ON MARCH 14, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a bipartisan federal budget watchdog group, released an economic analysis of the recent health proposals made by Republican presidential […]
Trump’s health plan folly
Posted inPolitics, The Download
For GOP, is it sanity’s last stand?
They called it the second Super Tuesday, and it proved to be very good, if not super, for Hillary Clinton, who won four of five contests, with Missouri still too […]
Posted inEnvironment
Study prices out offshore wind
A UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE STUDY suggests offshore wind off the coast of Massachusetts can yield electricity at much lower prices than previously forecast, but only if policymakers green-light the development […]
Posted inTransportation
T looks to ride-sharing apps to fill gaps
THE MBTA, SLASHING its operating budget after years of bloat, is looking to the emerging ride-sharing industry to fill the gaps caused by service reductions as well as to gobble […]
Posted inGambling
Steve Wynn courts the press in Medford
STEVE WYNN CAME TO MEDFORD on Tuesday. The 74-year-old Las Vegas casino developer is walking with a cane and his already poor eyesight appears to be getting worse, but he […]
Posted inEnvironment
100 reps break ranks on solar
A GROUP OF 100 state representatives broke ranks with House leadership on Tuesday, urging six lawmakers trying to broker a legislative compromise on solar energy to hew more closely to […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Drug Addiction, State House News Service
Deal struck on driver’s licenses for drug offenders
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE GROUP OF lawmakers working since January to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill to repeal what has been called a remnant of the […]
Posted inEconomy, Health Care, Opinion
Doing more for homeless people in Massachusetts
THE FOUNDING OF the Massachusetts Bay Colony was grounded in the social contract. In a sermon delivered in 1630, Gov. John Winthrop articulated the belief that, “[W]e must… make other’s […]
Posted inGambling, The Download
Mashpee Wampanoag tribe places big bet
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe went all-in on its proposed Taunton casino on Monday, announcing the facility would begin opening in phases next year. The aggressive move by the tribe to […]
Posted inEducation
Warren hails civil rights legacy of education law
WHILE IT’S EASY to get caught up in the details and debates over mandated testing regimens and teacher evaluation policies, the federal education law that stirred such backlash for more […]
Posted inTransportation
T overtime, unscheduled absences declining
MBTA OFFICIALS reported on Monday they are having success reducing overtime and unscheduled absences by employees. Brian Shortsleeve, the T’s chief administrative officer, said the authority is on track to […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Health Care
Baker no fan of hospital ballot question
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER indicated on Monday that he opposes the union-backed ballot question resetting hospital rates, saying he hopes that measure could be dealt with outside the voting booth. After […]
Posted inDrug Addiction, Politics, State House News Service
Emotional Baker signs opioid legislation
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE An emotional Gov. Charlie Baker fought back tears Monday as he recounted the stories he’s heard from the parents of young people who have died from […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
End the charter school wars
IT SEEMS TO have become an annual ritual now, like taxes, the flu, or hurricane season. The charter schools war flares up to a point of intensity, sucking up all […]
Posted inThe Download
Forecast calls for sunshine followed by clouds
Nothing riles up the media more than government secrecy at any and all levels. Whether it’s a local Board of Health going into executive session without explanation or Congress exempting […]
Posted inOpinion
Pass transgender anti-discrimination bill
WE ARE TWO OF THE FIRST openly transgender elected officials in Massachusetts history. As elected school committee members — in Sturbridge and Melrose, respectively — we see many complex issues […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
The case against gas pipelines
This is the first in a three-part series of opinion pieces that will appear on consecutive Mondays. ON MARCH 20, 1886, the world’s first alternating current electric grid was powered […]
Posted inThe Download
A lapse in news judgment
Last Friday, the Boston Globe posted a stop-you-in-your-tracks story online about Comcast Sportsnet reporter Jessica Moran resigning amid questions about her relationship with Red Sox manager John Farrell. It was fascinating […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Health Care, The Back Story
Ballot question spurs unusual hospital alliance
Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera came to the State House on Tuesday to testify in support of a ballot question that would revamp the way hospitals are compensated and steer an […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
All aboard the transparency train
Who you gonna believe, us or your lying eyes? That seems to be the stance the overseers of the secretive MBTA Pension Fund had been taking as more and more […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
House passes ride-sharing legislation
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Despite concerns raised by both taxi drivers and the newer app-based ride companies competing with them for passengers, the Massachusetts House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a […]
Posted inDrug Addiction, State House News Service
House passes opioid abuse prevention bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED a compromise opioid abuse prevention bill on Wednesday afternoon that was negotiated over the past seven weeks with the Senate. The bill, […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Claims on T retirement fund ‘lack merit’
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A forensic accounting firm hired by the MBTA Retirement Fund in the wake of a report alleging significant inaccuracies in the fund’s financial reporting has concluded […]
Posted inThe Download
Marty’s budget blues
With the stress on the Boston public schools budget prompting a massive student walkout and protest on Monday, a scorecard is almost needed to keep track of the villains who […]