STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN THE WEEK between August 7 and August 14, almost 2,700 fully vaccinated people became infected with COVID-19 in Massachusetts, the Department of Public Health said […]
coronavirus
Posted inUncategorized
Baker: No plans to change COVID policies
ALTHOUGH COVID-19 CASE numbers are rising in Massachusetts and nationally, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he does not intend to reinstate any statewide COVID-related rules. “We’re not looking at […]
Posted inEconomy
COVID brought long-lasting changes to restaurant industry
FOOD IS A cornerstone of culture, connection, and prosperity, and restaurants are the hubs of our mealtime traditions. But last spring, the coronavirus brought Boston’s lively restaurant scene to a […]
Posted inEconomy
Legislative budget writer says Baker ignored law in spending plan
A TOP LEGISLATIVE budget writer on Tuesday accused Gov. Charlie Baker of violating state law with his plan to immediately spend $186 million of federal recovery money on health care […]
Posted inOpinion
Lessons to learn from the pandemic
WHEN THE PANDEMIC passes, what then? What will we do differently to expand opportunity to the most vulnerable and hardest hit? We’ve seen the disparities. Black Americans are 2.6 times […]
Posted inHealth Care
All Mass. adults eligible for vaccines April 19
ALL ADULTS LIVING in Massachusetts will become eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine beginning on April 19, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday. That does not mean, however, that everyone will […]
Posted inUncategorized
New pandemic take on undocumented immigrant licenses
SUPPORTERS OF LEGISLATION authorizing the issuance of driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants this year decided to reframe the message, which comes amid a national pandemic. They say the licenses are […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
DOC: Few prisoners would qualify for home confinement
UNDER PRESSURE to release prisoners to home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, the Massachusetts Department of Correction is downplaying the program’s impact, saying only about 20 to 25 of the […]
Posted inEducation
COVID-19 cases in Mass. schools up sharplyÂ
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS reported a 41 percent increase in coronavirus cases identified in Massachusetts schools from October 22 to October 28 compared to the previous 7-day period.   The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported 286 new coronavirus […]
Posted inEducation
Role of school rapid testing debated
IT WAS THE end of March when the state’s Department of Public Health began reporting more than 1,000 new cases of coronavirus daily. Schools were shuttered, students were home, and […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Historic homes struggle to reopen in COVID-compliant way
THE YEAR 2020 was shaping up to be a banner year for the Orchard House in Concord, the home where Louisa May Alcott lived and wrote the classic book Little […]
Posted inUncategorized
Lawrence leads way as red spread grows
THE NUMBER of communities at high risk for the spread of COVID-19 rose again on Thursday, led by Lawrence which continues to creep higher and higher despite intensive efforts by […]
Posted inEconomy
Despite pandemic, Baker proposes higher spending
Despite the pandemic-related recession and high unemployment rates, and an expected drop in state tax revenues, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday released a budget proposal for the current fiscal year […]
Posted inUncategorized
Number of high-risk communities doubles
THE NUMBER of Massachusetts communities considered high-risk for COVID-19 nearly doubled over the last week and the state as a whole moved much closer to the high-risk designation. The state’s […]
Posted inUncategorized
Despite infection concerns, Baker reopens more venues
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER will allow more indoor performance and entertainment spaces to open on Monday, but only in communities deemed low-risk for transmission of COVID-19. His decision to continue with […]
Posted inUncategorized
Communities at high-risk for COVID-19 grow
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER talked up the state’s progress in dealing with COVID-19 on Wednesday, but the latest data using the administration’s most closely watched metric showed the situation worsening on several […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Bail fund now facing heat
CAN THE EFFORT to right the wrongs of the criminal justice system go too far? That’s the argument coming from liberal-leaning prosecutors after the arrest on new charges of a convicted […]
Posted inThe Download
Bail fund now facing heat
Can the effort to right the wrongs of the criminal justice system go too far? That’s the argument coming from liberal-leaning prosecutors after the arrest on new charges of a […]
Posted inEconomy
Poll finds Latinos heavily impacted by coronavirus
FOOD INSECURITY, DEPRESSION, and unemployment are the top three issues impacting Latino residents in Massachusetts during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.  Twenty percent of […]
Posted inPolitics
Downing, Vennochi voice concerns on Baker
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS GIVEÂ Gov. Charlie Baker very high marks in general and for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but two guests on the CommonWealth Codcast criticized him for failing to […]
Posted inThe Download
Downing, Vennochi voice concerns on Baker
Massachusetts voters give Gov. Charlie Baker very high marks in general and for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but two guests on the CommonWealth Codcast criticized him for failing […]
Posted inEducation
Colleges reconsider reopening plans
WHEN THE BOSTON GLOBEÂ reported Sunday that many colleges and universities throughout the country were reversing their plans to reopen in-person, only Berklee College of Music had taken that step in […]
Posted inThe Download
Colleges reconsider reopening plans
When the Boston Globe reported Sunday that many colleges and universities throughout the country were reversing their plans to reopen in-person, only Berklee College of Music had taken that step in […]
Posted inEducation
Under any in-person school plan, buses are a problem
AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS FINALIZE their reopening plans for the start of the school year, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that schools will need to find more buses at some point, even when […]