The ShotSpotter gun detection technology used in Boston and other cities has come under fire from critics who say it generates lots of false alerts and leads to harmful “over-policing” of minority neighborhoods. Company CEO Ralph Clark and board member William Bratton say the criticism is off the mark and call the system a vital tool that helps police track the prevalence and patterns of gun violence in communities.
ShotSpotter honchos fire back
Posted inOpinion
Vote no on Question 2
The single biggest issue I hear from our 2,100 member businesses and organizations on a daily basis is the need for employees with high educational levels and problem solving skills.
Posted inEnergy
Suit in works over National Grid methane gas leaks
The Conservation Law Foundation said its lawsuit will be based on data submitted by National Grid to state regulators and the foundation’s own field work testing methane levels in the Boston area.
Posted inHousing
AG issues ‘friendly’ warning on MBTA rezoning
“A few reminders from your friendly Attorney General: 1) The MBTA Communities law is a critical tool in solving our state’s housing crisis. 2) Compliance with our laws isn’t optional. 3) The majority of communities are taking steps to come into compliance.”
Posted inEconomy
Boston Common restaurant closing, city seeks new tenant
After spending $1 million in 2013 to transform a long-closed, octagon-shaped bathroom called a “comfort station” into a restaurant and then incurring total losses of $2.2 million over the past 11 years, the Florida-based Earl of Sandwich chain asked the city of Boston to allow it to shut down its Boston Common location at the end of next month, four years before its 15-year lease was due to expire.
Posted inEnergy
Vineyard Wind says it is resuming construction
In a joint press release, Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the wind turbines, said a barge departed the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal Tuesday morning for the wind farm carrying turbine components, including several tower sections and one nacelle.
Posted inHealth Care
Healey insists she cannot prevent hospital closures
GOV. MAURA HEALEY on Monday doubled down on her inability to prevent the closure of Steward Health Care’s hospitals, including those that received qualified bids but still face an uncertain […]
Posted inMedia
After hiring new staff, Globe changes its mind on podcast
Linda Henry, the CEO and co-owner of the Globe, said the turnabout on podcasts was driven by the realization that audio journalism may be compelling but does not attract subscribers.
Posted inHealth Care
Where is state leadership on Steward, other critical health care issues?
“There needs to be a state plan that says, ‘here are our values, here’s what matters to us, and here’s what we need to try to preserve, protect, and defend,’” John McDonough said
Posted inThe Codcast
What’s next for Steward’s hospitals?
This week on the Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute and John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to discuss the current state of the Steward Health Care bankruptcy, as well as what healthcare policy measures did and didn’t make it through the end of the legislative session.
Posted inOpinion
Transportation plans need holistic approach — and significant funding
The state’s new mobility management pilot aims to bring together organizations operating these fragmented services to coordinate better. But you can’t connect people to services that don’t exist or don’t operate when needed. That requires a holistic approach and substantial funding.
Posted inOpinion
How AI could enhance policing
Artificial intelligence could be harnessed to analyze thousands of hours of police body cam recordings and provide valuable feedback on decision-making across the range of situations officers encounter each day.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Registered opposition | Karen Read crowd | Super PAC shuts down
Voters are often surprised to see their names at the bottom of the ballot, where the obscure county contests appear. But occasionally races for such positions become the most intriguing campaigns available.
Posted inHousing
Winthrop is latest front in MBTA Communities fight
Winthrop is emerging as the next battlefront in the effort to address the state housing shortage through the MBTA Communities act, with residents there bridling at the state mandate to approve new zoning for multi-family housing.
Posted inOpinion
Mass. takes major step toward child care reform
With the funding and other provisions included in the 2025 state budget Gov. Maura Healey signed last week, Massachusetts is poised to become a national leader when it comes to child care reform.
Posted inState Government
Can a legislative audit shine light on legislative gridlock?
Against the backdrop of the less-than-stellar end to the Legislature’s two-year session, state Auditor Diana DiZoglio explains what the ballot campaign she’s leading, which calls for her office to audit the Legislature, could and couldn’t do to fix what ails things there.
Posted inEducation
Ballot campaign to end MCAS graduation requirement gets underway
AS PART OF what’s likely to be a costly battle over high school testing standards, a union-backed group on Thursday launched its effort to eliminate MCAS as a graduation requirement. […]
Posted inHousing
Protest planned on eve of possible shelter evictions
The day before dozens of families are scheduled to be evicted from Massachusetts shelters, protestors plan to hold a vigil at the State House Thursday over new restrictions Gov. Maura Healey made to the family shelter system.
Posted inOpinion
Could a rush to embrace new advances in cancer screening do more harm than good?
Scientists are racing to develop new screening tests for cancer, but there’s a risk that these tests will be approved for widespread use without knowing whether they save enough lives to justify any harm that may result from their broad adoption.