Everyone knew yesterday was the day Dzhokhar Tsarnaev would be formally sentenced to death. No one seemed to expect that he would choose to address the court, never mind say, […]
A sorry sorry from Tsarnaev
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Reaching an MBTA consensus
IN 1990, when John Silber became the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, I supported Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci in their gubernatorial bid. I’ve been a lifelong Democrat (although lately […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Salem lifts spell on medical marijuana
Salem’s Alternative Therapies Group becomes the first dispensary to open for business under the long and winding regulatory road set up by the Bay State. Gov. Charlie Baker quietly paved the […]
Posted inOpinion
This is racial terrorism
What follows is a slightly edited version of the speech Attorney General Maura Healey delivered at the Charles Street AME Interfaith Service in Boston on June 21 to honor the […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Olympics
Unlikely alliance on Olympic ballot question
The leader of the newly minted United Independent Party, who ran for governor on a fairly progressive platform on education, energy, and health care, has teamed up with the Republican-led […]
Posted inGambling
State to spend $15m-$20m a year on problem gambling
ON THE EVE of the opening of the state’s first casino, the chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said his agency will spend $15 million to $20 million a year […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
DeLeo vows more T reforms
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE SPEAKER ROBERT DELEO said the body will continue to fight for MBTA management reforms favored by Gov. Charlie Baker both in ongoing budget negotiations and […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Getting from racist to racism
Is it racist that President Obama used the n-word in making a point about race relations in this country? Have many of the same people who are chastising America’s first […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, State House News Service
Baker unveils plan on opioid addiction
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLEAR IN HIS AIM to reframe substance abuse as a public health crisis that can’t be solved by law enforcement alone, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday […]
Posted inOlympics, Opinion
Support for Boston 2024 is not too low to win Olympic bid
IT’S NO SECRET THAT BOSTON 2024 has a perception problem. The public is skeptical and the polling on Boston’s Olympic bid has been consistently ugly for the last several months. […]
Posted inArts and Culture, The Download
BPL’s special collections dilemma
The swift-moving narrative on management of the Boston Public Library is likely to take another turn this week, as a consultant’s report suggests inadequate staffing and funding may be the […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
CBO: Obamacare repeal would be costly
MY FAVORED DEFINITION of “health policy wonk” is someone who reads health reports from the Congressional Budget Office —Â and enjoys it. Guilty as charged. Last Friday’s new report, “Budgetary and […]
Posted inThe Download
The rush to be first, the need to be right
The Boston Herald and the Boston Globe each had exclusive stories last week that sent some warning temblors through Beacon Hill. The Globe reported that a sworn affidavit from […]
Posted inGambling, State House News Service
Ethics complaint against Gaming commission chair dismissed
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE With the first slot parlor authorized under a 2011 law set to open in less than a week, the chair of the state Gaming Commission said Thursday an […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion, The Back Story
Fact-checking the state’s incarceration rate
In the debate over mandatory minimum sentences and corrections reform, those resisting major changes say there is little need for wholesale reform because the state incarceration rate is so low. […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download
The pope goes green
Pope Francis is breaking all sorts of molds with his increasingly progressive views in what had been traditionally one of the most conservative seats of power in the world. His […]
Posted inEducation
Brady speech a win for Salem State
TOM BRADYÂ MAY HAVE scored big with his $170,000 speaker fee from Salem State University but school officials insist the appearance by the Super Bowl MVP was a winner for their […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Baker gets pressure on paid parental leave
Message received. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Attorney General Maura Healey, and state Treasurer Deb Goldberg are all offering employees paid parental leave, so now Gov. Charlie Baker is indicating that paid parental […]
Posted inGambling
Boston, Wynn clash on paperwork
THE CITY OF BOSTON AND WYNN RESORTS are now fighting over whether the Las Vegas company filed a required application with the municipality’s Public Improvement Commission to make road improvements […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
SJC paves way for income inequality debate
Now that the Supreme Judicial Court has cleared the way, the House and Senate (and Gov. Charlie Baker, too) can start debating income inequality in Massachusetts and how to address […]
Posted inPolitics
SJC sides with Senate on money bill
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT on Monday unanimously ruled that the House budget proposal is a money bill under the state constitution, a decision that means the Senate was legally within […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Part 3: Energy rules need to change
Third of three parts OUR ENERGY SYSTEM is evolving and will look very different in years to come from what we have today. Electricity produced by solar, wind, and other […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Hillary Clinton goes back to the future
Hillary Clinton laid out the themes of her presidential campaign in their fullest form yet with her Saturday speech on New York’s Roosevelt Island. The location was meant to evoke […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
A grand bargain on medical device tax
ONE PROPOSAL TO CHANGEÂ the Affordable Care Act would repeal the law’s 2.3 percent tax on sales of medical devices. On June 2, the House Ways and Means Committee voted, once […]