As DA, Rollins’ policies were light years ahead of other prosecutors. She had serious lapses in judgment after she left the office. I hope she learned from that.

But for me, the bottom line was that she decreased human misery and measurably so. There is still no other chief prosecutor in Massachusetts with such an evidence-based, smart on crime approach.

WGBH: Rachael Rollins pulls papers to run for Suffolk DA
#MApoli #BosPoli #LawFedi #Massachusetts
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2026-04-08/rachael-rollins-pulls-papers-to-run-for-suffolk-da

Rachael Rollins pulls papers to run for Suffolk DA

One of the ethical violations that led to Rollins’ resignation was interfering in the very race that put Hayden in office.

GBH

I'm part of a group organizing about police body cameras in Somerville, and Councilor JT Scott will be sponsoring some of us to speak at the Legislative Matters committee meeting on April 28th, but in the meantime there's a Finance Committee agenda item for tomorrow night to approve the mayor's request that we accept and expend a federal grant to buy the cameras.

#SomervilleMA #surveillance #privacy #MAPol #MaPoli

#SomervilleMA is discussing deploying body worn cameras on our police officers. This might sound good from an accountability perspective, but in most cities with police body cameras, the cameras and footage are controlled by the police and are used primarily for surveillance.

Somerville residents, please contact the Finance Committee to ask them to defer acceptance of grant money for cameras until we have more information. Details below.

#MAPol #MaPoli #surveillance #privacy

Well this is disappointing 😖

"... The Commonwealth holds some of the most sensitive personal information of its more than 7 million residents — and under the Healey administration’s three-year, roughly $4.3-million-a-year contract with OpenAI, all of that is now in the orbit of a private AI system ..."
#Massachusetts #AI #privacy
#mapoli
https://commonwealthbeacon.org/the-codcast/what-it-means-that-a-state-ai-assistant-will-handle-your-data/

What it means that a state ‘AI assistant’ will handle your data

This week on The Codcast, we dig into the new partnership between Massachusetts and OpenAI to roll out an AI assistant to help with daily governmental tasks. CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Technology Secretary Jason Snyder, who says his goals include “democratizing innovation” and helping streamline bureaucratic systems like the DMV. Snyder discusses the contract with OpenAI, concerns around data privacy and bias in AI systems, and explains why the state is leaning so hard into AI adoption.

CommonWealth Beacon
I continue to be appalled by #MAPoli member of #Congress #AyannaPressley's ongoing failure to rise to the moment.
Let's talk about her newsletter to constituents today: https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/view_newsletter.aspx?id=100970&c=MA07AP
There literally isn't a single word in it about what #DonaldTrump and the #GOP are doing and what she's doing about it.
We're in an existential fight to save our democracy, and Pressley does not think it important to ensure her constituents are informed about it.
#politics #USPol #Democrats (1/5)
Recap: Our Time in Community Last Week

IntranetQuorum
I want commitments from candidates to pursue justice if we get to the other side of this @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] #MA-06 #mapoli

Okay, not gonna lie, I love this video from Burhan Azeem about how to fix and expand the T and his candidacy for MA state senate. I'm totally with him on expanding the transit network -- needs more details, but he's got the right energy & emphasis, imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd-nazuiHqY
#MBTA #MAPoli #SomerPoli #trains #CambridgeMA (Lol, thank you to @dashdsrdash for the correct link!)

The MBTA: How We Broke America's First Subway (And How to Fix It)

YouTube

And speaking of #corruption

I want Tompkins officially out--voted out--but it almost seems as if there's an endemic problem with the sheriff's office.

#mapoli

https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/04/suffolk-sheriffs-dept-members-earning-over-200k-surges-amid-spending-scrutiny.html

MBTA consultant with no-bid contract paid more than $710,000 to work from South Carolina home

The WBZ I-Team has uncovered a no-bid contract for an MBTA consultant who collected $713,000 in public funds working almost exclusively from his home in South Carolina.