Florida-based golf course operator acquires Mashpee club
MARIJUANA
Social cannabis license rules could be finalized in July
Becky Klothen smokes during a Bhang Yoga class at Diaspora, a private membership club in Cambridge, on Jan. 29.
Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe
The Cannabis Control Commission's plan for launching establishments where adults could use legal cannabis in a social setting is on track to be finalized by the end of next month, but the commission chairman stressed Tuesday that none of the draft under discussion is set in stone. The CCC embarked Tuesday to work through 'discussion on a number of policy questions' that Acting Chairman Bruce Stebbins said are intended to provide greater direction for the working group that has been crafting regulations for so-called social consumption licenses. He said Tuesday's meeting will lead to 'an updated framework and draft regulations for us to consider' with a final draft of the regulations expected to be back before commissioners 'toward the last week of July.' The framework rolled out by CCC members in December calls for three social consumption license types: a 'supplemental' license for existing marijuana establishments like retail stores and cultivation facilities that want to offer their customers the ability to consume products purchased on-site, a 'hospitality' license category that would allow for on-site consumption at new or existing non-cannabis businesses like yoga studios or theaters, and an 'event organizer' license category that would allow for temporary on-site consumption at events like rallies and festivals. — STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
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R.I. poised to ban cellphones in schools
A student places his phone inside a Yondr pouch, which has a locking device. The pouch can only be unlocked with a strong magnet.
Michael Jones/Rhode Island PBS
Phones away, please. Rhode Island is poised to ban the use of cellphones during school hours, after legislation passed the Rhode Island House unanimously Monday night. The Senate passed an identical bill last month, also unanimously. The legislation requires school districts to come up with a policy by next summer to ban phones and other personal electronic devices during the school day, but it leaves the specifics — including enforcement — up to local school officials. If signed into law, it won't go into effect until Aug. 1, 2026, giving districts a full school year to come up with their policies. A growing number of states and school districts have been restricting the use of smartphones in school, citing the intense distraction they cause, bullying concerns, and seeking to encourage more in-person social interaction. Governor Dan McKee's office did not immediately say Monday night if he would sign the bill, but the legislation received veto-proof majorities in both chambers. (The House and Senate still must pass each other's identical bills before sending to McKee's desk.) — STEPH MACHADO
MANUFACTURING
A Boston-based lithium startup is building a US battery plant that will skirt Trump's tariffs
US startup Pure Lithium Corp. is working on a testing facility to build a new type of lithium battery that's completely manufactured domestically. The company has developed a lithium metal battery that chief executive Emilie Bodoin says will displace lithium-ion batteries. Pure Lithium has spent the last four years doing research and development on the technology, which could be used in electric vehicles, utility-scale energy storage, and other applications. 'We're working as hard as we can to build a prototype pilot facility,' Bodoin said Tuesday in a Bloomberg Television interview. She added that the company is expanding its lithium production process and is integrating that into a manufacturing plant, 'and as soon as we get it up and running we're going to start getting these batteries out into the hands of US customers that need it.' The Boston-based company's move to build a pilot plant comes as President Trump's administration sets the stage for tariffs on imports of key battery components from China. Pure Lithium says it extracts lithium from brine to manufacture a battery free of graphite, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, allowing it to be produced without any inputs from China. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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PHARMACEUTICALS
FDA to offer faster drug reviews to companies promoting 'national priorities'
FDA's long-standing accelerated approval program generally issues decisions in six months for drugs that treat life-threatening diseases. Regular drug reviews take about 10 months.
Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
US regulators will begin offering faster reviews to new medicines that administration officials deem as promoting 'the health interests of Americans,' under a new initiative announced Tuesday. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency will aim to review select drugs in one to two months. FDA's long-standing accelerated approval program generally issues decisions in six months for drugs that treat life-threatening diseases. Regular drug reviews take about 10 months. Since arriving at the FDA in April, Makary has repeatedly told FDA staff they need to 'challenge assumptions' and rethink procedures. For the new program, the FDA will issue a limited number of 'national priority vouchers' to companies 'aligned with U.S. national priorities,' the agency said in a statement. The special designation will give the selected companies access to extra FDA communications, streamlined staff reviews, and the ability to submit much of their product information in advance. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
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FOOD
Kraft Heinz to eliminate all chemical dyes over next two years
Kraft Heinz said it would remove all chemical dyes from its products by the end of 2027. A spokesperson confirmed it would affect brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light and other beverages and desserts that contain dyes like Red No. 40 and Blue No. 1.
Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
On Tuesday, Kraft Heinz, the food giant best known for its ketchup and boxed Mac & Cheese, said it would remove all chemical dyes from its products by the end of 2027. The company said the shift would affect only about 10 percent of its portfolio by sales. A spokesperson confirmed it would affect brands like Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Crystal Light, and other beverages and desserts that contain dyes like Red No. 40 and Blue No. 1. Kraft Heinz is the first major food company to officially announce plans to stop using artificial colors. In April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said he had reached 'an understanding' with food manufacturers to remove commonly used artificial food dyes from their products by 2026. — NEW YORK TIMES
GOVERNMENT
Trump suggests he'll extend deadline for TikTok's Chinese owner to sell app
President Trump also said he thinks Xi would 'ultimately approve' a deal to divest TikTok's business in the United States.
Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
President Trump suggested on Tuesday that he would likely extend a deadline for TikTok's Chinese owner to divest the popular video sharing app. Trump had signed an order in early April to keep TikTok running for another 75 days after a potential deal to sell the app to American owners was put on ice. 'Probably yeah, yeah,' he responded when asked by reporters on Air Force One whether the deadline would be extended again. Trump also said he thinks Xi would 'ultimately approve' a deal to divest TikTok's business in the United States. If announced, it would be the third time Trump has extended the deadline. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
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ENTERTAINMENT
It's official: Streaming is now the king of TV
The logos for streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Sling TV are pictured on a remote control.
Jenny Kane/Associated Press
Americans watched more television via streaming services than they did through cable and broadcast networks in the month of May, Nielsen said in a report Tuesday. It is the first time that has happened over a full month. Nielsen began comparing streaming viewership with traditional network and cable television in 2021. At that time, even with streaming on a rapid ascent, the gap between the two was huge: Nearly two-thirds of all TV time was spent watching cable and broadcast, and just 26 percent was with streaming. That lead has now collapsed. It's no surprise that younger viewers were the first to jump to streaming. But another group has since made the leap as well: viewers over the age of 65. Older viewers watch
a lot
of television, more than any other cohort — one-third of all viewing comes from this group. And they have been moving to streaming in droves in the last few years — particularly to platforms that are free and require no subscription. — NEW YORK TIMES
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The Hill
35 minutes ago
- The Hill
US deadlines in Ukraine are a gift to Putin and Xi
President Trump's announcement this week of a shortened window of '10 to 12 days' for Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine reflects a continued evolution in his rhetoric. His growing frustration with Moscow and his willingness to speak plainly about Russia's escalation send a signal that many in the U.S. and Europe have been waiting to hear. But while the shift in tone signals growing frustration, it has not translated into action. Russia reads the action as a continued pause in pressure, which it has used to intensify its offensive against Ukrainian homes and hospitals. Russian forces are now making their fastest territorial gains in more than a year, and their attacks are becoming more sophisticated. Swarm tactics using Iranian-designed Shahed drones, now mass-produced and adapted inside Russia with Chinese parts, are overwhelming Ukraine's air defenses at an alarming rate. In just one day last month, Russia launched 728 drones, decoys and missiles in a single coordinated wave. Ukrainian interceptors and radar crews are doing heroic work, but they are stretched to the limit. The U.S. has tools at its disposal that remain unused. For months, a bipartisan sanctions bill, co-authored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and backed by 85 senators, a veto-proof majority, has been ready to move. The legislation would impose steep secondary tariffs on countries like China, India and Brazil that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, and would significantly raise the cost of doing business with Moscow. But in July, Senate leadership pulled the bill from consideration after President Trump suggested he would act if Russia failed to move toward peace within 50 days. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he would 'hold off' on advancing the bill, signaling that Congress would defer to Trump's timeline. House leaders followed suit. That decision was a mistake. While it is encouraging to see President Trump express increasing resolve, deferring congressional action in the hope that Putin will suddenly negotiate has only given Moscow more time and space to escalate. Every week of delay is a missed opportunity to tighten the financial pressure on Putin's war machine. And the clock is not just ticking in Ukraine. The broader contest involves China, too. Beijing's role in this war has become increasingly visible. Chinese companies are supplying entire weapons systems, not just components. Chinese-made drones and decoys are helping Russia saturate Ukrainian airspace. Chinese officials have even welcomed delegations from occupied Ukrainian territories and continue to sell heavy machinery to companies operating there. European officials report that China's foreign minister recently told the EU that Beijing does not want Russia to lose the war and fears that a Russian defeat would allow the U.S. to focus more squarely on Asia. Ukraine has responded accordingly. In early July, Kyiv arrested two Chinese nationals on espionage charges after they allegedly attempted to steal information about Ukraine's Neptune missile program. Days earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on five Chinese firms accused of supporting the Russian war effort. These are not symbolic gestures, they are signs that Ukraine is increasingly realistic about the stakes and about China's alignment with Moscow. Support for Ukraine is not a distraction from U.S. competition with China. It is a critical part of it. Weakening Putin's military capacity weakens a key pillar of China's global strategy. And allowing Russia to continue its aggression without consequence would embolden Beijing's worst instincts from the Taiwan Strait to the South China Sea. To its credit, the Trump administration has begun voicing stronger concerns about Beijing's role. In the recently concluded round of trade talks, senior U.S. officials reportedly raised objections to China's purchase of sanctioned Russian oil and its sale of more than $15 billion worth of dual-use technology to Moscow. These are important warnings — but without follow-through, they risk being absorbed into the pattern of delay that Moscow and Beijing are already exploiting. The Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill should move forward. It represents the most serious effort yet to impose real costs not only on Russia, but on the network of countries (especially China) helping it survive sanctions. It complements, rather than competes with, the administration's efforts to pressure Moscow. And it sends a message that the U.S. is serious about backing up its warnings with action. Countdowns can be useful. They create urgency. But urgency without follow-through is no substitute for strategy. What matters now is not how many days remain on the clock, but whether we are using each one to act. Jane Harman is a former nine-term congresswoman from California and former ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, who most recently served as chair of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy. She is the author of 'Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe.'
Boston Globe
35 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Texas state House panel advances gerrymandered congressional map
Advertisement But in the end, Republicans on the committee voted to deliver the map that had been called for by President Donald Trump, who said last month that he hoped to get five more Republicans in the House. Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas' 38 congressional seats. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Todd Hunter, a Republican state representative of Corpus Christi who sponsored the legislation for the map, said the new lines had been drawn 'for partisan purposes,' not based on race, and that the resulting map was 'completely transparent, and it's lawful.' The map now must be considered in a committee on calendars, which was set to meet Sunday. A first vote by the full Texas House could come as early as Monday or Tuesday. The state Senate must also approve the new map, or propose its own. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has indicated support for redistricting, though he has not commented on the new map, which he can sign into law or veto. Advertisement Texas Democrats could prevent the House from approving the map by failing to show up, denying the quorum needed for any legislative action. But doing so comes with political and practical risks: Republican leaders in the Texas House fast-tracked the redistricting legislation before introducing any bills responding to the deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country -- putting Democrats in the position of potentially walking out on legislation that addresses needs caused by the flooding. And the Texas House adopted rules that call for fines of $500 per day for any member who is absent without approval, a measure adopted after Democratic members broke quorum during a 2021 legislative fight over voting and redistricting. Nationally, Republicans have looked at redistricting in Texas -- and potentially in other states where the party has control of the government, such as Missouri and Indiana -- as a means to preserve a slim Republican majority in the U.S. House after next year's midterm elections, which have historically gone against the party holding the presidency. In response, Democratic leaders in California, Illinois and New York have said they were considering redrawing their states' maps to create additional seats for Democrats to win, and offset any Republican gains in Texas. Last month, Democratic members of the Texas House traveled to California and Illinois to meet with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. JB Pritzker and discuss those possibilities. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Saturday that his party was ready to fight this change. 'If Republicans want a showdown, the DNC, Texas Democrats and Democrats across the country have one thing to say: We will give you a showdown,' he said. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Senate makes progress in averting a gov't shutdown much earlier than usual
The Senate took a significant step towards averting an impending partial government shutdown by passing a tranche of funding bills much earlier than usual. Senators approved three of the 12 appropriations bills Friday needed to forestall a partial shutdown, including ones to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture, new military facilities, and Congress itself. 'We are on the verge of an accomplishment that we have not done since 2018, and that is, pass appropriations bills across the Senate floor prior to the August recess,' Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R–Maine) cheered before the upper chamber reached the feat. 'That is exercising our constitutional responsibility for the power of the purse.' The three appropriations bills that clear the Senate are typically viewed as the less controversial ones to get across the finish line. Still, it comes amid significant hurdles toward preventing the looming autumn shutdown. 4 Sen. Susan Collins helped broker the deal to get the three appropriations bills passed through the Senate. REUTERS 4 Senate Majority Leader John Thune has eaten into the August recess to clear up the upper chamber's lengthy to-do list. Democrats widely see the shutdown fight as a rare instance in which they have leverage in Congress and have been vexed by President Trump's use of impoundment and rescissions to make spending cuts without their approval. Moreover, Congress hasn't actually passed the 12 appropriations bills to properly fund the government on time since 1997. Each fiscal year, which starts on Oct. 1, Congress is tasked with funding the government to prevent a partial shutdown. Congress has typically relied on a mechanism known as continuing resolutions, or CRs, to put government spending on autopilot for stretches of time. CRs and appropriations bills are subject to the 60-vote threshold needed to break a filibuster in the Senate and must be bipartisan, which is why Congress typically struggles with the process. 4 Sen. Patty Murray said the deal will help prevent some of the cuts Democrats opposed. The current fiscal year is running on what turned into a yearlong CR, and there have been some murmurs in the House about doing so again for Fiscal Year 2026. Senators voted 87-9 on Friday for a two-bill minibus to fund the VA and Department of Agriculture. They then voted 81–15 on the third appropriations bill to fund Congress. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democratic appropriator, argued the small-scale deal 'rejects damaging cuts from Trump and House Republicans,' despite progressive complaints. The Senate still has nine more appropriations bills to take up: Commerce, Defense, Energy, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor, State and Transportation. The Senate Appropriations Committee has already approved about half of those, inching them closer to a full chamber vote. 4 Oftentimes, government shutdown fights come down to the wire. REUTERS Those appropriations bills will need to be green-lit by the House of Representatives, which is on August recess, and signed into law by President Trump. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has eaten into the August recess while seeking to wrangle through key Trump nominations and chip away at the backlog. He is currently negotiating with Democrats on a deal to expedite that process.
