Chamber News

Boston Herald – The push is on to relax the outdoor mask mandate. But Gov. Charlie Baker wouldn’t commit to any time frame as more people get the coronavirus vaccine. When people are not crowded outside, there is “barely any risk at all” to contracting COVID-19, epidemiologists say. But under the Bay State mask mandate, people…

Boston.com – President Joe Biden is planning to unveil a new bill next week to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in childcare, paid leave, and education. According to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Katherine Clark, it needs to include more money for childcare. The two Massachusetts Democrats led a letter Friday urging Biden to include “at least…

Boston Herald – House lawmakers on Monday are set to open debate on a $47.6 billion proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The House’s fiscal year 2022 budget avoids any new broad-based taxes while also avoiding service cuts. To square a nearly $1.2 billion boost in spending, lawmakers have proposed drawing $1.9 billion from the…

MassLive – Baker administration officials and lawmakers are working with the federal government to address the jump in unemployment insurance taxes stemming from the state’s historic number of jobless claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asked about the jump in UI taxes, Gov. Charlie Baker said state and legislative officials are in contact with the federal government…

GERMANY – NOV, 10, 2020: Covid vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was found to be effective in preventing 90 percent of Covid-19 Coronavirus infections Barnstable County is transitioning to the new, state-run vaccine pre-registration system, called Color.Here’s what you need to know:In order to get a first-dose vaccine appointment at one of our…

Boston Herald – State economists are telling taxpayers to keep an eye on the state budget — and the rainy-day fund — as tens of billions in federal aid and tax collections beyond expectations flow into Massachusetts. A Tuesday memo from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation points out that “much has changed” in the 10 weeks since…

Boston Globe Editorial Board – A traveler shows up at an airline gate, claiming that she’s been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and thus can fly safely to a country that requires that visitors be inoculated. How, exactly, can an airline — or hotel, or any number of other businesses that need to worry about the vaccination…

WWLP – Summer school is still on this year despite a slight rise in COVID-19 cases across the state. Governor Charlie Baker still believes that summer school is vitally important, especially after many students were out of the classroom for the past year. The Baker Administration expects to put in tremendous efforts to keep schools open…

BOSTON  –  The pandemic has caused major changes in employment, transportation, childcare and myriad other areas. On Beacon Hill, policymakers are trying to decide how the state should prepare for a post-pandemic world. On Tuesday, members of the Senate’s newly created Committee on Reimagining Massachusetts Post-Pandemic Resiliency huddled for the first time – virtually– to…

US Treasury – The current public health crisis and resulting economic crisis have devastated the health and economic wellbeing of millions of Americans. From big cities to small towns, Americans – particularly people of color, immigrants, and low-wage workers – are facing a deep economic crisis. More than 9.5 million workers have lost their jobs in…