BOSTON — U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley is pushing to lower the federal voting age from 18 to 16.
The Massachusetts Democrat made the proposal as her first amendment since winning election last year.
Pressley said young people across the country are taking the lead on key issues from gun violence to climate change. She said that under her amendment people as young as 16 could vote to elect members of Congress and the president.
In a Wednesday press release, Pressley said she believes those who will inherit the country should have a say in electing those who represent them. She noted that in some states like Massachusetts 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote.
Pressley offered the proposal as an amendment to a Democratic-backed bill aimed in part at expanding voting rights.
PLYMOUTH — The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth has received a vote of confidence from federal regulators as it prepares to shut down permanently.
Pilgrim owner Entergy said Wednesday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has returned the facility to “normal, baseline oversight” following a period in which it had been judged as one of the least safe nuclear plants in the country.
The NRC uses five columns to assign oversight, with plants in column 1 requiring the least amount of safety monitoring and those in column 5 the most.
Pilgrim most recently had been the only U.S. plant in column 4, with none listed in column 5.
The NRC has now moved Pilgrim to column 1.
The plant, which came on line in 1972, will stop generating electricity on May 31.
FALL RIVER — A mayor facing federal charges and a recall election has withdrawn his request to repay investors in his app company.
Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II said in a motion last month that there was $306,000 available in escrow to pay the seven lenders.
Correia’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, said in the motion to withdraw the request filed Tuesday that a federal prosecutor “remained unchanged” about allowing contact with the lenders.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling pushed back against the characterization of Correia’s withdrawal, saying he failed to mention that they offered transferring the money to a court-controlled fund.
Lelling says Correia’s actions show the motion was not made in “good faith.”
WORCESTER — Police have found the body of a 68-year-old man reported missing two weeks ago buried in a shallow grave in the basement of a home, and arrested a resident of the building.
Worcester police announced Tuesday that the remains of Marcelino Mueces were discovered Saturday.
Mueces was reported missing Feb. 19 and his vehicle was found 7 days later.
Police say 53-year-old Thomas Garon, who lives in an apartment in the building, was arrested and charged Tuesday with disinterment of a body, identity theft and misleading a police investigation. Police say Garon was in possession of Mueces’ identification and most recent paycheck.
From Associated Press