Our economic competitiveness, our educational excellence, and our role as a beacon of equality require us to protect and preserve our cultural sector. Every resident can play a role in this defining moment.
As leaders of state and regional organizations, we’re sounding the alarm on Trump’s attacks on the arts
Posted inThe Codcast
‘Forewarned is forearmed’ on housing voucher cuts
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Kenzie Bok, head of the Boston Housing Authority, to discuss the threat of President Trump’s budget on rental assistance spending.
Posted inOpinion
Here’s how we can help solve the student loan crisis: sell the debt
This policy change would replicate how the government resolved the Latin American debt crisis of the 1980s — by negotiating steep discounts from the bank lenders, which allowed countries to repay much lower amounts, restoring their credit ratings. We should borrow from that experience.
Posted inEnvironment
Average summer temps in Massachusetts have risen by 2.75 degrees Fahrenheit in past 55 years, according to new data
The 2.75 degrees Fahrenheit might sound like a small change in a state where temperatures can vary from below zero to around 100 degrees, but it is a very significant rise over the time period given historical temperature trends, said Jen Brady, a meteorologist at Climate Central.
Posted inHealth Care
On reproductive and transgender care, Massachusetts urged not to rest on its laurels
Advocates and care providers are asking the state to bolster and expand its nation-leading abortion and transgender care shield law.
Posted inOpinion
Why ‘cathedral thinking’ matters now more than ever
We may not win every lawsuit or campaign right now, but that doesn’t make our efforts hopeless. It makes them formative. In the spirit of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the arc of the universe bends towards justice because people keep pushing.
Posted inImmigration
As ICE touts island arrests, Healey highlights ‘fear’ and ‘anxiety’
Gov. Maura Healey at an unrelated press conference Wednesday raised questions about due process and a lack of information about those arrested.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Boston stays the course, despite Trump yanking violence prevention grants
While the city plans to deploy more than $5 million to youth public safety efforts, and the state funds a robust set of programs aimed at at-risk youth and violence prevention, the US Department of Justice under President Trump has concluded that such programs no longer further “program goals or agency priorities.”
Posted inThe Codcast
How does public media survive threats from inside and out?
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Margaret Low, CEO of WBUR, to discuss the role of NPR in the news ecosystem, defending journalistic institutions and values while upholding rigorous standards, and the upcoming WBUR Festival.
Posted inOpinion
Trump cuts would devastate community colleges, undermining lower-income students striving to better their lives
If enacted, the budget moves would wreak havoc on campuses everywhere, but especially at the nation’s 1,100 community colleges, including 15 here in Massachusetts, which enroll a third of America’s undergraduates, including the poorest, most underserved and vulnerable students in all of higher education.
Posted inEnvironment
DEP delays electric vehicle sales requirements for two years
The Healey administration announced it will not enforce minimum electric vehicle sales requirements for model years 2026 and 2027.
Posted inOpinion
Tallying the crucial impact of Medicaid in Massachusetts
Medicaid provides coverage to over 1 in 4 Massachusetts residents, playing a vital role in our state’s health care system and the strength of our economy.
Posted inCourts
Pay increase doesn’t undercut union retaliation claim in Newton, SJC rules
The Supreme Judicial Court decided against adopting a rule that would allow an employer to retaliate for union activity just because they met the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
Posted inHealth Care
‘Pay now or pay greater later’: Mass. health centers CEO warns Medicaid cuts will lead to higher costs and strain to health system
Thirty percent of the Massachusetts population (2.1 million residents out of 7.1 million) are on Medicaid.
Posted inOpinion
It’s time to rein in ‘junk’ rental fees
MASSACHUSETTS RENTERS ARE already grappling with sky-high housing costs. Now imagine trying to renew your lease, only to be hit with a $300 lease renewal fee. Or needing to sublet […]
Posted inOpinion
A decade of local flavor: What the Boston Public Market has taught us
Public markets like ours are part of the civic fabric in many cities. They bring character and identity to a place, provide economic opportunity, and foster a sense of belonging.