THE MBTA said on Friday that it intends to comply with a Federal Transit Administration directive on inadequate staffing levels in its operations center not by adding dispatchers but by […]
MBTA cutting back service on subway lines
Posted inThe Download
Federal directives raise management, budget, oversight questions at MBTA
The Federal Transit Administration’s crackdown on safety issues at the MBTA is raising questions about the transit agency’s management, its budget, and its oversight going forward. On Wednesday, the FTA […]
Posted inTransportation
Federal directives raise management, budget, oversight questions at MBTA
THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION’S crackdown on safety issues at the MBTA is raising questions about the transit agency’s management, its budget, and its oversight going forward. On Wednesday, the FTA […]
Posted inOpinion
Children’s affiliation — and expansion — make a lot of sense
IN A recent opinion piece in Commonwealth, Paul Hattis expressed support for the proposed affiliation between Boston Children’s Hospital and Franciscan Children’s. At a time when behavioral health is in crisis, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Lawmakers in agreement on prison construction moratorium
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE LEGISLATURE and Gov. Charlie Baker appear headed for another showdown, this time over the next half-decade of facilities management decisions for the state’s prisons and […]
Posted inEducation
Massachusetts can lead in supporting LGBTQ+ youth
RECENT LEGISLATIVE ACTION in Texas and Florida reminds us that LGBTQ+ youth continue to be targeted and criminalized for expressing their gender identity. Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibits instruction […]
Posted inEconomy
Help for Boston taxi owners?
TAXI OWNERS HAVE been hit with a one-two punch in recent years. First, the explosion of the Uber and Lyft rideshare apps proved devastating to their business. The pandemic added […]
Posted inEconomy
Help for Boston taxi owners?
TAXI OWNERS HAVE been hit with a one-two punch in recent years. First, the explosion of the Uber and Lyft rideshare apps proved devastating to their business. The pandemic added […]
Posted inThe Download
Where does battle over app drivers go now?
Forget November 2022. It will likely be a long time before Uber and Lyft drivers get certainty about their employment status in Massachusetts. Today, drivers are considered independent contractors, but […]
Posted inHealth Care
House plans vote on mental health bill
THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE on Thursday plans to vote on a mental health bill that would improve access to mental health care, particularly for children, while ensuring that the health care […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Healing families of those killed by gun violence
OUTSIDE OF TRAUMA ROOMS in hospitals around the country, there is a place that those in the medical field call the “quiet room.” According to Dr. Cornelia Griggs and Dr. […]
Posted inHealth Care
SJC lets dental insurance question proceed to ballot
THE NOVEMBER BALLOT is coming into focus as the Supreme Judicial Court on Wednesday ruled that a question regulating dental insurance can proceed to the ballot. The ballot question would […]
Posted inTransportation
FTA orders T to address “serious safety issues” immediately
THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ordered the MBTA on Wednesday to immediately address a series of “serious safety issues” that couldn’t wait until a final report on safety problems at the […]
Posted inPolitics
Where does battle over app drivers go now?
FORGET NOVEMBER 2022. It will likely be a long time before Uber and Lyft drivers get certainty about their employment status in Massachusetts. Today, drivers are considered independent contractors, but […]
Posted inEconomy
It’s time to ensure everyone a seat at the table on public boards
NO DOUBT MANY of us watched with pride and emotion as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the US Supreme Court was recently confirmed by the Senate. At last, the […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Courts, Economy
SJC throws out Uber-Lyft ballot question
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT on Tuesday threw out a ballot question that would classify ride-share drivers as independent contractors, putting a sudden end to what was primed to be an […]
Posted inPolitics
Auditor candidates both claiming to be outsiders
THE TWO DEMOCRATIC candidates for state auditor are both claiming to be the outsider in the race and insisting they have the edge heading toward the September primary. Chris Dempsey, […]
Posted inThe Download
Auditor candidates both claiming to be outsiders
The two Democratic candidates for state auditor are both claiming to be the outsider in the race and insisting they have the edge heading toward the September primary. Chris Dempsey, […]
Posted inHealth Care
Why do we accept asthma with our ‘natural’ gas?
TAKE A DEEP breath. And exhale. Most of us don’t think about breathing. But that is not the case for one in eight children in the Commonwealth who have asthma. […]
Posted inHealth Care
Hospitals report over 1,000 patients awaiting discharges with nowhere to go
AT UMASS MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER in Worcester on Monday, there were 63 patients stuck in the emergency room waiting for an inpatient hospital bed to open up. Meanwhile, there were […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA officials say train derailments trending downward
MBTA OFFICIALS said on Monday that the number of derailments has been trending downward over the last few years, falling by more than 50 percent since 2019. According to figures […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Courts, Economy, Politics
SJC lets liquor license question head to ballot
A QUESTION REFORMING the state’s liquor license system will continue on to the November ballot, after the Supreme Judicial Court on Monday upheld the attorney general’s decision that the question is […]
Posted inHealth Care
Speaker Mariano says health care regulation needs updates
IT”S BEEN A DECADE since the Legislature revamped the way the state regulates health care, passing legislation establishing the Health Policy Commission and instituting a cost control benchmark. House Speaker […]
Posted inThe Download
Speaker Mariano says health care regulation needs updates
It’s been a decade since the Legislature revamped the way the state regulates health care, passing legislation establishing the Health Policy Commission and instituting a cost control benchmark. House Speaker […]