The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, the Supreme Judicial Court released a […]
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The Download: New report urges state to think small on housing crisis
New from CommonWealth Beacon HIGH STAKES: A new state program aims to prevent problem gambling in youth — a growing concern borne out by a recent survey showing about a […]
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The Download: Mass. Schools doubling down on education to protect boys from gambling problem
New from CommonWealth Beacon RENT CONTROL: NAIOP, an influential real estate industry group that has long fought against a rent control ballot question, has newly signaled it’s open to a […]
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The Download: At Massport’s urging, Healey signs tax break for sustainable aviation fuel
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: Harvard economics professor Raj Chetty has become one of the preeminent scholars of economic mobility in the US, tapping the power of “big data” […]
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The Download: Raj Chetty’s prescription for reviving the American dream
New from CommonWealth Beacon POT REPEAL: The first of four expected rulings about ballot question eligibility went in favor of the campaign, with the Supreme Judicial Court deciding that a […]
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Natural gas is hard to kick and four more stories: Saturday Send – June 13, 2026
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, Jordan Wolman dives into recent snafus […]
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The Download: Senate ready to force more money toward primary care — and away from specialists
New from CommonWealth Beacon SOUTH COAST RAIL: One year after the MBTA’s South Coast Rail expansion launched, Gateway Cities leaders in the area are still waiting for updates on the […]
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Gateway City leaders celebrate one year of South Coast Rail, but final phase remains in limbo
New from CommonWealth Beacon OPINION: Gov. Maura Healey and some business leaders are proposing a new set of state standardized end-of-course tests that would count toward graduation. State Sen. Patricia […]
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The Download: MBTA eyes another spending boost as ‘austerity’ approach fades
New from CommonWealth Beacon ENERGY: The landmark transmission line intended to bring hydropower from Canada into Massachusetts did not deliver any energy for two weeks, underscoring the tricky balance state […]
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The Download: Two-week pause of Canadian hydropower exposes frailty of Mass. plan to wean off natural gas
New from CommonWealth Beacon STATE GOVERNMENT: Republican Brian Shortsleeve said that, should he win his gubernatorial campaign, he would veto House and Senate budget appropriations until the Legislature fully complies […]
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The Download: The World Cup has arrived, but how are the vibes?
New from CommonWealth Beacon DATA PRIVACY: House lawmakers signed off on a measure aimed at limiting the collection and sale of private data, though the legislation deviates in some ways […]
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EV infrastructure lags and four more stories: The Saturday Send – June 6, 2026
EV infrastructure lags and four more stories
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The Download: House wades in on data privacy: ‘Your data belongs to you.’
New from CommonWealth Beacon SEMI-PUBLIC RECORDS: House Democrats on Thursday pushed through a bill that would permanently constrain the power voters awarded the state auditor to probe the Legislature. It […]
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The Download: Transparency fight escalates as House votes to limit its exposure to audit, public records requests
New from CommonWealth Beacon EVs: Nearly four years after receiving $64 million from the federal government for electric vehicle infrastructure, Massachusetts still has not built a single charger through the […]
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The Download: Massachusetts’s slow adoption of EV chargers through federal program is ‘mystifying’ to transit advocates
New from CommonWealth Beacon RENT CONTROL: Supporters of a ballot measure that would usher in the strictest statewide rent control in the nation are now looking for an off-ramp, floating […]
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The Download: Mass. inspector general faults sheriffs for using private bank accounts
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: On the latest episode of The Codcast, Jennifer Smith hosts Northeastern University professor Dan O’Brien for a deep dive into a new lawsuit alleging […]
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The Download: Lessons from Boston on Mass. school segregation lawsuit
New from CommonWealth Beacon POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: A notable absence in the “Nature for Massachusetts” coalition, Attorney General Andrea Campbell tweaks lawmakers and the ballot process, and the Healey administration wades […]
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Hanscom airport proposal hits delay and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, reporter Jordan Wolman covers the delays […]
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The Download: Political Notebook: A notable absence in the ‘Nature for Massachusetts’ coalition
New from CommonWealth Beacon UNCOMPETITIVE: The historic level of competition on ballot questions does not extend to the Legislature – roughly 60 percent of House and Senate races this cycle […]
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The Download: State regulators are weighing how much to crack down on leaky gas pipes
New from CommonWealth Beacon BILL GALVIN: Secretary of State Bill Galvin has seen a lot in his nearly five decades in public office. But this year he’s experiencing something new: […]
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The Download: A cakewalk for Bill Galvin
New from CommonWealth Beacon CODCAST: Tens of thousands of lawfully present immigrants lost subsidized health insurance under a new federal law, and while Massachusetts policymakers have been mounting an aggressive […]
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The Download: Health care coverage for immigrants remains in limbo
New from CommonWealth Beacon STICKER SHOCK: Health insurers collectively want to increase small business rates nearly 13 percent in 2027 – an opening salvo in a process that will stretch […]
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DiZoglio marches on and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, Chris Lisinski goes into the details […]
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The Download: SJC ruling opens a path for legislative audit without ending the bitter dispute
New from CommonWealth Beacon FRANKLY SPEAKING: Barney Frank, the longtime Massachusetts congressman who passed away this week, was consistently accessible, ever quotable, always on the record, and honest to a […]