On Tuesday we wrote about how Governor Deval Patrick's intellectually lazy casino job creation numbers gave ammunition to the skeptical of gambling Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi. Yesterday, however, Patrick got some good news from the Chamber of Commerce, who released numbers much more helpful to his cause. The previous criticism was related to Patrick's projection that the three proposed casinos would create 30,000 new construction jobs, while a more balanced analysis in......

In general, a person should save a little money in case something bad happens. But the MBTA, which General Manager Dan Grabauskas says is broke, has had to deplete its reserves significantly. The Globe reports today that the T's new budget will take $20 million from the emergency fund, bringing the reserves down to $35 million. The reserves are supposed to be $100 million. Now that emergency funds are no longer technically "emergency," the T......

The Globe is blushing right now. Columnist Adrian Walker, most frequently seen getting Universal Hub's dander up, was arrested early Sunday on an OUI. Making matters worse for the Globe, he was driving a company car when Transit Police in Dorchester arrested him for speeding. He told officers that he had been at Silvertone earlier. He has pled not guilty. But the word is out. The Globe mentioned the incident in "New England in Brief."......

We were in Detroit for the weekend, and the most frequently asked questions about Boston were "What happened in the Super Bowl?" and "Is that Big Dig thing finally finished?" The latter is easier to answer: No. The Globe reports today--months after the official ending--that there are some 2,000 tasks of varying importance that have yet to be completed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority's contractors. The MTA says that while the Big Dig is functional......

--Some of those who treated the Big Dig like one big, fat ATM are finally getting their just desserts. Yesterday, a Big Dig contractor was charged with trying to overcharge the government by $300,000. They've agreed to plead guilty. [Boston Globe] --Things are getting hotter for Superior Court Judge Richard T. Moses. The Herald is ticking off a list of sex offenders he set free who then went on to commit more crimes. [Boston......

The Bruins' win over Pittsburgh had a little something for everybody. It had scoring (including two by Marco Sturm), goaltending (Tim Thomas came one shot away from two straight shutouts), fighting (Milan Lucic exchanged pleasantries with Jarkko Ruutu for a good long satisfying while), and most importantly a win, which pulled the scorching-hot B's within four points of the Northeast Division lead. Kevin Paul Dupont analyzes why doing nothing might have been the best move......

City Council president Maureen Feeney (aka "MoFee") had plans to host a big gathering--or kvetch-fest, if you will--at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. At the time it was originally announced, it was seen as a potential irritant to Mayor Menino and a possible traffic nightmare. Whatever it is, it's on. The Globe describes the gathering thusly: Her goal is to combat the voter apathy displayed in the most recent council election and address a......

The Commomwealth's Speaker of the House, Sal DiMasi, is well-known for his opposition to Governor Deval Patrick's casino plan. There's no turning back now. The Globe reports today that DiMasi played golf at exclusive South Florida clubs with Joe O'Donnell, owner of Eastie's Suffolk Downs horse track, who wants a gaming license. They also report that DiMasi met the famously rich casino magnate Donald Trump "...at a cocktail party at the Mar-a-Lago Club, an......

An 88-year-old Brockton man was shot in the back yesterday outside of his house around one in the afternoon, the bullet passing through his chest. Despite his advanced age, the Herald reports that he is likely to fully recover. Nothing was stolen, and the motive for the attack is unclear. Brockton, about 25 miles south of Boston, was already reeling from a shooting the previous day that left one teenager wounded and another dead.......

Former city councilor Felix Arroyo, who was voted out in the last election, is recovering after being hit by a car in Venezuela. Arroyo was in Venezuela visiting the family of his fiance. The incident happened a month ago, but the injuries were serious enough that he is still in Venezuela recovering. The Globe reports that he sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung: The driver of the car took Arroyo to a clinic, where......

Despite costing us the Super Bowl, Boston is Mayor Tom Menino's city to lose. Given relative peace and prosperity, and the incredible challenge of defeating an incumbent, Menino will likely decide when and how his tenure as mayor comes to an end. Still, a rival politician can dream. The Globe today details three people who are weighing a run for mayor in 2009: --City Councilor at Large Michael Flaherty, 38, who's been having low-key......

--A 19-year-old is accused of killing his social worker, 53-year-old Diruhi S. Mattian, in North Andover last night. The accused is now in the hospital recovering from stab wounds he gave himself. [ http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/02/social_worker_i.html">Boston Globe] --A woman was found murdered in her Medfield home last night. The victim, 47-year-old Margaret Ninos, was a nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She died of head injuries. Police are investigating, and she leaves behind a 7-year-old daughter.......

--So there was this blizzard in 1978, and the blizzard was ridiculous. But a blizzard can't be that bad if you get trapped at the Garden with color TV, beer, and hot dogs. [Boston Globe] --The Globe found not one, not two, but five Republicans in Cambridge. That's hard. [Boston Globe] --A high-school athlete in Scituate died Saturday in a car accident. The young man was a passenger in a car driven by a friend,......

The House of Blues has bought the Lansdowne Street clubs, including Avalon and Axis. How is this going to affect the renovations of Avalon and Axis, which has had a negative impact on performers and fans since the venues shut down? The Globe reports: "The only thing that has changed is in place of a sign that says Lansdowne Music Hall, it will say House of Blues," Lyons said yesterday. He will continue to own......

--A man walking on a pond in Weymouth on Sunday fell in and was rescued before freezing to death. Neighbors heard his screams and called for help. The footage of the rescue was so dramatic that it's been making the rounds on CNN. [WCVB] --The Globe displays pictures of the region's worst storms, which carry the subliminal message "Quit yer bitching." [Boston Globe] --Is Will Ferrell's "Funny or Die" tour coming to Boston College......

Hot on the heels of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's endorsement of Barack Obama, Senator Edward M. Kennedy has also endorsed Barack Obama for president. Voters likely saw it coming when Kennedy told ex-president and First Campaigner Bill Clinton to stifle himself and let Hillary Clinton do her own campaigning. The Globe's Political Intelligence analyzes Kennedy's decision as a big "up yours" to the Clintons: The coveted endorsement is a huge blow to New York Senator Hillary......

This morning, the Patriots are headed to Phoenix. Most of America is uncomfortably embracing a New York team as "good"'s only hope against "evil", while we're just waiting and anticipating that Tom Brady will eventually show up and rejoin the team. (We think he will; it's not Manny we're talking about here.) Luckily for the Pats, another opponent has decided to open his big mouth and give them something other than Brady's foot to talk......

The Globe reported that the Metro was shrinking, and Joe Keohane at Boston Daily noted that the Globe got details wrong. Then the Metro trumped that little blunder by reporting that the Globe was planning "hundreds" of layoffs and would raise the price of the paper to 75 cents. The Globe told the Herald that's not so. Meanwhile, the Herald stands by, endlessly amused, not the least because the Globe and the Metro are......

Guess the Metro really is in trouble. Without a buyout from the Examiner, they are cutting staff positions, including a sports editor, and the publisher has resigned. People make fun of the Metro, but it's a part of any commuters' daily life. Most people get their news first from the Metro and some even become buddies with their morning vendors. The New York Times Company, which owns the Globe, has a 49 percent stake in......

The Globe is reporting that State House staffer, and apparent intellectual whiz, Dan Pawson is on quite the winning streak on Jeopardy. He has won an impressive $86,100 so far and looks to continue his good fortune tonight. Although the show was taped a few months ago, Dan is tight-lipped about the outcome - tune in to the show at 7:30 tonight to see if this Allston native can keep it up! Oh, and......

It was kind of adorable, the way the Celtics were quipping on Friday night. After defeating the Bucks, 104-82, and tying the franchise record for the best start on the ol' Boston parquet, the Celts tried to demur. Which, in turn, reminded us all of how awesome the team is. We could remark on the fact that Kevin Garnett (15 points), like, totally sounded like a Valley Girl when he tried to explain that he......

That's right; we almost had to go in the closets for a rare winter activation of the Panic Button. The Patriots were struggling on offense, dropping passes left and right. The defense really struggled, allowing Raven Willis McGahee to run amok for three quarters. Don Shula was up in the booth with corkscrew in hand. But somehow, the game stayed close. And Tom Brady had a chance to go up the field with 3:30 to......

Donald Trump might be serious about putting a casino in Massachusetts after all. The Globe is reporting that Donald Trump and Charles Sarkis, who owns Wonderland, are talking. Matt Viser points out that this could touch off a battle between Trump Wonderland and Suffolk Downs. Sarkis and Suffolk Downs owner Richard Fields had been in talks in the past to join forces, but Trump could drive a wedge in that relationship. Viser writes, Fields and......

Tim Thomas has been a rock in goal for the Bruins; even when they've been floundering offensively - and make no mistake, they have - Thomas has played well enough to keep them in the game. But last night against Toronto, another team struggling to put the biscuit in the basket, the B's found their rhythm and controlled the tempo, punishing old friend Andrew Raycroft for a 5-2 win. (Your humble correspondent was there, doing......

Josh Beckett got to hoist the championship trophy, ride down Boylston on the duck boats, and will get a huge ring in the spring. He earned the Sports Illustrated commemorative issue cover, the champagne and beer showers, and the reputation for serving as the ace among aces in October. He had a rich season, so we're hoping that such a reminder helps as C.C. Sabathia is toasted as the American League's newest Cy Young winner.......

Those angry manholes are at it again, and unfortunately for all of us, they're stepping up their game. This Bostonist was walking home this afternoon and noticed some black smoke coming out of a manhole on Hanover Street. The North End is a pretty crazy place, so Bostonist didn't think much of it and continued on our way. We should know better than to trust a manhole, any manhole. The smoke kept coming and......

Thomas Paine said, "These are the times that try men's souls". Hamlet said, "To take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them." Dr. Peter Venkman said it a bit pithier, as above. All true. The Red Sox are in St. Petersburg tonight to play the Devil Rays, and if they don't treat the Rays like the second coming of the Big Red Machine, they're going to find themselves in serious hot......

Think back to the glory days of '04, when an odd phenomenon swept across Red Sox Nation. The day after we realized that our beloved boys of summer-turned-autumn were heading to the World Series, many a bleary-eyed Sox fan remarked that winning the Series would be amazing, unheard of, astounding. But there was an anti-climactic twinge to the remarks, because Shaughnessy's curse had already been broken for some of the crowd. The Sox had already......

Where to begin? When it comes to baseball, most of the news that came out of Tuesday was dreary, almost as dreary as the skies over Boston this morning. It felt as if it took ages for Barry Bonds to take the final steps in his journey to become baseball's new home run king, but on Tuesday night, the San Francisco Giants slugger did it. Shortly before midnight Eastern time, at a time when many......

The stage was set perfectly. Curt Schilling was making his comeback, adding the final link to the Sox' solid rotation. He pitched very well, had good stamina, gave fans confidence...but didn't win the game. Oops. Schill went six-plus, and kept the Anaheim bats in check for the most part. Casey Kotchman singled in two runs in the fourth, which could have been avoided if Curt had been quicker on the draw to cover a double-play......