William Shakespeare arrested for 2016 Mattapan killing

A fugitive named William Shakespeare, accused of a June 2016 killing in Mattapan, was captured this morning in the Bronx.

Shakespeare, 29, was indicted by a grand jury last September after the June 14 fatal shooting of Marcus Hall inside a Mattapan barber shop.

"Boston Police Homicide detectives and prosecutors from Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley's office worked tirelessly investigating and ultimately identifying Shakespeare as the suspect responsible for this brazen daytime murder," Boston Police said in a statement. "The investigation led authorities to believe that Shakespeare fled the state shortly after the murder to avoid capture."

A lengthy investigation ensued, until the Boston Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit, US Marshals and NYPD located and arrested Shakespeare Tuesday morning in the Bronx, New York.

Read more: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/william_shakespeare_arrested_f.html

Pat Tillman's widow slams Donald Trump's refugee ban: 'This is not what he died for'

The widow of Pat Tillman, the football star who quit the NFL and signed up for the Army Rangers after 9/11, is speaking out against President Donald Trump‘s executive order temporarily banning all from entering the U.S.

Marie Tillman said she is “deeply saddened” by the controversial order, and vowed to “fight” the policy in honor of her husband, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004 – just two years after enlisting.

“He stood up to serve because he believed in the principles on which our country was founded and, recognizing it wasn’t perfect, was passionate about what it could be,” Tillman wrote in the Facebook post on Saturday.

“This is not the country he dreamed of, not what he served for and not what he died for.”

In 2002 my husband enlisted in the US Army, he stood up to serve because he believed in the principles on which our country was founded and, recognizing it wasn’t perfect, was passionate about what it could be. Today I am deeply saddened by the news of the executive order banning immigration. This is not the country he dreamed of, not what he served for and not what he died for. Since his death I have embarked on the most meaningful work of my life, supporting the men and women who, like Pat, fight for what this country can be. As I read posts from the community of #Tillman Scholars on my Facebook feed I am encouraged; they are exactly as I knew they would be, poised and ready to fight. I am proud of them and proud to stand with them, we’ve got this.

Senate prez expects lawmakers to override pay raise veto this week

MA Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg said today he expects a vote to override Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of a polarizing pay-raise package for public officials will happen this week and said it will likely pass both houses in the legislature.

“Both houses had sufficient votes on the main question, so assuming that holds, the answer would be ‘yes,’” Rosenberg told Herald Radio when asked whether the governor’s veto will be shot down.

Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo are in line for a substantial increase of nearly 50 percent to $142,500 and other legislative leaders, executive branch members, and judges will also see a pay bump.

The house is set to vote on the veto override first, before the Senate takes up the issue, Rosenberg said. If the veto is overridden, the Amherst Democrat noted the increases will go into effect immediately because the assignments for the committee leaders who would see a change in pay will be handed out in the coming weeks.

Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_politics/2017/01/senate_prez_expects_lawmakers_to_override_pay_raise_veto_this_week

Harvard medical students, doctors urge cancellation of fund-raiser at Mar-a-Lago

Hundreds of medical students, doctors, and other medical personnel opposed to President Trump’s immigration order are urging the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to cancel a lavish fund-raiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.

But even as the number of signatures on a circulating petition grew — rising to 700 caregivers in Boston and across the United States by 5 p.m. Tuesday — Dana-Farber said it would not risk losing money earmarked for cancer research and treatment by canceling the fund-raiser.

Donors are paying as much as $100,000 to attend the fund-raiser on Feb. 18 at the 20-acre seaside resort in Palm Beach. Dana-Farber raised $2.2 million at last year’s Mar-a-Lago gala, which featured a concert by James Taylor, according to a video on the hospital’s website.

The objections to the fund-raiser are an example of the fallout over Trump’s order restricting travel from seven Muslim-majority countries — restrictions that have prompted protests across the country.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/31/harvard-med-students-doctors-urge-cancellation-dana-farber-fundraiser-mar-lago/rMMHQpZb8A6clvscAY3yZO/story.html

Boston police force will be on streets on Super Bowl Sunday

Boston Police officers may be unique when it comes to the New England Patriots and the team’s repeated Super Bowl appearances - most have never seen a game as it happened. And this year, when the team is going for its fifth NFL championship, it won’t be any different.

Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans said Tuesday he plans a “full call up’’ on Sunday when the Patriots play the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston, meaning the entire department will be on the city’s streets.

Evans said he is a subscriber to the NFL Network Red Zone and usually spends Sunday afternoons and into Sunday evenings watching football with his two sons. But he has not attended a Super Bowl party for years, and neither have large numbers of his fellow officers.

The only way his officers will be able to see the game live, he said is if they peer through the window of a bar while the game is being played Sunday night.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/31/commissioner-evans-and-boston-police-force-will-streets-super-bowl-sunday/nSgPSuDUDFHZiRO6kCkbXI/story.html

Casino mogul Steve Wynn tapped for top Republican finance post

Source: Boston Globe

Steve Wynn, the billionaire casino mogul who is building a resort in Everett, will serve as the new finance chairman of the Republican National Commitee, the party said Tuesday.

The RNC announced the selection of Wynn, a longtime GOP supporter, in a statement.

“His incredible career has been marked not just by extraordinary business success, but meaningful relationships with his employees, guests, and Americans of all backgrounds,” said RNC chair Ronna McDaniel in the release.

“He understands and shares the national enthusiasm for President Trump, and will bring his passion for American values, his leadership skills, and his track record of outstanding results to our Finance operation. We welcome to our team a true patriot who is all-in to help us raise the support needed to maintain the RNC’s record level of organizational strength.”

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/31/casino-mogul-steve-wynn-tapped-for-rnc-finance-post/ltQsi9b98SbOSsFEYbH6nK/story.html

Senator Ed Markey: 'GOP, In A Modern Era, Stands For 'Gas And Oil Party'

During the confirmation hearing for Scott Pruitt, President-elect Trump's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Senator Ed Markey asked Pruitt point-blank if he believed climate change was a hoax.

"Donald Trump has called global warming a hoax caused by the Chinese," Markey said. "Do you agree that global warming is a hoax?"

Pruitt replied, "I do not."

"So Donald Trump is wrong?" Markey asked.

"I do not believe climate change is a hoax," Pruitt responded.

Read more: http://news.wgbh.org/2017/01/20/local-news/senator-ed-markey-gop-modern-era-stands-gas-and-oil-party

Mayor Walsh Endorses Legislative Pay Raises

Mayor Marty Walsh enthusiastically supports salary increases for legislative leaders, a proposal set to hit Governor Charlie Baker’s desk by Thursday. “If I was in the House I would support it,” Walsh said on Boston Public Radio Tuesday. “People aren’t running for office because the money is not there...I think if there were more opportunities to get people involved, I think if they thought they could actually earn a living and raise a family, they would run for office more.”

The proposed salary increases would mean a 40 percent raise for House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg, from $102,000 to $142,500. Committee chairs in leadership positions across the House and Senate would also see pay increases, including an extra $65,000 annually, instead of $25,000. Majority and minority leaders would earn an extra $60,000, instead of $22,500. "Fair-minded people will consider the fact that stipends for the presiding officers have not changed for 33 years,” Rosenberg told WGBH News during a press conference Monday. “Who works for the amount 33 years later?”

According to Walsh, the legislature’s pay increases are tied to the Cost of Living Index, and need to be approved by the governor. Governor Baker has not said whether or not he’ll approve the bill.

The bill would bump the salaries of the governor and other constitutional officers, including Attorney General Maura Healey. Governor Baker, who would receive an extra $33,200 annually with a $65,000 housing allowance, said he would not personally accept a pay raise. In an interview with Boston Public Radio Tuesday, Healey said she was still undecided about accepting what would potentially be a 40 percent raise. “I don’t do this job for the money, I can tell you that. I never have, and that’s not what it’s about.,” Healey said. When asked if she would accept, she said, “I’d have to see how it all shakes out

Read more: http://news.wgbh.org/2017/01/24/boston-public-radio-podcast/mayor-walsh-endorses-legislative-pay-raises

New Problems In Higher Ed Emerge Because of "Crushing Debt Crisis"

New issues in higher education, like student debt held by baby boomers and increases in the numbers of homeless and hungry students at public colleges, are stemming from the same problem, according to former Secretary of Education Paul Reville.

“Hunger and homelessness among current college students or debt among baby boomers... are symptoms of this crushing debt crisis,” he said today on Boston Public Radio. “They’re representative of just how far off track we are in terms of the way in which we’re financing higher education generally now, and the overly burdensome load that students and their families are carrying.”

Recent news stories highlight surprising statistics; people over the age of 66 hold more than $66 billion in student loan debt, and more than 1,000 students at public colleges and universities in the Bay State are homeless or at risk for becoming homeless.

According to Reville, these problems are linked to the high cost of college.

He explained that sky-high college costs are part of an inflation that’s happening for a number of reasons.

Read more: http://news.wgbh.org/2017/01/26/local-news/new-problems-higher-ed-emerge-because-crushing-debt-crisis

Pig-Human Hybrids Could Be Used To Harvest Organs For Transplants

Last week, scientists announced that they have successfully added human stem cells to a pig embryo, creating a hybrid animal they called a chimera, after the mythical creature.

The breakthrough, detailed in the science journal Cell, could potentially be the start of a new way to produce organs for human transplant. Organs grown inside the pig-human hybrid will be easier for human bodies to accept because of its’ partial human DNA. Once the organs inside the pig have reached the desired size, the big would be slaughtered and the organs would be harvested for transplant. This system could greatly benefit the 76,000 people currently waiting for organ transplants in the United States.

While the hybrid animal will still look like a pig and not display any human features, some ethicist have worried about the creation of freakish lab made creatures and raising pigs strictly to harvest their organs.

“I support the idea,” said Medical ethicist and the director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU’s Langone Medical Center Art Caplan on Boston Public Radio Tuesday. “The motive is good. It is to try to find ways to grow organs to meet this terrible shortage we have of organs for transplants. Scientists aren’t hanging around trying to figure out how to make a minotaur or some kind of freakish thing for their amusement.”

Read more: http://news.wgbh.org/2017/01/31/pig-human-hybrids-could-be-used-harvest-organs-transplants