South Bay crackdown raises concerns
The surveillance video revealed a disturbing scene: on Aug. 1, a corrections officer on his way to the South Bay jail stops his car in the middle of Atkinson Street, exits his car and, following a brief confrontation, is brutally beaten by a group of men.

Legislature passes on ed. funding reforms
Massachusetts Legislators ended their session last week without resolution on education funding reform, leaving on the table questions about how the state’s low-resource districts will be funded and what powers the state will have to intervene in schools and districts deemed underperforming.

Candidates say yes to rent control
Candidates running in contested races for seats on the Boston City Council are facing a barrage of forums and endorsement processes aimed at nailing down their positions on issues ranging from support for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s “Do not prosecute” list to their willingness to oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure in Boston.

Activists seek recognition for Crispus Attucks
Attucks, who was the first to fall in the Boston Massacre — the 1770 prelude to open armed conflict between British troops and the colonists — has been memorialized in a plaque with the names of massacre victims placed on the Boston Common.

AG: electric supply switch costs residents millions
“This new data brings the total net losses to $253 million for Massachusetts customers over the course of three years,” the report reads. The report also shows that the competitive electric industry’s deceptive tactics have disproportionately impacted low-income residents and communities of color.

Egleston Square Main Street
Mayor Martin Walsh visits Egleston Square during the Mayor on Main trolley tour..

Many reasons to vote Trump out
Polls indicate substantial black support for Joe Biden, even though there are two black candidates, Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, who might be more sensitive to black issues. However, the major concern of blacks is to support the candidate most likely to defeat the incumbent, Donald Trump.

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Why do white mass killers always seem to live another day?
He is an anomaly not because he murdered nine persons less than 24 hours after Patrick Crusius massacred 20 in El Paso. He is different because he was gunned down by Dayton police. That’s not the usual pattern.

ROVING CAMERA
I think because young people aren’t getting enough education on basic values — respect, love, how they conduct themselves. They’re not getting mental health services either..

IN THE NEWS
Dion Irish has been appointed to serve as the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, following Christopher’s transition.

Boston March Against Cages
PHOTO: DON WEST/BLACKWIRE Martin Henson, representing “Black Lives Matter” addressed the crowd of approximately 300 protesters at the “Boston March Against Cages” pro-immigration, anti-ICE rally, August 4.

Scoops and Hoops
PHOTO: JOHN WILCOX, MAYOR’S OFFICE Mayor Martin Walsh and Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins attend the Scoops N’ Hoops Family Fun Day at Walker Playground..

Consumers at risk from Capital One data breach
A disclosure about a major consumer data breach was announced on July 29 by Capital One Bank. That same day, the FBI arrested a suspect who was charged with stealing the personal information back on March 22 and 23. The apparent focus of the data theft was credit card applications filed with the bank between 2005 and 2019.

At Frugal Bookstore, black narratives are front and center
Frugal Bookstore in Dudley Square is an Afrofuturist’s dream. Smiling brown faces greet you at the door, looking out from the covers of children’s books with titles like “Mixed Me!” and “Juneteenth for Mazie.” Further in, August Wilson classics like “Fences” and “The Piano Lesson” line the shelves.

Bill Banfield: keeping jazz alive in Boston
Dr. Bill Banfield, Professor at Berklee College of Music, cannot be contained by the four walls of a classroom. His energetic, creative passion for music originated in Detroit at Cass Technical High School and fermented in Boston as far back as 1978 when he attended the New England Conservatory, graduating in 1983.

STRENGTH in SONG
Cerise Lim Jacobs, creator and librettist of the company, says, “White Snake Projects is an activist opera company. And I know those two words, “activist” and “opera” seem incongruous side by side, but for us it’s not. It’s part and parcel of what we do.

‘This is Not a Bill’
History Alive, Inc. has turned Salem’s attention from the ever-popular witch trials to the town’s rich Underground Railroad history in the company’s new, immersive production “This is Not a Bill.” The limited-run show premiered on July 20 and will finish its performances with two shows on Aug.

Celebrating a half-century of jazz
Beginning this fall and continuing through 2020, the Jazz Studies Department of New England Conservatory is celebrating its 50th year of teaching and bringing jazz to Boston and beyond. Free events and ongoing programs are highlighting the great urban resource of NEC.

Chile change up
omesco sauce, one of Catalonia’s finest exports, is famous as a dressing for seafood. But the red, nutty condiment also has a place atop many more savory dishes. Eventually, romesco made its way from the Mediterranean to California, along with the likes of olives, grapes and almonds.

FOOD
The bacteria and microbes located in a person’s digestive system are essential in maintaining a healthy immune system. Also known as gut microbiome, these bacteria help digest certain foods, help with the production of some vitamins and help combat aggression from other microorganisms.