Massachusetts
Cambridge City Council Declines to Endorse Eliminating MCAS Requirement
The Cambridge City Council rejected a policy order to endorse a ballot question to remove the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System standardized test as a graduation requirement for high schoolers at a meeting Monday evening.
Mass. DCR to Begin $1.5 Million Safety Upgrades to Memorial Drive Monday
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will begin a $1.5 million road safety construction project on Monday along a stretch of Memorial Drive that has long been considered unsafe for cyclists, according to DCR commissioner Brian M. Arrigo.
Families in Cambridge Shelter Begin to Find Housing, Easing Bottleneck
The monthslong bottleneck in Massachussetts’ emergency shelter system is finally beginning to dissipate after state officials imposed a five-day limit on families’ stays in temporary respite centers.
Evan MacKay ’19 Files for Recount as Decker Holds on to 41-Vote Lead
Former Harvard labor leader Evan MacKay ’19 filed a recount petition for the 25th Middlesex Democratic primary on Friday.
Dolan Upsets Devaney in Primary Rematch for Governor’s Council
Public defender Mara Dolan beat 25-year incumbent Marilyn P. Devaney in a rematch for Cambridge’s District 3 seat on the Governor’s Council during Tuesday’s primary elections, according to the Associated Press.
After 2 Fatal Collisions, Cambridge City Council Calls for Stronger Truck Regulations
The Cambridge City Council voted unanimously Monday to ask City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 to work with state and federal representatives to push for legislation mandating safety measures for trucks.
Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Debuts Renovations To Adapt To 6-Month Stays
The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter unveiled the renovation of their space on Friday — and with it, a dramatic shift in their model to allow shelter guests to stay for the entirety of the 6-month operational season.
The State Legislature Is Considering an Endowment Tax. Experts Say It Could ‘Cripple’ Harvard
The Massachusetts state legislature is set to move ahead later this month with a university endowment tax bill that some experts described as potentially catastrophic for academic institutions like Harvard and MIT.
Cambridge’s Weed Policy Prioritized Social Justice. Some Dispensary Owners Say It’s Left Them High and Dry.
Since legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use in 2018, Massachusetts has seen nearly $6 billion in recreational marijuana sales. But to some, Cambridge has failed to capitalize on this momentum.
Despite Federal Grant, Mass. Turnpike Realignment Project Still Short $165 Million
Though the federal government granted Massachusetts $335 million to divert the Massachusetts Turnpike earlier this month, the project is still short $165 million.
Healey Administration Puts Limits on Stays in Overflow Homeless Shelters
For months, Massachusetts has struggled to accommodate an influx of unhoused families, who have a right to shelter under state law. Now, state officials are looking to put limits on families’ stays in some state-run shelters.
Federal Government Grants $335 Million for Mass. Turnpike Realignment
The federal government granted Massachusetts $335 million to partially fund the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project, state leaders announced on Monday.
As Cambridge Emergency Shelter Struggles to Meet Needs, Chelsea Nonprofit Provides Resources to Families
La Colaborativa, an immigrant social service organization in Chelsea, opened a walk-in day services center on Tuesday for families staying in the state-run emergency homeless shelter in Cambridge, which has struggled to transition its residents into permanent housing.
Healey Under Pressure to Address Steward Health Care Crisis, Brighton Hospital At Risk
Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 is under increasing pressure to address the financial crisis facing Steward Health Care, which operates nine hospitals statewide including the Brighton-based St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.
Proposed Mass. Bill Would Impose 2.5% Tax on Harvard Endowment
The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Revenue held a hearing Wednesday on a bill which would introduce a tax on Harvard’s endowment.
Former HGSU-UAW President Launches Campaign for State Representative
Evan C. MacKay ’19 launched a campaign for Middlesex District State Representative on Dec. 7 after stepping down as the president of Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers.
Healey Administration Pledges $16 Million to 3 Cambridge Affordable Developments
The Massachusetts state government dedicated funding for 26 affordable housing projects, including three in Cambridge, according to an Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities press release last Monday.
Healey ‘Disappointed’ by Former Harvard President Gay’s Resignation, Slams Stefanik
Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 said she was “disappointed” by former Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation, calling it the result of a broader attack on higher education during a radio interview Tuesday.
Healey Administration Opens Shelter for Unhoused Families in Cambridge Govt. Building
The Massachusetts state government opened an overnight shelter for unhoused families in the Registry of Deeds building in East Cambridge late last month.
Mass. Governor Maura Healey ’92 Praises Harvard’s ‘Eye-Opening’ Diversity, Pledges to Uphold Equity in Higher Ed
Hours after the inauguration of University President Claudine Gay Friday, Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 told The Crimson that Harvard would have a willing partner in the governor’s office under her administration.
Harvard University Police Leads Massachusetts College Campus Police Forces in Sustained Complaints, Ranks Fifth Statewide in Database
The Harvard University Police Department had the fifth-most “sustained complaints” of 273 Massachusetts law enforcement agencies, according to a newly released state database of police disciplinary records over nearly 40 years.
A Crimson Commonwealth: The Harvard Alumni Who Run Massachusetts
As Harvard affiliates continue to interact with and fill the Massachusetts government, it often falls to the University’s own to create policy and settle disagreements that directly affect Harvard. How does their time at the University influence the way they approach these disputes, and what is the effect of Harvard’s impact on Massachusetts leaders?
Local Residents, Harvard Affiliates Rally to Close Memorial Drive to Vehicle Traffic Saturdays and Sundays
Cambridge residents and Harvard affiliates gathered at the John W. Weeks Bridge Saturday to rally against the decision to close Memorial Drive to traffic only on Sundays.
Cambridge Public Schools Support State Bill to Eliminate MCAS Graduation Requirement
The Cambridge School Committee voted unanimously to support the Thrive Act, a bill in the Massachusetts State Legislature to eliminate the state’s MCAS standardized testing requirement for high school graduation.
Harvard Med School Instructor to Serve as Commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Harvard Medical School instructor Robert H. Goldstein will serve as the next Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the DPH announced in a press release Monday.