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"Landscape With Rainbow" by 19th century painter Robert Duncanson was shown during a ceremony at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. — Gift of Leonard and Paula Granoff / Smithsonian American Art Museum

Painting By 19th Century Black Artist Chosen For Inauguration 'A Nod To Healing'

A presentation of art was among the many moments in Washington during Wednesday’s presidential inauguration.

The main entrance to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 2017. — Shannon Young / The Republican / masslive.com

COVID-19 Antibody Treatment Made 'Significant Difference' At Pittsfield Nursing Home

A sign reminding visitors to wear masks in the Florence section of Northampton, Massachusetts. — Sam Hudzik / NEPM

Massachusetts Governor Lifting Curfew, Stay-At-Home Advisory On Monday

IMPEACHMENT

Senate To Begin Trump's Impeachment Trial Week Of Feb. 8

Updated at 6:58 p.m. ET Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the sole article of impeachment for incitement to insurrection against former President Donald Trump will be delivered to the Senate on Monday and a trial against the Republican will begin the week of Feb. 8. "The Senate will conduct a trial on the impeachment of Donald Trump," Schumer said Friday on the Senate floor. "It will be a fair trial. But make no mistake, there will be a trial." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,...

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on January 21, 2021. — State House News Service

A Hope That Baker Isn't 'Jumping The Gun' As Massachusetts Rolls Back COVID-19 Curfew

Starting Monday, businesses in Massachusetts like restaurants, casinos and liquor stores will be allowed to stay open past 9:30 p.m., although a 25% capacity limit will still be in place.

'Staff Were Left On Their Own': Panel Continues Probe Into Holyoke Soldiers' Home COVID-19 Outbreak

By Adam Frenier • Jan 21, 2021

The Holyoke Soldiers' Home on May 1, 2020. — Greg Saulmon / The Republican / masslive.com/photos

A Massachusetts legislative oversight committee met Thursday as it looks into the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home. One main topic was whether staffing contributed to the deaths of at least 76 veterans at the state-run facility.

Archbishop's Statement On Biden Presidency Stirs Controversy

By Sam Hudzik • Jan 21, 2021

In September 2015, then-Vice President Joe Biden greeted Pope Francis when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. — Pete Souza / Official White House Photo

There’s a rift in the Catholic Church about how a leading church official welcomed President Biden to power.

Asked about the controversy, the new bishop in western Massachusetts appears to be choosing his words on the matter carefully.

Fundraisers, Streaming Revenue, Hope: Some Venues Hibernate, Others Shut For Good

By Jill Kaufman • Jan 21, 2021

The Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts, is one of several venues owned by Iron Horse Entertainment Group. The company is rescheduling shows for later in 2021 and 2022. — Sam Hudzik / NEPM

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In the last 10 months, New England’s rich arts scene has been hit hard.

As Feds Change Rules For Reporting Jail Deaths, Sheriffs Face Less Accountability

By Beth Healy • Jan 21, 2021

Tracking deaths in Massachusetts jails and prisons has long been difficult, with details of fatalities kept secret from the public, and often from family members, too.

Last year, the federal government changed the way it counts deaths in custody — a move that’s received little notice in a chaotic period marked by a global pandemic and political unrest. The new method has done little to improve transparency for the public.

As Biden Gets Sworn In, Black Lives Matter Protesters Speak Out In Conn.

By Tucker Ives • Jan 21, 2021

As dignitaries filed into their seats for President Joe Biden’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., roughly a dozen people affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement in Connecticut marched to the front of the state Capitol in Hartford.

More Regional News

CENSUS 2020

Biden Administration Tables Trump's Citizenship Data Request For Redistricting

The U.S. Census Bureau has stopped working on a Trump administration-initiated project to produce citizenship data that could have politically benefited Republicans when voting districts are redrawn. Citing President Biden's executive order that revoked President Donald Trump's directive for federal agencies to share their citizenship records , the bureau updated its website Friday with a statement that says its work on anonymized data about the U.S. citizenship status of every adult living...

When It Comes To School COVID Testing, Finding Asymptomatic Cases Doesn't Come Cheap

It’s a snowy afternoon in early January and the carpool lane at the Bromfield High School in Harvard, Mass. is packed with cars. But the families inside aren’t here to drop off their kids. They’re here for COVID-19 tests. Im going to just swab each side about four times around, says a healthcare worker to 13-year-old Emma Squire and her 16-year-old sister, Molly. The two girls look straight ahead as they got the test. Emma says while its very weird to see her school surrounded by people...

Bonney Hartley, historic preservation manager of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, stood in the Stockbridge Cemetery, which was once her ancestor's land. — Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

'It's Been Erased': Stockbridge Mohicans Retell, Reclaim Their Story In Berkshires