The Download: Community colleges are increasingly enrolling students with significant skill deficits, study finds
New law grants pathway for foreign-trained doctors to fill Massachusetts physician shortage
Foreign-trained doctors will soon be able to practice medicine again through a new law that will help the state address its severe primary care physician shortage.
After high-level meeting, massive I-90 Allston project remains a work in progress
At a meeting this week of high-level state and city leaders, there were signs that elements of the I-90 Allston project are still fluid, and state officials are racing to lock in federal funding amid concerns that the incoming Republican administration may try to punish the heavily Democratic Bay State.
Free bus rides help regional transit hit new highs
Ridership among regional transit authorities shot up to 2.345 million in June 2024, surpassing the pre-Covid level of 2.131 million rides in June 2019. RTA officials cheered the newly fare-free bus rides people are taking around the state.
US Supreme Court passes on Boston exam school challenge
For the second time this year, the US Supreme Court opted against weighing in on policies that use geographic proxies for race to allow more Black and Latino students to enroll in competitive high schools.
Does AI interfere in our democracy?
This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Bruce Schneier, fellow and lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Nathan Sanders, fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. They discuss how AI has the power to strengthen civic engagement in elections and policymaking, the importance of transparency it its use, and how it can be developed to prioritize democratic values.
Researchers find some worry, some hope for AI in democracy
The risks are serious, but focusing only on artificial intelligence misinformation threatens to overtake conversations about where AI has been most impactful as a mass communication tool.
AI was everywhere in 2024 elections — but the sky didn’t fall
These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated misinformation would overwhelm the democratic processes. The dreaded “death of truth” has not materialized – at least, not due to AI.
It’s time to end legacy admissions
Banning legacy admissions is long overdue, but it’s even more imperative now after seeing the harm to campus diversity that has resulted from Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard, the Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 decision that banned race-based affirmation action programs in college admissions.
Political Notebook: Lack of roadmap riles some on transportation task force
Members of Gov. Maura Healey’s transportation funding task force gathered this week in downtown Boston. But whether they’ll get to where they’re supposed to go is in the eye of the commuter.
Cannabis Control Commission unveils new rules for social consumption
After a years-long wait, the Cannabis Control Commission has presented a new regulatory framework for getting social consumption for cannabis up and running in the state but without an executive director, the road ahead remains uncertain.
Tuition waiver is least we can do for ‘grandfamilies’
The tuition and fee waiver program would be an enormous financial relief to grandparents, who are often struggling to finance their own retirement, while now assuming the costs of caring for a grandchild.
Boston museum program now open to all
On Wednesday, Mayor Michelle Wu announced that starting in January all young people in Boston – regardless of what school they attend – will be eligible for the free museum program, which originally was only open to Boston Public Schools students.
SJC tosses warrantless secret video recording
Considering the case of a man secretly recorded by an officer’s cell phone without a warrant, the Supreme Judicial Court concluded that because Boston police made an illegal audio recording, the video captured alongside it should also be kept out of evidence under the wiretap statute.
The Allston I-90 project: once again off the rails
It was disappointing when Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt announced that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation was embarking on a path forward for Allston Landing that backtracked on prior commitments to the impacted communities and may jeopardize (and in some ways reverse) the project’s commitment to providing important environmental, economic, and social justice outcomes.
In Boston tax drama, Collins steps into the spotlight
A player who has avoided prime time finally stepped out into the open this week.
Democrats redirect savings deposit to balance state budget
Lawmakers moved Monday to redirect more than half a billion dollars headed for the state’s long-term savings account and instead use it to close a budget gap and fund some additional spending.