AS THE REOPENING of Massachusetts unfolds, the health of every resident should remain the top priority. Gov. Baker’s plan emphasizes a reliance on data, vigilant adherence to safety protocols, and a […]
Why humanities and culture must be part of pandemic healing
Posted inEconomy
Trump labor secretary spreads dangerous misinformation
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S secretary of labor, Eugene Scalia (yes, he’s the son of the late Supreme Court justice), has been on the road this month, touting the return of American workers […]
Posted inHealth Care
Don’t let pharmaceutical companies exploit the COVID-19 pandemic
THIS WEEK WE PASSED yet another somber milestone: 13 million global cases of COVID-19. Over 25 percent of confirmed infections are in the United States. While the global scientific community […]
Posted inUncategorized
Mail-in ballot applications on their way to voters
SECRETARY OF STATE William Galvin has started mailing out applications for absentee ballots to all registered voters in Massachusetts, and all the applications should be sent out by Tuesday. If that […]
Posted inHealth Care
$176 million lawsuit filed against Holyoke Soldiers’ Home officials
THE FAMILY OF a veteran who died of COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home is filing a class action lawsuit against former Superintendent Bennett Walsh, former Secretary of Veterans’ Services […]
Posted inUncategorized
Groups seek to add immigrant driver’s license authorization to police bill
AS THE HOUSE GATHERS testimony on a policing reform bill passed earlier this week by the Senate, S.2820, some immigrant and worker groups are calling for the legislation to add language to […]
Posted inThe Download
Groups seek to add immigrant driver’s license authorization to police bill
As the House gathers testimony on a policing reform bill passed earlier this week by the Senate, S.2820, some immigrant and worker groups are calling for the legislation to add language […]
Posted inEnvironment
Why we must fight climate change amid the pandemic
A COLLEGE STUDENT in Easton asked me whether I thought that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we could still get the country and the world to focus on the climate crisis. […]
Posted inEducation
Undoing racism at UMass Boston and beyond
IN THE MIDST of a nationwide crisis emanating from systemic racism, the University of Massachusetts Boston faced its own crisis: the staging of police forces on campus, preparing to quell […]
Posted inHealth Care
$1.1 billion budget bill packed with local earmarks
THE LEGISLATURE SENT Gov. Charlie Baker a $1.1 billion supplemental budget bill on Thursday, an indication of the staggering sums the state is spending responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The 57-page […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker concerned about feds ending CDC’s coronavirus data role
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said he was “very concerned” about a sudden shift in federal rules that requires all coronavirus data be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Veterans tell Baker: Listen to us
A DAY AFTER independent investigator Mark Pearlstein released his scathing report on what went wrong with the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, Gov. Charlie Baker released a bill that would implement […]
Posted inThe Download
Veterans tell Baker: Listen to us
A day after independent investigator Mark Pearlstein released his scathing report on what went wrong with the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, Gov. Charlie Baker released a bill that would […]
Posted inDrug Addiction
Frontline behavioral health workers are saving lives, too
WE ARE LIVING in the age of crisis. An opioid epidemic. A global pandemic. Systemic racism. Each event will forever spark meaning and historical remembrance in our national conscience. Taken […]
Posted inEnvironment
Pandemic demands rethinking costly Transportation Climate Initiative
COMMUTES ONCE MEASURED in miles, hours and aggravation have changed to steps, minutes, and tranquility for those who continue to work from home post-pandemic. This is […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Pandemic devastating to arts and culture sector
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE ARTS AND culture sector, a major piece of the Massachusetts economy, will need hundreds of millions of dollars and multiple years to recover from the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Collins faces heat over vote on policing reform bill
WHEN THE VOTE finally came in the wee hours of Tuesday morning on a vigorously debated police reform bill, the measure easily cleared the state Senate by a 30-7 margin. But […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
What happened to the transportation revenue bill?
LESS THAN FIVE months ago, frustrated drivers and transit riders saw a glimmer of hope that a major infusion of cash might soon be on its way to shore up the state’s ailing transportation system. The Massachusetts House – […]
Posted inEducation
Minority, low-income students more likely to have changed college plans
MINORITY AND LOW-INCOME students are more likely than white and better-off students to have changed college plans due the pandemic, according to new results from a poll conducted by the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Bill limiting local police and ICE interaction moves forward
A CONTROVERSIAL BILL that would limit communications between law enforcement entities in Massachusetts and federal immigration authorities is moving forward on Beacon Hill. Rep. Harold Naughton, co-chair of the Joint […]
Posted inHealth Care
Covidiots don’t comply with mask orders, leaving officials, public frustrated
IT’S THE MOMENT where you’re not quite sure of what to do. Someone is standing in line outside of a restaurant, or walks into an elevator next to you, mask down […]
Posted inThe Download
Covidiots don’t comply with mask orders, leaving officials, public frustrated
It’s the moment where you’re not quite sure of what to do. Someone is standing in line outside of a restaurant, or walks into an elevator next to you, mask […]
Posted inHealth Care
Lawmakers urged dig deeper on Holyoke Soldiers’ Home reforms
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WHEN GOV. CHARLIE BAKER filed a bill proposing oversight and governance reforms at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home after the deaths of at least 76 veteran residents […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Boston granting relief to businesses that pay rent to city
WITH THE PANDEMIC shutdown wreaking havoc on hundreds of businesses across Boston, city officials are stepping up to provide relief to one group of enterprises with a direct tie to […]