Happening Today
Commencement addresses, Democratic gubernatorial forum and more
— Wheelock College holds its 130th commencement ceremony, its final independent graduation before merging with Boston University on June 1, Temple Ohabei Shalom, 1187 Beacon St., Brookline, 10 a.m.
— Committee for Public Counsel Services, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice and Greater Boston Legal Services ask a Supreme Judicial Court judge to send the case Matter of C. Doe and others, which deals with courthouse arrests on civil immigration charges, to the full bench, John Adams Courthouse, 1 Pemberton Square, Courtroom 2, Boston, 11 a.m.
— Boston Police Commissioner William Evans makes his monthly appearance on ‘Boston Public Radio,’ WGBH-FM 89.7, 12 p.m.
— Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito addresses the 103rd Annual Meeting of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, 12:30 p.m.
— U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren addresses the 53rd graduating class of Quinsigamond Community College, with Senate President Harriette Chandler attending, DCU Center, 40 Foster St., Worcester, 1 p.m.
— House Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez serves as the keynote speaker at the Roxbury Community College commencement ceremony, Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, 1 p.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker delivers the commencement address at Cape Cod Community College’s Project Forward, a school-to-work program for students with disabilities, Tilden Arts Center Main Theater, Cape Cod Community College, 2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable, 1:30 p.m.
— Democratic gubernatorial candidates Bob Massie and Jay Gonzalez attend a candidates forum hosted by the South Shore Democratic Caucus, Weymouth Eagles, 1338 Washington St., Weymouth, 7 p.m.
For more calendar listings, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall) and MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.
Today’s Stories
Judge denies harassment order against Rep. Mom
We have a feeling we haven’t heard the last from these two. From the Lowell Sun: “A judge has denied issuing a harassment protection order against state Rep. Rady Mom, who was accused by challenger Sam Meas of assault and intimidation. Meas alleged that Mom tried to choke him at a graduation party at the Pailin City Restaurant May 5. Middlesex District Court Judge David Frank said there was ‘not sufficient basis’ to approve the order.”
Fyi: It turns out that Meas is not only Mom’s former campaign manager, but also a “close friend,” or a former close friend.
UMass gets its way: University closes on $86M purchase of Mount Ida campus
A day after UMass and Mount Ida College officials were grilled at a State House hearing, university officials yesterday informed lawmakers that, yes, UMass-Amherst’s controversial $86.5 million takeover of Mount Ida’s Newton campus was a done deal, reports Christela Guerra at the Globe and Gintautas Dumcius at MassLive.
The Globe’s Joan Vennochi says the transaction was a done deal from the day it was first announced last month. “This is a classic Boston story, steeped in insider politics, secrecy, and faux outrage,” she writes, taking swipes at Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey and UMass president Marty Meehan. We gotta admit: We’re impressed with the way they shifted the debate away from the merits of UMass-Amherst’s expansion eastward to making Mount Ida out as the bad guy, i.e. the “faux outrage.” It was deftly handled.
Fyi: SHNS’s Katie Lannan (pay wall) has a good story on how the takeover controversy revealed distinct geographic divisions at the State House and within UMass circles.
After you, sir: Massie and Gonzalez take turns bashing Baker
Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jay Gonzalez and Bob Massie apparently agree on most issues, so why not turn a debate between the two into a Charlie Baker bashing fest? CommonWealth magazine’s Michael Jonas and SHNS’s Matt Murphy (pay wall) have the details on yesterday’s Democratic debate at U-Mass Boston.
Still going at it: Framingham council clips mayor’s wings on staffing
Looks like Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer won’t be getting the funding she sought to add several positions to her staff after city councilors recommended slashing nearly $300,000 from her proposed personnel budget, Jim Haddadin reports in the MetroWest Daily News. The council cut funding for one of two senior advisor positions Spicer hoped to create, as well as funds for a communications director and diversity chief. They seem to be really going at it in Framingham these days.
Vineyard prosecutor ‘abused’ her power, should be suspended, board says
The state’s Board of Bar Overseers says a prosecutor in the office of Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe should be suspended for a month, saying she abused her powers when she met with a potential witness without his attorney present, George Brennan reports in the Martha’s Vineyard Times. The board said an earlier reprimand against Laura Marshard was not severe enough of a penalty and said she showed a ‘lack of candor’ during the process.
Campaign collapse watch: Kingston cuts pay of staff and advisers
Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Kingston appears to be in downsizing mode, cutting the pay of staff and advisers and losing some of them in the process, the Globe’s Frank Phillips reports. Kingston now has a “fairly skeletal campaign staff,” Phillips notes, citing sources.
In Lynn, hard feelings after Baker pulls plug on ferry
Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision not to operate a ferry from Lynn to Boston this summer has some in the North Shore city seething, including Steve Krause, who writes in the Item that the decision shows the governor “just doesn’t get it.” Baker recently cited low ridership numbers from last year’s pilot program, saying as few as 30 riders per day used the water taxi. But Krause argues that a consistent and reliable ferry would likely generate more interest and waxes nostalgic for the days when the city had political clout on Beacon Hill.
Malden man who plotted to kill Martha Coakley and two others sentenced to 25 years
Hopefully, this will keep him off the streets for the rest of his life. From Scott Croteau at MassLive: “A Massachusetts man who bought guns and explosives with the intent to kill three people — former Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, a federal judge and his ex-wife — has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. Edward McLarnon, 69, of Malden, was sentenced in a New Hampshire federal court Wednesday on charges of receiving firearms with intent to commit murder and other related charges.”
Real fake news: Ayyadurai ends ‘fake Indian’ lawsuit against Cambridge
In a court filing, Shiva Ayyadurai, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate, has asked a federal judge to dismiss his lawsuit against the city of Cambridge for trying to crack down on his display of a ‘fake Indian’ sign critical of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, saying the city of Cambridge has rescinded its enforcement order, the AP reports at NBC Boston. … Question: Can’t a litigant just drop a case? Just wondering.
Congressional Black Caucus committee endorses Capuano
In a Congressional primary race in which the two candidates differ very little on issues, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano has scored two campaign victories that could help him against Democratic challenger Ayanna Pressley. Capuano’s campaign says he has received the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee – and civil rights icon John Lewis will be campaigning with Capuano this weekend. The two developments are significant for, let’s face it, racial reasons: Capuano is white and Pressley is black. SHNS has more on Lewis’s weekend campaigning for Capuano.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Judge under fire from Herald for letting heroin dealer go (and for a past decision too)
Salem Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley this morning is getting what’s called the “full Herald treatment,” i.e. a negative news story, a critical editorial, and a Howie Carr pile-on column. It has to do with his controversial ruling to give a heroin dealer probation instead of prison time. But it’s also about his recent decision to lower the bail of a man who weeks later was charged with killing a Maine cop. Among those blasting his drug-dealer ruling are Essex Assistant District Attorney Kristen Buxton and state Rep. Paul Tucker.
Wynn Resorts to potential buyers: Everett casino is not for sale
As they say, everything is for sale. So we’ll see where this claim goes. From Michelle Williams at MassLive: “After weeks of engaging in talks about the potential sale of Encore Boston Harbor, insiders say the deal is off the table. Wynn Resorts is keeping its Boston-area casino project, reports the New York Post – which broke news of the initial talks – citing two sources ‘with direct knowledge’ of the plans.”
In Beverly and Marblehead, they have not begun to fight over U.S. Navy bragging rights
State Sen. Mike Rush, a Naval Reserve officer, has filed a bill to recognize the U.S. Navy’s birthday as Oct. 13, 1775 and it mentions the state of Massachusetts. But Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, and Rep. Jerald Parisella, D-Beverly, have differing opinions on where exactly the Navy was born – Marblehead or Beverly. So far, no broadsides have been fired but … Christian Wade at the Salem News has the details.
Redstone wins first round against CBS in legal battle that’s likely to stretch into infinity
There’s no such thing as a simple legal explanation for anything involving the Redstone family, Viacom, National Amusement, CBS and other media players sucked into their litigious vortex. Let’s just say Shari Redstone’s Norwood-based National Amusement won the first round yesterday in the battle for control of CBS. If you really want to know the details, Bloomberg has them.
City finally approves $1.3B Winthrop Square tower plan
The protracted debate over shadows, height and the architectural design of the proposed Winthrop Square tower appear to be over (for now), after the Boston Planning and Development Agency yesterday gave its unanimous approval for Millennium Partners’ $1.3 billion project, reports the BBJ’s Catherine Carlock and the Globe’s Tim Logan, who notes the development still has a few more minor hurdles to clear before construction can start.
Samuels & Associated proposes $350M development over Pike
Speaking of development proposals, this is a biggie. From Catherine Carlock at the BBJ: “Five years after getting approval from state transportation officials to develop on air-rights above the Massachusetts Turnpike, Boston-based real-estate development firm Samuels & Associates notified city planning officials that it intends to develop a $350 million project at the end of Boylston and Newbury streets.”
Capeless’s campaign-succession caper, explained
Here’s some more details from Colman Herman at CommonWealth magazine about a now rather infamous maneuver to make sure an insider had a campaign edge: “David Capeless worked closely with Gov. Charlie Baker to choreograph the handoff of his job as Berkshire Country district attorney to a top aide, going so far as to pull nomination papers for himself to throw reporters off the scent. Emails obtained from the district attorney’s office under the Public Records Law indicate Capeless was concerned that reporters might learn of his scheme if they discovered he wasn’t running for reelection.”
Framingham plans city memorial service for late Rep. Chris Walsh
The city of Framingham is planning a June 9 memorial service to celebrate the life of late Rep. Chris Walsh, who died earlier this month after a bout with cancer. The event will be held on the steps of the Memorial Building. Jim Haddadin at the MetroWest Daily New has the details.
Two summer constants for the Cape: Great White Sharks and worker shortages
There’s nothing officials can do about the Great White Sharks that now lurk off the coast of Cape Cod each summer. But Cape employers are frustrated that the federal government hasn’t done more to increase the number of H-2B seasonal work visas available each summer – and as a result they’re bracing for yet another summer of severe worker shortages. Jason Margolis at WGBH has the details.
Law professor: Forget the millionaire’s tax economic drawbacks. It’s just plain bad law
Lawrence Friedman, a professor at New England Law and co-author of ‘The Massachusetts State Constitution,’ says he’s not so much interested in the political and economic points made in a recent BBJ editorial (‘Baker must take stronger stance on ballot questions’) about the proposed millionaire’s tax. Instead, he says the ballot question is clearly unconstitutional and runs counter to what John Adams had in mind when he helped craft the state’s constitution way back when.
Back to the future: BJ’s eyes going public again
Been there, done that. Westborough-based BJ’s Wholesale Club is planning to return to the public stock market after a seven-year run as a private company, Zachary Comeau reports in the Worcester Business Journal. The company, which employs some 3,700 people in Massachusetts, indicated it hopes to raise as much as $100 million in cash with the IPO. BJ’s was taken private after a $2.8 billon sale in 2011.
Sunday public affairs TV
Keller at Large, WBZ-TV Channel 4, 8:30 a.m. This week’s guest: Former Gov. Michael Dukakis, who talks with host Jon Keller about the current governor’s race and the past and future of the Democratic Party.
This Week in Business, NECN, 10 a.m. Richard McGowan, a professor at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and Dusty Hecker, an attorney at Posternak Blankstein & Lund, talk about what might be next for bringing legalized sports betting to Massachusetts; Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Rooney on the fallout from the Mount Ida College/UMass deal; and Shirley Leung of the Globe discusses net neutrality and Shari Redstone’s victory in court and more.
CEO Corner, NECN, 10:30 a.m. Repeat of last week’s show, with Year Up founder and CEO Gerald Chertavian and two alumni of its job training program.
On The Record, WCVB-TV Channel 5, 11 a.m. This week’s guest: Gov. Charlie Baker, who talks with anchor Ed Harding and co-anchor Janet Wu.
This is New England, NBC Boston Channel 10, 11:30 a.m. With host Latoyia Edwards, this week’s topic: Parents summer survival kit, helping victims of domestic violence, and a Chrissy Metz and Latoyia sit-down.
CityLine, WCVB –TV Channel 5, 12 p.m. With host Karen Holmes Ward, this week’s topic: A conversation with George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on the iconic Star Trek TV. He talks about his staunch support of LGBTQ rights and his new play ‘Allegience,’ now playing at the Speakeasy Stage, inspired by his childhood experience of being interned in a Japanese-American Internment Camp during World War II.
2018 Annual Starfish Thrower Gala Fundraiser Celebrating the Boston Red Sox and Benefiting Operation A.B.L.E.
MIT Sloan CIO Symposium
Discussion panel Crossroads: Identity, motion and migration
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Julie Burros leaving post as Boston’s arts chief – Boston Globe
Fighting to police the Seaport – Boston Herald
Massachusetts
Bill breathes new life to Navy birthplace claims – Salem News
Selectwoman a first for Alford – Berkshire Eagle
Supermarket industry says bag bans should be uniform statewide – Sun-Chronicle
Baby Doe’s mother, Rachelle Bond, violated probation – Telegram & Gazette
Nation
Congress takes food from 2 million poor people—and doesn’t even save money – Washington Post
White House to ban federal funds for clinics that discuss abortion with patients – NPR
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