Published May 20, 2010

A roundup of the news on what looks to be a very warm Boston Thursday:

1. Council President Ross Condemns Firefighters Deal

   Mike Ross’s threat to kill the deal — which the council has the power to do if a majority of its 13 members oppose it — is the most significant hint of opposition yet to the controversial award. Ross first made the news Wednesday on WBUR’s Radio Boston. The union says the council is legally bound to support the award. (Andrew Ryan/Globe)

2. Mass. May Scrap MCAS Test

   Massachusetts education officials are quietly putting together a proposal to scrap the controversial MCAS exams in English and math and replace them with new tests they are developing with about two dozen other states. Officials have long regarded the 12-year-old MCAS exams and the academic standards on which they are based to be superior to other states. (James Vaznis/Globe)

3. The New Republic Publishes Wheeler’s Resume

   The New Republic received — and denied — an internship application from Adam Wheeler, the accused ex-Harvard fraudster. In his two-page resume, Wheeler claims he is writing several books, that he can speak French, Old English, Classical Armenian and Old Persian, that and he is in demand on the lecture circuit.

4. Autistic Kids Have An Affinity For Music

   Because it calms them down and gives them a way to express themselves, music therapy has become popular for many autistic kids. But one Boston program is specifically for kids with autism — and it has nothing to do with therapy. (Sacha Pfeiffer/WBUR)

5. Man Jumped Off Mass Ave Bridge To Save Friend

   A Dorchester man watched as his childhood best friend leapt from the Massachusetts Avenue bridge, then jumped in after in a failed attempt to rescue him from the cold, swirling Charles River, family members said. (O’Ryan Johnson and Laura Crimaldi/Herald)

What sources am I missing? What should I be reading? Speak up in the comments.