Tuesday Morning: Grand Jury Targets ‘Whitey’; Mass. Gets Mediocre Health Grades

A federal grand jury in Boston could be weighing further charges against James “Whitey” Bulger and his longtime companion, Catherine Greig. The Globe reports that the FBI has delivered subpoenas to at least two in California who knew the pair when they were hiding out as “the Gaskos.”

State lawmakers today will discuss a bill that could allow Lottery players to purchase their tickets online. Supporters say the legislation could bring Massachusetts up to $1 billion a year in increased ticket sales. But state Treasurer Steve Grossman, who oversees the Lottery, is opposed, telling the Herald that it could “exacerbate problem gambling.”

There was a big energy ruling over the state line yesterday. A judge in Vermont ruled that the state’s only nuclear plant, Vermont Yankee, shouldn’t be open while a lawsuit determining its future plays out. The state government wants the decades-old Yankee closed, but federal regulators have approved a 20-year license renewal.

No A’s, five B’s, two C’s, four D’s and two F’s. That’s Massachusetts’ health report card, according to a just-released Boston Foundation/NEHI study. The report’s co-author told us that the state’s health “trends are going in the wrong direction.”

In other news:
– Will she or won’t she? The Elizabeth Warren-for-Senate speculation continues.
– Boston has blurry, argued-over neighborhood lines.