Essex

Massachusetts officials are pursuing state-level artificial intelligence regulation even as they try to position the state as an AI industry hub. U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, who co-sponsors the federal FRONTIER Act with Rep. Jay Obernolte, said the bill is stalled while Congress is in recess, prompting state lawmakers to act on their own. State Sen. Barry Finegold is backing legislation targeting transparency requirements for "frontier AI labs" like OpenAI, Google and Meta, while Gov. Maura Healey wants AI safety provisions included in the state's Mass Wins economic development bill.

Both Trahan and Finegold argue that regulation and economic growth are not mutually exclusive, and cite growing public anxiety over AI safety, including departures of safety researchers from firms like OpenAI and Anthropic. Trahan and Healey say federal action is preferable but unlikely soon, especially with President Donald Trump dismissing AI oversight efforts as a "conspiracy" and opposing calls from industry figures for stronger government regulation.

Massachusetts state Rep. Francisco Paulino, a Democrat representing the 16th Essex District, was arrested by FBI agents on pandemic benefit fraud charges and is set to be arraigned in Boston federal court. The U.S. Attorney's Office took Paulino into custody as part of a federal case tied to misuse of COVID-era relief funds.

The arrest comes less than two weeks after Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena was charged in a separate case alleging $1.5 million in pandemic loan fraud and money laundering, with funds allegedly used to pad his campaign account and pay off personal taxes, mortgages, and high-interest debt. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley's office also unsealed a related indictment against DePena on COVID relief fraud charges the same day. Both Paulino and DePena are Dominican nationals, though it remains unclear whether the two cases are connected.