— It’s sort of a cross between Northeastern’s co-op program and Olin College’s initial (and later abandoned) free-tuition model: “A new Northeast college plans to graduate students with no debt. Here’s how” (MassLive) 

— Our very own Al ‘Chainsaw’ Dunlap? “The CEO of Baystate Health wrote a book on how to fire people. He’s got plenty of practice” (Globe)

— This program could be big, if the state actually sticks with it: “356 Apartments Proposed Under Healey Fast-Track Review” (Banker & Tradesman)

— But I hope they slow-track this awful project: “Developer behind 26-story Davis Square tower says he’ll do what it takes to get neighbors’ support. It may take a lot” (Globe)

— Democratic socialists play Santa Claus: “New York City’s $30 Minimum-Wage Proposal Rattles Small Businesses” (WSJ)

— Howie’s asking the right questions: “$11.9M reasons to demand State Police reforms” (Herald)

— Hope the BSO board knows what’s it’s doing: “Why has one of the world’s great conductors been shown the door?” (Guardian)

— It makes sense – and it doesn’t make sense: “Curry College to absorb neighboring school despite drawing millions from endowment” (BBJ)

— At least they’re thinking in these terms: “Competitiveness fears weave through budget hearings” (Commonwealth Beacon)

— It’s right up our culinary alley (without the toast): “One Food All Americans Can Agree On” (Atlantic)

— Just a nice story that makes you feel a little better about life: “Larry called me to complain about one of my stories. Then we became friends” (WBUR)

The head of GBH is floating the idea of a merger with WBUR, its cross-town NPR rival/cousin, as the Globe reports. For now, WBUR doesn’t appear very interested, ghosting the preliminary courtship gestures. … But the idea does lead to some interesting questions: Who’s financially worse off and needs this merger more, GBH or WBUR? Who would inevitably dominate a merger? (I’ve covered too many corporate “mergers of equals” to know there’s no such thing as a merger of equals.) … My hunch is that GBH, the significantly larger and more stuffy of the two, would ultimately consume ‘BUR’s identity in any merger.  And the scrappy WBUR knows it. Thus the initial scram ghosting from Commonwealth Ave. … Then again, WBUR radio has maintained a bigger audience (at least as of 2024) ever since GBH decided in the early 2000s to switch to ‘BUR-style news-and-talk format. … Any way you look at it, this seems to be a shotgun-wedding situation.

Personally, I hope a merger doesn’t happen. I like the competition. GBH is also too establishment for me. I mean, you can’t get any more establishment in this town than Boston Public Radio.

Hub Blog’s intrepid Manhattan Spy, who normally tracks all things NY Yankees and other enemy sports-team activities, reports that the Mass.-based New City Microcreamery’s high-end ice cream is a hit in NYC, particularly its Newtella Roche flavor. … Hey, if it’s sold in Greenwich Village, it has to be a hipster hit, right? … New City Microcreamery has stores, btw, in Sudbury, Cambridge, Arlington and the hipper-than-hip Hudson (its original location – and why I’m writing about it; its coffee is also pretty good).

Btw: Does this make me an influencer? … I have a donut post in the making. Stay tuned.

How many locals read this Globe headline the other day (‘‘Can’t seem to get their act together’: Boston’s bold dream of hosting World Cup is on shaky ground’) and thought to themselves: ‘Thank God we didn’t host the 2024 Olympics.’* … The whole World Cup-vs-Foxborough spat is just classic Boston. The backbiting, the grudges, business and political leaders’ financial promises and broken promises, the overbudget projects and the behind-schedule projects, etc. … And now, for the second time, the fight is allegedly over. Let the games begin! …

Btw – From the Globe’s Shirley Leung: “Can Bob Kraft save us from the embarrassment of being the worst World Cup host city? No, he can’t.”

* Ah, the glorious memories.

Gov. Maura Healey should still somewhat easily win re-election, based on the most recent UNH poll (scroll down) and other surveys. But she’s definitely making it harder than it should be. There’s the migrant-shelter debacle, the rise and fall of odd-duck Monica Tibbits-Nutt, the governor’s cocaine-peddling liaison to western Mass., natural-gas pipeline flipflops, the rapid-fire turnover of her cabinet, etc. And there’s also, of course, the general affordability issue that’s driving residents out of Massachusetts and the general crappy-time-to-be-an-incumbent sentiment that could be detected in last year’s local elections.

Btw – There’s one thing I’m pretty sure voters aren’t overly concerned about: the governor’s schedule. What an odd story from the Globe. I suppose her pullback from the spotlight does say something about the governor. I just don’t know what. 

With only 8.4 percent of voters registered as Republicans in Massachusetts, the state GOP has to take what it can get when it comes to people joining the party. And that applies to three out of seven GOP statewide candidates who only recently registered as Republicans before filing to run for offices, the Globe reports. … Call it the party’s rent-a-candidate strategy. Or is it the candidates’ rent-a-party strategy? 

But when you think about, the state Democratic Party has been doing roughly the same thing in Massachusetts for decades, often playing host to pols who would be Republicans in any other state. They run as Democrats merely because, well, they’re not going to get very far as a member of a nearly bankrupt GOP in this bluest of blue states.

Btw: Is this bluest of blue states really that blue? After all, only 25.8 percent of voters are registered Democrats in Massachusetts, meaning a party representing only a quarter of all voters in this state has 100 percent control over our Congressional delegation, 100 percent control over of our statewide executive offices and more than 80 percent control of the Massachusetts legislature. …

— — This is what happens when a moderate tries to out-progressive a progressive: “Moulton’s State of the Union guest referenced in police reports involving ‘sexual assault and juveniles,’ according to police” (Herald)

–Says something about our tech economy in general: “Once a cornerstone of the startup scene, District Hall remains shuttered years after closing” (BBJ)

— There’s smoke here. Lots of smoke: “State watchdog found ‘too many flaws’ in MassDOT contract procurement” (NBC Boston)

— We’re such an enlightened state. Yeah, right: “Massachusetts is one of the more secretive states” (Globe)

— When you think about it, this story and the one immediately above have a lot in common: “Cambridge bans all city departments from using the social media platform X” (WBUR)

— The piece is a little old but bears repeating: ‘Unless he’s s###-faced, I’m not worried’: Mass State Police dash cam catches aftermath of deadly cruiser crash [+video]” (Herald)

— So depressing: “U.S. researchers flee to Australia, Germany, as federal funding cuts deepen” (BBJ)

— The question is often asked after major storms and the answer is always the same: high costs: “With so many storm outages, why don’t we put more power lines underground in Mass.?” (WBUR)

— They were just asking for a backlash: “After ambitious state law, Lexington welcomed a wave of new housing. Now people there are having second thoughts.” (Globe)

— They’d be crazy not to pick Atlanta. Just saying so: “Hub one of five finalists for 2028 Democratic National Convention” (Universal Hub)

— History-buff Alert: “Trump Says He Wants to Destroy Iran’s Navy. Here’s What to Know” (NYT)

— History-buff Alert II: It’s about the brutal murder of a brutal murderer, Leon Trotsky: “The moral squalor stemming from communist conviction” (Washington Post)

Well, the Pats may have another off-field controversy on their hands, thanks to a rather wild celebratory bash at a downtown bar, as Universal Hub reports. … Was this information available in police reports at the time? Did the media just miss it in the run-up to the Super Bowl? It would have made great pre-game fodder for this Dan Shaughnessy column.

Update – 3.4. 26 – The Globe/Boston.com is on the story.

Update II — 3.5.26 – And the Herald is on it too. … Can you imaging the sensation if this had been reported during Super Bowl week? Now it’s merely second fiddle to Stefon Diggs’s release and the Pats’ 31st-pick draft prospects.

I thought he was just huffing and puffing when he first threatened to cancel the military’s educational ties with local colleges. But the Secretary of Ideological Warfare actually did it, cancelling out MIT and Tufts, the BBJ reports. … No mention of BC, BU and Northeastern, which were also put on double secret probation last month. … Wonder how those schools feel this morning. Relieved? Or a little embarrassed they made Pete’s ideological cut? 

Update – No big deal. MIT only played a key technological role in winning World War II and the Cold War. Don’t worry. Pete knows best. … Hmmm. Does this ban apply to MIT Lincoln Labs? Just wondering.