Latest news with #AGCampbell
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Economic growth slowing in the U.S. so far this year, according to recent study
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – New data just released on Wednesday, showing that U.S. economic growth has slowed sharply in the first quarter of 2025. The slowdown comes amid growing concerns that President Trump's tariffs could disrupt the economy. The GDP, or gross domestic product, is the sum of all goods and services produced in the U.S., and from January to March, it fell 0.3%. AG Campbell releases guide protecting Massachusetts homebuyers from discrimination This is the first quarter of negative growth since 2022. Experts were anticipating the GDP to come in at 0.4% growth, but instead it was a decline. According to Mark Teed, the Senior Vice President at Raymond James Associates, there is an explanation for the drop. 'The big reason is, everybody knew the tariffs were coming, so everybody rushed to get all their imports in before April 2, Liberation Day,' Teed said. 'That was like a 41% increase in imports, so that skewed everything from positive to negative.' Teed did say the underlying economy is still in good shape, and unless the trade deals go bad quickly, the market is anticipating a pick up by the end of the year. He said this should not have an impact on consumers. 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AG Campbell releases guide protecting Massachusetts homebuyers from discrimination
BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell released the office's first 'Know Your Rights' consumer guide on Wednesday, aimed at protecting homebuyers and homeowners against appraisal discrimination. Springfield among Mass. casino cities losing community mitigation funds AG Campbell released this guide to help consumers understand and identify both explicit and subtle signs of appraisal discrimination. This can include written commentary referring to the race, national origin, or other protected characteristics of a homeowner or neighborhood, or assigning a lower value to a home based on the race of the homeowner or the racial composition of the neighborhood. The Attorney General's Office stated that in Massachusetts, the homeownership rate is 37.4% for black families and 70.4% for white families. Furthermore, national research from the Brookings Institution finds that homes in black neighborhoods are valued at 23% less than those in non-black neighborhoods, even when having similar quality and amenities. AG Campbell said that the racial wealth gap in the state is impacted by racial disparities in the rates of homeownership and in the financial returns associated with owning a home, including the bias in home valuation. She hopes that through this guide, homeowners and homebuyers can recognize and report appraisal discrimination. Consumers who believe they have received a discriminatory home appraisal are urged to file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General's Office online or through the Civil Rights Division at 617-963-2917. 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City of Greenfield to begin assessing sidewalk conditions
GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The city of Greenfield will be conducting a Sidewalk Condition Assessment after receiving a $45,000 grant from the Massachusetts Office on Disability. AG Campbell to discuss opioid crisis impact on rural western Mass. The city says it's been working to repair or replace over six miles of sidewalk over the last seven years. Starting on Tuesday, they're using the state grant to figure out what is left to be repaired. A contractor from Westfield, Tighe & Bond, will be doing a walkthrough of the city's roughly 78 miles worth of sidewalks and 35 miles of curbing. The assessment will continue through June. They'll pinpoint where conditions are worst and what still needs to be fixed. The contractor will be walking and surveying every street in Greenfield and will be taking notes and photos while doing so. They will likely be rolling a cart with a mounted camera on it and might be riding around on a bicycle, also with a mounted camera on it. The Greenfield 'Complete Streets' project started back in 2018, when the city got over $400,000 from the state to improve sidewalks. This is the latest push to target areas in need. The project will provide safe and accessible pedestrian routes that will foster equity for all sidewalk users and will encourage residents to choose walking (or 'rolling') or public transit as healthy and sustainable modes of transportation. 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Last day to file 2024 taxes without penalty: What to know
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – This is the very last day to get your 2024 taxes filed without paying a penalty. AG Campbell to discuss opioid crisis impact on rural western Mass. If you're missing a document or need more time, you can file for an extension, but you're still expected to pay your taxes by Tuesday, so you need to know if you're going to owe. If you don't get your return in by Tuesday, an automatic penalty is applied to any unpaid taxes. The IRS will charge an extra 5% of whatever you owe for every month your return is late. There are a few ways to receive an extension through the IRS. You can pay what you owe online using an online payment option and check the box that you are paying as part of filing for an extension, you can use the IRS Free File program to electronically request an automatic extension, or you can file for an extension using the proper form either by mail, online or through a tax professional. You will have to estimate how much tax you owe on the form. A few other situations that may warrant an automatic extension include if you are living out of the country when taxes are due or if you have been impacted by an approved disaster. However, Massachusetts residents didn't receive any automatic extensions for disasters. 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Massachusetts Attorney General joins coalition to provide guidance on DEI to businesses
BOSTON (WWLP) – Attorneys General across the country are working together to offer guidance to businesses regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies and practices. This is in response to a Trump Administration Executive Order that terminated '…of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and 'diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility' (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government.' Senate confirms RFK Jr. as Health secretary; McConnell lone GOP dissenter Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has co-led a coalition of 16 attorneys general in issuing guidance to help businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations to help alleviate confusion and to clarify that efforts to provide diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible workplaces are not illegal, and the federal government cannot prohibit these efforts in the private sector through Executive Order. 'The President's Order is an attempt to bully employers into eliminating lawful policies that we know reduce complaints of illegal discrimination, increase a company's bottom line, and improve workforce culture and consumer experience,' said AG Campbell. 'I am proud to partner with my AG colleagues to empower businesses and encourage them to be courageous in maintaining their lawful diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs.' The Attorney General says that DEI initiatives are consistent with federal and state law, help businesses prevent workplace discrimination, and foster inclusive recruiting, hiring and retention practices. According to AG Campbell's office, over the last five years, more than 285,000 discrimination complaints were filed by employees in the coalition's states alone, more than 4,700 of which were filed in Massachusetts. In their guidance, the coalition reminds businesses that state and federal law prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, sex, national origin and other protected characteristics. The coalition's guidance highlights best practices for recruitment and hiring, including: Prioritizing widescale recruitment efforts to attract a larger pool of applicants from a variety of backgrounds. Using panel interviews, which ensure that multiple people are involved in a hiring or promotion recommendation, helping to eliminate bias. Setting standardized criteria for evaluating candidates and employees, focused on skills and experience. Ensuring accessible recruitment and hiring practices and protocols, including reasonable accommodations as appropriate. The other states in the coalition are Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
