A Somerville man was arrested last week after allegedly breaking into a woman's apartment and threatening her with a BB gun while looking for a former tenant, whom he called Paulie. [Somerville Journal]

The Herald reports that thieves in California lifted $27 million dollars (and possibly more) from a retired Harvard professor of medicine. Ralph Kennaugh, a former Harvard Med School professor, moved to Cali from the South End just two months ago. Adding insult to injury, the paintings had not yet been insured in California. We always knew those Left Coasters were up to no good. A $1 million reward is being offered for the return of the paintings and $5 million for information leading to the thieves' arrest.

The Boston Globe has Bostonist confused this morning. We know what you're thinking. Anyway, today's edition brings word that Bay State tax revenues are plummeting in September and are expected to end the month $100-200 million short of projections. “September is always the month where you get your most revenue. So if we’re down significantly in September, that doesn’t probably bode well for the rest of the fiscal year, ’’ Senate President Therese Murray said Monday. A revenue gap might mean more budget cuts. It was just Sunday that the Globe told us Massachusetts was already experiencing "signs" of a recovery. Job losses were slowing, the housing market was responding, and temporary employment ranks were growing, the Globe told readers.

We've always been somewhat leery of that gaping abyss between the subway platform and the subway itself. Most days we can step over it just fine, but when we have a rolling suitcase with us, we pull extra hard to make sure it doesn't get stuck, and we cringe a little when watching dogs or small children step over a crack that's bigger than their feet. "What if?" we always wonder. So we were horrified, if not 100% surprised, to read of a woman getting her foot stuck between the car and the platform at Park Street today. It may not be surprising that you could get your foot stuck in that area, but what is surprising is that the MBTA was able to resolve the incident in only 15 minutes—and the train didn't even try to take off while the woman was stuck. Is this the beginning of a new MBTA era in which bad situations are handled quickly and well? We don't want to speak too soon, but we hope so.

Jeff Larson, the president of Safe Roads Alliance, has been offering drivers cash to hang up their cell phones in Dorchester at the Columbia Road exit from I-93. The earnest endeavor cost Larson just $100, with most drivers shaking their heads, driving off, or even giving him the finger instead of taking his money. The Safe Roads Alliance has some pretty intense videos of folks causing crashes while on their phones, including this one from Texas that shows a texting bus driver with two disabled riders get into a crash, then mentions a Houston man whose five children drowned after he swerved his car into a ravine.Car and Driver magazine has an interesting comparison of drunk driving and texting. We're a little amazed that folks feel so entitled to talk and drive, though we do wonder if someone holding a sign by the side of the road isn't a distraction in itself.

Conan O’Brien hit his head while taping Friday's episode of the "Tonight Show" and was taken to the hospital. Production was stopped, and a repeat was aired. O'Brien and NBC issued a statement in which the host joked he remembered "enjoying the play with Mrs. Lincoln." Bostonist hopes Conan is okay. [EOnline.com, Boston Herald]

Boston Police are asking the community to help identify suspects in the five street robberies reported in Jamaica Plain on Tuesday. BPDNews.com posted summaries of each incident and tips on protecting yourself against potential robbers. Anyone with information can contact police at (617) 343-5628. Anonymous tips can be reported to CrimeStoppers at 1(800)494-TIPS or text a ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). [BPDNews.com]

Following drawn-out drama over the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University President Jehuda Reinharz has announced he will resign at the end of this year. As with the Boston Newspaper Guild, the battle is over financial matters.

The Globe Death Watch had centered largely on negotiations between the paper and the Boston Newspaper Guild union of reporters, but now the Phoenix reports that the Guild is turning on its own. The Guild Executive Board has suspended Guild President Dan Totten's check signing authority and taken away his credit card based on suspicion of mishandling funds. More at the Herald and Globe.

A big ol' boa was rescued from Assembly Square by Somerville police earlier today. The reptile had a bruised head but appeared otherwise in good conditoin. According to the animal control officer who picked it up, the boa was bigger than the 5-foot ball python she found in Davis Square last month and deemed "too small" to be dangerous. Could we have a Somerville snake epidemic on our hands?

Hey, folks! We were, just "told" that, it is apparently? National! Punctuation... Day: a day for all of, the people who--care about punctuation (and stuff.) to feel self–righteous about the'ir obsession, and for? people who, dont care, to go right-on living. After enjoying question mark cookies, of course. [National Punctuation Day]

Matt O'Malley, who ran through the Ward-by-Ward voting data in Boston's mayoral primary yesterday does the same for the city council primary today. Connolly's big win is the biggest surprise in the numbers, unless you thought Ayanna Pressley was going to beat Tito Jackson in JP Ward 11. (We did the numbers, and if you combine Wards 11 and 19, Pressley actually did beat Jackson in JP, 2199 to 1697.)

Despite being the subject of a high-profile corruption probe, City Councilor Chuck Turner easily won Tuesday's preliminary election with 52% in a four-candidate race. Turner reportedly told the Herald "This is a mandate for me to fight back. They’re saying, ‘Keep on fighting.’" Turner was at federal court before Judge Timothy Hillman for a hearing regarding his access to the government documents the indictment is based on. Turner can gain access to the documents if he agrees not to leak them. Turner won't agree to the gag order, saying “They would have to put me in jail." Last week, Turner criticized the FBI for their handling, or not handling, the ongoing City Hall “e-mail-gate” scandal.

Remember Rhys Williams, the inebriated Boston EMT on injured leave who allegedly shot the brothers of his deceased former partner after attending a benefit for the deceased former partner and then treated the men he just shot? There may be more to it. One of the victims, along with his wife, was arrested in April after a fight in the South End. Attorney Peter Horstmann, who represents Williams in the shooting on Sunday, alleged April's incident could be a factor in the Abington incident. All charges alleged until proven under law.

Mayor Tom Menino got more votes than all of his opponents combined in Tuesday's preliminary election. That makes his 51% sound like a lot. In the words of Matt O'Malley, "Menino romped, " and if you look at the ward-by-ward breakdown, O'Malley's assessment is accurate. Menino won 19 of 22 wards. The other three wards went to Michael Flaherty.

In a personal letter to Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian, Governor Deval Patrick issued an ultimatum yesterday: Rehire the housekeepers you fired in August from Boston's Hyatt hotels or stop doing business with the state of Massachusetts. Hyatt fired housekeeping staff from its Boston locations on August 31 and replaced it with outsourced, contract labor. In his letter, Patrick called the move "the worst nightmare of every worker in today’s weak economy." [More]

The Globe is quoting a "Kennedy family associate" as saying Victoria Reggie Kennedy supports Paul G. Kirk Jr as a replacement for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. WCVB is reporting a "family confidant" tells them Edward Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick Kennedy also support Kirk as their father's interim replacement. With that in mind, FoxNews.com is reporting Kirk, chairman of the board of directors of the JFK Library Foundation, will be named to temporarily fill the vacant Senate seat. The Fox story also says Gov. Deval Patrick's office says he hasn't decided on a replacement.

Vets at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston surgically removed a 21-pound tumor from a 13-year old Labrador retriever. Dr. Michael Pavletic, Director of Surgical Services at Angell Animal Medical Center said this was the largest tumor he'd seen in 35 years as a veterinarian. The tumor was one-sixth the body weight of the canine, named Warren. WCVB has a picture of the tumor, which is both fascinating and disgusting.

Aerosmith will return to the performing saddle much sooner than expected thanks to a court order stemming from a lawsuit over a canceled tour date in 2007 in Maui. The settlement requires the band to perform two shows in the Aloha State, October 18 and 20, that are required to be consistent with a typical Aerosmith gig. Someone named Brandee Faria said "They know they can't come out and do a 30-minute gig...because I'll be there watching." Ms. Faria was a councilor for the suit, and not a music critic. At RollingStone.com, where they know more about concerts than Ms. Faria, Joe Perry confirmed that Aerosmith will be back despite rumors of turmoil within the band following Steven Tyler's fall and resulting tour-date cancellations.

Fred the Baker is not happy with his corporate overlords. According to the Globe, Dunkin' Donuts is embroiled in "more than 350 lawsuits" with its franchisees, a situation that caused one lawyer to speculate that "the coffee chain has turned its loss prevention department into a 'profit center'" and that "By far and away, Dunkin’ is the most litigious brand out there." Dunkin', for its part, defends its many lawsuits, saying "any legal action it takes is intended to protect all shop owners and ensure that customers have a consistently outstanding experience." [Globe]

The Globe and Herald are currently calling a Menino-Flaherty runoff for mayor. Menino has 49% and Flaherty 25% with 179 of 254 precincts reporting in the mayoral preliminary, according to the Globe.

WBZTV reports that the Massachusetts Senate has passed the bill that would allow the governor to appoint an interim U.S. Senator to fill the seat left vacant by Ted Kennedy's death. It was a close vote, 24-16. Governor Deval Patrick is expected to sign it into law tomorrow. But will he appoint army tank and public transportation fanatic Michael Dukakis to the seat? Does he have any other, good choices?

Former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger has been hired to investigate various allegations against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, otherwise known as ACORN. Videos surfaced of ACORN staffers advising people posing as a prostitute and pimp, which led to Congress cutting off funding to ACORN. Harsbarger was AG from 1991-99 and later ran goverrnment watchdog group Common Cause. He currently works for Proskauer Rose LLP and specializes in corporate and nonprofit governance. ACORN started in 1970 and is active in 75 cities including Boston.

The Globe reports that fewer than 8 percent of registered voters made it to the polls by noon today. Joyce Linehan tweets, "In Boston 17, 11 (Codman Hill area) only 34 people have voted as of now." So, where are you, Boston?

The Center for New Words, Cambridge's feminist literary collective, announced today that it will be closing for good. The organization, which has been around for 28 years, will morph into a group called "Women, Action, & Media" (WAM) with a national scope. Lack of funding was cited as a reason behind the closure.

Bostonist can't explain how the Patriots lost to the Jets despite allowing just 16 points and having Tom Brady at quarterback. Since we can't explain it, we're blaming Gisele. Gi wants to fly, and is learning on helicopters in Marshfield. Perhaps Brady is forced to fly with her as she practices when he could be resting or looking at extra film. Or, he could simply be driven to distraction with fear over her stupid hobby. Either way, she should consider us when she pulls this crap. It's really not just about us. Well, mainly it is. But, how does Gisele's extravagant use of fuel mesh with her environmental advocacy? What will they say at the U.N. about their newly minted Goodwill Ambassador? Okay, they won't care.

Independently owned Harvard Book Store just announced that it will be getting an Espresso Book Machine, the newfangled device that allows you to print your own public domain books straight from Google Books. According to the bookstore, Espresso "can produce library-quality, perfect bound paperback editions from a virtually limitless inventory of digital titles in multiple languages, including rare and out-of-print public domain titles." According to Wired, we lucked out: there is only a handful of Espresso Book Machines in operation across the world. (The closest? Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont.) Harvard's Espresso will go live September 29, right across the street from Widener Library, which might just have to lower its privilege fee to compete.

Boston Police responded to the Tedeschi’s on West Broadway in South Boston on Tuesday and found glass door smashed by a large rock. Police say surveillance tape shows the suspect tossing a rock through the door to enter the store. He then stole Newports and scratch tickets. The same suspect allegedly lifted lottery tickets and Newport cigarettes from a 7-11 on West Broadway in July and August. BPDNews.com describes the suspect as a white man, 30-40 years old with dark hair. He wore a Boston Red Sox hat and Championship shirt and black jeans and black sneakers. Cool surveillance pics, too. [BPDNews.com] All charges alleged until proven under law.

Maybe it's because the Boston city council doesn't really wield that much power, but the race for four seats on the council has been surprisingly quiet. Or, at least, it's been overshadowed by the mayor's race and our new, open U.S. Senate seat. If you live in Boston, it's time for a quick crash course in the candidates for city council by reading Adam Gaffin's notes from a city council forum for the Allston/Brighton district seat or read the Globe's rather more perfunctory coverage of the at-large candidates. Remember, you can choose 4 at-large candidates on your ballot, and only 8 of the 12 will survive the primary.

The vestiges of old Harvard Square keep disappearing, victims of whatever kind of virus leaves Bo Concepts and the Tannery in its horrific wake. According to the Crimson, it's time to add Herrell's Ice Cream Store to the list. The details are complicated—Allston's Herrell's went rogue in June—but it sounds like the Herrell's mothership is in disarray, and the Harvard Square location might become a new restaurant. In any event, don't expect scoops of Herrell's in the Square after November 1.

According to the Boston Globe, the Chinatown, Downtown Crossing, and South Station MBTA stations have been evacuated due to an electrical fire. Red and Orange Line service has been stopped in the area. No injuries have been reported. Substitute shuttle bus service is being provided.

Monkeys were evacuated from the Liberty Hotel on Charles Street this morning after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in the hotel, according to the Globe. A few humans were evacuated as well. The monkeys, who were spotted on Charles Street riding the backs of their trainers, are in Boston to film The Zookeeper, a Kevin James vehicle. The monkeys are named Crystal and Squirt, according to WCVB. The movie has already seen one animal fatality, the Toys-R-Us giraffe. We hope the monkeys are getting hazard pay.

The Patriot-Ledger reports on a bill in the state legislature that would establish your right to fix your own car. Senate Bill 124/House Bill 228 would require auto manufacturers to disclose some of the computer code in the cars that they build, which would allow a wider pool of mechanics to work on the newer, more complicated vehicles, and would potentially end the monopoly held by "authorized dealers." [Patriot-Ledger, via Slashdot]

Bostonist isn't running for Senate. Neither is Stephen Lynch, who said there wasn't enough time to prepare for a run. Everyone else is, or may be. City Year founder Alan Khazei is apparently running. The Boston Globe said Khazei will get the nomination papers today and begin collecting signatures. Khazei had been considering running for the Senate so it's not a huge surprise that he's making it official. The idea that Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca, last seen trying to buy the Globe, is possibly running for the seat vacated by Ted Kennedy's death in August, comes out of half-court left field.

WBZ, Boston.com and Universal Hub report a commuter rail train crash in South Station. The train involved was a Worcester Line commuter rail train, and at least 12 have been injured.

This weekend saw two serious bicycle crashes, one of which ended in death. 22-year-old Tracy Milillo died Friday after suffering serious head trauma during an accident with a car near Coolidge Corner. Brookline police have not determined if the driver was at fault in the accident. Milillo had not been wearing a helmet. A second accident on Saturday found a BU student pinned under his bicycle after crossing in front of an oncoming B-Line trolley. Despite tramautizing b0st0n.livejournal, the cyclist sustained minor injuries.

The Globe tries to make up for systematically ignoring his campaign by running a lengthy profile of novelty candidate for mayor Kevin McCrea that describes how McCrea went from being "the Motorcycle Guy" who lost a city council race in 2005 to the suit-wearing crusader-gadfly who, he says, has a serious chance at winning the mayor's seat. It's a pretty puffy article that teaches you, among other things, that McCrea claims to have been a competitive ice sculptor (?) and a chess prodigy. [Globe]

Andy Card didn't enter the Senate race, which is why Scott Brown did. Right? Brown, a Republican from Wrentham, officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Saturday. Brown touched on some typically conservative issues like tax cuts, and of course, displayed plenty of flags, according to the Boston Globe. Brown is well-compensated as a state senator, and has exemplary attendance. Brown could be the last prominent candidate to enter the race now that Card and Ed Markey are out. Oh, yeah, Jack E. Robinson and some community activist may run, too.

Angry Asian Man, a California-based blogger who covers Asian Americans in the media, has come out in support of Sam Yoon, saying Yoon "speaks the language of a reformer" and is "trying to bring something different to Boston's business-as-usual politics." We already looked at Yoon's reform agenda, but now we want to know: where does Secret Asian Man stand on the issue? We're not sure about his mayoral endorsement, but we did find out from the SAM site that next Saturday, September 19, will mark the last day of the Secret Asian Man's three-year daily run with United Media. The strip will return to a weekly format, running in alt-weeklies like the Weekly Dig, where SAM creator Tak Toyoshima is creative director.

We like to make fun of the Globe a lot, but every once in a while they come up with an interesting story about an overlooked topic. Today the paper tells the story of Chris Rogers, a former Boston Police officer who was harassed by his fellow officers for first failing to protect and then mourning Officer Roy Sergei in a fatal 1987 shooting. Rogers' wife left him six years ago, and in 2006 he was dismissed from the force after being diagnosed as bipolar. Currently, Rogers lives in the Pine Street Inn and is trying to get back on his feet. It's a sad story that offers a poignant reminder of how we never know when we'll need the help of others to get by.

It's official! Tom Brady finally confirmed what we all sort of already knew: Gisele Bundchen is pregnant. As secrets go, it wasn't well hidden. He told Chris Berman of ESPN the news, and joked that the birth can't occur on a Sunday. But, if the blessed event were to happen on December 13 or 27, when the team plays in Foxboro, there may be a way Tom could witness the birth of his second child and play quarterback on the same day. The sprawling Patriot Place complex includes the Brigham and Women’s/Mass General Health Care Center. Bostonist has had an appointment there. It's an impressive facility. There must be some intern working for Bill Belichick who can check to see if it's equipped to handle women in labor.

Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi is resigning after nine months, and won’t head the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation, set to begin operating on Nov. 1. This continues a chaotic year for the state's transportation aparatus that has featured crashes, resignations, iPhone apps, canceled fare-hike workshops, and, what did we miss?

If you saw yesterdays Rush Hour debate, you know the three candidates challenging Mayor Tom Menino brought a much sharper brand of criticism to bear. An intensifying campaign should be no surprise given the current political climate. Harsh rhetoric is one thing, and is actually good if focused on relevant issues in the campaign. That spirited debate has apparently spawned acts of vandalism is certainly an undesireable extension of spirited debates. In one case, there is surveillance video of vandalism on a Michael Flaherty campaign sign.

As we predicted, we didn't make it home in time to watch tonight's Boston mayoral debate on Channel 25, which was helpfully scheduled for rush hour. Luckily for us, Adam Gaffin was available to liveblog it. The highlights? Michael Flaherty doesn't know how much it costs to ride the T. Yoon explained why there are four candidates in the race. The moderator asked Menino if he thought he spoke like an imbecile. McCrea yelled a lot. [Universal Hub]

Fox Channel 25 will be broadcasting a Boston mayoral debate this afternoon beginning at 5 p.m., when many still-employed Bostonians will be at work or commuting home from it. We won't be live blogging this one because they don't have televisions on the T, so you're on your own. We guess that we'll read about the debate on some Web site or another after we get home, when Fox will be showing Malcolm in the Middle and Simpsons re-runs.

Convenience store mogul and perennial candidate Christy Mihos isn't running for U.S. Senate after all, according to a campaign aide. That means that reports of a hilarious Senate campaign were somewhat exaggerated. No animations of Curt Schilling with his head up his ass, in other words, but Mihos should still get some swipes in against Republican primary opponent Charlie Baker. Making jokes about insurance executives is like picking low hanging fruit.

The Harvard Crimson reports that it ran a full-page ad from a Holocaust denier group in today's paper. The ad has been pulled, according to the article, and will not run again this week. The ad was placed by Bradley Smith, the creepazoid who runs the "Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust," the foremost Holocaust denial group in the United States. There is no controversy, among people who aren't Nazis, about whether or not the Holocaust took place. Hate groups like Smith's have been placing ads in college papers for over a decade, in the attempt to lend credence to their pretend scholarship.

Joseph Kennedy is out, but Representative Michael Capuano is in, according to the Dot Report.

Joseph P. Kennedy II is not running for the Senate seat held by his uncle Edward M. Kennedy, who died on August 25, 2009. Kennedy made the announcement by posting a statement on the website of Citizens Energy Corp., the nonprofit he founded to provide free heating fuel to the poor.

On Tuesday, we learned Forbes Magazine decided living in Boston is stressful. Bostonist had no idea. More bad news today, this time from those party-poopers at IBM: Driving in Boston is stressful. President Obama should put these guys to work on the deficit. Boston tied for fourth with Chicago with 47% of commuters stressed out from driving to work. For the Hub, that's a 10-point spike since last year. Part of the problem, according to the study, is Boston's 33-minute average one-way commute is tied with New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., for the longest in the country.

The Globe covers last night's "candidates forum," an untelevised debate between the four mayoral candidates held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. Tempers flared as the candidates tore into Menino over issues including the city's minority hiring record, housing spending, and the Boston school system. [Globe]

As rumors of Schilling dance in the air, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has officially declared her candidacy to temporarily take over the late Edward Kennedy's Senate seat. Other possible candidates include Democratic representatives Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch, as well as Republicans Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, and state Sen. Scott Brown. We wonder how much the hubbub over Teddy's seat will detract from the mayoral race, with primaries on September 22.

Pretend scientists at Forbes Magazine have decided that living in Boston is stressful! Here's why. Remember when everybody had a job and valuable real estate? If you are remembering hard enough, you are probably having stress spasms in your back since now everybody in Boston has bupkes. That's what the Forbes people are talking about. But buck up. Boston's only the 8th most stressful city. Think of it this way. If you're looking at Tom Brady, you probably think he's the hottest man ever. But, actually, he's only the eighth hottest NFL quarterback, and at least you aren't looking at Ben Roethlisberger, allegedly the sixth hottest. Similarly, living in Boston might seem stressful, but at least you don't live in Providence, tied for fourth most stressful, despite or because of its legal weed, prostitution, and gambling. Come to think of it, maybe Providence is the Ben Roethlisberger of New England cities.

Blogger and Twitter user Aaron Cohen quizzed Boston's mayoral candidates about one of the great unknowns in this year's campaign: their respective tastes in fine dining. The results sound as message-focussed as anything in the campaign. Flaherty likes Eastie Italian joint Rino's because of "the chicken parm and warm neighborhood family feel
." Menino hedges his bets: "I like any restaurant in Boston that serves good food." Yoon likes unpretentious fancy food like what you'll find at Aquitaine or Petit Robert—he also gives a shout-out to "farmers markets, bodegas with produce, and roof gardens." [WhereToEat.in]

"They conveniently ignore that from 1995 until 2007, I was a member of the minority of the House. I am flattered that during that period, when Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay ran the House, some think I had some form of secret power over them, which is nonsense." -- Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, in a newsletter to constituents, responding to right-wing talk radio charges that he had a hand in the 2008 financial meltdown.