The narrative explaining Donald Trump’s surprise victory in November has been anchored by the undercurrent of white working class anxiety and discontent that he tapped. It helped flip three […]
Trump’s working class appeal
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
MA transportation system is falling behind
ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, our infrastructure is in desperate need of modernization and expansion, from our roads to bridges, to trains and buses, to subway and rail stations, to bike paths […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Presidential climate change
About an hour-and-a-half before President Trump delivered his most presidential speech to date, Greater Boston host Jim Braude offered viewers a prediction based on New England weather. “If you don’t like […]
Posted inTransportation
T expands Uber, Lyft paratransit options
THE MBTA SAID ON TUESDAY it is expanding its paratransit relationship with the ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft in a bid to offer customers of The Ride more convenience and […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
MA-CT casino wars
Massachusetts stole GE from Connecticut, so now Connecticut is doing its best to undercut the $500-plus million MGM casino under construction in Springfield. Two Connecticut Indian tribes — the Mashantucket […]
Posted inGambling, State House News Service
CT tribes plan casino 13 miles from MA
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE The competition for western New England gambling dollars heated up Monday when the two tribes operating casinos in Connecticut announced their plan to build a third […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wholesale electricity prices drop to 13-year low
New England’s wholesale electricity prices plunged to their lowest level in 13 years in 2016, propelled by cheap natural gas and lower consumer demand for power. The operator of the […]
Posted inTransportation
Fixing the T is going to take a long time
MBTA AND STATE TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS made clear on Monday that fixing the T will be a long-term project that could take 10 to 20 years and won’t be finished by […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker, Kraft push Foxborough commuter rail service
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION and officials representing New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pushed the MBTA’s oversight board on Monday to approve a pilot project extending weekday commuter rail service to […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
A model for Baker in Maryland
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker continues his tightrope walk between owning the “R” after his name and trying to create distance with the R-occupant of the White House. The trouble is, […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Do legislative staffers deserve a raise, too?
NOW THAT MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATORS have secured increased compensation for themselves, they should take a hard look at the pay levels of those who work for them. Fair and livable wages […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Republicans showing their hand on ACA ‘replacement’
LATE LAST WEEK, Politico released a leaked 105-page draft bill defining the House Republican plan to repeal/replace/repair/re-whatever the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare. The draft legislation was dated February 10, so likely […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
T is rebuilding station in worst possible way
MUCH OF THE MBTA COMMUTER RAIL network is still not accessible for disabled passengers. But the current proposed solution to add accessibility to the Auburndale commuter rail station in Newton […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
A better way to address regional inequality
IN THEIR RECENT PIECE “Bridging the urban-rural divide in Mass.,” Lawrence S. DiCara and Matt Waskiewicz address the issue of regional inequality. They explain how the erosion of manufacturing jobs has caused […]
Posted inGambling
Wynn casino price tag goes up $300m
WYNN RESORTS DISCLOSED on Friday that the estimated cost of building its Everett casino has risen to approximately $2.4 billion, a $300 million increase from estimates as recently as August. […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 37: Pacheco Law punch-out
In what may be a precursor to a soon-to-come Beacon Hill debate on the Pacheco Law, state Auditor Suzanne Bump squared off with Greg Sullivan, research director at the right-leaning […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The Codcast: Pacheco Law punch-out
In what may be a precursor to a soon-to-come Beacon Hill debate on the Pacheco Law, state Auditor Suzanne Bump squared off with Greg Sullivan, research director at the right-leaning […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
Clean energy intrigue alleged
Environmental advocates say a 1,200 megawatt clean energy solicitation developed by the Baker administration is biased in favor of large-scale hydro projects favored by some of the state’s utilities. The […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
MBTA outsourcing is not paying off
IT’S A simple equation. Whenever we privatize or outsource public services, we as a state and as taxpayers lose control. Case after case has shown that when we hand over […]
Posted inThe Download
Boston’s Lake Wobegon restaurant ratings
We’re living in the age of data and metrics. Baseball now runs on them. Political campaigns have mastered the art of microtargeting voters based on preferences scraped from various […]
Posted inEnvironment
Utility raises concerns on emission targets
A TOP OFFICIAL WITH EVERSOURCE ENERGY said on Wednesday that Massachusetts was in danger of not meeting its carbon emission reduction targets for 2020. In a conference call with financial […]
Posted inEnvironment
Eversource facing big Beacon Hill challenge
EVERSOURCE ENERGY FACES a monumental lobbying challenge this year – convincing Beacon Hill lawmakers to pass legislation allowing electric ratepayers to finance the construction of a natural gas pipeline into […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
MBTA control board is on track
REMARKABLE PROGRESS HAS been made since a Fiscal and Management Control Board was installed during the summer of 2015 and given powers not previously available to MBTA management. Yet those […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Uber finds itself ‘disrupted’
Chances are you’ve never heard of Susan Fowler, but a blog post she wrote on Sunday is shaking up the ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc., one of the nation’s biggest […]