Playing politics with vaccines and public health

As long as they are intertwined, it will be hard to regain trust.

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Joan Vennochi

Shannon O’Brien deserves her job back as cannabis chair

She deserves a chance to show that she is not the unhinged and racially insensitive manager that state Treasurer Deb Goldberg told the world that she...

03.09.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Can Michelle Wu’s big lead become a liability in Boston’s mayoral race?

History shows that expectations can dramatically change perceptions about a candidate’s strength.

02.09.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Gavin Newsom is trolling Trump. Is this the playbook for a presidential campaign?

The California governor’s social media posts are a welcome show of spirit and humor.

28.08.2025 2

Joan Vennochi

Is Healey going to endorse Wu?

In these political times, loyalty to the sisterhood is not a given.

26.08.2025 2

Joan Vennochi

Why is Trump working so hard to help Wu win reelection?

The administration’s threat of serious consequences unless Boston tosses its immigrant-friendly policies hands the mayor a national platform to...

20.08.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

Kate Merrill wasn’t wrong to correct the pronunciation of Concord

Since a television meteorologist is part of a news broadcast, proper pronunciation does matter.

19.08.2025 6

Joan Vennochi

Voters deserve guidance on campaign finance allegations

The Office of Campaign and Political Finance deliberately puts off reaching any resolution regarding specific complaints until after an election takes...

14.08.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

In the game of politics, Michelle Wu evades traps while Josh Kraft is stuck in them

Are there parallels between golf and the campaign? The mayor hasn’t been able to play past every controversy, but Kraft is stuck in a large sandy...

07.08.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Harvard’s daunting path to a deal

Can Harvard University president Alan Garber finalize a deal that somehow looks like a win – or at least looks like something better than a loss?

06.08.2025 6

Joan Vennochi

Immigrant police officers have made our communities stronger

In policing, diversity is not a curse; it is a positive force.

04.08.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Involuntary commitment should be on the table in the opioid crisis

The issue is politically fraught, but don't law-abiding citizens have a right to live without stepping over needles or encountering violence in...

31.07.2025 50

Joan Vennochi

Wu continues to be dogged by White Stadium’s cost and community impact

At this point, someone connected to the team could certainly be thinking things don’t have to be as hard as White Stadium has been and continues to...

28.07.2025 8

Joan Vennochi

Josh Kraft is defining himself — the wrong way

He has not been able to make his case in a way that makes a difference in the Boston mayoral race.

24.07.2025 20

Joan Vennochi

What Eric Tarpinian-Jachym’s killing says about the politics of tragedy

“If he worked for a Dem, that call would have been made,” his mother said.

21.07.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

The redemption of Steve Poftak

The former head of the MBTA gets a second act as CEO of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau.

09.07.2025 6

Joan Vennochi

Healey walks a tightrope on immigration

Finding the state’s way on immigration means trying to retroactively tailor policy to where the public is.

08.07.2025 6

Joan Vennochi

Locked shampoo and woke politics: Will Auchincloss take on Markey?

Markey shows no signs of running from the progressive label.

03.07.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

One person not caving to Trump? E. Jean Carroll.

The writer has sued Trump twice and won.

01.07.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Henderson school faces accountability. Where is Wu?

Parents say a pattern of fights and bullying at the Henderson is being ignored by school and city officials.

19.06.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

MAGA loyalists can be mean, but so can progressive Democrats

Leftist activists are silencing debate within the party.

17.06.2025 8

Joan Vennochi

Terry Moran is the latest casualty in Trump’s war on the media

Moran’s termination sends a chilling message about the instinct of corporate media to side with power.

12.06.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Will Wu’s lofty skyscraper plan deliver a downtown for everyone?

A new plan would allow 700-foot towers in parts of downtown Boston. Will there really be housing that the not-so-rich can afford?

10.06.2025 7

Joan Vennochi

Judge Shelley Joseph deserves chance to tell her side of the story

In case involving alleged ICE evasion, the judge could face serious consequences, including potential removal from the bench.

05.06.2025 30

Joan Vennochi

Is Josh Kraft pushing the envelope of campaign finance law to challenge Mayor Wu?

Whether two companies helping Kraft have ‘a firewall’ between them is a legal question that deserves to be asked.

02.06.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Will the public get tired of Harvard’s drama? Trump is counting on it.

As happy as the non-Harvard world is that Harvard appears, for now, to be standing up to Trump, there is something about the constant, world-is-ending...

28.05.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Out of Boston City Hall love spat come serious questions for Wu

Questions arising from this messy incident are not easily swept away.

21.05.2025 20

Joan Vennochi

Biden’s mental decline: A media blind spot until now

Between his interview with former special counsel Robert Hur and the revelations in a new book, it’s now open season on Biden.

20.05.2025 5

Joan Vennochi

Boston needs answers about school bus death

Every parent who puts their child on a Boston school bus deserves an explanation, along with assurances that the city is taking steps to safeguard...

14.05.2025 2

Joan Vennochi

Is Boston the safest city in America? Not for everyone, says Josh Kraft.

While it’s “awesome” that the homicide rate is down, Kraft said, “a lot of people feel a lot of fear.”

13.05.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Can an American pope do a better job addressing the clergy sex abuse crisis?

The US Catholic Church has a zero-tolerance policy around child sexual abuse. How much that will influence the first American pope is unknown.

09.05.2025 30

Joan Vennochi

Mike Pence said the Constitution is ‘common ground.’ Is he right?

To Trump, that sacred charter is a quaint concept that impedes his ability to break us down to the divided states of woke and MAGA.

08.05.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

Will the next pope do more than Pope Francis to fight clergy sexual abuse?

Activists are fighting a church that wants to put the scandal behind it and a public that may be tiring of it.

05.05.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

Robert Kraft has Josh Kraft talking about Robert Kraft and Trump

The candidate says that talking about his father and Trump is “a complete distraction from the issues facing the city of Boston.”

01.05.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

Under Trump, it’s ‘normal’ to arrest and handcuff a judge

Trump escalated his war on the courts from name-calling and threats to seeking impeachments of judges who rule against him.

28.04.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

As goes AOC, so goes the Democratic Party?

Three opinion writers ponder the possibility of Ocasio-Cortez emerging as one of the party’s national leaders and what that might mean for the party.

24.04.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Karen Read’s media spotlight is a double-edged sword in retrial

Her own words to the media may be used against her in the courtroom.

23.04.2025 2

Joan Vennochi

By taking up the migrant cause, Francis took on Trump and Vance

The pope wanted to be judged as a voice of moral clarity, speaking out for the marginalized. He made that clear in his fight with Trump and Vance over...

21.04.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

Belichick’s new playbook with girlfriend: giving up control

Jordon Hudson, 24, has a mind for business, specifically Belichick’s business. That’s what gives the gossip a serious side.

16.04.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Mayor Wu’s snub of research bureau gives Kraft an opportunity

Her move revived an ongoing criticism: that if you disagree with Wu, she freezes you out.

15.04.2025 8

Joan Vennochi

Coney Barrett offers a glimmer of hope in fight against Trump polices

In deportation case, she looked like an independent jurist who believes in the rule of law instead of a rubber stamp for Trump.

09.04.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Can a Baker Republican still win? Three writers on the Mass. governor’s race.

Mike Kennealy is a favorite of the moderate Baker camp, but he faces two stiff challenges.

09.04.2025 3

Joan Vennochi

Remembering Phil Johnston and his legacy of hope and service

He was a fierce proponent of the principle that government is a force for good and should always act that way.

07.04.2025 7

Joan Vennochi

Presumed guilty: How Trump’s deportations bypass due process

The presumption of innocence is fading away under Trump.

03.04.2025 20

Joan Vennochi

Press is folding to Trump, not fighting him

In an all-out assault on the free press, comedian Amber Ruffin and the White House Correspondents’ Association are the latest targets.

31.03.2025 10

Joan Vennochi

Can Josh Kraft separate from his father’s Trump connections in his bid for Boston mayor?

He has a story to tell about the community work he has done and how that informs his thinking about the city. But so far, he's best known as a...

27.03.2025 30

Joan Vennochi

The light — and vulnerability — of Kitty Dukakis

The presidential campaign trail highlighted the tension between an outspoken woman and her personal struggles and the demands that are put on a...

24.03.2025 2

Joan Vennochi

If FBI really wants to solve the Gardner art heist, it should include the public

It’s time to more actively engage the community in solving one of Boston’s biggest and most heartbreaking crimes.

20.03.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

‘Have you no decency?’: Rep. Bill Keating defends trans colleague

In a country desensitized to personal insult and incivility under President Trump, it’s refreshing to see someone stand up for decency.

18.03.2025 4

Joan Vennochi

The chill on speech during COVID-19 hurt the country

But squelching debate is a bipartisan exercise and not limited to talk about a pandemic. With COVID-19, the chill on speech came from the left.

12.03.2025 2

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Playing politics with vaccines and public health

Joan Vennochi

Shannon O’Brien deserves her job back as cannabis chair

Joan Vennochi

Can Michelle Wu’s big lead become a liability in Boston’s mayoral race?

Joan Vennochi

Gavin Newsom is trolling Trump. Is this the playbook for a presidential campaign?

Joan Vennochi

Is Healey going to endorse Wu?

Joan Vennochi

Why is Trump working so hard to help Wu win reelection?

Joan Vennochi

Kate Merrill wasn’t wrong to correct the pronunciation of Concord

Joan Vennochi

Voters deserve guidance on campaign finance allegations

Joan Vennochi

In the game of politics, Michelle Wu evades traps while Josh Kraft is stuck in them

Joan Vennochi

Harvard’s daunting path to a deal

Joan Vennochi

Immigrant police officers have made our communities stronger

Joan Vennochi

Involuntary commitment should be on the table in the opioid crisis

Joan Vennochi

Wu continues to be dogged by White Stadium’s cost and community impact

Joan Vennochi

Josh Kraft is defining himself — the wrong way

Joan Vennochi

What Eric Tarpinian-Jachym’s killing says about the politics of tragedy

Joan Vennochi

The redemption of Steve Poftak

Joan Vennochi

Healey walks a tightrope on immigration

Joan Vennochi

Locked shampoo and woke politics: Will Auchincloss take on Markey?

Joan Vennochi

One person not caving to Trump? E. Jean Carroll.

Joan Vennochi

Henderson school faces accountability. Where is Wu?

Joan Vennochi

MAGA loyalists can be mean, but so can progressive Democrats

Joan Vennochi

Terry Moran is the latest casualty in Trump’s war on the media

Joan Vennochi

Will Wu’s lofty skyscraper plan deliver a downtown for everyone?

Joan Vennochi

Judge Shelley Joseph deserves chance to tell her side of the story

Joan Vennochi

Is Josh Kraft pushing the envelope of campaign finance law to challenge Mayor Wu?

Joan Vennochi

Will the public get tired of Harvard’s drama? Trump is counting on it.

Joan Vennochi

Out of Boston City Hall love spat come serious questions for Wu

Joan Vennochi

Biden’s mental decline: A media blind spot until now

Joan Vennochi

Boston needs answers about school bus death

Joan Vennochi

Is Boston the safest city in America? Not for everyone, says Josh Kraft.

Joan Vennochi

Can an American pope do a better job addressing the clergy sex abuse crisis?

Joan Vennochi

Mike Pence said the Constitution is ‘common ground.’ Is he right?

Joan Vennochi

Will the next pope do more than Pope Francis to fight clergy sexual abuse?

Joan Vennochi

Robert Kraft has Josh Kraft talking about Robert Kraft and Trump

Joan Vennochi

Under Trump, it’s ‘normal’ to arrest and handcuff a judge

Joan Vennochi

As goes AOC, so goes the Democratic Party?

Joan Vennochi

Karen Read’s media spotlight is a double-edged sword in retrial

Joan Vennochi

By taking up the migrant cause, Francis took on Trump and Vance

Joan Vennochi

Belichick’s new playbook with girlfriend: giving up control