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 […]
Despite positive trends, Baker stays course on tracing, testing
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 […]
Posted inEducation
3 priorities for schools in the COVID-19 era
REOPENING SCHOOLS PRESENTS a lot of unknowns. Budgets, class sizes, and health protocols are up in the air. But one matter is settled: Whether education happens in person or online, […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Art for everyone’s sake
DYSTOPIAN STORYTELLING IMAGINES time and place without light, color, and life—elements that art, music and performance provide. We’ve had a taste of it during these many weeks at home, and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Feeling the moment after Floyd killing
WHERE DO WE GO with the outrage and window for a reckoning on matters of race in the country that’s been opened by the police killing of George Floyd? Two themes […]
Posted inThe Download
Feeling the moment after Floyd killing
Where do we go with the outrage and window for a reckoning on matters of race in the country that’s been opened by the police killing of George Floyd? Two […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate OKs bill expanding voting options
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE SENATE PASSED expanded vote-by-mail legislation Tuesday that would allow voters to avoid the polls, but still participate, during the upcoming primaries and general election if […]
Posted inOpinion
A road map for eliminating racism
WE MUST seize this moment. For over 400 years, the racism pandemic has infiltrated and spread its ugly wings throughout our country. From slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation to modern […]
Posted inPolitics
Brazilian-American makes history on Beacon Hill
DANILLO “DAN” SENA is living what he considers to be the American Dream as the first Brazilian-American elected to the state Legislature. Sena swept to a landslide victory on June […]
Posted inOpinion
Corporations need to pay their fair share
ALTHOUGH MASSACHUSETTS has entered the first phase of the Gov. Charlie Baker’s controversial reopening plan, the health and economic toll of COVID-19 is far from over. When it comes to […]
Posted inUncategorized
Boston organization stirs ire of solar advocates
A SHADOWY Boston-based organization is sending renewable energy advocates across the country into a tizzy by challenging the logic behind one of the key subsidies that has been used to spur […]