Who won't be Boston's next police commish

Also: Former Boston police union head pleads guilty; House says no (for now) to tax breaks [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 26, 2022 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 58 and a chain of rain in the afternoon. Good Morning Boston, This is one platform Elon Musk can never [buy]( — or at least not unless he offers me that aforementioned [ice cream Keurig](. But until then, I'll keep bringing you the news: - No names have emerged yet in the search for Boston's next police commissioner, but we now know one person it won't be: the BPD's current acting commish, Superintendent-in-Chief Greg Long. - Long has served in the interim role for over a year, ever since former commissioner Dennis White was suspended over resurfaced domestic abuse allegations shortly after being appointed in February 2020 (White was [ultimately fired](. - However, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Monday on Radio Boston that "unfortunately" Long — who has [spent most of his career under the radar]( — "has said he's not interested." - Public safety leaders and reform advocates have [agreed that the city is taking an unusual approach to finding the next commissioner]( tasking an outside committee with recruiting and interviewing candidates. The city began [accepting applications last week]( the deadline to apply is May 13. - Listen to [the full Radio Boston segment for more]( including Wu's comments on keeping the Boston Public School mask mandate in place, the question she would like to ask the Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates and her Boston marathon aspirations (or lack thereof). - COVID isn't the only disease health experts are [keeping a close eye on](. The Department of Public Health reports that flu cases in Massachusetts are up 27% over the last week. - But wait, isn't the spring supposed to be allergy season, not flu season? That’s true, but some experts [attribute the uptick in flu cases in the Northeast]( to the relaxation of COVID measures like mask mandates. - We're still waiting for [that futuristic Amtrak map]( to become reality, but western Massachusetts is getting some new rail links. - Amtrak says the new Berkshire Flyer train will make its first trip from New York City to Pittsfield on July 8. The seasonal pilot program will run on the weekends this summer and next, with the idea of drawing more tourism to the Berkshires. - There's also good news for weekday travelers. Amtrak's Hartford Line from New Haven to Springfield was also [officially restored]( to its pre-pandemic levels this week. - Not happening (yet): The Democratic majority in the Massachusetts House firmly rejected several Republican-led tax cut proposals Monday — including [another]( bid to temporarily suspend the gas tax and several of Gov. Charlie Baker's [tax cut proposals]( — as lawmakers began debate over the state's budget. - According to State House News Service, House leaders did leave open the possibility of revisiting Baker's proposals in a future bill — though when and how remains unclear. - The news also revealed a slight divide between the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates. In [a GBH interview Monday]( Attorney General Maura Healey said she supports the "basic direction" of Baker's tax cut proposals, which includes breaks aimed at low-income residents, renters and seniors, as well as cuts to the estate and capital gains tax. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz told me in a statement that she opposes Baker's proposed estate and capital gains tax cuts, adding that the state should be making its tax system "more progressive, not passing kickbacks for the wealthy." - The rejected tax cuts were just a couple of the [more than 1,500 budget amendments]( proposed to the nearly $50 billion House budget proposal. I'm still holding out hope for the [mandatory reply-all training amendment](. P.S.— If you missed last week's WBUR CitySpace panel discussion about environmental justice and the coming offshore wind revolution, we have good news: you can now [watch the full event on YouTube](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Former Boston Police Union President pleads guilty to sexual assault and child rape charges]( Patrick Rose, the former head of the Boston Police Patrolman's Association, has pleaded guilty to 21 counts of child rape and sexual assault. [Read more.]( [Former Boston Police Union President pleads guilty to sexual assault and child rape charges]( Patrick Rose, the former head of the Boston Police Patrolman's Association, has pleaded guilty to 21 counts of child rape and sexual assault. [Read more.]( [Biden will make Paxlovid, a highly effective COVID drug, available to more pharmacies]( The antiviral pill is available to patients older than 12 who have tested positive for COVID and are at risk for developing a severe case of the disease. [Read more.]( [Biden will make Paxlovid, a highly effective COVID drug, available to more pharmacies]( The antiviral pill is available to patients older than 12 who have tested positive for COVID and are at risk for developing a severe case of the disease. [Read more.]( [Elon Musk bought Twitter. Here's what he says he'll do next]( Before Twitter accepted Musk's $44 billion offer, he has floated numerous ideas for changing the social network. Not all of those proposals have been welcomed by experts. [Read more.]( [Elon Musk bought Twitter. Here's what he says he'll do next]( Before Twitter accepted Musk's $44 billion offer, he has floated numerous ideas for changing the social network. Not all of those proposals have been welcomed by experts. [Read more.]( [Mass. father appeals conviction in college bribery case]( A Massachusetts business executive who was sentenced to 15 months in prison in the sprawling college admissions cheating scandal is appealing his conviction, arguing that he believed he was making legitimate donations to get his three children into elite universities. [Read more.]( [Mass. father appeals conviction in college bribery case]( A Massachusetts business executive who was sentenced to 15 months in prison in the sprawling college admissions cheating scandal is appealing his conviction, arguing that he believed he was making legitimate donations to get his three children into elite universities. [Read more.]( [A judge holds Donald Trump in contempt of court and fines him $10,000 per day]( Trump has been ordered to pay $10,000 for each day he does not turn over documents sought by the N.Y. attorney general in connection with a civil probe of the Trump Organization. [Read more.]( [A judge holds Donald Trump in contempt of court and fines him $10,000 per day]( Trump has been ordered to pay $10,000 for each day he does not turn over documents sought by the N.Y. attorney general in connection with a civil probe of the Trump Organization. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Jacquinn Sinclair writes that the new play "Black Super Hero Magic Mama" running at the Boston Public Library is [a "tantalizing" look at the country's response to police violence against Black people]( even if the show needs some fine tuning. - The band Lucius is [kicking off their first tour in years this week with two shows in Massachusetts]( — one on each end of the state. - Glenn Rifkin [writes in this commentary]( that the late Debra Stark left behind "an oasis of whole grain compassion and humanity" at her natural products store in Concord. - State Sen. Julian Cyr and Reproductive Equity Now executive director Rebecca Hart Holder [write in this commentary that Massachusetts could serve as a haven]( amid the simultaneous attacks on abortion and LGBTQ rights across the country. What We're Reading 📚 - Welcome to the (other) birthplace of basketball ([Washington Post]( - He Ran Marathons in Prison. Boston’s Was Easier ([The New York Times]( - There Is No Such Thing as “Junk” Food ([Bon Appétit]( Food for Thought [Q&A: What Tulane professor Diego Rose has learned about climate change and the American diet]( “Even if you if you looked at the least impactful beef that’s raised — and all beef was raised in that way — we’d still have to cut our consumption in half to be sustainable. It’s just a high-impact food.” [Read more.]( [Q&A: What Tulane professor Diego Rose has learned about climate change and the American diet]( “Even if you if you looked at the least impactful beef that’s raised — and all beef was raised in that way — we’d still have to cut our consumption in half to be sustainable. It’s just a high-impact food.” [Read more.]( Before you go: "[The turkeys now have control of the mail]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.