UNLIKE MOST INTRIGUE-FILLED capers, this one came with the ultimate question that’s usually answered at the end of the story – whodunit? – already settled. When two plane loads of […]
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
Putting MCAS to the test
SCORES RELEASED LAST WEEK from the spring 2022 MCAS paint a pretty worrisome picture, showing that student achievement in the state still lags below levels seen on the 2019 test, […]
Posted inEducation
Union leader blasted for dismissing focus on college and careers
THE SUCCESSION OF state legislators and teachers who testified before the state board of education last month came with detailed arguments against a proposal to raise the minimum passing score […]
Posted inPolitics
AG candidates agree to debate
AFTER WEEKS OF deflecting calls to debate her Republican opponent, Andrea Campbell, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, has agreed to face-off with Jay McMahon in a debate hosted by […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Government, Politics
Some ballot questions could draw blank stares
ALONG WITH ELECTING candidates to statewide and local offices, voters will be asked to decide four ballot questions in November. Two of them – whether to raise income tax rates […]
Posted inPolitics
Dems’ aversion to debates becoming campaign issue
THE NOVEMBER ELECTION in Massachusetts is having a meta moment: Emerging as a major issue in the campaign is the reluctance of some candidates to engage with their opponents over […]
Posted inImmigration, Politics
Why are migrants being flown to Martha’s Vineyard?
Why is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flying immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard? It appears to be mainly a move made for political gain. DeSantis appears to have flown two planeloads of […]
Posted inPolitics
Is new poll a Diehl breaker?
THE HEADLINE IS not exactly the sort of unqualified boost that campaigns usually go out of their way to promote. But if you’re running for governor of Massachusetts as the […]
Posted inPolitics
Did Charlie Baker win last week’s state primary?
HE WAS NOT on last week’s primary ballot, but Charlie Baker – or at least his brand of more middle-of-the-road pragmatism – had a good day at the polls, at […]
Posted inPolitics
A tough night for Wu, Warren, and progressive insurgents
TUESDAY’S PRIMARY MAY help solidify the state’s deep blue standing, with Maura Healey one step closer to dislodging Republicans from the only foothold they’ve had in major Massachusetts offices. But […]
Posted inPolitics
Miranda wins five-way primary for Roxbury-based state Senate seat
STATE REP. LIZ MIRANDA, the daughter of Cape Verdean immigrants, who grew up in a troubled Roxbury neighborhood and went on to Wellesley College, will move on from the Massachusetts […]
Posted inPolitics
Campbell wins Democratic nomination for AG
ANDREA CAMPBELL, who leaned into her personal story of overcoming adversity and that of family members caught in the criminal justice system who did not, sailed to a decisive victory […]
Posted inPolitics
Liss-Riordan’s self-funding in AG’s race hits $9.3 million
LESS THAN 24 HOURS before polls open, Shannon Liss-Riordan filed updated campaign finance numbers on Monday showing she has poured $9.3 million of her own money into her battle with […]
Posted inPolitics
Campbell opens lead in new poll of AG’s race
A NEW TRACKING POLL completed two days before the state primary shows Andrea Campbell opening up a small lead in the hard-fought Democratic race for attorney general, but the contest […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Records call sexual assault claim against Arroyo ‘unfounded’
IN THE LATEST chapter in the bare-knuckle brawl that the Suffolk County district attorney’s race has become, Democratic challenger Ricardo Arroyo claimed newly released records cleared him of sexual assault, […]
Posted inEducation
Reading and math scores plummet amid pandemic
WE NOW HAVE the first clear look at how the pandemic has affected student learning, and it’s not a pretty picture. Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress released […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Media, Politics
Endorsements taking center stage in race for DA, attorney general
WHAT’S THE VALUE of an endorsement? That question is getting tested in races up and down the primary ballot as candidates jockey for advantage leading up the September 6 vote. […]
Posted inPolitics
Palfrey quits AG’s race, endorses Campbell
IN A MOVE that scrambles the Democratic primary for attorney general one week before the election, Quentin Palfrey announced he is ending his campaign and throwing his support behind Andrea […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
What’s the truth on Arroyo in Suffolk DA’s race? Does it matter?
AMID A GENERALLY sleepy primary election campaign season, the contest for Suffolk County district attorney stands out. The race has been rocked by an explosive report in the Boston Globe […]
Posted inBy The Numbers, Education
Parent satisfaction with Boston schools is falling, new poll shows
AFTER A FULL school year back in classrooms for in-person learning, parents of Boston Public Schools students have even less faith in the system than they did a year ago, […]
Posted inPolitics, State Government
Edwards cuts an independent path
IN THE WEE HOURS of their final legislative session earlier this month, the state Senate took up a proposal from Gov. Charlie Baker to expand the list of charges under […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
Arroyo pushes back on sexual assault allegations
THE SUFFOLK DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S race is quickly turning into a low-level mash-up of “The West Wing” and “House of Cards,” complete with competing accusations of campaign skullduggery and sudden reversals […]
Posted inEconomy, Education
New higher ed commissioner will face big challenges
THE STATE ANNOUNCED four finalists on Tuesday to become higher education commissioner, and whichever candidate gets the nod will take the reins at a moment of hope and also great […]
Posted inPolitics, State Government
The non-race for Massachusetts governor
MASSACHUSETTS, A PLACE long associated with spirited political contests, is sleepwalking its way through the state’s first open race for governor in eight years. “It’s August and we pretty much […]