New from CommonWealth Beacon BALLOT WIND-UP: Two ballot measures, which advance competing ideas for easing the strain of the costly Massachusetts housing markets, may come before voters in 2026. Michael Jonas reports on a […]
CommonWealth Beacon staff
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Kraft 2.0 looks a lot like the first version
New from CommonWealth Beacon PARSING TRUMP POLICY: This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas talks with reporter Jennifer Smith about a series of stories parsing the […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: The good, the bad, and the uncertain in Trump’s tax bill
CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas talks with reporter Jennifer Smith about a series of stories parsing the sprawling Trump tax and spending bill. They discuss why it’s so hard to know if Opportunity Zones have been effective, and why affordable housing advocates are mixed on the administration’s approach to low-income renters.
Posted inThe Saturday Send
Dirty beaches and four more stories
This week, Hallie Claflin dives into the ongoing challenges of a pilot program aimed at tackling pollution at a North Shore beach using UV light. Plus: advocates push for access to menstrual products in public spaces, Trump sends mixed messages on affordable housing, Boston struggles to find applicants for its green roofs grant program, and a look back at a Republican gubernatorial campaign from 11 years ago that may have lessons for today’s GOP hopefuls.
Posted inThe Download
Flashback Friday: Threading the needle
In “Threading the needle,” which appeared in the magazine’s Spring 2014 issue, Paul McMorrow sized up the approach being taken by another Republican gubernatorial hopeful, this one back for a second bite at the apple after taking a drubbing four years earlier in his first run for the corner office.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Trump policies offer mixed messages on affordable housing
Massachusetts lawmakers have proposed a pay increase for private defense attorneys, who had stopped taking new court-appointed cases due to low rates, but many rejected the plan as inadequate.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Despite widespread support, ‘menstrual equity’ bill has stalled for two sessions in the House
Despite seeming widespread support and no public opposition, Massachusetts’s menstrual equity bill has stalled over two sessions in the House Ways and Means.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Lynn, Swampscott team up to clean Greater Boston’s dirtiest beach
New from CommonWealth Beacon OPINION: Military strikes against Iran and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act deepen the moral fault lines Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned us […]
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The Download: Rebalancing broker’s fees
New from CommonWealth Beacon ON TRACK: MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said he is “very confident” the Chinese manufacturer building new Red and Orange Line trains will be able to […]
Posted inThe Saturday Send
Red Line cars on hold plus four more stories
This week, Bruce Mohl investigates the detention of 8 Red Line cars by US Customs and potential delays to the MBTA’s long-running effort to replace its aging subway fleet. Plus: Gateway Cities brace for sweeping changes to MassHealth under the Trump administration’s tax bill, the Healey administration eyes Canadian offshore wind, Beacon Hill hears testimony on cannabis advertising, and Jennifer Smith examines whether “Opportunity Zones” have delivered on their promise.
Posted inThe Download
Flashback Friday: False Start
For this Flashback Friday, we’re taking a look back at reporter Jack Sullivan’s story on Title IX, the 37-word clause in the federal Education Amendments of 1972 that prohibited gender-based discrimination in education. The piece details how female athletes competing for colleges and universities across Massachusetts lacked funding, opportunities, and institutional support when compared to their male counterparts.
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The Download: ‘We are terrified’: Gateway City leaders prepare for federal cuts, changes to Medicaid
New from CommonWealth Beacon OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS?: Hidden among the cuts to social welfare programs in President Trump’s budget reconciliation bill was a provision that builds on “Opportunity Zones” — an […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: The enigma of ‘Opportunity Zones’
New from CommonWealth Beacon UNEXPECTED STOP: Eight Red Line train cars shipped to the US from China are being detained at the Port of Philadelphia, Bruce Mohl reports, raising concerns […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Could Canadian offshore wind help Mass. meet climate goals?
New from CommonWealth Beacon EMERGENCY SHELTER: The state’s housing secretary determined that the emergency assistance shelter system is not capable of meeting all current and projected demands. Colin Young from […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Mass. leans into artificial intelligence
New from CommonWealth Beacon OPINION: The deadly fire at the Gabriel House in Fall River is a stain on our conscience and a wake-up call when it comes to state […]
Posted inThe Saturday Send
Chelsea wins for sustainability efforts plus four more stories
This week, Gateway Cities reporter Hallie Claflin covers Chelsea’s recent recognition for community-driven efforts to mitigate environmental burdens.
Plus: Harvard and MIT face a steep endowment tax, lawmakers consider an age-based nicotine ban, an environmental bond bill omits drought management, and a look back at a 2016 story about the intersection of public safety and criminal justice reform.
Posted inThe Download
Flashback Friday: Crime and punishment
New from CommonWealth Beacon TAXING TIME FOR HARVARD: The sweeping new tax and spending bill signed on July 4 by President Trump includes a steep hike in the federal tax on investment […]
Posted inNewsletters
The Download: Harvard, MIT face steep tax hike under Trump bill
New from CommonWealth Beacon GREEN LIGHT: Chelsea has been named the 2025 All-America city for sustainability projects, reflecting work born from years of environmental injustice, Hallie Claflin reports. The densely populated city […]
Posted inNewsletters
Short-term rental storms and four more stories
Jennifer Smith digs into how Nantucket communities are weathering the challenges of the short-term rental market. Plus: looming funding threats for the I-90 Allston project, a dispute over gas companies’ “obligation to serve,” new demand for electricity production, and a look back at the premiere issue of CommonWealth.
Posted inNewsletters
Healey cools on offshore wind and four more stories
Healey cools on offshore wind while Trump and Senate Republicans attempt to ice the industry. Plus: concerns about asthma in Springfield, the impacts of Trump’s tax bill on the Bay State, and a closer took at state receivership of public schools.
Posted inThe Saturday Send
The nine-word legal dilemma and four more stories
This week, Jennifer Smith delves into how a flurry of lawsuits over the Trump administration’s proposed federal funding cuts hinges on nine words. Plus: the MBTA takes a union to court, lawmakers seemed supportive of Healey’s energy affordability bill, Attorney General Campbell headed to DC, and a big job in the transit sector opens up.