Somerville’s Charter Update: A Patchwork of Lost Opportunities

By William Tauro

Somerville’s new city charter, fresh off Governor Maura Healey’s signature and bound for the November 4 ballot, promises tweaks like clearer budget processes, beefed-up City Council oversight, and exploratory nods to ranked-choice voting and public campaign financing. Continue reading Somerville’s Charter Update: A Patchwork of Lost Opportunities

Somerville/Medford Remembering Shannon Mary Ward

Obituary
Shannon Mary Ward had a generous spirit, a love of learning, and a life that took her across the globe. Shannon was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on May 8, 1990, and raised in Sudbury, Massachusetts. She paired her love of music, art, and adventure with a passion for learning that grew into a deep engagement with languages, cultures, and people far beyond her hometown.
Continue reading Somerville/Medford Remembering Shannon Mary Ward

The Hidden Costs: Why “Woke” Ideology Has Undermined Modern Society

By William Tauro

Over the last ten years, the concept of being “woke”—once a straightforward alert to systemic inequalities—has ballooned into a dominant influence across Western cultures. Starting as an effort toward fairness, it has hardened into an inflexible doctrine that curbs open dialogue, undermines faith in key institutions, and widens social rifts. Continue reading The Hidden Costs: Why “Woke” Ideology Has Undermined Modern Society