THE COVID-19 CANCELLATION of all campground reservations at Massachusetts state parks and then the restart of the season July 1 isn’t sitting well with out-of-state visitors who had been planning […]
State ‘price-gouging’ out-of-state campers
Posted inTransportation
Demolition dust one more Chelsea burden
TONY HERNANDEZ was sound asleep when his wife woke him up at around 1 a.m. on May 30 and told him to come outside. He got out of bed, went […]
Posted inOpinion
Telehealth is working, let’s keep it that way
COVID-19 HAS HAD a devastating impact on our lives, our healthcare system, and our economy, but one silver lining has been the immediate and dramatic expansion of telehealth services. We’d be foolish not […]
Posted inOpinion
Let’s not forget about afterschool programs
“I MISS MY FRIENDS.” “Sometimes my teacher doesn’t see me when I raise my hand.” “Coronavirus makes me sad.” “When this is over, I hope I can go with Mom […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker files interim state budget
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH THE STATE’S FINANCES in disarray and the COVID-19 pandemic making it extremely difficult to predict the next 12 months, Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday filed […]
Posted inUncategorized
Report: COVID-19 hits blacks, Hispanics harder
A BAKER ADMINISTRATION advisory group released new data on Friday indicating the impact of COVID-19, including fatalities, is falling disproportionately on blacks and Hispanics. According to the data, blacks account […]
Posted inOpinion
Apprenticeships can also work in white-collar professions
FOR GENERATIONS, Massachusetts industries have used apprenticeships to develop young talent and build expertise in demanding blue-collar fields, often working hand-in-hand with government agencies. As we cope with the impact […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t pull the plug on thoroughbreds
IN THE HEYDAY of thoroughbred racing in New England in the 1970s, you could watch live thoroughbred racing at 10 different racing venues, including seven fairground racetracks from Great Barrington […]
Posted inEconomy
Another step: Indoor dining resumes Monday
MASSACHUSETTS WILL TAKE another significant reopening step on Monday, with the Baker administration allowing restaurants to offer indoor dining, retailers to open dressing rooms by appointment only, nail salons to […]
Posted inHealth Care
Despite positive trends, Baker stays course on tracing, testing
DESPITE VERY POSITIVE NEWS on the COVID-19 front, Gov. Charlie Baker said on Friday that he has no plans to stand down or curb his aggressive contact tracing effort or […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Barr visit with Gross stirs outcry
WHEN YOU WANT A controversial photo op, look no further than US Attorney General William Barr. He will deliver. Three weeks after the AG’s involvement in President Trump’s much-criticized walk to […]
Posted inThe Download
Barr visit with Gross stirs outcry
When you want a controversial photo op, look no further than US Attorney General William Barr. He will deliver. Three weeks after the AG’s involvement in President Trump’s much-criticized walk […]
Posted inOpinion
Bystander CPR key to surviving cardiac arrest
IMAGINE THAT YOU are with a family member or friend and they suddenly gasp, grab their chest, and collapse. You try to arouse them but they will not respond. You […]
Posted inOpinion
Avoiding a return to carmageddon
AS WE BEGIN THE JOURNEY to the “new normal,” post-COVID work environment, there is the strong likelihood that traffic congestion will be worse than before. With COVID leaving many with […]
Posted inHealth Care
Senate bill extends telehealth, scope of practice
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE is poised to extend the governor’s emergency order on insurance payments for telehealth, while at the same time reviving controversial proposals related to the types of services […]
Posted inUncategorized
Supreme Court blocks Trump’s DACA shutdown
IN A MAJOR SETBACK for President Trump, the US Supreme Court blocked the administration’s attempt to end a federal program that protects 700,000 immigrants nationwide and more than 5,600 in […]
Posted inEducation
Growing race, class gaps in college graduation rates
ACHIEVEMENT SCORES AND educational attainment levels for Massachusetts students of all backgrounds have improved since the early 2000s, but large gaps remain and those for college graduation rates have grown […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Juneteenth observances growing amid racial unrest
WITH PROTESTS AGAINST racial inequities roiling the country, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees this year. Juneteenth – June […]
Posted inThe Download
Juneteenth observances growing amid racial unrest
With protests against racial inequities roiling the country, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday issued an executive order declaring Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees this year. Juneteenth – […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Theoharides: Transpo emission pact still priority
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides said Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic has only sharpened her and the administration’s resolve to push forward with its […]
Posted inUncategorized
No rush in pursuing $1b in federal funds
WITH THE STATE’S BUDGET situation very uncertain, one would think lawmakers would jump at the chance to land $1 billion in federal emergency funds. But that hasn’t been the case. […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Lawmakers considering novel budget approaches
IN A TYPICAL YEAR, it takes six months of back and forth for the House, Senate and administration to agree on a state budget. This year, could they cut a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker releases plan to decertify police for misconduct
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday filed a bill that would create a licensing system for police officers across the state and allow a board made up of members of law […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins: ‘heartbroken, furious, and completely exhausted’
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins sent the following letter on June 1 to the staff in her office. Dear SCDAO Community, I wanted to address you sooner about the […]