Article snippet: The US Department of Veterans Affairs has sharply reduced the use of opioids to treat chronic pain in favor of once-unlikely alternatives, such as yoga and tai chi. Officials in Quincy appear ready to do just about anything to stop Boston from building a new span. Crowding onto a UMass Lowell stage Sunday, 12 of the Democrats running in the Third Congressional District appeared to agree on almost everything. The former FBI director acknowledged making mistakes during the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mails and bemoaned President Trump as a “stain” on those around him. The American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts elected Beth Kontos as the union’s new president.The American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts elected Beth Kontos as the union’s new president. A group of Central Americans who journeyed to the US border in a caravan resolved to turn themselves. Governor Charlie Baker’s only rival, Scott Lively, a fringe candidate, managed to win 27.7 percent of support from delegates. The party faithful, who gathered for the state GOP convention Saturday, expressed broad and deep support for President Trump in more than a dozen interviews with the Globe. Party officials and the president’s advisers concerned that he does not grasp the gravity of the threat they face. Thirteen Democrats have spent months ping-ponging across the Merrimack Valley as they vie for the nomination this September to replace retiring Congresswoman Niki... Link to the full article to read more