THE NEWS seems particularly bleak on the COVID front, with case counts rising rapidly and hospitalizations hitting levels not seen since last winter’s surge. But amid the rising alarm over the […]
News not as bleak as it appears on COVID front
Posted inUncategorized
Mariano eyes vaccine mandate for public access to State House
HOUSE SPEAKER Ron Mariano said on Monday that lawmakers will likely require members of the public to show proof of vaccination if and when the State House reopens. Mariano made […]
Posted inOpinion
Voting reforms will improve our democracy
THE WORK TO make our democracy more equitable and accessible in Massachusetts remains unfinished. Now that the temporary emergency voting measures for the pandemic have expired, it’s time for Massachusetts […]
Posted inThe Codcast
How Boston escaped the national spike in homicides
It’s been a grim companion to the death toll of COVID-19: While the virus has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, homicide rates have also been soaring nationally. Homicides rose […]
Posted inHealth Care
Mass. offers QR code to prove COVID vaccine status
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION on Monday released a new technology that state residents can use voluntarily to provide digital proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status. A portal on a state-run website […]
Posted inNews Analysis
30-40% of COVID patients at MGH incidentally infected
This is another in a series of conversations between Dr. Jarone Lee, a frontline critical care and emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, […]
Posted inThe Download
How Boston escaped the national spike in homicides
It’s been a grim companion to the death toll of COVID-19: While the virus has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, homicide rates have also been soaring nationally. Homicides rose […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
How Boston escaped the national spike in homicides
IT’S BEEN A grim companion to the death toll of COVID-19: While the virus has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, homicide rates have also been soaring nationally. Homicides rose […]
Posted inOpinion
Information chaos in public health
SCROLLING THROUGH Facebook today, I came across a new website that helps people find and order in-stock home COVID tests on line. It’s updated to show current availability from a […]
Posted inPolitics
New Lawrence mayor says it’s now the people’s turn
One in a series on newly-elected mayors in the Commonwealth. LAWRENCE MAYOR Brian A. DePeña is a bit of a throwback. He likes to meet one-on-one with his constituents, holding […]
Posted inOpinion
On housing, Wu should look to Somerville
FOR OVER TWO DECADES, solving Boston’s housing crisis has been the Holy Grail for its city’s mayors. For newly elected Michelle Wu, who has recently announced plans to study how to make […]
Posted inPolitics
Package stores pushing ‘compromise’ ballot question
RYAN MALONEY, the owner of Julio’s Liquors in Westborough, Massachusetts, sits in his office with a baseball cap hanging behind him that says, “Alcohol you later.” He looks a visitor […]
Posted inEducation
New student loan ombudsman gets nearly 400 requests for help
IN ITS FIRST SIX MONTHS of existence, an ombudsman’s office tasked with addressing complaints about the student loan industry has gotten 393 complaints and requests for help. The complaints came […]
Posted inThe Download
$876m Mass. tax workaround set in motion
A tax change designed to help some wealthy Massachusetts residents recover a portion of a lucrative federal tax break they lost four years ago kicked into gear in December, when […]
Posted inUncategorized
$876m Mass. tax workaround set in motion
A TAX CHANGE designed to help some wealthy Massachusetts residents recover a portion of a lucrative federal tax break they lost four years ago kicked into gear in December, when […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins goes out with a bang — at MBTA
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Rachael Rollins said Thursday that her office would open an investigation into whether the MBTA bore any criminal responsibility for the Green […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Attack on principal underscores need for holistic response to safety
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu is right: We need a different approach to assuring safety in our schools—one that prioritizes student and staff safety but also prioritizes transformation of the way […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
‘Red flag’ gun bill used just six times last year
WHEN GOV. CHARLIE BAKER signed the so-called “red flag” bill in July 2018, it was pitched as a way to save lives. Under the law, a family member or police […]
Posted inEducation
Wu’s school challenge: Put Black, Latinx, and low-income kids on path to success
IF MAYOR MICHELLE WU focuses her upcoming State of the City speech solely on the state of Boston Public Schools (BPS), she would need to convey difficult truths about how […]
Posted inThe Download
School struggles getting worse amid virus surge
Amid the surge of COVID-19 cases, Cambridge Public Schools closed Monday and Tuesday to test 3,500 students. Superintendent Victoria Greer wrote to families Tuesday that 157 of 362 pools tested […]
Posted inEducation
School struggles getting worse amid virus surge
AMID THE SURGE of COVID-19 cases, Cambridge Public Schools closed Monday and Tuesday to test 3,500 students. Superintendent Victoria Greer wrote to families Tuesday that 157 of 362 pools tested […]
Posted inBy The Numbers, Health Care, News Analysis
Poll shows sharp divide in attitudes depending on vaccination status
WITH COVID CASES surging in Massachusetts and tests hard to come by, deciding what feels safe to do can be a moving target. But for one group at least, the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
DAs Blodgett, O’Keefe won’t seek reelection
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A PAIR OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS who have each served for two decades announced Wednesday they will not run for reelection this year, while Suffolk County DA […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Commission sharply split on qualified immunity proposals
A SHARPLY DIVIDED commission established to study qualified immunity – a controversial legal doctrine that shields police officers and other public employees from liability from civil lawsuits – is recommending […]