ON THE VERGE of being deported last summer, Lucio Perez took sanctuary in the First Congregational Church in Amherst. He hasn’t left since. Perez is one of three people in […]
Amherst church is now his home
Posted inTransportation
MBTA expansion means new maps
THE MBTA IS starting to expand again, and that means the maps of the system need to change—which is not as simple as it sounds. There are more than 500 […]
Posted inPolitics
Lawmakers refuse to release records
THE LEGISLATURE, THE GOVERNOR, and the judiciary are all exempt in one way or another from the state’s Public Records Law, but the governor and the judiciary sometimes voluntarily comply […]
Posted inTransportation
Debate over new T revenues coming
THE MBTA OVERSIGHT BOARD on Monday unanimously approved a $2 billion budget for the coming fiscal year and indicated it would tackle the issue of whether the T needs a […]
Posted inEducation
Inspirational talks are not cheap
EX-NBA SUPERSTAR KAREEM Abdul-Jabbar gave a speech at Bunker Hill Community College last October — not on how to shoot his patented skyhook, but on the weighty subject of “Islam: […]
Posted inOpinion
We need your feedback
THIS ISSUE CAME TOGETHER much like past issues. We came up with our story ideas and reported them out. We recruited freelancers to research and write other stories. And we […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 92: Two firms say Healey goes too far
Attorney General Maura Healey wants to shut down the companies that sell electricity to residential customers in Massachusetts, but officials with two of the firms say the answer to any […]
Posted inUncategorized
The Codcast: Two firms say Healey goes too far
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEYÂ wants to shut down the companies that sell electricity to residential customers in Massachusetts, but officials with two of the firms say the answer to any problems […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: Two firms say Healey goes too far
Attorney General Maura Healey wants to shut down the companies that sell electricity to residential customers in Massachusetts, but officials with two of the firms say the answer to any […]
Posted inUncategorized
On records, State Police all about delay
THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE are not a big fan of transparency, as the agency’s policy on public records seems to be all about delay. The State Police regularly redact documents […]
Posted inOpinion
Go bigger with offshore wind procurement
IN RECENT MONTHS, the Baker administration has taken several important steps toward a clean energy future for the Commonwealth, including bold initiatives to accelerate large-scale clean energy as enabled by […]
Posted inTransportation
T, Keolis launch first-of-its kind ad campaign
THE MBTA IS TRYING SOMETHING NEW, launching an advertising campaign to convince leisure travelers and people who live in Boston and work elsewhere to give commuter rail a try. Officials […]
Posted inOpinion
State breaking its promises to regional schools
FOR MOST MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS, test scores and property taxes are top of mind when thinking about public education. But for parents of students in regional school districts, especially rural ones, […]
Posted inOpinion
How we end the opioid epidemic
IT’S DIFFICULT TO WATCH OR READ the news without seeing another family torn apart by the opioid crisis. The epidemic is so widespread that it’s been declared a national public […]
Posted inOpinion
Why anti-immigrant policies are serious threat
THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE comes and goes in the news, but we should keep in mind that there has been a radical change in US immigration policies. The Trump administration slashed […]
Posted inGun ownership
Judge upholds assault weapons ban
STATE HOUSE NEWS A federal judge ruled the state’s 1998 assault weapons ban did not violate the Second Amendment and also upheld Attorney General Maura Healey’s 2016 decision to notify […]
Posted inHealth Care
BI-Lahey merger gets a break on cost growth
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS stripped language from a document that would have required the merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health to prove they’ll meet legislatively mandated cost […]
Posted inPolitics
State follows voters’ lead on criminal justice
The Senate and House sent a sweeping criminal justice reform bill to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk this week. The Governor has not said how he will proceed. Details matter, and […]
Posted inEducation
The faithful departed
It wasn’t that long ago that the Roman Catholic church was a spiritual, political, and social force in Massachusetts. With the influx of European immigrants beginning in the 19th century, […]
Posted inOpinion
Congress (surprise!) leads way on financial aid
THE SPENDING BILL passed by Congress finally recognizes what educators, students, and business leaders have been saying for years: Without a robust and affordable higher education system, we will not […]
Posted inOpinion
What hospitals are doing for climate resiliency
THIS MARCH, BRUTAL NOR’EASTERS have battered the region weekly, knocking out power to thousands and causing destructive flooding along the coastline. ‘Bomb cyclone’ and ‘polar vortex’ have become popular terms […]
Posted inThe Download
The faithful departed
It wasn’t that long ago that the Roman Catholic church was a spiritual, political, and social force in Massachusetts. With the influx of European immigrants beginning in the 19th century, […]
Posted inThe Back Story
The Herald’s phantom editorial page
BY ALL OUTWARD appearances, the Boston Herald continues to chug along under its new ownership, with its hard-working reporters churning out solid stories amidst the demoralizing departure of co-workers from […]
Posted inOpinion
Tweak needed for clean peak standard
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER recently submitted a significant bond bill to the Legislature calling for a $1.4 billion authorization for climate adaptation, mitigation, and infrastructure investment. While the dollar amounts grab […]