More than half of Massachusetts is now experiencing severe drought conditions, according to the latest US Drought Monitor report. The western boundary has shifted from the Worcester Hills all the way to the Berkshires.

The latest drought monitor shows a big expansion of severe drought across Massachusetts and far northern Rhode Island.

A new UMass report shows that this year’s Boston Marathon with about 500,000 spectators and more than 30,000 participants boosted the Massachusetts economy by about $500 million.

The Boston Marathon delivered a more than $500 million economic windfall to the Massachusetts economy this year.

This year's Boston Marathon generated more than half a billion dollars in economic activity and supported thousand of jobs, the Boston Athletic Association and Meet Boston announced. The bulk of the economic activity generated by the marathon came from visitors — mostly spectators — spending money on travel and accommodations as well as food,