Stories
‘Social Movements Are Contagious’: Protests Within Massachusetts Companies Are Part Of A Growing Trend
If you happened to be shopping at the Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge last month, you may have gotten the vibe that something was up. Small groups of employees were huddled together, whispering. One by one, they took off their plain face coverings and replaced them with masks that said “Black Lives Matter”…
Read More‘Keep The Momentum’: How Massachusetts Companies Say They’ll Start — And Continue — To Fight Racism
George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, but his death hit home for Boston Scientific because the company has nearly 9,000 employees in Minnesota. “We immediately held listening sessions with our executives,” said Desiree Ralls-Morrison, a senior vice president and general counsel for the medical device maker. With or without a link to the Twin…
Read MoreMassachusetts Landlords And Tenants Are At Odds — But Agree On Need For Massive Infusion Of Cash For Rent
Carolina lives in East Boston with her husband and four kids — her newest child was born at the start of the pandemic in March. The couple lost their cleaning jobs shortly after their baby’s birth, and the family has almost no income. Because Carolina and her husband are undocumented immigrants, the family can’t get…
Read MoreAfter the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and protests that followed calling for racial justice, many companies around the world put out statements that were intended to show support for racial equity. Many of those messages were criticized for being vague. But there’s one company that’s earned praise for its response: Vermont’s own Ben…
Read MoreThe YouTube video shows Brian Danza chronicling his victory trip to Boston in April, as he pilots a single-engine aircraft to Logan Airport. He flew in to see the arrival of nearly 1 million medical masks he helped procure for the state from China, delivered on a now-famous flight of the New England Patriots’ jet.…
Read MoreIn a minivan packed past the point of seeing out the rear window, Dottie and Bob Engler waited in Woods Hole to drive onto a ferry destined for Martha’s Vineyard. “We’re hoping, because it’s full of fresh air and openness, that it’ll be a great respite for us this summer,” Dottie said. On Memorial Day…
Read MoreBrandon Bradley was job-hunting in Tennessee two weeks ago, when he got a text from his landlord’s daughter. It read: “Brandon, my husband said you need to get your stuff out by tomorrow or he will put it in storage for you in the garage. The power and gas will be shut tomorrow.” Brandon and…
Read MoreIt’s reopening week for some Massachusetts office buildings that have been closed for months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Occupancy is capped at 25% to promote physical distancing, and some companies are taking additional measures. At the Cambridge Innovation Center, home to hundreds of Kendall Square startups, the main entrance now opens with a wave of the…
Read MoreImmigrant workers on Vermont’s dairy farms say they want access to the same coronavirus aid programs that have helped other residents weather the unprecedented economic downturn. Vermont’s dairy industry has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, and a sudden drop in milk prices due to COVID-19 has forced some farmers to scale back…
Read MoreAlong Maine’s border with Canada, communities on either side are closely connected, historically, culturally, economically. But the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily severed that connection, as the governments of the two countries have suspended nonessential travel along the border. As part of Maine Public’s series “Deep Dive: Coronavirus,” Robbie Feinberg visited one border town to see…
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