THE NUMBER of Uber and Lyft rides in Massachusetts plunged to record lows during the pandemic of 2020, with the total number of rides across the state falling to 35 […]
Uber, Lyft rides plunged to record lows in 2020
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins slams lack of criminal justice data sharing
SUFFOLK COUNTY District Attorney Rachael Rollins slammed the Baker administration for failing to update  the state’s criminal justice information system to allow information to be more easily shared between agencies. “I think it’s just […]
Posted inUncategorized
SJC sides with Barstool Sports in dispute with Somerville mayorÂ
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT on Monday rejected Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone’s argument that a Barstool Sports reporter violated the law when the reporter recorded an interview with Curtatone while lying about his […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Lawmakers hear wide range of policy suggestions to address racism
POLICYMAKERS AND EXPERTS agreed at a legislative hearing on Monday: structural racism continues to be a problem in Massachusetts, impacting everything from economic inequality to incarceration rates to health disparities.  But it became […]
Posted inTransportation
Less driving = better lives
WARM WEATHER, open storefronts, and one of the nation’s highest vaccination rates have given many the feeling that life is returning to normal here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, going back to […]
Posted inThe Download
Gulliver’s challenges, rising traffic and I-90 Allston
State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver is facing two major challenges: traffic levels that are rising rapidly and an Allston I-90 project that is currently 4 feet too wide to fit […]
Posted inTransportation
Gulliver’s challenges, rising traffic and I-90 Allston
STATE HIGHWAY Administrator Jonathan Gulliver is facing two major challenges: traffic levels that are rising rapidly and an Allston I-90 project that is currently 4 feet too wide to fit […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
What happened to Mikayla Miller?
THE DEATH IN April of 16-year-old Hopkinton resident Mikayla Miller has prompted an outpouring of sorrow and sympathy. It has also led to charges that what happened to the African […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
A nurse’s perspective on police brutality
THE CONVICTION OF Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd Jr. was a wakeup call and a vindication for the nation on a small level. Yet, as a professional […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Highway administrator talks traffic, Allston
CommonWealth Magazine · Highway administrator talks traffic, Allston
Posted inOpinion
Reviving the Inland Route to NYC
WE WERE MIDDLE-AGED and lifelong residents of the Boston area when we moved to the Pioneer Valley in 2002 in search of more affordable housing. The smaller towns and cities […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass General Brigham’s proposed expansion jeopardizes community care
In a recent CommonWealth op-ed, John Fernandez of Mass General Brigham laid out his organization’s case for a massive proposal that would introduce three new ambulatory clinics to Westborough, Woburn, and […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting guaranteed income across the finish line
RICHARD NIXON is not typically associated with progressive welfare reform. But he came very close to a different legacy — one that would have made the United States a global […]
Posted inTransportation
DCR unwilling to ease I-90 Allston space crunch
STATE TRANSPORTATION officials looking for some extra space to put all of the roadways and train tracks associated with the Allston I-90 project at ground level are facing resistance from […]
Posted inThe Download
Mass. GOP shootout in a lifeboat continues
LOU MURRAY, the chairman of the Ward 20 Republican Committee in Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood, gets it at least partially right in an op-ed in today’s Boston Herald when he […]
Posted inPolitics
Mass. GOP shootout in a lifeboat continues
LOU MURRAY, the chairman of the Ward 20 Republican Committee in Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood, gets it at least partially right in an op-ed in today’s Boston Herald when he […]
Posted inOpinion
Replacing Long Island Bridge isn’t only option
I’VE READ WITH GREAT INTEREST recent news stories that may signal a shift in Boston’s hard-lined stance on the Long Island Bridge issue. It seems that Boston’s acting mayor, Kim […]
Posted inOpinion
Telemedicine should be able to cross state lines
IN THE EARLY DAYS of the pandemic, state licensing boards waived restrictions and gave doctors the freedom to provide virtual medical care to patients regardless of location. Telemedicine’s value was […]
Posted inEconomy
‘Wraparound’ services crucial to school reopenings
IT’S JUNE 2021 and, finally, most children have returned to full-time in-person school. Teachers are reconnecting with students whose experiences over the last 16 months vary widely: a student who […]
Posted inEconomy
Senate votes to extend some COVID orders
WHILE THE PANDEMIC-related health emergency may be winding down, it will take time for society to return to a fully normal state. Lawmakers are now grappling with which aspects of […]
Posted inEconomy
Study finds big payoff for community college
WITH A NATIONAL debate underway over whether the federal government should guarantee free community college for all Americans, a new study of Massachusetts students provides strong evidence of just how […]
Posted inThe Download
Municipal officials oppose legislative redistricting proposal
As the House prepares to move forward with a major change to how redistricting is done, city and town officials are sounding the alarm that the change could have confusing […]
Posted inPolitics
Municipal officials oppose legislative redistricting proposal
AS THE HOUSE prepares to move forward with a major change to how redistricting is done, city and town officials are sounding the alarm that the change could have confusing […]
Posted inTransportation
Poll: Boston traffic congestion to return or get worse
A NEW POLL indicates three of every four Greater Boston voters think traffic will return to previous levels or get worse as the state reopens, and most are in favor […]