The Download: SJC upholds conviction of officer who used evidence room cash to pay mortgage
SJC upholds conviction of officer who used evidence room cash to pay mortgage
Against the backdrop of police reportedly availing themselves of forfeited money, the state’s highest court held that criminal penalties were fairly applied in a West Springfield police department case.
Trump’s reckless attack on birthright citizenship
We fought many battles like this during the first Trump administration, and we expect to fight many more still.
Political Notebook: New nonprofit swings into action on unemployment insurance
How a problem is explained in a poll can sometimes contribute to the result.
Suburban commuter rail stations need more housing density, new report says
“For Greater Boston, leveraging the vast, underdeveloped land around commuter rail stations represents a crucial opportunity to address housing shortages, reduce car dependency, and better utilize existing transit infrastructure,” the report said.
State graduation requirement a muddled mess
Massachusetts students no longer have to pass 10th grade MCAS tests in English, math, and science to graduate from high school. But determining exactly what they do need to do to secure a diploma is proving to be a high-stakes test of its own for state officials.
Mass. scrambles to understand, react to fed funding freeze
The Trump administration’s move to pause trillions of dollars in federal spending triggered an avalanche of uncertainty, panic and outrage, including a lawsuit from Attorney General Andrea Campbell and several of her counterparts.
State is committed to authorizing ‘cannabis cafes’
Massachusetts was the first state to legalize cannabis retailers on the East Coast, and is poised to lead the way again in adopting regulations to allow for social consumption sites — or cannabis cafes.
Milton struggles to chart a path forward after MBTA Communities ruling
Noncompliant communities are grappling with next steps after the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the MBTA Communities Act and the state housing office issued new deadlines for previously uncooperative communities.
With DEI in the cross-hairs, higher ed cannot be reserved ‘for the smart and for the wealthy’
Several of Massachusetts’ diversity goals in higher education could face a headlong collision with President Donald Trump’s current anti-diversity and immigration actions.
Why police officers should get sabbaticals
If we take seriously the idea of sabbaticals as a valuable break from the demands of daily work life and a time to recharge before returning, rejuvenated, to that routine, there may be no group for whom the restorative power of a well-planned sabbatical makes more sense that police officers.
Political Notebook: The empty seat inside the State House press gallery
Is the Associated Press pulling back from coverage of the Massachusetts State House?
State accessibility panel weighs conflict between two worthy aims
At issue is a state regulation dating to 1968 aimed at promoting greater accommodation in buildings for people with disabilities.
Healey budget leans on surtax to drive up spending
Gov. Maura Healey proposed increasing state spending to more than $62 billion next fiscal year, relying on burgeoning income tax collections from the state’s wealthiest and a slew of other budget-balancing strategies in a spending plan unveiled Wednesday.
Josh Kraft would face long odds in race against Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
It’s no coincidence that no Boston mayor has lost reelection since 1949.
For Native issues in Massachusetts, mixed intentions and a mixed bag
A new report on Native American wealth gaps was released against the backdrop of a series of issues – including the redesign of the state seal and the run up to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution – playing out across Massachusetts that affect Native citizens and their tribes.