TO HELM THE unfinished work of education reform to close persistent achievement gaps, the state tapped someone with a track record of being able to do it. Jeff Riley, who […]
Riley gets the nod as education commissioner
Posted inTransportation
T notes: Cautionary tale on the Green Line
THE GREEN LINE’S C and D LINES have been running with delays since January 18 because of a power outage traced by MBTA employees to hard-to-reach cables and conduits that […]
Posted inTransportation
Keolis plays whack-a-mole
THE PERFORMANCE OF KEOLIS COMMUTER SERVICES is improving on a number of fronts, but there continue to be setbacks that make it appear the MBTA’s commuter rail operator is playing […]
Posted inGambling
Baker calls allegations against Wynn appalling
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said Monday that if the allegations of sexual misconduct by casino employees against Steve Wynn are true then the developer would be unsuitable […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 82: No pass for Northern Pass
State officials announced on Thursday that they had selected a project called Northern Pass to import a massive amount of hydro-electricity from Canada, enough to supply between 15 and 20 […]
Posted inHealth Care
What was the Group Insurance Commission trying to do?
THE GROUP INSURANCE COMMISSION has taken enormous heat for voting to restructure its network of health plans, but almost no one, including the commission itself, has explained the reasoning behind […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: No pass for Northern Pass
Environmental advocates for years have been eagerly awaiting a clean energy procurement from Massachusetts, but now that it’s actually happened they’re not jumping for joy. State officials announced on Thursday that […]
Posted inTransportation
Free the ramp
I’VE BEEN WRITING for three years about the disadvantages of the Silver Line not using the Ted Williams Tunnel ramp that was designed for it, but it’s time to bring it up […]
Posted inTransportation
T revenues growing from ads, real estate, parking
MBTA OFFICIALS SAY they are on track to reach their goal of $100 million in recurring, own-source revenue by 2020. The officials said they expect to bring in $77 million […]
Posted inOpinion
Failing U: State falls short on for-profit schools
IN 2015, THE COLLAPSE of the behemoth Corinthian Colleges, which had been taking in up to $1.4 billion in federal dollars annually, and the subsequent failure of the giant ITT […]
Posted inOpinion
In defense of recess
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG, could you spend six or seven hours in a classroom without going outside? Could you sit still for hours at a time, without a chance to […]
Posted inOpinion
Time for a Latino education commissioner
WITH INTERVIEWS HELD this week for our next state commissioner of education, now is the time to advocate for our first Latino commissioner, to meet the needs and challenges of our fastest-growing […]
Posted inEducation
Education commissioner finalists interviewed
THE THREE FINALISTS for state education commissioner each faced close to two hours of questioning on Friday from the state panel that now must decide who will lead the system […]
Posted inGambling
Gaming Commission launches “regulatory review” of Wynn
THE MASSACHUSETTS GAMING COMMISSION said on Friday that its investigations and enforcement bureau will launch a “regulatory review” of allegations of sexual misconduct against Steve Wynn, whose company Wynn Enterprises […]
Posted inOpinion
Electronic opioid scripts save lives
A HEARING EARLIER this month on Beacon Hill underscored the critical need for Massachusetts-specific solutions to the nation’s opioid crisis. As the Legislature prepares next steps to address this critical […]
Posted inThe Download
Judicial excess in Nassar case
The crimes committed by Larry Nassar are the despicable and depraved acts of a vile sexual predator. The loathing of Nassar and a belief that even the sentence of up […]
Posted inPolitics
Forry leaving Senate for Suffolk Construction
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE SEN LINDA FORRY, a Haitian American and the first woman of color to represent a district that includes South Boston, Mattapan and Dorchester, will resign […]
Posted inEducation
Achievement gap holds Mass. back, says former US education secretary
MASSACHUSETTS HAS MADE huge strides in educational achievement, but needs to redouble efforts to close the achievement gap. That was the message delivered on Thursday morning by former US education […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker goes with Eversource’s Northern Pass
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION moved forward with the largest clean energy procurement in the state’s history on Thursday by selecting the highly controversial Northern Pass project to deliver hydroelectricity from Quebec […]
Posted inThe Back Story
China says your recyclables don’t measure up
IT’S NOT APPARENT AT THE CURB yet, but recycling programs across Massachusetts are taking a big hit right now because of a new Chinese policy limiting the amount of contaminants […]
Posted inPolitics
Choices and consequences
Elections have consequences. And the message of the last election appears to be if you didn’t vote for Donald Trump, prepare to face the consequences. The latest reminder comes in […]
Posted inTransportation
Harvard increases support for West Station
HARVARD UNIVERSITY put some additional financial muscle behind efforts to begin construction of a new transit station in the Allston-Brighton area earlier, offering the state $50 million toward a full […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s happened to CLF?
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION was once a respected organization that worked with utilities and government to help move the region away from oil and coal to cleaner natural gas and renewable […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, State House News Service
Lelling doesn’t budge on pot stance
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE OPIOID CRIMES ARE HIS TOP drug enforcement priority, but US Attorney Andrew Lelling told reporters Wednesday that his enforcement of federal marijuana laws could ensnare anyone […]