THE COVID-19 situation in Massachusetts showed marked improvement on Tuesday, as the presence of the virus diminished and the vaccination push gained strength. The positive signs seemed to run counter […]
COVID signs show improvement
Posted inOpinion
Commuter rail should be experimenting
SOME OF THE MOST encouraging news coming out of the pandemic has been the ability of Massachusetts companies to quickly pivot and meet suddenly changing needs. Shoe manufacturers are making […]
Posted inPolitics
Janey preparing to step into office — and history
FOR SOME, the Presidents’ Day holiday was a chance to unwind over a three-day weekend. Asked whether that was the case for her, Boston City Council president Kim Janey answered […]
Posted inTransportation
State offers rebates on electric trucks
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION is expanding the eligibility for an electric vehicle rebate program to include medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, hoping to capture some immediate environmental benefits […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Tom Croswell, Harvard Pilgrim-Tufts merger architect
Tom Croswell, the insurance executive who orchestrated the merger of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, says combining the second and third largest health insurance companies in the […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Croswell talks consolidations – his and others
Tom Croswell, the insurance executive who orchestrated the merger of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, says combining the second and third largest health insurance companies in the […]
Posted inThe Download
Croswell talks consolidations – his and others
Tom Croswell, the insurance executive who orchestrated the merger of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, says combining the second and third largest health insurance companies in the […]
Posted inHealth Care
Croswell talks consolidations – his and others
TOM CROSWELL, the insurance executive who orchestrated the merger of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, says combining the second and third largest health insurance companies in the […]
Posted inEducation
Advocates push universal, publicly funded early education
A COALITION OF early education advocates will introduce an ambitious proposal Tuesday to completely overhaul the state’s early education system. The legislation would provide universal, affordable early education in Massachusetts, […]
Posted inPolitics
Getting a handle on Beacon Hill advocates, coalitions
HOUSE SPEAKER RON MARIANO recently announced that he was asking the House Rules Committee to take a look at the rules around “unregistered, or vaguely-affiliated, advocates and coalitions.” Mariano’s pronouncement […]
Posted inOpinion
Money-losing Allways is drain on Mass General Brigham
ALLWAYS HEALTH Partners, which is owned by the Massachusetts General Brigham hospital system, won approval of an 11.5 percent average increase in premium rates across its plans last week from […]
Posted inOpinion
Tax credits: the biggest stimulus no one is talking about
FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, there has always been a strained relationship with our tax system, thanks to rules that keep the gap between black/brown and white wealth disproportionally wide. The […]
Posted inUncategorized
Running state government’s diversity numbers
A correction has been added to this story. THE LATEST NUMBERS on diversity in state government indicate a positive trend overall with some areas performing better than others. Government agencies […]
Posted inEducation
Everett plan to vaccinate teachers goes awry
TEACHERS HAVE BEEN decrying their low status in the vaccine pecking order for weeks, but Everett decided to do something about it. The local School Committee voted on January 19 […]
Posted inPolitics
Some advice for Boston mayoral campaigns
AN OPEN BOSTON mayoral campaign is often called a once-in-a-generation event. In fact, we had such a race only eight years ago, when Tom Menino retired after a record-setting 20 […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
House, Senate announce leadership appointments
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE AND SENATE Democrats ratified their committee assignments for the two-year session Friday, approving the leadership and committee structure that includes new posts meant to boost […]
Posted inOpinion
Will DOC’s insistence on jury trial hold up?
IN ADDITION to consuming most of the attention of the legislative and executive branches of government, the COVID-19 pandemic is also keeping the judicial branch busy. Twelve times in the […]
Posted inOpinion
Mr. Speaker, appoint a commission to study House
What follows is written as an open letter to House Speaker Ron Mariano. Based on news coverage of your decision to postpone the rules debate to July, it appears that […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service
State vaccine website gets upgrade
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE’S COVID-19 vaccine website now lists available appointments for some locations, part of a new platform the Baker administration launched Friday to smooth the sometimes-challenging […]
Posted inUncategorized
Curative at center of vaccine snafus in Danvers, Springfield
OVER 20 LEGISLATORS are questioning Gov. Charlie Baker over the usage of Curative Inc, to manage three mass vaccination sites, citing the company’s short existence and recent snags. “This corporation […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Mariano names Cronin as his No. 2
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE SPEAKER Ron Mariano named his senior leadership team Thursday, assembling a group that includes four women and one member of color to help shape the […]
Posted inHealth Care
Companion ads stir concerns, pushback
“ADULTS 75 yrs and older — Need a ride to your vaccine?” read the headline of the Craigslist ad. The ad was one of many popping up on websites a […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Will developers block clean energy standards?
LATE IN THE last session, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a landmark climate bill targeting zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and mandating several mechanisms to achieve the goal. Gov. Baker vetoed […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker moves on quickly from Ismay
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER quickly moved on Wednesday after the resignation of his top climate change advisor, declining to even thank him for his service. At a press conference at the […]