Local leaders and addiction recovery organization advocates for change
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
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CBS News
8 hours ago
- CBS News
Keller: Wu looks to play "Trump card" against Kraft, who has an uphill climb in the polls
The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global. With less than 100 days to go before Boston voters choose their mayor for the next four years, incumbent Michelle Wu is basking in the glow of what one recent poll found was a whopping 65% job approval rating among Boston voters. But there are some trouble spots on the Wu record that chief challenger Josh Kraft thinks he can exploit. That includes the controversial, increasingly costly rehab of Franklin Park's White Stadium into a shared public/private facility. "Mayor Wu thinks the voters of Boston are a bunch of fools," said Kraft at a press conference slamming Wu for hedging on the projected cost of the project. "I did vote for Mayor Wu the first election, [but] I have serious concerns this time," said Jamaica Plain resident Melissa Hamel, part of a group suing the city over the White Stadium project. "I don't like the fact that our community meetings have been less than transparent. Basically we were told what we were gonna get, we weren't asked." And Kraft sees a political opportunity there. "This election is about giving voters a a candidate that says they want to be inclusive of all voices and a candidate that actually listens to those voices before a decision is made," he says. To which Wu countered: "All he said is that we don't listen enough and he will listen more. But my question is, listen to who? Trump mega-donors?" There it is, the Wu campaign's Trump card. The president is about as popular in Boston as a packed subway car in a heatwave with no AC. And that recent poll showed standing up to Trump was a top three issue on the minds of Boston voters. "The federal government has retreated from the real challenges that we face everyday," Wu said. And while Kraft says he's never voted for Trump and thinks he's unfit, his chance for an upset may depend on somehow trumping the Trump card. The most recent polling had Wu with a huge 30-point lead. Can Kraft possibly overcome that? Yes, but he has a tough climb ahead. Despite criticism over White Stadium, bike lanes and the state of the public schools, the mayor's personal popularity is sky-high, while Kraft is running TV ads trying to boost his own approval rating. It's been 76 years since an incumbent mayor of Boston lost a re-election bid, and Wu has proven she's not going to be a pushover.
CBS News
8 hours ago
- CBS News
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro joins lawsuit against Trump administration's attempt to defund Planned Parenthood
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is joining a coalition of 22 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia in a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's latest effort to cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, targets a provision in the recently passed "One Big, Beautiful Bill," which halts Medicaid reimbursements for a year to major family planning providers, most notably Planned Parenthood. The move has sparked both legal action and passionate public response. Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia's Gayborhood, supporters gathered not with signs, but with prayers. "I believe in the mission of Planned Parenthood, and I believe in all of the health care they provide, saving services they provide," said Mark, who asked not to share his last name. "I believe that's prayer-worthy." Another patient, who didn't want to reveal her identity, spoke about the daily reality of relying on these clinics. "If you need medical attention, they're there. They don't judge you," the patient said. President Trump celebrated the bill as a legislative milestone. "This is the most single most popular bill ever signed," he said at the signing, claiming, "And it includes the largest tax cut in American history, the largest spending cut, $1.7 trillion." Critics argue the spending cuts come at the expense of vital health services. New Jersey and Delaware have also joined the suit. The lawsuit argues the defunding provision, which could strip Planned Parenthood of an estimated $700 million in Medicaid reimbursements, would jeopardize access to essential care like cancer screenings, birth control, treatment for sexually transmitted infections and prenatal care. Supporters of the defunding effort, like longtime anti-abortion advocate Mark Houck, welcomed the move. "It's an unconstitutional program," he said. "Our taxpayer dollars should not be going to fund a nonprofit organization like Planned Parenthood." In a statement on X, Shapiro called the provision an "unconstitutional decision" that threatens to deny Pennsylvanians "lifesaving care." He added, "As long as I'm governor, we will defend access to reproductive health care here in Pennsylvania." McGill-Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, echoed those concerns, calling the bill a "targeted attack on Planned Parenthood health centers and patients." The lawsuit challenges the so-called "Defund Provision" of the bill, which blocks Medicaid funding to health centers that provide abortion-related services, even though federal law already prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions in most cases. The plaintiffs argue the provision punishes Planned Parenthood for its constitutionally protected advocacy, violating both the First Amendment and Article I's ban on bills of attainder. It also forces states to enforce federal policy by either cutting off funding to clinics or absorbing the costs themselves, undermining the federal-state Medicaid partnership. The states are asking the court to declare the provision unconstitutional and block its enforcement. Until a ruling is reached, supporters like Mark say they'll continue showing up. "I think it's a good thing to come and express prayers in support of the alternate opinion," he said.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
eClinicalWorks Pledges Support to CMS Digital Health Tech Ecosystem Initiative at the White House
Advancing nationwide interoperability, eClinicalWorks supports CMS's push for digital transformation in line with its mission to 'Improve Healthcare Together' WESTBOROUGH, Mass., July 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--, the largest ambulatory cloud EHR, is proud to announce its active participation in the CMS Digital Health Tech Ecosystem, an initiative announced today by top health officials at the White House to promote seamless healthcare data sharing and new industry interoperability standards. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are spearheading the initiative to establish a framework for interoperability, enhancing patient and provider access to health information. The aim is to create a more intelligent and personalized healthcare system. "We pledge to work collaboratively and become a CMS Aligned Network," said Girish Navani, CEO and cofounder of eClinicalWorks. "This will empower our providers and patients to have real-time access to health information." "eClinicalWorks pledges to enhance our systems, "Kill the Clipboard," to make it easy for patients to share information efficiently," Navani continued. eClinicalWorks Pledges at the White House Event: Network Pledge — CMS Interoperability Framework: eClinicalWorks pledges to implement the CMS Interoperability Framework, empowering patients, providers, and their apps with real-time access. EMR Pledge — Kill the Clipboard: eClinicalWorks pledges to eliminate the use of clipboards by enabling systems to accept patient data via QR codes or Smart Health Cards/Links. For more information on eClinicalWorks interoperability solutions, visit About eClinicalWorks eClinicalWorks was founded in 1999 to help digitize paper charts for ambulatory practices. Today, eClinicalWorks innovates the nation with cloud-based Electronic Health Records and Practice Management solutions. In addition, we help ambulatory practices, specialists, health centers, urgent care facilities, and hospital systems manage their revenue cycle, patient relationships, and Population Health initiatives. More than 180,000 providers and 1 million medical professionals rely upon the power and scalability of the eCW Cloud for flexible clinical documentation, better front-office workflows, and more efficient billing driven by Robotic Process Automation. We combine innovation, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to patient safety to enable practices to grow and thrive amid the challenges of 21st-century healthcare. For more information, visit follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or call (866) 888-6929. View source version on Contacts eClinicalWorksBhakti Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
