COMMONWEALTH’S MOST POPULAR Codcast of 2022 was an interview with three women from Somerset who fought back against a scrap metal export operation at Brayton Point that was launched after federal permitting delays stalled offshore wind development at the property. The women — Nicole McDonald, Kathy Souza, and Nancy Thomas – eventually prevailed in court and […]
Amanda Middle
Posted inUncategorized
Decision, judgment in Brayton Pt. case
What follows is the decision and judgment by Land Court Judge Robert B. Foster. The decision was converted from a PDF to a Word document, so some formatting is a bit off. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS LAND COURT DEPARTMENT OF THE TRIAL COURT BRISTOL, ss MISCELLANEOUS CASE NO. 20 MISC 000533 (RBF) […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker cries at emotional domestic violence roundtable
It is hardly unusual for Gov. Charlie Baker to cry in public. But on Wednesday, after a gut-wrenching hour listening to stories from survivors of domestic violence, the governor not only cried, but admitted failure about his inability to get a bill addressing criminal dangerousness past the finish line. “We filed this legislation…four years ago,” […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Rollins confirmed as US Attorney; Harris breaks tie vote
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH A PARTY-LINE VOTE that had to be broken by Vice President Kamala Harris, the US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins as the new top federal prosecutor for Massachusetts. Nominated for the US attorney post by President Joe Biden in July, Rollins became the subject of a […]
Posted inThe Download
Pooled COVID testing finally coming to childcare centers
For six months, Massachusetts’ K-12 schools have been able to opt into the state’s free pooled testing program, which lets them test for COVID-19 weekly among large populations of asymptomatic children and staff. The idea is to have a quick way to identify COVID cases before one case turns into an outbreak. On Thursday, the […]
Posted inThe Download
Biden looks to overhaul pandemic response
BENEATH THE USUAL pomp and circumstance of inauguration day was one underlying feeling — urgency. Urgency to address deep divisions involving race and inequity, urgency to roll back some of former President Donald Trump’s hundreds of immigration changes. But above all else was the urgency to address a problem that was omnipresent as hundreds of […]
Posted inThe Download
In-person learning now considered ‘high risk’ by CDC
THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL for Disease Control and Prevention quietly removed controversial guidelines from its website promoting in-person learning in schools, and instead is now listing it as “high risk.” The disputed guidance was composed of documents written by political appointees outside of the agency. One of the documents stated that children appear to […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
The challenge of social distancing
On Tuesday, I tried to make it a point to stand at least three feet from the person in front of me at the Cambridge post office. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation on “social distancing,” or the space between you and another, is that you stay be about six feet apart. While social […]
Posted inThe Download
Pepper-sprayed man accuses Northampton of racial bias
For most police officers, pepper spray is standard equipment, a tool lauded in the law enforcement world as an alternative to lethal force. But a case in Northampton is raising questions about whether pepper spray is also susceptible to misuse. Eric Matlock staged a protest outside Northampton City Hall in 2017, blocking the entrance to […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Moulton on the move
There has been no shortage of head shaking and hand-wringing in Democratic Party circles following this week’s double loss in special elections for House seats in Georgia and South Carolina. But US Rep. Seth Moulton wasted no time pouting. He started tweeting. Only about 20 minutes after the Georgia race was called for the […]