Published May 26, 2011

Sen. Scott Brown and Sen. John Kerry were among the senators yesterday that voted down the Republican budget that contained a controversial plan to partially privatize Medicare.

Five senate Republicans, three from New England, joined the larger side of the 57-40 tally. Brown, however, blasted Senate Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid for playing “divisive political games” by forcing a vote without presenting an alternative.

A former official in the Patrick Administration testified yesterday that former House Speaker Sal DiMasi pressured her to sign off on a multimillion dollar software contract. Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to take the stand tomorrow in DiMasi’s ongoing corruption case.

Thanks to budget woes, the MBTA is no longer routinely replacing absent bus drivers. That means T riders may face longer bus wait times.

Prosecutors in Alabama will seek the death penalty in the Amy Bishop case, according to her attorney. Bishop, originally from Massachusetts, is accused of shooting and killing three fellow professors and wounding three more at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Can you teach great teaching? Many educators think we have to. As part of WBUR’s Making An A+ Teacher series, Martha Bebinger reports on new methods being used to teach teachers to teach.