features Archives

DOES A NEW GOVERNOR SIGNAL A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE MASS PAROLE BOARD?

“I know that if Sarah Coughlin is appointed to the Parole Board, she will be the people’s Parole Board member.”

JEAN TROUNSTINE September 18, 2023

CLOAK & RECORDS: MORE POST COMMISSION OMISSIONS

“If the same police departments issue press releases after arrests—not convictions—if they think that doing that makes the community safer, then why redact information about alleged abuses from police officers themselves?”

DAN ATKINSON September 14, 2023

TRAGEDY STILL LINGERS OVER LAWRENCE

A Merrimack Valley Natural Gas Explosion Time Capsule: Putting the extensive damage done in focus five years after a preventable fatal disaster disrupted northeast Massachusetts

CHRIS FARAONE September 13, 2023

UNPRECEDENTED TESTIMONY

Prisoners Are Front And Center At Historic Legislative Hearing “It has been proven that these life without parole sentences aren’t improving anything in our communities and continue to cause harm to families as people are incarcerated.” The packed room at the State House on Tuesday, July 25, was not unusual.

JEAN TROUNSTINE July 31, 2023

ART OFFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

Major Boston A.I. Art Exhibit Draws Crowds, Concerns, And Future Collaborators “Rather than perceiving A.I. as a threat, it can be viewed as a powerful tool that expands creative boundaries.” Lines remain blurred when it comes to the rise of artificial intelligence. As for “Boston’s First A.I. Art Gallery,” also

DANA FORSYTHE June 21, 2023

SQUARE ROOTS

The Legendary Past And Uncertain Future Of The Harvard Square Theatre Will the iconic venue ever return to its rock roots as has been rumored? When I first discovered the Harvard Square Theatre on a lunch break from work, it felt like I had realized its potential all on my

COHAVIT GIL March 28, 2023

SURF’S UPCYCLED

Meet The Bay State Surfers Conserving The Oceans Where They Ride “When you’re riding the wave, it all seems to go away and you’re just really connected with the ocean and the nature and the elements.” All photos By Delainey LaHood-Burns unless otherwise noted |Video by Delainey LaHood-Burns and Sophia

DELAINEY LAHOOD-BURNS March 20, 2023

SO MUCH FOR CONTRACTS

State Report Blasts MBTA Contractor Company hired to run Transit Police dispatch service under-delivered, charged extra, and kept inadequate records, according to inspector general’s report Ed. note: This article has been updated to reflect comments from IXP that were received after publication The private company hired to run the MBTA’s

DAN ATKINSON February 7, 2023

DEBATABLE DATA

Shortcomings in the state’s greenhouse gas inventory pose issues for energy planning While Massachusetts has mandated major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades, its greenhouse gas inventory may be underestimating the true level of emissions in the state. As government officials plan for the transition to a

JON LAMSON January 17, 2023

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