Published March 11, 2011

By now you’ve heard that an earthquake hit northern Japan Friday. Tsunami waves hit Hawaii in the early morning hours Friday and the U.S. West Coast is preparing for a tsunami triggered by the quake that’s traveling across the Pacific. WBUR and NPR will be following the story all day and you can get the latest news on Here & Now at noon.

As for Boston, the 2010 gubernatorial election is back in the news.

A former Goldman Sachs executive gave Independent candidate for governor — and former state Treasurer — Timothy Cahill strategic campaign advice, according to e-mails obtained by the Globe. Federal law restricts public-finance bankers from contributing to political candidates who issue public bonds, like a state Treasurer. The former banker, Neil Morrison, insists he did nothing wrong.

The mother of a Springfield sixth-grader who committed suicide after being bullied at school spoke with President Obama at the White House Thursday. Sirdeaner Walker is pushing for a national anti-bullying law.

In March, students and parents across Boston try their luck with charter schools. Often praised for high test scores and graduation rates for low-income students, charter schools are publicly funded but are independent from the school district. As WBUR’s Bianca Vasquez Toness reports, though, charter schools may not be doing enough to educate students who don’t speak English at home.

This weekend marks the annual PAX East video game convention at the BCEC. Thousands of gamers from all over the world will descend on Boston so, yes, that really is Pikachu you saw on the T. Radio Boston spoke with PAX East keynote speaker Jane McGonigal on Wednesday.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on the quake and tsunami aftermath, the Cahill-Goldman Sachs connection and a surge in car thefts in Lawrence.

Aside from covering PAX East and the week in the news, Radio Boston will welcome legendary rocker Peter Wolf to today’s show.