After seven months of rubber-stamping nearly everything put before it, the MBTA board of directors this week balked, at least for a month, at approving a $102 million, five-year contract […]
MBTA board balks at $102m Transit Ambassador contract
Posted inTransportation
MBTA board balks at $102m Transit Ambassador contract
AFTER SEVEN MONTHS of rubber-stamping nearly everything put before it, the MBTA board of directors this week balked, at least for a month, at approving a $102 million, five-year contract […]
Posted inEducation
Boston submits school improvement proposal to state
IN RESPONSE TO a scathing state review documenting “entrenched dysfunction” in the Boston Public Schools, the city submitted a proposal Wednesday night to state education officials that vows to make changes […]
Posted inPolitics
Mariano outlines legislative priorities, mentions tax relief
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH THE END of the legislative session within sight, House Speaker Ronald Mariano pitched business leaders Thursday on the central pieces of the agenda he hopes […]
Posted inHealth
State drops quarantine for close COVID contacts in schools, childcare
IN A SIGN of the continually evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Public Health on Wednesday quietly updated its guidelines for educational settings to no longer require […]
Posted inTransportation
T board lays out priorities — safety, infrastructure, budget shortfalls
THE CHAIR of the MBTA board, backed by her fellow directors, set three broad priorities for the agency on Thursday – safety was No. 1, followed by an infrastructure spending […]
Posted inEconomy
Child tax credit proposal would strengthen state’s pro-family standing
THE EXPIRATION OF last year’s temporary expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) has caused millions of children to fall into poverty. Congress’s inability to come to any agreement […]
Posted inThe Download
Senate, Somerville eye protections for abortion, gender-affirming care
The state Senate on Wednesday adopted an amendment to the state budget protecting anyone who receives or provides gender-affirming care or abortion care against other states’ attempts to prosecute them. […]
Posted inState Government
Senate, Somerville eye protections for abortion, gender-affirming care
THE STATE SENATE on Wednesday adopted an amendment to the state budget protecting anyone who receives or provides gender-affirming care or abortion care against other states’ attempts to prosecute them. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
House will vote on sexting, revenge porn bill
FIVE YEARS AFTER Gov. Charlie Baker first proposed new laws addressing sexting and revenge porn, the Legislature is prepared to consider the legislation. The House plans to vote Thursday on […]
Posted inEnergy
Pricing announced for latest offshore wind farms
BAKER ADMINISTRATION officials say the two latest offshore wind procurements are in compliance with the state’s price cap even though their electricity will probably end up costing more. Under the […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA rejects bids for Quincy bus garage
THE MBTA rejected the bids for construction of a new Quincy garage and maintenance facility for electric buses after the initial two submissions came in at amounts that far exceeded […]
Posted inEnvironment
Healey sues PFAS manufacturers
ATTORNEY GENERAL Maura Healey has filed a lawsuit against 13 manufacturers of PFAS chemicals, arguing that they deceptively marketed and sold chemicals that were dangerous to the environment and to […]
Posted inThe Download
For Boston schools, a reckoning with no simple answers
THINK OF DANIELLE MILLER and Mary Tamer as the rock and hard place between which state and city leaders sit as they try to figure out a plan for the […]
Posted inEducation
For Boston schools, a reckoning with no simple answers
THINK OF DANIELLE MILLER and Mary Tamer as the rock and hard place between which state and city leaders sit as they try to figure out a plan for the […]
Posted inOpinion
Boston’s corporate sector needs to step up on arts
WHEN I WAS a working musician, few metrics mattered more to me than my orchestra’s concert attendance. A full house has a flywheel effect where the energy between the performers and audience […]
Posted inBook Review
Book on civil wars suggests US is entering dangerous territory
OUR NATIONAL MOOD is currently characterized by two things: anger and anxiety. Many people are angry because of the Trump presidency and his ongoing contribution to political deterioration. Others are […]
Posted inEducation
Riley looking for pact with Boston, not receivership
STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER Jeff Riley said the Boston Public Schools face a “myriad of problems,” from special education and English language learner services in disarray to data systems reporting inaccurate […]
Posted inThe Download
Momentum building for some form of tax relief
For months now, pressure has been building on Beacon Hill lawmakers to provide some form of tax relief to residents. Republicans pushed repeatedly for a gas tax holiday as prices […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Momentum building for some form of tax relief
FOR MONTHS NOW, pressure has been building on Beacon Hill lawmakers to provide some form of tax relief to residents. Republicans pushed repeatedly for a gas tax holiday as prices […]
Posted inBook Review
The Book of Baker
The first of two takes on the new book by the state’s governor and his former chief of staff. Here is the second, a look at the Baker playbook from […]
Posted inCourts, Gambling, State House News Service
SJC orders discovery into Everett casino land deal
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICES THE ACTIONS OF the Massachusetts Gaming Commission almost a decade ago could be put under a new microscope after the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Monday that […]
Posted inOpinion
Landlord resents ‘bullying’ by Somerville officials
HIGH RENTAL HOUSING costs have long been a source of concern among Greater Boston housing advocates. Rapidly rising inflation and a continued shortage of new housing construction have amplified activists’ […]
Posted inEducation
State review slams Boston schools
A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED new state review of the Boston Public Schools paints a picture of a system in deep disarray, where some of the problems identified in a state report […]