Free Republic

California and New York — where almost 1 in 5 Americans live — are on their way to raising their minimum wage to $15 an hour, and the activists who spearheaded those efforts are now setting their sights on other similarly liberal, Democratic-led states. Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington are among the states with active “Fight for $15” efforts, and even economic experts who oppose the increased rate see it gaining momentum. “There is lots of pressure to do this,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director who is now president of...

In the latest Emerson poll on Massachusetts Donald Trump leads with 50% of the vote. Rubio has 16%, Kasich hast 13% and Ted Cruz is at 10%. Via Free Republic:

The next stops for Kasich are the primaries in New England. Vermont and Massachusetts, whose media markets at points overlap with New Hampshire, where Kasich practically lived for the past several months, both hold primaries on March 1. The Maine primary follows on March 5. Those around Kasich believe he can capitalize on his investment in New Hampshire with voters in those surrounding states. Kasich is scheduled to spend the day of the South Carolina primary in Massachusetts ... Still, Kasich’s biggest target other than his native Ohio remains Michigan, which will hold its primary on March 8. Kasich’s advisers...

Nearly all states have some sort of law preempting local gun laws.  Preemption means that the State preserves to itself certain areas of the law.  Firearms are a natural for this protection; most   Most are comprehensive; a few are minimal.   Massachusetts has very limited state pre-emption.  From dovekopel.com: Massachusetts preempts all gun licensing (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140 sect. 129B), and the state constitution forbids local laws inconsistent with state law; for this reason, Boston's Dec. 1989 ban on "assault weapons" was not allowed to go into effect until the state legislature later passed a bill authorizing...

The Cambridge City Council again did not vote on a resolution last Monday to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the third time this year. Despite what the resolution’s proponents claim is strong public support, the legislation is on hold while councillors negotiate how best to change the holiday name and still honor Italian Americans, many of whom see the day as a celebration of their heritage. Councillor Nadeem A. Mazen, who is leading the charge for the name change, said he anticipates the process will continue to play out over the next few months while councillors try...

A new Massachusetts gun permit essay rule has Second Amendment supporters seeing red. Gun owners in the state must now write an essay which will be “graded” for approval by the police chief before a carry permit can be issued. A hefty firearms training price tag up to $1,100 will also be levied against those attempting to exercise their right to bear arms in the city of Lowell. Lowell, Massachusetts, is located about 35 miles north of Boston and is home to some 110,000 people. The gun essay law was the brainchild of Police Chief William Taylor and approved by...

After a landlord was convicted of pushing her Muslim tenant down a flight of stairs, a judge ordered her to respect the rights of all Muslims and to take an introductory course on Islam. Now the highest court in Massachusetts is being asked to decide whether the judge violated the landlord's constitutional rights. The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments next month in a case that poses interesting legal questions at a time when the country is grappling with anti-Muslim backlash following deadly attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, both allegedly carried out by radical Muslims. The case centers...

"Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values," [Obama] said.Six Republican governors have announced that Syrian refugees won't be allowed to resettle in their states in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in Paris. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley issued statements Sunday saying that they wanted to prioritize the safety of the residents in their states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a GOP presidential candidate; Arkansas Gov. Gov. Asa Hutchinson; and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence joined them on Monday. "Michigan is a welcoming state and we are...

Donald Trump will be having a rally in Worcester, MA on Wednesday November 18th at the DCU Center at 7PM Eastern time. Doors open at 5PM Eastern Must register for free tickets here: http://www.trumpworcester.eventbrite.com/

Trump fan thinks he's the bomb ANDOVER — GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump strikes again. Well, sort of. A week or so after local Trump supporter Arthur Gonsalves taped an ominous-looking black box to a handmade Trump sign in front of his house at 181 Jenkins Road, police responded. They arrived at his address Thursday shortly before 3 p.m. to investigate a report of a suspicious device. Police set up a perimeter around the house, closed Jenkins Road, and called the state bomb squad. That last call was cancelled, however, when they heard Gonsalves' story. The black device with white...

Apache Corporation, a Houston-based oil and gas exploration company, says that it has fended off an unsolicited takeover bid, and will continue to defend against follow up attempts to buy out the company. Bloomberg reported the news, and thus far the bidder has not been identified. The company’s shares jumped on the news, up more than 10 percent during midday trading on November 9. Apache is worth around $18 billion, so if a takeover were to occur, it would be the largest for an independent oil and gas company this year.

Ok, it's Massachusetts... but their primary counts like any other.

Donald Trump rally in Tyngsborough, MA, October 16, 2015.

BOSTON (CBS) — If you legally own a firearm in Boston, expect to be hearing from the mayor and police commissioner soon. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Police Commissioner William Evans announced Wednesday that they’re taking new measures to try and reduce gun violence.

In some countries, such as Israel and Switzerland, it is common to see people walking around with slung military rifles.  No one except tourists pay much attention.  The United States is split.  In areas where the gun culture is entrenched and accepted (most of the land area of the U.S.) nobody pays much attention, but it is more unusual than in Switzerland.  In areas where the gun culture is reviled by the local powers that be, it can land you in trouble.  There are five states that ban the open carry of firearms in most public places.  They  are...

Trappist Brother Jonah Pociadlo prepares to pour Spencer ale (CNS) Two members spent six months learning the art in BelgiumA Trappist brewery has opened for the first time in the United States.The new brew, Spencer Trappist Ale, is made at St Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, by Cistercian, or Trappist, monks who wear the distinctive black and white habit.Brother Jonah Pociadlo told Catholic News Service: “It’s got a wonderful smell to it. I hesitate to describe it, because it’s something I think is pretty subjective. But I can almost taste it without it even touching my lips.”The association requires...

BOSTON – As the fallout from the Wells Report continues, Attorney General Maura Healey said the NFL should focus its attention on solving the crisis of sexual assault and domestic violence among players. The Wells Report, commissioned by the NFL after allegations the New England Patriots cheated in last season's AFC Championship Game, found it was "more probable than not" that quarterback Tom Brady knew a team employee deflated footballs in violation of the rules to try to gain an advantage.

The family of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were moved Saturday from the Revere, Massachusetts, hotel they had been staying at since arriving in Boston this week. Revere police confirmed Saturday that the family had moved from the Hampton Inn on Route 1A, but could provide no further information. The FBI declined to comment on the move on Saturday, citing security concerns and the ongoing trial.

Warren, who is closely aligned with progressive union groups, ripped Walker in a tweet Saturday for what some saw as a comparison between union members and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: "If Scott Walker sees 100,000 teachers & firefighters as his enemies, maybe it's time we take a closer look at his friends.” In a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Walker said, “If I can take on 100,000 protestors, I can do the same across the world.” Walker, a possible 2016 presidential candidate for the GOP, tried to walk back his comments after his...

And some Boston residents have taken the opportunity to engage in potentially deadly stunts - leaping from windows and high decks onto snow piles. Now, Mayor Martin Walsh has publicly scolded those filmed participating in the jumps, saying: 'This isn’t Loon Mountain. This is the city of Boston.'