Guest columnist Mary Hurley: I held this seat. The council owes voters an explanation

Columnist Carrie N. Baker: Massachusetts finally decriminalizes abortion

For the first time, a woman in Massachusetts can choose to end her pregnancy at any point, without a prosecutor looking over her doctor’s shoulder. On Aug. 10, Gov. Maura Healey signed the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, decriminalizing abortion. By this Act, the commonwealth joins nine other states that trust patients and medical […]

Tim Curry, iconic character actor and 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' star, dies at 80

Tim Curry, a character actor who created a gallery of delicious, very loony villains for stage and screen, including Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and the smug concierge in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” has died. He was 80. Curry, who suffered a stroke in 2012 that put him in a wheelchair, died Wednesday […]

Amherst historic district panel objects to 'absurdly large' accessory dwelling units near UMass campus

AMHERST — Two accessory dwelling units planned for construction a short distance from the University of Massachusetts campus are raising concerns for a town commission charged with safeguarding the historic fabric of the North Prospect-Lincoln-Sunset neighborhoods. Even though the Local Historic District Commission has no means of preventing their construction — with its oversight only […]

Meta settlement brings Mass. millions, new limits for teens

BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced Wednesday that she and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general reached a $17.1 billion settlement with Meta — including a guarantee of approximately $366 million for Massachusetts — to resolve claims the social media giant created and ran its platforms in a way that harmed young people and violated state consumer protection laws.  “As a mom and as Attorney General, I know that young people deserve to grow up in a world where they can benefit from technology without being exploited by it. We took on Meta because the company chose to put profits ahead of […]

Area Briefs: Smith Academy student nominated for bravery award

Smith Academy student nominated for bravery award BOSTON — State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, has nominated Eli Bai for the Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery, awarded annually by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.  Bai, a Smith Academy student, performed the Heimlich maneuver to save a friend’s life during a May field […]