The Download: Lawmakers say MBTA Communities law meant to have teeth
Mass. tax amnesty program is good, but it could be improved
There is a pending bill that if passed would update our state offer program making it accessible and more equitable.
Mass. competitiveness affected by ‘tsunami of little things’
“It’s not one factor that’s going to be the silver bullet that makes Massachusetts competitive vis a vis other states. It’s really going to be multifaceted,” said Jane Steinmetz of EY Boston.
State residents remain mixed on changing name of Columbus Day
Despite its reputation as a haven of progressive political leaning, Massachusetts has resisted efforts to change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day , and we find that attitudes toward race and racism have a lot to do with that.
Post-Bruen decision, everyone has to be a gun-law historian
The decision has opened almost all aspects of the state’s gun safety law regime to challenge and sent lawyers scrambling for history books. As recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decisions have shown, if a policy is not tied to a founding-era law or practice – a so-called historical analogue – it likely will not survive judicial scrutiny.
Why kids should read obituaries
Obituaries are about life, not death – death is merely the detail that gets these stories of life printed. And kids should read these life stories.
Don’t dress up prohibition and call it compassion
Contrary to the article’s portrayal of this policy as a wave sweeping across Massachusetts, the reality is much different. Many communities where it was proposed have either put discussions on hold or outright rejected it after hearing from their residents.
Political Notebook: An unusually early endorsement | Questions for Charlie Baker | Michlewitz’s ballot
Asked who, if anybody, will get his vote for president this time around, Charlie Baker balked at answering: “I’m not here to talk about that. I’m just not,” he told reporters.
Health care spending takes dramatic leap of 5.8%
Massachusetts has the second-highest family health insurance premiums in the country, and the average annual cost of health care for a family is more than $29,000 when including out-of-pocket spending, the HPC said.
First responders in Mass. should have access to fentanyl treatment
It’s my sincere hope that Massachusetts will update its standing orders to include this treatment. Our first responders need to have access to all available approved treatments.
Tutoring effectiveness decreases as programs grow in size
Tutoring can be a highly effective way to accelerate student achievement, making it seem like a promising strategy to address pandemic learning loss. But a new study finds that the larger a tutoring program gets the less effective it becomes.
Guru of Boston’s youth jobs program stepping down after three decades
Behind the mayors, and largely behind the scenes, there’s been one constant: Neil Sullivan, the executive director of the nonprofit Boston Private Industry Council.
The youth mental health crisis is taking a hidden toll on parents
The youth mental health crisis is also a parent mental health crisis. By supporting parents, we’re not just helping adults—we’re laying the foundation for healthier families and a more resilient society.
Gun owners say effort to repeal new gun law is moving forward
The referendum is one part of an effort to challenge the new law alongside at least two — and possibly more to come — lawsuits.
New report banks on philanthropists to supercharge energy retrofits
A new report from the Boston Foundation aims to convince philanthropic donors to put money toward retrofitting smaller residential buildings in Boston to reduce their carbon emissions.
As teachers, we see the MCAS graduation requirement doing more harm than good
Every student in a Massachusetts public school should receive a high-quality education that readies them for their future, whether that is in the workforce, career training, or college. That doesn’t come from a high-stakes one-size-fits-all standardized test.
Proposed Red Line access tunnel at Alewife stirs asbestos concerns
A June test of the surrounding soil found asbestos fibers in 56 of the 148 samples in the first six feet of the soil at the site. Asbestos was not found in the “deeper natural soil.”
Campbell sues TikTok, alleges children harmed by use
This lawsuit – filed along with attorneys general in 12 other states and the District of Columbia – comes almost exactly a year after Campbell and attorney generals in 42 states filed lawsuits against Meta for allegedly using Facebook and Instagram to hook and harm young people.
Groups urge rejection of Healey budget maneuver using millionaire tax funds
The challenge to Healey’s approach represents one of the first tests of how millionaire tax revenues are being spent, and whether the will of the voters is being honored.
Study explores rail link between Allston, Kendall Sq., and North Station
The new study confirms what transit advocates have been saying for years – that the Grand Junction rail line could be converted for passenger use, ferrying riders from a proposed new MBTA station in Harvard University’s emerging research-oriented neighborhood in Allston to MIT, Kendall Square, and North Station.