Massachusetts news

• Mass. economy shrunk in Q1, report says

  01-05-2017 23:20 via feeds.bizjournals.com
  Slow growth in the U.S. economy made headlines over the last few days but in Massachusetts the economy over the first quarter of 2017 actually contracted, hamstrung by stalled wage and salary income growth, according to a new report.Real gross domestic product in Massachusetts declined at an annual rate of 0.5 percent in the first quarter, according to a MassBenchmarks report published by the UMass Donahue Institute with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate
  
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• Alere, set to be acquired by Abbott, dealt setback in Medicare case

  01-05-2017 20:58 via feeds.bizjournals.com
  Shortly after resolving a legal battle with Abbott Laboratories over a $5.8 billion merger agreement, Waltham diagnostics firm Alere has been dealt a new setback in court.Arriva Medical, the Florida-based diabetes unit of Alere (NYSE: ALR), lost an appeal on April 25 seeking to reinstate its Medicare billing privileges, which were revoked last year amid allegations that the firm submitted claims for 211 dead patients over five years.Arriva has admitted that it shipped diabetic supplies to nine&h
  
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• Boston lawyer tapped for Trump administration post

  01-05-2017 18:00 via feeds.bizjournals.com
  One Bowditch & Dewey LLP partner’s early support of Donald Trump has paid off with an attorney position in the administration.Vincent DeVito, who is based in Bowditch’s Boston office, will serve as senior counselor for energy affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior. He had served as Massachusetts chair of Trump’s presidential campaign and hosted the state’s welcome reception at Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., in January.The Massachusetts School
  
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• Why everyone in this Massachusetts town is getting a free year of Amazon Prime

  01-05-2017 16:27 via feeds.bizjournals.com
  The characters of "Manchester by the Sea" don't find much to celebrate during the bleak film's two-hour runtime, but the real residents of the North Shore town have a small reason to smile today: Free access to Amazon Prime membership benefits.Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) announced Monday that it's giving a free year of Prime membership, which usually costs $99, to every household in Manchester-by-the-Sea. The promotion is meant to draw attention to the fact that "Manchester by the Sea" starts
  
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• ​Five things you need to know today, and 100 days

  01-05-2017 11:57 via feeds.bizjournals.com
  Happy Monday, Boston, and welcome to May. Here are the five most important things you need to know to help start your busy business day.Kicking off 'Kindness Month'Today is Monday, May 1, which kicks off "Kindness Month" under a law signed last year by Gov. Charlie Baker. The law calls for the governor to "annually issue a proclamation setting aside the month of May as the official month of kindness, following an outpouring of charity after several students lost their homes in an apartment compl
  
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• Conversations Between Warhol and Capote to Be Adapted Into a Play

  01-05-2017 06:33
  “Warhol Capote,” based on exchanges between the two artists in the 1970s, will come to the American Repertory Theater in September.
  
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• ​Challenges facing manufacturing and distribution companies today

  01-05-2017 06:00 via feeds.bizjournals.com
  U.S.-based companies are being challenged by growth in the manufacturing and distribution sector. Consumers have choices, both domestically and globally, and, thanks to modern technology, they have the ability to compare product prices at the click of a button.To succeed, companies need to not only remain competitive on price but bring value to their customers beyond their product offerings.Companies are constantly focusing on delivering the best product and service to meet their customers&rsquo
  
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