HE HAS SAID it is the most important hire he will make as mayor, and that was certainly not lost on Marty Walsh as he wrestled with which of the […]
Michael Jonas
Michael Jonas works with Laura in overseeing CommonWealth Beacon coverage and editing the work of reporters. His own reporting has a particular focus on politics, education, and criminal justice reform.
Posted inEducation
Guerrero’s trying time at Dever
THE GOOD NEWS for Guadalupe Guerrero, one of four finalists for the Boston school superintendent post, is that, as the only candidate with prior experience in the district, he is […]
Posted inOlympics, The Download
An elephant in the Olympics financing room
There has been all sorts of talk about the costs of a Boston Olympics, with elected officials left and right stamping their feet, drawing lines in the sand, and otherwise […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Slow-motion train wreck
There has always been a Through the Looking Glass unreality to how things work (or don’t) on the MBTA. So think of oversight of the moribund transit agency as something […]
Posted inEducation, The Back Story
Is state takeover of Holyoke schools coming?
IN 2012, THE chronically low-performing Lawrence school system became the first district put into state receivership under a 2010 education law that gives the state sweeping new powers over struggling […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, Transportation
Baker: No rush to hit T revenue button
THE BEST LINE of the morning at Gov. Charlie Baker’s breakfast speech on Thursday to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce didn’t come from the governor, but from Paul Guzzi, […]
Posted inPolitics
Rosenberg’s open door
THE PALATIAL OFFICE of the Senate president is big enough for the entire Democratic caucus of more than 30 lawmakers to occasionally gather for private sessions amidst its ornate wood […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Mitt out of luck
It turns out the third time isn’t charm after all. Or, if it is, we’ll never know. After flirting for a couple of weeks with another run for president, our […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Piling on
Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. That seems to the operative approach to the fact that Boston resident John Kerry got a $50 ticket […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Political paleontology
IN NATURE, EVOLUTION occurs over millions of years. In politics, it is often on a much faster timeline. In the Massachusetts House of Representatives, about six years seems to be […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
A new Speaker-for-life?
If there is one man who is happy about the blizzard that will white-out coverage of almost any other news for the next few days it may be Bob DeLeo. […]
Posted inPolitics
Rosenberg unveils leadership team
SENATE PRESIDENT STAN Rosenberg announced his leadership team and committee chairmanships today, putting women senators in two of the chamber’s most powerful posts. Sen. Harriette Chandler will serve as majority […]
Posted inEducation
Striving for urban school excellence
COLLABORATION AND THE need to move from incremental progress to exponential gains were the twin themes sounded as educators gathered on Friday morning for the release of an annual report […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Big Brother is watching
As the search continues for the gunman who killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, in Midtown Manhattan early Wednesday morning, surveillance video is playing an enormous role in the effort to identify and track the suspect. We’re reposting a CommonWealth story from 2015 that looked at the growing role of surveillance video in law enforcement.
Posted inPolitics
Naming rites: Pols as pals
CHARLIE BAKER AND MARTY WALSH don’t have a lot in common. One is a Harvard-educated Republican with blue-blooded ancestry here dating back to colonial days. The other is a Democratic […]
Posted inEnvironment
Net loss
You served three terms as mayor of New Bedford, which made you one of the chief advocates for one of the biggest fishing ports in the country. Now, with the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
A Romney redux?
If you take Elizabeth Warren at her (admittedly present-tense) word, that she is not running for president, it seemed as if our modest little Commonwealth could finally prepare for a […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker feels his way
HE GREETED MARTY WALSH with a big hug. He spoke from the heart as a fellow parent when he addressed the scourge of opiate addiction that took the life of […]
Posted inPolitics
The Rosenberg reign begins
WITH PLENTY OF nods to the past, but also a clear message of change, Stan Rosenberg took the gavel as Senate president on Wednesday. The 65-year-old Amherst Democrat arrives at […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
For Patrick, a kick on the way out
Today’s Boston Globe story on the unveiling of Deval Patrick’s official gubernatorial portrait is headlined, “A last hurrah for governor.” Yesterday’s front-page takeout on his eight years in office offered […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Patrick’s school choice
A Boston Herald editorial today calls on Gov.-elect Charlie Baker to work to eliminate the cap on charter schools in Massachusetts. Baker has been a strong supporter of charters, independently-operated […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Homeless for the holidays
It was bad enough that the city’s homeless shelter on Long Island was shuttered on several hours notice, with 450 beds suddenly yanked from the city inventory of places for […]
Posted inThe Download
The new New Republic
The amount of thoughtful debate, sharp-shived zingers, and consideration of its broader meaning being fired back and forth over last week’s convulsions at The New Republic is enough to fill a […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Boston’s young adult challenge
The challenges facing young people in Greater Boston were laid out today, though not in a single story but rather in several. The Globe has a front-page feature on the […]