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Monday, March 18, 2024

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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

MA: Criminal Justice

The Jan. 6 Committee's final report revealed members of the Oath Keepers and other Trump allies stockpiled weapons near Washington, D.C., as they waited for the former president to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the military for domestic law enforcement. (Adobe Stock)<br />
Social media's 'networked incitement' the latest challenge to democracy

The use of social media to organize the Jan. 6 insurrection marked a turning point in American political protest, according to a leading media and …

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An analysis of eight U.S. cities found that between 21% and 38% of 911 calls are related to mental health, substance use, homelessness and other quality-of-life concerns, all matters advocates said could be better addressed by people other than police. (Adobe Stock)
MA Considers Unarmed Response Units for Mental Health 911 Calls

Community groups in Massachusetts are calling for an end to armed police response to mental health-related 911 calls. The majority of calls are for …

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Researchers say access to driver's licenses helps ensure the health of immigrants and other communities. California, for example, saw an 18% increase in registered organ donors the year it started licensing drivers without status. (Adobe Stock)
Undocumented Immigrants in MA Allowed License to Drive

Undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts are now able to apply for a driver's license regardless of their immigration status. The Work and Family …

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Democratic lawmakers are calling for term limits to ensure each president has the opportunity to appoint the same number of Supreme Court justices each term, in an effort to make the high court more democratically representative. (Adobe Stock)
MA Lawmakers Call for Expansion of U.S. Supreme Court

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress are calling for an expansion of the U.S. Supreme Court due to what they said are "ethical lapses" and "partisan …

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Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., says police brutality is a crisis plaguing Black and brown communities. Despite comprising only 13% of the U.S. population, Black people accounted for 26% of those killed by police in 2022, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence. (Office of Rep. Pressley)
MA Lawmakers Aim to End Qualified Immunity, Let People Sue Police

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation which would allow people to sue police officers and other state and local government…

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Facial-recognition technology companies, which originally partnered with law enforcement, are now working with schools and universities to increase safety and prevent shootings by denying campus access to people who have been banned, or to monitor activity inside school buildings. (Adobe Stock)
MA Bill Would Tighten Restrictions on Facial Recognition Technology

Lawmakers in the Commonwealth are considering legislation to ensure police use of facial-recognition technology also protects people's privacy and civ…

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Community members work on a peace mural for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Along with the Boston Public Health Commission, the group offers a Survivors Outreach Services program to deliver coordinated services to families affected by homicide. (Louis D. Brown Peace Institute)
Group Works to Build Peace Out of Despair in Boston

While community activists in some of Boston's south side neighborhoods have declared a state of emergency following a string of fatal shootings…

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Sheriffs in Massachusetts are responsible for more than half the state's incarcerated population. (Mark Sardella/Flickr)
MA Campaign: Do You Know Who Your Sheriff Is?

Fewer than one in five Bay State voters can correctly name their local sheriff, according to a recent survey. To fill that knowledge gap, the …

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Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Boston is one of the community leaders featured in the Uncornered Boston Photo Project. (Boston Uncornered)
Exhibit Showcases Ties Between Boston Residents, Historic Mayoral Race

BOSTON -- A new photo exhibit in the Seaport District showcases the surprising ties between a wide swath of Boston residents. The Boston Uncornered …

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Massachusetts raised the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 in 2013, the fourth state to do so. (Flickr)
Report: 'Raise the Age' Law in MA Reduced Youth Detention

BOSTON - The number of kids and teens detained in Massachusetts has decreased since the state started treating arrested 17-year-olds as juveniles rath…

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Just two states give people incarcerated for felonies the right to vote - Vermont and Maine. (Orlowski Designs LLC/Adobe Stock)
Groups Call for Increased Voting Access in MA Prisons, Jails

BOSTON -- Advocates for voting rights are calling on Massachusetts lawmakers to increase access to the ballot box in jails and prisons before this fal…

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A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know
Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

BOSTON -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US …

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