WHEN THE NEXT Senate is sworn in Wednesday, it will have two new members: John Cronin, a Democrat from Lunenburg, and Adam Gomez, a Springfield Democrat. Gomez, the body’s first […]
New senators Cronin, Gomez pledge focus on equity
Posted inEducation
How do you teach hands-on voc tech remotely?
BIOTECH TEACHER Arlyssa LaPorte sits at a desk in her classroom at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, with one camera pointed at her face and another at her […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
Lawmakers release compromise climate change bill
HOUSE AND SENATE negotiators released a compromise climate change bill on Sunday afternoon that lays out a fairly detailed roadmap for reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and […]
Posted inOpinion
Attleboro mayor responds to firefighter op-ed
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 […]
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 […]