“We are thrilled to award grants to this latest group of nonprofit organizations. Together, these organizations will pay almost $275,000 less in electricity costs each year, providing more financial resources for their important missions.
— Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony announcing a $2.4 million grant that will help ten nonprofit organizations install rooftop solar systems that will reduce each organization’s electricity costs by between 70 and 100 percent, resulting in more resources for the nonprofits’ critical work. Continue reading THIS WEEK’S QUOTABLE QUOTES ON BEACON HILL→
Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced a settlement agreement with two food provision companies for violating Massachusetts’s Animal Cruelty Prevention Law. The agreement resolves allegations that the companies misled Massachusetts consumers and unfairly competed in the marketplace by selling products derived from farm animals confined in a cruel and unlawful manner.
A proposed law that would require companies to make it easier to cancel subscriptions was included in Gov. Healey’s version and the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2027 state budget, but the House did not include it in their version. The conference committee that hammered out a compromise version of the budget chose not to include the requirement in its version which was approved by the House and Senate and sent to Gov. Healey. The proposed law would have required that methods of canceling a subscription are as simple as the methods of signing up for that one. The idea has gathered support as many entertainment options shift into monthly subscription models, leaving individuals to manage a portfolio of differing payment cycles. Continue reading MAKE IT EASIER TO CANCEL SUBSCRIPTIONS→
A proposed regulation filed by Gov. Healey and the Department of Public Health (DPH) would prohibit licensed health care providers and debt collectors working on their behalf from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus. Supporters said this will help protect patients from long-term financial harm after an unexpected illness or medical emergency. Continue reading BAN MEDICAL DEBT FROM BEING REPORTED TO CONSUMER CREDIT AGENCIES→
The House gave initial approval to a measure, already approved by the Senate on June 23, that would strike outdated language from state laws that refer to people who are deaf or hard of hearing as being “hearing impaired.” The legislation replaces the term “hearing impaired” with the phrase “deaf or hard of hearing.” Continue reading CHANGE “HEARING IMPAIRED” TO “DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING” (S 3142)→
Senate 19-20, barely rejected an amendment that supporters said would end ratepayer-backed subsidies for new gas line extension allowances. They noted that the current system allows utilities to distort the market and undermine competition by charging ratepayers for costly new gas connection infrastructure, which ratepayers pay for decades in their utility bills. They argued that ending these subsidies will help reduce costs for ratepayers while allowing lower-cost clean energy alternatives to compete on a level playing field, including electrifying the grid in new neighborhoods, and the use of heat pumps and solar panels in homes. Continue reading GAS LINE EXTENSIONS (S 3143)→
Senate 35-4, approved an amendment that would remove woody biomass as an eligible fuel under the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard for Massachusetts municipal light plants. Supporters explained that while biomass was removed from the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard in 2022 because it is not considered clean energy, it remained eligible under a separate section of state law governing municipal light plants. They said the amendment would close that inconsistency by ensuring public clean energy standards are aligned with current science and Massachusetts climate policy, preventing municipal light plants from counting electricity generated by burning woody biomass toward their greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Continue reading BIOMASS (S 3143)→
Senate 32-8, approved legislation that supporters said would save people money; repair the climate; grow the economy; tackle rising energy costs head-on by cutting unnecessary fees; even out price spikes that hit households during high-demand months; crack down on predatory sales practices by energy suppliers and steer the state away from expensive infrastructure projects that don’t deliver value for ratepayers. Continue reading ENERGY COSTS (S 3143)→
Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters say would improve how public spaces are illuminated and would help protect public health and safety; reduce energy consumption; safeguard wildlife and ecosystems; and lower long-term costs for municipalities. Continue reading ILLUMINATING PUBLIC SPACES (S 3145)→
House 149-0, approved a bill requiring more frequent public reporting of fundraising and spending by groups supporting or opposing ballot questions. Under the bill, ballot question committees would be required to provide monthly reports on their finances. After September of that year, campaigns would have to file biweekly reports until Election Day. The bill would hold ballot question campaigns to the same standard of disclosure already followed by candidates for office. Currently, ballot committees don’t have to report on their finances between Jan. 20 and September. Continue reading REQUIRE MORE PUBLIC DISCLOSURES OF FUNDRAISING AND SPENDING BY BALLOT QUESTION GROUPS (H 5549)→
House 139-0, approved a bill that would ban the use of DEHP, a toxic chemical which is commonly added to plastic intravenous bags and tubing and linked to breast, liver, lung and testicular cancer. Many IV bags currently contain DEHP, which is added to improve the plastic’s flexibility but can pose serious health dangers to patients. The measure also prevents manufacturers from replacing DEHP with similar ortho-phthalates and encourages the transition to safer alternatives while preserving limited exemptions for specialized blood collection and cell therapy products. Continue reading TOXIC MEDICAL DEVICES (H 5550)→
House 142-6, Senate 39-1, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a $63.4 billion fiscal 2027 conference committee version of a state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2026. The House and Senate had approved different versions of the budget and a conference committee hammered out this compromise version. The price tag is 4 percent higher than last year’s package. Continue reading $63.4 BILLION FISCAL 2027 STATE BUDGET (H 5555)→
Obituary
Charles B. McAveeney Jr., age 78, passed away on July 1, 2026. Born in Malden, he was the beloved son of the late Arlene (Syda) McAveeney and Charles B. McAveeney.
Obituary
Jean Robert “Pablo” Exilus, passed away in the Dominican Republic on June 16, 2026, he was 74. Jean was married to the late Ninie Exilus. He was the father of Tamara Exilus and Jeffrey Exilus, and the proud grandfather of Serena, Xavier, and Jeffrey Exilus Jr. He leaves behind many other loving family members and friends. Continue reading Somerville/Medford Remembering Jean Robert “Pablo” Exilus→
Free, accessible events throughout July will celebrate disability pride, community, advocacy, and belonging
SOMERVILLE—All community members are invited to celebrate Disability Pride Month in Somerville this July with free, accessible events for all ages starting on Wednesday, July 8. Join the annual Disability Pride Flag Raising on July 9, take part in a family-friendly celebration at the library, attend a commission meeting, or stop by the commission’s table at ArtBeat for free books, crafts, and information. Continue reading Somerville Celebrates Disability Pride Month with Flag Raising, Family Celebration, ArtBeat Activities→
Somerville's & Medford’s #1 Local News Source
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COPYRIGHT
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APPLICABLE LAW
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PRICING INFORMATION
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FRAUD PROTECTION PROGRAM
As part of our order processing procedures, we screen all received orders for fraud or other types of unauthorized or illegal activity. We reserve the right to refuse to process any order due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity. If such is the case, we may reject your order or our Customer Service department may call you at the phone number you provided to confirm your order. We also reserve the right to cancel any account or refuse to ship to certain addresses due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity. We take these measures to protect our customers as well as ourselves from fraud or other unauthorized or illegal activity.
COMMENTS, FEEDBACK AND OTHER SUBMISSIONS
Mass Publishing Inc. welcomes your comments and feedback regarding this Web site, and Mass Publishing Inc. products and services. Any information, materials, suggestions, ideas or comments sent to Mass Publishing Inc. will not be treated as confidential, proprietary or trade secret information and, by submitting such information, you are granting Mass Publishing Inc. an irrevocable and unrestricted license to use, modify, reproduce, transmit, display and distribute such information for any purpose whatsoever.
If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, or the content or practices of our website, you can contact Mass Publishing Inc. directly at: Wmtauro@aol.com
WHAT OUR PRIVACY POLICY COVERS
· What our Privacy Policy Covers
· What Personal Information is Collected
· How We Protect Your Information
· How We Use Your Personal Information
· Who Views Your Personal Information
· Making a Purchase
· Children Under 13
· Website Cookies
· Questions About This Policy
WHAT OUR PRIVACY POLICY COVERS
Thank you for visiting our site. We are committed to protecting your privacy.
This Privacy Policy covers any personal information that we obtain from you when you use services on our site. This policy does not cover the practices of companies that we do not own or control, or the actions of people that we do not employ or manage.
Our Privacy Policy may change in the future. We invite you to check back periodically to see if we have made any changes.
By using this site, you agree to the terms of our policy. For more information about the terms of use for this site, please visit our legal page.
WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION IS COLLECTED
Depending on how you use our site, we may ask you to share personal information with us. Whether you choose to give us this information is completely up to you, but keep in mind that if you withhold information, you may not be able to use some of our services.
We will ask you for information, including some personal information, when you Make a purchase. When you buy something on this site, you have to supply a billing address, phone number, shipping address, and credit card information.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
We realize that our customers trust us to protect their personal information. We take that task seriously. We never display your full credit card number once it has been entered. We urge you to protect your own privacy. We recommend that you do not share your password with anyone or share your password in an unsolicited phone call or e-mail.
Unfortunately, despite all of our efforts, there is always a risk that third parties may unlawfully intercept transmissions. This reality is true of all Internet use. As a result, we cannot ensure the security of any information you transmit, and you transmit all information at your own risk.
HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect personal information primarily to make our services more rewarding for you to use. We usually use this information for internal purposes, such as studying our customers' preferences. We may also use your information to contact you for account and promotional purposes.
WHO VIEWS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We may share your personal information with companies that perform services for us, such as delivering packages, sending postal mail and e-mails, processing credit card payments, investigating fraudulent activity, and providing customer service. They have access to personal information needed to perform their functions, but may not disclose your personally identifiable information for other purposes. Some personal information is stored on servers owned by other companies. Only our personel and our websites have the right to access this information. We do not currently sell or license personal information and have no plans to do so. Your personal information will only be used by this site.
At this time, we do not share any personal information with marketing affiliates. It is unlikely that this policy will change in the future. If we do decide to share information with our affiliates, we will post a notice in this Privacy Policy.
MAKING A PURCHASE
When you buy something on this site, you have to supply a billing address, phone number, shipping address, and credit card information. By making a purchase, you become a registered user. You can choose to store information needed to make a purchase, such as your shipping and billing addresses in the My Account — Profile page. Your credit card information is NEVER stored in our databases and is used only for the duration of the purchase transaction. This data is always transmitted securely to the merchant bank and immediately erased from our systems.
CHILDREN UNDER 13
Our site is not designed for children. We do not wish to collect personal information from children under 13. This policy is designed to protect children. Federal law requires us to take special steps to safeguard children's privacy. If you register with us and we discover that you are under 13, we will delete your registration. We will send you a message if we do this. If you are under 13 and want to make a purchase, please ask a parent to place the order for you.
WEBSITE COOKIES
We collect some anonymous information about how you use the site by setting and accessing cookies on your computer. These cookies track information such as how often you visit our web site, what pages you view, and where you go after you leave the site. The cookies track your computer, not you. They are not connected to any personal information about you.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS POLICY
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or the content or practices of our website, you can contact us directly at:
Mass Publishing Inc. wmtauro@aol.com
Terms & Conditions/ Cancellation/return policy:If unsatisfied with subscription
7 day money back cancellation return policy on monthly subscriptions.
30 day money back cancellation return policy on yearly subscriptions.
Contact Email: Somervillenewsweekly@yahoo.com
