Local News

Morning Updates: Trump v. Walsh, Patriots drop ‘deflator’ weight-loss excuse

Donald Trump’s idiotic comments on immigrants drew the ire of Mayor Marty Walsh. AP/John Locher, File

By Eric Levenson @ejleven

July 15, 2015

2 minutes to read

Good morning, Boston. Mayor Walsh picked a fight with the Donald, Boston residents voluntarily swam in the Charles River, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

Trump v. Walsh feud: “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told the Boston Herald Monday that Trump would have to apologize to immigrants for his inflammatory comments. ‘I think his comments are inappropriate. And if he wanted to build a hotel here, he’d have to make some apologies to people in this country,’ said Walsh, the son of immigrants from Galway. … [Trump] said he would not apologize in order to do business in Boston because ‘everyone is saying I am right.’ … When asked if he knew Walsh, Trump said he did not and later referred to the mayor as ‘whoever he may be.’’’ (Boston Magazine)

A unique job interview question: “The Methuen police department gave preference to job candidates who said they wouldn’t arrest relatives or fellow officers for drunken driving, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission found. … [Police Lieutenant Michael] Pappalardo also said he wouldn’t believe anyone who claimed they would arrest their family and friends. And when candidates said they wouldn’t arrest family or fellow officers, the hiring panel noted the person ‘knows discretion.’’’ (The Boston Globe)

People swam in the Charles River. On purpose:

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(Boston.com)

Jade Helm military exercise, starting today, sparks insane conspiracies: “Much of the paranoia over Jade Helm 15 is the outgrowth of an anti-Obama sentiment that is widespread in Texas and parts of the Southwest. … Throughout [our] interview, [Texas resident Scott] Degenaer was skeptical whether the reporter and photographer who spoke with him were members of the news media and wondered if they were part of Jade Helm 15. ‘Spec Ops grows beards,’ he said, referring to the photographer’s facial hair. ‘Y’all got a military ID?’’’ (The New York Times)

A neat scroll through the Globe’s old sports Rolodex: “The heavy, clunky cabinet starts with Weston Adams Jr. (former Bruins owner) and takes you all the way to the late Don Zimmer. It is an archaeological dig of 20th century Boston sports. … The Globe has old phone numbers for Wilt Chamberlain, Red Grange . . . and Red Auerbach. Our Auerbach index card has six phone numbers, including one from the Woodmont Country Club golf shop in Rockville, Md., where Red played cards every day during the summer.’’ (The Boston Globe)

The Patriots drop idea that “the deflator’’ refers to losing weight: “At some point the Patriots realized this assertion was a silly one, and on June 18 removed the section calling [‘the deflator’] a weight-loss term and replaced it with this note: ‘The focus of public discussion about the one and only text that used the term ‘deflator’ — and what the term as used in that single text refers to — has detracted attention from the numerous flaws in the Wells Report described in these annotations.’’’ (Boston.com)