More than half of Massachusetts residents think the state’s best days are ahead, or already here, and more than two thirds say their family enjoys a good quality of life, according to a new CommonWealth Beacon poll.
Mass. residents bullish on future — with some big asterisks
Posted inOpinion
Why is nonprofit news taking off in Massachusetts?
Nonprofit news is catching on. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in Massachusetts, where nonprofit news outlets seem to be propagating like rabbits.
Posted inOpinion
A checklist for the region’s power grid operator
ISO New England, the region’s power grid operator, needs to be more accessible, more accountable, and buy-in to the climate fight.
Posted inPolitics
Wu-aligned unions funnel cash into super PAC backing Boston council candidate
Four left-leaning unions closely aligned with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are directing money to a newly formed outside super PAC that is backing Boston City Council candidate Henry Santana, a former Wu aide who is considered a top hopeful for one of the four at-large seats in the November 7 election.
Posted inState Government
Mariano urges Healey to issue executive order on shelter crisis
House Speaker Ron Mariano offered some interesting advice to Gov. Maura Healey as she struggles to navigate the state’s emergency shelter crisis, urging her to declare an executive order tweaking the law as she sees fit.
Posted inTransportation
Red Line slow zones gone, but unpredictability is not
RED LINE PASSENGERS on Monday said 16 days of repairs on the stretch of track between the Ashmont and JFK/UMass stations eliminated slow zones and dramatically improved service, but the […]
Posted inOpinion
RGGI should fight for environmental justice
STATES ACROSS the northeast and mid-Atlantic are more than a decade into an ambitious regional collaboration to clean the air, fight climate change, and create thousands of clean energy jobs […]
Posted inEnvironment
Quebec-New England transmission line gets Biden backing
THE BIDEN ADMINISTATION on Monday pledged financial support for a two-way transmission line capable of carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec into New England and eventually offshore wind and solar power from […]
Posted inImmigration
Group seeks to block Healey’s emergency shelter cap
Gov. Maura Healey’s administration is facing a lawsuit after the governor announced last week that the state would no longer guarantee housing for those protected under the state’s right-to-shelter law.
Posted inThe Codcast
‘The city doesn’t happen by accident’
CommonWealth’s Jennifer Smith is joined by the head of the Boston Housing Authority, Kenzie Bok, to discuss housing justice, the role of public housing in the city and commonwealth, and what’s on the horizon in the world of public housing.
Posted inHousing, State Government
Kenzie Bok says Boston housing shortage no accident
THE STATE’S public housing infrastructure is, to put it lightly, strained. And it didn’t get that way by accident. “The way I talk about it is that it’s not that […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t underestimate new AFL-CIO president Chrissy Lynch
NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO, I was hired by a prominent union side labor law firm as the first woman to practice union side labor law in Massachusetts. I learned that […]
Posted inPolitics
DiZoglio’s legislative audit is a well-intentioned bad idea
THE NEW MASSACHUSETTS state auditor won the Democratic nomination for the job in 2022 with an aggressive campaign centered on making the auditor the chief legislative transparency officer at the […]
Posted inHousing
Ruling coming in emergency shelter suit
A SUPERIOR COURT judge is expected to rule by the end of the day Wednesday on whether to block Gov. Maura Healey from putting a cap on shelter placements and waitlist families looking for emergency shelter.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Short takes — It’s Baker vs. Healey (in state Senate race)
IT WAS THE marquee showdown for governor that never happened. For months, Republican Charlie Baker kept political watchers guessing whether he’d seek a third term as governor. On the Democratic side, […]
Posted inPolitics
Short takes: It’s Baker vs. Healey (in state Senate race)
IT WAS THE MARQUEE showdown for governor that never happened. For months, Republican Charlie Baker kept political watchers guessing whether he’d seek a third term as governor. On the Democratic […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Auditor takes sex offender board to task
YEARS AFTER a 2017 audit of the Sex Offender Registry Board, the board has not made recommended changes to record and verify the current addresses of sex offenders in violation, […]
Posted inOpinion
Tracing the origins of our college affordability crisis
IN TODAY’S AMERICA, the cost of college is nothing short of staggering. But this was not always so; in 1987, tuition and fees at a public institution in Massachusetts totaled […]
Posted inEnergy
Somerset offshore wind plant clears major hurdle
A PROPOSED TRANSMISSION cable manufacturing plant in Somerset to serve the US offshore wind industry cleared a major hurdle on Thursday when the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously […]
Posted inHealth Care
Senate passes menstrual period equity bill
IN A STEP toward menstrual equity, the Senate unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday that would make disposable menstrual products available at no cost in prisons, homeless shelters, and public schools. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Avangrid says it terminated offshore wind contracts at “minimum cost”
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of Avangrid told financial analysts on Thursday that he was very pleased the company was able to terminate offshore wind power purchase agreements in Massachusetts and […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Climate migration to Massachusetts ‘an urgent concern’
Massachusetts is already struggling to keep pace with emergency housing needs for migrants, many fleeing unsafe political conditions in other countries. A new report from the state’s climate chief warns […]