THE BOSTON GLOBE laid off two union employees and an unspecified number of nonunion employees on Wednesday in response to a downturn in revenue caused by the COVID-19 business shutdown. At a time when news publications across the country are paring back, the Boston Newspaper Guild said management had notified the union that two members […]
CommonWealth Staff
Posted inThe Download
Voc-tech woes continue at Boston’s Madison Park
Amidst all the turmoil and angst that has turned the world as we know it upside down, we long for signs of normal life, some sort of consistency that can be counted on. Look no further than Boston’s troubled Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, where a global pandemic has done nothing to upset the […]
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Super PAC tied to Baker raises $177,500
Gov. Charlie Baker may be preoccupied with dealing with COVID-19, but his political operation is remaining busy. Massachusetts Majority, a super PAC with close ties to Baker, raised $177,500 during March and April, bringing its total fundraising haul over the last year to $1.1 million. The PAC has doled out just over $300,000 for direct […]
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Sweden’s coronavirus gamble
Swedish culture and the country’s national psyche are often described using the word lagom, which defies simple translation, but is defined variously as “just the right amount,” “in balance,” or “moderation.” It describes generally the even-keeled ways of Scandinavia’s most populous country, but it now also extends to Sweden’s controversial approach to the coronavirus pandemic. […]
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A different kind of May Day
In the US, labor unions and progressive groups typically celebrate May Day, or International Workers Day, with rallies, while the rest of the general public leaves its commemoration of workers to Labor Day, the first weekend in September. But as with everything, coronavirus will change that. Instead of the chants of “Solidarity Forever” and the […]
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What makes a COVID-19 hotspot?
It’s no secret that the coronavirus is not evenly spread across Massachusetts. New statistics released Wednesday confirmed that Chelsea remains a hotspot of the virus, with the most cases per capita. Brockton was next, followed by Everett, Lynn, Randolph, Lawrence and Revere, according to CommonWealth’s analysis of state statistics. Earlier this month, the Boston Globe published a piece […]
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Reopening plans remain big question mark
We don’t really know how the state will move to reopen the economy, but we now know who will come up with the plan. Gov. Charlie Baker tapped Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and his housing and economic development secretary, Mike Kennealy, to co-chair a 17-member Reopening Advisory Board. Baker said it will be a phased […]
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Are face mask fines the way to go?
Four weeks ago we were debating whether face masks were necessary or not. Now we’re starting to fine people if they fail to wear masks in any public place, inside or outside. Somerville announced $300 fines on Monday, joining Cambridge ($300), Peabody ($1,000), Salem ($50 for a first offense and $300 for a third), and a handful of […]
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Coronavirus spotlights unease about end-of-life issues
The coronavirus pandemic has brought inspired scenes of heroic health care providers engaged in an all-out effort to save lives. But what about helping those at the end of life have a good death? CommonWealth Magazine · Coronavirus and our unease with end of life questions Many of those dying from COVID-19 are elderly patients […]
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Do civil commitments make sense in a pandemic?
It’s Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi versus Prisoners’ Legal Services, round two, this time with a global pandemic thrown in. The sheriff and the legal services group have long been battling in court and in public over the practice of confining men who are civilly committed for substance abuse in a correctional facility while they […]