Alexander Thompson

I'm a reporter for local newspapers covering suburban Boston, but I've worked everywhere from my hometown paper in rural Ohio to a couple months reporting for Senegal’s largest private newspaper in Dakar.

The Latest

National Catholic Reporter •

Catholic colleges, universities debate COVID-19 vaccine requirements

Some two dozen Catholic colleges and universities have joined the growing list of institutions requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students returning to campus this fall. As among their secular counterparts, Catholic colleges requiring the inoculations are still a small minority, and the potential requirements have sparked debate about what Catholic colleges can and should require of their students. According to a tracker maintained by the Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 Catholic colleges, of
National Catholic Reporter •

Closures of Catholic schools in Black neighborhoods provoke sense of abandonment

On the evening of Feb. 25, Kimora Williams, 17, and Elijah Brooks, 16, two juniors at Trinity Catholic High School north of St. Louis, both saw emails flash onto their computer screens. They were from the St. Louis Archdiocese. Trinity Catholic would close at the end of the academic year. The two were stunned. "I was angry. I was confused. I was overwhelmed," Williams told NCR. A letter attached to the email said that enrollment at the school, located in a predominantly African American area jus

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National Catholic Reporter •

As Catholic school teachers head back to the classroom, discontent simmers

When Elaine Sage, a teacher at St. Francis Xavier School in Wilmette, Illinois, thought about going back to the classroom this fall, she was afraid. She is 64 and her husband has beaten liver cancer twice, meaning he is at higher risk for COVID-19. She thought the Chicago Archdiocese's reopening plan, which emphasized in-person learning, put students and teachers at risk. "That's why I decided to go public," she told NCR. "I knew what would happen if I did. I knew I would lose my job. I just kne
The Canton Repository •

Tracking COVID: An inside look at outbreaks in NE Ohio meatpacking plants

A man pulled up at the Fin Feather Fur Outfitters near Canton on May 19. He typically did not wear a mask, but this time he put one on. He was feeling unusually tired. Two days later, the symptoms worsened. By the evening of May 22, the man had a fever and severe diarrhea. His sister called an ambulance, which rushed him to Aultman Hospital. Before he was admitted, he was tested for the coronavirus.
The Somerville Journal •

Negotiations stalled with Somerville police unions

The negotiations between the city administration and the Somerville Police Department’s two unions are stalled on issues ranging from body cameras to overtime as the process draws new scrutiny amid calls in Somerville and nationwide for increased accountability and reduced funding for police. Mayor Joe Curtatone said the city is not close to a contract with either of its police unions, the Somerville Police Employees Association (SPEA), which represents the rank-and-file, and the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association (SPSOA), which represents the brass.
The Columbus Dispatch •

Coronavirus: Developmentally disabled struggle as programs close and services scaled back

WOOSTER — Sean Worth gets sick easily. Several years ago, a bout of pneumonia sent him to the hospital and kept him in bed for two months. So his parents Deana and Troy Worth are careful to guard against communicable diseases, especially during flu season because their 26-year-old son has Down syndrome and is severely immuno-compromised. But the coronavirus has forced them to be even more cautious.