| Auditor Suzanne Bump seeks power to combat bureaucratic ‘feet-dragging’ State Auditor Suzanne Bump yesterday pushed for new legislation that would give her more power in dealing with uncooperative government agencies resisting audits. “The work of my office is often slowed by bureaucratic feet-dragging when we request information from auditees,” she said at a State House hearing yesterday. “These delays sometimes stretch for months.” SHNSs Colin Young has the details. As he expands Boston Landing empire, NB’s Jim Davis jettisons professional lacrosse teams The Herald’s Marie Szaniszlo reports on the groundbreaking ceremonies yesterday on New Balance’s new “TRACK” facility at Boston Landing. The Globe’s Jon Chesto reports that it’s just one piece of the overall huge legacy that NB founder Jim Davis will leave behind in Boston. But the BBJ’s Don Seiffert reports that Davis is pulling back a bit in one area by agreeing to cut three of his teams from Major League Lacrosse’s schedule in 2019. The Boston-based league is now down to six teams, including the Boston Cannons. Wynn hearings to finally start – with or without the star attraction After months of delays and controversy, the public will finally learn at least some of what state investigators have learned over the course of their long probe into Wynn Resort. From Bruce Mohl at CommonWealth magazine: “The Massachusetts Gaming Commission opens a series of hearings this week on the sexual misconduct of Steve Wynn, but the gambling mogul is unlikely to attend and unlikely to face any disciplinary action despite allegations of rape and sexual harassment. The Gaming Commission on Tuesday is expected to release its report on Wynn’s sexual misconduct.” State issues warning on measles From the Globe’s Abigail Feldman: “State public health officials Monday reported the first confirmed case of measles in the state this year and warned those who are not immune about the risks of exposure to the highly contagious virus. The person lives in the Greater Boston area and was diagnosed Sunday, according to a statement from the state’s public health department. The person went to several restaurants and stores last week during the infectious period, the statement said.” Jeanette DeForge at MassLive has more on the state warning. The Biden Affair: The local reaction As former Vice President Joe Biden fends off yet another charge that he inappropriately touched a woman years ago (Washington Post), Mayor Marty Walsh yesterday was defending his good bud, saying Biden is a “very emotional person” (CBS Boston). But U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is the latest local pol to say he believes the allegations by Biden’s first accuser, Nevada Democrat Lucy Flores. The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld writes that Biden “needs to come up with a better apology or his budding White House campaign won’t even get off the ground.” The Herald’s Wendy Murphy says Democrats need to take a stand against Biden’s “creepy” behavior. But the Globe’s Joan Vennochi isn’t buying that argument, not with a far worse groper-in-chief sitting in the Oval Office these days. Baker distances himself from GOP chair’s abortion ‘infanticide’ claim It took a few days, but Gov. Charlie Baker is now distancing himself from GOP Party Chairman Jim Lyons’s recent claim that lawmakers who back legislation that would expand late-term abortion rights are “supporting infanticide,” reports the Associated Press at the Herald. The governor said he supports current state abortion laws and opposes “late-term abortions,” but added “inflated language that exists on all sides in politics” makes it harder for people to do their jobs. Shira Schoenberg at MassLive and SHNS’s Matt Murphy (pay wall) have more on the abortion debate on Beacon Hill. The Globe’s Stephanie Ebbert, meanwhile, reports the state GOP has even “launched Facebook ads accusing individual Democratic cosponsors of supporting ‘infanticide’ through the bill that would permit abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases where the fetus has a fatal anomaly and is not expected to survive.” Charges dropped against high school student at center of false police report controversy If you watch the video of the incident, you’ll know that the assault charges against a Springfield high school student were bogus – and that arguably the police officer in question should have been the one charged. Dan Glaun at MassLive has the story and the video. Hampshire College chairwoman resigns, citing vitriol and ‘slanderous attacks’ Things are getting tense at Hampshire College. From Jim Russell at MassLive: “The chairwoman of Hampshire College’s board of trustees resigned during a board meeting on Sunday, saying she and her colleagues have been slandered and attacked as the school struggles with long-term financial challenges. ‘I’ve become a lightning rod for criticism and felt it was time to step away,” Gaye Hill said in a written statement Hampshire College released on Monday.” |
