Massachusetts
Outlook for Massachusetts shelter system is hazy as cash runs dry and time runs out – The Boston Globe
Publicly, the Legislature has not put out a plan of how it will pay the bills and create new guidelines for the system. Governor Maura Healey delivered many of her own proposals in a letter, not actual legislation, and there’s no clarity on when the state Legislature could act to pour more money into the system, or what seismic policy shifts lawmakers could also embrace.
At the same time, President Trump is already tearing down tentpoles of the federal immigration system that many migrant families have relied upon, including two Biden-era programs under which migrants have been given permission to temporarily work and live in the country.
In other words: An already unprecedented situation is barreling into unknown territory, perhaps as soon as Friday.
That’s when Healey administration officials say they’ll be unable to make any payments or enter contracts for services within the emergency shelter system, absent a new infusion of cash. It’s left the nonprofit providers who the state has tapped to run shelters statewide skittish about the future.
“Providers in everyone’s districts are putting more urgency to the need for funding,” state Senator Michael Moore, a Millbury Democrat, said Wednesday after Healey administration officials briefed Senate Democrats. “They’re worried about the funding not being there for them to pay for the services after the deadline.”
State officials said there’s often a lag between when providers bill them and when they’re paid. But it wasn’t immediately clear what would happen should Friday come and go without the Legislature approving more money for the system.
One housing provider, who requested anonymity to discuss communications with the state, told the Globe that Healey administration officials informed their organization that it would receive funding in February to cover January costs, but that payments would otherwise stop if the Legislature doesn’t act by Friday.
The system, and the Legislature, have faced similar pressure before. Lawmakers passed a supplemental spending bill at the end of April last year at a time when Healey said funding was running low.
Months earlier, her administration warned the system would run out of cash early in 2024 if the state did not set a limit on how many families could enter the system — as well as receive more funding from the Legislature. Healey ultimately capped the system at 7,500 families — a limit that remains today — and the Legislature pushed an overdue spending bill to Healey’s desk over Republican objections with weeks to spare.
The latest attempt, however, has its own complications. Healey initially asked lawmakers in early January to dedicate $425 million to the system, while also cutting the length of stay in the shelter system from nine months to six.
Then, days later, she proposed a series of dramatic changes to the state’s unique right-to-shelter law. But she made that request in a letter, without proposing actual legislation, prompting a series of questions from House leaders who said they needed more information before proposing their own bill.
Members of Healey’s Cabinet sent back a 23-page response Monday night, but they did not say how much their various proposals could ultimately save the state — information that would otherwise influence how much money lawmakers set aside for the system for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in June.
The circumstances have left the Legislature’s Democratic leaders to weigh far-reaching policy and funding decisions while facing a short clock and their own internal limitations. The House and Senate have yet to announce committee or leadership assignments, assign first-year lawmakers to offices, or vote on rules that will govern their two-year legislative calendar. All legislators began their new term on Jan. 1.
At a news conference Wednesday, Healey declined to give more detail about how the state will continue to fund the system. Lawmakers have not filed legislation of their own and the House, which must act first, does not have a formal session scheduled this week, when a spending bill could theoretically emerge for a vote.
State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the House budget chief who sent Healey officials questions last week, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
“I know discussions are going on right now with the Legislature. I know they’re aware of the calendar on this,” Healey told reporters at an unrelated event at her office Wednesday. “So hopefully we’ll be able to get some resolution.”
Down the hall, Healey’s housing secretary, Ed Augustus, gave a closed-door presentation on the shelter system to Senate Democrats. But he declined to divulge what was discussed to reporters, or whether he gave a similar meeting to House members. He also didn’t respond to a Globe reporter who asked what the plan is for when the cash runs dry.
It’s also unclear if senators were satisfied with the answers they received.
“Lots of questions, lots of questions,” state Senator Cindy Friedman, an Arlington Democrat, told reporters after she left the meeting. She declined to further comment.
The shelter system has sagged under soaring demand in the last few years, demand fueled in part by a surge in migrants fleeing violence and economic instability in their home countries. A report Healey officials filed with lawmakers Monday said that nearly 700 families had applied for shelter in the two weeks between Jan. 9 and Jan. 23, while just 220 families exited the system.
State officials said there were 6,290 families in the system as of Wednesday, far below the state-imposed cap.
Healey has repeatedly sought to tighten the system, and pledged to move out the thousands of families currently being housed in hotels or motels by year’s end. She told lawmakers earlier this month she wants a variety of changes to state law, including eliminating so-called presumed eligibility in the state’s screening process.
Under current law, shelter applicants don’t need to provide documentation upfront that they meet the system’s wide-ranging eligibility requirements. Healey instead wants to require that the state first verify identity, residency, and other information before someone is admitted to the system.
Healey also wants a requirement that all shelter applicants show they have “an intent to remain in Massachusetts,” either through what she called “independent documentary verification,” or by having a “physical presence” here over the previous three months. She also proposed reducing the length of stay in the shelter system from nine months to six.
State Senator Liz Miranda, a Roxbury Democrat, said some of the Healey administration’s proposals give her pause.
“People can’t find housing in six months, right? They can’t find it in nine months,” she said.
Samantha J. Gross can be reached at samantha.gross@globe.com. Follow her @samanthajgross. Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him @mattpstout.

Massachusetts
Massachusetts and Rhode Island hospital occupancy lead the nation, report says, putting them at highest risk of bed shortages – The Boston Globe

Richard Leuchter, the lead author of the paper and an assistant professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told the Globe occupancy is calculated by dividing the number of admitted patients at a hospital with staffed hospital beds, meaning beds that are open, available and ready to be used where a patient can be treated by a nurse and a doctor.
The research revealed that the US had a mean bed occupancy of about 64 percent prior to the pandemic. That went up to 75 percent in the year after the official end of the pandemic. Meanwhile, there was a 16 percent decline in health care workers staffing beds during the same period.
The concern, Leuchter said, is that with demographic trends showing that adults over 65 years old will outnumber children under 18 by 2035, hospitals around the country could face significant pressure.
“That is a huge, unprecedented, demographic shift,” he told the Globe. “What that means is that as the population ages, the need for hospitalizations will also increase. Older adults are hospitalized at five times higher than their younger counterparts.”
This could mean that by 2032, the US could hit 85 percent hospital occupancy, a threshold that experts use to determine that a country is experiencing bed shortages.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island registering the highest post-pandemic hospital occupancy suggests that they are at the highest risk of getting to that level, Leuchter said.
“Which is kind of a scary prospect,” he told the Globe.
Hitting that 85 percent threshold removes a safety buffer for hospitals, especially when faced with unexpected surges, such as a pandemic or a natural disaster.
It may also lead to longer wait times before patients can see a doctor, which could exacerbate the stresses on health care workers.
“All those physicians are going to be overburdened. The nurses are going to be stretched thin. The pharmacists are going to be feeling the impacts of that,” Leuchter said. “All of that basically has the potential to lead to more adverse events in the hospital, more medication errors, more delays in care, things of that nature that can have real impact on patients.”
Leuchter pointed out that high occupancy appeared to be driven by a decline in staff at hospitals and not by a rise in the number of patients admitted for care. But another additional factor could be due to an increase in hospital closures and bankruptcies seen across the country, driven in part by what he said was private equity’s foray into healthcare.
“So that’s another issue here. So when we talk about staffed hospital bed shortage, it’s the actual people, but it’s the bed themselves, and we have to address both of those things to avoid a hospital bed shortage,” Leuchter said.
The prospect of a bed shortage hitting the country could be accelerated by how sick people get over the coming years, with trends showing that obesity levels and Americans with cardiovascular diseases rising.
“If people get drastically sicker over the next decade and require more hospitalizations that could precipitate a hospital bed shortage, make it happen even sooner,” Leuchter told the Globe.
But on the flip side, if medical breakthroughs come to the fore that help the country get healthier, it could help delay states hitting that threshold, he added.
One thing that could help, Leuchter said, is an initiative being tried at UCLA called Next Day Clinic, where patients who need more time at a hospital can be referred to specialized clinics, a process than can free up beds at facilities.
“That’s another thing nationally we can implement these models to reduce the demand for hospital beds by about 10 percent over the next decade,” he said. “That’s enough to avoid this potential shortage.”
John Hancock of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
Omar Mohammed can be reached at omar.mohammed@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter (X) @shurufu.
Massachusetts
Experience The Height Of Massachusetts Gastronomy At Raffles Boston

Massachusetts is renowned for its high-quality oysters, many of which are sourced from Cape Cod.
Carley Rudd Photography
While Boston is home to storied restaurants spanning from the nearly-century-old Regina Pizzeria to the 1820s-era Union Oyster House, there’s a lot more to the city’s dining scene than just its historic prowess. In recent years, the Bay State capital has embraced modern innovation, ushering in a wealth of lavish hotels and upscale dining venues—and few properties exemplify both concepts as well as Raffles Boston. A recent addition to the Back Bay hospitality scene, this polished hotel provides a glimpse into the refined side of Massachusetts, providing guests with an opportunity to experience the height of Boston gastronomy and hospitality in one fell swoop.
Officially opened in September 2023, Raffles Boston stands 35 stories above Stuart Street, with 147 palatial rooms and suites in place for guests. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with lush vegetation, a marble-clad Writers Room and a wealth of other design flourishes meant to evoke the sophisticated beauty of Singapore’s historic Raffles Hotel—and just a few steps past the main lobby, the Long Bar & Terrace offers some of the finest views in all of Back Bay. Perched on the 17th floor, this stunning space comes equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows that are perfect for enjoying the sunset, with cocktail options spanning from the bourbon and maple-infused Golden Hour to the Boston Sling, a fragrant drink that’s brimming with notes of cranberry and apple as a testament to the agricultural prowess of Massachusetts.
The original Raffles Hotel was founded in 1887 in Singapore.
Raffles Boston
To keep the drinks flowing, neighboring Blind Duck offers an intimate speakeasy-esque experience for guests, coming complete with two separate levels that showcase the beauty of the surrounding city. While the drinks menu comes equipped with options like the mezcal and habanero-loaded Blaze On and the refreshing Lingonberry Spritz, options like the Jack, Kack, and Lack—a blend of duck fat-washed bourbon, Madeira and Chinese five spice—offers a particularly unique flavor profile that stands as a testament to the talent of Raffles Boston’s bartender team. Yet when it comes to a truly sublime dining experience, it’s tough to beat Amar.
The crown jewel of Raffles Boston’s drinking and dining program, this lavish restaurant brings a touch of European elegance to the Bay State, providing guests with a diverse array of Portuguese-inspired dishes crafted at the behest of Chef George Mendes. The venue is particularly well-suited for seafood aficionados, with dishes like Hokkaido sea urchin toast and chouriço and caviar-infused baby squid celebrating the centuries-old maritime culture of both Portugal and Boston—and for those who want an up-close view of the action, the Chef’s Counter is an essential experience. This eight-course tasting concept invites guests to enter the kitchen and watch the fine dining process unfold, with a dedicated row of tables placed just a few steps away from the line. During a meal, guests can enjoy a perfectly-crafted martini as they make their way through the menu, with dishes spanning from bluefin tuna with pickled watermelon radish to the superbly-crafted bacalhau à Brás, an ultra-savory blend of salt cod, egg and Périgord truffle.
Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood was constructed in the late 1800s through land reclamation.
Raffles Boston
While Raffles Boston comes equipped with a truly marvelous dining scene, the property also offers a wealth of other luxurious amenities. Upon arrival, each guest is assigned a dedicated butler that can be consulted throughout the duration of their stay, providing visitors with an opportunity to receive recommendations from a local expert and plan activities ranging from Boston Celtics games to trips to some of the city’s most lauded museums. Meanwhile, those who prefer to stick close to the hotel can spend a day lounging in the Guerlain Spa, an idyllic space located on the fourth floor. While guests are welcome to make use of the steam rooms, king-sized fitness center and 20-meter pool, it also doubles as a top spot for a relaxing treatment, with options spanning from a Body Polish exfoliation to a 90-minute Deep Muscular Massage.
From the Berkshires to Cape Cod, Massachusetts is packed full of scenic regions that have long been renowned for their prowess at hospitality—and in the modern era, Boston is more than capable of holding its own against these iconic vacation destinations. Along with a thriving dining scene and wealth of world-class museums, the city comes complete with truly lavish accommodations, with Raffles Boston serving as a prime example. Whether you’re hoping to spend your stay lounging in the hot tub, sampling classic Iberian cuisine or just soaking in the skyline views with a Singapore Sling in hand, this palatial property is certain to leave you with fond memories of the Bay State at its very best.
Massachusetts
Mass. gun law opponents challenge restrictions on young adults

Firearms owners added another prong to their campaign against a sweeping Massachusetts law, filing a new federal lawsuit late last week challenging its constitutionality.
While other lawsuits and a repeal campaign continue to unfold, a coalition of industry groups including the National Rifle Association and Massachusetts gun owners on Friday sued over firearm age restrictions included in the wide-reaching package Gov. Maura Healey signed in July.
Plaintiffs argue the law violates Second Amendment rights by preventing Bay Staters older than 18 but younger than 21 from possessing or carrying handguns and semiautomatic firearms.
“Adults between the ages of 18 and 20 are part of ‘the people,’ and there is no historical tradition of limiting the firearms rights of adults on account of their age,” they wrote in their complaint. “And as for the types of firearms that Massachusetts forbids them from owning, much less carrying, there can be no dispute that they qualify as ‘arms’ within the ‘plain text’ meaning of the Second Amendment.”
People ages 18 to 20 years old in Massachusetts can acquire firearm identification cards, but that document does not grant the ability to purchase, possess or transfer handguns or semiautomatic firearms, according to plaintiffs. To do so, someone would need to obtain a license to carry, which the law restricts only to people 21 and older.
One of the plaintiffs is Mack Escher of Brewster, a student at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who falls in the 18-to-20 age range. He has a firearm identification card, but under the new law is unable to purchase or possess a handgun or semiautomatic firearm.
He was joined in the lawsuit by the Gun Owners’ Action League, Commonwealth Second Amendment, the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc, the Second Amendment Foundation and the NRA as well as the national group Gun Owners of America Inc.
“Massachusetts’s new gun control law is one of the most severe attacks on the right to keep and bear arms in our nation’s history,” John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement alongside the lawsuit. “Vindicating the rights of young adults is just our first step towards dismantling this unconstitutional law.”
Supporters of the massive law here argue that it will save lives, especially as police work to limit the spread of untraceable “ghost guns,” and keep gun violence rates in Massachusetts low.
Plaintiffs cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision, which deemed unconstitutional a New York law that required applicants to show special need to obtain a concealed carry license. That landmark decision served as a catalyst for the Massachusetts legislation two years later.
The new case focused on young adult firearms rights is the latest piece of a broad effort targeting the new restrictions and reforms.
It’s at least the third lawsuit filed in federal court so far. The first challenge, filed soon after Healey signed the measure, focused on new licensing and training frameworks. Plaintiffs dropped that case in December after the Legislature delayed the effective date of a requirement for applicants to complete a live-fire training course.
The second case, filed in October, argues that updated definitions for assault-style weapons in the Massachusetts law violate the Second Amendment.
That case, known as Recchia v. Healey, is ongoing. On Friday, the assistant attorney general representing Massachusetts asked a judge for more time to outline the state’s push to dismiss the suit, writing that she is also busy working on a multistate lawsuit challenging the Office of Management and Budget’s potential federal funding freeze.
“That case was filed shortly after the Governor’s first request for an extension in this action and has involved temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction proceedings, with frequent, urgent filing deadlines, including further preliminary injunction briefing due today, February 14, 2025, and a hearing on the motion to be held on Friday, February 21, 2025,” Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Arslanian wrote in a motion filed in the gun case Friday. “A brief extension, therefore, will permit undersigned counsel to adequately prepare the reply memorandum.”
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns granted the extension Tuesday, giving Arslanian until March 3 to file a memo in support of her motion to dismiss the firearms lawsuit.
Meanwhile, firearms owners are also hoping to undo the law by securing the support of voters.
A group of Second Amendment supporters and gun owners known as the Civil Rights Coalition secured enough voter signatures to put a question on the 2026 ballot proposing to repeal the law.
-
Culture1 week ago
The Eagles defense couldn’t stop Mahomes in 2022. In Super Bowl 59 they got their revenge
-
News1 week ago
Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil's plane rams into parked jet at Arizona's Scottsdale Airport – The Times of India
-
Politics1 week ago
USAID inspector general fired days after publishing report critical of aid pause
-
Technology1 week ago
FCC to investigate Comcast for having DEI programs
-
News1 week ago
HUD is bracing as DOGE seeks to cut waste, fraud. Union leaders have a suggestion
-
Sports1 week ago
Football and social media: What next for players and clubs in a changing landscape?
-
World1 week ago
Bellingham strikes late as Real Madrid pile misery on Man City
-
Culture1 week ago
Maria Teresa Horta, the Last of Portugal’s ‘Three Marias,’ Dies at 87