Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has signed a long-awaited bill that makes it illegal to hold a cellphone while driving in the Bay State. Here’s what to know about the law that has been years in the making:

Imprisoned ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s sentence has been commuted. After months of speculation, President Donald Trump announced the decision as he prepared to board Air Force One Tuesday. “Yes, we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich,” Trump said. “He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person – don’t know him.”  Trump...

A day after delivering his state of the state address, Gov. Charlie Baker will reveal his plans for the Bay State’s fiscal budget.

Gov. Charlie Baker said he wants to dramatically reduce the state’s reliance on polluting fuels while expanding housing opportunities and upgrading the state’s public transportation system. Baker outlined the goals Tuesday during his State of the Commonwealth address at the Massachusetts Statehouse. The Republican said one of his top goals for the new year is to help ease the...

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has been dethroned as America’s most-popular governor, according to a recent Morning Consult poll. The governor’s approval rating among all voters dropped from 73% to 69% in the fourth quarter, according to the poll. Baker is now the third most popular governor, behind Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Baker often receives praise…

Massachusetts lawmakers approved a spending plan Thursday for more than $1 billion in surplus tax revenue from the last fiscal year. House and Senate lawmakers sent the budget to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk in the early morning. Lawmakers approved $541 million in spending. The remaining money was deposited in the state’s rainy day fund, bringing that fund’s total...

As firefighters in Northern California’s wine country race to contain the devastating Kincade Fire that has ripped through more than 76,000 acres and destroyed 86 homes, a group of well-known Bay Area chefs have come together to feed the thousands of displaced evacuees and first responders.

Retailers in Massachusetts will once again be allowed to sell unflavored vaping products after state officials on Wednesday ended an emergency ban on their sale and approved new restrictions on flavored vaping products. The state’s Public Health Council on Wednesday voted to rescind a temporary ban on the sale of all vaping products that was imposed by Republican Gov....

Massachusetts’ Public Health Council will vote on Gov. Charlie Baker’s vape ban and regulations surrounding the ban on flavored tobacco products.

The Revere man who was convicted of murdering his wife, Vanessa MacCormack, will spend the rest of his life in prison after an emotional sentencing in which he denied ever hurting her.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry is determined to raise the global profile of climate change, so he has launched a bipartisan coalition of world leaders and Hollywood celebrities to get the job done. “We’re going to talk to literally millions of Americans over the course of the next months and this is going to become a primary issue,” the...

With a new initiative called “World War Zero,” John Kerry is pushing for action on climate change.

Mexican security forces on Sunday killed seven more members of a presumed cartel assault force that rolled into a town near the Texas border and staged an hour-long attack, officials said, putting the overall death toll at 20. The Coahuila state government said in a statement that lawmen aided by helicopters were still chasing remnants of the force that arrived...

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday that the world’s efforts to stop climate change have been “utterly inadequate” so far and there is a danger global warming could pass the “point of no return.” Speaking before the start Monday of a two-week international climate conference in Madrid, the U.N. chief said the impact of rising temperatures — including more extreme...

Joe Biden launched an eight-day bus tour of Iowa on Saturday projecting confidence, ignoring his many Democratic presidential competitors and pledging that he will unseat President Donald Trump in 2020. The former vice president pledged first to win the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, despite recent polls suggesting his standing there has slipped in recent months. “I promise you, I promise...

James Daly is eager to make marijuana history on Sunday, when he plans to open the doors to Arbors Wellness, beckon the lengthy line outside and legally start selling recreational pot for the first time in the Midwest. “We’ve worked very hard to be prepared,” said Daly, who owns the medical dispensary that, for now, is among just six shops...

Human remains discovered in a wooded area have been confirmed as belonging to a missing college student who was the stepdaughter of a well-known UFC fighter, Alabama authorities announced Wednesday. The Auburn Police Department said the Department of Forensic Sciences confirmed the remains belong to Aniah Blanchard, 19. She was the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.

Massachusetts became the first state to ban flavored tobacco and nicotine vaping products, including menthol cigarettes, after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Wednesday a bill that’s meant to reduce the appeal of the products to young people amid a rash of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping. Anti-smoking groups hailed the ban, which restricts sale and consumption...