Last week, Councilor Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Downtown) demanded and won immediate passage of a federal public-safety grant, which he said was too important to wait for a hearing so that the council's four new councilors and others could get up to speed on it. Read more.

City Councilors decided today to begin focusing on what to do if Steward Health Care, which runs St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton and Carney Hospital in Dorchester, goes under - and to deal with the more immediate issue of Walgreens closing yet another pharmacy in Roxbury and CVS in the Fields Corner Target. Read more.

Boston could stand more delicious street food - and people selling it - councilors said today, calling for a dramatic simplification in the process for people to begin selling food from simple, inexpensive, hand-pushed carts. Read more.

The Boston City Council today unanimously approved a proposed plea to the state legislature to grant Boston 250 new liquor licenses - but only for certain neighborhoods. Read more.

Councilor Brian Worrell (Dorchester, Mattapan) had trouble yesterday getting through a formal reading of his request for a hearing on how Boston needs to increase its efforts to curb gun violence. Read more.

The City Council today agreed to have a committee consider the idea of creating a Reparations Commission to come up with ways to pay Black Bostonians for centuries of slavery, discrimination and redlining. Read more.