Metro

March 1, 2024 0

Boston Water and Sewer Commission Meeting Provides a Platform for Residents’ Infrastructure Concerns in Chinatown and Downtown Neighborhoods

“My tap water is reaching temperatures of nearly 100 degrees.” described Robert Qua, a South St Leather District resident, at a recent meeting called by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to Announce Capital Improvements and StormWater Remediation Installation. He spoke about the adverse effects of high groundwater levels on civil infrastructure. By highlighting the impact of groundwater on infrastructure integrity, he underscored the urgency of implementing measures to mitigate potential risks and safeguard critical infrastructure assets. His insights served […]

March 1, 2024 0

Get Ready for Super Tuesday, on March 5, to Cast Vote in Presidential Primaries, Caucuses

by Yizhen Zhang

Super Tuesday — when a large number of states will hold presidential primary elections and caucuses — is on March 5. The states holding primary elections on Super Tuesday will be Alabama, Alaska Republican presidential caucuses, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa Democratic caucus main vote, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah Democratic presidential primary and Republican presidential caucuses, Vermont, and Virginia. U.S. presidential primary elections typically start in February and end in June. In some states, such as […]

February 17, 2024 0

Governor Healey’s FY25 Budget Proposal Tightens Belts and Adjusts Priorities

by Tony Le

Analyzing the viability of a state budget will always fall into partisan zones. What’s good for one group will invariably be criticized by another. Writing in a January 26th 2024 posting on Masslive.com, John L. Micek put it succinctly while reflecting on the sometimes desperate measures we all take to adjust our priorities based on available funds: “They’re all short-term fixes that get you where you need to be. And they solve the immediate problem. But it’s not exactly the […]

December 9, 2023 0

Massachusetts Has One of the Lowest Rates of Gun Violence in the U.S. But it’s Rising and Now Lawmakers Are Starting to Take Action

by Aditya Venkatram

Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States and consequently is among the states with the lowest rates of gun violence and gun deaths. Meanwhile, in contrast, in the last decade, gun homicides and suicides have been trending upwards in the US. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen weakened state gun control laws and particularly set back state legislation in place to protect their residents from […]

November 17, 2023 0

More than 40,000 Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites in the U.S – 40 are in MA

by Kristen Si

In February of this year, the federal government allocated $1 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) program, better known as the Superfund program. Initiated in 1980, the Superfund program is a long-term initiative aimed at cleaning up toxic waste from hazardous “Superfund sites” across the country. Due to the involvement of several largely unregulated industries in the generation of this waste, the federal government, through the Superfund […]

November 3, 2023 0

Massachusetts Confronts Surge in Migrant Arrivals: A Maze of Challenges and Actions

by Sabrina Yeung

As more and more migrant families arrive in Massachusetts, community response is strong, bringing out the best and worst in all of us. Managing emergency shelters is burning through about $45 million every month. Massachusetts is hoping for some federal help, while local nonprofits, like the Worcester Refugee Assistance Project and the Family Health Center of Worcester, are desperately seeking more donations and more volunteers. Recent news stories are also reporting that migrant families are now getting harassed by extremist […]

November 3, 2023 0

State, Federal Govs. Attempt to Solve Migrant Emergency in Massachusetts

by Jeff Millman

In August, Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency over increased migration to Massachusetts. More than 24,000 people are now living in state-funded shelters, hotels, dormitories, and emergency facilities in the state, and the Healey administration was concerned that these temporary dwelling units would soon be at capacity. In mid-October, Healey confirmed that the emergency shelter system would reach its limit by the end of the month and that Massachusetts would no longer be able to guarantee shelter for […]

October 20, 2023 0

Guaranteed Universal Basic Income Provides Financial Freedom to Work and Grow

by Brandon Wong

The City of Cambridge announced its pilot program, Recurring Income for Success and Empowerment (RISE), in April 2021. Directing attention toward individuals below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, RISE recently became the “first non-lottery direct-cash assistance program of its kind in the country. This reporter had the pleasure of recently speaking with Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. She explained, “ Regarding this progression, Cambridge is often referred to as a tale of two cities: on the one hand, we are known around the […]

September 2, 2023 0

See Say App Gives Direct Access to Transit Police to Report Violence

by Kristen Si

MBTA Chief Safety Officer, Ron Ester, left at the end of August after years of work with federal agencies regarding MBTA safety. This lack of leadership during a time when numerous incidents of violence have been reported on the MBTA concerns many riders. This past July, Transit Police at Andrew Station arrested two men on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. In May, 2 teens were charged for unprovoked attacks on a woman in South Boston […]

September 2, 2023 0

September 2023 Service Changes On the MBTA

by Sampan Staff

As we start a new month, go back to school, and soon welcome a new season, more changes to public transit are coming to city commuters. In an effort to keep our readers informed, Sampan will publish regular updates. September service changes will happen on the Red Line Braintree Branch for MBTA crews to perform critical rail and tie replacement work. Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Red Line trains between North Quincy and Braintree Stations on the following dates: […]

404 Not Found