Heard on WCAI's Morning Edition

Each year, state education officials recognize one teacher in Massachusetts who rises above the rest when it comes to dedication to students and education. This year, a 27-year-old high school teacher from New Bedford was given this distinction.

WCAI's Kathryn Eident talked with Takeru Nagayoshi about the award and how his work set him apart from thousands of other teachers throughout the state.

Beacon Hill is taking on the big task of figuring out how to legalize sports gambling. WCAI’s Kathryn Eident talks with State House Reporter Mike Deehan about how state lawmakers plan to do that, and what challenges they face in enacting the necessary laws.

Boating season is getting underway across our region, and eager captains are peeling hundreds of yards of shrink wrap off their boats. Unfortunately, most of that plastic is getting thrown into the landfill. But boat shrink wrap can be recycled – even reused. 

The State Senate is shaping up their version of the next fiscal year's budget. WCAI's Kathryn Eident checks in with State House Reporter Mike Deehan for an update on the negotiations.

Lawmakers are airing hundreds of bills this week in public hearings at the State House, but not everything that eventually becomes law gets the full public treatment. That includes one having to do with chickens.

WCAI’s Kathryn Eident talks with State House Reporter Mike Deehan to learn more.

Ever take a close look inside your fridge? That might be a scary prospect. But, what’s in there? A half-empty pickle jar? A few bottles of beer? Until last year, that glass inside your fridge was destined to come back as another container—as long as you recycled or redeemed it.

Each summer a range of writers, artists, speakers and thinkers takes the stage at the historic Hawthorne Barn in Provincetown in a series known as Twenty Summers.

WCAI's Kathryn Eident talked with Josh Prager, one of the co-founders of Twenty summers, about this year's upcoming series and the storied history of the Hawthorne Barn. 

The state House of Representatives released its budget plan for the coming fiscal year, and it's the first budget written by new Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz.

WCAI State house reporter Mike Deehan sat down with Michlewitz, then joined Morning Edition host Kathryn Eident live in WCAI's Woods Hole studio Thursday to talk a little bit more about how Michlewitz put together this $42.7 billion dollar package.

State House Speaker Robert DeLeo unveiled his chamber’s version of next fiscal year’s budget this week. There are no big tax hikes—yet—and the budget is even slightly lower than what Governor Charlie Baker has proposed. WCAI's Kathryn Eident talks State House reporter Mike Deehan to learn more.

Marijuana has become a big business in the state since voters legalized the drug in 2016. More than a dozen shops are open across Massachusetts, with new shops on the way, including on the Cape, Islands and SouthCoast.

WCAI's Kathryn Eident talks with State House Reporter Mike Deehan about how marijuana shops are dealing with state tax collectors.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is no longer one of the worst performing power plants in the country. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission moved the Plymouth-based plant from its Column 4 designation—which requires the most federal oversight— to Column 1, which would require the least amount of oversight.

WCAI's Kathryn Eident talked with Reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan about what this means for the plant, and for its impending shutdown in May. 

Residents across the state are getting fed up with congested, crumbling roads and bridges, and the pressure is on Beacon Hill to do something about it.

WCAI’s Kathryn Eident talked with State House reporter Mike Deehan about Senate President Karen Spilka's plan to tackle infrastructure issues.

Talk of money loomed large on Beacon Hill this week, with state lawmakers making provisions in case the federal government shuts down again, and tackling the proposed $41 billion state budget for the next fiscal year.

WCAI’s Kathryn Eident talked with State House Reporter Mike Deehan to learn more.

A new crime analyst is spending his first days on the job at the New Bedford Police headquarters. Dr. Michael Sloan will be creating new ways to capture information officers gather each day, then look for trends and other markers officers can use to be more proactive.

WCAI's Kathryn Eident talked with Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro about why he created the position, and what he hopes Sloan can do for officers patrolling city streets.    

Top political positions, like Chair of the State House Ways and Means Committee, are still unfilled, more than a month into the current legislative session. WCAI's Kathryn Eident talks with State House reporter Mike Deehan about this, and other items on the Beacon Hill agenda.