THE YEAR 2020 was shaping up to be a banner year for the Orchard House in Concord, the home where Louisa May Alcott lived and wrote the classic book Little Women. On Christmas 2019, the Greta Gerwig film adaptation of Little Women was released, set in a replica of Orchard House. By February, visits to […]
coronavirus
Posted inUncategorized
Lawrence leads way as red spread grows
THE NUMBER of communities at high risk for the spread of COVID-19 rose again on Thursday, led by Lawrence which continues to creep higher and higher despite intensive efforts by state and local officials to bring the case count down. The number of communities in the red zone – those with 8 or more cases […]
Posted inEconomy
Despite pandemic, Baker proposes higher spending
Despite the pandemic-related recession and high unemployment rates, and an expected drop in state tax revenues, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday released a budget proposal for the current fiscal year that is actually higher than the budget he proposed in January. Baker, a Republican, is recommending a fiscal 2021 budget of $45.5 billion, or 3.8 […]
Posted inUncategorized
Number of high-risk communities doubles
THE NUMBER of Massachusetts communities considered high-risk for COVID-19 nearly doubled over the last week and the state as a whole moved much closer to the high-risk designation. The state’s weekly breakdown of COVID-19 activity suggested the situation in Lawrence is spinning out of control, as the average daily case rate over the last two […]
Posted inUncategorized
Despite infection concerns, Baker reopens more venues
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER will allow more indoor performance and entertainment spaces to open on Monday, but only in communities deemed low-risk for transmission of COVID-19. His decision to continue with the state’s phased reopening comes as some epidemiologists are worried about signs of a potential new coronavirus spike. Baker, at a State House press conference […]
Posted inUncategorized
Communities at high-risk for COVID-19 grow
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER talked up the state’s progress in dealing with COVID-19 on Wednesday, but the latest data using the administration’s most closely watched metric showed the situation worsening on several fronts. The number of cases per 100,000 people statewide over the last two weeks continued to rise, going from 4.2 a week ago to 4.6 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
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 convicted rapist who was released from custody thanks to the efforts of the Massachusetts Bail Fund. The organization is part of a broad national effort calling […]
Posted inThe Download
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 convicted rapist who was released from custody thanks to the efforts of the Massachusetts Bail Fund. The organization is part of a broad national effort […]
Posted inEconomy
Poll finds Latinos heavily impacted by coronavirus
FOOD INSECURITY, DEPRESSION, and unemployment are the top three issues impacting Latino residents in Massachusetts during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey conducted by the MassINC Polling Group. Twenty percent of Latinos are unemployed, a figure higher than the state’s overall highest-in-the-nation rate of 17.4 percent, according to the poll. Over a third say they have gotten food […]
Posted inPolitics
Downing, Vennochi voice concerns on Baker
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS GIVE Gov. Charlie Baker very high marks in general and for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but two guests on the CommonWealth Codcast criticized him for failing to think bigger, to take responsibility when things go wrong, and to use his political capital to address some of the more difficult challenges facing the […]