Massachusetts Archives

THE SEAPORT FLOOD IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Unless Boston builds proper defenses against global warming-driven sea level rise January 17, 2018 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS So, Boston’s Seaport District flooded early this month during a bad snowstorm in the midst of several days of arctic temperatures. And nobody could be less surprised than me.

JASON PRAMAS January 17, 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

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

ON MAKERSPACES AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Making can be cool, but conscious making is cooler December 19, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS For many of us living in and around Boston in recent years, it has become common to see lots of communications from makerspaces around holiday time. Which is totally understandable. Such

JASON PRAMAS December 19, 2017

TOWNIE: CORPORATE TAX FABLES AND COMMUNITARIAN KIDDIE TABLES

December 12, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Big local corps quiet about huge profits to come from Repub tax scheme… except GE An interesting WBUR article, “Largest Mass. Companies Are Mostly Silent On GOP Tax Plans,” asked the top 12 corporations in the Commonwealth to comment on the

JASON PRAMAS December 12, 2017

EVERSOURCE SCREWS MASS CONSUMERS

With a little help from its friends, the “regulators” at the Department of Public Utilities December 5, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS It is perhaps understandable that one of the most important Massachusetts news stories of the year was buried in the avalanche of reports coming out

JASON PRAMAS December 5, 2017

TOWNIE: UMB DRUBBING, PAWSOX GRUBBING

University cuts and a (possible) corporate scam just in time for the holidays November 27, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS UMass Boston admin lays off more staff, unions push back The neoliberal war on public higher education continues unabated in Massachusetts as the UMass Boston administration announced

JASON PRAMAS November 27, 2017

SMALL TOWN SWAT TEAM

A special investigation into the ‘militarization of Mayberry’ in Mass For a police department of only 40 officers, the April 23, 2015, raid by Ludlow Special Response Team had to be an all-hands-on-deck affair. At shortly past five o’clock in the morning, a team of 12 Ludlow officers — amounting to more than

SETH KERSHNER November 15, 2017

GENERAL ELECTRIC FAIL

Conglomerate’s woes throw Boston HQ deal contradictions into bold relief November 15, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS What a surprise. General Electric is tanking, and the scheme to bring the multinational’s headquarters to Boston is looking worse by the day. And whom shall the public blame if

JASON PRAMAS November 15, 2017

TOWNIE: TAX DELINQUENT, TAX GIVEAWAY

Crutchfield sues Mass over online taxes, unions protest Siemens Online retailer tries to duck sales taxes For a long time, the internet was like the Wild West for online sales. Companies sold products to consumers all over the US, and the feds and many states were slow to

JASON PRAMAS November 2, 2017