Harvard professor Danielle Allen says a health democracy hinges on inclusionk participation, and competitiveness. “One each of those dimensions, we can see room for improvement in Mass.,” she says
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Second-guessing begins on Alex Morse allegations
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is fighting for his political future, amid allegations that he had sex with students attending the university where he taught. Now questions are being raised about […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Mail-in ballots now central feature of election
It’s now clear that mailed ballots will assume a prominent role in the November presidential election. The only question is whether that role ends up being to helpfully expand access […]
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Where is the uptick in COVID cases coming from?
In July, the number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts increased most dramatically among people in their twenties. According to state data, people in the 20-29 age category saw their COVID-19 […]
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Landlords challenge constitutionality of eviction ban
Two landlords from Randolph and Worcester are challenging the constitutionality of the ongoing eviction moratorium, arguing the state is allowing their tenants to basically take property without paying for it. […]
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Black staffers urge Beacon Hill to look inward
The Massachusetts Legislature has touted the importance of racial equity as lawmakers passed bills related to police reform, maternal health disparities, demographic reporting on COVID-19, and commemorating Martin Luther King, […]
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Amendment creating state journalism commission passes
An amendment calling for a study of the rapidly shrinking landscape of local news in Massachusetts passed the House Tuesday night as part of an economic development bill and now […]
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Why peak electricity usage matters
With hot and humid conditions enveloping New England, demand for electricity across the region hit its highest level so far this year at about 6:30 p.m. Monday. This year’s peak […]
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Worcester officials fed up with Charter/Spectrum
What happens when internet service is a barrier to remote learning? And what happens when resolving the internet access problem is in the hands of a private company, which holds […]
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House police reform debate moves at glacial pace
The House on Wednesday moved at a glacial pace through the 217 proposed amendments to a police reform bill. By day’s end, according to the State House News Service, six […]
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Masking your political views
At the Washington Post, owned by bazillionaire Jeff Bezos, the slogan adopted shortly after President Trump took office proclaims, “Democracy dies in darkness.” At Whole Foods supermarkets, which Bezos also […]
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Legislature’s regular timetable may not be viable this year
The time needed to process legislation on Beacon Hill is running short – or is it? The typical end date for the legislative session is July 31, a week from […]
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Groups seek to add immigrant driver’s license authorization to police bill
As the House gathers testimony on a policing reform bill passed earlier this week by the Senate, S.2820, some immigrant and worker groups are calling for the legislation to add language […]
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Veterans tell Baker: Listen to us
A day after independent investigator Mark Pearlstein released his scathing report on what went wrong with the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, Gov. Charlie Baker released a bill that would […]
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Covidiots don’t comply with mask orders, leaving officials, public frustrated
It’s the moment where you’re not quite sure of what to do. Someone is standing in line outside of a restaurant, or walks into an elevator next to you, mask […]
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DeVos’s U-turn on local control of schools
If there’s one thing her most fervent admirers and legion of detractors could probably agree on it is that Betsy DeVos is the picture of a doctrinaire conservative. The polarizing […]
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COVID database filled with holes despite law
Passing a law is one thing. Implementing it is another. On June 7, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law requiring the Department of Public Health to publish more transparent data about […]
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Trump threatens funding cuts if schools don’t reopen
It seemed like there were at least the beginnings of a path forward. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its initial coronavirus guidelines for how schools could […]
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While Black Lives Matter rises, gang gunfire keeps claiming more lives
It’s become the untenable backdrop to a national movement demanding a reckoning with systematic racism and centuries of sanctioned brutality against black Americans: While thousands have taken to the streets […]
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Who should pay for the masks?
It’s no secret that school budgets are strained more drastically than ever as classrooms prepare to reopen in the fall. Backup masks for kids who don’t have them, hand sanitizer, […]
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Under pressure, N. Brookfield selectmen postpone July 4 parade
If Black Lives Matter protesters can march down the streets, why not a July 4 parade? That was the argument being made by selectmen in North Brookfield, a small Worcester-area […]