THE MASS BRIEFTuesday, May 12, 2026 |
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THE LEAD |
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A man walked down Memorial Drive with an assault rifle and opened fire. Two people are fighting for their lives. Tyler Brown, 46, spent Monday afternoon terrorizing drivers on one of Cambridge's busiest streets, firing 50 to 60 rounds at passing cars in broad daylight. Two men — one an MBTA Ride driver — were struck and remain in critical condition at Boston hospitals. At least a dozen vehicles took gunfire. Drivers abandoned their cars mid-street and dove for cover beneath them. Here's what makes this more infuriating: Boston Police knew Brown was dangerous hours before he opened fire. His parole officer reported that morning that Brown — who pleaded guilty in 2020 to attempting to murder Boston police officers — had made suicidal statements and was seen on FaceTime brandishing an assault rifle. An officer safety bulletin went out. Officers tried a welfare check at his Dorchester home around 12:30 p.m. By 1:06 p.m., he was in Cambridge, walking down the center lane of Memorial Drive, rifle raised. A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian — reportedly a former Marine — shot Brown before he finally dropped the weapon. He's hospitalized under guard. The trooper and civilian are being hailed as heroes, and they are. But the question investigators will face: Why was a man on probation for shooting at cops, flagged as an active threat that morning, able to cross the river with a military-style weapon and terrorize a city before anyone could stop him? |
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WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW |
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Business leaders are lining up behind Seth Moulton's Senate challenge. When a long-serving senator faces a primary, you'd expect the business community to stick with the incumbent. Not this time. Moulton is building surprising support among business leaders frustrated with what they see as federal policies undermining the Massachusetts economy — and hungry for generational change within the Democratic Party. The Sept. 1 primary between Moulton and Senator Ed Markey is shaping up to be more competitive than many expected. Rhode Island's clean energy progress is under threat from its own governor. Governor Dan McKee wants to gut the state's Renewable Energy Standard, replacing a clear path to 100% renewable electricity by 2033 with a watered-down 75% target by 2050. The proposal would keep Rhode Island families and businesses hooked on expensive gas infrastructure while utility companies profit. The General Assembly needs to reject this amendment if Rhode Island wants to avoid locking in decades more of volatile energy costs and carbon pollution. Brookline voters saved their schools — and it wasn't close. Nearly 60% of voters approved a Proposition 2½ override that will raise property taxes 18% over three years but avoid cutting 240 full-time positions from schools and public safety. The $23 million in new revenue protects teachers, police, firefighters, school music and language programs, and basic infrastructure investments. Turnout hit 35% — the highest ever for a local election in Brookline — suggesting residents understand what's at stake when communities try to maintain services under outdated state tax caps. The Suffolk DA race is officially a three-way fight. Kevin Hayden, Rachael Rollins, and Linda Champion have each cleared the signature threshold to appear on the September primary ballot. Rollins, who resigned as U.S. Attorney in 2023 amid controversy, is mounting a comeback. Champion left Hayden's office to challenge him. Hayden has the fundraising edge with $60,000 cash on hand, but Rollins and Champion are close behind. This will be the first real test of whether Boston voters are willing to give Rollins a second act. Massachusetts Senate passes immigrant protection bill — but key differences remain with the House version. The Senate voted 37-3 last week to restrict ICE operations at sensitive locations like courthouses, hospitals, and schools, and to create new civil liability for federal agents who violate constitutional rights. But the Senate and House bills differ on key enforcement mechanisms, and lawmakers must now negotiate a compromise before Governor Healey can sign. Republicans warn the bill will face legal challenges. Democrats say Massachusetts won't be complicit in family separations. Reentry programs that keep people out of prison are about to lose state funding. The Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant program, created in 2020, sends millions to 66 organizations across Massachusetts that provide job training, housing help, addiction treatment, and mentorship for people returning from incarceration. Unless lawmakers add $15 million to next year's budget, the program disappears. Organizations like Dorchester's MissionSafe have already seen their grants cut in half. Now they're staring at zero. Advocates say this is exactly backward: reentry programs save money and lives by keeping people out of the system. |
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WORTH YOUR ATTENTION |
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A wake for Massachusetts State Police Trooper Kevin Trainor will be held this evening in Peabody. Trainor, 30, was killed last week when his cruiser was struck by a wrong-way driver on Route 1 in Lynnfield. His funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. WCVB → The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee votes Thursday on whether to ask the state Supreme Court for an opinion on the constitutionality of opening a "revival window" for previously expired civil claims against institutions that enabled clergy sexual abuse. The House already passed the bill 68-5. The Senate is punting. Boston Globe → Smith College students and alumni are demanding the school fight back against the Trump administration's investigation into the college's policy of admitting transgender women. Petitions are circulating calling on Smith to use its $2.7 billion endowment to mount a legal defense rather than cave to federal pressure. Boston Globe → |
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💰 Money Watch
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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions
Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance |
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This Week on Beacon Hill
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Wednesday, May 13, 10:00 AM Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (10 bills) Topic: Local and regional government matters Location: B-1 , Boston
Friday, May 15, 9:00 AM Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure (2 bills) Topic: Late-filed Local Alcohol Petitions Location: Written Testimony Only, Boston
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New on the Ballot
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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance: Candidates
PACs
Change of Purposes
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ONE MORE THING |
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A new MassINC poll finds that 40% of Bay State residents say their quality of life has gotten worse over the past five years, and only 27% expect their finances to improve in the year ahead. Less than a third said they're better off than their parents — down from 50% in 2011. Translation: The middle-class dream is slipping away, and people know it. Housing, healthcare, groceries, childcare — all of it feels harder to afford. No wonder voter anger is running hot. |
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