Three men charged with seeking to buy sex from what they thought were prostitutes in Boston have paid $1,000 fines – forking over some of the highest…

In a tight housing market, officials across the Bay State wield an array of tactics to discourage modestly priced new apartment and home construction for families. These include pressuring developers to drop plans for three-bedroom apartments and crafting zoning regulations to encourage the construction of over-55 housing developments that ban children.

Deep flaws in Massachusetts laws constructed to keep government honest have sustained a recurring parade of criminal and ethical misconduct charges involving public servants in the past five years.