Month: August 2026

• Headlines of interest: … AI co-majors … Parking minimums, adieu …Maine’s new luxury market … Sixth District scorecard … Blue-Book Exam Renaissance … ‘Blizzard of Lies’ … ‘Birthplace of Cholesterol’

  August 14, 2026

  Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories that you may have missed this past week:

  — And some are actually upset they’re doing this: “Suffolk University launches ‘AI co-majors’ for degrees” (BBJ)

  — A reform that seems to be working: “One Year Without Multifamily Parking Minimums: Salem’s Lesson for Mass.” (B&T)

  — And they’ll pretend they’re living in a ‘fishing village’ amid the over-the-top opulence: “Maine’s Luxury Market Is Looking More Like the Hamptons and Nantucket” (WSJ)

  — It’s the old Met storage facility with gloriously tacky castle turrets: “MIT opens century-old warehouse as the new home for architecture school” (BBJ)

  — In-class written exams with pens and paper will beat AI cheating every time: “Bring Back the Blue-Book Exam” (Atlantic)

  — Speaking of AI, he’s so full of shit: “Mark Zuckerberg’s Convenient Truth” (Atlantic)

  — A good scorecard piece for those tardily boning up before the Sept. 1 election: “Sixth District primary is filled with ‘outsiders,’ an insider — and at least one Democrat trying to convince voters she’s both” (Globe)

  — An interview with someone who’s admirably kept an open mind on a sensational subject: “‘Blizzard of Lies’ author Dave Wedge on new book detailing Karen Read, John O’Keefe murder case” (GBH)

  — Tom Friedman veers from a Midwest primary race to Middle East politics – and it works: “El-Sayed’s Winning Path in Michigan” (NYT)

  — The health-conscious side of me keeps saying ‘Don’t even think of going there’: “Mass. diner with legendary bacon portions prides itself as the ‘Birthplace of Cholesterol’” (MassLive)

• Rachael Rollins’s will-to-power gene

  August 12, 2026

  The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld is right: the recent signatures controversy involving Rachael Rollins, as reported by the Globe and Herald, likely won’t prove decisive in her Dem primary bid for Suffolk County DA. She’s on a comeback roll right now, similar to a certain presidential candidate’s unlikely comeback bid two years ago, and you can feel she has momentum of some sort. So I’ll stand by what I wrote last spring after Rollins announced she wanted her old job back:

  I have this awful feeling she’s going to be one of those pols who just won’t go away. She has that will to power, that sense of righteousness mixed with shamelessness, the ability to turn negative liabilities into victimhood positives. She also needs the job. I give her a 50-50 chance of winning in September. 

  Btw: reviving old expense-account controversies, as the Herald does this morning, isn’t going to damage her prospects either. If anything, it might help her. See ‘victimhood positives’ above.

  Update — I missed this from Universal Hub the other day “Did the Rachael Rollins campaign fuck up in Chelsea or is somebody trying to ratfuck her?” … And WBUR has more on the signatures controversy.

  Update II — 8.13.26 – Well, maybe it will prove decisive. From the Globe: “Rachael Rollins handed in questionable signature papers herself, records show.” … Even AG Andrea Campbell is indicating this is a serious matter.

• Moderate muddle, Part 2: … Resolved: Hasan Piker is a jerk … ‘Swashbuckling vs shitty candidate’ … Abdul El-sayed: Is he or isn’t he? … Moderate patsies … Extremist takeovers … Barney’s book

  August 9, 2026

  

  
  Following up on my Moderate muddle post from earlier this year, here’s some meandering thoughts on hapless (and not so hapless) moderates after last week’s elections. … First, let’s show some much-needed party unity between centrists and progressive by agreeing on the following point: Hasan Piker is a complete asshole (and not just a jerk). I mean, here’s a guy leading primary insurgencies against many good and decent Dems – and then he turns around and demands party unity when it suits his angry purposes. … Like I said, he’s an asshole. He’s also a commie, but we won’t get into that now. … Are moderates enlightened angels by comparison? Nope. When moderate establishment types aren’t endorsing hacks, they’re often playing the role of intimidated patsies, cowering under their desks in fear of primary challenges. And let’s face it: moderates can be almost unbearably dull. As a HB reader texted me the other night after the Abdul El-sayed’s returns started coming in from Michigan: “I don’t think it’s progressive vs centrist politics per se. I think it’s young and bold vs old and established. … It’s swashbuckling vs shitty candidates.” … Or as the Globe’s Larry Edelman recently put it:

  As a lifelong Democrat, I am fed up with my feckless party, especially its aging leaders and brand of cultural elitism that puts down anyone uncomfortable with aspects of its “woke” agenda.

  The party needs generational change, a new approach to social and economic issues — a down-to-the-studs demo and reno. But the DSA …

  It always comes back to the privileged DSA types, mentally stuck in one of their college poli-sci classes taught by some far-left guru professor … But speaking of El-sayed and democratic socialists, I was beginning to believe he isn’t a DS-er, as he claims. But then I read this Reason piece and, well, let’s just say he’s technically not a DS-er. Still, I sort of like him. He’s a political swashbuckler, to borrow the above reader’s phrase, and he may well win in November. Barack Obama is backing him – and presumably trying to get him to tone down the rhetoric, as the NYT reports. … 

  One of my favorite political analysts, Fareed Zakaria, writes at the Post that Dems, moderates and progressives alike, still aren’t addressing a core problem that’s alienating the working-class voters they say they want to win over, to wit: the far-left’s radical views on cultural issues. He’s right. It’s killing Dems. … 

  Another HB reader believes that, unfortunately, the Dem Party is probably going the way of the GOP, allowing the extremists to slowly take over, etc., etc. He points to Evan Barker’s new book “Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Operative” as partial evidence. … Strangely, Andrew Sulllivan seems optimistic that the days of the extremists in both parties are numbered — or at least they’ve been fully exposed and weakened. … 

  Finally, is there any way to push up the release date of Barney Frank’s posthumous new book? It might help Dems sort things out a bit before the midterms.

  

  Update — 8.12.26 — Some good news, via the WSJ: “Left-Wing Surge Stalls in Wisconsin as Francesca Hong Narrowly Loses.”

  Update II — 8.13.26 — From the WSJ (again): “Online Agitator Hasan Piker Is Driving Democrats Up a Wall.” … Think about it: an avowed Marxist is now a major influencer within the Dem party.

• Headlines of interest: … ‘Killing the Mass. economy’ … Draining the endowments … Buying your very own golf course … KISS weaponry … Worcester’s funniest janitor

  August 6, 2026

  Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed over the past week:

  — An epic and accurate description of the Mass. economy: “A broken housing market, soaring costs, and Trump 2.0 are killing the Mass. economy. It’s time to do something about it” (Globe)

  — But not all is lost when you still have companies like this: “A Mass.-based company could be key in breaking China’s hold on critical mineral processing” (WBUR)

  — And here’s another promising firm: “Medical device company opens new manufacturing facility after $85M raise” (BBJ)

  — It’s the shake-down phase of negotiations: “Transportation To-Do List for Revs Stadium” (B&T)

  — No mention of struggling Massachusetts colleges, but you just know some are longingly looking at those funds: “The Struggling Colleges Raiding Their Endowments to Pay the Bills” (WSJ)

  — Well, if you have the money: “Longtime member buys South Shore golf course for $12M” (BBJ)

  — Will no one rid us of these troublesome puritans? “Progressive political advocacy group criticizes MA Democrat for ‘veteran’ campaign sign” (Boston Herald)

  — This is a painful article to read for those rooting for the American car industry to succeed: “Ford Made Boring Cars Popular. It doesn’t want them anymore” (WSJ)

  — It’s about keeping weapon systems simple, stupid: “What Ukraine’s drone makers know that the Pentagon doesn’t” (Washington Post)

  — My favorite story of the week: “Meet Jimmy Cash, Worcester’s funniest janitor” (WBUR)

• Minogue gets the presumptive-nominee treatment

  August 4, 2026

  The good news for Mike Minogue: he’s getting treated now as the presumptive GOP nominee for governor. The bad news: he’s getting treated now as the presumptive GOP nominee for governor, as columns by the Globe’s Joan Vennochi and the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld show. … Re Joan’s column, I hadn’t seen the Globe’s March story about Abiomed’s past regulatory woes under Minogue. Setting aside those and more recent concerns, I question whether Minogue’s past ties with a medical-device company is as big of a plus as he thinks. People are not exactly happy with our ridiculously expensive health-care system of late.

• Democratic Socialism, explained (again and again)

  August 2, 2026

  
  Ok, one more DSA rant and then I’ll ease up on the subject. … I don’t agree with everything Bill Maher says about democratic socialism. But he’s closer to the truth than many MSM descriptions of modern democratic socialism, such as this soft-pedaling NYT piece or this fawning Globe article that describes Zohran Mamdani as merely a “die-in-the-wool” progressive with no mention that he considers himself a democratic socialist whose party wants to replace capitalism and dismantle our current form of democracy. … Here’s the DSA’s party platform, btw. See for yourself.

  Update –- 8.3.26 – Via a reader, here’s some interesting poll numbers from IPSOS about how Dems feel about democratic socialism. Basically, the entire progressive wing of the party has gone full DS, by the looks of it. 

  Update II — From the Boston Globe’s great Larry Edelman: “What are Democratic socialists smoking?” (The headline above is from his email newsletter; the headline is different at the Globe website.)

• Jeff Conolly, the Lyres, RIP

  August 2, 2026

  
  Sad news for those who remember the late ‘70s/early ‘80s Boston rock scene: Jeff Conolly of the Lyres has died, as the Globe reports. … A friend sent along a couple of classics from Conolly et gang, here and here, and even one going back to Jeff’s DMZ days. He adds:

  I knew (Jeff) was not well and there was an epic fundraiser in the spring. Boston Groupie News coverage here. He went through a lot of bandmates… as the Kinks song goes, he was “not like everybody else” …

  DMZ got to make an album on Sire Records which should have been a friendly environment but with the extraordinary exception of the Cars, Rat-era Boston bands struggled with major labels. Nervous Eaters, Atlantics, Robin Lane. Here’s a great remembrance of MonoMan/Connolly from Thrills guitarist Johnny Angel.

  
  Update — 8.3.26 – Boston Groupie News has more on Jeff’s death.

  Update II — 8.8.26 — From Jim Sullivan at ‘BUR: “Remembering talented and temperamental Lyres frontman Jeff Conolly.”

• Pressley’s husband still awaiting that big courthouse payday

  August 1, 2026

  John Barros may have “divested” himself from the controversial $2 billion courthouse development deal in Springfield, as the Herald and SHNS (WBUR) report. But U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s ex-convict husband, Conan Harris, is apparently still in line for the big taxpayer-funded payout tied to the state contract. … Can someone please explain what exactly the husband of a sitting U.S. congresswoman did to earn a slice of the taxpayers’ money for this project? The optics stink, especially when you consider Harris’s familiarity with courthouses is limited to his past legal woes that brought him before the bench once too many times. 

  The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld is bashing Gov. Healey’s handling of the courthouse controversy (and other matters):

  The state awards a massive courthouse contract to two incredibly politically connected bidders and she says the process was totally above board? How could she not anticipate questions about this contract? And what does Barros know that we don’t know that caused him to jump ship from a lucrative pay day?… 

  Update — 8.3.26 — From the Globe: “‘We got a C-minus’: With Springfield courthouse bid mired in controversy, some worry about trust in process.”

  Update II — 8.7.26 – Update – 8.7.26 – She’s standing by the Dem establishment yet again. From the Herald: “AG Campbell defending $2B contract given to Ayanna Pressley’s husband, Convention Center chief”

  Update III — 8.8.26: – From the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld: “AG Andrea Campbell gives free pass to Democrat pals.”