When I confided in a professor that classmate had been harassing me, it triggered an automatic report to the university’s Title IX office. While the regulation may be well-intentioned, it strips victims of the control they should have over whether to report such incidents.
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Steward aftermath isn’t the state’s only health care challenge
Massachusetts is now the state with the second-highest family health insurance premiums in the country, behind only New Jersey.  We were fourth or fifth highest a few years ago, so we’re going in the wrong direction.
Posted inOpinion
Flap over zoning appointee really about old Boston vs. new
Stories about Mayor Michelle Wu’s decision not to reappoint the longtime chair of the Boston Zoning Commission have been turned into a manufactured controversy. Boston mayors get to appoint people to municipal boards who support their agenda.
Posted inOpinion
In narrow Decker win, a pointed message to her and Legislature
Veteran Cambridge state Rep. Marjorie Decker eked out a razor-thin 41-vote victory in this month’s Democratic primary. The fact that the race was so close underscores the discontent among her constituents with the Beacon Hill status quo.
Posted inOpinion
Denmark’s approach to decarbonizing offers lessons worth replicating
What I saw was remarkable. Denmark has positioned itself as an economic thought leader in the new energy economy. While the demographic, political, and social context may not match the whole of the US, I believe Denmark can teach us many lessons – particularly in Massachusetts, which is similar in population and climate.
Posted inOpinion
Skip the quick fixes, pass a comprehensive climate bill
The Senate bill would have empowered the Department of Public Utilities to ensure any gas spending served the public good, and help redirect that funding toward clean energy alternatives if it failed to meet this basic standard.
Posted inOpinion
Some hopeful signs amid daunting homelessness challenge
While homelessness remains an enormous challenge in Massachusetts, we have developed very effective strategies for addressing unsheltered homelessness for individuals.
Posted inOpinion
Thinking climate change? Think exposure to extreme heat
Heat is a silent killer and as summers get hotter, particularly in the Northeast US, staying safe during heat waves is increasingly challenging.
Posted inOpinion
AG’s settlement with Uber and Lyft leaves big worker protection issues unresolved
Uber and Lyft got what they most wanted – no admission that their drivers are employees. The attorney general’s office got what they felt they needed – the rideshare companies’ commitment to withdraw a ballot question that would have codified drivers’ status as independent contractors. But the settlement left the larger issue of the role of misclassification in the gig economy unresolved.
Posted inOpinion
Question 4 is one solution to mental health crisis
Natural psychedelics provide a promising, necessary, and research-backed opportunity for healing where traditional therapies have fallen short.