Massachusetts
Trump candidacy challenge dismissed in Massachusetts
Former President Trump will be allowed on Massachusetts’s presidential primary ballot, following a state panel’s dismissal of two challenges.
The Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission on Monday rejected two attempts to keep Trump off the ballot, stating it “does not have jurisdiction over the matters presented.”
The two ballot eligibility challenges followed the same line of argument as a series of others across the nation that invoke the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause. The challenges argued Trump cannot appear on the primary or general ballots because he “engaged in a rebellion against the Constitution.”
The dismissals are a victory for the Trump campaign, which celebrated the decision Tuesday.
“Yesterday, the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission dealt another blow to Biden Democrats and their Election Interference attempt to disenfranchise millions of American voters by trying to remove President Trump from the ballot,” the campaign wrote in a statement.
“In discarding this latest hoax, the commission sided with the Constitution, ensuring that the people of Massachusetts will have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice in 2024.”
The Bay State will hold its primary on March 5, or Super Tuesday, along with 15 other states.
The state’s Ballot Law Commission met last week for a pre-hearing conference where they heard arguments on procedural matters.
As they’ve done in other challenges across the country, Trump’s representation pushed the commission to toss the case.
“There is nothing in the case law or the statutes that the commission is required to follow that says qualification to be on a ballot is a precondition to appear on the ballot,” Trump lawyer Marc Salinas said, per CNN.
The commission is a bipartisan panel of five members appointed by the state’s governor.
The challenges were among several across the country testing the former president’s eligibility to run for president.
Most of the challenges to Trump’s ballot have been unsuccessful, though in two states — Colorado and Maine — the state’s Supreme Court and top elections official issued decisions, respectively, to eliminate Trump’s name from each state’s primary ballot.
Trump’s appeal of Colorado’s decision will be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court beginning in February. Maine’s case was appealed in the state’s Superior Court, and the justice assigned to the case issued a ruling last week to delay judgement until the nation’s highest court weighs in on the matter.
The Massachusetts decision came one day ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary in nearby New Hampshire, where a polling index by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ shows Trump leading former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley by nearly 14 points.
He easily won in last week’s Iowa’s caucuses, beating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by nearly 30 points. DeSantis suspended his campaign Sunday following the disappointing showing in the Hawkeye State.
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Massachusetts
Smoke from North Attleborough fire visible for miles
Fire broke out at an apartment building in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, sending a column of smoke high into the air.
NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports the smoke was visible from miles away from the building on Juniper Road.
More details were not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Massachusetts
Life Care Center of Raynham earns deficiency‑free state inspection
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
Massachusetts
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