A GROUP OF MASSACHUSETTS entrepreneurs, pastors, and an educator has mounted a court challenge to Gov. Charlie Baker’s authority to issue emergency orders to address the novel coronavirus in the […]
Challenge to Baker emergency powers likely to fail
Posted inEconomy
Mass. unemployment claims unexpectedly increase
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE NEW STANDARD UNEMPLOYMENT claims in Massachusetts bounced back up last week after nine straight weeks of decline, even as claims at the national level continued to […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Local police departments adopting 8 Can’t Wait
AROUND THE COUNTRY, and now in Massachusetts, police departments are adopting a set of policies that could potentially decrease violence inflicted by law enforcement. The “8 Can’t Wait” project seeks to […]
Posted inThe Download
Local police departments adopting 8 Can’t Wait
Around the country, and now in Massachusetts, police departments are adopting a set of policies that could potentially decrease violence inflicted by law enforcement. The “8 Can’t Wait” project seeks […]
Posted inOpinion
Putting land for solar off-limits could hurt farmers
AT A TIME when our country is already in the grips of a global pandemic and social unrest, a disagreement over an obscure solar policy may seem unimportant – trivial […]
Posted inTransportation
Extend the Keolis contract another 4 years
KEOLIS’S CONTRACT to operate commuter rail for the MBTA expires in 2022, with two options to extend it for two years. It takes about two years to solicit bids and […]
Posted inEducation
Boston University faculty wary of return to classroom
WHILE COLLEGES AND universities are rolling out plans to welcome students back to campus this fall, some Boston University faculty members are giving their institution a failing grade, saying they’re […]
Posted inTransportation
T oversight comes down to arcane question
WITH THE MBTA’S oversight board scheduled to sunset in a matter of weeks, the House and Senate are at odds over the arcane question of who should have the authority […]
Posted inUncategorized
COVID-19 sends food assistance demand soaring
PUBLIC OFFICIALS are racing to address the skyrocketing number of people relying on food assistance. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced the launch of a $36 million […]
Posted inNews Analysis
24% of Mass. residents facing food insecurity
NEARLY A QUARTER of Massachusetts residents (24 percent) say they have either struggled to provide enough food for their family or have gotten food from a food bank since the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Time for standardized police training in Massachusetts?
IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN that Massachusetts is lacking in its standardization of police training – but there was little urgency on Beacon Hill to do anything about it. Now, the […]
Posted inThe Download
Time for standardized police training in Massachusetts?
It has long been known that Massachusetts is lacking in its standardization of police training – but there was little urgency on Beacon Hill to do anything about it. Now, […]
Posted inPolitics
Big 3 on board for policing, racism legislation
BEACON HILL’S top three leaders are all on record now saying they want to pass legislation addressing policing and racism, but the details of what they intend to do are […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Beheading of Columbus statue prompts discussion
SOMEONE BEHEADED the statue of Christopher Columbus in the North End of Boston Tuesday night, prompting a discussion about what the piece of chiseled Tuscan marble symbolizes. Boston Mayor Marty […]
Posted inHealth Care
Despite pandemic, health care jobs may be lost
IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC that has narrowed the focus of the state’s health care system, use of the system overall is down and many physician practices are warning […]
Posted inEducation
State revises childcare guidelinesÂ
FACING A BACKLASH from parents and childcare providers, state early education officials revised their guidelines governing the reopening of day care centers. But while the new guidelines do help many family care providers, they do little to […]
Posted inOpinion
Police aren’t needed in schools
IN THE AFTERMATH of George Floyd’s killing, Minneapolis has canceled its contract with city police to patrol its schools. Portland and Denver have acted similarly. As we engage in conversations […]
Posted inTransportation
East-West rail facing big hurdles
EAST-WEST RAIL is facing a Catch-22. State Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said the proposed rail link running from Boston to Springfield and possibly as far as Pittsfield is so expensive […]
Posted inPolitics
Walsh goes from shoo-in to hot seat
IT WAS ONLY A FEW WEEKS AGOÂ that Mayor Marty Walsh seemed to be the man for the moment. Holding regular briefings outside Boston City Hall on all things coronavirus, he […]
Posted inThe Download
Walsh goes from shoo-in to hot seat
It was only a few weeks ago that Mayor Marty Walsh seemed to be the man for the moment. Holding regular briefings outside Boston City Hall on all things coronavirus, […]
Posted inNews Analysis
A new housing crisis for Massachusetts?
FACED WITH COMPOUNDING economic challenges, many renters in Massachusetts are struggling to keep up with monthly rent payments, raising the specter of a spike in evictions when the moratorium expires […]
Posted inEnvironment
Feds release Vineyard Wind environmental assessment
FEDERAL REGULATORS on Tuesday released a detailed, 420-page environmental assessment of the proposed Vineyard Wind project that includes predictions about the future of wind energy along the East Coast and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker bill mandates COVID reporting by labs, health providers
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is seeking legislative permission to fine health care providers and labs up to $2,000 a day if they do not give the state complete demographic data about […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Why a COVID-19 vaccine will be no easy feat
VACCINES HAVE HAD a greater impact on human health than any medical intervention in history. We are all hoping an effective vaccine against COVID-19 will soon join the ranks of […]