Morning Updates: Romney-Holyfield weigh in, Patriots fight back, ‘Mr. Marijuana’
Good morning, Boston. Here are the stories you need to know for the day ahead.
A blues legend passes away: “B. B. King, whose world-weary voice and wailing guitar lifted him from the cotton fields of Mississippi to a global stage and the apex of American blues, died Thursday in Las Vegas. He was 89. … Mr. King married country blues to big-city rhythms and created a sound instantly recognizable to millions: a stinging guitar with a shimmering vibrato, notes that coiled and leapt like an animal, and a voice that groaned and bent with the weight of lust, longing and lost love.’’ (The New York Times) To start your day: B.B. King’s 10 Greatest Songs (Rolling Stone)
The boxing fight of the … day, I guess: Mitt Romney and former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield stripped down and weighed in for their bout, which will raise money for charity. “I’m staying far away from his ears,’’ Romney said, referring to Mike Tyson’s infamous bite of Holyfield. “I don’t for a moment want for him to confuse me with anyone from his past.’’ (The New York Times)
Meet Mr. Marijuana, Dick Evans: “Evans, 71, with a shock of white hair, has been involved in pressing for the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts as long as just about anyone. Now, as chairman of a group pushing to legalize recreational marijuana use by popular vote in 2016, he is poised to be a key player in an effort that could successfully conclude his nearly four decades of advocacy. … ‘The notion of prohibiting all use of marijuana by all persons in all circumstances, and punishing violators severely,’ he said, ‘runs counter to the very notion of freedom.’’’ (The Boston Globe)
The embarrassment of the Patriots’ Deflategate rebuttal: “‘The Wells Report in Context’ is presented in such immature fashion that all it’s missing is a nana nana boo-boo somewhere by word 18,454. Utilizing all caps TO STRESS ITS POINT, this is an angry retort and IT WANTS TO LET YOU KNOW. DAMN IT. … For God’s sake. Did Howard Dean write this thing?’’ (Boston.com) A timeline of the saga thus far:
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Please rate your experience from 1 to fiery explosion: “As if the indignity of riding discount transportation to Boston wasn’t enough on its own, passengers of a Bolt Bus were forced to evacuate Monday evening as their chariot burst into flames. When one passenger emailed to complain about the incident, a representative asked her to join the company’s loyalty program so that she could receive ‘a couple of round trips’ in exchange for her troubles.’’ (Gawker)
The Goodbye:
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