CommonWealth Beacon

IF THE SENATE has its way, single-family zoning in Massachusetts may soon find its days numbered. Two years after a sweeping housing bond bill declared small accessory dwelling units could be built in any single-family district, the state Senate wants to double down on zoning up.

IN A SIGN of just how heated the debate around the state’s energy efficiency program has become, even a relatively small proposed reform that has been uniting Beacon Hill Democrats is generating increasingly intense pushback among some advocates and prompting larger questions about the goals of Mass Save altogether.

MIDWAY THROUGH ITS second season, “The Pitt” provided a window into what patients living with obesity can experience when they seek care. Soon after one of the characters in the HBO Max series, Howard Knox, arrived at the emergency department, he learned he would have to go to another hospital for a CT scan with a machine that could accommodate his size and weight. A student doctor suggested the zoo would have the right equipment. He then peppered Howard for explanations about his obesity.

GOV. MAURA HEALEY on Wednesday proposed directing an additional $100 million to public school districts across Massachusetts, saying the funding would help communities manage growing financial challenges ahead of the new school year. The proposal, which must be approved by the Legislature, would add to the more than $7 billion already appropriated for K-12 education in the fiscal 2027 state budget.

House Speaker Ron Mariano has expressed skepticism about the Senate’s primary care bill, but said he’s got his eye on “prescription drug stuff” with only about two weeks remaining to get major bills before negotiating panels. Mariano last week said he was “not sure yet” when asked if his branch plans to tackle primary care or health care reforms this session. “I’m talking to folks,” Mariano told reporters Wednesday after a closed-door Democrat caucus when asked if health care is on his agenda.

IN A JUNE 23 interview on Oprah’s podcast, author Rachel Louise Snyder — whose bestselling book No Visible Bruises reshaped how Americans understand domestic violence — argued that the term itself falls short: What we’re really talking about is intimate terrorism. The episode also explored risk factors for homicide, and the uncomfortable truth that the most dangerous place for many women is inside their own home. Oprah’s podcast reaches tens of millions of people.

THE STATE’S HIGHEST COURT ruled Tuesday that a decision by a small town in central Massachusetts to block a solar project in the name of tree preservation was “improper.” The Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling breathes new life into a proposed solar farm and battery storage project from Sunpin Energy Services over the objections of Petersham, a remote town of 1,200 near the Quabbin Reservoir that consists of 97 percent forest.

GOV. MAURA HEALEY is launching two new revolving loan programs meant to help municipalities kick-start building projects from planning to completion. The new infrastructure lending program, dubbed Build for Mass, would provide cities and towns with flexible, low-interest financing to address funding gaps, advance priority projects, and maximize access to federal resources, according to a release from the administration.

THIS YEAR’S THEME for the National Civic League’s “All-America” city awards was “America at 250 – Strengthening Civic Health and Building Trust.” That apparently gave Chelsea a winning edge, as the immigrant-rich city of 40,000 was one of 10 US cities selected for the award, announced two weeks ago. It was the second year in a row the city was selected for the award.

MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS have arrived at a clear consensus that state government needs to curtail the ever-present eyes and addictive features of Big Tech. Now they just need to tackle the not-so-small task of untangling a web of intersecting proposals scattered across multiple bills.