CHARLIE BAKER

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a bill into law enshrining existing protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers on Tuesday, marking a rare occurrence of a Republican governor approving measures that are part of Democrats’ vow to make the western swing state an abortion safe haven.

A congressional hearing targeting what one lawmaker called “NIL chaos” in college sports drifted into the consequences of college athletes being deemed employees.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is starting his new job as president of the NCAA this week.

At the NCAA convention, outgoing President Mark Emmert said goodbye, incoming President Charlie Baker introduced himself and the state of college sports was declared unstable.

Maura Healey was sworn in as the first woman and first open member of the LGBTQ community to be elected Massachusetts governor.

Charlie Baker, the next leader of the largest college sports governing body in the country, is stepping into a hornet’s nest of a job that will likely tap every political skill in his bag.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA, replacing Mark Emmert as the head of the largest college sports governing body in the country.

A Massachusetts Statehouse panel is weighing whether to approve Gov. Charlie Baker’s recommended pardons of two individuals at the center of one the nation’s most high-profile sexual abuse trials of the 1980s.

Renewed allegations of racism at Buckingham Palace threatened to overshadow Prince William’s trip to the United States after campaigners said the palace needed to acknowledge that the latest incident was part of a wider problem.

Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey has been elected governor of Massachusetts, making history as the nation’s first openly lesbian governor and the state’s first woman and openly gay candidate elected to the office.

In liberal Rhode Island, Republican Allan Fung stands a chance of flipping a U.S. House seat and possibly helping his party gain control of the chamber.

A “swift-footed lizard” that lived millions of years ago in what's now Massachusetts has been named the state’s official dinosaur.

Florida documents show officials began planning to transport migrants to other states in July and told potential contractors their task would be to relocate them on a voluntary basis.

The Massachusetts' governor's office says the last of dozens of migrants shipped to Martha’s Vineyard last month are set to depart temporary shelter at a military base on Cape Cod for transitional housing by the end of the weekend.

Venezuelans have surpassed Guatemalans and Hondurans to become the second-largest nationality stopped at the U.S. border in August after Mexicans.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the playbook of a fellow Republican, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, to a new level by catching officials flat-footed in Martha's Vineyard with two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants.

Republican governors are escalating their practice of sending migrants without advance warning to Democratic strongholds, including a wealthy summer enclave in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.

A former state representative endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Geoff Diehl, has won the Republican nomination for Massachusetts governor over a businessman, Chris Doughty, who was considered the more moderate candidate in the race.

Republicans hoping to hold on to the Massachusetts governor’s office are choosing between a Donald Trump-backed candidate and a moderate businessman in Tuesday’s primary election.

New York City will begin posting signs proclaiming the iconic tourist destination Times Square as a “Gun Free Zone.”.

Republicans have found success in Democratic strongholds such as Maryland and Massachusetts when they have fielded moderate candidates who could appeal to voters in both parties.

For Boston subway riders, it seems every week brings a new tale of transit woe.

When the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a right to abortion, it sparked legal changes and court challenges in states nationwide.

A federal court has allowed Tennessee to ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

The fall of Roe v. Wade shifted the battleground over abortion to courthouses around the country, as abortion foes looked to quickly enact statewide bans and the other side sought to buy more time.

The Supreme Court's decision to end the constitutional right to abortion likely will lead to legal battles as already divided states grapple with the new landscape of abortion access.

Bobby Portis made a putback off Giannis Antetokounmpo’s missed free throw with 15 seconds left, Jrue Holiday snuffed Marcus Smart on Boston’s final two possessions and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Celtics 110-107 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 series lead.

When she was elected mayor of Boston in November, Michelle Wu transformed the image of the city’s chief executive.

A winter storm in the eastern U.S. has snarled travel and given hundreds of school districts struggling amid a surge in coronavirus cases an excuse to shut down for a respite.

An expected decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming year to severely restrict abortion rights or overturn Roe v.

U.S. health officials say that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading in the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker says he won’t seek a third term as governor of Massachusetts.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has signed an ordinance designed to divest the city from fossil fuels.

Michelle Wu has been sworn in as Boston’s first woman and first person of color elected mayor in the city’s history.

President Joe Biden’s most aggressive move yet to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is almost ready to see the light of day.

In a story published September 27, 2021, about vaccine mandates for health care workers, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Dr. Jeff Smith was the CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Henri is now a hurricane.

Republicans are facing tough odds of ousting liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election in heavily Democratic California.

California Republicans see a chance of ousting embattled Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a September recall election.

Lebanon has vaccinated a daily record of people against COVID-19, raising the total number of shots administered around the country against the virus to more than 1 million.

With COVID-19 cases declining and vaccinations increasing, governors across the U.S. are wrestling with decisions about when to declare an end to the emergency declarations they have issued and reissued throughout the pandemic.

Washington is the latest state to offer prizes to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with Gov. Jay Inslee announcing a series of giveaways during the month of June that include lottery drawings totaling $2 million, college tuition assistance, airline tickets and game systems.

The German government is following up on media reports that some coronavirus testing centers have overbilled authorities for the number of tests taken.

More cities and states are shrugging off lingering COVID-19 restrictions as vaccination rates rise and the number of infections falls.

A number of states have embraced new federal guidelines that say fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or out in most situations.

President Joe Biden is highlighting new programs from ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft to provide free rides to and from vaccination sites as the pace of vaccination shots nationally declines.

Nations around the world are setting new records for COVID-19 deaths and coronavirus infections, and the disease is surging even in some countries that have kept the virus in check.

Eric Holcomb received his COVID-19 vaccine shot Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the opening of the state’s first mass vaccination clinic. Holcomb wore a face mask in the front passenger seat of an SUV while getting the shot of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the drive-through clinic. Ad___TORONTO — Canada is getting a fourth vaccine to prevent COVID-19, approving the Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose. Canada has pre-purchased 10 million Johnson & Johnson doses, with options to buy another 28 million. The U.S. approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last month.

Giving the vaccine to teachers and other school staff “will help protect our communities," Pennsylvania Gov. The Department of Health and Human Services has ordered all states to make teachers, school staff, bus drivers and child care workers eligible for shots. In Wisconsin, teachers will get priority when the state receives its first shipment of about 48,000 doses of the J&J vaccine, health authorities said. In Texas, where teachers have been battling to gain access to shots, state officials on Wednesday ordered vaccine providers to begin administering shots to school workers. “The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the faster we can return to a sense of normalcy,” Michigan Gov.

Employees with the McKesson Corporation scan a box of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while filling an order at their shipping facility in Shepherdsville, Ky., Monday, March 1, 2021. AdThe push to reopen comes as COVID-19 vaccine shipments to the states are ramping up. Johnson & Johnson shipped out nearly 4 million doses of its newly authorized, one-shot COVID-19 vaccine Sunday night to be delivered to states for use starting on Tuesday. The company will deliver about 16 million more doses by the end of March and a total of 100 million by the end of June. White House vaccination coordinator Jeff Zients also acknowledged that scheduling of vaccination appointments “ remains too difficult in too many places."

The Justice Department said Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 it will appeal a judges ruling that found the federal governments eviction moratorium was unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)WASHINGTON – The Justice Department said Saturday it will appeal a judge’s ruling that found the federal government’s eviction moratorium was unconstitutional. “The CDC’s eviction moratorium, which Congress extended last December, protects many renters who cannot make their monthly payments due to job loss or health care expenses," he said. “By preventing people from becoming homeless or having to move into more-crowded housing, the moratorium helps to slow the spread of COVID-19.”AdThe CDC eviction moratorium was signed in September by President Donald Trump and extended by President Joe Biden until March 31. “The federal government cannot say that it has ever before invoked its power over interstate commerce to impose a residential eviction moratorium,” Barker wrote.

People line up for vaccines at a clinic in Central Falls, R.I., Saturday Feb. 20, 2021. Nearly a third of adults in the city have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to state data. Like Central Falls, it’s a tiny former industrial city that is overwhelmingly Latino. But the two cities’ fortunes could not be more different during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. And the vaccine rollout hasn’t been all smooth sailing in Central Falls.

(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)ALBANY, N.Y. – At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, two Democratic governors on opposite ends of the country were hailed as heroes for their leadership in a crisis. The COVID-19 virus has been an especially painful illustration of that point. “New York and California are under a magnifying glass,” said Jared Leopold, former spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association. First, the state’s Democratic attorney general chastised the Cuomo administration for minimizing the death toll at nursing homes by excluding certain fatalities from the count. “Any of these Democratic governors are going to come off these initial highs they got that were better than Republican governors,” Stutzman, a Republican, argued.

He went on to say that by the end of July his administration can deliver 600 million doses for Americans. But “it's one thing to have a vaccine available, the problem was how to get to people's arms.”The Pfizer plant Biden toured, near Kalamazoo, produces one of the two federally approved COVID-19 shots. "I would’ve gotten there some way.”AdWhite House adviser Slavitt said the 6 million doses delayed won’t spoil and the vaccine is “safe and sound” under refrigeration. Slavitt said about 1.4 million doses were being shipped Friday as the work of clearing the backlog begins. The Virginia Department of Health reported that it was expecting delays on about 90% of its expected 120,000 doses this week and warned that delays could cascade into next week.

Making decisions about risks large or small in the pandemic era is fraught enough. But the storms and outages ravaging Texas and other states have added a whole new layer to the process. But the storms and outages that have hit a big swath of the U.S. over the past several days have added a whole new layer of complexity. They’re taking precautions while there, she said, including wearing two face masks each and keeping their distance from other people. Under normal circumstances, the family could stay with neighbors or family, but the pandemic has made that harder.

Coronavirus vaccination sites across the Northeastern U.S. are getting back up and running after a two-day snowstorm that also shut down public transport, closed schools and canceled flights. Some vaccination sites in New York City remained closed, but others, including those run by the public hospital system, were open Tuesday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Coronavirus vaccination sites across the Northeast ramped back up Tuesday after a two-day snowstorm that also shut down public transport, closed schools and stranded travelers with canceled flights. Some vaccination sites in the city remained closed, but others, including those run by the public hospital system, were open Tuesday. Tom Wolf declared a disaster emergency after snowfall of up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) throughout central and eastern regions.

The winter weather prompted school districts to cancel in-person learning on Monday, and many COVID-19 vaccination sites were closed and rescheduling appointments. As much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow was predicted to fall in areas throughout the day Monday and overnight. 11:30 a.m.BOSTON — The second phase of Massachusetts’ coronavirus vaccine rollout is being disrupted by a winter storm that’s causing schedule changes and at least one vaccination location to shutdown. A winter storm warning remained in effect until Tuesday for much of the state. Most of the state remained under winter storm warnings or winter weather advisories that were expected to remain in effect through Tuesday morning.

(Peter Meecham/New Zealand Herald via AP)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Travelers returning to New Zealand will face stricter rules at quarantine hotels as health authorities investigate how up to three people got infected with the coronavirus while isolating at Auckland’s Pullman Hotel. The record increase of 65 deaths is three more than the previous one-day record reported on Jan. 6, according to health department records. The university and county health department are asking students to limit leaving their residence to going to classes, getting food, work and other necessary in-person activities. The health department said in the news release that if the case counts continues to rise, stricter measures will have to be applied. The previous one-day record of 62 was reported Jan. 6, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

But if the U.S. Capitol — a shining symbol of democracy with a dedicated police force— can be overrun by a violent mob, could state capitols be next? Protesters in Idaho temporarily derailed a special legislative session last August. In Oregon, where Trump supporters burned a life-size puppet of Democratic Gov. “Pretty sure more #txlege members are going to start carrying inside the Capitol,” Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweeted Thursday, a day after the Capitol grounds were abruptly shuttered as hundreds of Trump supporters demonstrated outside without any reported incidents. Mike Parson is planning for more than a thousand guests to gather Monday on the lawn of the state Capitol for his inaugural ceremony.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)NEW YORK – The latest developments on the winter storm moving across the Northeast (all times local):7:45 p.m.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday he is banning tractor trailer and tandem trailers from all limited access highways, beginning at 9 p.m. due to the severe winter snow storm. ___2 p.m.PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island has closed all state-run coronavirus testing sites as the region braces for a major winter storm. A winter storm warning has been issued for Providence and Kent counties from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 1 p.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, New Jersey is poised to restrict commercial traffic from some highways because of the impending snow storm.

Expanded unemployment benefits will cease by the end of the year, reducing much-needed income for as many as 12 million Americans. And millions of Americans are at risk of running out of benefits when two key federal pandemic relief programs expire. All states enabled extended benefits during the pandemic, but some have since ceased them because of an improvement in employment. Anyone who has exhausted their traditional state benefits should ask their state employment agency if extended benefits are available. The nonpartisan think tank estimates that 2.9 million of those running out of PEUC will be able to collect extended benefits in 2021.

As of Sunday, California has had nearly 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 19,000 deaths since the pandemic began. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:—Fauci: US may see ‘surge upon surge’ of virus in coming weeks—U.K. ___ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities announced 1,193 new coronavirus cases Sunday, a significantly lower daily figure than recently. Of the 115 infections reported Sunday, 24 were untraceable. South Korea on Thursday registered more than 500 new virus cases for the first time in eight months.

Pete Ricketts warned that he could impose tighter social-distancing restrictions before Thanksgiving if hospitalizations continue to rise. In Washington state, elective procedures such as joint and heart valve replacements and some cancer surgeries could be postponed to make room for coronavirus patients, said Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer. Even so, health officials are trying everything they can to slow the spread and address an even worse surge that many say is inevitable. New York Gov. New York state has averaged nearly 5,500 new cases per day over the past seven days.

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2020, file photo, a worker wearing gloves, and other PPE holds a tablet computer as he waits to check people at a King County coronavirus testing site in Auburn, Wash., south of Seattle. The latest surge in U.S. coronavirus cases appears to be larger and more widespread than the two previous ones, and it is all but certain to get worse. But experts say there are also reasons to think the nation is better able to deal with the virus this time around. Several states posted records Tuesday, including over 12,600 new cases in Illinois, 10,800 in Texas and 7,000 in Wisconsin. Governors made increasingly desperate pleas for people to take the fight against the virus more seriously.

Newly confirmed infections per day are rising in 47 states, and deaths are up in 34. Health experts had warned that it was only a matter of time before deaths turned upward, given the record-breaking surge in cases engulfing the country. Deaths are a lagging indicator — that is, it generally takes a few weeks for people to sicken and die from the coronavirus. The virus is blamed for more than 8.6 million confirmed infections and over 225,000 deaths in the U.S., the highest such totals in the world. Deaths are still well below the U.S. peak of over 2,200 per day in late April.

Jake Auchincloss has won a packed primary to become the Democratic nominee in the race to fill the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Joe Kennedy III in Massachusetts. Nearly 1 million voters, skittish over the coronavirus pandemic, used the mail option for Tuesdays primary. He was elected to the Newton City Council in 2015. Kennedy opted not to seek reelection so he could challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey in the Senate Democratic primary, but lost that bid Tuesday, becoming the first member of the Kennedy political dynasty to lose a congressional race in Massachusetts. The few other members of Massachusetts all-Democratic congressional delegation who had faced primary opponents Reps. Richard Neal, Stephen Lynch and Seth Moulton all breezed through Tuesdays runoff.

NEW YORK – The Latest on a wintry storm in the U.S. East (all times local):9:10 p.m.A bus carrying about 30 people collided with a tractor-trailer on an upstate New York highway during a snowstorm. New York State Police have responded to more than 740 storm-related crashes statewide and assisted more than 550 disabled vehicles. Dozens of school districts in upstate New York were closed Monday, along with several State University of New York campuses and other colleges. Many buses from New York City to Pennsylvania and upstate destinations such as Ithaca and Binghamton were canceled. The nor’easter is expected to drop 10 to 20 inches of snow by Tuesday morning from Pennsylvania to Maine.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said city schools were canceling classes and afterschool activities Tuesday. At least four counties closed schools Monday in West Virginia, where 2 inches to a foot of snow was forecast. Only 3 inches of snow was forecast for New York City, where schools were expected to remain open, and 5 inches for Philadelphia. Communities north of Boston could see a foot in the storm expected to reach its peak Tuesday morning, snarling the morning commute. Rowe in western Massachusetts received 16 inches of snow from the storm that started Sunday night.