New Jersey through Massachusetts could see 2 feet of snow. New York City's mayor said the city had not "seen a storm like this in a decade."

The Bay State’s online and retail sportsbooks won back $84.4 million on an $808.9-million handle.

How Bhattacharya's NIH Is Rethinking China, DEI, And High‑Risk Labs Authored by Jeff Louderback, Jan Jekielek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), For decades, scientists have looked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as an agency that publishes papers, according to Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, in Washington, on Feb. 8, 2026. Irene Luo/The Epoch Times Under President Donald Trump’s second term, the emphasis for NIH funding has shifted to “provable, testable hypotheses, not ideological narratives,” he said, which is resulting in widespread reforms to the agency. Bhattacharya, who obtained both a doctorate in economics and a medical degree from Stanford University within three years of each other, outlined changes that the NIH has implemented in his first year as the agency’s director and talked about his vision for the next three years in an interview with Epoch Times Senior Editor Jan Jekielek. The NIH has been instrumental in medical advances for decades, Bhattacharya said, but in the 21st century, it became “much more of a staid institution, not willing to take intellectual risks.” During the same time, the agency “was willing to take risks on dangerous gain-of-function and other social agendas, like DEI, that it had no business really engaging in.” “I think the NIH now, under my leadership, under President Trump’s leadership, and under what Secretary [Robert F.] Kennedy is looking over … is focused on actually addressing the chronic health problems of this country, reversing the flatlining of life expectancy, and making good on its mission ... research that improves the health and longevity of the American people, and the whole world,” he said. One of the 13 agencies managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research globally, providing 85 percent of all biomedical research funding worldwide, according to Bhattacharya. It funds about $50 billion in scientific research via grants to hundreds of thousands of researchers at academic institutions and hospitals, he said. The NIH is not an agency that makes decisions or policies about public health directly, Bhattacharya said, noting that he intends to “remove the politicization of science that has existed for decades.” The National Institutes of Health Gateway Center in Bethesda, Md., on June 8, 2025. During President Donald Trump’s second term, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said the agency “is focused on actually addressing the chronic health problems of this country.” Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters/File Photo Political Agendas Over the past 15 to 20 years, the NIH has incorporated political rather than scientific agendas, Bhattacharya told The Epoch Times. “Probably the most prominent example of this is DEI—diversity, equity and inclusion,” he said. “If you were a researcher outside the NIH, the ticket to getting sort of extra, relatively easy funds was to promise to do DEI research. Looking into it, much of that research had no real scientific basis at all. I don’t even characterize this as science.” As an example, Bhattacharya used a project that studied the question: “Is structural racism the root reason why African Americans have worse hypertension results than other races?” “The problem with that hypothesis is that there’s no way to test it,” he said. “If structural racism is the cause, then what control group can you have to test the idea that that is true? ... None of that actually translated over to better health for anybody, much less for African Americans. “Scientists of the country understand that if they want NIH support, they need to propose projects that have the chance of improving the health of people rather than achieving some ideology that should not belong at the NIH.” The NIH has redirected its funding since Trump took office for his second term. That includes allocating funds for “early career scientists,” Bhattacharya said. President Donald Trump (C) speaks as National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (2nd L) looks on during a press conference at the White House on May 12, 2025. The NIH redirected its funding priorities after Trump began his second term. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Funding Changes There should be “fundamental changes” with the way the NIH funds educational institutions, Bhattacharya said, and he intends to work with Congress “to make [this] happen.” On Jan. 5, a federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration cannot reduce the amount of money the NIH pays grant recipients for indirect costs, including administration and facility maintenance. The ruling applies to three lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and 21 other states, as well as hospitals, schools, and the associations that represent them. The NIH published a guidance document in February 2025 to limit how much grant funding could flow to research institutions to cover their indirect costs. These are costs that cannot be directly attributed to an individual research project and include expenses related to funding equipment, facilities, and research staff. The guidance document states that these indirect costs could not exceed 15 percent of funding for direct research costs, regardless of the costs incurred at universities. The NIH stated that Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Harvard charged in excess of 60 percent for indirect costs, even though they had billions of dollars in endowments. Attorneys for those who filed suit said small universities don’t have such large endowments and that if the guidance took effect, there would be many layoffs, stalled clinical trials, and laboratory closures. “If you don’t have amazing scientists who can win the grants, you’re not going to get the facility support. But in order to attract excellent scientists to your institution, you have to have excellent facilities. It’s the kind of Catch-22 that guarantees that our funding from the NIH is going to be concentrated in relatively few institutions,” Bhattacharya said. Scientists at schools such as the University of Alabama, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Kansas deserve access to funding like Stanford and Harvard, he said. A researcher studies skin wound healing in a lab at the University of Illinois Chicago in Chicago on March 5, 2025. On Jan. 5, a federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration could not limit the percentage amount the National Institutes of Health pays grant recipients for indirect costs, including administrative expenses and facility maintenance. Scott Olson/Getty Images Dealing With China The NIH must be “very careful about how we fund research relationships with China, especially post-pandemic,” Bhattacharya said. “The U.S. invested in the Chinese biomedical research enterprise. Almost every single top Chinese biomedical research scientist of note was funded in some part by the NIH. Many were trained in the United States, so we invested heavily in that,” he said. “Post-pandemic, and especially given the geopolitical circumstances we are in now, it looks, in retrospect, like it wasn’t all that wise an investment.” The NIH must implement more secure measures with foreign research, he said, referencing the collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “In the case of Wuhan, what happened was that the NIH funded … Eco Health Alliance, which had a sub-award relationship with the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Bhattacharya said. “When the pandemic happened, and the NIH had an interest in getting the lab notebooks of what exactly was studied in Wuhan, the Eco Health Alliance essentially delayed reporting at all about what it knew had happened,” Bhattacharya said. “They ultimately said, ‘Oh, well, we don’t control Wuhan Institute of Virology. We can’t get the lab notebooks.’” He noted that the NIH “funded research in collaboration with China that was actually quite dangerous and may indeed have led to the pandemic.” Under Bhattacharya, the NIH now has more stringent auditing processes with domestic and foreign institutions. “If it is NIH-funded, then [the domestic and the foreign institutions] have to have direct auditing relationships united with the NIH,“ he said. ”Then the NIH can shut off money to the foreign institution, if it’s not cooperating. ... It’s called a sub-project system. It’s one of the first things that I did.” Read the rest here... Tyler Durden Thu, 02/19/2026 - 21:45

A Massachusetts couple fell through ice, resulting in the death of the wife, while the search for the husband continues. Their daughters expressed heartbreak and gratitude for first responders.

A Massachusetts baking company, known for its pizza, is set to close after a century in business, marking the end of an era for the local establishment.

2027 four-star quarterback Peter Bourque of Massachusetts decommitted from Michigan football on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Two snowmobilers from Massachusetts were involved in a head-on collision and subsequently fell down an embankment in New Hampshire, sustaining injuries.

Top Democrats in Massachusetts are split on whether to bring back rent control, sparking a debate over housing policy in the state.

A selection of six exquisite homes with vast acreage is featured, including an off-the-grid contemporary home in New Mexico and a lakefront farmhouse in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is considering the reintroduction of rent control, a move that has caused a split among top Democrats in the state.

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts is weighing the reintroduction of rent control, a move that is reportedly dividing top Democrats in the state.

Massachusetts is weighing the reintroduction of rent control, a move that has divided top Democrats in the state.

England and Scotland’s 2026 FIFA World Cup group matches could face uncertainty due to an ongoing dispute involving Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Local officials have not yet approved the required entertainment license for the venue, creating the possibility that scheduled fixtures may need to be moved if an agreement is not reached.

Which US States Are Seeing Incomes Rise The Fastest (And Slowest) Since 2019, U.S. household incomes have surged - rising from $68,700 to $83,730 nationally, a 21.9% increase in just five years. But where you live matters a lot. While some states tracked close to the national average, others saw incomes climb at nearly double the pace, driven by booming local industries and major investment. States like Colorado posted outsized gains, while Georgia’s expanding EV industry brought billions in investment and rising paychecks. The map, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows which states saw the fastest growth in median household income from 2019 to 2024, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Trends in Median Income by State Below, we show the change in median household income for all 50 U.S. states and D.C. between 2019 and 2024 using nominal figures (not adjusted for inflation): Rank State Change in Median Household Income Median Household Income 2019 Median Household Income 2024 1 Colorado 46.9% $72,500 $106,500 2 Georgia 43.4% $56,630 $81,210 3 Maine 36.3% $66,550 $90,730 4 Montana 36.1% $60,190 $81,920 5 Tennessee 34.0% $56,630 $75,860 6 Rhode Island 31.6% $70,150 $92,290 7 Massachusetts 29.9% $87,710 $113,900 8 Florida 29.6% $58,370 $75,630 9 Iowa 29.4% $66,050 $85,480 10 Missouri 29.4% $60,600 $78,390 11 California 28.8% $78,100 $100,600 12 New Hampshire 28.7% $86,900 $111,800 13 North Dakota 25.8% $70,030 $88,080 14 Mississippi 25.0% $44,790 $55,980 15 Ohio 24.5% $64,660 $80,520 16 South Dakota 24.3% $64,260 $79,850 17 Michigan 23.9% $64,120 $79,460 18 South Carolina 23.8% $62,030 $76,780 19 Idaho 23.7% $65,990 $81,650 20 Utah 23.0% $84,520 $104,000 21 Wisconsin 22.6% $67,350 $82,560 22 New York 20.8% $71,850 $86,830 23 Texas 20.8% $67,440 $81,490 24 Wyoming 20.8% $65,130 $78,680 25 New Mexico 20.8% $53,110 $64,140 26 Oregon 20.5% $74,410 $89,700 27 Virginia 20.2% $81,310 $97,720 28 Kansas 19.9% $73,150 $87,690 29 Arizona 19.9% $70,670 $84,700 30 Arkansas 18.9% $54,540 $64,840 31 Washington 18.3% $82,450 $97,500 32 New Jersey 18.0% $87,730 $103,500 33 Nebraska 17.9% $73,070 $86,140 34 West Virginia 17.6% $53,710 $63,150 35 Louisiana 17.5% $51,710 $60,740 36 Alabama 16.7% $56,200 $65,560 37 Alaska 16.4% $78,390 $91,260 38 Kentucky 16.4% $55,660 $64,790 39 Delaware 15.7% $74,190 $85,860 40 Indiana 15.0% $66,690 $76,710 41 Maryland 14.8% $95,570 $109,700 42 Vermont 14.7% $74,310 $85,260 43 Connecticut 13.7% $87,290 $99,240 44 Nevada 13.7% $70,910 $80,590 45 Pennsylvania 13.4% $70,580 $80,060 46 Minnesota 13.4% $81,430 $92,350 47 Illinois 13.2% $74,400 $84,210 48 District of Columbia 12.6% $93,110 $104,800 49 Hawaii 11.6% $88,010 $98,240 50 Oklahoma 9.9% $59,400 $65,310 51 North Carolina 9.9% $61,160 $67,220 Colorado’s thriving tech industry helped push median income up 46.9%, the fastest rise across states. With $165,606 in average earnings across the sector in 2023, Colorado ranked sixth-highest nationally. From software to renewable energy, employment growth has expanded by double- or even triple-digit percentages across various roles since 2018. Georgia ranks in a close second, with median incomes climbing 43.4%. In particular, the EV and aerospace sectors are playing a key role in job creation. Since 2018, the state has seen $27.3 billion in investment across EV, aerospace, and battery manufacturers including Rivian and SK Battery America. Maine, meanwhile, saw wages rise 36.3%. In 2024, wages across the tech sector saw the steepest jump of 11.4% while those in the construction sector saw strong gains of 8.5%. Other factors, such as its older population and tight labor market, have further boosted wages. Falling near the middle of the pack were New York and Texas, each with wage gains of 20.8% between 2019 and 2024. By contrast, North Carolina and Oklahoma saw only 9.9% cumulative wage growth, the weakest performance nationwide. Median household income in both states remains well below the U.S. average and still trails pre-pandemic levels. To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on average hourly earnings by state in 2025. Tyler Durden Sat, 02/14/2026 - 22:45

The Massachusetts auditor is taking legislative leaders to court to enforce a transparency law, following the alleged discovery of $12 million in fraud.

Alertas de ventisca desde Delaware hasta Massachusetts mientras una tormenta amenaza la costa este  AP News

The USS Lionfish docked at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The USS Lionfish was commissioned in 1944 and earned one battle star for service in World War II. It sank a Japanese submarine, rescued the crew of a B-29 bomber, and served as a training submarine. The Balao-class submarine is now a museum docked at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. The World War II submarine USS Lionfish was part of America's "Silent Service." Despite comprising less than 2% of all US Navy vessels during World War II, submarines like the USS Lionfish sank 55% of Japanese vessels in battle. This once-fearsome vessel is now a 311-foot-long museum exhibit, allowing the public to learn about its top-secret wartime operations. Take a look inside the USS Lionfish. Commissioned in 1944, the USS Lionfish earned one battle star for service during World War II. The USS Lionfish at sea in an undated photo. Arkivi/Getty Images Over the Balao-class submarine's two war patrols, she sank a Japanese submarine, destroyed a schooner, and rescued the crew of a downed American B-29 bomber. The USS Lionfish was recommissioned for the Korean War, serving from 1951 to 1953. From 1960 to 1971, the USS Lionfish served as a reserve training submarine, teaching crew members to operate similar vessels. Since 1973, the USS Lionfish has been on display at Battleship Cove, a maritime museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. The USS Lionfish. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Tickets to Battleship Cove cost $25 per adult. I visited the museum in January to take a closer look at the retired submarine. The first stop on my self-guided tour was the forward torpedo room, where 16 torpedomen slept and worked. The forward torpedo room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The forward torpedo room featured six torpedo tubes, each storing a torpedo, and 10 reloads. The 16 crew members slept alongside the torpedoes on pull-out bunks, remaining ready to fire at all times. Behind the torpedo room was officers' country, which included the officers' pantry. The officers' pantry. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider In the officers' pantry, meals for the higher-ranking crew members were reheated and plated on Navy china. They ate the same food as the rest of the sailors, but in a fancier setting. Officers used the wardroom for dining, working, and relaxing. The wardroom on board the USS Lionfish. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider It could also serve as an operating room in medical emergencies. Junior officers slept in a room with four bunks. The junior officers' quarters. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Officers enjoyed more privacy on board than enlisted men. Senior officers had even more privacy in a room with a triple bunk. The senior officers' quarters. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The submarine's second-in-command, known as the executive officer, slept in this room. The commanding officer slept in the only private room on board the submarine. The commanding officer's stateroom. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The commanding officer's stateroom featured a small desk that functioned as a private workspace. Chief petty officers slept five to a room in their quarters. The chief petty officers' quarters. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Chief petty officers served as liaisons between the officers and the crew. This room was also colloquially known as the "goat locker" since the more experienced officers were affectionately nicknamed "old goats." In the ship's office, an administrator known as the yeoman handled all of the ship's paperwork. The ship's office. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Personnel files, orders of supplies, and other administrative tasks were the yeoman's domain. Equipment in the control room managed the submarine's depth, speed, steering, and navigation. The control room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The commanding officer issued orders from the control center or the conning tower located directly above. The USS Lionfish's conning tower wasn't open to the public, but I did get to look inside one while touring another Balao-class submarine, the USS Becuna. Communications and covert operations were handled in the radio room. The radio room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The USS Lionfish was equipped with sonar, or "sound navigation and ranging," to listen for enemy ships in the surrounding waters. Chefs prepared meals for the submarine's 80 crew members in the main galley. The main galley. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The galley prepared four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight rations known as "mid-rats." The crew's mess was an all-purpose room where sailors ate, lounged, and played games. The crew's mess. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Frozen and refrigerated food was stored in compartments underneath the floor. The bunks have been removed from the crew's berthing during ongoing restoration work. The crew's berthing. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Other Balao-class submarines held 35 or 36 bunks in this space. The USS Lionfish featured two engine rooms, each containing two diesel engines. The forward engine room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Each engine room was responsible for half of the ship's electric and propulsion power. In the maneuvering room, switches controlled the flow of electricity to the submarine's generators. The maneuvering room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider While surfaced, the submarine's four diesel engines powered its generators, which in turn powered the ship's motors. While submerged, storage batteries powered the motors. My tour ended with the after torpedo room at the back of the submarine. The after torpedo room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Around 13 enlisted men worked and slept in the after torpedo room, which featured four torpedo tubes. The USS Lionfish remains unique among World War II submarines. The USS Lionfish docked at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Over 50 submarines underwent a Greater Underwater Propulsive Power 1-A, or "GUPPY," modernization after World War II. However, the USS Lionfish remained as it was. Museum staff and volunteers are working to restore the USS Lionfish and preserve its original configuration. Even in frigid temperatures, I saw volunteers holding tools and walking carefully around the deck's open panels, revealing the complex mechanics beneath. Read the original article on Business Insider

Up to three times national average of metabolite produced by human use of drug was found in town’s wastewater Tests on wastewater in an upscale Massachusetts ocean resort town have revealed unexpectedly high levels of cocaine – up to three times the national average. Officials in the town of Nantucket on the eponymous island off Cape Cod began testing its wastewater last summer “to monitor high-risk substances and opioids in the community”. Continue reading...

Authorities are utilizing advanced deep-sea technology in an effort to locate a sunken fishing boat off the coast of Massachusetts.

Luxury island Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts, shows cocaine levels far beyond the national average in wastewater surveillance, revealing hidden substance abuse issues.

Planned Parenthood Massachusetts announces Valentine's Day vasectomy services for "people who carry sperm" in unique reproductive health campaign.

A beloved Massachusetts bakery, famous for its party pizzas, is closing its doors after 109 years in business.

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Waste Of The Day: Secret Settlements Get Taxpayer Money Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations, Topline: Eight Massachusetts state agencies and 13 colleges spent $6.8 million to settle grievances, partly in secret, brought by their own employees from 2019 to 2024, according to a Jan. 16 report from State Auditor Diana DiZoglio.  At least 80 of the 263 settlements contain confidentiality language such as a nondisclosure agreement — to keep certain details confidential between the two parties — which the audit claims is banned by state guidelines.  Key facts: The Massachusetts Port Authority transit agency was responsible for 11 of the settlements, costing taxpayers $1.7 million. Most of the money came from a $1.4 million settlement in 2022 with an employee who alleged they were denied a promotion because of their gender. The details are sealed by an NDA. Six of the confidential settlements involved alleged sexual harassment, and two involved alleged racial discrimination. Most of the others were about violations of collective bargaining agreements and employees who were fired without cause. NDAs were seemingly used on an arbitrary basis. None of the colleges and state agencies included in the audit had a written policy explaining when confidentiality language should be used, except the inspector general’s office. “By not having a documented policy on the use of confidentiality language in state employee settlement agreements, there is a risk that confidentiality language may be abused to cover up harassment; discrimination; or other inappropriate, unlawful, or unethical behaviors, potentially allowing perpetrators to continue to remain in their positions and engage in further inappropriate, unlawful, or unethical behavior,” auditor DiZoglio wrote. All of the colleges and state agencies receive legal assistance from the state attorney general’s office. The office’s guidelines prohibit nondisclosure agreements, and the attorneys told auditors that all state agencies were made aware of the guidelines.  DiZoglio argued that the NDAs may not even be enforceable. In June 2013, Suffolk County Superior Court sided with the Boston Globe newspaper in ruling that settlements between state agencies and their employees are public records. Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com.  Background: The audit is a follow-up to a 2025 report that found 75 state agencies had spent $41 million on more than 2,000 employee settlements from 2010 to 2022. Summary: Massachusetts’ NDAs hurt the public twice. They essentially use taxpayer funds to cover up potentially unethical behavior perpetrated using taxpayer funds. The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com Tyler Durden Mon, 02/16/2026 - 11:40

Eat The Rich: California Democrats Trigger Reverse Gold Rush With Wealth Tax Authored by Jonathan Turley, This month, the anniversary of the California Gold Rush came and passed with little mention … for good reason. When James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill, millions traveled great distances to seek their fortune in the “Golden State.” Now, 178 years later, California has engineered an inverse Gold Rush, virtually chasing wealth from the state. Rather than covered wagons going West, there is a line of U-Hauls going anywhere other than California. From boondoggle projects to reparations, California politicians continue to rack up new spending projects despite a soaring deficit and shrinking tax base. Rather than exercise a modicum of fiscal restraint, Democrats are pushing through a tax that takes five percent of the wealth of any billionaires left in the state. I have long criticized the tax as perfectly moronic for a state with the highest tax burden and one of the highest flight rates of top taxpayers. In my new book, “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution,” I discuss the reversal of fortunes in California and other blue states as politicians unleash new “eat the rich” campaigns before the midterm elections. The problem, of course, is that billionaires are mobile, as is their wealth. Liberals expect billionaires to stay put in a type of voluntary canned hunt.  They are not. Billionaires are joining the growing exodus from the state, taking their companies, investments, and jobs with them. The latest billionaire to be chased off may be Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is reportedly heading for Florida. The growing departures have triggered outrage among many on the left, who are in disbelief that billionaires will just not stand still to be fleeced. Former New York Magazine editor Kara Swisher captured that rage in a recent posting, declaring “you made…all your money in California, you ungrateful piece of s***, you could figure out a way to pay more taxes, and we deserve the taxes from you, given you made your wealth here . . . so why don’t we just do shock and awe at this point, because you don’t seem to be availing yourself to thinking that you owe your state something more.” By some estimates, California has already cost over a trillion dollars in lost investments and business. That is no small achievement. Here’s a mind teaser: How can you burn a trillion dollars (which would create a stack some 67,866 miles high) without taking years and destroying the environment? California politicians have a solution: Have people take it out of the state in a reverse gold rush. In addition to saying that they want to grab 5 percent of the wealth of these billionaires, California Democrats are planning to base wealth calculations on the voting shares of corporate executives. Often, particularly with start-ups, entrepreneurs have greater voting shares than actual ownership. However, they will be taxed as if voting shares amounted to actual wealth. In other words, California is moving to nuke the entrepreneurs who created the Silicon Valley boom. Emmanuel Saez, the U.C. Berkeley economist who helped design the tax, insists that they may not want to stay, but they will still be tapped. They are planning to trap the wealthy fleeing the state retroactively: “The tax is based on residence as of Jan. 1, 2026, sharply limiting their ability to flee the state to avoid paying. Despite billionaires’ threats to leave, I think extremely few will have been able to change residence by Jan. 1, given the complexity of doing so.” The effort to retroactively impose such a tax is legally controversial and will face years of challenges. In my view, this is unconstitutional, but admittedly it is a murky area. Regardless of the outcome, a wealth tax will affect a wide range of other wealthy taxpayers. If Democrats can get a retroactive wealth tax to be upheld, it is doubtful that they will stop with billionaires. Why should other top taxpayers stick around to find out where the next cull will fall in the tax brackets? Recently, Gavin Newsom boasted, “California isn’t just keeping pace with the world — we’re setting the pace.” That is undeniably true if the measure is the record number of U-Hauls fleeing the state — more than any other state. Indeed, the only thing harder to find than a wealthy taxpayer in California appears to be a U-Haul. According to U-Haul’s data, the state is again leading blue states in the exodus. The Washington Post noted recently that “California came in last. Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey rounded out the bottom five. Of the bottom 10, seven voted blue in the last election.” Conversely, “nine of the top 10 growth states voted red in the last presidential election,” with Texas again leading the growth states. The Post put it succinctly, “People want to live in pro-growth, low-tax states, while the biggest losers tend to be places with big governments and high taxes.” The problem is that, while the economics are horrific, the politics remain irresistible. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who represents part of Silicon Valley, recently mocked billionaires rushing to escape the state. Laughing at his own constituents, Khanna quipped, “I will miss them very much.” You will not be alone as California becomes known as the La Brea Tar Pit of taxation. They are on the verge of converting the state motto from “Eureka” to “Welcome to Hotel California, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.” Tyler Durden Sat, 02/14/2026 - 20:15

I was convinced the hormones and surgeries doctors gave me were carefully considered, evidence-based, and even lifesaving. Yet, the risks were clearly substantial.

John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, attended the Municipal Art Society Gala in 1998. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and her sister died in a 1999 plane crash near Martha's Vineyard. Rumors of a "Kennedy curse" were fueled by multiple family tragedies over the decades. JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's relationship is now the topic of an FX series, "Love Story." The Kennedy family has been subjected to many tragedies over the years, including two assassinations and a plane crash that took the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr. and two other passengers. Nearly 27 years ago, on July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and her older sister Lauren Bessette were killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. There were no survivors from the accident. The relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is now the topic of an FX series executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, "Love Story." Their deaths became a major news story and perpetuated rumors of a "Kennedy curse." JFK Jr.'s father, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963. His uncle, Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, was assassinated five years later in 1968. And two years before JFK Jr.'s death, his cousin Michael Kennedy also died after hitting a tree while skiing in Aspen, Colorado. Here's what we know about the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. and two others. John F. Kennedy Jr. frequently made headlines throughout the 1990s. John F. Kennedy, Jr. at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. Bettmann/Getty Images As the son of a president and a member of one of America's most prominent political dynasties, John F. Kennedy Jr. was destined for the spotlight. JFK Jr. was born on November 25, 1960, just two weeks after his father was elected president. His father was assassinated on November 22, 1963, just three days shy of JFK Jr.'s third birthday. JFK Jr., affectionately nicknamed "John-John" by the public, attended the funeral on his birthday and was famously photographed saluting his father's casket. Throughout much of his adolescence and adulthood, he mostly remained out of the public eye. However, his public image began to change after he introduced his uncle, Ted Kennedy, at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. In September 1988, People named Kennedy, who was then a 27-year-old third-year law student at NYU, the "Sexiest Man Alive." JFK Jr. also dated a few celebrities throughout the 1990s, including "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, Cindy Crawford, and Daryl Hannah. John F. Kennedy Jr. began dating Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein, in 1994. John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1995. Rose Hartman/Getty Images They met in the fitting room at Calvin Klein, where Bessette helped JFK Jr. pick out wardrobe items, Elizabeth Beller wrote in "Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," cited by People. Tall, sophisticated, and beautiful, JFK Jr.'s new girlfriend captivated the public. After two years of dating, the pair married in an intimate ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia, People reported. While their wedding ceremony was private, their relationship was anything but, thanks to the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Evan Agostini/Getty Images; NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images The media attention may have even inspired Kennedy to get his pilot's license in 1998. "That was some of the happiest times he ever had. Floating around with the buzzards in his Buckeye [plane]. It was the freedom," his close friend Robbie Littell told "JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography" author RoseMarie Terenzio, according to People. "He said, 'It's the only place I can go where no one is bothering me. I have complete silence, and no one can get to me except the air traffic controllers.' Maybe that gives you insight into what he was really dealing with on the ground," his college friend Gary Ginsberg said, People reported. John F. Kennedy Jr. was traveling to Martha's Vineyard with his wife and her older sister when their plane was reported missing. The hangar where John Kennedy Jr. kept his Piper Saratoga airplane. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that Kennedy departed Essex County Airport near Fairfield, New Jersey, at around 8:38 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 1999. The sun was already beginning to set and "hazy conditions," which had been reported earlier in the evening, were getting worse, People reported. Kennedy planned to drop his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette on Martha's Vineyard before traveling to his family's compound in Hyannis Port with Carolyn. The couple was due to attend his cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding the following day, according to People. However, the plane never landed in Martha's Vineyard. An unidentified driver reported the plane had failed to arrive at Martha's Vineyard Airport as expected, according to the Post, citing an NBC report. It kicked off a search for the missing aircraft in the early hours of July 17. The Kennedy family notified the Cape Cod Coast Guard that the couple had not made it back to Hyannis. A Coast Guard helicopter searching for debris from John Kennedy Jr.'s plane. Daniel Goodrich/Newsday RM/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that the Coast Guard then began investigating whether the plane had landed at another airport. By 4 a.m., the Coast Guard began searching for the missing plane, and by 7:30 a.m., the Air Force and Coast Guard had launched 20 aircraft vehicles and two boats to search the area between Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, according to the Post's timeline. On Sunday afternoon, what was presumed to be debris from the plane was found on Philbin Beach on Martha's Vineyard. Among the debris was a headrest that was later concluded to be from the missing aircraft and a black suitcase that contained Lauren Bessette's business card. Rory Kennedy's wedding, scheduled for 6 p.m. that night, was put on hold as the family awaited more news. The Washington Post reported that after more debris was found in the days to follow, the search-and-rescue mission became a search-and-recovery mission. All three of the plane's passengers were now presumed dead. John F. Kennedy Jr. was 38 years old. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was 33, and her sister Lauren Bessette was 34. Five days after the crash, the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were recovered. Massachusetts State Police divers left Menemsha on Martha's Vineyard on July 19, 1999. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images The debris field was identified off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, relatively near the estate once owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Kennedy's mother, The New York Times reported. (Kennedy Onassis died in 1994.) The bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were discovered by Navy divers on July 22, 1999, after an extensive search approved by President Bill Clinton. The bodies of the crash victims, which were ''near and under'' the main body of the aircraft, were still strapped in, according to the Times. Details began to emerge about what led to the crash. A television technician holds up the official handout map of the search and rescue area off Martha's Vineyard. JOHN MOTTERN/AFP/Getty Images Kennedy had only flown about 72 hours without a flight instructor, and had only about 300 total hours of flying experience, The New York Times reported in July 2000. He had reportedly rejected an offer to have a flight instructor accompany the group on their journey. As a newly trained pilot, Kennedy was not licensed to fly and navigate the air using flying instruments. Instead, he had only trained to fly using sight alone, which would have been extremely difficult in dark or hazy conditions such as those on the night of July 16. Warren Morningstar, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, told the Times that "flying at night over featureless terrain or water, and particularly in haze or in overcast, is a prime setup for spatial disorientation." About an hour into the trip, the plane's flight path became irregular as it began its descent into Martha's Vineyard, indicating that the pilot may have become disoriented by the darkness of the sky and the water, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded. "His flight path into the water is consistent with what is known as a graveyard spiral," Jeff Guzzetti, an NTSB investigator in the accident, told Terenzio, according to People. "The airplane makes a spiral nose down … kind of like going down a drain. The plane went into one final turn and it stayed in that turn pretty much all the way down to the ocean." The aircraft went down in the water about 7 miles from its intended destination of Martha's Vineyard. Mourners pay respects at the floral shrine outside of the building where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn lived in 1999. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that the plane did not send out a distress call. Instead, it made its final descent and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in under 30 seconds. Kennedy, Kennedy-Bessette, and Bessette's bodies were cremated and buried at sea off the coast of Martha's Vineyard on July 22, 1999. "We are filled with unspeakable grief and sadness by the loss of John and Carolyn and Lauren Bessette," Ted Kennedy said in a statement on behalf of the Kennedy family. "John was a shining light in all our lives and in the lives of the nation and the world that first came to know him as a little boy." As the country mourned the loss, rumors of a "Kennedy curse" were reignited. John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy attended the White House Correspondents dinner in 1999. Tyler Mallory/Liaison/Getty Images The extensive search captured the nation's attention, as did the tragedy of the three young passengers' deaths. Yet another tragic accident for the Kennedy family, the plane crash only added to rumors of a Kennedy family curse. "I've looked high and low and cannot find another family since the ancient Greek House of Atreus that has suffered more calamities and misfortunes than the Kennedys," Edward Klein, the author of "The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years," said, according to The Washington Post. While there are many logical reasons for the fateful plane crash, it's nevertheless poignant that the Kennedy family, one of the wealthiest and most influential political families in the world, has suffered so much tragedy throughout the last 100 years. "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged," Kennedy family biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli told NBC News in 2019. "We peer behind the scenes of their wealthy lifestyle, and we see, for all the advantages they have, tragedy can still happen." Read the original article on Business Insider

New Jersey is preparing for a potential weekend snowstorm, with the forecast heavily dependent on the track of an approaching coastal storm.

Authorities are utilizing advanced deep-sea technology in an effort to locate a fishing boat that sank last month off the coast of Massachusetts, resulting in the loss of all crew members.

Polymarket has filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts in response to the state's crackdown on prediction markets.

Former New England Patriots staffer Ernie Adams will take over his alma mater's high school football team on an interim basis for the 2026 season.

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Massachusetts is considering the reintroduction of rent control, a move that has caused division among top Democrats in the state.

Massachusetts is debating the reintroduction of rent control, a move that has divided top Democrats in the state.

Massachusetts is considering bringing back rent control, a move that is causing division among top Democrats in the state.

Massachusetts Weighs Return of Rent Control, Dividing Top Democrats  The Wall Street Journal

Leaders of Italy's right-wing government parties held a summit to discuss their priorities for the final year of their term.

Massachusetts is experiencing a population decline as residents migrate to states with lower tax burdens, according to a new report.

A dogwalker has died after falling through ice in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while the search for her husband, who is also believed to have fallen, has been suspended.