New England News

The top transportation official in Massachusetts has announced a goal to triple the share of travel done in the state by transit, biking and walking.    WAMC”s Paul Tuthill reports    

   MassDOT Secretary Richard Davey  rode a bus from his Boston office to downtown Springfield Tuesday to announce the state will pursue transportation policies designed to get  more people out from behind the wheel of their cars.

With pomp and ceremony, E. Thomas Sullivan has been formally installed as the University of Vermont’s 26th President.

During the recent installation, Vermont’s largest college welcomed a number of prominent speakers, including the state’s Governor and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.  Also attending was former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale.

It was John Boehner versus Big Bird as both presidential campaigns tried to attract attention in New Hampshire with less than a month to go before the election.

Boehner, the Republican speaker of the U.S. House, rallied Mitt Romney supporters Monday at the campaign's office in Derry. Outside, President Barack Obama's campaign staged a small protest featuring someone dressed up as Big Bird, holding a sign accusing Romney of being "soft on Wall Street — tough on Sesame Street." The gimmick was meant to highlight comments Romney made in last week's debate about defunding PBS.

The House chairman of the Massachusetts Legislature's Public Health Committee says lawmakers are keeping a close eye on the outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to a steroid distributed by a Framingham pharmacy.

State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez says legislative leaders are monitoring the latest developments from the federal Food and Drug Administration and Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The Boston Democrat said Monday he's hasn't ruled out the possibility of public hearings, but said right now he has more questions than answers.

As the Massachusetts economy recovered  from the Great  Recession the number of millionaires in the state jumped 25 percent.  WAMC’s Paul Tuthill reports.