It’s John Henry’s Globe and T&G
By 
Red Sox principal owner John Henry officially took ownership of the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette from the New York Times Co. on Thursday, but we still don’t know what he plans to do with them.
A Worcester judge cleared the way for a return to local ownership of the publications by lifting an order related to a long-running class action lawsuit over the issue of whether the people who delivered the T&G were independent contractors or employees.
Henry, preoccupied with the Red Sox, who are now tied 1-1 with the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, chose to say nothing about his purchase of the two news organizations. (Henry paid $70 million; the Times paid $1.1 billion for just the Globe in 1993.) Henry let the publishers of the two newspapers issue bland statements, although Globe publisher Christopher Mayer’s comment suggested he would be staying on.
“Over the coming weeks, you’ll hear from John, senior management, and me about new strategies and a vision for our future,” he said.
In his email to Globe employees, Mayer said development on the Globe site “is not prohibited or banned.” He also said the Globe conducted an updated environmental assessment as part of the sale process “that did not identify any environmental conditions that warranted further review.”
There has been speculation that Henry intends to redevelop the Globe site, move the newsroom elsewhere, and move the printing operation to a Millbury facility owned by the Telegram & Gazette. The Globe also prints the Herald, most editions of the T&G, the Patriot Ledger, the Enterprise of Brockton, and the regional edition of the New York Times.
–BRUCE MOHL
BEACON HILL
The Senate passes a domestic violence bill, the Associated Press reports.
CASINOS
State gambling officials told Boston Mayor Tom Menino weeks ago that the deal between Suffolk Downs and Caesars Entertainment was on the rocks, but Hizzoner kept pushing the partnership anyway. CommonWealth’s Michael Jonas tells NECN’s Jim Braude that the Caesars withdrawal lengthens the odds for Suffolk Downs — and shows that the gambling commission means business in its vow to carefully scrutinize casino applicants.
Meanwhile, in comments that do not appear particularly helpful to his cause, Suffolk Downs rival Steve Wynn, who is angling to put a casino in Everett, calls Massachusetts gambling regulators “freshmen” who act “as if they are doing us a favor.” Gambling commission chairman Steve Crosby says Wynn is “entitled to his opinions.”
European leaders demand that the United States stop eavesdropping on their communications, Reuters reports. Alert to clueless former NSA officials: It’s never a good idea to talk about the Obama administration on Amtrak: Riding on the Acela between New York and Washington, a liberal activist overheard former National Security Agency director Michael Hayden giving a “background” interview to a reporter and decided to tweet parts of the conversation.
The White House gives immigration reform another push.
Paul Krugman lampoons a Washington that has “spent the past three-plus years in terror of a debt crisis that keeps not happening, and, in fact, can’t happen to a country like the United States, which has its own currency and borrows in that currency.”
The Affordable Care Act’s IT system wasn’t tested until two weeks before its public rollout.
ELECTIONS
CommonWealth reports on the unprecedented surge of outside “dark” money flowing into Boston’s mayoral race. A New York court lifts limits on contributions to an independent super PAC supporting mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota.
The Boston race has taken a negative turn, as two mailers attacking John Connolly from outside groups supporting Marty Walsh are followed by phone calls to voters that push negative messages about Walsh.
The Boston mayoral tilt makes the LA Times. David Bernstein argues that the diverse administrations Walsh and Connolly are promising are far harder to create than they are to pitch.
EDUCATION
Westfield State University president Evan Dobelle alleges in his lawsuit against the university that “a guerrilla war” is being fought for control of the institution. The Globe reports that Dobelle would have agreed to quit his post last week had trustees given him a paid sabbatical and let him return to Westfield State as a tenured professor.
To avoid a civil rights violation, the state is offering special training in Peabody and across the state for teachers who help students whose first language is not English, the Salem News reports.
State Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester says he is “alarmed” at the lack of progress at New Bedford’s Parker Elementary School and says it is a likely candidate for state takeover, a decision that could be made as soon as next week.
Weymouth officials say a Hingham special needs school at the town line is creating safety hazards and want to reroute traffic because of a new driveway exit that allows drivers to only turn right into South Weymouth.
Harvard vows to up its efforts to encourage low-income high school students to apply to the university, saying many of them are turned off by the school’s high “sticker price” without realizing the generous financial aid awards they would be eligible for.
HEALTH CARE
CommonWealth examines the state’s Robin Hood strategy for cutting health care costs.
TRANSPORTATION
MassDOT has launched a first-ever online survey to get driver feedback on highway maintenance, conditions, and ways to improve.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The Danvers high school teacher who was killed earlier this week had asked the 14-year-old student who is charged with her murder to stay after class so she could help him prepare for a test.
Justo Garcia of Lawrence is arraigned on charges he stole money from the city-owned parking garage and did campaign work for Mayor William Lantigua when he was supposed to be working, the Eagle-Tribune reports.
Four Fall River middle schools students, three boys and one girl ranging from 11 to 15 years old, were arrested and charged with assault and battery on a public employee and disrupting a school assembly after allegedly attacking a resource officer and security officer at their school.
Greater Boston takes a look back at the trial of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, whose conviction in the 1975 murder of Martha Moxley was overturned this week because of inadequate legal representation.