Policy
Pressure Is Rising to Cut Police Budgets, but the Mayor Isn’t Completely on Board
Never before has the rallying cry to reform policing as we know it been this loud—or this sweeping. Demands for increased use of body cameras, […]
A Guide to Staging an Impactful Protest in Your Own City
While thousands of people have taken to the streets of Boston to protest police brutality against Black people, suburbanites have been taking notes. In recent […]
The BPDA: Paved and Confused
Like a scene out of The Departed, a pinched old white man in a black jacket leans across the passenger seat of a car to […]
Varshini Prakash Is Trying to Save Boston From Climate Change
On my college campus at UMass Amherst when I was 19, we ran a campaign to divest from fossil fuels. I was astonished when someone […]
Is It Time to Pour One Out for the Packie?
Here in Boston, a city infamous for its unique cultural identity, it’s no surprise we feel a sense of loyalty to the neighborhood spot that […]
After Three Long Months, the State’s Vaping Ban Is Finally Over
The Massachusetts vaping ban, the most extreme reaction to this year’s spasm of e-cigarette-linked lung illness and death, has officially come to an end. Bad […]
Is Massachusetts Gearing up For a #MassExit?
From Beacon Hill to city halls, local politicians are inching ever closer to launching the state’s first safe injection facilities (SIFs)—and in doing so, igniting […]
The Massachusetts Vaping Ban Will End Early, but There’s a Catch
Vapers of Massachusetts, you may see e-cigarettes return to shelves in the state earlier than you thought: In a surprise announcement, Gov. Charlie Baker said […]
Menthol Ban: State House Bill Gives One More Reason to Go to New Hampshire
In a matter of days, Massachusetts is poised to once again get ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to tobacco laws, […]
Businesses Group Realizes the Obvious: A Gas Tax Would Ease the Transit Crisis
A local business coalition is throwing its weight behind resuscitating a controversial idea for raising revenues: a gas tax. In a message to state lawmakers […]
Massachusetts Might Start Charging Netflix Fees to Pay for Public Access TV
The streaming revolution has not exactly been kind to public access television, which relies on franchise fees the state charges cable companies to keep programming on […]
The Great Massachusetts Beer Garden Backlash Has Arrived
Everyone loves a good beer garden. When it comes to combining the trends in after-hours imbibing, they’re right in the sweet spot: sought-after brews, fresh air, […]
You Can Secretly Record Officials and Police in Massachusetts, a Judge Ruled
In a victory for two very different groups of people, a federal judge has ruled that a Massachusetts law against secretly recording police officers or government officials in […]
The “Sanctuary State” Amendment Is No More
A “sanctuary state” proposal in the budget, which would have prevented local law enforcement from spending limited time and resources helping ICE, has been removed after legislators […]
A City Council Idea Could Slow the Starbucks-ification of Boston
Sick of chains like Starbucks pushing out small businesses and swapping local character for squeaky clean corporate sheen? Boston’s City Council has an idea that would […]