General Electric’s Jeffrey Immelt, trying very hard to fit in as the new neighbor, said on Monday that he wouldn’t mind if Massachusetts voters approved a constitutional amendment implementing a millionaire’s tax. “I think whatever happens happens, and will impact us just like it impacts everybody else,” said GE’s CEO. “Really, I think, believe it […]
CommonWealth Staff
Posted inThe Download
Time running short on solar
With time starting to run short on Beacon Hill, solar power advocates are mounting an inside-outside campaign to convince a six-member legislative conference committee to lift the cap on net metering. Inside the State House, the advocates played a key, behind-the-scenes role in convincing 100 House members to walk away from a previous vote slashing […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Is the media to blame for Trump?
It’s become almost accepted wisdom that the news media have fanned the flame of Donald Trump, basking in his click-bait commentary and covering his every move as if he was a form of entertainment and not a candidate for president. President Obama said as much earlier this week. But Zeynep Tufekci, who studies social media […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download
Nuclear wasted
Since the Shippingport Atomic Power Plant in Pennsylvania went online nearly 60 years ago, becoming the first peacetime use of nuclear power in the world, proponents have touted the low cost and clean output of nukes, which can supply energy for generations. More than 130 nuclear plants were built in the ensuing years, including two […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
“Dark money” on the right
First came the news last month that Gov. Charlie Baker was raising big bucks from Republican honchos — some $300,000 in all — to win seats for his allies on the Republican State Committee, but did not have to disclose the donors because these were intraparty elections. Then the Globe reported earlier this month on […]
Posted inThe Download
At DCF, fix-it focus hits some bumps
Fixing the queueing system that determines wait-times at the Registry of Motor Vehicles is one thing. Bringing order to the state social service agency charged with ensuring the safety of kids caught in the chaotic world of broken families, drug addiction, and abuse is another matter. So it is that Gov. Charlie Baker found himself […]
Posted inThe Download
Utilities, environmentalists duke it out on energy policy
While lawmakers on Beacon Hill are debating energy legislation in private, the state’s environmental advocacy groups and utilities are making their respective arguments in public. The Acadia Center today wraps up a three-part series in CommonWealth that calls for no new natural gas pipelines into the region, continued price supports for solar power, and an […]
Posted inThe Download
Capital concerns at the Globe
For those of us in the news business, the Boston Globe’s shrinking Capital section is an alarming sight. The nation is in the midst of one of the most interesting and important presidential campaigns in decades. We’ve got one US senator who is political catnip, a Republican governor who has the highest popularity ratings in […]
Posted inGambling, The Download
Fantasy meet reality
Even the most casual sports fan and many non-fans know the term March Madness refers to the college basketball playoffs, now entering the second week of elimination games leading up to next weekend’s national championship. But anyone who wants to make a little money on the hoops action through their fantasy sports account had best […]
Posted inGambling, The Download
Casinos dangle funny money to lure customers
Think of it as the candy cigarettes of the casino industry. Players lose no actual money on the online games recently unveiled by Plainridge Park Casino. But they can still win — and win big. It is meaningless points that players accrue on the games, but it’s a heady feeling nonetheless to see your tally […]