Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with legislative, public health, and Cambridge updates.
I will be on a humanitarian and healthcare trip next week in Cuba, where I am leading a delegation of legislators to meet with public officials, hospital staff, nonprofits, and members of academic and research institutes. I will be sharing more about this experience when I get back.
I am thankful to Congressman McGovern who has a long history of supporting Cuba and humanitarian rights. The Congressman briefed the delegation in advance of our departure, and offered a quote of support:
“I applaud the visit of this important delegation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives to Cuba. This trip will allow state leaders to learn more about the Cuban healthcare system, climate resiliency strategies, and life science innovations. It will also facilitate critical conversations about how to get much-needed humanitarian aid to the Cuban people. I am a strong believer in the power of diplomatic dialogue and engagement, and I've long believed it's time to rethink America's failed, cold-war approach to dealing with Cuba. I hope that this visit can serve as an important step in improving relations between our two countries."
As a result of this trip, the next newsletter you receive will be the first week of December.
I also want to highlight Transition House’s Holiday Wishes Program, which matches donors with families supported by Transition House to provide needed gifts and support during the holiday season. As you might know, Transition House provides resources and shelter for Cambridge community members affected by domestic violence; their goal is to assist 100 families through the program this year. You can email wishes@transitionhouse.org to participate or visit transitionhouse.org for more information.
Table of Contents
Cambridge Updates
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Services and Resources
Legislative Updates
Legislature Passes Economic Development and Climate Bills
On Thursday, the Legislature passed both the climate and economic development omnibus bill in a special formal session.
An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers (S.2967) reforms the permitting and siting processes in Massachusetts to meet its net-zero goals. It outlines the process for clean energy infrastructure identification and incorporates various elements to provide better outcomes for communities, utilities, and clean energy companies.
An Act relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership (H.5100) provides nearly $4 billion in bond funds to support the life sciences, climate tech industry, and artificial intelligence sectors. The bill also included policy provisions, including a measure improving transparency for concert ticket prices, a provision to allow candidates to use campaign funds to cover childcare expenses, a measure to improve diversity in the teaching profession, and up to $7 million in tax credits for live theatrical productions.
I am proud that both packages included elements from bills I filed this session. You can expect a longer email on both bills soon.
Public Health Updates
State Officials Tracking Rising Instances of Whooping Cough and Pneumonia
Massachusetts public health officials are monitoring the increasing number of whooping cough and pneumonia cases across the state. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that is easily spread between people through the air. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), babies under 1 year old are at greatest risk for contracting whooping cough and having severe complications from the illness. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and can be caused by various germs like bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. People under the age of 5 and over the age of 65 are at greatest risk for pneumonia. Both cases of both illnesses declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but are now increasing to pre-pandemic levels.
Canada Detects First Human Case of H5 Bird Flu
A teenager in British Columbia has tested positive for H5 bird flu and is currently in critical condition, according to Canadian health officials. The test was sent to a second lab to confirm the H5N1 diagnosis. If confirmed, the case would mark the first human case of the virus in Canada. In a press conference held on Tuesday, provincial health officials confirmed that the teenager does not have any underlying conditions that may have contributed to the hospitalization. The teen first developed symptoms on November 2 and went to an emergency room before staff sent the teen home. The teenager was later admitted to hospital on November 8 when their condition worsened. Symptoms included conjunctivitis, fever, and coughing. H5 bird flu is highly prevalent in wild birds worldwide and has caused outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows.
New Vaccine Shows Potential Against Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer
According to new research conducted at Siteman Cancer Center, an experimental vaccine could prove effective against triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive type of invasive breast cancer that typically grows and spreads faster than other types of breast cancer. TNBC also has fewer treatment options and generally has a worse prognosis because it grows even without the hormonal fuel that drives the growth of other breast cancer types. TNBC occurs in about 10-15% of all breast cancer cases and tends to be more common in people under the age of 40, Black people, or people with the BRCA1 mutation.
Data Shows People Living in Rural Areas are at Greatest Risk for Heart Disease
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found that more people in rural America are dying from heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease includes various problems, many of which are associated with atherosclerosis, a condition that occurs when plaque builds up on the walls of the arteries. For the study, researchers analyzed death data for over 11 million adults between 2010 and 2022, accessed through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER database. In the 12 years studied by researchers, the death rate in rural areas of the U.S. increased by almost 1%, while urban areas saw a decrease of more than 6%.
New Study Shows Telehealth Therapy Can Help Prevent Suicide
New research shows that cognitive behavior therapy reduces attempts of suicide and suicidal thoughts, even when delivered via telehealth for a short time. For the study, researchers randomly assigned 96 U.S. adults to receive one of two forms of telehealth therapy between 2021 and 2023. One group received suicide-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches individuals how to manage and change distressing emotions and negative thoughts. The second group received present-centered therapy, which has been proven to be effective in reducing depression and suicidal thoughts by helping individuals respond to life stressors. While both therapies helped patients reduce suicidal thoughts, researchers found that the first group in cognitive behavioral therapy had greater success.
Cambridge Updates
Red Line Closures
From Sunday, November 17 at 8:30 p.m through November 23, the Red Line will be closed from Harvard to Broadway. On November 24, service will be suspended between Harvard and JFK/UMASS. During this time, free shuttles will be available from Harvard, Central, Kendall/MIT, Charles/MGH, Haymarket, State, close to Downtown Crossing, South Station, and Broadway, as well as directly from Harvard to South Station. More information can be found here.
DCR Traffic Advisory for Memorial Drive Improvements
From Tuesday, October 15, through Tuesday, November 26 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will intermittently close lanes and implement detours along Memorial Drive from Magazine Street to Audrey Street via the BU Bridge rotary to accommodate more than $1.5 million in safety upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists.
The safety improvement work includes widening the shared use path leading to the BU rotary; improving and reconfiguring wheelchair ramps and median islands at the intersection of Memorial Drive and the BU Bridge; replacing nearly 700 linear feet of existing Boston Pattern Fence; restriping the crosswalks; and implementing a speed limit reduction to 25 mph along the BU Bridge corridor. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site. More information on the work can be found here.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
I was honored on Wednesday to provide opening remarks at the Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) annual fall conference. TURI is an independent state agency responsible for mitigating the use of hazardous chemicals with the goal of protecting public and environmental health. I provided updates about how legislators are working to minimize the use of harmful chemicals, such as PFAS and flame retardants while maintaining the competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses.
Protecting communities from exposure to toxic chemicals has been a priority of mine for years. In 2020, I successfully passed legislation to ban flame retardants associated with cancer, nervous system damage, and other health problems from children’s products and residential furniture. This session, I worked alongside TURI and other stakeholders to redraft and advance An Act to protect Massachusetts public health from PFAS, a comprehensive omnibus bill to reduce PFAS contamination and exposure across the Commonwealth. Provisions of this legislation eliminating PFAS in firefighter personal protective equipment were signed into law this August.
I am so grateful for the critical work TURI does to develop safer chemical alternatives, reduce the use of toxic chemicals, and safeguard public health across the Commonwealth.
Cambridge Public Health Helpline Supports Residents with COVID-19
To speak with someone, call the confidential COVID-19 Hotline at 617-933-0797. Learn more here.
Intimate Partner Abuse Prevention Helpline
This initiative is designed to prevent intimate partner violence by fostering accountability and change in people who harm or may harm their partner. You can find more information at 10to10helpline.org or by calling 877-898-3411.
SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Helpline
SafeSpot is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at safe-spot.me or access it by calling 800-972-0590.
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
De Novo is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling to people with low incomes. You can learn more about their services at denovo.org.
MassLegalHelp.org is a resource to help Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. The website does not offer legal advice or answer individual questions but has a page about options for finding a lawyer. It does provide resources for those facing legal issues, such as a landlord refusing to make repairs, appealing the denial of SNAP benefits, and questions about getting a CORI sealed.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie