Big Dig, meet Big Papi? MassDOT is preparing to give a David Ortiz-backed company making mobile electric vehicle chargers a $1M no-bid contract. My latest for @BINJreports

This is a tremendous article by @_danatkinson_. Nobody tipped us off to this, it came from going through hundreds of contracts and proposals and looking up who was behind ones that seemed questionable. This is #journalism. We'll see if it makes the 5 o'clock news.

Check out our latest investigation into state contracts ... Commonwealth seeks no-bid contract with #DavidOrtiz -tied #EV charger company. Read the full article by @_danatkinson_ ... #mapoli #electricvehicles #RedSox #Boston #MassDOT https://t.co/T1ivJf0DR2

Hey everyone did you see our big #MBTA scoop this week? They spent millions studying train safety and won't show the public the reports. And they will keep them secret unless you cause an uproar ... https://t.co/w8pSBWri4j #publictransit #investigativereporting #bospoli

NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman recently spoke to Dan Atkinson at @BINJreports about the lack of transparency within the MBTA.

For @BINJreports: The #MBTA spent $3M on workforce and safety studies, but won't release them for fear of 'setting unclear or incomplete expectations for the media and public.'

The MBTA spent millions of dollars commissioning multiple safety studies, and now they won't show them to the media or public. GEE, I WONDER WHAT THAT MEANS!?! The latest from @BINJreports and @_danatkinson_ #publictransit #transparency https://t.co/3eyMl85VIT

Big news from the #MBTA today about its new fare system, but there are still big questions about equity/bias issues in fare collection https://t.co/d5dVQOv14R and what this will really cost the T (and how much will go to private equity firms) @BINJreports

This is a bad one. A very, very bad one ... https://t.co/xZbQvGAu9n #mbta #mbtafail #redline #orangeline #blueline #greenline #Boston

'We can’t get folks on Beacon Hill to wake up and pay attention to this project,” an advocate told me. It's a complex story, but people need to pay attention. Thanks to @StreetsBoston @PubInterest @amprog for insight.

And now that private equity is involved, we have even less info. But we do know the T has paid nearly a billion dollars for a system that won't be fully ready for another two years - and that the people they're paying are turning around and hiring lobbyists to work Beacon Hill

The long-delayed, hundreds-of-millions-over-budget AFC 2.0 process relies on a public-private financing scheme that involves companies loaning money and contracting work out to themselves. 'It’s impossible to know if the public is getting value for their money,' an expert said.

The #MBTA is eager to tout a new fare system coming online this summer - they're less eager to talk about whether delays will cost them daily six-figure payments to private equity lenders. My latest for @BINJreports

Thanks to the @EFF for helping get the word out about our ongoing @BINJreports investigation by @_danatkinson_ into cell site simulators and other #surveillance tools. https://t.co/Bdool24BWs #mapoli #massachusettsstatepolice

“Facial recognition still gets things wrong, especially in reference to Black men and women,” EFF’s @MGuariglia told @HorizonMass, and “police around the country have demonstrated they can’t be trusted to do follow-up investigations.”

- despite it being shown to racially discriminate and misidentify people. Thanks to @JamieEldridgeMA , @digitalfourth, @EFF and @ACLU_Mass for insights, read the full report at @HorizonMass

Security promises to never use the tech, but civil liberties experts are skeptical: "Any technology that is adopted, you have to assume it is going to be exploited.” And currently, Mass. police are using the tech to investigate fraud and financial crimes -

New for @BINJreports: While #mapoli legislators are looking to restrict the use of facial recognition, their own security system at the State House is getting an upgrade with the technology

“This is the clearest picture that we’ve gotten of how cell-site simulators are operated, installed, and sold to police in years,” EFF’s @CooperQ told @HorizonMass. “There absolutely needs to be case law requiring a warrant for a simulator.” https://t.co/n8qYMnnxpr

This is a big one for a few reasons. First, #civilliberties advocates say documents from the Mass purchase reveal never before known details about how these devices work. Also, it looks like there will likely be some legislative action due to this reporting ... #mapoli