Overhauling Health Care

Dems Seek Agreement, Quick Health Vote

Under White House pressure to act swiftly, Democratic leaders reached for agreement on President Obama’s health care bill, sweetened suddenly by fresh billions for student aid and a sense that breakthroughs are at hand.

Beacon Hill

Mass. Cities And Towns Brace For 4% Cuts To Aid

Lawmakers announced Friday that the state's cities and towns should expect cuts in local aid of up to 4 percent in the next fiscal year.

Boston Arts

How Alicia Keys Plays In The Casino Debate

By Andrea Shea

If you run one of the dozens of live performance venues in Massachusetts, resort-style casinos would mean more competition in securing big-time artists.

Retail Sales Take A Surprising Turn In February

The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales rose 0.3 percent. Sales were expected to decline by 0.2 percent.

Boston Headlines

On March 12, 1941, Massachusetts Gov. Leverett Saltonstall signed the bill — in green ink — to make March 17 a holiday in Suffolk County.

With A Signature In Green, St. Patrick’s Day Became A Holiday

By Dave Shaw and Kevin McNicholas

It was 69 years ago Friday that Massachusetts made March 17 — St. Patrick's Day — a legal holiday in Suffolk County. And though the law is said to formally recognize the day the British evacuated Boston in 1776, the conspicuous coincidence of the calendar certainly did not go unnoticed: The governor signed the bill in green ink.

In Downtown Crossing, The Hole In The Ground That’s Hard To Fill

By Bob Oakes and Lisa Tobin

After a surprising comment by the project's developer, Mayor Menino is threatening action on the former Filene's site at Downtown Crossing. To get a sense of how the stalled project is affecting business, WBUR headed to the area.

Nation & World Headlines