This is a story tailor-made for the Herald: The Mass Pike has changed a long-standing but secretive policy that allowed toll collectors to carry .38-caliber handguns. The union that represents these workers plans to oppose the rule change, saying they need the weapons for protection when transporting toll money away from the booths. State Senator Steve Baddour told the Herald: “It’s absurd. The last time I saw a toll taker carrying a gun was when......

Massachusetts' legendary senior Senator and national liberal icon, Ted Kennedy. Massachusetts' junior Senator and the 2004 Democratic nominee, John Kerry. Massachusetts' precedent-shattering Governor, Deval Patrick. None of the endorsements were enough for Barack Obama to win the Massachusetts primary. While we gave a lot of attention yesterday to Senator Obama's epic Boston rally, Seth Gitell was reminding people that--press attention and celebrity status aside--the two strongest political machines in the state belong to Boston's......

--State Senate President Therese Murray ruled that a nonbinding referendum on Governor Deval Patrick's plan to allow three casino licenses in the state could not be added to the March primary ballot. [Boston Globe] --Meanwhile, the state Senate voted 35 to 5 to pass a measure that would move next year's Massachusetts presidential primary from March 4 to February 5. [WBZ] --In an appalling case, a former Somerville police officer was found guilty yesterday......

After several judges gave him a finger-wagging, Herald writer and talking head Howie Carr will return to WRKO after he tried to move to WTKK, according to All Access....

Bostonist missed a few matters in the midst of Red Sox Mania, such as the fate of radio personality and Herald writer Howie Carr. Carr went to a state appeals court judge in an attempt to overturn a ruling stating that his old employer, WRKO, had the right to match an offer made to him by WTKK. Carr's contract shenanigans left him stuck between stations and without a radio gig. And that's not going to......

Talking head and Herald writer Howie Carr, still trying to ditch WRKO and join WTKK, is appealing a judge's decision that states WRKO had the right to match WTKK's lucrative offer. Jessica Heslam reports that Carr and his lawyers have asked an appeals court justice if he can work for "the broadcaster of his choice" until the whole case has been settled. Clearly the broadcaster of his choice is not WRKO, who told Carr how......

Today, Herald columnist and radio show host Howie Carr went to Suffolk Superior Court Judge Allan van Gestel to try to stop WRKO from matching an offer from WTKK, the station where Carr wants to work. The judge told Carr that Entercom, who owns WRKO, still has the right to match WTKK's offer, and he was underwhelmed with Carr's attempts to play the victim: Carr is not, as he argues in his brief, ‘in essence,......

WRKO announcer/Herald columnist/hated Bostonian Howie Carr was scheduled to start his radio show at WTKK (96.9 FM) on Thursday morning. He was going to get a gargantuan bonus option, and he could talk to his heart's content. WTKK gave him an office and everything. But a judge told Carr not so fast. WRKO wanted to hang on to Carr, even though he plainly did not want to work for him. So WRKO and the massive......

--Tom Finneran of WRKO tried to join the Britney Spears VMA Performance Conversation. His input, which he probably thought was witty and snappy, left everyone just feeling uncomfortable. He declared that he would have given Spears a "black eye" and a "dope slap" if she kept him waiting just as she did her dancers during rehearsal. Yes, that's the way to tame those women who can't keep their clothes on, Mr. Finneran - just......

Howie Carr, Herald columnist and talking head, might be raking in even more money once he goes to radio station WTKK when his WRKO contract ends. If Carr goes to WTKK, he might make $7 million smackers over five years if he meets ratings targets. Of course, he has to solve his legal brawl with WRKO first. But is he worth it? Joe Keohane notes the repetitive nature of Howie Carr's columns, which are the......

We're starting to think gangster-turned-fugitive Whitey Bulger is kind of like the Neti, or UFOs, or Bat Boy. He shows up when the moon aligns with Saturn or when movies about him hit the big screen. He's turned up again, this time in Italy. Someone photographed an old guy and his girlfriend, and computer software indicated that the girlfriend may have been Bulger's girlfriend. That was enough to get the Bulger Task Force to fly......

Bostonist recently came across two articles about those Bostonians we love to hate here in the Hub. From politicians to athletes to the handful of Hollywood stars, both lists give a good idea of who residents have heard enough about. Sure, we celebrate like no other city, but we bond best when joining in a group hatred for a Boston personality, don't we? After seeing the New York Press' "50 Most Loathsome New Yorkers" list,......