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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MA: Environmental Justice

Massachusetts has been losing roughly 5,000 acres of forest each year to housing and industrial development as well as large-scale solar power installations, according to Mass Audubon. (Adobe Stock)
MA reforestation plan aims to counter urban heat islands

A proposed urban reforestation program in Massachusetts aims to help cities mitigate the effects of climate change. Legislation would create a state …

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Studies show a correlation between ample tree canopy in urban areas and reduced heat-related ambulance calls during extreme heat events. (Adobe Stock)
New online tool helps Boston grow tree equity

A new online tool is helping community groups in Boston ensure all neighborhoods reap the benefits from urban tree canopies. The Tree Equity Score …

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Lawmakers and environmental groups celebrate creation of the American Climate Corps. It's part of the Biden administration's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been overburdened by pollution. (Office of Sen. Ed Markey)
Lawmakers, youth activists celebrate creation of American Climate Corps

A new federal jobs program aims to mobilize tens of thousands of young Americans to address the growing threats of climate change. The American …

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a landmark climate law in 2021 which requires utilities like Eversource and National Grid to increase their renewable-energy portfolio by at least 3% every year. (Adobe Stock)
Boston Moves to Implement Climate-Friendly Building Code

Boston is set to become the eighth and largest city in the Commonwealth to implement a new state climate-friendly building code to reduce the use of f…

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According to Extinction Rebellion, at least eight activists have been arrested at the construction site of the East Boston substation since Eversource began work on January 11. (Extinction Rebellion)
Protests, Construction Continue at East Boston Substation

Environmental activists are calling on Gov. Maura Healy to end construction of the Eversource electrical substation in East Boston, and move it to …

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Nuestras Raíces manages nine urban community gardens in Holyoke, plus four for the Holyoke Education System, supporting over 100 families with locally grown, fresh food. (Adobe Stock)
Celebrating 30 Years of Puerto Rican “Agri-Culture” in Western MA

The Holyoke area is home to many Puerto Rican families who say they will do what they can to help people there as they recover from the latest hurrica…

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In 2020 alone, at least 2.58 billion cubic feet of methane gas leaked into communities and the atmosphere. (romaset/Adobe Stock)
Report: Last Decade Has Seen Too Many Methane Gas Leaks

A new report found in the last decade, there have been nearly 2,600 methane gas pipeline incidents in the U.S. serious enough to require reporting to …

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PFAS are used to make many products water-resistant, including raincoats. (Maksim Ksenofontov/Adobe Stock)
Scorecard Ranks Retail, Apparel Companies on PFAS Policies

Groups advocating for an end to the use of Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals," ranked various retail …

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A bill before the General Assembly would mean wood-burning power plants can no longer be categorized as renewable. (Andrei Merkulov/Adobe Stock)
MA Groups: Time is Now to End Biomass Subsidies

Proposed legislation would end subsidies for wood-burning power plants in Massachusetts by removing biomass as an eligible fuel source for the Commonw…

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When drivers fill up their tanks in Massachusetts, they pay 24 cents per gallon to the state and a little more than 18 cents per gallon to the federal government. (blackday/Adobe Stock)
MA Ballot Initiative to Ban Fuel Tax Gets Pushback

BOSTON -- Advocates for clean transportation are fighting a proposed ballot initiative, which would prevent Massachusetts from taxing gas and other …

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The landmark climate bill signed into law last month, among other measures, prioritizes decarbonizing buildings, which currently represent about 30% of the Commonwealth's emissions. (Adobe Stock)
MA Groups Look to Build on Landmark Climate Bill This Earth Day

BOSTON -- This Earth Day, as President Joe Biden convenes a climate summit with world leaders, Massachusetts environmentalists hope federal efforts …

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The Merrimack River Watershed has been identified by the U.S. Forest Service as one of the most threatened watershed areas due to forest land development. (Kenneth/Adobe Stock)
MA Conservationists: Protect Riverfront Forests to Improve Water Quality

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- The U.S. Forest Service is partnering with a group of agencies and nonprofits to conserve water quality and forest health in the …

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