In the News

Trahan bill seeks to improve gas safety BOSTON — Private citizens would be empowered to file lawsuits against federal regulators if they fail to enforce natural gas regulations under a new proposal filed by Congresswoman Lori Trahan, which would set stringent new rules aimed at improving pipeline safety. The Pipeline Accountability, Safety, and Environmental Standards Act, filed… Read more »

Working toward a new model for emergency care AT BOSTON HOSPITALS, demand for the emergency department often exceeds capacity, resulting in longer wait times and overcrowding. Other emergency departments around the nation are also experiencing similar scenarios—and the problem is magnified in essential health systems that deliver care for underserved populations from historically… Read more »

Title IX will apply to college athlete revenue share, feds say An official for the U.S. Department of Education, the federal enforcer of gender equity in sports, said Title IX rules will apply to future revenue dollars that schools share with college athletes, but the department declined to offer guidance on how schools should distribute the money between men and women to comply with… Read more »

Mass General Brigham joins LINC project LOWELL — UMass Lowell and Mass General Brigham announced a collaboration to advance human performance research through the auspices of the groundbreaking Lowell Innovation Network Corridor project. “We’re excited to welcome Mass General Brigham to Lowell,” UMass Chancellor Julie Chen said in a statement released July 9. “We’re well on… Read more »

Mass. pols outraged by Trump immunity case ruling BOSTON — Members of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation are blasting the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that Donald Trump may claim immunity from criminal prosecution for some of the actions the Republican took in the final days of his presidency. The high court’s historic 6-3 ruling on Monday held that there’s “no… Read more »

Scoop: House GOP brawls over “absurd, moronic” anti-IVF push House Republicans are at each other's throats over a right-wing hardliner's repeated efforts to restrict funding for in vitro fertilization services. Why it matters: Most Republicans have strained to put their pro-IVF politics on display, with two GOP lawmakers planning to introduce a bill aimed… Read more »

Behavioral health unit for children opens in Fitchburg FITCHBURG — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan on Wednesday celebrated the opening of a new children’s mental health center– the Community Health Connections Children’s Behavioral Health Center – for which she secured $2.5 million in funding. “This is an easy thing for me because I’m a mom,” Trahan said. “Everything I do in Washington is… Read more »

State leaders press for migrant funding BOSTON — Members of the state's congressional delegation are calling on the Biden administration to provide more funding to help cover mounting migrant costs. In a letter to Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Reps. Seth Moulton and Lori Trahan are among lawmakers calling for approval of the Healey… Read more »

Editorial: Federal dollars help return region’s toxic sites to productive use Old mill cities like Lowell often must live with unpleasant remnants of their industrial past, primarily toxins contained in the chemicals used in the manufacturing process. But thanks mainly due to the cleanup efforts of one federal agency and Congress, these contaminants have systematically been removed… Read more »

Bill seeking to block college athletes from employee status advances to House of Representatives After years of extensive lobbying efforts by the NCAA and its stakeholders on Capitol Hill, a bill focused on the future of college athletics has finally advanced to the House of Representatives. The House Committee on Education and the Work Force voted Thursday to… Read more »