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By SAM DRYSDALE and MICHAEL P. NORTON

Reacting to reports that President Donald Trump rescinded his federal funds freeze order, Congresswoman Lori Trahan warned “the fight is far from over” and the White House made clear that efforts to “end the egregious waste of federal funding” will continue.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

BOSTON — Less than three months after voters rejected a ballot measure to legalize certain natural psychedelic substances and introduce therapeutic care, legislators have filed 10 bills at the start of this legislative session hoping to push the cause forward.

By CHRIS LARABEE

BOSTON — New legislation filed by state Rep. Natalie Blais seeks the development of minimum statewide quality standards for private wells, as well as the expansion of a financial assistance program for residents trying to remediate wells contaminated by so-called “forever chemicals,” or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — If President Donald Trump puts a 25% tariff on products coming from Canada starting next weekend, as he said this week he is considering, electricity costs in Massachusetts could increase by as much as $200 million a year, Gov. Maura Healey told business leaders Thursday morning.

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – The Selectboard had a number of questions for Athol Royalston Regional School District Superintendent Matt Ehrenworth at a Jan. 21 meeting to discuss construction of a new high school.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Though Gov. Maura Healey maintains that she is not raising taxes, the budget she rolled out Wednesday could apply existing taxes to some purchases, or decrease how much residents are able to write off on their tax returns.

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – Members of the Energy Committee met Tuesday afternoon with Paul DeMaria and Joseph Duquette, representatives of Worcester-based Commonwealth Electrical Technologies, to discuss the installation of new electric vehicle charging stations.

By COLIN A. YOUNG

Gov. Maura Healey announced a plan Tuesday to pump at least $2.5 billion into facilities at the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges by the middle of the 2030s.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON – As enrollment at community colleges booms under the state’s new free tuition program, the faculty that teach and support the burgeoning population are asking for their first wage equity adjustment in 25 years.

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — The opioid epidemic has affected tens of thousands of people across Massachusetts, and later this year, vehicles on the state’s roads will be able to offer reminders that survivors and grieving families are all around us.

By SYDNEY TOPF

Rosa Hernandez-O’Neil was surrounded by early educators growing up. Her mother ran a child care center in their home and her sisters all worked in the field. So, at 16 years old, Hernandez-O’Neil decided she wanted to join the family business as a teacher’s assistant.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON – The state’s top education official pledged Tuesday that Massachusetts schools would protect transgender students, even after a federal judge scrapped President Joe Biden’s expanded Title IX protections of LGBTQ students the previous week.

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — Drawing from Massachusetts history while also peeking into the future, Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday night took stock of the state’s strengths and challenges in a speech that focused more on following through on past work than on announcing new initiatives.

By JANE KAUFMAN

It looks so benign.

By SAM DRYSDALE

Gov. Maura Healey on Friday discussed an interest in realigning the state’s right-to-shelter law “with its original intent,” opening up a possible area of debate in talks over her shelter spending bill.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

A new bill signed by Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday will ban the practice of declawing cats in Massachusetts, a victory for animal rights activists who view declawing as inhumane.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Massachusetts has the second-highest family health insurance premiums in the country, according to the Health Policy Commission, and the state Division of Insurance is investigating medical inflation as average premium rates across the individual and small group markets increased by 7.9% over the course of 2024.

By ALISON KUZNITZ and SAM DORAN

BOSTON — The three-day countdown for Beacon Hill lawmakers to comply with Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s probe of the Legislature started Monday afternoon, DiZoglio said, with her office now requesting specific records from the House and Senate.Meantime,...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

BOSTON — Pro-immigrant nonprofits, organizers, and politicians from across the state are bracing for a second Trump presidency as they seek to protect the state’s undocumented population — and a letter recently addressed to Gov. Maura Healey may give glimpses into the reality of challenges ahead, which may include lawsuits and jail time for those disregarding federal immigration laws.

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – Auditor Diana DiZoglio is returning to old fights in the new year, including reforming the use of non-disclosure agreements in state government, potentially suing the Legislature for defying a new voter law, and accusing top Democrats of retaliation by cutting her office’s role on a health care board.