Morning Updates: Ebola Outbreak, Tsarnaev Apology, and the Miserable T
Good morning, Boston. Here are all the non-Deflategate stories you need to know for the day ahead.
In terms of crime, today is safer than ever: “So far this year, 10 U.S. police officers have been killed by gunfire. That puts us on pace for 29 by the end of the year. That would be the lowest raw number in well more than half a century. … The crime rate was much higher in 1968 than it is today. Here’s a mind-blowing statistic: There were 500 fewer overall murders in 2013 than there were in 1969, despite the fact that the population increased by 115 million people.’’ (The Washington Post)
“The T needs to be put out of its misery.’’ Bev Scott, the always-colorful former MBTA general manager, holds forth on the MBTA’s problems and solutions: “Too many times what we are doing is we are continuing to operate these agencies using institutional frameworks that are outdated and outmoded to do 21st century work. Just put [the MBTA] under MassDOT. It can be a state agency. You need to be able to say that the buck stops somewhere. If I want to put my hand around your throat and choke you, who do I go to?’’ ( CommonWealth )
“Ebola was not an exception. Ebola was a precedent.’’ PBS Frontline goes deep into the Ebola outbreak in a new documentary titled Outbreak: “It’s pure craziness. It’s like watching a zombie movie.’’ (Frontline)
Marathon bomber’s defense nears its end: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev apologized to U.S. Court Marshalls for flipping off a holding cell camera in July 2013. “No, I’m done. I’m sorry,’’ he said, according to testimony on Wednesday. (Boston.com) Ahead: Former prison official Mark Bezy will finish testimony on the restrictive life in a super-max prison. Tsarnaev’s defense is expected to wrap up sooner rather than later.
Bulldoze the House: “People often think I’m joking when I say that Massachusetts should fire the entire state House of Representatives. Recent events show why I am very serious: the problem is the bicameral. Blow it up. One lawmaking body is all we need. … Joint committees, in which members of both chambers attempt to work together on legislation they will later work separately on, is such a grossly dysfunctional concept, even the malfunctioning federal Congress doesn’t stoop to that low of a level of organization. … It is, essentially, two identical bodies trying to do the same job, with each able to stymie the other.’’ (Boston Magazine)
Business Schools rush to attract women: “To boost interest and application numbers, business schools say they are rolling out new programs to engage women earlier and are positioning themselves as welcoming environments for women. ‘We have an issue with numbers,’ said Idalene Kesner, dean of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. ‘We’re all basically trying to attract this same smaller pool of women.’’’ (The Wall Street Journal)
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