Michael and Coreen Gaffney, the aspiring power couple of Worcester politics, pulled out of their races for City Council to pursue an “opportunity” they declined to talk about because “the local hate groups and media make it unwise to reveal our plans.” Michael Gaffney, the second-highest vote getter in the last municipal election, was running […]
Current Affairs
Posted inThe Download
The Globe’s Dear Jeff letter
The Boston Globe published what it called a “newsroom commentary” on Sunday that borrowed the theme of John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address. Instead of asking what Boston can do to convince Amazon to open its second headquarters here, the commentary laid out what Amazon can do for Boston. The headline for the whole package […]
Posted inThe Download
Will players stand for anthem mandate?
The billionaires blinked. In the wake of weeks of threats and invective from President Trump and the increasing number of fans who are incensed that NFL players are protesting by either kneeling or sitting during the national anthem, league commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to team owners urging them to adopt a mandate that […]
Posted inThe Download
Baker and mandatory minimums
Gov. Charlie Baker has won praise for his efforts to increase awareness of opioid addiction and treatment options, but he continues to face criticism for his proposal to deal with the crisis by enacting new criminal penalties on those who deal drugs. The governor on Tuesday is promoting his latest educational initiative, encouraging the state’s […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: Brownsberger tees up criminal justice reform bill
The tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and 90s has given way to what some are calling the smart-on-crime era, a time in which policymakers and politicians are rethinking what it takes to keep communities safe while also giving criminal offenders the best shot of getting on a more positive path after paying their debt. That […]
Posted inThe Download
No laughing matter
Nothing is more responsible for televisions in bedrooms than late-night talk shows and the comedians who hosted the programs that generations of Americans tuned into at the end of a long day for some escape and entertainment. Starting in the 1950s with Steve Allen, who was succeeded by Jack Paar, the franchise was perfected and […]
Posted inThe Download
What front pages say
The shootings in Las Vegas dominated the nation’s news coverage Tuesday morning, but the front pages of newspaper print editions showed some different points of emphasis. Most of the front pages focused on what happened. The New York Times, for example, ran a map, a photo, and two stories across the top two-thirds of its […]
Posted inThe Download
The First Monday in October
While everyone’s focus is on President Trump’s battles with, well, everyone, one of the most important decisions he’s made so far will begin to show results today when the newly constituted Supreme Court sits for what many say is one of the most consequential terms in recent memory. The court will take up a number […]
Posted inThe Download
The great equalizer?
Public education is the great equalizer, the place where everyone gets the same chance to learn and develop to his or her full potential. Or so the mythology goes. In fact, we have set up a constellation of separate school districts that often only exacerbate inequities.They are publicly funded, but there is effectively a price […]
Posted inThe Download
Courting the PawSox
Two suitors are still wooing the Pawtucket Red Sox, and the style of courtship couldn’t be any different. Rhode Island’s approach is loud and raucous. The state’s Senate Finance Committee is holding seven public hearings on the $71 million legislative proposal, and the first one lasted 7 hours and 10 minutes, wrapping up at 1:10 […]