Published April 11, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAcxwfkAdDY

Expected for some time, former Gov. Mitt Romney today formed a presidential exploratory committee, the first official step toward the Republican nomination and a White House run.

In a video message recorded after meeting with students from the University of New Hampshire, Romney focuses on the economy and his own private-sector experience.

… President Obama’s policies have failed. He and virtually all the people around him have never worked in the real economy. They just don’t know how jobs are created in the private sector.

The former governor faults Obama for the nation’s high unemployment and says it’s “time that we put America back on a course of greatness” with a vibrant economy and fiscal discipline. He touts his leadership in Massachusetts, where he “used [his] skills … to streamline state government, balance the budget every year, and restore a 2 billion dollar rainy day fund.”

An exploratory committee allows Romney to raise funds in accordance with federal law.

The former governor previously sought the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

Romney chose an interesting day to announce his committee: tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of Massachusetts’ universal health care coverage legislation, which the former governor signed into law. So-called “RomneyCare” has been used as political bait as he’s pondered another presidential run.

— Here’s a transcript of Romney’s video:
[transcript]
Hello, I’m Mitt Romney. This morning I spoke with a number of students here at the University of New Hampshire. Like young people all over the country, they wonder whether they’ll find good jobs when they graduate.

Last week, in Nevada, I walked through a neighborhood with homes vacant or in foreclosure. Unemployment there is over 13%. Across the nation, over 20 million Americans still can’t find a job, or have given up looking.

How has this happened in the nation that leads the world in innovation and productivity? The answer is that President Obama’s policies have failed. He and virtually all the people around him have never worked in the real economy. They just don’t know how jobs are created in the private sector.

That’s where I spent my entire career. In 1985, I helped found a company. At first, we had ten employees; today there are hundreds.

My work led me to become deeply involved in helping other businesses, from innovative startups to large companies going through tough times. Sometimes I was successful and helped create jobs, other times I was not. I learned how America competes with companies in other countries, why jobs leave, and how jobs are created here at home.

Later, when I served as governor of Massachusetts, I used the skills I had learned in 25 years in business to streamline state government, balance the budget every year, and restore a 2 billion dollar rainy day fund.

From my vantage point in business and in government, I have become convinced that America has been put on a dangerous course by Washington politicians, and it has become even worse during the last two years. But I am also convinced that with able leadership, America’s best days are still ahead.

That is why today I am announcing my Exploratory Committee for the Presidency of the United States.

It is time that we put America back on a course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington.

I believe in America. I believe in the freedom and opportunity, and the principles of our constitution, that have led us to become the greatest nation in the history of the earth – and I believe that these principles will confirm American’s future as well.

This effort is not about a person, it is about the cause of American freedom and greatness. I’d like to ask you to join with us – volunteer, donate, or just pass this along to a friend. Thanks so much.
[/transcript]

Published April 11, 2011

You surely remember the strange story: a mangled body was found in November on a quiet residential street in Milton, perplexing police.

Eventually, what was suspected yet scoffed at became the likely story. Officials say Delvonte Tisdale stowed away in the wheel well of an airplane and died either in-flight or by plunging back to earth when the plane deployed its landing gear.

What we still don’t know is why he was there. Tisdale was just 16 when he died. He was living in Charlotte, N.C., with his dad and was an ROTC student.

This weekend, Tommy Tomlinson, a columnist for the Charlotte Observer, dug into who Tisdale was, but still can’t understand how he ended up dead in Milton. In “The boy who fell out of the sky,” Tomlinson writes:

Arrange the facts a certain way, piece the jagged edges together, and you start to see a picture. But the picture doesn’t speak. Nothing in it says why.

Authorities are still investigating Tisdale’s death, but it seems we may never know the full story.

Published April 11, 2011

Though the tree-lined walkway is the one of the most beautiful strolls in the city, the Esplanade is more dangerous than you think. Authorities are asking Bostonians to be wary of the Charles River pathway after a college student told Boston police she was sexually assaulted Saturday night while sitting on an Esplanade bench.

The BSO is searching for a new conductor after James Levine announced last month that he is stepping down because of his deteriorating health. Ever wondered what makes a good conductor? Check out WBUR’s awesome coverage of the BSO conductor hunt.

Gov. Deval Patrick will spend the day in Boston today. It’s not usually news, but the governor had been slated for a Today Show appearance this morning, but was bumped thanks to a glut of recent headline news. Patrick launches a book tour promoting his memoir “A Reason to Believe” this week. We’ll speak with the governor on Radio Boston next week.

Voters overwhelmingly support the authorization of three resort casinos in the state, according to a poll conducted by UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Policy Analysis. The poll follows last summer’s legislative fight over gambling.

If you’re hoping to end it all — and hopefully you’re not — don’t jump off the Tobin Bridge. Four boaters near the Chelsea Yacht Club saved a man who had jumped off the Tobin when they pulled him from the water. The kicker is this quote at the end of the Herald article:

“We get a few a year…Usually around the holidays or tax time. … It’s sad. I don’t know what it comes to that someone decides to do that. He was very fortunate.”

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett returned to his 2007 form in dismantling the Yankees and leading the team to a 4-0 victory. Beckett threw eight fantastic innings and notched 10 strikeouts. The season looks a lot rosier today than it did Friday, after the team won a series against the Pinstripes.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on scandal in the Boston Veterans’ Services Department, the Deval Patrick memoir and the trial for an accused Springfield arsonist. Radio Boston will speak with Marine Biologist Carl Safina about his new PBS series “Saving the Ocean.”