Happening Today
Early learning center groundbreaking
Gov. Charlie Baker attends the groundbreaking of the Epiphany Early Learning Center with the Rev. Alan Gates and members of the board of trustees of Epiphany School, 232 Centre Street, Dorchester, 10 a.m.
N.E. governors gather for opioid panel
As part of the International Conference on Opioids, Gov. Charlie Baker will be joined by Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, Maine Gov. Paul LePage, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on a panel discussing the opioid crisis across New England, Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, 11 a.m.
‘State of the Built Environment’
Senate President Stanley Rosenberg is among the planned speakers at the State of the Built Environment in Greater Boston conference hosted by Business advocacy group A Better City. Other speakers at the conference include MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board Chairman Joseph Aiello, Massachusetts Port Authority CEO Thomas Glynn, Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson, Massachusetts Water Resource Authority Executive Director Fred Laskey and Boston Redevelopment Authority Director of Planning Sara Myerson, Seaport Boston Hotel, Plaza Ballroom C, 200 Seaport Blvd., starting at 8 a.m. and Rosenberg speaking at 12 p.m.
Baker to keynote at BostInno conference
Gov. Baker is scheduled as a keynote speaker at BostInno’s annual ‘State of Innovation’ conference, Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer St., 12:45 p.m.
Today’s Stories
Bernie’s backers in epic, angry denial
Hillary Clinton can celebrate all she wants about finally securing enough delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination, as reported by CNN. But the Washington Post’s Robert Costa has the election story of the day about the ‘unbridled fury’ of Bernie’s backers in California upon learning over their cell phones that AP was calling the nomination for Hillary. It’s just quote after quote of pure-gold denial. Our favorite: “People have to realize that what we’re seeing on television and in the media is an illusion and it’s been pushed too far.”
Bernie’s groupies, needless to say, appear unable and unwilling to surrender to reality anytime soon. If he wins California today, their sense of righteousness will only intensify. The Herald’s Jaclyn Cashman is actually egging them on, saying there’s still a chance of victory. (Her mention of Hillary’s email scandal is not entirely invalid.) The Globe’s Joan Vennochi says it’s time for Hillary to get real – and that partly means making a ticket-balancing choice for a vice presidential candidate that doesn’t pander to activist demands (hint: not Liz).
72 hours
That’s how long it took – 72 hours, give or take a few hours – between Gov. Baker signing a bill that makes the MBTA pension plan subject to public records laws and Michael H. Mulhern’s announcement that he plans to step down as chief of the T’s embattled retirement fund, as the Globe’s Beth Healy reports.
“Surely it’s no coincidence,” the Herald notes of Baker’s Friday bill signing and Mulhern’s Monday announcement. “The times they are a-changin’ on Beacon Hill, and clearly the head of the MBTA Retirement Fund didn’t choose to change with them.”
Actually, we’re surprised Mulhern is sticking around till August. We assume – or hope – the T books will finally be opened by then. There’s going to be a media rush for the books like you’ve never seen before. So what’s he waiting for? To bask in future vindication? To be able to say he announced his resignation before he’s asked for his resignation?
Massachusetts sheriffs bemoan funding disparities
As MassLive’s Shira Schoenberg notes, Essex County received $34,300 per inmate in state funding in fiscal year 2015, but Berkshire County received $72,000 per inmate. The same county funding disparities exist across the state, raising the question: Why? “There’s no real rhyme or reason,” said Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis. “The disparity is almost incomprehensible.” So sheriffs are hoping the state will provide an answer – and a solution – for the funding differences.
‘The arrogance, defensiveness, incompetence and carelessness’ of ICE officials
Jon Keller at CBS Boston praises the Globe’s weekend story on how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have quietly released immigrant criminals back into society, rather then deport them, and he doesn’t mince words about the feds:
“It took the Globe nearly five years, endless wrangling with federal bureaucrats and a federal lawsuit to get the raw data documenting this egregious failure. And even now, ICE still won’t tell us exactly where these dangerous criminals were released. Read the article, and drink in the arrogance, defensiveness, incompetence and carelessness of the officials involved. They wield plenty of power, funded by your tax dollars.”
Aloisi: Garrett Byrne was the real champ for knocking the famous Ali-Liston fight out of Bostom
James Aloisi has a fun story at CommonWealth magazine about how then Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett Byrne single-handedly blocked the famous rematch fight between Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) and Sonny Liston in Boston in 1965. Before you jump to the conclusion that it must have been a standard case of Banned in Boston, Aloisi says Byrne’s action was actually one of principle and political courage amidst rumors of a fixed fight, shady contracts, political payoffs, revenue cheating and the list goes on and on.
Don’t look back: Supreme Court nixes effort to reinstate libel suit against Herald
The Herald’s long legal nightmare involving a “Boston” band member may soon, finally, be at an end, one would assume. From Dan Glaun at MassLive: “The Supreme Court has rejected ‘Boston’ founder Tom Scholz’ effort to restart his defamation lawsuit against the Boston Herald, eight years after the newspaper published comments from bandmate Brad Delp’s wife that allegedly blamed Scholz for Delp’s suicide. Scholz, whose musical collaboration with Delp in the 1970s led to hits like ‘More Than a Feeling’ and ‘Don’t Look Back,’ had his lawsuit dismissed by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court last year, after justices ruled that Micki Delp’s comments to the Herald were opinions, not defamation.”
Eleven state companies move up on the Fortune 500 list
Massachusetts corporations grew bigger and stronger last year – and eleven of them moved up the Fortune 500 ladder as a result, reports Greg Ryan at the Boston Business Journal: “Again leading the way in Massachusetts was Boston-based insurance giant Liberty Mutual, which rose to No. 73 on the list after finishing No. 78 last year. Springfield’s MassMutual jumped nearly 20 spots on the list to No. 76, and this year Framingham-based retailer TJX (NYSE: TJX) entered the Fortune 100, coming in at No. 89 after ranking No. 103 last year. “
Ah, but one company did stumble: Waltham’s Global Partners, whose fuel-logistics business got crushed by turmoil in the energy market. The firm fell from No. 180 to No. 276.
T says it can’t reconcile fares, cash
The MBTA acknowledged that it still cannot fully reconcile the fares it collects with the cash it actually deposits in the bank — and the agency’s leadership says privatizing the cash counting process may be the best solution, Jack Sullivan of CommonWealth Magazine reports. The reconciliation issue was first raised in an audit five years ago that found the problem could be costing the T as much as $20 million annually.
Also on the T front: The T’s control board voted Monday to eliminate refunds to commuter rail passengers who have unused tickets, a move that will save the T $400,000 a year, Sullivan reports.
State orders Framingham police to release audits
The state’s supervisor of public records has ordered the Framingham police department to turn over any audits and other reports it has about the operation of its evidence room, Jim Haddadin of the MetroWest Daily News reports. The department had refused to release information on problems with evidence custody, citing a criminal investigation under way by the office of Attorney General Maura Healey.
Broken air-conditioning system stalls Danvers RMV
The Danvers branch of the Registry of Motor Vehicles has been closed for seven straight days due to a problem with the air conditioning at the Liberty Tree Mall location, Paul Leighton of the Salem News reports. The registry pays the mall owners about $41,000 annually to lease a storefront, which was also closed unexpectedly for several days in both 2014 and 2015.
Tobin drivers to see double on tolls
The state Department of Transportation says it will change the way it collects tolls on the Tobin Bridge, charging drivers traveling in both directions while cutting the tolls themselves in half, Nik DeCosta-Klipa of Boston.com reports. Before year’s end, the bridge will begin collecting $1.25 from drivers heading both north and south, rather than the current $2.50 from drivers heading south into Boston.
Salem budget includes ‘knock and talk’ funds to target opioids
Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll’s $151 million budget proposal includes funds to hire police officers and substance abuse counselors to launch a “knock-and-talk” program that will reach out to those in the grips of opioid addiction, Dustin Luca of the Salem News reports. Similar programs, which recruit recovering addicts to serve as outreach counselors, are in place in Revere and Lynn.
They call themselves girls, but they’re actually a little more than that
Bruce Mendelsohn, the New England regional director of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, has the interesting job of accompanying Israeli soldiers around as they meet local Americans to build support for the defense of Israel, reports Mary Markos at the Jewish Journal. But he recently hosted two female soldiers in their early twenties, riding around with them and noticing how they talked to friends on their phones, did their nails, chatted about shopping, and did other, well, young girly stuff. “They call themselves girls, and people who see them call them women,” Mendelsohn sad. “They’re neither. These are warriors. And they transform.”
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Report warns of burdens of Boston growth – Boston Globe
Walsh arrives in Beijing for climate change summit – Boston Globe
Justices reject defamation suit by rock group Boston founder – Eagle-Tribune
Analysis: A way-too-early look at Marty Walsh’s poll numbers – WBUR
Massachusetts
2 Governor’s Councilor challengers set sights on 17-year incumbent – Lowell Sun
UMass Lowell adjunct professors seek equal pay to other campuses – Lowell Sun
New Bedford airport talking with new carriers, could add flights – Standard-Times
T board ends commuter rail refunds – CommonWealth Magazine
Bay State moves into top slot in senior health rankings – New Boston Post
MBTA says it can’t reconcile fare data, cash deposits – CommonWealth Magazine
Tobin Bridge to begin charging drivers in both directions – Boston.com
Knock-and-talk program in Salem to take aim at heroin crisis – Salem News
Mayor, city council seek compromise in Quincy Center power struggle – Patriot Ledger
Danvers RMV branch remains closed due to HVAC problem – Salem News
Framingham police faulted in denial of evidence room records – MetroWest Daily News
Ashland Redevelopment Authority talks downtown stimulus – MetroWest Daily News
Nation
Clinton clinches historic nomination – Boston Globe
What is Bernie Sanders’ next move? – Boston Globe
Obama could formalize Clinton endorsement this week – Boston Globe
Elizabeth Warren can’t help but laugh at this Scott Brown zinger – Boston.com
How to Contact MASSterList
Send tips to Matt Murphy: Editor@MASSterList.com. For advertising inquiries and job board postings, please contact Dylan Rossiter: Publisher@MASSterList.com or (857) 370-1156. Follow @MASSterList on Twitter.