Lawrence’s Rivera facing tough reelection fight

City showing signs of progress, but mayor faces battle to retain his post

By Ted Siefer Gateway Cities, Municipal Government 1 Comment Jul 11, 2017

Photographs by Meghan Moore THE MARCHERS PLOD ALONG, wearing matching maroon shirts and holding campaign signs, fronted by the candidate himself, Mayor Daniel Rivera, who waves to onlookers, his gut hanging over pressed khakis. It’s not a very enthusiastic display in a parade that features, by turns, synchronized Latin dancing, beauty queens in chiffon, and(...)

Rolling the Dice/ Gambling

Are thoroughbreds a good bet for the state?

Beacon Hill struggling with subsidies for the sport of kings

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Massachusetts Legislature 1 Comment Jul 11, 2017

TEN HORSES SHOOT OUT of the gate with Simply Mas moving quickly to take the lead. The pack bunches up at the first turn, with Worth the Worry moving up on the inside and Goodbyeguinessbok gaining ground on the outside. As they head down the stretch, Simply Mas fades and Worth the Worry surges to(...)

Arts + Policy/ Arts and Culture/ Economy

The promise of MASS MoCA

The museum’s latest expansion is a hit, but its impact on the struggling town of North Adams remains a work in progress

By Linda Enerson Arts and Culture, Economic development, MASS MoCA, Municipal Government, Western Massachusetts 4 Comments Jul 11, 2017

Photographs by Michael Manning TWO YOUNG MEN from Brooklyn tentatively inch down the hallway, holding onto a handrail because it’s so dark. They turn a corner and the room in front of them opens up, filled with intense light of different colors. They make their way to a bench and sit down, mesmerized by a large(...)

Gambling/ Politics

Beating the craps out of each other

A Massachusetts-Connecticut border war over gambling stirs fears of an Atlantic City meltdown

By Jack Sullivan Casinos, MA Gaming Commission, Massachusetts Legislature, MGM, Mohegan Sun, State Government, Taxes and Budget Issues, Wynn Resorts 0 Comments Jul 11, 2017

Illustration by Phil Foster CASINOS ARE ABOUT GAMBLING. Take away the restaurants, the shops, and the entertainment and what remains is the foundational reason for a casino’s existence—getting people to come and leave their money behind, lured by the slim chance they might walk away with a fatter wallet. Those who build and operate the(...)

Courts/ Politics

Progressive politics from the ground up

With the election of Donald Trump, progressive federalism’s moment may have arrived

By Michael Jonas federalism, Heather Gerken, Trump 0 Comments Jul 11, 2017

Photographs by Frank Curran STATES’ RIGHTS HAS a long and ugly history in this country. The phrase has often served as code for the segregationist Jim Crow policies that southern states clung to in the face of federal pressure in the 1950s and ’60s. It made progressives wary of a bigger role for states in(...)

Drug Addiction/ Drugs

Clark takes on Purdue’s opioid marketing

Says pharmaceutical company’s ‘greed and recklessness’ spawned crisis

By Shawn Zeller Katherine Clark, opioid crisis 1 Comment Jul 11, 2017

LATE LAST YEAR, an article in the Los Angeles Times caught the eye of US Rep. Katherine Clark of Melrose. The article alleged that Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, was moving aggressively to sell its signature drug abroad now that sales in the United States are on the decline. The Times article said(...)

Health/ Health Care

Deregulated health care not the answer

Medical capitalism works for investors, not patients

By Edward M Murphy Health Care, National Politics 0 Comments Jul 11, 2017

THE UNITED STATES has by far the most expensive health care system in the world. We spent $3.35 trillion, almost 18 percent of GDP and more than $10,000 per person, on health costs last year. The next highest country, Switzerland, spends approximately $7,000 per capita. France, Canada, Australia, and the UK spend about half of(...)

Politics

It’s not my party, but I’ll vote if I want to

Party primaries are increasingly non-partisan as party registration fades

By Steve Koczela and Hannah Chanatry party identification, unenrolled voters, Voter registration 2 Comments Jul 11, 2017

AN EVER-GROWING WAVE of unenrolled voters is slowly overtaking Massachusetts political parties. Old Massachusetts Democrats and Republicans are dying off and more and more of their grandkids are ditching the two-party structure. As the overall number of voters keeps rising, the percent of undeclared voters climbs, while the share of both Democrats and Republicans shrinks modestly.(...)

Education

Changing of the guard

Jessica Tang says she’ll bring a different style, but no change in values, as the new president of the Boston Teachers Union

By Michael Jonas Boston Teachers Union, Jessica Tang 0 Comments Jul 11, 2017

Photograph by Frank Curran What will be different about the Boston Teachers Union under your leadership? One thing that I’ve brought to the union is a focus on organizing and working with students, families, community members and coalition building. But we’ll also continue to do a lot of what I guess you would call the(...)

Economy/ Politics

Walsh plays hardball at Quincy Market

Mayor seeks to redo lease for higher return

By Colman M. Herman Economic development, Faneuil Hall, Mayor Walsh, Municipal Government 2 Comments Jul 11, 2017

BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH is trying to play hardball with the company that owns the lease on Faneuil Hall Marketplace. City officials and heavily redacted emails obtained under the Public Records Law confirm that the city, which owns the marketplace, is attempting to renegotiate the terms of the lease, which dates back to 1975 and(...)