Globe Editorial Board:

"Thanks to the SJC, the vaccine mandate will remain a powerful tool in the city’s legal tool belt, providing clarity in the event of another COVID surge, another variant, or some thus far unknown health emergency.
The legal principle is clear — public health and public safety must trump the ability of recalcitrant unions to stand in the way."

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/31/opinion/boston-scores-win-vaccine-mandates/

We had an op-ed earlier this week from a survivor of the child welfare system:

It wasn’t too long after my family was thrust into homelessness that the Department of Children and Families found out.

The DCF caseworkers who came to our hotel room banged on the front door, demanding entry. They scrutinized every inch of the room and questioned my siblings and me, looking for any sign of child neglect. One visit gave rise to countless unannounced visits over the years as school staff reported our family to social services for the same reason: homelessness. Because of that state policy, DCF came to investigate, not to help, searching for any reason to separate my siblings from one another instead of trying to keep my family together.

When many Americans hear the phrase “family separation,” they think of the US immigration policies that allow border agents to rip children from their parents. What many might not see, however, is another horrific form of family separation, one executed by child protective service agencies.

Many states, such as Massachusetts, New York, and California, define neglect to include an inability to provide a child with adequate food, clothing, and shelter. A family’s struggle to maintain stable housing is interpreted as a form of neglect instead of as a consequence of policy failure.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/20/opinion/i-am-survivor-child-welfare-system-family-surveillance-is-not-solution-poverty/

Hi automod! Our newsletter excerpts are actually in front of the paywall and are always free, as are the newsletters.

From Will Henshall:

>In 1790, China was responsible for one-third of the world’s manufacturing output while Europe collectively accounted for one-quarter. But then the Industrial Revolution occurred in Europe, and by 1900, Europe accounted for 62 percent of the world’s manufacturing, while China accounted for only 6 percent. Europe’s greater economic strength was part of the reason that the European countries were able to subjugate China during what came to be known there as the “century of humiliation.”
Given China’s experience, it is unsurprising that China is competing with the United States to lead the development of the next transformational technology: artificial intelligence. This competition comes with huge risks. If the United States and China don’t find ways to reduce these risks, both countries could face catastrophe.

I'm Deanna, the social media editor for Globe Opinion! And I agree with the Globe Editorial Board — requiring residency is outdated and impractical.

“The labor market has changed in the last 18 months,” said City Councilor Kenzie Bok. “But the [Wu] administration doesn’t want to abandon the [residency] policy and I don’t want to either.” If too many city workers live elsewhere, she argued, “it can erode the sense that we’re all in this together.”

The editorial board wrote about residency earlier this month: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/16/opinion/boston-no-longer-needs-hold-city-workers-hostage-residency/