BLACK AND LATINO men were disproportionately incarcerated for decades for drug-related offenses. But when it comes to participating in the emerging legal marijuana industry, only 4 percent of cannabis company […]
No easy glide path for Black marijuana CEOs
Posted inOpinion
Lifting mask mandate is right thing to do
LET ME BEGIN by saying I believe in vaccines. I am fully vaxxed and double boosted. I believe in the value of wearing a quality, well-fitting mask in most indoor […]
Posted inEconomy
Climate, downtowns, housing focus of Baker spending bill
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday filed a $3.5 billion economic development bill that focuses on climate-related projects, downtown revitalization, and housing. The bill is chock-full of specific local projects, a […]
Posted inEconomy
Bold action needed to close the racial homeownership gap
APRIL 11, 2022, marked 100 days since I became the executive director of a nonprofit organization that has become near and dear to me. In 2004, my real estate agent suggested […]
Posted inThe Download
Private pay childcare providers say they’re being forgotten
When the state required most daycares to close in the early days of the COVID pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker reassured providers that they would continue getting state subsidies during the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Private pay childcare providers say they’re being forgotten
WHEN THE STATE required most daycares to close in the early days of the COVID pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker reassured providers that they would continue getting state subsidies during the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
William Allen granted parole after 28 years in jail
THE PAROLD BOARD on Wednesday granted parole to William Allen, one of two men to have his first-degree murder sentence commuted by Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this year. After spending […]
Posted inUncategorized
Golden leaving with $200,000 separation agreement
BRIAN GOLDEN is leaving his job as director of the Boston Planning and Development Agency with a payout of more than $200,000, according to the separation agreement he signed. The agreement, […]
Posted inUncategorized
Task force seeks to phase out use of “forever chemicals”
A SPECIAL TASK FORCE is recommending that Massachusetts regulate and gradually phase out the sale of consumer products that use PFAS chemicals, one of a series of recommendations aimed at […]
Posted inOpinion
Do the math on gender, racial wage gaps
YOU’RE HAVING a conversation with a close coworker that takes an unexpected turn when he reveals that he has gotten the promotion you were both up for. An uncomfortable feeling […]
Posted inThe Download
Rideshare ballot showdown poses ‘unusual’ question
MASSACHUSETTS HAS A LONG history of putting complicated policy questions that lawmakers have been unable to resolve to a direct vote in statewide elections. This fall looks like it will […]
Posted inEconomy
Rideshare ballot showdown poses ‘unusual’ question
MASSACHUSETTS HAS A long history of putting complicated policy questions that lawmakers have been unable to resolve to a direct vote in statewide elections. This fall looks like it will […]
Posted inTransportation
Court ruling lifts CDC’s transportation mask mandate
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASKS WILL no longer be required on MBTA vehicles and properties, Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials announced Tuesday afternoon, a day after a federal judge in […]
Posted inEconomy
Baker, with business backing, renews push for tax relief
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is using tax filing day to publicly urge lawmakers to adopt his $700 million tax break plan – a call House leaders have so far ignored. “There’s […]
Posted inPolitics
Healey climate plan calls for cabinet czar
DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL candidate Maura Healey began to flesh out her policy positions on Tuesday by unveiling a climate change plan that calls for the appointment of cabinet-level official to oversee […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Demolition redo: Petersham must vote again on fate of Nichewaug Inn
A DECADES-LONG battle over whether and how to preserve the historic Nichewaug Inn in Petersham appeared to come to an end last December, when voters at a special town meeting […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
National Grid has new vision for heating
THERE IS OVERWHELMING evidence the world is experiencing the impacts of climate change, and that we must move away from fossil fuels. As an energy company serving millions of people […]
Posted inThe Download
Standardizing public health across Massachusetts
The relationship between the state of Massachusetts and its cities and towns is a complicated one. Sometimes, as with liquor licenses, the state is in control, deciding how many licenses […]
Posted inUncategorized
Standardizing public health across Massachusetts
THE RELATIONSHIP between the state of Massachusetts and its cities and towns is a complicated one. Sometimes, as with liquor licenses, the state is in control, deciding how many licenses […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Public health — from the local perspective
CommonWealth Magazine · Public health — from the local perspective
Posted inUncategorized
Lessons from story on Globe’s Philip Morris sponsored content
A correction and a clarification has been added to this story. A RECENT story in CommonWealth on a series of articles in the Boston Globe sponsored by Philip Morris has prompted […]
Posted inEconomy
Short-term rental battle riles Nantucket
THE REAL ESTATE listing for the four-bedroom home on Nantucket portrays an idyllic setting for a summer vacation, a mile from the beach. There’s a deck overlooking a large yard; […]
Posted inOpinion
Nursing homes need support — and more accountability
A WEEK AGO CommonWealth featured an op-ed by a representative of the nursing home industry entitled “Nursing home situation grows dire again.” The gist of the article was a plea to […]
Posted inGambling
Encore reports best month ever in March
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MARCH WAS A GOOD MONTH for the state’s three gambling centers and the state’s coffers. Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor cumulatively generated […]