THE WEATHER IS cold, Christmas lights are still up. But on Beacon Hill, the mood is more like July 31 – the traditional last day of formal sessions during the […]
Sweating it out on Beacon Hill like it’s July
Posted inTransportation
Economic development, transpo bills coming down to wire
A FAR-REACHING climate change bill that could affect almost every facet of daily life whisked through both branches of the Legislature on Monday and landed on the governor’s desk, but […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Four prisoners die of COVID-19 during holiday week
FOUR PRISONERS at Massachusetts penal institutions succumbed to COVID-19 during the past week, bringing the total number of deaths under the jurisdiction of the Department of Correction to 15 for […]
Posted inOpinion
Baker is wrong to subsidize wood burning
GOVS. CHARLIE BAKER of Massachusetts and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan were featured US officials at the fifth anniversary celebration of the Paris Climate Agreement. Their presence demonstrated that state leaders, […]
Posted inUncategorized
Climate bill would clear up solar tax confusion
THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE is set to clarify a confusing and outdated tax law, which had been stymying solar projects around the state. A compromise hammered out between the state’s assessors […]
Posted inHealth Care
Sudders ‘comfortable’ with vaccine reporting lag
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION says it has shipped 287,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to providers in Massachusetts but only 116,071 doses have been administered to patients so far. Gov. Charlie Baker […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker says Biden won ‘fair and square’
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER took aim at President Trump and members of his own party on Monday for continuing to challenge the results of the presidential election. “President-elect Joe Biden won […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Sens.-elect Gomez, Cronin stress equity
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 […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Sens.-elect Gomez, Cronin pledge focus on equity
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. CommonWealth Magazine · Sens.-elect […]
Posted inEconomy
SJC says Uber agreements with riders unenforceable
THE AGREEMENT UBER users must sign before registering with the ride-hailing service – the detailed fine print listed under “terms and conditions” – is not binding in Massachusetts because it is not provided […]
Posted inThe Download
New senators Cronin, Gomez pledge focus on equity
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 […]
Posted inPolitics
New senators Cronin, Gomez pledge focus on equity
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 […]
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 arts
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 […]