EVEN AS OVERALL statewide spending on health care has remained just within the strictures of the state’s benchmark of 3.1 percent annual growth, for many families the costs have surged […]
Mass. residents overburdened by health costs
Posted inEducation
State oversight critical in education bill
AS HOUSE MEMBERS on Beacon Hill prepare to debate and vote Wednesday on the Student Opportunity Act, Massachusetts stands at a crucial moment in charting the course of education funding […]
Posted inTransportation
Cities eye higher fees on Uber, Lyft rides
HIGHER FEES on Uber and Lyft rides appear to be gaining some momentum around the country as a way of raising money and dealing with congestion, and they are likely […]
Posted inThe Download
Cities eye higher fees on Uber, Lyft rides
Higher fees on Uber and Lyft rides appear to be gaining some momentum around the country as a way of raising money and dealing with congestion, and they are likely […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Judge allows Baker vaping ban to continue
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN A RULING critical of how Gov. Charlie Baker went about banning the sale of all vaping products for four months, a Superior Court judge on […]
Posted inTransportation
T notes: Revenue discussion still percolating
THE LEGISLATURE AND THE PUBLIC have yet to hear from the T’s Fiscal and Management Control Board on whether new transportation revenues are needed, but two members who weighed in […]
Posted inEducation
House unveils education bill — minus controversial Senate amendment
TWO WEEKS AFTER the Senate approved a sweeping education funding bill, but stripped out language giving the state authority to oversee how the money is spent, the House appears poised […]
Posted inHealth Care
Lawmakers: Baker’s health care bill a good start
LAST SESSION, Beacon Hill’s big three – the governor, the House speaker, and the Senate president — each had fundamentally different ideas about how to reform the state’s health care […]
Posted inTransportation
After Orange Line closure, more apologies from the T
MBTA GENERAL MANAGER STEVE POFTAK apologized repeatedly for a construction accident that prevented weekend work on the Orange Line from wrapping up as planned Sunday evening, snarling Monday morning commutes […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Suffolk sheriff explains decision to cancel ICE ties
Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins insists his decision to sever ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement had nothing to do with protests, and everything to do whether the people in […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Provincetown gallery owners cry foul
Second in a series. To read the first installment, click here. PROVINCETOWN ART GALLERY owners are rising up to protest what they consider unfair competition from bars, restaurants, inns, coffee […]
Posted inGambling
To entice customers, Encore discounts trips to casino
SINCE ITS JUNE OPENING, Encore Boston Harbor has slashed the cost of travel to the Everett casino, first offering free parking and now adding free bus service to some and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Suffolk sheriff explains decision to cancel ICE ties
SUFFOLK COUNTY Sheriff Steve Tompkins insists his decision to sever ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement had nothing to do with protests, and everything to do whether the people in […]
Posted inThe Download
Suffolk sheriff explains decision to cancel ICE ties
Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins insists his decision to sever ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement had nothing to do with protests, and everything to do whether the people in […]
Posted inArts and Culture
A side of art with your cup of joe
First of a series AT CORPORATE COFFEE SHOPS such as Starbucks or Caffe Nero, you’re not going to see much decor other than a few plastic plants or books. But […]
Posted inOlympics
Decarbonizing economy requires lot more electricity
THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS have brought into sharp focus the urgency of climate action. From 16-year-old Greta Thunberg sailing across the Atlantic to deliver a dramatic plea at the UN, […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker files sweeping health care bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS and insurers would be required to boost their spending on addiction services, behavioral health, primary care, and geriatric services by 30 percent over […]
Posted inTransportation
The case for ‘Environmental Justice Corridor’ train service
FOR THOSE OF us who have long fought for transformative policies to bring the Massachusetts transportation system into the 21st century, the recent CommonWealth opinion piece by former transportation secretary […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate candidates differ somewhat on filibuster
THE THREE DEMOCRATIC contenders for US Senate may not differ significantly on most major issues, but on the practical question of how to accomplish their legislative goals there is some […]
Posted inPolitics
Does Warren have plan for Medicare-for-All questions?
ELIZABETH WARREN is riding high, polling ahead of Joe Biden in early voting Iowa and New Hampshire, and closing the gap in national polls. But that surge has come with […]
Posted inThe Download
Does Warren have plan for Medicare-for-All questions?
Elizabeth Warren is riding high, polling ahead of Joe Biden in early voting Iowa and New Hampshire, and closing the gap in national polls. But that surge has come with […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, State House News Service
Senate ethics review of Brady winding up
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE NEARLY FOUR MONTHS after opening an investigation into Brockton Sen. Michael Brady’s drunk driving case, the Senate Ethics Committee is close to issuing its report that […]
Posted inEnvironment
A caution on hiking ‘regressive’ gas tax
ADVOCATES HAVE LONG pointed to an increase in the state’s gas tax as a way to generate new revenue for transportation needs, often citing the much steeper increases in MBTA […]
Posted inGambling
Henry showed interest in Wynn property
WYNN RESORTS has held some preliminary discussions with John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Globe, about working jointly on the development of property the […]