Keller: Comedy Central on Beacon Hill

For sheer comic fun, who needs Jimmy Kimmel when you’ve got Beacon Hill Republicans?

There were (unintended) laughs aplenty last week when Senate Phone Booth Caucus Leader Bruce Tarr emerged from a State House huddle with GOP officials brimming with fantasy confidence about the party’s chances in next year’s elections.

The Republicans, said Tarr, according to Sam Drysdale’s report in the State House News Service, want to run on their “traditional” brand, “the ability to manage state government efficiently and responsible and deliver on the things that are important to people’s lives.”

LOL! Pure comedy gold!

The GOP tradition Tarr wants to feature is ancient news as far as most Republicans are concerned, a regrettable spasm of RINO-fever before the Lord delivered Donald Trump on a golden escalator from Heaven. As Rick Pitino might put it: Bill Weld, Paul Cellucci, Mitt Romney and Charlie Baker aren’t walking through that door.

House Perpetual Minority Leader Brad Jones at least acknowledged the GOP dilemma: “Obviously the Democrats in the state want to talk more about national races, and not about [their] record here in Massachusetts," he said.

But as much as GOP leaders might want to make the election about the migrant follies and other issues that don’t play so well for the Democrats, the 2026 election – like the Boston mayoral race and countless other contests across the country - will mostly be a referendum on Trump and what he’s in the process of doing to Massachusetts.

Jobs continue below the fold — post a job

9:30 | Gov. Maura Healey holds "solar summit" "to discuss the impact of President Trump’s rollback of bipartisan federal tax credits and how Massachusetts can bring more affordable solar power online to lower costs for residents and businesses and create jobs," according to Healey's office. The first 20 minutes of the roundtable will be open press. | Saltonstall Building, Second Floor, 100 Cambridge St., Boston

10:00 | Lawrence Public Schools host a ribbon cutting to celebrate the launch of 35 new electric school buses and minibuses. The new fleet is fully in-service for the 2025-2026 school year in Lawrence and surrounding Merrimack Valley communities. | NRT Bus Facility & Charging Site, 55 Hampshire Rd., Methuen

3:00 | Gov. Maura Healey convenes state and local law enforcement and community partners for the second in a series of regional roundtable discussions about collaborative public safety strategies statewide. | 600 Kelly Way, Holyoke

5:30 | Former Congressman Joe Kennedy III is the special guest at a fundraising reception for Beverly councilor at large candidate Keith Sonia. | Beverly Franco-American Club, 44 Park Street, Beverly | RSVP

READYING FOR A SHUTDOWN: The heads of the executive branch were asked to help brace for a federal government shutdown and lay out plans in response to the possibility. – State House News Service

HIGHWAY SERVICE PLAZAS: Irish retailer Applegreen, which last week walked away from a proposal to redevelop highway service plazas, spent tens of thousands of dollars over the last year on lobbying. Communications between MassDOT and a consultant working for the company’s registered lobbyist were part of the losing bidder’s complaints about the contracting process. – Boston Herald

FEDERAL WORKFORCE CUTS: Unions that represent the federal workers say the staffing cuts are creating backlogs. – MassLive

ZONING MORATORIUM: As the region faces a housing crisis, a member of the Barnstable Town Council wants a moratorium on construction in downtown Hyannis. – Cape Cod Times

SOMERVILLE ABDUCTION, CONT’D: Relatives and co-workers of the Somerville man abducted by masked ICE agents have set up a GoFundMe in order to help him get out of a Plymouth jail. – Universal Hub

‘CREATOR BRIEFINGS’: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has held private virtual briefings for social media influencers. – NBC

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS: Nonprofit health providers are struggling with cuts to Medicaid and changes to a key prescription drug program. – Boston Globe

MARKET SATURATION? Boston cannabis regulators have put out a request for proposals for a research study into the potential market saturation of marijuana shops in the city. – Talking Joints Memo

IN MEMORIAM: Robert Barnett, the Washington attorney who represented Ted Kennedy and Elizabeth Warren, along with the Clintons and Bushes in book deals, has died. He was 79. – Associated Press

Pressley: Black women disappearing from the economy is a ‘glaring red flag’

West Roxbury’s Rush could face 2026 primary challenge

Six Mass. colleges that closed or merged since the pandemic

Salem starts process for recognition as UNICEF ‘child friendly city’

Do you have an open job you'd like to feature here? Click here to place a job board order, or email Dylan Rossiter at [email protected].

Senior Transportation Planner, Boston Region MPO/ CTPS

Director, Bureau of Program Integrity, Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General

Executive Director, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance

Jobs Director, Action for Equity

Controller, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Manager of Arts and Culture, City of Chelsea

Human Resources Assistant, City of Newton

Transportation Engineer, City of Newton

Senior Transportation Engineer, City of Newton

Policy Advocacy and Legislative Coordinator, Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants

VIEW ALL JOBS