One of the state’s cannabis retailers is encouraging customers to recycle the plastic that encases certain cannabis products by offering them a $4 pre-rolled joint for every piece of packaging they return.
Tree House incentivizing recycling of cannabis plastic containers
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should add another high school graduation requirement
Make completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) a requirement for high school graduation in the Commonwealth.
Posted inOpinion
A new path for unionizing Uber and Lyft
As Massachusetts becomes the latest battleground in the national fight over rideshare drivers’ rights, we’re celebrating efforts in the state to build a new path for unionizing Uber and Lyft.
Posted inState Government
O’Brien takes fight with Goldberg public
Shannon O’Brien took her fight with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg public on Friday by asking a court to intervene while simultaneously releasing and rebutting a letter from the treasurer accusing her of making “racially, ethnically, and culturally insensitive statements.”
Posted inEnvironment
Climate change is also a threat to mental health
Our mental health is shaped by our environment in many ways. As we look for ways to address climate change, It is critical that we recognize its connection to mental health and try to mitigate the fallout.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Is ‘somewhat safe’ good enough when it comes to transportation?
“Very” and “somewhat” responses are often grouped together, particularly when measuring support or opposition to a policy proposal or a public figure’s approval rating. But when it comes to safety, the question is whether feeling “somewhat safe” getting around is good enough?
Posted inPolitics
Short takes: Josh Kraft for mayor?
Boston’s political rumor mill has churned for months about whether Josh Kraft, son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head of the organization’s philanthropic arm, is eyeing a campaign for mayor of Boston.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Remote work declining, traffic is not
When a new poll for the
Barr Foundation asked those surveyed to name the top transportation issue facing Massachusetts, 39 percent cited issues with the existing public transportation network. That was the clear top item, followed by traffic congestion at 21 percent.
Posted inState Government
Republicans spoil Democrats’ shelter crisis compromise
Democratic leaders finally reached a compromise on a $2.8 billion spending bill that includes $250 million for the state’s emergency shelter program, but they couldn’t win legislative approval for the measure because a small band of Republicans in the House refused to let it move forward in an informal session.
Posted inEconomy
Soccer stadium plan kicked to the curb
Hopes for a soccer stadium home in Everett for the New England Revolution were dealt a big blow on Thursday as a budget deal between House and Senate negotiators left out a provision that would have streamlined zoning for a planned 25,000-seat venue along the Mystic River.
Posted inEducation
Minority-focused higher ed institutions should get more funding, report says
A new report says the state’s model for higher education should be reworked to better support public and private institutions serving large minority populations.
Posted inOpinion
We’re losing ground when it comes to public health
Despite all of the health care advances over the last century, we are actually losing ground on important measures of population health.
Posted inState Government
House Republicans threaten to block action on spending plan
House Republicans indicated on Wednesday that they intend to block Democrats if they try to ram through a $2.8 billion closeout budget containing money for the state’s emergency shelter program during informal sessions between now and the beginning of January.
Posted inNews Analysis
Healey polling lower than Baker on transportation
For her handling of the T specifically, about as many gave Healey a D (17 percent), or an F (13 percent) as gave her an A (6 percent) or B (24 percent).
Posted inCourts
SJC Justice Lowy to leave bench, take post as UMass counsel
Supreme Judicial Court Justice David Lowy will leave the bench on February 3 – well before the required retirement age of 70 – to serve as general counsel of the University of Massachusetts system.
Posted inCourts
Switchblades in the SJC firing line
The state’s highest court is preparing to consider whether an absolute ban on carrying switchblade knives violates the Second Amendment.
Posted inEnvironment
A statewide strategy for coastal resilience is on the way
A new regional coastal resiliency initiative launched on Wednesday, called “ResilientCoasts,” will coordinate with the state’s 78 coastal communities to develop “tailored” resiliency strategies.
Posted inOpinion
Contemporations may work better than reparations
While reparations are typically linked to slavery or historic discrimination, contemporations focus on contemporary discrimination. With contemporations, there is no need to determine the responsible parties’ intention, only the impact of their decisions and actions on community and personal wealth.
Posted inState Government
Goldberg indicates meeting with O’Brien to be private
A spokesperson for the treasurer said the meeting would be private, suggesting the public will most likely remain in the dark about what led to O’Brien’s suspension more than two months ago.
Posted inPolitics
John Walsh remembered as optimist who worked for change
Hundreds of people gathered in Faneuil Hall in Boston on Tuesday to remember John Walsh, a Democratic political strategist who is credited with reinvigorating campaigns with a focus on grass-roots organizing.