Latest news with #GlobeOpinion
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Does Boston need a different kind of school bus?
'School districts can insist on contracting for transit-style school buses which have a flat front,' he said. 'That way, children crossing in front of the bus are more visible.' Advertisement That inspired me to look at bid specifications for Massachusetts municipalities that contract out to private companies for bus service. Some Massachusetts municipalities (eg, About 18 percent of American school buses for which the design is known were type D buses, and they predominate in some states, including California. (Some states, including Massachusetts, do not collect data on school bus type, which is why the national figures aren't complete.) Here's an example of what a flat-front looks like, from a major bus manufacturer: Introducing the all-new Saf-T-Liner HDX2 model. With a new exterior look, improved corrosion protection and enhanced product quality, we're proud to share the latest updates to our Type D product line! For details, read the full release here: — Thomas Built Buses (@ThomasBuiltBus) As you've probably guessed, there are also type A and type B buses, which are smaller vehicles. Advertisement Every so often, the esoteric question of school bus design does bubble up in public debates in Massachusetts. In 2015, for instance, Acushnet officials defended cuts to bus monitors by saying Whether a bus of that design would have made any difference in the Hyde Park accident is impossible to say. Flat-front buses also have disadvantages, including that they are generally about $25,000 more expensive per bus, according to a Also, I don't want to fearmonger: type C buses are safe. All school buses are safe. The benefits for Boston of flat-front buses, if there are any, would be small. According to a district official, the city is always evaluating the mix of vehicles in its fleet, but that as the need for door-to-door transportation has been growing the district has generally moved to smaller vehicles. Large transit-style buses are too big for the city's needs, the official said, and would have a harder time navigating narrow city streets. I certainly don't claim the expertise to say whether the city has made the right call. If you do — and I know that a few bus experts read this newsletter — please This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter about the future of transportation in the region. Sign up to . Advertisement Alan Wirzbicki is Globe deputy editor for editorials. He can be reached at
Boston Globe
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
What would Mafalda say to Trump?
That's about to change. This week, a five-volume English-language collection of Mafalda It's a timely collection, for Mafalda's blend of satire, playful humor, and layered meanings appeals to both children and adults. The strip, which ran from 1964 to 1973, is mostly known by its overt political engagement and uses Mafalda and her friends to reflect the social and ideological currents of that time in Argentina, including traditionalism, capitalism, and bureaucracy, embodied by characters like Susanita, Manolito, and Mafalda's sluggish pet turtle, Burocracia. I'm someone who's always getting rid of stuff. I don't hoard. I have little attachment to clothes, furniture, or personal belongings. But through all my moves — across neighborhoods, apartments, and stages of life — one thing has always made the cut: my collection of Mafalda comic books. Advertisement As a kid, I was attracted to Mafalda's wise-beyond-her-years humor and her innocent but sharp curiosity. She's an opinionated child who hates soup and loves democracy and the Beatles — '¡ I learned about the world through Mafalda's commentary on geopolitical issues. One of my favorite subgenres of Mafalda strips is when she reacts to newspaper headlines. Or when she's irreverent and rebellious to her parents. That's another trademark trait of Mafalda: She was not shy about questioning the adults in her life, who were often overwhelmed by what they probably saw as her inane questions, a dynamic that underscores the comic's deeper critique of adult complacency. Advertisement For many immigrants like me, Mafalda is more than a cartoon character. She's a core memory, a mindset, a Latin American cultural icon. And in a country once again led by a president allergic to dissent, nuance, and the truth, what would Mafalda say to Trump? Whatever it might be, it would be sharp and right on time. The author's Mafalda collection. Marcela García This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García. . Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
House Republicans ignore those who saved their lives during the Jan. 6 insurrection
Advertisement And so long as House Speaker Mike Johnson — or any Republican — has the gavel in their hands, that's where it will probably remain. This is yet another move by Trump, ably assisted by a spineless GOP, to memory-hole what happened when thousands of his followers, who he directed to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6, stormed the building in an attempt to upend democracy by stopping the certification of the 2020 presidential election that he lost to Biden. At a recent news conference, Advertisement When asked by a CNN reporter why the plaque, which had a March 2023 installation deadline, had yet to be displayed, Johnson — who was in the Capitol during the insurrection and was later one of 'My folks were here on Jan. 6. They were part of what went on. They were assaulted,' For years, Trump has been making up stories to rewrite the narrative of what stunned millions witnessed in real time on television. With his incessant Trump-washing of history, he has mendaciously called Jan. 6 ' Advertisement In one of the most grotesque acts of any president in modern history, Trump, on his first day back in office, granted clemency to more than 1,600 people convicted of crimes connected to the insurrection. And earlier this month, his administration agreed to In the insurrection's aftermath, perhaps there shouldn't have been a rush to clean up what Trump's mob left in its brutal wake. The most apt memorial of this attack should have been the broken windows still unrepaired and boarded up; instead of replacing damaged furniture, those spots should have remained empty; marks on items scarred by the rioters' extinguished cigarettes should be visible. All of them were symbols of democracy's fragility. Every Republican should be reminded of what happened in the Capitol whenever they walk into the building — and how their complicity is fostering Trump's ongoing insurrection against the truth and democracy. By refusing to install the memorial, House Republicans are hiding the crimes of Jan. 6 at the scene of the crime, as they choose fealty to a tyrant over a public acknowledgment of the men and women who saved their lives. This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Renée Graham. . Advertisement Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Boston Globe
Memorial Day without a car, part II
Easier said than done, of course. If you don't want to worry about traffic at all, you could try one of the transit-served This time last year, I asked readers for their ideas on T-accessible Memorial Day spots. Here are some of them. (And no, it usually doesn't take me quite this long to go through my emails): Advertisement Joel wrote to suggest that 'every stop on the Fitchburg Line past Belmont leads to some nice walking areas.' In West Concord, for instance, you can connect to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. From the Lincoln station, it's an easy connection to Jonas pointed out that when the train station in New Bedford opened – which it now has – one could easily get to the Cuttyhunk Island ferry, which docks Lauren approved of an idea I proposed — opening a new commuter rail station at Walden Pond. One could visit from the existing station, but it's not especially convenient. Commuter rail operator Keolis suggests taking the train to a Other ideas for fun, outdoor, T-accessible spots? Or, places that could be transit accessible but aren't? Advertisement This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter about the future of transportation in the region. Sign up to . Alan Wirzbicki is Globe deputy editor for editorials. He can be reached at
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Falsehoods about Mayor Michelle Wu are spreading — now what?
That's the journalistic conundrum of the misinformation age. Ignore false allegations, and they can fester and spread in the shadows. Shine a light on it, and you might help amplify it. This isn't a new dilemma — journalists were unsure how to cover the smear campaign about John McCain's so-called 'love child' or the insidious lie about president Barack Obama's religion. Advertisement But social media has turbocharged the spread of misinformation, and journalists have less and less time to respond and fight the barrage of fake news posts. And as we enter into a local election season, the stakes keep getting higher. So, how do you debunk a lie without spreading it? In a 2018 white paper about what she called the ' Advertisement 'Whenever you see candidates who are women or women of color, you often see their identities used against them. It's often in local races,' Wardle said. 'The argument is that, by giving people warning, you're saying, 'You're going to see rumors circulating in small community groups, so be aware.' You're trying to build resilience so you're not ignoring it.' (Wu's main opponent, Josh Kraft, is Jewish — and in the current environment, you should probably be prepared for mis- and disinformation about him, too.) I reached out to the Advertisement In an email, a spokesperson for Wu told me that the named individual is a US citizen who is civically active, is part of the Wardle told me that misinformation tends to grow in local communities because people have an emotional tie to their neighborhoods. As for strategies to cope with potential misinformation, she recommends audiences 'just stop and recognize that people who are trying to fool us are taking advantage of our emotions.' Other recommendations include doing a Google search to see if other newsrooms have mentioned the potential fake news post in question; reading laterally — meaning to read many different sources on the same topic; and visiting the 'About' page of the news site to learn more about who's behind it and when it was established. In the end, the best defense against disinformation may be transparency — not just from politicians, but from journalists too. That means acknowledging the risk of repeating a lie, while also trusting readers enough to tell them the truth about why we're calling it out. But responsible debunking — grounded in facts, context, and care — is still journalism's best answer. Advertisement This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García. . Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
