after the Nevada Senate contest was called over the weekend for Catherine Cortez Masto. Now the focus shifts to the House, where Democrats have a… Read more »

Musk’s Twitter shake-up could deliver a critical blow to social media research By: Zeve Sanderson, Jonathan Nagler and Joshua A. Tucker In just one week, billionaire Elon Musk has made his mark as the new head of Twitter.  He’s announced several product changes, including charging users $8 to be verified on the platform, reviving the short-form video product Vine,… Read more »

Chelmsford Vietnam veteran honored with Purple Heart over 50 years after service By: Cameron Morsberger CHELMSFORD — While Frederick Thumith was deployed in Vietnam, the unthinkable happened: He was ambushed. While conducting a minesweep operation, the U.S. Army veteran’s convoy was struck by a mine, throwing him out of the truck. Enemy troops fired at him and his team, but Thumith… Read more »

Lori Trahan delivers $5 million to Lowell Health Center to support refugees, HIV testing By: Melanie Gilbert LOWELL — Two major grants totaling nearly $5 million in federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services were awarded to the Lowell Community Health Center during an event attended by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan on Thursday. The congresswoman has been on a… Read more »

Trahan, state leaders highlight ARPA funding for Hudson plant By: Caroline Gordon HUDSON – U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, state Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and state Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) toured Hudson’s Chestnut Street PFAS treatment system on Oct. 11 to highlight $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which will be used to upgrade the plant’s PFAS remediation… Read more »

Bill Outlawing Online Suicide Assistance Would Open Sites to Liability By: Gabriel J.X. Dance and Megan Twohey Lawmakers are seeking to make online assistance of suicide a federal crime, pushing to hold accountable both individual users and the tech companies and websites that allow such content on their platforms. A bipartisan bill introduced in the House of… Read more »

Mass. to get $160M in federal fuel assistance By: Christian M. Wade BOSTON — The state is getting more fuel assistance from the federal government to help low-income residents heat their homes this winter, when energy costs are expected to skyrocket. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it is providing $4.5 billion in assistance for home… Read more »

UMass Lowell lab receives $2.5 million for water-testing pilot By: Melanie Gilbert LOWELL — The mighty Merrimack River, a major source of Greater Lowell’s drinking water, historically has been one of the most polluted waterways in the nation, even as it quenches the daily thirst of nearly 600,000 people. Continuing to improve the region’s water quality and safety is a goal of… Read more »