Big-name Democrats abandoned William Lantigua last fall, as the then-mayor of Lawrence battled for his political life. Now, as Lantigua lays the groundwork for a possible political comeback, he has […]
Lantigua plots a comeback
Posted inEnvironment
N.E. electricity costs jump 55% to $8b in 2013
The wholesale price of electricity in New England jumped 55 percent in 2013, driven primarily by a steep increase in the price of natural gas, according to ISO New England, […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Breakfast special
“Do not adjust your television set.” With that, Linda Dorcena Forry dispensed to great laughter with the issue that has made her the lead character of late in Boston’s ongoing […]
Posted inThe Download
The Catholic Church’s gay fixation
It must be confusing to be Catholic today. On the one hand, you have a pope who is softening the church’s tone on gays, abortion, and other hot button issues. […]
Posted inEnvironment
2 agencies told to do more Cape Wind work
A federal judge in Washington on Friday sided with Cape Wind on nearly all the legal challenges raised by opponents of the offshore wind farm, but directed two governmental agencies […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics, The Download
The politics of terror
Terrorist acts, by their very definition, are political statements. But the fallout and aftermath can trigger political posturing as well, as evidenced by some local involvement in two of the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
Forry’s redistricting debt
The election last year of Linda Dorcena Forry, a Haitian-American state representative from Dorchester, to the state Senate seat representing South Boston has been hailed as the clearest sign yet […]
Posted inPolitics
Coakley challenges church in bias suit
Attorney General Martha Coakley thrust her office into the middle of a civil suit against the Worcester Diocese, saying the church’s refusal to sell property it owns in Northbridge to […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Boston’s public transit conundrum
The MBTA is going all out. But riders are fed up. After years of fits and starts, there’s additional service on the Worcester-Boston commuter rail line, complete with a brand new […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Solar backers push to lift subsidy cap
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Solar energy proponents urged a legislative panel on Tuesday to remove a barrier to renewable energy production by lifting the state’s cap on the amount of […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
An unwelcome spotlight for Markey
When Sen. Ed Markey urged federal regulators in January to investigate a weight loss company, he thought he was heading off a pyramid scheme. It turns out that he’d put […]
Posted inPolitics
A fight brewing in Lawrence
Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera wants to move agencies currently scattered around the city into cheaper office space downtown, but his drive to consolidate departments is likely to trigger a multimillion-dollar […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Trouble in the “velvet coffin”
Another day, another juicy installment in the soap opera that is doubling as the office of the Suffolk County Register of Probate office. In today’s episode, Globe reporters Sean Murphy […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Are state campaign finance laws irrelevant?
Over the past 40 years, legislative changes have placed stringent restrictions on individual campaign contributions in Massachusetts. The maximum amount one can contribute to any candidacy in the course of […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
New Hampshire sours on Brown
Scott Brown couldn’t hold on to his Senate seat two years ago, despite being one of the most popular politicians in Massachusetts. The lesson in Brown’s 8-point loss to Elizabeth […]
Posted inThe Download
You apparently haven’t come that far, baby
Styling is out for T riders. Actually, just for women straphangers. Guys are okay, unless they choose to wear a kilt. According to the Supreme Judicial Court’s interpretation of the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
Super PAC bill may be too late to cover governor’s race
The Massachusetts Legislature is likely to take up a campaign finance package that would impose stricter disclosure rules on super PACs soon, but the new regulations are unlikely to take […]
Posted inPolitics
O’Brien judge bows out
The federal judge in the corruption trial of former Probation commissioner John O’Brien recused himself Thursday but not before excoriating defense attorneys for bringing the motion as retaliation for ruling […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Peter Principle at work in Bay State bureaucracy
Gov. Deval Patrick has a serious problem on his hands. Some state agencies are in full grip of the Peter Principle. Educator Laurence Peter is forever linked to his observation […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download
Baker’s Cape Wind conversion
Four years ago gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker strongly opposed Cape Wind as a “sweetheart deal” that would drive up the cost of doing business in Massachusetts. Now, according to an editorial […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Walsh’s legislative skills needed on transportation
A new mayor provides an opportunity for new thinking about Boston-area transportation. And since state participation is a must when it comes to the transportation policies that would create the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
SJC chief Ireland stepping down in July
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick Ireland plans to step down in July, giving Gov. Deval Patrick several months to secure a successor atop the high […]
Posted inHealth Care
Dookhan was lone “bad actor”
The state inspector general ripped top state health and lab officials for missing clear warning signs and withholding key information from investigators that would have exposed the extent of the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Playing the extremist card
There are some real differences between Republican and Democratic candidates for governor as well as for the North Shore congressional seat held by longtime incumbent John Tierney. Abortion rights, gay […]