Boston Archives

Protestors cheer at June 15, 2023 indigenous rights rally in front of the Mass State House as Jean-Luc Pierite gives a speech. Photo by Yaakov Aldrich. Copyright 2023 Yaakov Aldrich.

MASS ACTIVISTS AND LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND INDIGENOUS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

The raft of five bills is years in the making, and has revitalized community advocacy despite facing an uphill battle in the State House

YAAKOV ALDRICH August 3, 2023

COORDINATED RESPONSE

Greater Boston bars and venues are grappling with a rise in involuntary drugged drinks, but procedures for addressing future incidents are in sight “When you raise awareness, if you even help prevent one person from getting drugged, then that’s a good thing.” Amidst a rash of incidents in which people

KENDALL POLIDORI May 24, 2023

STRIKE & FRISK

AG Investigating BPD To Determine If “Gang Unit” Engages In “Unconstitutional Policing” The “review is focused on racial disparities in the rates at which people are stopped and frisked” There has been significant state-level scrutiny of Massachusetts municipal law enforcement in the past year, with the appointed Peace Officer Standards

CHRIS FARAONE May 15, 2023

PARKS & CHECKS

Wasteful, Opaque Bookkeeping At Two City Of Boston Nonprofit Arms “The fund not only fails at being transparent and accountable in how it spends its revenue, it misses the opportunity to create financial reports to improve management of the fund.” Some improper accounting practices have been employed for a number

COLMAN HERMAN March 20, 2023

BEYOND INFLUENCE

BINJ profiles of internet sensations tell stories behind local creatives with international fanbases This year, in addition to the community news and investigative reporting that BINJ is best known for, we are excited to get back into covering a lot of music and arts. It’s not a new initiative, we

CHRIS FARAONE March 3, 2023

EARS FOR FEAR: THE SHOTSPOTTER WORKAROUND

Boston, Regional Police Dodge Transparency Ordinance In Bolstering Surveillance Network At a public hearing at the end of November, Boston police and officials heard from activists and lawmakers concerned about transparency regarding surveillance technology in the city. The gunshot detection system ShotSpotter received particular criticism over accuracy and deployment, but

DAN ATKINSON December 13, 2022

IS ANOTHER SHUTDOWN LOOMING?

Documents: “Complete shut-down of an MBTA rail route” again on the table for MBTA. Transit advocate says planning ahead is “a good thing,” but Red Line could be next and transparency is paramount. The MBTA is planning to double the amount of shuttle bus service in the next five years

DAN ATKINSON November 28, 2022

PHILHARMONICAL WARFARE

How the government secretly paid for the Boston Symphony Orchestra to promote American cultural enlightenment There is not much to see or do in Abilene, Kansas. Pulling into a local 24-hour gas station in a bug-splattered pickup earlier this year, I probably fit the profile of the typical visitor. For

JONATHAN RILEY October 25, 2022

PUBLIC RECORDS CRISIS DEEPENS

The case pertains to an investigation into the use of rodenticides by government agencies You have five days to agree to give us $22,000, or else … While this may sound like an extortion note from a B movie, it’s essentially a newly state sanctioned proper response to a public

MAYA SHAFFER May 2, 2022

A NEW AMERICAN PROJECT

In the nationwide bipartisan blitz to privatize public housing, Boston’s giving billions worth of benefits to some of America’s largest developers, financiers, and property management firms. Politicians are applauding, but for many residents caught in the transition, their housing future is unclear BY CHRIS FARAONE with research and reporting by

CHRIS FARAONE February 1, 2022