| Rollins: ‘I admit I could have handled things differently, too’ The local media is still trying to sort out who said what and when regarding the Charlie Baker-Rachael Rollins kerfuffle over the latter’s controversial “do not prosecute” list. There’s this from the Globe’s Matt Stout and Maria Cramer: “Baker is on unfamiliar ground in flare-up with Rollins.” And then there’s this from the Herald’s Mary Markos: “Charlie Baker on defense after Rachael Rollins criticizes cabinet diversity.” If you want to know what’s ultimately at the heart of the brawl (besides the harsh words), there’s this via the Globe’s Travis Andersen: “What’s it all about? A primer on the spat between DA Rollins and Baker administration.” But we also highly recommend Kevin Cullen’s column in the Globe. He’s not exactly impressed with the way Rollins has handled the situation – and, btw, neither is Rollins, who shows a lot of class, in addition to guts, by saying: “‘I admit I could have handled things differently, too.” Her words, as well as apologetic words of the governor, are not going to end this dispute. There are indeed legitimate public policy questions at stake. But both, in their own way, seem to be trying to get beyond this controversy. That’s encouraging, at the least. |
| More talk of taxes for the T CommonWealth magazine’s Bruce Mohl and SHNS’s Chris Lisinski (pay wall) report that T officials yesterday unanimously approved a new $2.1 billion budget for the transit agency, but only after a discussion on how the MBTA needs to raise new revenues. One idea floated: A 1 percent increase in the deeds excise tax, which could raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the T and regional transit authorities. Paul Regan, executive director of the T’s Advisory Board, said officials “can’t wait” any longer to discuss new revenues. But wait they shall. House Speaker Robert DeLeo indicated yesterday that a debate over new taxes will probably come towards the end of the session, not now, reports SHNS’s Matt Murphy. |
| Eew. What’s that smell? Besides approving a new budget and talking taxes, MBTA officials yesterday addressed another highly sensitive topic: The odor emanating from station bathrooms, subway cars etc. And all the litter at T properties, too. Bruce Mohl at CommonWealth has more on the coming offensive against smelly and messy T properties. |
| ‘Sweet Christ, vindication!’ First, here’s your daily fix of what every parent secretly loves reading about. From the AP at WBUR: “Actress Felicity Huffman has agreed to plead guilty in the college admissions cheating scandal. Court documents made public Monday show Huffman and 12 other wealthy parents will plead guilty in the scheme.” And, second, if you enjoy following this story, in a schadenfreude type of way, you’re going to love this lead by Caitlin Flanagan at the Atlantic: “Sweet Christ, vindication! How long has it been? Years? No, decades. If hope is the thing with feathers, I was a plucked bird. Long ago, I surrendered myself to the fact that the horrible, horrible private-school parents of Los Angeles would get away with their nastiness forever. But even before the molting, never in my wildest imaginings had I dared to dream that the arc of the moral universe could describe a 90-degree angle and smite down mine enemies with such a hammer fist of fire and fury that even I have had a moment of thinking, Could this be a bit too much?” |
| In national first, Cambridge to require bike-lane installation on all roadway projects Love ‘em or hate ‘em, bike lanes are here to stay — at least in Cambridge. Bicycle activists are hailing a move by the city to require bike-lane installation in all roadwork projects, possibly the only local ordinance of its type in the country. Marc Levy at Cambridge Day reports the measure passed the city council without anyone speaking in opposition, despite strong pushback just two years ago when bike lanes first appeared in busy Harvard Square. |
| On the hook: Ruling means Andover could owe millions to retired employees An appeals court judge has found the town of Andover may have acted unlawfully when it increased the amount retired employees pay for their health care coverage, sending the town scrambling for answers as it faces repaying those retirees, Jessica Valerani reports at the Eagle-Tribune. The town’s options include appealing to the SJC, negotiating a settlement or paying up, which one official said would cost in the “low millions.” |
| No joke: Boston private equity firm acquires The Onion and ex-Gawker sites Boston may have lost the Atlantic Monthly, Fast Company and other publications that used to call the Hub home. But it’s picked up The Onion, Deadspin, Jezebel and former Gawker websites, via the acquisition yesterday of Gizmodo Media by Boston-based Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm. Greg Ryan at the BBJ has the details. |
| ‘An illustrated guide to all 2,339 deaths in ‘Game of Thrones’ We thought you’d appreciate this quick detour from all (or most) things politics and government, i.e. the media’s shameless attempt to get us all revved up for the final season of ‘Game of Thrones’ – and it’s shamelessly working! This one from the Washington Post: ‘An illustrated guide to all 2,339 deaths in ‘Game of Thrones.’ An added bonus to the package: The deadliest locations in ‘Game of Thrones.’ (Hint: It’s not King’s Landing.) … Now back to all (or most) things politics and government. |
| Housing crisis, not: Saugus halts all multi-family housing construction Looks like someone didn’t get the memo. Amid a high-profile statewide push by the Baker administration for more workforce housing, the town of Saugus has voted to go in a different direction, with voters on Monday backing a two-year moratorium on construction of multi-family housing. The approval came over the objections of a majority of the town’s planning board, Bridgette Turcotte reports at the Lynn Item. |
| The Wynn Resorts spy who’s out in the cold again Andy Metzger at CommonWealth magazine reports that James Stern, the former FBI agent who headed up Wynn Resorts’ security operations and who recently told state regulators he spied on employees and the ex-wife of former CEO Steve Wynn, got the heave over the weekend by current Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox, who’s desperately scrambling, it appears, to tie up loose ends before the Gaming Commission rules on Wynn Resorts’ suitability to keep its Everett casino license. |
