WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT from government regulators? Do we believe they can serve in an austere, removed fashion, eclipsing social context and eliminating personal bias through a mechanical reading of the law? Or do we understand regulatory action, at its core, and the regulatory platform, to be activity in service of the public interest, furthering […]
Government regulation
Posted inOpinion
How do you license a fortune teller?
IT’S ONLY NATURAL this time of year that we turn our attention to ghouls and ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Jack-o-lanterns, trick or treaters, funny costumes, and pranks are a staple of life everywhere in the US and especially here in New England. What is the intersection of Halloween and the […]
Posted inEconomy
Open bar
WHEN VOTERS PASSED the referendum legalizing adult use of marijuana, most people focused on the ability to use pot in their own homes or with friends. State regulators, however, are being urged to set their sights on another place to get high – the neighborhood pot bar. At a meeting of the state’s Cannabis Control […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download, Transportation
The Codcast: Ride-sharing regs redux
After several years of fits and stops, the Legislature finally passed a bill last summer that would regulate transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft with an eye on safety for passengers. While lawmakers gave the Department of Public Utilities a pretty big canvas to paint their regulations on, they mandated a few set-in-stone parameters […]
Posted inEconomy
Home wreckers
Photographs by Mark Morelli FOR MOST HOMEOWNERS, their house is their past, present, and future, the hard shell around their nest egg. That shell requires regular attention and occasional investment, and that means hiring home improvement contractors to keep everything shipshape. For many homeowners, finding the right contractor is a process that can trigger a […]