The regional power grid operator predicted on Thursday that electricity usage across New England will grow little over the next 10 years because of energy efficiency efforts but new power […]
New power plants needed to offset closings
Posted inHealth Care
Steward shutting down Quincy Medical Center
Calling Quincy Medical Center “unsustainable,” Steward Health Care is shutting down the hospital at the end of the year and replacing it with a 24-hour emergency department and outpatient services. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
Ruling increases O’Brien prison time
A federal judge said on Thursday that John O’Brien’s prison time will be significantly increased because the convicted former Probation commissioner “abused a position of public trust.” O’Brien was convicted […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion, Politics
Obamacare in the wake of the GOP romp
So Republicans won enough seats to take control of the US Senate in January for the first time since 2006. Given their continuing opposition to the Affordable Care Act (aka […]
Posted inPolitics
Liberal Boston suburbs become key battleground
Charlie Baker launched his gubernatorial campaign last year in Lowell, and he spent much of the campaign chasing votes in cities that are traditionally hostile to Republicans like himself. Baker […]
Posted inPolitics
Mike Dukakis was right
Charlie Baker greets a voter on Election Day outside the polling place at Holy Name Parish Hall in West Roxbury. In 1988, Michael Dukakis got walloped in his bid for […]
Posted inPolitics
Winners & Losers
WINNERS TV STATIONS This year’s election was an advertising bonanza for local TV stations. They raked in millions of dollars in ads from PACs and candidates, fueled by tight races […]
Posted inPolitics
Warren slams PAC spending
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday that heavy super PAC spending in the Massachusetts gubernatorial contest should prompt a federal crackdown on unfettered political spending by outside groups. Corporations and wealthy […]
Posted inPolitics
Prosecutors: Nothing new in O’Brien motion
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday dismissed claims by attorneys for former Probation commissioner John O’Brien and two top deputies that they had “newly discovered evidence” that a top judge lied under […]
Posted inHealth Care
Enos stepping down at Neighborhood Health
Deborah Enos, the CEO of Neighborhood Health Plan, said on Wednesday that she plans to step down Feb. 1 to pursue other interests. Her departure follows close on the heels […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Mulligan testimony likely untruthful – defense lawyers
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Defense attorneys, who represent three former probation officials convicted of secretly rigging the hiring system, are accusing former Chief Justice of Administration and Management Robert Mulligan […]
Posted inPolitics
Mayor Thomas Menino’s Godfather video
The tributes to Mayor Menino rightly focus on his people skills and his focus on the little things, but he also had a sense of humor, as evidenced by this […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Addiction policy must be evidence-based
It is late on a Friday afternoon and I am sitting with Juan, a bright young man who is the first in his family to graduate from high school. But […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics, Transportation
Next governor needs transportation vision
By most accounts, the Patrick administration and the Legislature have moved the needle forward on the issue of transportation. They know that investing in transportation infrastructure is critical to our […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Candidates address proven-risk youth
This past August, staff and youth from the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) in Lowell launched our Youth Violence Prevention Policy Series. Gubernatorial candidates visited UTEC and engaged in roundtable […]
Posted inPolitics
GOP super PAC money swamps governor’s race
Outside super PAC spending in the Massachusetts governor’s race has nearly doubled the outside spending totals set four years ago, and the wave of outside money has been decidedly one-sided. […]
Posted inPolitics
Gateway City papers give edge to Baker
In the key electoral battleground of Gateway Cities, Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker holds an edge over Democrat Martha Coakley in major newspaper endorsements. Baker was endorsed by the Standard-Times […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Polito’s low-profile campaign for lt. gov.
Karyn Polito at the Baker-Polito Campaign Boston headquarters Karyn Polito, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, is both a plus and a minus in Charlie Baker’s run for governor against […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Politics
Baker and the gas tax
CHARLIE BAKER HAS vowed to oppose any tax increases if elected governor, and that includes any attempt to raise the gas tax. Baker opposes a move made by the Legislature […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
The ultimate Lawrence grudge match
Anyone who thought they’d seen the last of William Lantigua on Beacon Hill should pay close attention on Election Day. The former mayor is back on the campaign trail in […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
DOT’s asphalt nightmare
State transportation officials are scrambling to justify a potentially costly flip-flop that could end up leaving the state with mile after mile of crumbling roads. Frank DePaola, the state’s highway […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Goodbye to the urban mechanic
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Thomas Menino, a self-described “lunch bucket guy” who rose from his roots in Hyde Park to dominate Boston and Massachusetts politics as the capital city’s mayor […]