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Massachusetts
Here's how Trump's proposed new policies may affect Mass.
Politics
Trump’s campaign promises and upcoming return to the White House could impact industries all over Massachusetts.
Donald Trump is on his way back to the White House following his decisive win Tuesday, and his sweeping campaign promises could yield some big impacts in Massachusetts.
For one thing, there’s no love lost between Trump and Gov. Maura Healey, who took the first Trump administration to court 96 times during her tenure as state attorney general (and won in 77% of those cases, per The Boston Globe). Likewise, current Attorney General Andrea Campbell said her office is ready to pounce.
Trump’s vows to overhaul education and reshape health care hit home for Massachusetts, which prides itself on being a national leader in both sectors. His mass deportation plans could devastate some communities in the Bay State, where 18.1% of residents were born in another country.
Here’s a (non-exhaustive) roundup of five areas where Trump’s policies could impact Massachusetts.
Immigration
Trump has promised to “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” His hardline approach focuses largely on the U.S.-Mexico border, with vows to strengthen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and increase penalties for illegal border crossings and overstayed visas. And that could have serious impacts in Massachusetts, which had about 325,000 unauthorized immigrants as of 2022, per Pew Research Center data.
The ongoing migrant crisis has become a hot-button issue in Massachusetts in recent years, with frequent battles over shelters and other forms of state aid. Immigration policies were also a key issue in the lawsuits Healey filed or joined against the federal government as AG.
Trump is likely to face more legal challenges this time around, and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition has vowed to “fight against xenophobic policies and rhetoric.”
“Policies such as carrying out mass deportations, revoking humanitarian parole programs, and ending Temporary Protected Status are unjust and un-American,” Executive Director Elizabeth Sweet said in a statement Wednesday. “MIRA will not stand by quietly while our immigrant communities are under attack. We will tirelessly work to protect our immigrant population, and their right to due process here in Massachusetts and across the country.”
Also prepared is Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights, which filed a class action lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others on behalf of a group of migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022.
“At Lawyers for Civil Rights, we have been down this road before,” LCR Executive Director Iván Espinoza-Madrigal said in a statement. “Time after time, we have filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration — as we would against any official, blue or red, who tramples on the Constitution.”
Transit
The MBTA has benefitted substantially from federal funding during President Joe Biden’s time in office, and General Manager Phil Eng has said he will seek federal grants and assistance as the T tries to stave off a “fiscal cliff” projected for next year.
Yet the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has provided millions of dollars in funding for the MBTA and Massachusetts transportation projects, expires in 2026. The law’s future beyond then isn’t clear, and Project 2025 — a possible blueprint for Trump’s second term written by his allies — proposes further attacks on federal transit funding.
According to the Center for American Progress, a liberal-leaning public policy research organization, Project 2025 would defund transit maintenance and increase costs for commuters in part by eliminating critical Federal Transit Administration funding. The MBTA sorely needs those funds; last year, the agency said it would cost about $24.5 billion to bring the T’s infrastructure into a state of good repair, thanks to years of underinvestment.
Health care
Trump has long taken aim at the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, and in September’s presidential debate said his team is “looking at different plans” to possibly replace it. If he gets his way with proposed health care policy changes, that could mean higher costs for Americans, including some in Massachusetts.
Speaking to The Boston Globe, Massachusetts Nurses Association Executive Director Julie Pinkham also raised concerns that a growing crisis in the state’s health care system could fester or worsen under Trump’s second term. She also pointed out that the health care workforce here has long been overburdened and needs higher federal reimbursements for insurance programs for many patients, according to the Globe.
“From the standpoint of people delivering care, this isn’t good,” Pinkham told the newspaper. She also reportedly expressed fear the new administration could jeopardize the state’s health reforms and ability to treat low-income patients.
Trump has hinted that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic who holds no medical or public health degrees, could have a “big role” in his second administration. RFK Jr. has said “entire departments” of the Food and Drug Administration “have to go,” and his comments have stoked fear and uncertainty among public health experts and the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, which have a large footprint in Greater Boston.
Experts have also warned that Trump’s second term will likely mean more threats to reproductive rights. Abortion remains legal and protected by state law in Massachusetts, and Healey has taken steps to stockpile the abortion medication mifepristone amid federal turmoil. But experts told the Globe some New England abortion providers are likely to lose significant federal funding under the new Trump administration and may need state leaders to cover the shortfall.
Lora Pellegrini, president of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus, told GBH Trump’s election stokes other fears concerning reproductive care.
“We could see a complete federal ban on abortion, contraception, IVF that would impact all the states, including Massachusetts, so that’s pretty shocking and I’m not sure everyone fully understands that,” Pellegrini told the news outlet.
Trump also made attacks on transgender Americans central to his campaign, often targeting gender-affirming care.
Environment
Trump has threatened to issue an executive order targeting offshore wind development, a cornerstone of Massachusetts’s clean energy and climate goals.
“He’s going to shut down offshore wind,” Healey said in August, according to CommonWealth. “He’s going to shut down all clean energy technology. He’s going to shut down the move toward renewables. And if that were to happen, we would end up with a sicker, less healthy population. The consequences on our economy would be devastating.”
Trump’s election raises concerns about the state’s likely loss in federal support for clean energy, a sector that contributed more than $14 billion to Massachusetts’s gross state product in 2022, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. In fact, Trump has vowed to increase U.S. production of fossil fuels, and the Republican platform includes a promise to “DRILL, BABY, DRILL.”
Education
Trump has said he wants to close the federal Department of Education and give more control to individual states, though he wouldn’t be able to do so unilaterally. One of his core campaign promises is to “cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children,” potentially teeing up a battle with more liberal-leaning states like Massachusetts.
Trump’s election will likely impact the state’s robust higher education sector, too, given his plan to “reclaim” universities from “Marxist maniacs.” According to the Globe, Trump and his allies propose replacing universities’ existing oversight agencies with new ones that would defend “the American tradition and Western civilization,” and they’ve hinted at plans to target campus diversity initiatives. A second Trump term also spells some uncertainty for Massachusetts student loan borrowers.
But there’s a chance Massachusetts won’t feel the educational impacts quite as deeply as some other states, John Baick, a history professor at Western New England University, suggested in comments to MassLive last month.
“The basic reality is that we’re going to be a pro-education state. And to put it rather bluntly, it’s similar to the idea of reproductive rights and a woman’s right to choose,” Baick told the news outlet. “What happens in Washington, D.C. may affect the country pretty dramatically, in some states pretty dramatically, but Massachusetts will basically be okay.”
National Grid is reporting that roughly 20,000 customers are without power due to outages in the Winthrop and Revere areas.
The utility company’s live outages map shows that 10,753 customers are without power in the Revere area and 9,261 customers are without power in the Winthrop area as of 2:25 p.m. Saturday.
The Herald has reached out to National Grid for comment. The Herald has also reached out to Eversource for information regarding any outages in their service regions, where a Herald photographer has seen some outages. Eversource’s outage map did not display any major outages at 2:25 p.m.
This is a developing story.
Massachusetts
Eight takeaways from Friday’s high school playoffs action, including four 1,000-point scorers – The Boston Globe
Find the full scoreboard here, along with everything we wrote Friday night:
Not seeing your team’s highlights in Takeaways? Here are all the ways to submit scores and stats to Globe Schools via phone, email, and social media.
▪ Cathedral senior Keyona Raines scored 15 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as the No. 5 Panthers handled No. 28 Hudson, 60-43, in the first round of the Division 4 girls’ basketball tournament.
▪ Sutton junior captain Ava Carroll netted her 1,000th career point during a 29-point effort in a 49-31 Division 4 first-round win over Easthampton.
FINAL: Sutton 49, Easthampton 31
Junior captain Ava Carroll records a game-high 22 points (including her 1,000th career point) as Sutton secured a Division 4 MIAA tournament Round of 32 win.
Business is Boomin’ for the Suzies. pic.twitter.com/vjRnzu2eLA
— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) February 28, 2026
▪ With a layup in the waning seconds of the first half, Anna Freeman became the 10th Medway player, and first since Riley Childs in 2018, to score 1,000 career points. She finished the 55-24 Division 3 first-round win over St. Paul with 17. Her father, Matt Freeman, scored 1,000 points at Bishop Feehan.
▪ Burlington boys’ basketball senior Matty Gray reached 1,000 career points during a 25-point performance in a 95-58 Division 2 first-round rout of Holliston. He reached the mark on a first-quarter layup.
Now for Matty Gray! Scores his 1000th point and no surprise on a steal! Just does it all. Such a special player and person. Humble, hard-working, kind, and tough. Lucky to coach him! A kid who certainly could have left, but chose to put his town across his chest and he’s…🧵 pic.twitter.com/UXFsEuZH6R
— BurlingtonBasketball (@Burlingtonhoop) February 28, 2026
▪ Falmouth boys’ hockey senior Kody Pokraka rode two assists to 100 career points during a 5-4 Division 2 first-round win over Plymouth South.
It was a chalky day, with only one significant upset: No. 22 Greater Lawrence girls’ basketball easily handling No. 11 Hamilton-Wenham, 65-45, in the Division 4 first round thanks to 13 3-pointers as a team and a combined 47 points from Serenity West (24) and Maliah Caban (23).
The only other lower seeds to win were No. 18 Marshfield boys’ basketball, which took out No. 15 Cambridge, 66-63, in overtime in the Division 1 first round, and No. 34 Arlington Catholic boys’ basketball, which survived No. 31 Duxbury, 64-60, in Division 2 preliminary-round action.
The finish of the night came in No. 17 South Hadley’s 61-60 win over No. 16 Madison Park. Trailing 60-59 and inbounding with 10.3 seconds left, the Tigers got an off-balance 3-pointer, but junior Noah Hambley crashed the boards and in one fell swoop secured the rebound and put it back up off the glass for the winning bucket as time expired in a boys’ basketball Division 4 first-round matchup.
The Oliver Ames boys got four free throws from Jacob Lok in the final 26 seconds to squeak past Canton, 45-42, in the first round of the Division 2 bracket. The Acton-Boxborough girls also needed overtime to complete a 53-49 Division 1 first-round triumph over Brookline.
The only overtime hockey game of the night saw the Diman boys net an equalizer in the final minute of regulation before Marlborough’s Ethan Guo supplied the heroics just 2:08 into the extra frame, propelling the No. 8 Panthers into the Division 3 second round with a 6-5 victory. Anthony Tramontozzi and Chace Lozano each scored twice for Marlborough
Caroline Arruda, Marshfield — The sophomore poured in 32 points to push the Rams to a 68-63 preliminary-round win over Westborough.
Gaby Bassett, Nauset/Monomoy — The senior capped her hat trick with the winning goal in a 4-3 Division 2 opening-round win over Burlington.
Brody Bumila and Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan — The seniors took control of an 85-67 Division 1 first-round victory, with Bumila providing 32 points and 14 rebounds and Webster going for 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames — The senior’s 3-point shot wasn’t falling, but she didn’t let that get in the way of a 34-point performance, 2 off her career best, during a 59-50 Division 2 first-round win over Bedford.
Eileen Lowther, Hingham — The junior controlled the glass, pulling down 15 rebounds and blocking six shots to go with 12 points in a 54-43 Division 2 first-round win.
Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan — The senior from Dighton delivered 21 points, 9 steals, and 5 assists as the No. 2 Shamrocks rolled to a 71-30 Division 1 first-round victory over Peabody.
Maura Quirk, Acton-Boxborough — The sophomore was cleaning the glass to the tune of 17 rebounds while adding 13 points in a 53-49 overtime win in the first round of the Division 1 bracket.
Senior Sophia O’Donnell made history, becoming the first St. Mary’s athlete to sign to become a Division 1 rower. O’Donnell will row for Merrimack.
Milton Academy graduate Cormac Ryan signed a two-way NBA contract with the Bucks on Thursday, making him the fourth former member of the Middlesex Magic AAU program currently in the NBA, along with The Pistons’ Duncan Robinson, Hornets’ Pat Connaughton, and Knicks’ Tyler Kolek.
Ryan, who hails from New York, was a three-time All-NEPSAC selection at Milton Academy before playing at Stanford, Notre Dame, and North Carolina. He spent the last two seasons in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue and Wisconsin Herd. He played with the Thunder’s Summer League team in 2024.
Quinnipiac junior Anna Foley, a 6-foot-3-inch Andover graduate, was celebrated for reaching 1,000 points during a ceremony Friday. She passed the mark on Feb. 12 in a 62-40 victory over Siena. A two-time All-MAAC second team selection, she’s averaging 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
8. Basketball leaderboard
Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames, 34
Caroline Arruda, Marshfield, 32
Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 32
Weston Bunnell, Stoneham, 29
Joe Baraky, Duxbury, 28
Zach Georges, Pioneer Charter I, 27
Kelsi Lanza, Silver Lake, 27
Josh Roux, Andover, 26
Ava Bailey, Newburyport, 25
Allie Danis, Newton North, 25
Angie Djoko, Danvers, 25
Noah Feldman, Marshfield, 25
Matty Gray, Burlington, 25
Jackson Hines, Arlington Catholic, 25
Connor Houle, Attleboro, 25
Katelyn Troilo, Mansfield, 25
Alex Ste. Marie, Manchester Essex, 24
Serenity West, Greater Lawrence, 24
Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop, 23
Maliah Caban, Greater Lawrence, 23
Josh Jenkins, Barnstable, 23
Reagan Maniscalco, Tewksbury, 23
Colin Trimble, Foxborough, 23
Eva Andrews, Needham, 22
Alaysia Drummonds, Foxborough, 22
Trevor Manning, Ipswich, 22
Gia Porazzo, Foxborough, 22
Sarah Powers, Wayland, 22
Ryan Tullish, Middleborough, 22
Chase Gara, Sutton, 21
Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan, 21
LaDainian Rodrigues, Attleboro, 21
Rex Satter, Ipswich, 21
Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan, 21
Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 20
Dylan Raffle, Milton, 20
Maeve Horsman, Oliver Ames, 18
Eva Andrews, Needham, 17
Maura Quirk, Acton-Boxborough, 17
Tony Dean, Stoneham, 15
Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 15
Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 14
Angie Djoko, Danvers, 12
Camden Strandberg, Bridgewater-Raynham, 11
Avery Teixeira, Bishop Feehan, 11
Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 10
Shannon LaMorticelli, Bishop Feehan, 10
Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 10
Zarah Ochi, Burlington, 10
Ashley Varnum, Bridgewater-Raynham, 10
Lila Polansky, Bridgewater-Raynham, 8
Duke Cherry, Malden Catholic, 7
Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 7
Erin Reilly, Burlington, 7
Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan, 7
Caroline Connors, Millis, 6
Egan Gill, Bishop Feehan, 6
Rex Satter, Ipswich, 6
Marcus Tayag, Pioneer Charter I, 6
Rayana Laurent, Pingree, 5
Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan, 9
Reagan Maniscalco, Tewksbury, 6
Ella O’Keefe, Oliver Ames, 5
Dylan Raffle, Milton, 4
Ava Sicari, Burlington, 4
Rex Satter, Ipswich, 3
Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 6
Maeve Horsman, Oliver Ames, 5
Zarah Ochi, Burlington, 4
Gaby Bassett, Nauset/Monomoy, 3
Griff Callahan, Martha’s Vineyard, 2
Max Cronen, Monomoy/Mashpee, 2
Addy Harrington, Duxbury, 2
Jaxon Hoey, Norwell, 2
Chace Lozano, Marlborough, 2
Mackenna Metell, Martha’s Vineyard, 2
Christos Rogaris, Dover-Sherborn/Weston, 2
Mark Trahon, Norwood, 2
Anthony Tramontozzi, Marlborough, 2
Bryce Campanale, Norwell, 3
Maeve Turner, Falmouth, 3
Violet Cox, Falmouth, 2
Ryan Heidt, Martha’s Vineyard, 2
Cam Long, Norwell, 2
Kody Pokraka, Falmouth, 2
Bailen Darack, Martha’s Vineyard, 22
Sammie Precourt, Dennis-Yarmouth, 16
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
Massachusetts
State health officials announce two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
BOSTON (WHDH) – State public health officials have announced two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts this year.
The first case came from a school-aged resident who was exposed and diagnoses while out of state. This person has remained out of state during the infectious period.
The second case was diagnosed by an adult in Greater Boston. Officials say this person had recently returned from international travel with an uncertain vaccination history.
This person visited several locations. Both local and state health officials are working with the locations to identify and notify those who were potentially exposed.
“Our first two measles cases in 2026 demonstrate the impact that the measles outbreaks, nationally and internationally, can have here at home. Fortunately, thanks to high vaccination rates, the risk to most Massachusetts residents remains low,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Measles is the most contagious respiratory virus and can cause life-threatening illness. These cases are a reminder of the need for health care providers and local health departments to remain vigilant for cases so that appropriate public health measures can be rapidly employed to prevent spread in the state. This is also a reminder that getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves from this disease.”
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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