Highlights

CAUGHT ON CAM-SHARE

BPD seeks access to private security cameras, experiments with new surveillance network The Boston Police Department wants to deputize your surveillance system. After a crime, police canvass for private security cameras. Sometimes, they obtain a warrant for the tapes or data, or simply ask for the owner’s consent to access

DANIEL DEFRAIA March 21, 2018

CURL TO ACTION

Photo by Brynne Quinlan The legacy of Massachusetts curling clubs and the making of a Paralympian “I can make you a Paralympian in a year.” Those were some of the first words Tony Colacchio ever said to Steve Emt. Colacchio, a wheelchair curling instructor, had seen Emt effortlessly rolling himself up

BRITNI DE LA CRETAZ March 8, 2018

CHILDREN AND SWAT RAIDS

The unintended consequences of militarized police in Massachusetts homes At 5 a.m. on a hot August night in 2015, a van carrying the Worcester SWAT team pulled up outside a triple-decker on Hillside Street. The officers were wearing body armor, ballistic helmets and camouflage clothing. They came bearing shotguns, handguns

SETH KERSHNER March 1, 2018

SEX, CONSENT AND CUSTODY

Is there a loophole in Mass law that helps cops who rape perps? Earlier this month, BuzzFeed published an explosive article about a New York City teenager accusing two police officers of raping her while she was in custody. The entire story is harrowing. But one aspect seems especially pertinent — as it turns out,

KORI FEENER February 25, 2018

CAPE FEAR

Sheriff sides with Trump and ICE, against constituents and immigrants “It’s essentially an end run around the bail process,” said Laura Rótolo, a staff counsel and community advocate with the Massachusetts branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. Rótolo was referring to plans by Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings to use cooperation with the

EOIN HIGGINS February 6, 2018

THE HURRICANE CONTINUES

Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Nicholas Glass of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 (HSC 22) leads residents to an MH-60s Sea Hawk helicopter for evacuation following the landfall of Hurricane Maria. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Galbreath/Released) The perils of being ‘foreign in a domestic

MICHELLE SANTIAGO CORTES February 1, 2018

WAITING FOR RECIPROCITY

Nurses, teachers, other Puerto Ricans in Mass struggle to get professional licenses When Hurricane Maria devastated her area of Isabela, Puerto Rico, 52-year-old Brenda Trujillo traveled to Holyoke in search of a more stable life and employment. Trujillo has been a nurse for nearly 30 years, but since arriving on

SARAH BETANCOURT January 17, 2018

AGING IN THE SHADOWS

Without income or access to benefits, getting old as an undocumented is a daunting challenge It’s December, and Pedro, 78, still heads downtown to work during the day. He sings Mexican boleros and rancheras, accompanying himself with a guitar. He seems to camouflage himself under the foliage; countless Bostonians have

TIBISAY ZEA January 17, 2018

UMASS BOSTON’S LAST REMAINING PAINTER

A ‘Save UMB’ profile We sit in the Ryan Lounge, a capacious, high-ceilinged hall with a harbor view. It’s a favorite hang-out for UMass Boston students, as well as one of the most popular spaces on campus for conferences and special events. The podium at the front of the lounge

JOE RAMSEY January 7, 2018

MACRO AGGRESSIONS

Trump flags, right-wing memes line walls at Boston company, workers be damned Incendiary Pepe the Frog memes, printed out and hung around the office. A Trump Make America Great Again flag covering a large portion of a workspace wall. An image of Bernie Sanders with the word “Cuck” printed over

EOIN HIGGINS December 20, 2017