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Harvard votes on limiting "A" grades

Faculty begin voting this week on whether to limit top grades to 20% of students per course.

Education

Harvard&#x27;s faculty begins voting Tuesday on limiting the number of top grades professors can award students.Why it matters: Grade inflation is at a tipping point at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Harvard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/14/harvards-endowment-trump-grant-funding-cuts" data-vars-content-id="97b4c468-9320-4190-bfb6-5c2f6f275604" data-vars-headline="Harvard votes on limiting &quot;A&quot; grades" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/14/harvards-endowment-trump-grant-funding-cuts" target="_self">Harvard</a>.<ul><li>A move to make A grades harder to come by at one of the world&#x27;s leading universities could influence grading debates at peer institutions.</li></ul>

Shooting suspect released from hospital days before Cambridge shooting

Tyler Brown left McLean Hospital just three days before making suicidal statements over FaceTime before allegedly opening fire on Memorial Drive, wounding two people critically.

News

Tyler Brown, 46, had left McLean Hospital in Belmont just three days before police say he opened fire and wounded two people on Memorial Drive Monday.<ul><li>Brown allegedly <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="made suicidal statements" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/tyler-brown-cambridge-shooting-memorial-drive-hospital/" data-vars-content-id="fd732ec2-96da-4f0a-bd9f-837e5cf8c864" data-vars-headline="Shooting suspect released from hospital days before Cambridge shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/tyler-brown-cambridge-shooting-memorial-drive-hospital/" target="_blank">made suicidal statements</a> to his parole officer over FaceTime and brandished a rifle on the call before police could locate him.</li><li>Authorities said a state trooper and an armed civilian ultimately shot and wounded him.</li></ul>

Markey vs. Moulton race heats up

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts appears to be tightening.

Politics

Deehan here with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.All it took was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="one poll" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/05/07/markey-moulton-ma-senate-primary-poll" data-vars-content-id="ce795bde-c3de-4eb6-ad24-993ac450edd0" data-vars-headline="Markey vs. Moulton race heats up" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/05/07/markey-moulton-ma-senate-primary-poll" target="_self">one poll</a> to scramble assumptions about the Massachusetts Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, one of the most watched races in the state this year.Why it matters: After last week&#x27;s Emerson poll showed Rep. Seth Moulton within a five-point striking distance of incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, politicos who expected a sleepy campaign season are rethinking the challenger&#x27;s chances.

2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having "ghost networks"

Two people are suing Point32Health, accusing it of misleading Harvard Pilgrim policyholders.

Health

Two Massachusetts residents filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Harvard Pilgrim" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2018/05/04/partners-healthcare-harvard-pilgrim-acquisition-1525445206" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2018/05/04/partners-healthcare-harvard-pilgrim-acquisition-1525445206" target="_self">Harvard Pilgrim</a> is skirting laws requiring accurate provider directories.Why it matters: State and federal laws ban &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ghost networks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" target="_blank">ghost networks</a>,&quot; but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="several reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/ghost-networks-health-insurance-regulators" target="_blank">several reports</a> in recent years have found that they <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="haven&#x27;t gone away" data-vars-click-url="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-sweeping-reforms-improving-access-mental-health" data-vars-content-id="0ccb29d0-17ee-4393-9188-245b3359e222" data-vars-headline="2 customers accuse Harvard Pilgrim of having &quot;ghost networks&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-sweeping-reforms-improving-access-mental-health" target="_blank">haven&#x27;t gone away</a>.<ul><li>Now two Bay Staters are pointing the finger at the insurer owned by Canton-based Point32Health.</li></ul>

New Día dispensary fights receivership request

A lender alleges the dispensary is behind on several obligations, including $5 million in rent.

Business

A lender asked a Suffolk Superior Court judge to place New Día cannabis retailer into receivership, claiming it has racked up millions in debt. <ul><li>New Día disputes the claims and is fighting the lender&#x27;s request that the court appoint someone to take over the company and its assets.</li></ul>

Massachusetts' electricity bills exceeded national average in 2025

Nantucket had the highest estimated average monthly electric bills in the continental U.S.

Money

Massachusetts residents have some of the highest home electric bills in the country, per a new Axios analysis of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data" data-vars-click-url="https://electricity.heatmap.news/" data-vars-content-id="c6737cb4-1650-4cbf-b315-71e535e4a340" data-vars-headline="Massachusetts&#x27; electricity bills exceeded national average in 2025" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://electricity.heatmap.news/" target="_blank">data</a> collected and shared by climate newsroom Heatmap News.Why it matters: Tensions over rising energy bills and power-hungry AI data centers are emerging as a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="key political issue" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/data-centers-midterms-state-bans-bills-ai" data-vars-content-id="c6737cb4-1650-4cbf-b315-71e535e4a340" data-vars-headline="Massachusetts&#x27; electricity bills exceeded national average in 2025" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/data-centers-midterms-state-bans-bills-ai" target="_self">key political issue</a>, and should be a potent force in this year&#x27;s midterms.

Less than 1% of Greater Boston nonprofit revenue helps women of color

Less than 1% of revenue for women's nonprofits went to groups serving women and girls of color.

Less than 1% of the revenue that Greater Boston nonprofits serving women, girls and gender-expansive people reported in 2024 went to groups prioritizing girls and women of color.Why it matters: Those groups&#x27; leaders reported being understaffed, overworked and less supported than other nonprofits, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bostonwomensfund.org/carryingtheweight" data-vars-content-id="d5991ea0-3ceb-4bb3-95e5-94bc39177dd1" data-vars-headline="Less than 1% of Greater Boston nonprofit revenue helps women of color" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bostonwomensfund.org/carryingtheweight" target="_blank">new report</a> from the Boston Women&#x27;s Fund and UMass Boston.<ul><li>The findings come six years after U.S. business, philanthropic and political leaders pledged to address racial inequities.</li></ul>

Coworking can be costly in Boston, but options abound

Coworking companies promise a haven for productivity and community, but it'll cost you.

Coworking companies, large and small, promise a haven for productivity and maybe even community, but it&#x27;ll cost you.The big picture: Boston coworking spaces must balance the cost of doing business in one of the nation&#x27;s costliest real estate markets with members&#x27; tighter budgets.

Housing permits dip while prices remain high, report says

Mass. may see even slower housing construction in the next few years, while prices stay high.

Real Estate

Let&#x27;s start with the good news: Massachusetts has added nearly 98,000 new housing units in the past five years, including 71,000 in Greater Boston.<ul><li>The bad news: Permits for future house construction have dropped, and most renters can&#x27;t afford to buy a home here, per a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Boston Foundation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tbf.org/-/media/tbf/reports-and-covers/2025/2025-gr-boston-housing-report-card-final-2025.pdf" data-vars-content-id="059e28db-432e-469d-8406-919460bfa663" data-vars-headline="Housing permits dip while prices remain high, report says" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tbf.org/-/media/tbf/reports-and-covers/2025/2025-gr-boston-housing-report-card-final-2025.pdf" target="_blank">Boston Foundation</a> report.</li></ul>

Where Boston-area SNAP recipients can get free pet food

Food pantries and pet shelters are offering free pet food for SNAP recipients.

Food and Drink

Add pet food to the list of items needed for Massachusetts residents on SNAP.Why it matters: The SNAP disruptions not only put more than 1.1 million Massachusetts residents at risk of going hungry, but also prevent them from feeding their dogs and cats at home.

Dip your toes into art collecting at the Affordable Art Fair

The fair repping 50 galleries from around the world comes to Boston this week for the first time.

Things to Do

For all the Basquiats and Warhols out of reach, an art event coming to Boston promises high-end pieces for a much lower price.The intrigue: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Affordable Art Fair," data-vars-click-url="https://affordableartfair.com/fairs/boston/" data-vars-content-id="0b4b3924-2f84-4625-ae1a-ed8496ca9e0a" data-vars-headline="Dip your toes into art collecting at the Affordable Art Fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://affordableartfair.com/fairs/boston/" target="_blank">Affordable Art Fair,</a> which began in 1999 in the UK, connects wannabe collectors to contemporary artists with works ranging from $300 to $10,000.

Mass. Gov. Maura Healey takes on utility bills

Healey wants a line-by-line review. It's up to utility regulators to make that happen this fall.

Climate

No matter what&#x27;s happening in the world, Massachusetts can rely on two constants each fall: unpredictable weather and, in recent years, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sky-high energy bills" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/05/13/mass-gov-maura-healeys-energy-power-utility-bills-cost" data-vars-content-id="48d8cfc6-5b1f-44b8-b5da-26e0230a1621" data-vars-headline="Mass. Gov. Maura Healey takes on utility bills" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/05/13/mass-gov-maura-healeys-energy-power-utility-bills-cost" target="_self">sky-high energy bills</a>.Why it matters: Gov. Maura Healey can&#x27;t control the weather, but she can direct regulators to rein in utility costs — at least, that&#x27;s what she&#x27;s trying to do.

More millionaires in Massachusetts despite new surtax

The "Millionaire's tax" hasn't caused the wealthy to flee.

Massachusetts has seen a 38.6% jump in the number of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="millionaire residents" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/02/07/millionaire-renters-real-estate-housing" data-vars-content-id="c94b3c80-b09d-45a1-8de7-a368ed33464a" data-vars-headline="More millionaires in Massachusetts despite new surtax" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/02/07/millionaire-renters-real-estate-housing" target="_self">millionaire residents</a> since voters approved a 4% surtax on high earners in 2022.Why it matters: The uptick in super-wealthy Bay Staters contradicts predictions that rich residents would flee the state for lower-tax areas, like over the state line in income-tax-free New Hampshire.

How much you need to earn to be among Massachusetts' 1%

For those who aspire to be among the most elite earners, Massachusetts sets a high bar.

For those who aspire to be among the most elite earners, Massachusetts sets a high bar.By the numbers: There are only four states (plus D.C.) where you need to earn seven figures to be among the top <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="1% of wage earners" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/05/americans-income-top-one-percent-states" data-vars-content-id="0caf059a-9554-474b-b110-895668b5d0ff" data-vars-headline="How much you need to earn to be among Massachusetts&#x27; 1%" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/05/americans-income-top-one-percent-states" target="_self">1% of wage earners</a>, and we&#x27;re one of them.

Axios What's Next

A choropleth map showing the estimated average 2025 monthly electric bill by U.S. county. The national average is estimated to be $160 per month. Some areas have averages above $200 per month, like eastern North Carolina, Alabama, Texas and California. States in the Mountain West tend to have the lowest average bills, at $100 or less.

Estimated average monthly electric bill in 2025

Data: Heatmap News, OEDI, EIA, HUD, U.S. Census; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals