AFTER MORE THAN a year of restrictions, Massachusetts is returning to something like normal. But the pandemic has made it painfully clear that, for many people, “normal” was never just […]
We need a new post-pandemic ‘normal’
Posted inEconomy
Lobbying firm, Brayton Point near settlement
A MESSY LEGAL dispute between the state’s top lobbying firm and the St. Louis company that bought and razed the coal-fired power plant at Brayton Point in Somerset appears to […]
Posted inUncategorized
Aid for 4 cities tied up in budget spat on Beacon Hill
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, members of Congress, and Gov. Charlie Baker appear to be in agreement that $100 million in federal funding should be released quickly to Chelsea, Everett, Methuen, and Randolph, even as the […]
Posted inEducation
Mysterious budget language suggests rift
A correction has been added to this story. TUCKED INSIDE the state budget proposal passed unanimously last week by the Senate is an odd provision directing the chair of the […]
Posted inOpinion
Flavored cigarette ban is a total failure
IT’S OFFICIAL: The Massachusetts’ ban on the sale of flavored tobacco is a failed policy. The state has lost more than $140 million on menthol cigarettes alone, the regulated and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Lawmakers consider making virtual public meeting access permanent
FOR A WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS resident to attend a two-hour meeting in Boston, it’s an eight to 10 hour commitment, said state Rep. Mindy Domb, an Amherst Democrat. To get to Boston in the […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Annissa Essaibi George: A ‘Boston girl’ shaped by immigrant roots
Some have called her a moderate in the race, a candidate looking to corral some of the base of voters loyal to former mayor Marty Walsh, her Dorchester neighbor growing […]
Posted inPolitics
In progressive field, Essaibi George stands out
IN THE WORLD of Twitter and activist Boston, the unfolding contest for mayor looks like a battle to be crowned the undisputed progressive champion ready to lead the city in […]
Posted inThe Download
In progressive field, Essaibi George stands out
In the world of Twitter and activist Boston, the unfolding contest for mayor looks like a battle to be crowned the undisputed progressive champion ready to lead the city in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
White says he told Walsh about domestic violence allegations
ADDING AN EXPLOSIVE new chapter to the leadership crisis in the Boston Police Department, embattled Commissioner Dennis White said in a videotaped affidavit that he told then-Mayor Marty Walsh about […]
Posted inOpinion
Proposed Peabody gas plant, now on hold, makes sense
IT SHOULD COME as no surprise that people have questions and concerns when one of the leaders in clean energy in Massachusetts proposes building a new gas-fired power plant in […]
Posted inPolitics
Partnering up on the campaign trail
RUNNING FOR OFFICE tends to be an every-man-for-himself type of pursuit, but candidates in two recent municipal elections found success by partnering up on the campaign trail. In campaigns in […]
Posted inUncategorized
Lawmakers, in split with Baker, seek control of $5.28b
THE MONEY is in the bank – and the Massachusetts Legislature is seeking control of it. Massachusetts state government has now received $5.286 billion from the federal government through the American […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
SJC justices skeptical of requiring more COVID testing in jails
SEVERAL JUSTICES of the Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday appeared skeptical of claims that county jails are showing deliberate indifference to prisoners by failing to provide regular COVID-19 testing and, in some cases, appropriate videoconferencing opportunities. Justice […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Essaibi George vies for mayor as ‘Boston girl’ with immigrant roots
Some have called her a moderate in the race, a candidate looking to corral some of the base of voters loyal to former mayor Marty Walsh, her Dorchester neighbor growing […]
Posted inThe Download
Essaibi George vies for mayor as ‘Boston girl’ with immigrant roots
Some have called her a moderate in the race, a candidate looking to corral some of the base of voters loyal to former mayor Marty Walsh, her Dorchester neighbor growing […]
Posted inPolitics
Essaibi George vies for mayor as ‘Boston girl’ with immigrant roots
SOME HAVE CALLED her a moderate in the race, a candidate looking to corral some of the base of voters loyal to former mayor Marty Walsh, her Dorchester neighbor growing […]
Posted inHealth Care
For pediatric mental health patients, days stuck in the ER
JILL CUMMINGS’ SON is a smart, loving 13-year-old with serious impulse control problems and mental health diagnoses that include ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. The West Boylston teen, who is […]
Posted inEducation
Number of homeschoolers more than doubles
THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS being homeschooled more than doubled this year, as families feared the impact of COVID-19 and many schools switched to remote learning. According to new numbers released by the […]
Posted inOpinion
Why we refused to proctor MCAS this year
LAST WEEK, public schools across Massachusetts administered MCAS tests to hundreds of thousands of pandemic-weary students, many of whom only recently returned to the classroom after an unimaginably challenging year. […]
Posted inOpinion
Setting a baseline for the racial divide
ELIMINATING THE VAST, longstanding racial disparities between Blacks and Latinos and Whites when it comes to jobs, education, wealth, healthcare, incarceration and more isn’t just a matter of moral urgency […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker: I forgot about Walsh interview
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said Friday he “forgot” he had spoken with former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh before naming him to the post, and expressed interest in taking action […]
Posted inDrug Addiction
HIV cases spiking among Boston homeless
HEALTH OFFICIALS have identified a growing cluster of 134 HIV cases primarily among homeless people who inject drugs in the Boston area, a worrying sign for health officials who several […]
Posted inThe Download
Pandemic ravages community hospital finances
Twenty people lost their jobs this week at Lawrence General Hospital, as the hospital slashed its staffing budget by $6 million and eliminated 56 positions, though many were vacant. Hospital […]