ATTLEBORO FIREFIGHTERS do an excellent job keeping the public safe. They are well trained professionals and I, along with the entire city, appreciate the work they do. I feel I […]
Attleboro mayor responds to firefighter op-ed
Posted inOpinion
We cannot be passive actors in COVID recovery
WELCOME TO 2021, the post-pandemic year, the year of recovery and restoration and of reclamation, when we take back the routines so abruptly removed from our lives. Welcome to a […]
Posted inArts and Culture
The intersection of race, COVID-19, and the artsÂ
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has had a disproportionate impact on the black community, at the same time as a national reckoning on race relations called attention to societal ills stemming from […]
Posted inOpinion
College dorms are becoming financial albatrosses
IVY-COVERED DORMITORIES nestled around grassy quads have long been the classic image of college life, especially in Massachusetts. Perhaps not for much longer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, dormitories are costing […]
Posted inOpinion
Developing a holistic approach to homelessness
AS WINTER MARKS the return of frigid temperatures and with COVID-19 cases on the rise, the challenges ahead for people experiencing homelessness are truly alarming. Overcrowded shelters and growing encampments […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker signs health care bill into law
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER continued to clear his desk on New Year’s Day, signing a health care bill providing rules of the road going forward for telehealth and another bill restricting […]
Posted inUncategorized
Mass. remains on a COVID-19 plateau
FOR THE THIRD  week in a row, the state’s COVID-19 report indicated Massachusetts is perched on a coronavirus plateau, with the number of communities considered high risk for the virus […]
Posted inUncategorized
CommonWealth’s most read stories of 2020
PUTTING TOGETHER this list of the most read CommonWealth stories of 2020 was a bit disappointing. Normally, these types of lists tend to highlight the best stories of the year […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Lawmakers getting $4,280 hike in base pay
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS are in store for another pay raise. Two years after Gov. Charlie Baker certified a raise of 5.93 percent for the 200 members of […]
Posted inUncategorized
4,524 eviction cases filed so far
IN THE TWO MONTHS since the state’s eviction moratorium ended, 4,524 landlords have filed cases against 5,912 tenants for non-payment of rent. Most housing advocates and landlords are expecting a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker signs police reform bill into law
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER  signed sweeping police reform legislation on Thursday that will create a mandatory certification process for law enforcement and launch the nation’s first civilian-led police oversight board with subpoena power […]
Posted inUncategorized
Our most popular commentary pieces of 2020
COMMONWEALTH RANÂ more than 400 commentary pieces in 2020, providing a lively forum for ideas and debate. The pieces came from people on the left, the right, and everywhere in between. […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Now is the time to change the name of Faneuil HallÂ
THERE COMES A time when a city speaks as one and acts as one. The planes originating from Boston on 9/11 brought sorrow and pain to our city and the […]
Posted inPolitics
House, Senate seem to be in no rush
THE HOUSE ELECTED a new speaker on Wednesday, but otherwise the two legislative branches did little of consequence and adjourned until Monday. That leaves just Monday and Tuesday for lawmakers […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker takes stock of unprecedented pandemic
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER’S feelings about the year 2020 echoed public sentiment when he slammed his fists on a lectern at the State House Wednesday afternoon. “As we close out 2020, […]
Posted inPolitics
Ronald Mariano elected speaker of the Massachusetts HouseÂ
IN A DAY filled with ceremonial pomp – but no suspense — the Massachusetts House on Wednesday selected Quincy Democrat Ronald Mariano to be the next speaker of the House. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker emissions roadmap sets ambitious targets
This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION on Wednesday rolled out a draft plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade that calls for energy […]
Posted inThe Download
SJC says ‘three strikes’ law doesn’t bar probationÂ
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT ruled that some defendants convicted under a section of an eight-year-old law focused on delivering stiff justice to repeat offenders can instead be placed on probation […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
SJC says ‘three strikes’ law doesn’t bar probationÂ
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT ruled that some defendants convicted under a section of an eight-year-old law focused on delivering stiff justice to repeat offenders can instead be placed on probation […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Sudders says she is hopeful for the first time
MARYLOU SUDDERS, the Baker administration’s point person on COVID-19, says she is finally feeling hopeful. CommonWealth Magazine · Sudders says she is hopeful for the first timeVaccines are being rolled […]
Posted inPolitics
An emotional DeLeo bids farewell
TWELVE YEARS AFTER he assumed power amid a punishing economic recession, Speaker Robert DeLeo took his leave during the unprecedented upheaval of a pandemic, delivering farewell remarks on Tuesday afternoon […]
Posted inUncategorized
Business groups urge passage of Baker’s unemployment insurance bill
MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESSES Â are begging the Legislature for relief from a hefty anticipated increase in unemployment insurance costs next year. Gov. Charlie Baker introduced a bill that would lessen the hit […]
Posted inPolitics
Legislative countdown: Abortion bill becomes law
THE LEGISLATURE’S abortion bill became law on Tuesday after the Senate joined the House in overriding Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto. The new law lowers from 18 to 16 the age […]
Posted inUncategorized
Mariano pledges to lead with an open mind
HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER Ron Mariano, a day before he is set to be elected speaker of the Massachusetts House, pledged to be a leader who will listen to everyone with […]