News
Massachusetts began the Revolution. We should lead the way in showing how to live up to its ideals.
1+ hour, 18+ min ago (582+ words) AS AMERICA COMMEMORATES the 250th anniversary of its Independence, I find myself reflecting with both measured pride and deep unease. The American experiment is a remarkable milestone worthy of celebration, but it is also an opportunity for honest self-examination. Here in…...
Faced with crippling housing crisis, Beacon Hill nibbles at the edges
5+ hour, 59+ min ago (1209+ words) by Jennifer Smith, Common Wealth Beacon July 2, 2026 POLICY WATCHERS TRYING to figure how lawmakers have spent the current legislative session tackling the housing crisis could be forgiven for having a sense of d'ja vu. The moves getting the most attention…...
All politics is local -- even the Declaration of Independence
16+ hour, 55+ min ago (473+ words) by Thomas A. Barnico, Common Wealth Beacon July 1, 2026 The late MIT historian Pauline Maier, in her 1997 book American Scripture: The Making of the Declaration of Independence, details the role of towns as the storm gathered in 1776. She describes the events of…...
July is here, and that means it's busy season again on Beacon Hill
1+ day, 5+ hour ago (1039+ words) by Chris Lisinski, Common Wealth Beacon July 1, 2026 AN ANNUAL STATE BUDGET, a long-awaited energy affordability bill, a jobs package that may or may not feature reforms to spur desperately needed housing production, more frequent financial disclosures from statewide ballot question…...
Massachusetts emerges as a national leader in child care access, but accessibility issues remain
1+ day, 17+ hour ago (755+ words) by Saaya Daga, Common Wealth Beacon June 30, 2026 Investments in Massachusetts's child care sector appear to be paying off. Thanks to programs like the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant, a federal program launched to keep child care centers open during the…...
Energy policy pressure points reflected in amendments
1+ day, 17+ hour ago (937+ words) THE SENATE ON WEDNESDAY takes up a sweeping energy bill aimed at affordability, one that boosters say will save ratepayers more than $14 billion over a decade. But first, senators have more than 180 ideas to reshape it. Sen. Michael Barrett, the…...
Haverhill sewage spill underscores urgent need for bond bill to fund climate infrastructure
1+ day, 18+ hour ago (581+ words) by Chris Mancini, Common Wealth Beacon June 30, 2026 AS MASSACHUSETTS PREPARES to celebrate the Fourth of July enjoying our rivers and beaches, communities along the Merrimack River are instead checking water quality advisories after a devastating accidental sewage leak. Last Friday,…...
Trump DOJ sues Mass. over immigrant tuition law
2+ day, 2+ hour ago (495+ words) by Chris Lisinski, Common Wealth Beacon June 30, 2026 A MASSACHUSETTS LAW allowing students without legal status to pay in-state tuition rates landed in the crosshairs of the Trump administration with a federal lawsuit alleging the measure is unconstitutional. The Department of…...
When the heat doesn't stop
2+ day, 5+ hour ago (745+ words) by Lin Chen, Jeta Perjuci and Yaron Porat-Gibsh, Common Wealth Beacon June 30, 2026 The state recently awarded Green Roots a $25, 000 Environmental Justice Fund grant, part of which will support the organization's Tree Keeper stewardship program. But the program's future beyond next…...
State gives clearance for three-year degree programs at two colleges
2+ day, 21+ hour ago (319+ words) MERRIMACK COLLEGE AND SUFFOLK University secured state approval Friday to experiment with three-year bachelor's degrees, as education officials embrace new strategies to boost affordability for students. Students earning a traditional four-year bachelor's degree must pay for and take 120 credits. The…...