STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AN EMERGENCY MEETING called Friday was still not enough for the members of the Gaming Commission to agree on actual dates for the potential launch of […]
Sports betting could start in late Jan., maybe
Posted inThe Download
Gaming Commission struggling with when to launch sports betting
One advantage Massachusetts has in being late to legalize sports betting – 36th according to the American Gaming Commission – is it can learn from other states on how to […]
Posted inGambling
Gaming Commission struggling with when to launch sports betting
ONE ADVANTAGE Massachusetts has in being late to legalize sports betting – 36th according to the American Gaming Commission – is it can learn from other states on how to […]
Posted inOpinion
Climate bill gained through omission
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER in August signed into law a comprehensive bill to address climate change. The bill includes provisions designed to reach a net zero carbon goal by 2050 by promoting […]
Posted inEconomy
Massachusetts gets $145 million to expand broadband
MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN awarded $145 million in federal money to expand broadband internet access, the White House announced Thursday. Jacob Leibenluft, US Treasury Chief Recovery Officer, said in a conference […]
Posted inTransportation
Lawmakers question whether DPU is right for MBTA safety oversight
TWO KEY Beacon Hill lawmakers on Thursday questioned whether the Department of Public Utilities is the right agency to hold the MBTA’s feet to the fire on safety issues. At […]
Posted inThe Download
Somerville’s new electricity contract offers some hope
SOMERVILLE THIS WEEK offered some hope to those worried about the high cost of electricity ever since National Grid said its basic service rate would be jumping to a record […]
Posted inEnergy
Somerville’s new electricity contract offers some hope
SOMERVILLE THIS WEEK offered some hope to those worried about the high cost of electricity ever since National Grid said its basic service rate would be jumping to a record […]
Posted inEducation
A roadmap for success for Boston’s new school superintendent
SUPERINTENDENT MARY SKIPPER begins her tenure at a critical time for Boston Public Schools – a moment when the state, families, and other stakeholders are demanding swift action and accountability […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t fixate on the state’s elite private schools
LOCAL COVERAGE of the latest US News and World Report ranking of US colleges has focused on the fact that 7 Massachusetts schools made the top 50. People have questioned […]
Posted inTransportation
Bluebikes ridership soared during Orange Line shutdown
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DURING THE 30 DAYS that the Orange Line and Green Line extension were closed, a record number of people turned to Bluebikes to get around the […]
Posted inState Government
Report calls big chunk of tax cap funds ‘illusory’
THE STATE is preparing to pay out $1.4 billion in “illusory” funds under the tax cap law, giving wealthy taxpayers a huge windfall, according to a report from the left-leaning […]
Posted inThe Download
Fattman campaign finance case still unresolved
In April 2021, the state’s campaign finance regulator referred evidence to Attorney General Maura Healey that he believed indicated Sen. Ryan Fattman; his wife, Worcester County Register of Probate Stephanie […]
Posted inPolitics
Fattman campaign finance case still unresolved
IN APRIL 2021, the state’s campaign finance regulator referred evidence to Attorney General Maura Healey that he believed indicated Sen. Ryan Fattman; his wife, Worcester County Register of Probate Stephanie […]
Posted inEnergy, State House News Service
Who’s up next in pilot banning fossil fuels?
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WEST TISBURY officials have asked to formally withdraw from a new pilot program allowing a group of cities and towns to restrict fossil fuel infrastructure in […]
Posted inTransportation
Commuter rail making comeback with riders
THE MBTA’S commuter rail trains, which ran nearly empty during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, are starting to fill up. Ridership isn’t back to prepandemic levels, but it […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Advocates say Baker trying to gut prison mental health law
THE MASSACHUSETTS prison system has long faced criticism for its inability to provide adequate mental health treatment to incarcerated people. A mental health bill that Gov. Charlie Baker signed into […]
Posted inOpinion
Give the Health Policy Commission greater leverage
“UNLESS THE Commonwealth’s health care cost containment approach is strengthened and expanded by policymakers, the result will be a health care system that is increasingly unaffordable for Massachusetts residents and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Filling in the blanks on Martha’s Vineyard migrant tale
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 […]
Posted inImmigration
Filling in the blanks on Martha’s Vineyard migrant tale
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 […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Two takes on MCAS and its value
CommonWealth Magazine · Two takes on MCAS and its value in driving school improvement
Posted inHealth, Opinion
An epidemiologist’s advice for living with COVID
IT SEEMS LIKE a pretty simple question: Have we reached the point where COVID-19 has become less lethal than the flu? But if you ask a group of public health/infectious […]
Posted inMarijuana
Worker dies at Holyoke cannabis cultivation facility
LORNA MCMURREY, a 27-year-old West Springfield woman, died in January after a shift working at a Holyoke cannabis cultivation facility. The company, Trulieve, was fined $35,200 by the Occupational Safety […]
Posted inThe Download
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, […]