Author: Sarah Walsh

Massachusetts has now become the fifth state in the US to allow inmates to make phone calls for free, thanks to a new bill signed into law by Governor Maura Healey. The new law went into effect on Friday and includes all 14 correctional facilities in the state, according to a news release from the Massachusetts Department of Correction. The change will “provide equitable access to sustained communication between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones,” says the news release. There is no limit to the number of calls each inmate can make, according to the release. Source : CNN

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D) and state Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain are the top Maryland officials headed to the annual international climate conference now underway in the United Arab Emirates. The two-week confab, known as COP 28 (officially the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), brings together policymakers, business leaders and environmental activists to set international goals for fighting climate change, discuss ways to finance clean energy development, and look at technology demonstrations — along with good, old-fashioned political advocacy and protest. Vice President Kamala Harris is leading the U.S. delegation to…

Delaware has formally set the required emission standards for cars over the next decade, severely limiting the number of gasoline-powered vehicles but not as much as originally proposed. The regulation that will take effect Dec. 11 commits the First State to require 43% of new cars and trucks sold in Delaware to be electric or hybrid models, starting with car model year 2027. That percentage will increase to 82% in 2032, and the following year the rule will expire. Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Control (DNREC) Secretary Shawn Garvin wrote in his order yesterday that he found the public…

If you’re among those Connecticut residents sitting on a few dozen empty bottles or cans waiting to go out for recycling, holding off for a few more weeks will pay dividends.  Beginning Jan. 1, Connecticut’s 5-cent redemption on eligible bottles and cans will increase to 10-cents, allowing customers to double the return off of deposits that are baked into the costs of sodas, beer and other beverages. The changes to the decades-old recycling law — better known as the “Bottle Bill” — are the result of a broader effort by state lawmakers to modernize the program and boost the state’s…

New York’s Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill Ridley has been busy since the office was created nearly two years ago. The office within the Executive Chamber helps connect New Yorkers with disabilities – especially people with physical or sensory disorders – to resources to secure employment, housing, emergency preparation and home care, among others. “If you’re a person with a physical disability or any type of sensory disability, there really is no go-to point in New York for those individuals,” Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill Ridley said Friday. “Our office solidly represents that group of people.” Hill Ridley said the office has held…

Earlier this year, we wrote (here and here) about Ohio’s disastrous proposed amendment to the state constitution, now on the ballot in November as Issue 1. In effect, the ballot initiative would impose on the state a regime of no-limits abortion up to the time of birth and also of life-altering, potentially irreversible, gender-transition procedures, regardless of age, overriding the involvement of parents in the case of minors. Parental rights and basic health and safety protections for women would be eviscerated. Another danger posed by Issue 1 is that Ohio taxpayers will be forced to fund these procedures. In fact, that is the…

The newly renovated and expanded building will open with a variety of new features. It will have more than a dozen species, including North American river otters, Pacific sea nettle jellyfish, cuttlefish and mantis shrimp. Plus, the facility will have interactive exhibits, kids play areas, touch pools, an observable veterinary care center and water quality lab. Find even more when the doors open in the new year. “We are thrilled to welcome guests into our reimagined South Building,” said president and CEO Cynthia Whitbred-Spanoulis, in a release. “This space will expand our offerings and education programming, enhancing the overall guest…

Massachusetts shelters are being pushed past their capacity, running out of beds for families, including migrants arriving from other states and residents weathering a housing crunch right before winter, said Democratic Gov. Maura Healey. On Thursday the state crossed a threshold set by Healey of 7,500 families seeking placement in emergency shelters. Healey has said that families seeking shelter will be put on a waitlist once the state reaches the cap. Families will continue to be placed in shelters until the end of Thursday, according to the administration. “Beginning tomorrow, families will be placed into shelter as units become available.…

Virginia is furthering efforts to combat the illegal reptile and amphibian trade in the commonwealth through a resolution passed today by the Board of Wildlife Resources. The resolution mainly prioritizes the protection of Virginia’s native turtle species — considered one of the most vulnerable groups of vertebrates worldwide — which face significant threats and population decline due to unsustainable poaching. According to the resolution, the Department of Wildlife Resources’ Special Operations Unit investigating the illegal commercialization of reptiles and amphibians uncovered violations involving approximately 750 animals, including 650 turtles. The animals’ potential value in the U.S. market is $35,000, or…

New York City has reached a new contract with sanitation workers. The tentative deal calls for a 3.25% pay hike, retroactive to December 2022. Another increase takes effect on Dec. 28, 2023, and the last year of the contract calls for a 4% pay increase. Mayor Eric Adams says it’s important to keep city employees. “This agreement will provide new paid parental leave benefits and support retention, holding on to our employees. This is a major milestone for our city,” Adams said. The five-year deal covers 7,100 sanitation workers who must still ratify the deal. Source : CBS